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52 Regency Square, Brighton, England BN1 2FF. Tel. +44 (0)1273 323282
« That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show
Dermot Kennedy »
Mon 09 Dec 2019 – Wed 11 Dec 2019 Doors 6:30pm | Show 8pm
Due to phenomenal demand, we have an **EXTRA DATE ADDED on Thurs 2nd Jan 2020**. On sale Friday 17th May at 10am
Award-winning comedian, actor and writer Jack Whitehall has announced his biggest UK and Ireland arena tour ever for 2019 with brand new show, JACK WHITEHALL: STOOD UP.
Following two complete sell out arena tours, Jack Whitehall Gets Around in 2014 and Jack Whitehall: At Large in 2017, which premiered on Netflix, JACK WHITEHALL: STOOD UP promises to be the most hilarious yet from one of comedy’s most electric talents. A joy to watch on stage and a comedian who is firmly on the road to becoming a global megastar, this show is not to be missed.
Jack Whitehall said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be going back out on the road. There’s no feeling like standing up on stage in front of an arena full of strangers, and still being able to hear your dad heckle you.”
About Brighton House
Brighton House is a 4 star guest house in Brighton city-centre. We are conveniently situated close to the city’s major conference centres, the seafront, the historic Lanes and colourful North Laine, and recently renovated Cultural Quarter.
Brighton House Guest House, 52 Regency Square
Brighton, England BN1 2FF
Email: info@brighton-house.co.uk
© Brighton House Guest House, 2020. All rights reserved.
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Harris Tweed Art, Prints & Cards
Needle felted textile art made by Jane Jackson
SHOP FOR PRINTS & cARDS
Bright Seed Textiles are Northumberland based husband and wife team Keith & Jane Jackson. Jane is a textile artist who has developed her own distinctive style of creating needle felted "paintings" from Harris Tweed, a unique heritage fabric that is still handwoven by crofters in the Scottish Outer Hebrides.
Jane's original Harris Tweed "paintings" can be purchased directly from the artist. Jane is also happy to undertake commissions or produce new versions of originals that have previously sold. Please contact us if you wish to purchase an original or discuss a commission.
Jane's images are also available as giclee art prints and greetings cards, Click here to shop online.
Jane also runs rag rugging workshops in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders under the name of Rebel Rag Ruggers with Margaret Kenny. Click here to find out more.
Art Prints & Cards
All our images are available as mounted 12" x 12" open edition giclee prints and greetings cards
Tweed Originals
Jane's currently available Harris Tweed "paintings". Paintings can be supplied with or without frames
We take part in various local & national craft fairs, wool festivals & art events throughout the year.
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Take your exam at the British Council without leaving India
The British Council has an extensive history of working with leading educational organisations in the UK that allows candidates enrolled with a university in the UK the unique benefit of taking their examinations with the British Council, without leaving the country.
University of London - International Programmes
Students registered with the University of London can take their examinations with the British Council in India.
We ensure that all regulations set by the University of London are followed and all requirements are met. We receive and store papers from universities, provide test rooms with invigilators for examinations and return the answer scripts to the UK by courier.
To sit for an exam, please contact our Customer Service team.
Admissions Testing Service
The Admissions Testing Service offers a range of tests and tailored assessment services to support selection & recruitment for educational institutions and professional organisations.
Depending on your chosen university and course, you may need to take an admissions test as part of your application e.g.
Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT)
Test-takers should refer to the Admission Testing Service website for information on others tests offered by Admissions Testing Service.
Invigilation Services
Candidates registered with universities and colleges in the UK can take advantage of the British Council's expertise in providing invigilation services. The British Council is fully equipped to conduct examinations on behalf of major educational boards in the UK.
Our examination hosting service can include registration, provision of invigilation services and the delivery of results and certificates.
To sit for any exam, you should contact your institution to apply for an overseas sitting of your examination, before submitting an exam request to us via email.
Contact us for more information on how the British Council can help you take your examination in India.
Heriot Watt
Students registered with the Heriot Watt can take their examinations with the British Council in India.
We ensure that all regulations set by the Heriot Watt are followed and all requirements are met. We receive and store papers from universities, provide test rooms with invigilators for examinations and return the answer scripts to the UK by courier.
To sit for an exam, please contact our Customer Service team
In most cases you will need to contact your university directly for a special need request. The university will contact the British Council about the arrangements and will inform you about the approval of your request.
You will normally need to provide a medical certificate issued within the last two years at the time of registration. For further information onarrangements for candidates with special needs please contact us.
We have the right exam for you
We offer a range of English exams to help you assess your English communication skills
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Problematic substance use
Problematic prescription drug use
Opioids data, surveillance and research
Opioid-related harms in Canada
National report: Apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada
(released June 2018)
We have archived this page and will not be updating it.
View the latest available data.
Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses. National report: Apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada (January 2016 to December 2017) Web-based Report. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; June 2018.
The opioid crisis has affected every part of the country, but there are clear differences in death rates and the substances involved across provinces and territories. According to available data reported as of June 6, 2018:
there were 3,987 apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017; 92% were accidental (unintentional)
72% of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues, compared to 55% in 2016
most accidental apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among males (78%) and among individuals between the ages of 30 and 39 (28%)
It is expected that these numbers will change as additional data become available
1.0 Apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada
2.0 Apparent opioid-related deaths by manner of death
2.1 National and regional trends of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths
2.2 Sex and age trends of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths
2.3 Fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other substances involved in accidental apparent opioid-related deaths
2.4 Apparent opioid-related deaths: suicide
Considerations and Limitations
Canada continues to experience a serious and growing opioid crisis. Across the country, it is having devastating effects on families and communities.
The Government of Canada works closely with the provinces and territories to collect and share data on apparent opioid-related deaths.
Accurate information about the crisis is needed to help guide efforts to reduce opioid-related harms, including deaths.
The data in this report:
are updated four times a year
may change based on review and refinement
have been collected by the provinces and territories from their respective offices of Chief Coroners or Medical Examiners
have been shared through the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses (SAC)
Changes from the last report include:
the addition of available preliminary data from October to December 2017
updates to previously reported data from January 2016 to September 2017
The opioid crisis has affected every part of the country, but some provinces and territories have been impacted more than others. According to data reported as of June 6, 2018:
there were 3,987 apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017, corresponding to a death rate of 10.9 per 100,000 population in 2017 (Table 1)Footnote a
the number of apparent opioid-related deaths increased by 34% in 2017 from 2,978 in 2016 (8.2 per 100,000 population) (Table 1)Footnote b
Figure 1. Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory, 2017.
Figure 1. Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory, 2017
Province or territory
Number of deaths in 2017
Rate per 100,000 population
British ColumbiaFigure 1 Footnote a 1470 30.5
Alberta 759 17.7
SaskatchewanFigure 1 Footnote b 46 4.0
Manitoba 122 9.1
Ontario 1263 8.9
QuebecFigure 1 Footnote c 181 2.2
New Brunswick 37 4.9
Nova Scotia 65 6.8
Prince Edward IslandFigure 1 Footnote b 3 2.0
Newfoundland and LabradorFigure 1 Footnote b 33 6.2
YukonFigure 1 Footnote b 7 18.2
Northwest Territories 1 2.2
Nunavut Suppressed Suppressed
Figure 1 Footnote a
Includes deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
Figure 1 Return to footnote a referrer
Figure 1 Footnote b
Includes deaths with completed investigations only.
Figure 1 Return to footnote b referrer
Figure 1 Footnote c
Includes deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids, from July to December only. This number is expected to rise.
Figure 1 Return to footnote c referrer
Table 1 . Summary of apparent opioid-related deaths, 2016 and 2017.Table 1 Footnote 1
Number 2978 3987
Rate per 100,000 population 8.2 10.9
Percent male 71% 76%
Percent by age group (years) ≤ 19 2% 2%
20 to 29 18% 20%
60 to 69 7% 8%
≥ 70 2% 1%
Percent involvingTable 1 Footnote 2 fentanyl or fentanyl analogues 50% 68%
Percent also involving non-opioid substancesTable 1 Footnote 3 74% 72%
Table 1 Footnote 1
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all manners of death (accident, suicide, undetermined), stages of investigation (ongoing, completed) or time periods; refer to Table 3 for more details. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports. Data from British Columbia and available 2017 data from Quebec (July to December) include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
Table 1 Return to footnote 1 referrer
Given jurisdictional differences in death classification methods, the term "involving" includes deaths where the substance was either detected and/or directly contributed to the death.
These percentages do not include data from British Columbia, Quebec, or Nunavut as these data were not available for both time periods. For Alberta, only data on deaths with completed investigations were included in these percentages. Data for non-opioid substances from Ontario between January 2016 and April 2017 were based on their detection and do not include alcohol; from May 2017 to December 2017, data on non-opioid substances were based on their direct effects and include alcohol. Refer to Opioids and other substances for more details.
The following section presents apparent opioid-related death data according to the manner of death assigned by the coroner or medical examiner during, or following an investigation (Table 2). Collecting data on how deaths occurred, including whether they were intentional or not, is critical in understanding how the opioid crisis is affecting Canadians.
Accident: Deaths with completed investigations where the coroner or medical examiner determined that the death was unintentional. This category also includes deaths with ongoing investigations where the manner of death was believed to be unintentional or had not been assigned at the time of reporting.
Suicide: Deaths with completed investigations where the coroner or medical examiner determined that the opioids were consumed with the intent to die. This category also includes deaths with ongoing investigations where suicide was believed to be the manner of death at the time of reporting.
Undetermined: Deaths with completed investigations where a specific manner of death (e.g. accident, suicide) could not be assigned based on available or competing information.
According to available data reported as of June 6, 2018, most apparent opioid-related deaths were accidental (unintentional) in both 2016 (88%) and 2017 (92%) (Table 2).
In other words, these data indicate that the vast majority of apparent opioid-related deaths were of individuals who did not intend to die. This distinction is important to inform an appropriate public health response. For example, the high percent of unintended deaths reinforces the concern that a variety of street drugs are tainted with toxic substances, such as fentanyl, without the knowledge of the people consuming them. Public health officials will be able to use this information in developing strategies to address these hidden risks in order to reduce harms and effectively prevent unintended apparent opioid-related deaths.
Table 2. Number and percent of apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada by manner of death, 2016 and 2017.Table 2 Footnote 1
Manner of death
Accident (unintentional) 2624 88% 3671 92%
Suicide 258 9% 173 4%
Undetermined 96 3% 143 4%
TotalTable 2 Footnote 2 2978 3987
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all manners of death (accident, suicide, undetermined), stages of investigation (ongoing, completed) or time periods; refer to Table 3 for more details. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports.
Data from British Columbia and available 2017 data from Quebec (July to December) include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
The following section provides detailed information on accidental apparent opioid-related deaths, which also shows that some provinces and territories have been impacted more than others.
According to data reported as of June 6, 2018:
there were 3,671 accidental apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017, corresponding to a death rate of 10.0 per 100,000 population (Table 2a)Footnote a
this represents a 40% increase from 2,624 apparent opioid-related deaths in 2016 (7.2 per 100,000 population) (Table 2a)Footnote b
Table 2a. Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory, 2016 and 2017.Table 2a Footnote 1
British ColumbiaTable 2a Footnote 2 974 20.5 1399 29.0
Alberta 548 12.9 714 16.7
Saskatchewan 75 6.5 41 3.5
Manitoba 70 5.3 86 6.4
Ontario 726 5.2 1125 7.9
QuebecTable 2a Footnote 2 138 1.7 181 2.2
New Brunswick 26 3.4 33 4.3
Nova Scotia 40 4.2 59 6.2
Prince Edward Island 5 3.3 3 2.0
Newfoundland and Labrador 13 2.5 23 4.3
Yukon 5 13.1 6 15.6
Northwest Territories 4 9.0 1 2.2
Nunavut Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Total 2624 7.2 3671 10.0
Suppressed – Data may be suppressed in provinces or territories with low numbers of cases. Please see Considerations and Limitations for more information.
Table 2a Footnote 1
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all stages of investigation (ongoing, completed) or time periods; refer to Table 3 for more details. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports.
Table 2a Return to footnote 1 referrer
Table 2b. Number of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths by quarter and province or territory, January 2016 to December 2017.Table 2b Footnote 1
Jan to Mar
Apr to Jun
Jul to Sep
Oct to Dec
British ColumbiaTable 2b Footnote 2 218 191 193 372 395 401 324 279
Alberta 117 135 142 154 154 169 187 204
Saskatchewan 25 14 22 14 17 14 7 3
Manitoba 11 15 14 30 28 27 17 14
Ontario 174 180 174 198 191 271 374 289
QuebecTable 2b Footnote 2 41 39 35 23 N/A N/A 93 88
New Brunswick 11 3 6 6 8 8 9 8
Nova Scotia 14 8 15 3 17 15 12 15
Prince Edward IslandTable 2b Footnote 3 N/A N/A N/A N/A Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Newfoundland and Labrador Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Yukon 0 2 0 3 3 0 1 2
Northwest Territories 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 0
Nunavut Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
N/A – Data were not available at the time of this publication.
Table 2b Footnote 1
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all stages of investigation (ongoing, completed); refer to Table 3 for more details. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports.
Table 2b Return to footnote 1 referrer
Only annual totals were available for 2016 data from Prince Edward Island; quarterly data were not available at the time of this publication.
This crisis has affected Canadians from all walks of life. However, available data for 2017, reported as of June 6, 2018, indicate there are differences by sex and age.
Although these trends vary by province or territory, at the national level:
most (78%) accidental apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among males (Figure 2.1)
the highest percent (28%) of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths occurred among individuals between the ages of 30 and 39 (Table 2c)
Figure 2.1 Sex distribution of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory, 2017.Figure 2.1 Footnote 1
Data from British Columbia and Quebec (July to December) include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
Figure 2.1. Sex distribution of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths by province or territory, 2017.Figure 2.1 Footnote 1
Percent of apparent opioid-related deaths
% male
% female
British ColumbiaFigure 2.1 Footnote 2 83% 17%
Alberta 75% 25%
Saskatchewan 56% 44%
Manitoba 72% 28%
Ontario 76% 24%
QuebecFigure 2.1 Footnote 2 74% 26%
New Brunswick 61% 39%
Nova Scotia 68% 32%
Prince Edward Island Suppressed Suppressed
Newfoundland and Labrador 70% 30%
Yukon Suppressed Suppressed
Northwest Territories Suppressed Suppressed
Total 78% 22%
Figure 2.1 Footnote 1
Figure 2.1 Return to footnote 1 referrer
Table 2c. Percent of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths by age group and province or territory, 2017.Table 2c Footnote 1
British ColumbiaTable 2c Footnote 2 2% 18% 28% 24% 20% 8% 1%
Alberta 3% 24% 32% 19% 18% 4% 1%
Saskatchewan 7% 29% 22% 17% 17% 7% 0%
Manitoba 1% 30% 29% 21% 8% 8% 2%
Ontario 2% 21% 27% 22% 20% 7% 1%
QuebecTable 2c Footnote 3 Suppressed 13% 23% 25% 24% 11% Suppressed
New Brunswick 3% 21% 21% 18% 21% 9% 6%
Nova Scotia 5% 10% 27% 22% 29% 5% 2%
Prince Edward Island Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Newfoundland and Labrador Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Yukon 0% 17% 67% 17% 0% 0% 0%
Northwest Territories Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Nunavut Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Total 2% 20% 28% 22% 19% 7% 1%
Table 2c Footnote 1
Table 2c Return to footnote 1 referrer
British Columbia reports deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
The percentages for Quebec do not add up to 100% as the '≤ 19' and '≥ 70' age groups were suppressed due to low numbers of cases. For available 2017 data (July to December), Quebec reports deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids.
Apparent opioid-related deaths often involveFootnote c multiple substances including one or more opioids as well as non-opioid substances. Knowing the type(s) of opioid and non-opioid substances involved in these deaths can help public health officials and other government agencies communicate risks and target harm reduction efforts.
Available data reported as of June 6, 2018, suggest that more accidental apparent opioid-related deaths have involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues over time (Table 2d, Figure 2.2):
the percent of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues increased from 55% in 2016 to 72% in 2017Footnote a
the number of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues increased by 81% between 2016 and 2017
In addition, available data suggest that approximately 71% of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths in 2017Footnote d also involved one or more types of non-opioid substances.
Table 2d. Number and percent of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues by province or territory, 2016 and 2017.Table 2d Footnote 1
British ColumbiaTable 2d Footnote 2 656 67% 1174 84%
Alberta 352 64% 567 79%
Saskatchewan 8 11% 9 22%
Manitoba 32 46% 42 49%
Ontario 330 45% 743 68%
QuebecTable 2d Footnote 2 30 22% 25 15%
New Brunswick 3 12% 8 24%
Nova Scotia 7 18% 6 10%
Prince Edward Island 1 20% 0 0%
Newfoundland and Labrador Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed Suppressed
Yukon 4 80% 5 83%
Northwest Territories 1 25% 0 0%
Total 1424 55% 2579 72%
Table 2d Footnote 1
Table 2d Return to footnote 1 referrer
Data from British Columbia and available 2017 data from Quebec (July to December) include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids. Data on deaths related to illicit drugs where fentanyl or fentanyl analogues were detected is used here to estimate apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.
Figure 2.2. Number of accidental apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues by quarter, January 2016 to December 2017.Figure 2.2 Footnote 1
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all stages of investigation (ongoing, completed) or time periods; refer to Table 3 for more details. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports. Data from British Columbia and available 2017 data from Quebec (July to December) include deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids; data on deaths related to illicit drugs where fentanyl was detected is used here to approximate apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl. Only annual totals were available for 2016 data from Prince Edward Island; quarterly data were not available at the time of this publication.
These data are preliminary and subject to change; the observed decrease in apparent opioid-related deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogues in October to December 2017 should be interpreted with caution until additional data become available.
Year and quarter
Number of apparent opioid-related deaths
2016 January to March 284
April to June 311
July to September 290
October to December 538
October to December 600Figure 2.2 Footnote 2
The following section provides information on apparent opioid-related deaths where the coroner or medical examiner determined that the opioids were consumed with the intent to die. This section also includes deaths with ongoing investigations where the manner of death was believed to be suicide at the time of reporting.
Table 2e. Summary of apparent opioid-related deaths classified as, or believed to be suicide, in Canada, 2016 and 2017.Table 2e Footnote 1
Number 258 173
Rate per 100,000 population 0.7 0.5
20 to 29 8% 10%
≥ 70 10% 12%
Percent involvingTable 2e Footnote 2 fentanyl or fentanyl analoguesTable 2e Footnote 3 13% 17%
Percent also involving non-opioid substancesTable 2e Footnote 4 63% 82%
Table 2e Footnote 1
Data reported by some provinces and territories do not include all stages of investigation (ongoing, completed) or time periods; refer to Table 3 for more details. Suicide data from Quebec (July to December 2017), Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut were not available at the time of this publication. British Columbia reports deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports.
Table 2e Return to footnote 1 referrer
These percentages do not include data from Quebec, Prince Edward Island, or Nunavut as these data were not available for both time periods.
These percentages do not include data from British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut as these data were not available for both time periods. For Alberta and Ontario, only data on deaths with completed investigations were included in these percentages. Data for non-opioid substances from Ontario between January 2016 and April 2017 were based on their detection and do not include alcohol; from May 2017 to December 2017, data on non-opioid substances were based on their direct effects and include alcohol.Refer to Opioids and other substances for more details.
Definition of an apparent opioid-related death
An apparent opioid-related death is a death caused by an intoxication/toxicity (poisoning) resulting from substance use, where one or more of the substances is an opioid, regardless of how it was obtained (e.g. illegally or through personal prescription).
How apparent opioid-related deaths are counted
Counts are provided by the provinces and territories that collect data from their respective offices of Chief Coroners or Medical Examiners. Rates are calculated using the most current population data from Statistics Canada.
The data provided by the provinces and territories can include deaths:
with completed or ongoing investigations
where manner of death is classified as accident, suicide, or undetermined
These data do not include deaths due to:
the medical consequences of long term substance use or overuse (for example, alcoholic cirrhosis)
medical assistance in dying
trauma where use of the substance(s) contributed to the circumstances of the injury that lead to the death, but was not directly involved in the death
However, some provincial and territorial differences remain in the type of data reported and in the time periods for which data are available (refer to Table 3).
Table 3. Reporting periods and manners of death included in apparent opioid-related deaths data used for this report by province or territory.
BCTable 3 Footnote 1
ONTable 3 Footnote 2
QCTable 3 Footnote 3
Reporting period (as of June 6, 2018)
January to December (C) (C) (C) (C) (C)
January to December (C) INC (C) (C) (C)
Classification of deaths included in the reported data
Completed investigations N/A
Ongoing investigations where manner of death was believed to be unintentional N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Ongoing investigations where manner of death had not been assigned at the time of reporting N/A N/A N/A N/A
Completed investigations N/A N/A
Ongoing investigations where the manner of death was believed to be suicide N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Deaths with completed investigations and an undetermined manner of death N/A N/A
These data have been reported by the province or territory and are reflected in this report, unless otherwise specified
Data includes deaths with completed investigations only
Data were not reported for the full time period
The classification is not used in the province or territory
Data were not available at the time of this publication
British Columbia reports deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids. Data for 'deaths with completed investigations and an undetermined manner of death' also include deaths with ongoing investigations and an undetermined manner of death.
As of May 1, 2017, apparent opioid-related death data in Ontario were captured using an enhanced data collection tool by the Office of the Chief Coroner.
Data from Quebec for 2016 were available for deaths with completed investigations only; 17% of deaths for 2016 were under investigation. Following the launch of Québec's opioid surveillance system, data on apparent opioid-related deaths with ongoing investigations, where manner of death was believed to be unintentional, were reported from July to December 2017; data from January to June 2017 were not available at the time of this publication. The available 2017 data included accidental deaths related to all illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids. Preliminary data for deaths related to all illicit drugs, for which toxicology information was available, indicate that 61% of deaths reported in 2017 involved an opioid. Updates to previously reported data will be provided in future reports
Data suppression
The suppression of data in this report is based on the preferences of individual provinces or territories to address concerns around releasing small numbers for their jurisdiction.
Prince Edward Island suppressed counts less than five for quarterly data, and for any data related to sex and age distribution.
Newfoundland and Labrador suppressed all counts between one and four.
Quebec suppressed counts less than five for deaths with ongoing investigations (July to December 2017).
Nunavut suppressed all counts less than five.
In addition, suppression was applied in some instances where all data for a province or territory fell in a single category of a given table or figure.
Opioids and other substances
Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues include, but are not limited to:
3-methylfentanyl
acetylfentanyl
butyrylfentanyl
despropionyl-fentanyl
furanyl-fentanyl
norfentanyl
Non-fentanyl-related opioids include, but are not limited to:
buprenorphine metabolites
dihydrocodeine
monoacetylmorphine
normeperidine
tapentadol
Non-opioid substances include, but are not limited to:
Limitations of these apparent opioid-related deaths data
Data presented in this report should be interpreted with caution.
This report is based on data submitted to the Public Health Agency of Canada on or before June 6, 2018. New or revised data submitted after this date will be reflected in future reports.
Data released by provinces and territories may differ from the data provided in this report due to the availability of updated data, differences in the type of data reported (e.g. manners of death), the use of alternate age groupings, differences in time periods presented and/or population estimates used for calculations, etc.
As some data are based on ongoing investigations by coroners and medical examiners, they are considered preliminary and subject to change. The time required to complete an investigation and related administrative processes is case-dependent and can range from approximately three to twenty-four months.
This report is based on data that do not specify how the opioids were obtained (e.g. illegally or through personal prescription); the level of toxicity may differ depending on the opioid (substance(s) involved, concentration, and dosage).
Jurisdictional differences in the death investigation process, death classification method, toxicology testing, and the manners of death reported may impact the interpretation and comparability of the data presented in this report.
Information related to changes over time at the national level is based only on jurisdictions where data were available for all time periods of interest.
Rates reported here have not been adjusted for existing differences in provincial and territorial age distributions.
Rates for jurisdictions with relatively smaller populations may change substantially with even slight changes in the number of deaths. As a result, comparisons over time and between provinces and territories should be interpreted with caution.
Footnote a
These values do not include data from Nunavut.
Return to footnote a referrer
Footnote b
Changes to previously reported counts and rates of apparent opioid-related deaths reflect updates to provincial or territorial data.
Return to footnote b referrer
Footnote c
Given jurisdictional differences in death classification methods, the term "involve" includes deaths where the substance was either detected and/or directly contributed to the death.
Return to footnote c referrer
Footnote d
Data were not available from British Columbia, Quebec, or Nunavut. For Alberta, only data on deaths with completed investigations were included in these percentages. Data for non-opioid substances from Ontario between January 2017 and April 2017 were based on their detection and do not include alcohol; from May 2017 to December 2017, data on non-opioid substances were based on their direct effects and include alcohol.
Return to footnote d referrer
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AgBioResearch
Office of Research Support
MSU research reveals new insights into species diversity
New research led by Michigan State University scientists has found that species hailing from the tropics are less variable than those farther from the equator, which may affect their ability to survive environmental changes.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – New research led by Michigan State University (MSU) scientists has found that species hailing from the tropics are less variable than those farther from the equator, which may affect their ability to survive environmental changes.
With support from the National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the multi-institutional team of researchers completed a yearlong study of bird specimens held in worldwide museum collections. Data from the collections were made available through VertNet, a web-based archive of biodiversity information. The team examined how body size varied among individuals within tropical species, then compared them to closely related species in regions farther north or south.
Quentin Read, research associate in the lab of MSU Department of Forestry assistant professor Phoebe Zarnetske, is the study’s lead author.
“There has been a lot of thought in ecology that if species in the tropics have less variability among their individual members, they’ll be more sensitive to environmental changes,” Read said. “We compared the distribution of body sizes between the two groups of birds and found those in the tropics were, in fact, more homogenous.”
The tropics feature far less seasonal variability and a more stable food supply than other climate zones, factors that Read believes may contribute to the development of more specialized, more homogenous species. This leaves them vulnerable to shifting environmental conditions to which they are not adapted, such as those resulting from climate change, whereas their brethren from more temperate regions evolved to thrive under seasonal variations in weather and food availability.
“An average change of 4 degrees means more in the tropics than it does, say, in Michigan,” Read said. “Organisms that have more variability are more inherently capable of dealing with changing conditions.”
While the essential idea underscoring the study – that tropical species feature less diversity than closely related ones from elsewhere on Earth – is over 50 years old, it had yet to be tested on a global scale, something now possible through web-based archives such as VertNet.
“If we can understand where species are more sensitive to environmental change, we can better prioritize conservation efforts,” Zarnetske said. “Diversity within a species has value in itself, and studies like this help us understand why it exists and how it develops.”
This study was only the first in what Read, Zarnetske and their team hope will become a larger effort that takes their findings into the field. Though the museum specimens, some of which date back as much as 100 years, provide a baseline, they reflect the climate and conditions of the times in which they were collected. Measuring birds currently living in the wild would allow the scientists to confirm their findings and determine how the species may have changed in the intervening years. Incorporating other traits, such as beak length and wingspan, which reflect specific aspects of feeding and mobility, would allow the team to consider additional ways that the species may respond to environmental change.
“Conducting broad-scale studies like this help us think about how species shift and change on a global scale,” Zarnetske said. “We’re taking ideas that, in years past, could only be directly examined at a smaller scale and using them to tackle global issues.”
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Insight-based decisioning for consumer products
Date icon July 11, 2019
How consumer products organizations can leverage insights-based decisioning to create competitive advantage and drive business outcomes
Insights-based decisioning goes beyond technical and tactical point solutions and fragmented pockets of excellence to unite the organization on a single, common journey.
Over the past several years, data has taken on a reverential or even mystical quality in board rooms around the world. Enter technology. Advanced applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), have been presented as one way for companies to harness the power of data. With these tools, it is possible for organizations to gather, analyze, and distil vast amounts of data into digestible observations. Indeed, many CP companies that have begun experimenting with AI and ML have uncovered interesting findings about the landscape, their customers, and their business.
Unfortunately, there is a difference between an interesting finding and a useful one. Data on its own has no real value to the business. Neither do analytic tools and technologies such as AI and ML, the likes of which have been around for decades. In fact, there is no meaningful link between investments in AI technology alone and business success. There is, however, a strong link between defining business needs and determining what AI can do to help. For these reasons, we think of the shift to insights-based decisioning not as a capability but as a new operating model – one that has the power to transform every CP organization.
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July 30, 2008 Culture » Film Reviews
Cinema | Bury It: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor leaves The Mummy’s charm dead in the dust.
By MaryAnn Johanson
I’m a big, big fan of 1999’s The Mummy. This needs to be said, because it’s vital to understanding how deep my disappointment is with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the third—and now I hope final—installment in the franchise. I wasn’t expecting a lot from this one, not with the departure of creator Stephen Sommers—and not with the departure of Rachel Weisz, though this was of slightly less concern. I was expecting to have to justify and rationalize how entertainingly goofy I would find it. I fully anticipated recognizing that I would be overly generous in my estimation of it, and not caring.
But even with the bar set low and my unconditional love set high, I cannot freakin’ believe how cruelly Tomb rips out my geeky little heart and stomps on it. All the magic, all the life has been surgically excised from this charmless exercise in overblown action that is utterly clueless about how overblown-actiony it is. With the 1999 film, Sommers gave us a wonderfully cheeky, smartly snarky sendup of action comedies that was also itself a wildly fun example of the genre. But you can’t even point to Tomb as the kind of thing that Sommers was toying with, because this new flick utterly fails to realize it’s riddled with clichés and hence also fails to understand that clichés do actually serve storytelling purposes. If you’re going to steal, do something with your ill-gotten gains. Don’t just stand there gawping at your stolen treasure.
And so as Tomb opens—setting the stage in ancient China with an evil emperor (Jet Li) who desires immortality so that he can conquer the whole world—we have Michelle Yeoh’s witch informing us in voiceover that we’re about to see a mythic battle between good and evil. In those words, with no hint that anyone involved—director Rob Cohen, or screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—appreciates that unless this kind of thing needs to be offered with a soupçon of snappy irony. The Mummy winked at this kind of thing; Tomb doesn’t even know that it’s something to be winked at.
That attitude should have been stolen from the earlier films, but it was left on the vault floor in favor of ripping off simple plot points, which only emphasizes the lack of imagination at play here. The emperor gets pissed off because his general (Russell Wong) dares to steal the witch from him, after the emperor had decreed that no man but he would touch her—just like all the stuff with Imhotep and the pharaoh’s concubine that got the plot rolling in 1999. The witch cursed the emperor, and he and his army turn into those famous terra cotta statues you’ve seen pictures of and are buried for all eternity, or at least until Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his family can dig him up.
I would have thought that Gough and Millar—who wrote Spider-Man 2 and Shanghai Noon, the latter of which shares a certain tone with the 1999 film—would be the perfect team to write a Mummy movie, but no. All they’ve done is lift parts of the story from the previous films and from the Indiana Jones saga, with one puzzle piece early in the movie that they found in the Well of the Souls and one plot “twist” later that is an embarrassingly direct theft from The Last Crusade. Everything else is forced and awkward, like the relationship between Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Maria Bello, who cannot, alas, adequately stand in for Weisz) and their son, Alex (Luke Ford)—though this could perhaps be blamed on the fact that the poor kid has aged 20 years since the last film. He’s supposed to be 19, but looks and acts 30.
Small comfort can be found, I suppose, in the fact that we cannot hear half the dialogue over the racket of the incoherent action sequences. Which is a bit of a surprise, since Cohen has previously given us movies that are, while stupid, at least entertainingly stupid—Stealth, The Fast and Furious. Perhaps the director realized how un-entertainingly stupid the Tomb script was, and choose to try to bury it under video-game CGI, replacing the beautiful painterly CGI of the earlier films. He doesn’t quite succeed in that attempt, but that’s probably his smallest crime here.
Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, Luke Ford
Tags: Film Reviews
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MaryAnn Johanson
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Two nuanced performances elevate familiar elements in Puzzle.
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Caesarea, Zichron and Haifa Private Tour
This is a one-day private tour to Zichron Yaakov, Caesarea and Haifa. With a personal guide you will drive along the coast-line to the ancient Caesarea. We will also try Israel's first winery and learn about a mysterious small community – the Druze.
The tour begins in the direction of the ancient city of Caesarea. During the tour, we will explore the antiquities of the city that was developed by King Herod and was built as a Roman port city. Our private tour guide will tell us about the antiquities that can be found in this special city. We will tour the beautiful coastline while listening to explanations concerning houses, bathhouses, ritual baths, shops, Herod's temple, amphitheater, and other spectacular ancient city holds that can be found in this city. We will visit the fortress of the Crusaders, the Ottoman mosque that existed there, and the magnificent port that the city was glorified with.
The next stop - Zichron Yaacov. Zichron Yaacov is the southern village of Mount Carmel area. Today, the old colony is full of cafes and restaurants that seek to attract travelers from all over the country and even outside. This colony was founded in 1882 by the famous Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Many houses in this colony are designed in a distinctly European style and are spectacular in their beauty. These houses are unique in the landscape of the Land of Israel. We will stop at the Nili House, which served as a spy house during World War I. We will then continue to the ancient synagogue that dates to 1886.
The next stop - Carmel Winery - was founded in 1885 and is the first winery in Israel. after the winery we will continue towards Haifa and the Bahai gardens. from the vantage point, we will see the Haifa Bay, known for its breathtaking beauty. This observation point - on the edge of Mount Carmel - narrated that the Prophet Elijah which adopted a refugee during the Crusades era.
On the way back we will stop in the Druze village Dalit-el Carmel. this place will be an innovative and unique experience which is a combination of flavors, fragrances, and colors that we will enjoy in an extraordinarily way. The local market is fill with goods that can be bought by us. in this stop we will also learn about the customs and culture of the Druze people.
Pick-up and drop-off services at your hotel or private address
A fully qualified and licensed private tour guide
Transport by a new air-conditioned private car
Parking and toll roads
Insurance of any kind
This itinerary is only a proposal; we can customize this private tour according to your wish.
On Saturday and holidays, an extra charge of $125 applies.
FROM Up to 3 persons Up to 6 persons Up to 10 persons
Jerusalem $971 $1,024 $1,038
Tel Aviv $735 $788 $802
Herzliya $735 $788 $802
Netanya $735 $788 $802
Cancellation fee of 4% charged for notification up to 3 days in advance.
Cancellation fee of 25% charged for notification up to 2 days in advance.
Cancellation fee of 100% charged for notification less then 1 days.
Non Show - 100% Cancellation fees.
Duration 1 Day
From us $735
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Why Book with Click Tours Israel?
Jerusalem Private Tour
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Judean Desert Safari Private Tour
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Nazareth and Sea of Galilee Private Tour
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Lace monitor - Paul Balfe - Flickr
Lace Monitor
Varanus varius
Colour: Lace monitors are found in two broad forms. The main form is dark grey to dull blueish-black with numerous, scattered, cream-colored spots. The snout is marked with prominent black and yellow bands extending under the chin and neck. The tail has narrow black and cream bands which are narrow and get wider towards the end of the tail.
The other type, known as Bells form, is typically found in dryer parts of NSW and Queensland. It has broad, black and yellow bands across the body and tail. Close up, these bands are made up of various spotted patterns.
Size: The lace monitor is the second-largest monitor in Australia. The head and body length grows to about 55cm long with the average head to tail length being 140cm long. Some may grow up to 2.1m long (head to tail).
The tail is long and slender and about 1.5 times the length of the head to body length.
Diet: The Diet of the lace monitor is varied, including insects, other reptiles, small mammals, birds, eggs and carrion (dead or decaying flesh).
Movement: The lace monitor is a terrestrial and often arboreal (tree dwelling) active lizard that forages over large areas.
Breeding: Mating takes place in Spring and Summer where male lace monitors will gather around and mate with receptive females. The female lace monitor will lay between 6-12 eggs, usually laid in termite mounds.
Hatched eggs
Presence of juveniles
We expect lizards to start mating and laying eggs earlier in the year as a result of climate change warming the Earth. They may also start appearing in new areas as warmer temperatures enable them to live in environments that were previously too cold for them. In contrast, they may also start disappearing from areas that become too warm, particularly in upland areas where they can't move any higher to reach cooler regions.
They are mainly active from September to May, but are inactive in cooler weather
Mating occurs in Spring and early Summer. Lace monitors reach sexual maturity at about 4 to 5 years of age.
Eggs are laid 4-6 weeks after mating occurs
Eggs hatch after 8-10 weeks of incubation with the mother returning to dig them out of their nest. Hatching is temperature dependent so incubation may be longer in cooler temperatures.
Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes in the timing of these events so remember to keep a lookout all year!
The lace monitor forages on the ground but will climb a tree when disturbed and shelter in tree hollows or under fallen trees or large rocks. It is found in forests, tall woodlands and open tablelands and slopes.
Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes outside of their known ranges so remember to keep a lookout beyond these regions too!
Carter, D.B., 1992. Reproductive ecology of the lace monitor Varanus varius in south-eastern Australia.
Weavers, B., 1983. Thermal ecology of Varanus varius (Shaw), the lace monitor.
Carter, D.B., 1990. Courtship and mating in wild Varanus varius (Varanidae: Australia). Mem Queensl Mus, 29, pp.333-338.
Weavers, B., 1989. Diet of the lace monitor lizard (Varanus vadus) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Zoologist, 25(3), pp.83-85.
Pyers, G. (2006). Lace monitor. Carlton, Vic.: Echidna Books.
The lace monitor is distinguishable due to its distinct scaling pattern
Lace monitors live for between 10 and 15 years on average. Some captive animals have been recorded reaching 40 years.
If female lace monitors are unable to find a termite nest to lay their eggs in she will create a nest in a hole in a grounds filled with grass and leaf litter to incubate the eggs while they decompose.
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CHECK OUT THE COMING DECKBUILDER!
“This really feels designed for newer or casual gamers, which makes sense as this will be the first tabletop RPG for a lot of Valiant fans.” Alex Lucard (Diehard GameFAN)
“Basically, this game hits all the right spots it needed to. It encourages you to play all the main characters from the comic books in the Valiant Universe, and gives you no holds barred access to the Valiant universe.” Aaron Richardson (All Us Geeks, Guest Review)
“The Valiant Universe RPG is truly my style of superhero because it’s not over-the-top super and carries that bit of sometimes-less-than-moral characteristics.” Aaron T. Huss (Roleplayers Chronicle)
Valiant Universe RPG Comic Book Play Guide
You and your friends are sitting around talking about comic books, ’cause that’s what we do, after all…
You’ve just finished reading Harbinger #21 and are wondering about Peter Stanchek’s powers. The key phrase that you’re excitedly debating is from Peter: “You know … it affects me pretty hard. Every time I scan someone. The homeless I wipe to keep rumors of your apparitions from spreading. All those Foundation members during Harada’s mind squall. Ax earlier today…”
One of you says, “Y’know, if I was Peter I’d simply anchor an invisibility shield to Monica Jim. Every time she leaves the Renegades’ underground lair, Peter’s psionic energy spikes on. That keeps Monica Jim hidden while alerting Peter to potential trouble while she’s out. But this also gives her some leash so the kid doesn’t go stir crazy.”
Another one of you says, “Nah, nothing in any of the comics says Peter can anchor his powers, much less have them kick off subconsciously like that. That’s going too far.”
And another friend pipes up and says, “Yeah, I agree. Not to mention that doesn’t solve Peter’s problem of the psychic weight he’s carrying. If I was Peter, I would’ve figured out how Harada’s mind squall worked while it was scrambling all that brain juice. The comics have shown how fast he adapts, after all. Then, when he’s scanning and erasing memories, he generates, well, let’s call it a ‘mind bubble.’ A subtle pressure of memories spread into a wide area—a pressure valve relief sorta thing. Kicks off déjà vu for anyone in a certain radius. But no one’s really hurt, no alarms sound, and Peter’s not getting crushed because he’s carrying the weight of everything.”
A chorus of “Oh … that’s good” flows around the room. Except for the original guy, who mutters, “I still like my idea better.”
Who hasn’t enjoyed those thought experiments as we’ve all put our imaginations to work in great debates to answer the questions that come out of reading the best comics? Well, that’s exactly what Valiant Universe: The Roleplaying Game lets you do.
This is your chance to step in, suit up, and answer those questions for yourself! How would you do it?
Download this free PDF of a comic book explanation of exactly how you roleplay!
Order Your Book and grab the PDF Today!
DOWNLOAD THE FREE QSR NOW!
The edge between superhero and villain has never been sharper. In the Valiant Universe RPG, players will immerse themselves in a dark and gritty world where every mission and every battle has deadly consequences. Whether playing X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman or even the all-powerful Toyo Harada—or any of dozens of characters—Valiant’s most fearless heroes will unite for the first time in a roleplaying game, allowing you to join their stories and create new ones!
Whether you’re a longtime fan or brand new to the Valiant Universe, this is the only source you’ll need to bring Valiant’s leading characters to life in a fantastic superheroes setting!
The Valiant Universe RPG Rulebook includes:
Cue System: The rules-light and easy to learn Cue System allows a novice or uninitiated RPG player to quickly get inside the head of their superhero and plunge into the action.
Title Exposés: Detailed summaries of all the Valiant Universe comic titles allow players to easily determine which part of the universe they want to game in; a perfect companion to the Valiant Universe Handbook.
Character Dossiers & Creation Rules: Along with ready-to-play missions, superhero and villain character Dossiers will have players in the thick of the action in no time. Or do you want to create your own superhero or villain and add it to the Valiant Universe pantheon? Quick and easy rules give you that freedom!
DICESTORMERS
Want to check out the Valiant Universe RPG Quick-Start Rules in action? Check out these great videos from the Dicestormers (and check out their other game videos as well)!
Time Trial: Part 1
Time Trial: Debrief and Review
BLANK SHEETS
More Than A Game
Valiant is a leading character-based entertainment company with a library of over 1,750 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman and many more. Established in 1989, Valiant has sold over 80 million comic books, and today its characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. Since its summer 2012 relaunch, Valiant has returned to the fore as one of the most highly regarded publishers in comics, winning a 2012 Diamond Gem Award for Comic Book Publisher of the Year. Just last month, the publisher announced Valiant First–a brand new publishing initiative primed to unleash a major #1 new series debut monthly throughout 2014, beginning in May with RAI #1–the first issue of an all-new ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt with fully painted interiors by superstar artist Clayton Crain.
Getting Started With The Comics
Valiant got your attention and you’re looking to get into their comics? Valiant has numerous “0 Issues” hitting comic book shops right now. A perfect way to leap into a given title.
Fallen in love with a given title and don’t know where to go to get your comics fix? While hunting down older issues in comics shops is a blast, don’t forget you’ve access to the digital revolution. Comixology hosts all the current titles, as well as a mega swath of original titles from the 90s!
Valiant is a registered trademark of Valiant Entertainment, Inc.
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In the Canadian natural foods business, experts say small is big
Families have pivoted away from familiar packaged foods amid a proliferation of products marketed as being more wholesome.
Food manufacturers and grocers say consumers want more wholesome foods from local companies
Maryse Zeidler · CBC News · Posted: Feb 24, 2019 6:00 AM PT | Last Updated: February 24, 2019
One of more than 900 booths at the Canadian Health Foods Association trade show in Vancouver. Experts say small businesses are thriving in the health food sector. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC News)
Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto, whole grain — there's no shortage of businesses offering the latest food trends at the Canadian Health Foods Association trade show in Vancouver this weekend.
Rob Mendt, director of sales for Avafina Organics, says business is booming for his company based out of Coquitlam, B.C., near Vancouver.
"Every year it gets bigger and bigger," Mendt said from his booth at the busy trade show. "That's why we keep on expanding the lines and the brands."
Twenty years ago, Avafina only supplied food manufacturers with organic seeds. But in the past couple of years, the company expanded to create its own line of seeds and spices for consumers under the name Mother Nature Foods.
Mendt says his ability to tell grocers where he sources his products and that they're manufactured right in Coquitlam is a big selling feature.
"They like dealing with small companies in their area," he said.
Small food manufacturers say they're thriving because they can more quickly take advantages of consumer trends. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)
The Vancouver trade show comes on the heels of Kraft Heinz's recent disclosure that it it will slash the value of its Oscar Mayer and Kraft brands. The announcement sent shares plunging 26 per cent Friday. Before noon, the company had lost $16 billion of its market value.
Kraft Heinz and other food makers that dominated grocery shelves for much of the post-Second-World-War- era have been whipsawed by a seismic shift in what consumers want. Families have pivoted away from familiar packaged foods amid a proliferation of products marketed as being more wholesome.
3 Food Guide-inspired plant-based meals to try
Helen Long, president of the Canadian Health Foods Association, says small companies also have the advantage of less infrastructure, which can keep them nimble in a market driven by fast-changing trends.
"It's easy to kind of swing on a dime and change direction and keep things exciting," Long said.
Food manufacturers say consumers increasingly want less processed foods with more whole grains. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)
Diet-driven fads
Walking along the aisles of the more than 900 vendors at the trade show is a lesson in the hottest fads in "natural" foods — a marketing term that often designates products made from whole or organic foods, with no or few artificial ingredients.
Long says gluten-free foods are still a large part of the market, as are coconut products. More recently, foods infused with collagen are taking hold.
It's a landscape also driven by health trends like the keto, vegan and paleo diets.
Gluten-free foods were a good portion of the exhibitors at the Canadian Health Foods Association trade show over the weekend in Vancouver. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)
Martin Béland, president of Béland Organic Foods, has been importing organic foods from Quebec for about 20 years.
Béland says so-called natural foods aren't a new phenomenon, but consumers are more aware of them and have been demanding them more.
"We're starting to see the fruits of our labours," he said from his trade show booth. "It's a good opportunity for innovators in organic products to make their mark."
Vegan and plant-based foods are still trending in the health foods sector, according to experts. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)
It's a trend that grocery stores have noted, and are taking advantage of to give them a leg up in what they say is a very competitive market.
Janice Meek, vitamins and more manager at Thrifty Foods, a subsidiary of Sobeys, says consumers are demanding more local, whole and unique products.
Grocers, innovators work to save $31B in food from being trashed in Canada each year
Meek says the company's new store in Belmont on Vancouver Island will have a lot more specialty items, a juice section and a place to sit and eat.
"Those kinds of stores, that's what's been doing well for for Sobeys," she said.
The argument for MSG: Taste test, scientific research show additive is yummy and safe
With files from The Associated Press
Top stories from British Columbia
One of the last horseshoe programs in Canada faces demise
New Agricultural Land Reserve regulations take effect
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Medical Auditing Career | What are the Opportunities for Medical Auditors? – Video
Boyd: What opportunities are out there for medical auditors today?
I understand that there’s a certain type of person who kind of looks like, from what I’ve learned from Laureen and Alicia, that some people who like to be their own bosses, is a good thing for them, so tell us about the kind of opportunities that are out there for medical auditors once they start in the field.
Tamara: There are a lot of opportunities out there for auditors. The very first time I ever heard about auditing, I was coding for a group of hospitalists and the hospital had paid for an outside auditor to come in and she worked in Washington state, of course I live here in Louisiana. So I was curious as to what she did and how much she made, and she made an astronomical amount of money that I’ve had a heart attack over. I was like, “I need to do what you’re doing. I want to make that much money so I can retire early in life.” But you can go to work for a physician’s practice like I’ve already mentioned. A lot of practices want someone who can audit, and their insurance carriers are looking for auditors, lawyers look for auditors that handle the hospitals or that have medical client. They’re looking for auditors also. The RAC contractors are also looking for auditors. So there’s a lot of potential out there.
Alicia: That reminded me, Tammy, when I was in Texas there was a big company that outsourced RAC audits. They want the contract to do the RAC audits for that region. They were snapping coders right and left and RNs to do those, so it was a well done job. I think you mentioned one time that that auditor that came to
[? 0:13:12] with you guys that maybe she worked for a lawyer that’s why she got paid a lot.
Tamara: She did. Yeah. She made $4500 a week. Can you imagine doing a job that pays that much money? She probably didn’t do it every week, but gee!
Alicia: Right. Now, that’s another thing to mention about auditing guys, when you start out you aren’t going to make that kind of money in the beginning…
Tamara: No.
Alicia: But not only is it quality, but for that type of work, it’s how much time you have under your belt as well.
Tamara: It is. And it depends on where, so don’t think that you’re… I didn’t make $4500.
Alicia: No [laughs]
Tamara: I’m still waiting for that day.
Alicia: But auditors do get paid well.
Tamara: They do, they do. That’s your main job, yes they certainly do.
Alicia: Yes. It is regional so keep that in mind.
Find out More about Medical Auditing Career
Medical Coding Job Search
AAPC – Medical Audit Services
Tammy Rivera July 1, 2014 at 7:31 pm - Reply
Cynthia Daniel December 7, 2015 at 4:44 pm - Reply
I didn’t see a response abut new coders taking the Medical Audtng; is this advisable? And if I am receiving an HIM AA degree would the certificate be suffiient?
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One of the most accomplished Spanish goalkeepers in history, known for his long stints with Real Madrid and Spain's national team; helped lead the Spanish national team to its first ever World Cup Championship in 2010.
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Iker Casillas born?
Iker Casillas was born on Wednesday, May 20, 1981
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Iker Casillas was born in Mostoles, Spain
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Iker Casillas?
Iker Casillas is 38
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Iker Casillas is worth $40 Million
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Rule, Britannia! (All others stand back.)
DICK KELLEY
From the November 1983 Issue of Car and Driver
Colin Chapman is not dead, not really. His spirit is out here still, kicking tail in the furry wallops. The furry wallops are at your disposal on any narrow little back road, particularly in England, when you're in the driver's seat of a Lotus Esprit Turbo. Your primary concern is with the demented single-mindedness of your turbocharger, and your secondary concern is with the remarkable width of your flanks. England's cloistered, raveling lanes, like some of our own country roads, can barely contain the car, and this is where you learn its truths.
Along the edges of the roads is a furry streaking of soft grasses, tussocks puffing their fringes over the pavement, a constant buffer brush that whishes your tires and defines the narrow, pinching edge of challenge. As you dogleg through the grassy fur of the valley at an average approaching 120 mph, the turbo instantly wallops your backside with each cue of the throttle, pow-in-the-back whoop! pow-in-the-back whoop! pow! gearing up, whoosh the furry grass, brake grunt, whoosh, pow! pow! big lateral wallops under blinks of shade at the corners, little wrist-wriggling wallops through the tight steering, and big longitudinal wallops from the engine and the brakes on the sunny straights. You tootle down to idle to thread through villages at breakfast time, and you learn more about the car. Villages are unprepared for the sight of the Giugiaro-designed doorstop so early in the day. Mouths form little "Oh, look!" circles, and boys in kneepants lean out as if magnetized as the Esprit Turbo burbles through the roundabout and rustles out the other side of town past smiling girls in miniskirts, and the walloping begins again.
Lotus development engineer Roger Becker says, in essence, that the Esprit Turbo was intended to provide a work-intensive environment for its driver—the sort of experience an aggressive street driver would expect from a race car if he'd never driven one, yet not an experience so intensely racy as to scare him off.
Well done, Mr. Becker. The Esprit Turbo is a slam-home wedge to be driven into a perceived gap in the marketplace with all the considerable forcefulness it can muster, and this gap among supercars is perfectly suited to a rakishly bodied, mid-engined, turbo-monstered rocketry exercise that's delivered from the United Kingdom with enough performance in all categories to send dilettantes screaming for cover.
Oh, they'll love the body, no problem there. It's a two-piece clamshell design, upper and lower halves of fiberglass-reinforced plastic that join at the rub strip, and it looks wonderful. It is, after all, the work of Italian master designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, creator of such mid-engined masterpieces as the striking De Tomaso Mangusta and the functional BMW M1 among others. The M1, in fact, is widely regarded as the all-time packaging, quality civility, and performance king among mid-engined cars; but it is now out of production, and only a few specially certified cars ever made it into the United States anyway. Yet even in its role of virtual nonexistence in this country, the M1 made hard-core car guys aware of a gap among exotics. Factory-legal exotics were great to look at one reasonably exciting to drive, but they just didn't take your breath away.
Colin Chapman was just the man to put an end to that sorry state of affairs. The original Esprit appeared in 1975, and people said: Right, lovely to look at, nice to drive, modestly quick, a few problems here and there. Chapman, just as he had with all of Lotus's previous cars, began beavering away at the Esprit to make it better, faster, more complete. "Faster" was italicized in his brain. The car, in fact, had room allotted in its engine bay for a V-8, Chapman fantasizing among Lotus's Formula 1 trophies and World Championships that grafting two of his fine four-cylinders together would be a dandy thing to do. But eventually turbocharging got the nod, and with it came major changes to the Esprit to strengthen it, to make it more livable, and to turn it into a more practical car.
The Esprit Turbo was quickly acknowledged as one of the fastest cars in the world, the flag-waving British press in particular ballyhooing Chapman's latest work as if they'd been at God's elbow for the Second Coming. Unfortunately, when Chapman died shortly before Christmas last year, Lotus was in shaky financial health, the ink was barely dry on its American marketing plan, and the Esprit Turbo was only halfway through the federalization process.
Now, nearly a year later, that's all changed. Chapman's right-hand men banded together, borrowed financial support from American Express, which should soon be paid off, sold sixteen percent of the company to Toyota, for whom considerable development work has already been done, and signed a new and more clearly conceived marketing plan for the United States. And they are already delivering fully federalized cars.
Despite their federalization, these Turbo Esprits show no sign of the sort of feebleness that sometimes comes with U.S. adaptations. They remain such strong performers that few of the aforementioned dilettantes are likely to get in line, and it's a lead-pipe cinch that none of those who do queue up will be hurting in the bank account. The first full-page newspaper ad from Lotus Performance Cars, L.P., the American importing company (530 Walnut Street, Norwood, New Jersey 07648; 201-784-0726), warns Turbo buyers not to expect much change from a $50,000 bill. Eventually there should be about 40 dealers snapping up $50,000 bills for a total of no fewer than 350 cars this first year, perhaps as many as 600.
VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE AS TESTED: $47,984
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled 16-valve inline-4 engine
Displacement: 133 cu in, 2174 cc
Power: 205 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 194 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Wheelbase: 96.0 in
Length: 169.0 in
Width: 73.0 in Height: 44.5 in
Curb weight: 2696 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.1 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 14.8 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 9.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 95 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 218 ft
Roadholding, 282-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
EPA city/highway: 14/25 mpg
C/D observed: 14 mpg
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List of Fellows
Eligibility & Guidelines
HSS Application
Resources for Fellows
Pauliina Patana
2017 HSS Chateaubriand Fellow
Cornell University - Sciences Po Paris
As a Chateaubriand Fellow, I had the opportunity to spend a semester as a Visiting PhD Candidate at the Sciences Po Centre d’études européennes in Paris. This experience proved invaluable for my dissertation research on right-wing populism in France and Europe more generally. Not only did I have (...)
Emily Linares
University of California, Berkeley - University of Montpellier 3
Romance Languages & Literatures
As a Chateaubriand fellow, I had the opportunity to grow both academically and personally in carrying out the fieldwork for my dissertation in the south of France. In designing my dissertation project, I sought to conduct longitudinal ethnographic research in order to gain greater insight into (...)
William C. Beckerson
2016 Chateaubriand STEM Fellow
University of Louisville - Université of Paris-Sud
Disease Evolution
William C. Beckerson is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Louisville, and he was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2016 at the Université of Paris-sud for 3 months. In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area of study? Biology: Program on (...)
Nathan Jespersen
Oregon State University - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif-Sur-Yvette
Nathan Jesperson is currently a PhD candidate at the Oregon State University, and he was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2017 at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Gif-Sur-Yvette for 6 months. In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area (...)
Samuel Buxton
Iowa State University - INRA, Nouzilly & François Rabelais Université de Tours
Samuel Buxton earned his PhD from Iowa State University, and he was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2010 at INRA, Nouzilly and François Rabelais Université de Tours for 6 months. In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area of study? Field: Toxicology (...)
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BREAKING: Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict Facing 4-Game Suspension For Violating League's PED Policy
By Brian Rauf March 16, 2018
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Bengals’ LB Vontaze Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Drug policy, pending appeal, league sources tell ESPN. No appeal date yet.
Burfict has been suspended a number of times in his career, mostly for illegal hits, but this would be his first suspension for PEDs.
The Oakland Raiders were reportedly working on a trade for Burfict earlier this week, though it appears this suspension would kill any talks about a deal.
Subscribe to the Chat Sports YouTube Channel for all the latest NFL news and rumors!
Last season, Burfict racked up 69 tackles and 1.5 sacks but was limited to 10 games due to injury and suspension.
Back to the Cincinnati Bengals Newsfeed
Related Topics: Vontaze Burfict, Bengals News, NFL News
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Audi News: Rumorpile: Audi TT May Morph Into A Sedan
William Maley posted a topic in Audi
Audi unveiled a four-door TT concept called the Sportback at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Taking the overall sleek shape of the coupe, designers stretched the overall length and width to allow for two extra doors and a larger back seat. A new report from Auto Express says the four-door TT is coming and will take the place of the coupe and convertible within the next two years. The reason for the departure of the TT coupe and convertible is due to the diesel emission scandal. Due to the various penalties and fines, the Volkswagen group had to cancel a number of models and projects to save money. The next-generation TT coupe and convertible were likely on the chopping block due to low sales as buyers aren't interested in small sport cars. But Audi was somehow able to make a case to keep the TT as four-door 'coupe'. Auto Express says the design has been approved by management. The report doesn't say where the model will fit into Audi's lineup, but we suspect it will be priced slightly higher than the A3 sedan. View full article
rumorpile
tt sedan
Rumorpile: Audi TT May Morph Into A Sedan
William Maley posted an article in Audi
Audi unveiled a four-door TT concept called the Sportback at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Taking the overall sleek shape of the coupe, designers stretched the overall length and width to allow for two extra doors and a larger back seat. A new report from Auto Express says the four-door TT is coming and will take the place of the coupe and convertible within the next two years. The reason for the departure of the TT coupe and convertible is due to the diesel emission scandal. Due to the various penalties and fines, the Volkswagen group had to cancel a number of models and projects to save money. The next-generation TT coupe and convertible were likely on the chopping block due to low sales as buyers aren't interested in small sport cars. But Audi was somehow able to make a case to keep the TT as four-door 'coupe'. Auto Express says the design has been approved by management. The report doesn't say where the model will fit into Audi's lineup, but we suspect it will be priced slightly higher than the A3 sedan.
VinFast Becomes Vietnam's First Global Automaker
William Maley posted an article in Paris Motor Show
A new automaker will be making its global debut next month at the Paris Motor Show. VinFast, Vietnam's first automaker will be showing off a new sedan and SUV. For being their first models, the designs don't look half-baked. This comes down to VinFast reaching out to four major Italian car design houses to give design proposals and then allowing the people of Vietnam to vote for the winner. ItalDesign won the vote, but VinFast selected Pininfarina to do the finishing work. Both the sedan and SUV share a number of design traits such as the chrome V emblem with a set of chrome bars sitting on either side; LED daytime running lights, and faux mesh inserts for the bumper. If you're wondering why the sedan looks like a BMW 5-Series and the SUV like a BMW X5, that's due to VinFast using the last-generation platforms of those respective models. According to Autocar, VinFast has "future-proofed" the platforms to meet all global regulations, including side-impact and pedestrian. Power will come from BMW's 2.0L N20 turbo engines producing either 175 or 220 horsepower. The engines will not have BMW's Valvetronic variable valve timing system. This will be paired with an eight-speed ZF transmission. VinFast will begin a pilot production program at a plant near Hanoi in March, with full-scale production to take place in September. Alongside these two models, VinFast will also produce an electric scooter, a version of the Vauxhall Viva city car, and an electric bus. The company is hoping to export models sometime in the near future, though it is not said which markets the company is considering. Source: VinFast VinFast Honours Vietnam's Proud and Dynamic Beauty Through Creativity and World-Class Design Debut models feature perfectly balanced proportions with a contemporary, timeless design reflecting the Vietnam’s proud and dynamic beauty Distinctive front grille incorporates asymmetric VF motif Sedan and SUV represent the powerful, progressive spirit of a new, energetic and developing Vietnam VinFast makes its global debut with the presentation of two world premiere models at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018 Hanoi, 10 September 2018 – The first two cars from new Vietnamese car company, VinFast, display its philosophy of ‘Vietnamese – Style – Safety – Creativity – Pioneering’ through a world-class design language developed with the world-renowned Pininfarina design team in Italy. The two premium models – a sedan and a SUV – will be given their world premieres at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018. From a starting point of exceptional proportions, designers from VinFast and Pininfarina created timeless cars that each feature a long wheelbase and elegant, truly inspiring styling. A long bonnet, classic trunk and horizontal body lines create a symmetrical, sophisticated and elegant beauty for the premium sedan. The SUV’s more muscular bonnet and bold, purposeful character lines endows it with a more sporty identity, as if it is poised to break free. One specific highlight of the debutant’s design language is prominent at the front of both its new cars. The chrome V emblem at the centre of the grille is confidently and distinctively symmetric. To the right is a horizontal chrome splint that combines with the LED daytime running lights to create an italicised F-motif, representing the second syllable of VinFast, and a unique asymmetric flourish. From the central V emblem radiates the bold and lean crease lines that run over the bonnet, creating a fresh and modern look, reflecting the pride of Vietnam’s first car manufacturer to reach for the world. “The strong, distinguishable design, enhanced by elegant lines and refined details, gives our cars several distinctive highlights,” explains David Lyon, Director of Design at VinFast. “First and foremost, these emanate around the V logo in the grille which references the country of Vietnam, as well as the Vingroup and VinFast brands. In conjunction with Pininfarina, we have carefully sculptured each body line to express the natural beauty of Vietnam and the warm-hearted and dynamic characteristics of its people through a modern and world-class design language.” The proud and energetic styling of the VinFast sedan and SUV are also heavily influenced by the new company’s progressive approach to design. Breaking all traditional car development rules, VinFast gave the people of Vietnam the opportunity to determine the styling direction at the very start of the design process. More than 62,000 people voted when presented with 20 design sketches from four world-renowned Italian car design houses. Starting with ItalDesign’s winning concepts, the cars’ designs have since been developed and completed by Pininfarina. Designed for the Vietnamese people based on a selection made by the Vietnamese people, these debut VinFast models can truly be regarded as national products of Vietnam, embracing the pride and ambition of its citizens. As planned, just a year since the public design vote, VinFast will present the sedan and SUV on the international stage at the Paris Motor Show (press conference: 10.45am* CET on 2 October 2018), before introducing them to the Vietnamese public at the end of the year. With its debut in Paris, VinFast will become Vietnam’s first automotive manufacturer to participate in a major international motor show, signalling the confidence, pioneering approach and global outlook of a new and energetic brand.
William Maley posted a topic in Paris Auto Show
A new automaker will be making its global debut next month at the Paris Motor Show. VinFast, Vietnam's first automaker will be showing off a new sedan and SUV. For being their first models, the designs don't look half-baked. This comes down to VinFast reaching out to four major Italian car design houses to give design proposals and then allowing the people of Vietnam to vote for the winner. ItalDesign won the vote, but VinFast selected Pininfarina to do the finishing work. Both the sedan and SUV share a number of design traits such as the chrome V emblem with a set of chrome bars sitting on either side; LED daytime running lights, and faux mesh inserts for the bumper. If you're wondering why the sedan looks like a BMW 5-Series and the SUV like a BMW X5, that's due to VinFast using the last-generation platforms of those respective models. According to Autocar, VinFast has "future-proofed" the platforms to meet all global regulations, including side-impact and pedestrian. Power will come from BMW's 2.0L N20 turbo engines producing either 175 or 220 horsepower. The engines will not have BMW's Valvetronic variable valve timing system. This will be paired with an eight-speed ZF transmission. VinFast will begin a pilot production program at a plant near Hanoi in March, with full-scale production to take place in September. Alongside these two models, VinFast will also produce an electric scooter, a version of the Vauxhall Viva city car, and an electric bus. The company is hoping to export models sometime in the near future, though it is not said which markets the company is considering. Source: VinFast VinFast Honours Vietnam's Proud and Dynamic Beauty Through Creativity and World-Class Design Debut models feature perfectly balanced proportions with a contemporary, timeless design reflecting the Vietnam’s proud and dynamic beauty Distinctive front grille incorporates asymmetric VF motif Sedan and SUV represent the powerful, progressive spirit of a new, energetic and developing Vietnam VinFast makes its global debut with the presentation of two world premiere models at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018 Hanoi, 10 September 2018 – The first two cars from new Vietnamese car company, VinFast, display its philosophy of ‘Vietnamese – Style – Safety – Creativity – Pioneering’ through a world-class design language developed with the world-renowned Pininfarina design team in Italy. The two premium models – a sedan and a SUV – will be given their world premieres at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018. From a starting point of exceptional proportions, designers from VinFast and Pininfarina created timeless cars that each feature a long wheelbase and elegant, truly inspiring styling. A long bonnet, classic trunk and horizontal body lines create a symmetrical, sophisticated and elegant beauty for the premium sedan. The SUV’s more muscular bonnet and bold, purposeful character lines endows it with a more sporty identity, as if it is poised to break free. One specific highlight of the debutant’s design language is prominent at the front of both its new cars. The chrome V emblem at the centre of the grille is confidently and distinctively symmetric. To the right is a horizontal chrome splint that combines with the LED daytime running lights to create an italicised F-motif, representing the second syllable of VinFast, and a unique asymmetric flourish. From the central V emblem radiates the bold and lean crease lines that run over the bonnet, creating a fresh and modern look, reflecting the pride of Vietnam’s first car manufacturer to reach for the world. “The strong, distinguishable design, enhanced by elegant lines and refined details, gives our cars several distinctive highlights,” explains David Lyon, Director of Design at VinFast. “First and foremost, these emanate around the V logo in the grille which references the country of Vietnam, as well as the Vingroup and VinFast brands. In conjunction with Pininfarina, we have carefully sculptured each body line to express the natural beauty of Vietnam and the warm-hearted and dynamic characteristics of its people through a modern and world-class design language.” The proud and energetic styling of the VinFast sedan and SUV are also heavily influenced by the new company’s progressive approach to design. Breaking all traditional car development rules, VinFast gave the people of Vietnam the opportunity to determine the styling direction at the very start of the design process. More than 62,000 people voted when presented with 20 design sketches from four world-renowned Italian car design houses. Starting with ItalDesign’s winning concepts, the cars’ designs have since been developed and completed by Pininfarina. Designed for the Vietnamese people based on a selection made by the Vietnamese people, these debut VinFast models can truly be regarded as national products of Vietnam, embracing the pride and ambition of its citizens. As planned, just a year since the public design vote, VinFast will present the sedan and SUV on the international stage at the Paris Motor Show (press conference: 10.45am* CET on 2 October 2018), before introducing them to the Vietnamese public at the end of the year. With its debut in Paris, VinFast will become Vietnam’s first automotive manufacturer to participate in a major international motor show, signalling the confidence, pioneering approach and global outlook of a new and energetic brand. View full article
Review: 2018 Hyundai Accent SE vs. Kia Rio EX
William Maley posted an article in Reviews
I found myself in a bit of quandary when it came to writing the review for the 2018 Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. Both of these models have been redesigned recently and despite the different exteriors, under the skin they share a number of key parts such as the engine and suspension. As I was going through my notes, I realized the answer was right in front of me; talk about the differences between the two and see which one does it better. Exterior Between the two vehicles, the Rio stands out considerably. Like the previous model, the new Rio has a fair amount of European influence with neatly proportioned body and clean lines. The front end is quite low and features a narrow top grille and deep slits in the bumper for a set of fog lights. 15-inch alloy wheels come standard on EX. Unlike the Accent, the Rio is still available in as a hatchback. The Accent goes for the safe approach with a simple three-box sedan design. This isn’t helped by the silver color on my test vehicle which makes it become somewhat anonymous. The only real design traits are in the front with a new grille shape that is appearing on new Hyundai models and cutouts in the bumper for accent trim on our base SE tester or foglights on higher trims. One way the Accent SE stands out from the Rio LX is painted door handles and mirror caps. Interior There are no frills to be found in the Accent’s interior. Like the outside, Hyundai went for a simple and honest design. Material quality is what you expect in the class - hard plastics on most surfaces. But the plastics have a solid feel. All Accents feature basic front seat adjustments - fore/aft, height (driver only), and recline. I was able to find a position that worked for me quite quickly. One item to be aware of is the SE doesn’t come with a telescoping adjustment for the steering wheel; SEL models and above get that feature. Space in the back is average for the class with a decent amount of headroom, but a limited amount of legroom. Kia added some style to the Rio’s interior with a sculpted dash featuring two-tone plastics. Hard plastics make up the majority of interior surfaces with a grain texture pattern. Like the Accent, the plastics have a very solid feel. The layout is simple with most controls in easy reach. Finding a comfortable position took no time with a basic set of seat adjustments and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. However, I found the seats in the Rio to not be as supportive on long trips. The back seat mirrors the Accent; ok headroom and a small amount of legroom. Infotainment The Rio EX comes with a 7-inch infotainment system with Kia’s UVO infotainment system. No navigation system is offered, but you won’t need it as support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard. It will not take long to familiarize yourself with UVO thanks to a well-thought out interface and dedicated buttons for various features. Performance is impressive with the system responding very quickly to inputs. Over at the Accent SE, it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen radio. For the most part, the system was simple to use with redundant buttons for various functions, simple interface, and large touchscreen buttons. I only wished that the screen was slightly larger when I was scrolling through my iPod. One surprise was the SE getting Bluetooth as standard. Kia doesn’t offer Bluetooth on the base Rio LX. Powertrain Both the Accent and Rio use the same 1.6L inline-four engine producing 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. What differs between the two is the transmission; the Accent SE comes with a six-speed manual while the Rio EX makes do with a six-speed automatic. Between the two, the Accent is noticeably quicker. The manual transmission allows the engine to flex what little muscle it has to get the vehicle up to speed. In the Rio, the automatic’s programming smothers the small amount of power to improve fuel economy. There is a Sport mode that holds onto gears longer, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. Neither of the transmissions can help the 1.6L on the freeway as the engine struggles to get up to speed at a decent rate. Fuel Economy EPA fuel economy figures are almost identical for the two models. Both return 28 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway. The difference is in the combined figure; the Rio returns 32, while the Accent returns 31. I got an average of 34 in the Rio and 33 in the Accent. Ride and Handling There are more similarities between the Rio and Accent when it comes to the driving experience. Both still employ struts in the front and a torsion-beam rear axle. But the body has been stiffened which helps with ride quality. Both models exhibited excellent isolation of most road imperfections. Handling is another place where the two surprised me. While not exhibiting the sporty characteristics of a Ford Fiesta, both the Accent and Rio show little body roll and feel quite nimble. The steering is light, but provides a decent amount of feedback when pushed. Pricing The 2018 Hyundai Accent begins at $14,995 for the base SE with manual transmission and climbs to $18,895 for the Limited. Our test SE with optional floor mats came to an as-tested price of $16,005. While it does cost $1,095 more than the base Rio LX, the Accent SE comes with more features such as Bluetooth, full power accessories, and a rear USB port. The 2018 Kia Rio kicks off at $13,900 for the LX sedan and climbs to $18,700 for the EX hatchback. The EX sedan tester came to an as-tested price of $19,425 with carpeted floor mats and destination. It is a bit hard to stomach the price tag when you can into some decently equipped compact sedans such as the Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze for similar money. Even after you factor in the EX getting forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, it’s still a tough sell. Verdict Trying to decide which of the two subcompacts was the winner in this piece was very difficult as they share so much. Beginning with the Rio EX, it is a very sharp looking subcompact with a fair amount of European influence and it is available as a hatchback. But the automatic transmission suffocates what little performance is on offer from the 1.6L engine. Plus the price tag of the EX is very difficult to swallow when you can step up into a compact for similar money. If it was the midlevel S, this would have been a closer fight. This brings us to the Accent SE. It's styling inside and out is a bit plain when pitted against the Rio. The lack of hatchback also makes the Accent a bit of hard sell to some buyers. But the list of standard features on the base model is very surprising. Plus, the manual transmission allows the engine to have some flexibility in most driving situations. Both models are towards the top in the subcompact class. But in this comparison, the base Accent SE nips the top-line Rio EX by a hair. Disclaimer: Hyundai and Kia Provided the Vehicles, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2018 Make: Hyundai Model: Accent Trim: SE Engine: 1.6L DOHC 16-valve GDI Inline-Four Driveline: Six-Speed Manual, Front-wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,300 Torque @ RPM: 119 @ 4,850 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 28/37/31 Curb Weight: 2,502 lbs Location of Manufacture: Nuevo Leon, Mexico Base Price: $14,995 As Tested Price: $16,005 (Includes $885.00 Destination Charge) Options: Carpeted Floor Mats: $125.00 Year: 2018 Make: Kia Model: Rio Trim: EX Engine: 1.6L 16-valve GDI Inline-Four Driveline: Six-Speed Automatic, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,300 Torque @ RPM: 119 @ 4,850 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 28/37/32 Curb Weight: 2,714 lbs Location of Manufacture: Pesqueria, NL, Mexico Base Price: $18,400 As Tested Price: $19,425 (Includes $895.00 Destination Charge) Options: Carpeted Floor Mats - $130.00
subcompact sedans
William Maley posted a topic in Staff Reviews
I found myself in a bit of quandary when it came to writing the review for the 2018 Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. Both of these models have been redesigned recently and despite the different exteriors, under the skin they share a number of key parts such as the engine and suspension. As I was going through my notes, I realized the answer was right in front of me; talk about the differences between the two and see which one does it better. Exterior Between the two vehicles, the Rio stands out considerably. Like the previous model, the new Rio has a fair amount of European influence with neatly proportioned body and clean lines. The front end is quite low and features a narrow top grille and deep slits in the bumper for a set of fog lights. 15-inch alloy wheels come standard on EX. Unlike the Accent, the Rio is still available in as a hatchback. The Accent goes for the safe approach with a simple three-box sedan design. This isn’t helped by the silver color on my test vehicle which makes it become somewhat anonymous. The only real design traits are in the front with a new grille shape that is appearing on new Hyundai models and cutouts in the bumper for accent trim on our base SE tester or foglights on higher trims. One way the Accent SE stands out from the Rio LX is painted door handles and mirror caps. Interior There are no frills to be found in the Accent’s interior. Like the outside, Hyundai went for a simple and honest design. Material quality is what you expect in the class - hard plastics on most surfaces. But the plastics have a solid feel. All Accents feature basic front seat adjustments - fore/aft, height (driver only), and recline. I was able to find a position that worked for me quite quickly. One item to be aware of is the SE doesn’t come with a telescoping adjustment for the steering wheel; SEL models and above get that feature. Space in the back is average for the class with a decent amount of headroom, but a limited amount of legroom. Kia added some style to the Rio’s interior with a sculpted dash featuring two-tone plastics. Hard plastics make up the majority of interior surfaces with a grain texture pattern. Like the Accent, the plastics have a very solid feel. The layout is simple with most controls in easy reach. Finding a comfortable position took no time with a basic set of seat adjustments and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. However, I found the seats in the Rio to not be as supportive on long trips. The back seat mirrors the Accent; ok headroom and a small amount of legroom. Infotainment The Rio EX comes with a 7-inch infotainment system with Kia’s UVO infotainment system. No navigation system is offered, but you won’t need it as support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard. It will not take long to familiarize yourself with UVO thanks to a well-thought out interface and dedicated buttons for various features. Performance is impressive with the system responding very quickly to inputs. Over at the Accent SE, it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen radio. For the most part, the system was simple to use with redundant buttons for various functions, simple interface, and large touchscreen buttons. I only wished that the screen was slightly larger when I was scrolling through my iPod. One surprise was the SE getting Bluetooth as standard. Kia doesn’t offer Bluetooth on the base Rio LX. Powertrain Both the Accent and Rio use the same 1.6L inline-four engine producing 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. What differs between the two is the transmission; the Accent SE comes with a six-speed manual while the Rio EX makes do with a six-speed automatic. Between the two, the Accent is noticeably quicker. The manual transmission allows the engine to flex what little muscle it has to get the vehicle up to speed. In the Rio, the automatic’s programming smothers the small amount of power to improve fuel economy. There is a Sport mode that holds onto gears longer, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. Neither of the transmissions can help the 1.6L on the freeway as the engine struggles to get up to speed at a decent rate. Fuel Economy EPA fuel economy figures are almost identical for the two models. Both return 28 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway. The difference is in the combined figure; the Rio returns 32, while the Accent returns 31. I got an average of 34 in the Rio and 33 in the Accent. Ride and Handling There are more similarities between the Rio and Accent when it comes to the driving experience. Both still employ struts in the front and a torsion-beam rear axle. But the body has been stiffened which helps with ride quality. Both models exhibited excellent isolation of most road imperfections. Handling is another place where the two surprised me. While not exhibiting the sporty characteristics of a Ford Fiesta, both the Accent and Rio show little body roll and feel quite nimble. The steering is light, but provides a decent amount of feedback when pushed. Pricing The 2018 Hyundai Accent begins at $14,995 for the base SE with manual transmission and climbs to $18,895 for the Limited. Our test SE with optional floor mats came to an as-tested price of $16,005. While it does cost $1,095 more than the base Rio LX, the Accent SE comes with more features such as Bluetooth, full power accessories, and a rear USB port. The 2018 Kia Rio kicks off at $13,900 for the LX sedan and climbs to $18,700 for the EX hatchback. The EX sedan tester came to an as-tested price of $19,425 with carpeted floor mats and destination. It is a bit hard to stomach the price tag when you can into some decently equipped compact sedans such as the Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze for similar money. Even after you factor in the EX getting forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, it’s still a tough sell. Verdict Trying to decide which of the two subcompacts was the winner in this piece was very difficult as they share so much. Beginning with the Rio EX, it is a very sharp looking subcompact with a fair amount of European influence and it is available as a hatchback. But the automatic transmission suffocates what little performance is on offer from the 1.6L engine. Plus the price tag of the EX is very difficult to swallow when you can step up into a compact for similar money. If it was the midlevel S, this would have been a closer fight. This brings us to the Accent SE. It's styling inside and out is a bit plain when pitted against the Rio. The lack of hatchback also makes the Accent a bit of hard sell to some buyers. But the list of standard features on the base model is very surprising. Plus, the manual transmission allows the engine to have some flexibility in most driving situations. Both models are towards the top in the subcompact class. But in this comparison, the base Accent SE nips the top-line Rio EX by a hair. Disclaimer: Hyundai and Kia Provided the Vehicles, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2018 Make: Hyundai Model: Accent Trim: SE Engine: 1.6L DOHC 16-valve GDI Inline-Four Driveline: Six-Speed Manual, Front-wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,300 Torque @ RPM: 119 @ 4,850 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 28/37/31 Curb Weight: 2,502 lbs Location of Manufacture: Nuevo Leon, Mexico Base Price: $14,995 As Tested Price: $16,005 (Includes $885.00 Destination Charge) Options: Carpeted Floor Mats: $125.00 Year: 2018 Make: Kia Model: Rio Trim: EX Engine: 1.6L 16-valve GDI Inline-Four Driveline: Six-Speed Automatic, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,300 Torque @ RPM: 119 @ 4,850 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 28/37/32 Curb Weight: 2,714 lbs Location of Manufacture: Pesqueria, NL, Mexico Base Price: $18,400 As Tested Price: $19,425 (Includes $895.00 Destination Charge) Options: Carpeted Floor Mats - $130.00 View full article
VW News: Volkswagen Isn't Giving Up On Sedans
William Maley posted a topic in Volkswagen
Ford's decision to drop most of their passenger car lineup last week is still sending shockwaves, and likely causing various automakers to have discussions about if they should follow in their footsteps. One automaker that will not be following Ford is Volkswagen. “We are intending to be a full line car manufacturer,” said Volkswagen of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken. The reason as to why? Electric Vehicles. “The question of whether electric mobility will favor sedans or SUVs hasn’t been answered yet. When you’re talking about electric cars, sedans have more advantages. The shape and the [drag coefficient] has a high effect on range. Therefore, we’ll maybe see a higher sedan share on full electric cars than with conventional cars,” said Woebcken. Aside from EVs, Volkswagen still sees sedans as an important key to their U.S. plans. The new Jetta and Arteon will be arriving in dealers very soon, and a new Passat is expected to debut next year. That said, Woebcken says crossovers will become a big part of Volkswagen's U.S. Current plans have the automaker launching at least two new crossovers over the next few years. “The shift from sedans to SUVs is a permanent one. In former times, when gas prices went up people moved back to sedans. We believe this will not happen anymore for two reasons. First, the difference in fuel economy between SUVs and sedans is not so big anymore. Second, customers do not want to give up the high seating position. I believe that trend will not reverse.” Source: Digital Trends View full article
Volkswagen Isn't Giving Up On Sedans
William Maley posted an article in Volkswagen
Ford's decision to drop most of their passenger car lineup last week is still sending shockwaves, and likely causing various automakers to have discussions about if they should follow in their footsteps. One automaker that will not be following Ford is Volkswagen. “We are intending to be a full line car manufacturer,” said Volkswagen of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken. The reason as to why? Electric Vehicles. “The question of whether electric mobility will favor sedans or SUVs hasn’t been answered yet. When you’re talking about electric cars, sedans have more advantages. The shape and the [drag coefficient] has a high effect on range. Therefore, we’ll maybe see a higher sedan share on full electric cars than with conventional cars,” said Woebcken. Aside from EVs, Volkswagen still sees sedans as an important key to their U.S. plans. The new Jetta and Arteon will be arriving in dealers very soon, and a new Passat is expected to debut next year. That said, Woebcken says crossovers will become a big part of Volkswagen's U.S. Current plans have the automaker launching at least two new crossovers over the next few years. “The shift from sedans to SUVs is a permanent one. In former times, when gas prices went up people moved back to sedans. We believe this will not happen anymore for two reasons. First, the difference in fuel economy between SUVs and sedans is not so big anymore. Second, customers do not want to give up the high seating position. I believe that trend will not reverse.” Source: Digital Trends
Mercedez Benz News Mercedes-Benz Finally Has An A-Class for the U.S.
William Maley posted a topic in Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz has never sold the A-Class in the U.S. as it wasn't sure consumers would buy a luxury hatchback. But Mercedes will be finally bringing over the next-generation A-Class, but as a sedan. "We truly believe that now with the body style we have the right answer for the market," said Britta Seeger, Mercedes-Benz's global sales chief to Automotive News. When the model launches next fall in U.S., the A-Class sedan will become the brand's entry-level model. Mercedes is aiming the model at younger buyers that are new to the brand. "It's a very attractive car for younger people. But not only for younger people — it can have a broad audience because it's a nice entrance into the Mercedes-Benz family," said Seeger. Currently, the cheapest way to get into a Mercedes-Benz is the CLA-Class with a pricetag of $32,700. It is expected that the A-Class sedan will start under $30,000. When asked about this, Seeger said, "We will see." Click here for more Mercedes-Benz News Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
Mercedes-Benz Finally Has An A-Class for the U.S.
William Maley posted an article in Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz has never sold the A-Class in the U.S. as it wasn't sure consumers would buy a luxury hatchback. But Mercedes will be finally bringing over the next-generation A-Class, but as a sedan. "We truly believe that now with the body style we have the right answer for the market," said Britta Seeger, Mercedes-Benz's global sales chief to Automotive News. When the model launches next fall in U.S., the A-Class sedan will become the brand's entry-level model. Mercedes is aiming the model at younger buyers that are new to the brand. "It's a very attractive car for younger people. But not only for younger people — it can have a broad audience because it's a nice entrance into the Mercedes-Benz family," said Seeger. Currently, the cheapest way to get into a Mercedes-Benz is the CLA-Class with a pricetag of $32,700. It is expected that the A-Class sedan will start under $30,000. When asked about this, Seeger said, "We will see." Click here for more Mercedes-Benz News Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
Mitsubishi Motors CEO Says A Sedan and Truck Are Possible For U.S.
William Maley posted an article in Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi's lineup in the U.S. is very thin, but that will change soon as the Japanese automaker introduces the new Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEV crossovers. This is part of an effort to boost sales 30 percent for the U.S. by 2020. While the focus for the U.S. will be on crossovers, Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko hinted that other products could be in the pipeline if they leverage their alliance with Nissan-Renault. In an interview with Automotive News, Masuko said the opportunity to launch new products will come after 2020. This is when Mitsubishi is expected to share powertrains and platforms with Nissan-Renault. One of those new products could be a sedan. "But we don't have plans to develop a sedan on our own. It wouldn't be just a rebadge. The design will be completely different. We would like to clearly differentiate our models and show the special characteristics of each company," said Masuko. We're wondering if this sedan could be the replacement for the aging Lancer compact or discontinued Galant sedan. Masuko said there are no concrete plans at this time for the sedan. Automotive News followed this up by asking if there is the possibility of a pickup truck for the U.S. "The pickups we make are not so big. But the American market requires big-size pickup trucks," said Masuko. "We are focused on developing pickups for non-U.S. markets such as [Southeast Asia] and the Middle East. So for the U.S., if there is an opportunity, we might get it from Nissan. We would like to consider if there are opportunities from within the Alliance." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
aliiance
Mitsubishi News: Mitsubishi Motors CEO Says A Sedan and Truck Are Possible For U.S.
William Maley posted a topic in Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi's lineup in the U.S. is very thin, but that will change soon as the Japanese automaker introduces the new Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEV crossovers. This is part of an effort to boost sales 30 percent for the U.S. by 2020. While the focus for the U.S. will be on crossovers, Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko hinted that other products could be in the pipeline if they leverage their alliance with Nissan-Renault. In an interview with Automotive News, Masuko said the opportunity to launch new products will come after 2020. This is when Mitsubishi is expected to share powertrains and platforms with Nissan-Renault. One of those new products could be a sedan. "But we don't have plans to develop a sedan on our own. It wouldn't be just a rebadge. The design will be completely different. We would like to clearly differentiate our models and show the special characteristics of each company," said Masuko. We're wondering if this sedan could be the replacement for the aging Lancer compact or discontinued Galant sedan. Masuko said there are no concrete plans at this time for the sedan. Automotive News followed this up by asking if there is the possibility of a pickup truck for the U.S. "The pickups we make are not so big. But the American market requires big-size pickup trucks," said Masuko. "We are focused on developing pickups for non-U.S. markets such as [Southeast Asia] and the Middle East. So for the U.S., if there is an opportunity, we might get it from Nissan. We would like to consider if there are opportunities from within the Alliance." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
Rumorpile: Lamborghini Begins Work On A Sedan
William Maley posted an article in Lamborghini
Lamborghini has reportedly begun work on a fourth model that will debut in 2021. Autocar reports that the model in question is a four-door sedan that could bridge the gap between their supercars and the upcoming Urus SUV. The sedan is said to be similar to the Estoque concept from 2008 with an engine up front. The model would use the MSB platform that underpins the Porsche Panamera and upcoming Bentley Continental GT. When asked about adding a new model after the Urus, Lamborghini’s commercial director Federico Foschini said, “We must be humble. The Urus is only at the pre-production phase and, while the goal is to double sales volumes over a few years, we have yet to earn that accolade. But of course we should always be looking to grow. If we can take this first step with Urus – a huge step – then there are possibilities.” But the sedan has yet to be signed off. According to the report, a faction at Lamborghini is wanting to investigate the possibility of a bespoke, carbonfiber-intensive structure that could underpin a three supercar lineup. Whether this means a new model is created the Huracán and Aventador or something a bit extreme is unclear at this time. Either way, this project is being referred to as the new Miura. But this means Lamborghini would be spending a fair amount of cash on the development and could cause some problems for the next Audi R8. This is due to the model sharing the platform that underpins the Huracán. Source: Autocar
William Maley posted a topic in Lamborghini
Lamborghini has reportedly begun work on a fourth model that will debut in 2021. Autocar reports that the model in question is a four-door sedan that could bridge the gap between their supercars and the upcoming Urus SUV. The sedan is said to be similar to the Estoque concept from 2008 with an engine up front. The model would use the MSB platform that underpins the Porsche Panamera and upcoming Bentley Continental GT. When asked about adding a new model after the Urus, Lamborghini’s commercial director Federico Foschini said, “We must be humble. The Urus is only at the pre-production phase and, while the goal is to double sales volumes over a few years, we have yet to earn that accolade. But of course we should always be looking to grow. If we can take this first step with Urus – a huge step – then there are possibilities.” But the sedan has yet to be signed off. According to the report, a faction at Lamborghini is wanting to investigate the possibility of a bespoke, carbonfiber-intensive structure that could underpin a three supercar lineup. Whether this means a new model is created the Huracán and Aventador or something a bit extreme is unclear at this time. Either way, this project is being referred to as the new Miura. But this means Lamborghini would be spending a fair amount of cash on the development and could cause some problems for the next Audi R8. This is due to the model sharing the platform that underpins the Huracán. Source: Autocar View full article
Detroit Auto Show: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
William Maley posted an article in Detroit Auto Show
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 10, 2013 Yesterday, we introduced you to most of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup. We didn't mention one model though, the new E63 AMG since Mercedes didn't release any information. Till today when Mercedes-Benz let loose the information and pictures of the new E63 AMG Sedan and Wagon. Outside, the E63 AMG sedan and wagon carry many of the changes seen on the new E-Class sedan and wagon. There is a set of full LED headlights, a twin-blade grille, 10-spoke, 19-inch titanium gray alloys, and what Mercedes-Benz calls 'A-Wing' air intakes under the bumpers. There's also a new S-Model which adds high-sheen rim flanges, red brake calipers, high-gloss treatment on the A-wing, and "S" badge on the trunk. Inside, there is black interior with contrasting gray stitching, silver seat belts, a flat-topped and flat-bottomed Nappa leather steering wheel with Alcantara inserts, and a 1,200-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo. Under the hood lies a twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 producing either 550 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque on the standard model, and 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on the S. All of that power is sent to a seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT dual-clutch transmission with four different drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Manual) and to a permanent "performance-oriented" all-wheel drive system that's biased 33/67 front-to-rear. The AWD system addsaround 154 pounds to the car's weight. There's also AMG adaptive sports suspension (front has steel, while the back uses an air suspension) and electronically controlled damping and Torque Vectoring Brake system. S-Model gets a limited-slip rear differential. Performance figures are staggering. 0-60 MPH takes 3.6 seconds on the standard E63 and 3.5 seconds with the S. Top speed is 155 MPH (electronically limited) or 186 MPH when equipped with the AMG Performance Package. The E63 AMG sedan and wagon arrives later in the summer. Source: Mercedes-Benz Album: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 12 images 0 comments William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.comor you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 New benchmark for performance, dynamic purpose and efficiency The new E63 AMG 4MATIC and S-Model MONTVALE, NJ - Mercedes-AMG continues to emphasize performance, dynamic purpose and efficiency: The new 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC now features a redesigned, performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system as standard equipment and is also available as an especially powerful S Model with output of 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. The 5.5-liter AMG V8 Biturbo continues to be the benchmark of efficiency: No other competitor in this segment offers this combination of maximum performance and low fuel consumption. Permanent all-wheel drive is standard on all U.S. models – which also feature a power increase from 518 hp to 550 hp with a peak torque of 531 lb-ft. With this step Mercedes-AMG now for the first time offers powerful passenger cars with an all-wheel-drive system designed for vehicle dynamics. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC goes on-sale in the U.S. this summer. With the introduction of the new custom-tailored models, Mercedes-AMG offers its customers even more individuality than before. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC is more powerful and sports a more dynamic outfit than all its predecessors: Even at first glance the new AMG design philosophy is immediately apparent. The new "twin blade" radiator grille and a new "A-wing" in the AMG front fascia define the exclusive appearance. As before, the top-of-the-line E-Class AMG model is available as a sedan and wagon. Also adding significantly to the new models' appeal is the marked improvement in the price-performance ratio: E63 AMG 4MATIC customers now get even more power, better vehicle dynamics and a more extensive list of standard equipment. The new product logic also benefits the CLS63 AMG: Like the E63 AMG 4MATIC, the CLS63 AMG is available as an S-Model and with the performance oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC as standard. The addition of the E63 AMG and the CLS63 AMG means there are now also two all-wheel-drive passenger car models available from Mercedes-AMG besides the successful ML63 AMG, GL63 AMG, and G63 AMG SUV's. Additional models equipped with the performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC such as the CLA45 AMG will follow this year. Ola Källenius, CEO Mercedes-AMG GmbH: "The philosophy of Mercedes-AMG is driving performance. With the new model variants of the E63 AMG 4MATIC and CLS63 AMG 4MATIC it is also becoming clear that we offer our customers even more individuality than before. In particular the S-Models represent the most attractive offer in the competitive segment and score decisive points with a significant improvement in their price-performance ratio: The most power and the highest torque in the segment, the new performance-oriented AMG all wheel-drive system, the new design and a significantly more extensive standard-equipment package are among the outstanding strengths of the new high-performance automobiles from Affalterbach. With the innovative all wheel-drive S-Models we will reach new customers and markets." Tobias Moers, head of overall vehicle development and member of the management board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: "We have significantly honed the dynamic profile of the 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC and the CLS63 AMG 4MATIC with the exclusive S-Models. Only AMG offers customers power and torque figures of such magnitude. Our AMG 5.5-liter V8 engine is still the world's most efficient V8 built in series production. With the newly developed performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC we not only deliver the best acceleration figures in the competitive segment, we also offer our customers markedly better vehicle dynamics than ever before." With an acceleration time of 3.5 seconds for the sprint from rest to 60 mph, the S-Model of the E63 AMG 4MATIC holds an undisputed top position in the competitive environment; the electronically limited top speed is 186 mph. In addition to the power increase, the performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC with a power distribution of 33 to 67 percent (front/rear axle) is also a major factor. Perfect traction during acceleration effectively prevents any losses due to wheel slip. On the new S-Model the AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine produces a peak power output of 577 hp and delivers a peak torque of 590 lb-ft – an increase by 27 hp over the previously available AMG Performance package option. The increase in performance and power is made possible by modifications to the engine management system, an increase in the peak injection pressure and a hike in maximum boost pressure from 13.0 to 14.5 psi. The base model also adds 32 hp and 15 lbft and now produces 550 hp of power and a peak torque of 531 lb-ft. Despite the added power and improved performance all E63 AMG 4MATIC models deliver high efficiency, low fuel consumption and low emissions. The AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine is still the most efficient series-production V8 engine in its performance segment – and that with significantly more displacement than the direct competitors. AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission for a personal setup Maximum individuality and custom-tailored dynamics are the strengths of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Four drive programs, "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual), provide each driver with a personal setup. In "C" mode the ECO start/stop function is active and shuts off the eight-cylinder engine when the car is at a standstill. In addition, the driver experiences smooth transmission characteristics with comfortable and early gearshifts. In "C" mode the car generally starts in second gear. In the "S", "S+" and "M" transmission modes the engine and transmission are significantly more agile and the ECO start/stop function is deactivated. Perfectly tailored to a spirited driving style is the partial suppression of the cylinders. A brief and precisely defined retardation of ignition and injection under open throttle results in even faster gearshifts and a more aggressive exhaust note. An automatic rev-matching function for downshifts and the RACE START function are also part of the standard features of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC for maximum dynamics The performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system sends 33 percent of the engine torque to the front and 67 percent to the rear axle. The rear-biased torque split ensures the high level of vehicle dynamics typical of AMG and maximum driving pleasure. The three-stage ESP® system is specifically calibrated to the permanent all-wheel-drive system. In "Sport Handling" mode the Torque Vectoring Brake applies the brakes to selected wheels in the interest of supreme agility: As a result, unwelcome understeer is prevented. During cornering a targeted brief brake intervention on the inside rear wheel affects a defined turn-in of the vehicle. The standard AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC improves road safety and traction on wet or wintery roads. Optimal traction is ensured by a multi-plate clutch with a locking force of 37 lb-ft, which increases road adhesion particularly on ice and snow. The technical basis is a transfer case for the additional power take-off to the driven front axle. It is integrated into the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission with minimum additional space requirements. The torque is transferred by the power take-off to the front axle via a drive shaft. The power from the front differential is transferred to the left half shaft by an intermediate shaft that runs in a sealed shaft tunnel in the engine oil pan. This compact and weight-optimized design results in a comparatively low added weight of just 154 lbs for the all-wheel-drive components. E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC with limited-slip rear differential Mercedes-AMG goes even one step further on the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC. In keeping with its philosophy of "Driving Performance" the most powerful E-Class is equipped with a limited-slip rear differential. This high-tech package increases traction even further. The effect: Even better vehicle dynamics and more driving pleasure, in particular on the racetrack. All 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC models are equipped with the AMG Adaptive sports suspension with electronically controlled damping system. The front axle features a steel suspension, the rear axle an all-air suspension system. A push of the button with the shock absorber symbol in the AMG DRIVE UNIT is all it takes to switch the electronics from "Comfort" to "Sport" or "Sport plus." In conjunction with newly developed aluminum axle components this results in significantly more grip and agility while maintaining the vehicle's neutral handling during fast cornering. The S-Model's elastokinematics were perfectly tuned for performance and offer the driver optimal neutral handling at the limit as well as better feedback and grip. The E63 AMG 4MATIC's track on the front axle is 1.9 inches wider than the standard E-Class sedan and offers significantly better stability at high cornering speeds and better road feel. A more negative camber on both axles additionally improves lateral dynamics. The perfect complement is the electromechanical AMG sports speed-sensitive steering. In conjunction with the variable power assist dependent on the selected suspension mode, the direct steering ratio of 14 : 1 provides particularly agile cornering capabilities. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC features high-sheen 10-spoke AMG alloys painted titanium gray as standard. The front axle features tires in size 255/35 R 19 (front) and 285/30 R 19 (rear) on AMG alloys in size 9.0 x 19 and 9.5 x 19. Only the powerful S-Model comes with 10-spoke alloys painted in matte titanium gray with high-sheen rim flanges. AMG carbon ceramic high-performance braking system available as an option As of course with all AMG cars, the 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC also comes with an ultra-powerful AMG high-performance brake system. Vented and cross-drilled brake discs with a generous 14.2 in diameter are fitted front and rear. Because of the special stresses they face, the front discs feature compound (two-piece) technology that has been tried and tested in motor racing. Brake calipers painted silver with white AMG lettering and six pistons (front) and four pistons (rear) provide responsive, fade-resistant deceleration and shortest stopping distances. The S-Model can be additionally identified by red brake calipers. AMG carbon ceramic high-performance brakes are available as an option exclusively on the S-Model – recognizable thanks to even bigger brake discs with a diameter of 15.8 in and the "AMG Carbon Ceramic" logo on the specially painted brake calipers. Their advantages: The discs are 40 percent lighter, reducing the unsprung masses and improving vehicle dynamics, agility and ride comfort. The ceramic discs are also much harder, resulting in an extended service life and in increased resistance to extreme loads and heat. Unmistakable design with even more dynamic purpose and exclusivity Dynamic purpose and performance are not only the focus of the fascinating technology of the new E63 AMG 4MATIC; the design also consistently transports these defining characteristics. Visually the AMG high-performance automobile sets new trends as the first AMG model to show off the new AMG design philosophy. Dominating elements are the silver-chrome AMG "twin blade" radiator grille and the so-called "A-wing." The new three-dimensional air control element extends across the entire width of the AMG front fascia and sports the stylized "A" distinctive of AMG vehicles. The "A-wing" painted in body color with silver-chrome trim strip frames the three generously dimensioned cooling-air inlets. Black flics on the side air inlets ensure optimal airflow to the cooling modules; on the bottom a front splitter painted in body color contributes to increasing downforce. Convex and concave surfaces join the new, sculptured front end of the E63 AMG 4MATIC to the distinctive widened fenders, on which the "V8 BITURBO" lettering provides an indication of the superior engine power. The side air outlets, the black mesh and the two chrome-plated dual tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system emphasize the width of the vehicle in the rear. The black diffuser insert with pronounced fins lends the rear of the E63 AMG 4MATIC a strong touch of racetrack ambiance. S-Model with even more striking design features The 2014 E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC differs from the base model in numerous restyled and even more striking design features. The "A-wing" in the front has a black high-gloss finish; the front splitter and the striking three-dimensional inserts of the side skirts sport a silver-chrome design. The silver-chrome trim strip and the two unmistakable dual tailpipes of the AMG sport exhaust system provide a powerful effect in the rear. The AMG separation edge painted in body color (sedan only) reduces lift at high speeds. The 10-spoke AMG alloys, painted matte titanium gray and featuring high sheen rim flanges, and the large tires in sizes 255/35 R 19 in front and 285/30 R 19 in the rear fill out the wheel wells perfectly. Red brake calipers and an AMG logo with contrasting black "S" on the trunk lid are further features of the S-Models. Interior with dynamic-exclusive interior The interior of the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC comes with – depending on customer preferences – gray contrasting seams on the AMG sports seats, the door center panels, the armrests of the doors and the center console. The interior also features silver-colored seat belts in conjunction with a black interior. The grip areas of the black Nappa leather steering wheel rim with flattened top and bottom is finished in Alcantara® with gray contrasting seams. The front head restraints of the AMG sports seats are embossed with AMG crests. The redesigned AMG instrument cluster carries an "S AMG" logo on the 200 mph speedometer with red needles. The standard equipment also includes AMG door sill panels backlit in white, power rear roller blinds (sedan only) in addition to many other details. Distinctive to all E63 AMG 4MATIC models are highest quality materials, excellent workmanship and the exclusive ambiance. The new AMG-specific analog clock in IWC design between the two central ventilation outlets serves as an appealing focal point. Highlights of standard equipment on all E63 AMG 4MATIC models also include: • AMG door sill panels • AMG sports pedals made from brushed stainless steel with rubber studs • ATTENTION ASSIST • COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST • Metallic paintwork • All-LED headlights The following styling and trim options are available: • AMG Carbon-Fiber Exterior Styling package • AMG Night package (A-wing with trim strip, front splitter, inserts of the door sill panels, exterior mirror housings and rear fascia trim strips in high-gloss black, dual exhaust embellishers black chrome-plated) • AMG carbon-fiber engine cover • AMG high-sheen forged wheels with 5-twin-spoke wheel bolt cover, painted titanium gray • AMG trim elements carbon-fiber/piano lacquer finish • designo styling elements Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround-sound system A particular highlight in the selection of optional equipment for the E-Class Sedan and Wagon is the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround sound system. Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG have created this high-end sound system together with renowned Danish audio specialist Bang & Olufsen. The sound system is of course capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 playback and provides an exclusive music experience with unparalleled sound. The basis for this is not only the 1,200 watt amplifier and the 14 high-end speakers with neodymium drivers, but also the distribution of the music signals that is precisely controlled by the sound processor. This integrated digital sound processor (DSP) provides drivers with the option of selecting a special B&O sound menu on the COMAND system. In True Image™ mode individual sound settings for the front, center and rear can be selected. The effect: A realistic sound experience at the selected listening position. The "Sound Mode" menu also has various preset sound modes that allow choosing between a high-end "Reference" studio sound and a spacious surround sound. While "Reference" puts the focus on the sound presentation of the artist, the special surround sound mode delivers a spacious surround-sound experience. In particular live recordings or concertos result in a unique panoramic sound in the vehicle without altering the naturalness of the recording. 50-watt illuminated tweeters with acoustic lens technology arranged in the mirror triangle add special highlights. High-end Bang & Olufsen aluminum speaker covers in silver chrome with Bang & Olufsen logo additionally signal the exceptional position of the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround-sound system. The U.S. market launch of the new all-wheel-drive E63 AMG 4MATIC and the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC will begin in the Summer of 2013. Quick Reference: Availability: Summer 2013 Models/Performance: • E63 AMG 4MATIC Sedan: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (550 hp, 531 lb-ft) • E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Sedan: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (577 hp, 590 lb-ft) • E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Wagon: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (577 hp, 590 lb-ft) New Standard Feature Highlights: • Performance-oriented 4MATIC all-wheel-drive (33/67 power distribution) • Power Increase (+32 hp, +15 lb-ft) • Redesigned exterior with integrated star and AMG twin-blade radiator grille • All-LED Headlights • COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST • ATTENTION ASSIST 2.0 New Optional Feature Highlights: • S-Model Configuration • Power Increase (+27 hp, +59 lb-ft) • Limited slip rear differential • 10-Spoke AMG Matte Titanium Grey alloy wheels with high-sheen rim flanges • High-gloss black "A-wing" • Red Brake Calipers • Contrast stitching on seats, door trim, armrests and center console • Silver seat belts (black interior only) • Alcantara steering wheel grips • 'S' badging on trunk and speedometer • AMG Carbon Fiber Engine Cover • Carbon Fiber Exterior Styling Package • Forged twin 5-spoke 19" wheel • Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG High-End Surround-Sound System
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
Detroit Auto Show: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG: Comments
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 10, 2013 Yesterday, we introduced you to most of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup. We didn't mention one model though, the new E63 AMG since Mercedes didn't release any information. Till today when Mercedes-Benz let loose the information and pictures of the new E63 AMG Sedan and Wagon. Outside, the E63 AMG sedan and wagon carry many of the changes seen on the new E-Class sedan and wagon. There is a set of full LED headlights, a twin-blade grille, 10-spoke, 19-inch titanium gray alloys, and what Mercedes-Benz calls 'A-Wing' air intakes under the bumpers. There's also a new S-Model which adds high-sheen rim flanges, red brake calipers, high-gloss treatment on the A-wing, and "S" badge on the trunk. Inside, there is black interior with contrasting gray stitching, silver seat belts, a flat-topped and flat-bottomed Nappa leather steering wheel with Alcantara inserts, and a 1,200-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo. Under the hood lies a twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 producing either 550 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque on the standard model, and 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on the S. All of that power is sent to a seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT dual-clutch transmission with four different drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Manual) and to a permanent "performance-oriented" all-wheel drive system that's biased 33/67 front-to-rear. The AWD system addsaround 154 pounds to the car's weight. There's also AMG adaptive sports suspension (front has steel, while the back uses an air suspension) and electronically controlled damping and Torque Vectoring Brake system. S-Model gets a limited-slip rear differential. Performance figures are staggering. 0-60 MPH takes 3.6 seconds on the standard E63 and 3.5 seconds with the S. Top speed is 155 MPH (electronically limited) or 186 MPH when equipped with the AMG Performance Package. The E63 AMG sedan and wagon arrives later in the summer. Source: Mercedes-Benz Album: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 12 images 0 comments William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.comor you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 New benchmark for performance, dynamic purpose and efficiency The new E63 AMG 4MATIC and S-Model MONTVALE, NJ - Mercedes-AMG continues to emphasize performance, dynamic purpose and efficiency: The new 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC now features a redesigned, performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system as standard equipment and is also available as an especially powerful S Model with output of 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. The 5.5-liter AMG V8 Biturbo continues to be the benchmark of efficiency: No other competitor in this segment offers this combination of maximum performance and low fuel consumption. Permanent all-wheel drive is standard on all U.S. models – which also feature a power increase from 518 hp to 550 hp with a peak torque of 531 lb-ft. With this step Mercedes-AMG now for the first time offers powerful passenger cars with an all-wheel-drive system designed for vehicle dynamics. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC goes on-sale in the U.S. this summer. With the introduction of the new custom-tailored models, Mercedes-AMG offers its customers even more individuality than before. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC is more powerful and sports a more dynamic outfit than all its predecessors: Even at first glance the new AMG design philosophy is immediately apparent. The new "twin blade" radiator grille and a new "A-wing" in the AMG front fascia define the exclusive appearance. As before, the top-of-the-line E-Class AMG model is available as a sedan and wagon. Also adding significantly to the new models' appeal is the marked improvement in the price-performance ratio: E63 AMG 4MATIC customers now get even more power, better vehicle dynamics and a more extensive list of standard equipment. The new product logic also benefits the CLS63 AMG: Like the E63 AMG 4MATIC, the CLS63 AMG is available as an S-Model and with the performance oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC as standard. The addition of the E63 AMG and the CLS63 AMG means there are now also two all-wheel-drive passenger car models available from Mercedes-AMG besides the successful ML63 AMG, GL63 AMG, and G63 AMG SUV's. Additional models equipped with the performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC such as the CLA45 AMG will follow this year. Ola Källenius, CEO Mercedes-AMG GmbH: "The philosophy of Mercedes-AMG is driving performance. With the new model variants of the E63 AMG 4MATIC and CLS63 AMG 4MATIC it is also becoming clear that we offer our customers even more individuality than before. In particular the S-Models represent the most attractive offer in the competitive segment and score decisive points with a significant improvement in their price-performance ratio: The most power and the highest torque in the segment, the new performance-oriented AMG all wheel-drive system, the new design and a significantly more extensive standard-equipment package are among the outstanding strengths of the new high-performance automobiles from Affalterbach. With the innovative all wheel-drive S-Models we will reach new customers and markets." Tobias Moers, head of overall vehicle development and member of the management board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: "We have significantly honed the dynamic profile of the 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC and the CLS63 AMG 4MATIC with the exclusive S-Models. Only AMG offers customers power and torque figures of such magnitude. Our AMG 5.5-liter V8 engine is still the world's most efficient V8 built in series production. With the newly developed performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC we not only deliver the best acceleration figures in the competitive segment, we also offer our customers markedly better vehicle dynamics than ever before." With an acceleration time of 3.5 seconds for the sprint from rest to 60 mph, the S-Model of the E63 AMG 4MATIC holds an undisputed top position in the competitive environment; the electronically limited top speed is 186 mph. In addition to the power increase, the performance-oriented AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC with a power distribution of 33 to 67 percent (front/rear axle) is also a major factor. Perfect traction during acceleration effectively prevents any losses due to wheel slip. On the new S-Model the AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine produces a peak power output of 577 hp and delivers a peak torque of 590 lb-ft – an increase by 27 hp over the previously available AMG Performance package option. The increase in performance and power is made possible by modifications to the engine management system, an increase in the peak injection pressure and a hike in maximum boost pressure from 13.0 to 14.5 psi. The base model also adds 32 hp and 15 lbft and now produces 550 hp of power and a peak torque of 531 lb-ft. Despite the added power and improved performance all E63 AMG 4MATIC models deliver high efficiency, low fuel consumption and low emissions. The AMG 5.5-liter V8 Biturbo engine is still the most efficient series-production V8 engine in its performance segment – and that with significantly more displacement than the direct competitors. AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission for a personal setup Maximum individuality and custom-tailored dynamics are the strengths of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Four drive programs, "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual), provide each driver with a personal setup. In "C" mode the ECO start/stop function is active and shuts off the eight-cylinder engine when the car is at a standstill. In addition, the driver experiences smooth transmission characteristics with comfortable and early gearshifts. In "C" mode the car generally starts in second gear. In the "S", "S+" and "M" transmission modes the engine and transmission are significantly more agile and the ECO start/stop function is deactivated. Perfectly tailored to a spirited driving style is the partial suppression of the cylinders. A brief and precisely defined retardation of ignition and injection under open throttle results in even faster gearshifts and a more aggressive exhaust note. An automatic rev-matching function for downshifts and the RACE START function are also part of the standard features of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC for maximum dynamics The performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system sends 33 percent of the engine torque to the front and 67 percent to the rear axle. The rear-biased torque split ensures the high level of vehicle dynamics typical of AMG and maximum driving pleasure. The three-stage ESP® system is specifically calibrated to the permanent all-wheel-drive system. In "Sport Handling" mode the Torque Vectoring Brake applies the brakes to selected wheels in the interest of supreme agility: As a result, unwelcome understeer is prevented. During cornering a targeted brief brake intervention on the inside rear wheel affects a defined turn-in of the vehicle. The standard AMG all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC improves road safety and traction on wet or wintery roads. Optimal traction is ensured by a multi-plate clutch with a locking force of 37 lb-ft, which increases road adhesion particularly on ice and snow. The technical basis is a transfer case for the additional power take-off to the driven front axle. It is integrated into the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission with minimum additional space requirements. The torque is transferred by the power take-off to the front axle via a drive shaft. The power from the front differential is transferred to the left half shaft by an intermediate shaft that runs in a sealed shaft tunnel in the engine oil pan. This compact and weight-optimized design results in a comparatively low added weight of just 154 lbs for the all-wheel-drive components. E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC with limited-slip rear differential Mercedes-AMG goes even one step further on the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC. In keeping with its philosophy of "Driving Performance" the most powerful E-Class is equipped with a limited-slip rear differential. This high-tech package increases traction even further. The effect: Even better vehicle dynamics and more driving pleasure, in particular on the racetrack. All 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC models are equipped with the AMG Adaptive sports suspension with electronically controlled damping system. The front axle features a steel suspension, the rear axle an all-air suspension system. A push of the button with the shock absorber symbol in the AMG DRIVE UNIT is all it takes to switch the electronics from "Comfort" to "Sport" or "Sport plus." In conjunction with newly developed aluminum axle components this results in significantly more grip and agility while maintaining the vehicle's neutral handling during fast cornering. The S-Model's elastokinematics were perfectly tuned for performance and offer the driver optimal neutral handling at the limit as well as better feedback and grip. The E63 AMG 4MATIC's track on the front axle is 1.9 inches wider than the standard E-Class sedan and offers significantly better stability at high cornering speeds and better road feel. A more negative camber on both axles additionally improves lateral dynamics. The perfect complement is the electromechanical AMG sports speed-sensitive steering. In conjunction with the variable power assist dependent on the selected suspension mode, the direct steering ratio of 14 : 1 provides particularly agile cornering capabilities. The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC features high-sheen 10-spoke AMG alloys painted titanium gray as standard. The front axle features tires in size 255/35 R 19 (front) and 285/30 R 19 (rear) on AMG alloys in size 9.0 x 19 and 9.5 x 19. Only the powerful S-Model comes with 10-spoke alloys painted in matte titanium gray with high-sheen rim flanges. AMG carbon ceramic high-performance braking system available as an option As of course with all AMG cars, the 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC also comes with an ultra-powerful AMG high-performance brake system. Vented and cross-drilled brake discs with a generous 14.2 in diameter are fitted front and rear. Because of the special stresses they face, the front discs feature compound (two-piece) technology that has been tried and tested in motor racing. Brake calipers painted silver with white AMG lettering and six pistons (front) and four pistons (rear) provide responsive, fade-resistant deceleration and shortest stopping distances. The S-Model can be additionally identified by red brake calipers. AMG carbon ceramic high-performance brakes are available as an option exclusively on the S-Model – recognizable thanks to even bigger brake discs with a diameter of 15.8 in and the "AMG Carbon Ceramic" logo on the specially painted brake calipers. Their advantages: The discs are 40 percent lighter, reducing the unsprung masses and improving vehicle dynamics, agility and ride comfort. The ceramic discs are also much harder, resulting in an extended service life and in increased resistance to extreme loads and heat. Unmistakable design with even more dynamic purpose and exclusivity Dynamic purpose and performance are not only the focus of the fascinating technology of the new E63 AMG 4MATIC; the design also consistently transports these defining characteristics. Visually the AMG high-performance automobile sets new trends as the first AMG model to show off the new AMG design philosophy. Dominating elements are the silver-chrome AMG "twin blade" radiator grille and the so-called "A-wing." The new three-dimensional air control element extends across the entire width of the AMG front fascia and sports the stylized "A" distinctive of AMG vehicles. The "A-wing" painted in body color with silver-chrome trim strip frames the three generously dimensioned cooling-air inlets. Black flics on the side air inlets ensure optimal airflow to the cooling modules; on the bottom a front splitter painted in body color contributes to increasing downforce. Convex and concave surfaces join the new, sculptured front end of the E63 AMG 4MATIC to the distinctive widened fenders, on which the "V8 BITURBO" lettering provides an indication of the superior engine power. The side air outlets, the black mesh and the two chrome-plated dual tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system emphasize the width of the vehicle in the rear. The black diffuser insert with pronounced fins lends the rear of the E63 AMG 4MATIC a strong touch of racetrack ambiance. S-Model with even more striking design features The 2014 E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC differs from the base model in numerous restyled and even more striking design features. The "A-wing" in the front has a black high-gloss finish; the front splitter and the striking three-dimensional inserts of the side skirts sport a silver-chrome design. The silver-chrome trim strip and the two unmistakable dual tailpipes of the AMG sport exhaust system provide a powerful effect in the rear. The AMG separation edge painted in body color (sedan only) reduces lift at high speeds. The 10-spoke AMG alloys, painted matte titanium gray and featuring high sheen rim flanges, and the large tires in sizes 255/35 R 19 in front and 285/30 R 19 in the rear fill out the wheel wells perfectly. Red brake calipers and an AMG logo with contrasting black "S" on the trunk lid are further features of the S-Models. Interior with dynamic-exclusive interior The interior of the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC comes with – depending on customer preferences – gray contrasting seams on the AMG sports seats, the door center panels, the armrests of the doors and the center console. The interior also features silver-colored seat belts in conjunction with a black interior. The grip areas of the black Nappa leather steering wheel rim with flattened top and bottom is finished in Alcantara® with gray contrasting seams. The front head restraints of the AMG sports seats are embossed with AMG crests. The redesigned AMG instrument cluster carries an "S AMG" logo on the 200 mph speedometer with red needles. The standard equipment also includes AMG door sill panels backlit in white, power rear roller blinds (sedan only) in addition to many other details. Distinctive to all E63 AMG 4MATIC models are highest quality materials, excellent workmanship and the exclusive ambiance. The new AMG-specific analog clock in IWC design between the two central ventilation outlets serves as an appealing focal point. Highlights of standard equipment on all E63 AMG 4MATIC models also include: • AMG door sill panels • AMG sports pedals made from brushed stainless steel with rubber studs • ATTENTION ASSIST • COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST • Metallic paintwork • All-LED headlights The following styling and trim options are available: • AMG Carbon-Fiber Exterior Styling package • AMG Night package (A-wing with trim strip, front splitter, inserts of the door sill panels, exterior mirror housings and rear fascia trim strips in high-gloss black, dual exhaust embellishers black chrome-plated) • AMG carbon-fiber engine cover • AMG high-sheen forged wheels with 5-twin-spoke wheel bolt cover, painted titanium gray • AMG trim elements carbon-fiber/piano lacquer finish • designo styling elements Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround-sound system A particular highlight in the selection of optional equipment for the E-Class Sedan and Wagon is the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround sound system. Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG have created this high-end sound system together with renowned Danish audio specialist Bang & Olufsen. The sound system is of course capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 playback and provides an exclusive music experience with unparalleled sound. The basis for this is not only the 1,200 watt amplifier and the 14 high-end speakers with neodymium drivers, but also the distribution of the music signals that is precisely controlled by the sound processor. This integrated digital sound processor (DSP) provides drivers with the option of selecting a special B&O sound menu on the COMAND system. In True Image™ mode individual sound settings for the front, center and rear can be selected. The effect: A realistic sound experience at the selected listening position. The "Sound Mode" menu also has various preset sound modes that allow choosing between a high-end "Reference" studio sound and a spacious surround sound. While "Reference" puts the focus on the sound presentation of the artist, the special surround sound mode delivers a spacious surround-sound experience. In particular live recordings or concertos result in a unique panoramic sound in the vehicle without altering the naturalness of the recording. 50-watt illuminated tweeters with acoustic lens technology arranged in the mirror triangle add special highlights. High-end Bang & Olufsen aluminum speaker covers in silver chrome with Bang & Olufsen logo additionally signal the exceptional position of the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end surround-sound system. The U.S. market launch of the new all-wheel-drive E63 AMG 4MATIC and the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC will begin in the Summer of 2013. Quick Reference: Availability: Summer 2013 Models/Performance: • E63 AMG 4MATIC Sedan: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (550 hp, 531 lb-ft) • E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Sedan: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (577 hp, 590 lb-ft) • E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Wagon: AMG biturbo 5.5-liter V8 (577 hp, 590 lb-ft) New Standard Feature Highlights: • Performance-oriented 4MATIC all-wheel-drive (33/67 power distribution) • Power Increase (+32 hp, +15 lb-ft) • Redesigned exterior with integrated star and AMG twin-blade radiator grille • All-LED Headlights • COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST • ATTENTION ASSIST 2.0 New Optional Feature Highlights: • S-Model Configuration • Power Increase (+27 hp, +59 lb-ft) • Limited slip rear differential • 10-Spoke AMG Matte Titanium Grey alloy wheels with high-sheen rim flanges • High-gloss black "A-wing" • Red Brake Calipers • Contrast stitching on seats, door trim, armrests and center console • Silver seat belts (black interior only) • Alcantara steering wheel grips • 'S' badging on trunk and speedometer • AMG Carbon Fiber Engine Cover • Carbon Fiber Exterior Styling Package • Forged twin 5-spoke 19" wheel • Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG High-End Surround-Sound System View full article
Rumorpile: Mercedes-Benz Plans Four New EVs By 2020
Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to launch four new electric vehicles - two sedans and two SUVs - by 2020. Autocar reports that the German brand is accelerating plans after the German government announced that it would be offering subsidies on all EVs priced less than €60,000 (about $66,900) to spur sales. The outgoing R&D boss at Mercedes-Benz, Thomas Weber has put these plans into motion and hinted that the electric models will share links with standard models. This means the sedans will have a connection to the C and S-Class, while the SUVs will share bits from the GLA and GLC. Sources tell Autocar that the designs share the basic elements with the gas-powered models, but will have their own touches to make them recognizable as EVs. In terms of platforms, the two sedans and GLC-sized model will use a new one known as MEA (Modular Electric Architecture). MEA allows Mercedes to offer an electric vehicle with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive in combination with three electric motors. The GLA-sized model will utilize the same platform that underpins the B-Class Electric Drive. As for power, Mercedes' r&d is working on a range of electric motors producing 75 to 400kW (101 to 536 horsepower). Batteries will come from Accumotive that will provide a minimum range of 250 miles. Source: Autocar
Mercedez Benz News Rumorpile: Mercedes-Benz Plans Four New EVs By 2020
Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to launch four new electric vehicles - two sedans and two SUVs - by 2020. Autocar reports that the German brand is accelerating plans after the German government announced that it would be offering subsidies on all EVs priced less than €60,000 (about $66,900) to spur sales. The outgoing R&D boss at Mercedes-Benz, Thomas Weber has put these plans into motion and hinted that the electric models will share links with standard models. This means the sedans will have a connection to the C and S-Class, while the SUVs will share bits from the GLA and GLC. Sources tell Autocar that the designs share the basic elements with the gas-powered models, but will have their own touches to make them recognizable as EVs. In terms of platforms, the two sedans and GLC-sized model will use a new one known as MEA (Modular Electric Architecture). MEA allows Mercedes to offer an electric vehicle with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive in combination with three electric motors. The GLA-sized model will utilize the same platform that underpins the B-Class Electric Drive. As for power, Mercedes' r&d is working on a range of electric motors producing 75 to 400kW (101 to 536 horsepower). Batteries will come from Accumotive that will provide a minimum range of 250 miles. Source: Autocar View full article
Lexus News: Toyota Exec Admits Lexus' Sedans Need to Step Up
William Maley posted a topic in Lexus
It has been the ongoing story for a couple of years; buyers flocking to crossovers and sales of sedans falling down. While some automakers it seems are giving up on sedans, others are trying to figure out ways to make them more appealing. Tokuo Fukuichi, Toyota Motor Corp.'s global branding chief tells Automotive News the brand will be employing two strategies to help keep their sedans relevant - improve the driving dynamics and be more daring in terms of design. "Unless we can really offer a sedan experience you cannot have with an SUV or crossover, I think the sedan may not be able to survive if it does not evolve," said Fukuichi. "At a certain point of time, the traditional, square, three-box sedan will go away." The LC coupe is the first model that is taking these ideas and running with it. It features a low ride height, the highest torsional stiffness of any Lexus model in history (partly due to the new GA-L platform), and a design that stands out. The all-new LS is following its footsteps as it features more of a fastback look than the standard three-box silhouette. Intriguingly, Fukuichi dropped the idea of there being a station wagon in Lexus' lineup. It could take some ideas found on Porsche's Panamera Sport Turismo in terms of design. Before you get your hopes, there are no plans for a wagon at this time. "Personally, I would like to have a Lexus wagon if we had enough resources. Maybe not as tall as an SUV but not as short as a wagon. There could be some optimized packaging," said Fukuichi. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
Toyota Exec Admits Lexus' Sedans Need to Step Up
William Maley posted an article in Lexus
It has been the ongoing story for a couple of years; buyers flocking to crossovers and sales of sedans falling down. While some automakers it seems are giving up on sedans, others are trying to figure out ways to make them more appealing. Tokuo Fukuichi, Toyota Motor Corp.'s global branding chief tells Automotive News the brand will be employing two strategies to help keep their sedans relevant - improve the driving dynamics and be more daring in terms of design. "Unless we can really offer a sedan experience you cannot have with an SUV or crossover, I think the sedan may not be able to survive if it does not evolve," said Fukuichi. "At a certain point of time, the traditional, square, three-box sedan will go away." The LC coupe is the first model that is taking these ideas and running with it. It features a low ride height, the highest torsional stiffness of any Lexus model in history (partly due to the new GA-L platform), and a design that stands out. The all-new LS is following its footsteps as it features more of a fastback look than the standard three-box silhouette. Intriguingly, Fukuichi dropped the idea of there being a station wagon in Lexus' lineup. It could take some ideas found on Porsche's Panamera Sport Turismo in terms of design. Before you get your hopes, there are no plans for a wagon at this time. "Personally, I would like to have a Lexus wagon if we had enough resources. Maybe not as tall as an SUV but not as short as a wagon. There could be some optimized packaging," said Fukuichi. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
Chevrolet Finally Confirms Cruze Diesel For 2018 Model Year
William Maley posted an article in Chevrolet
Volkswagen has tainted the reputation of diesel in the U.S. So it seems a bit odd that Chevrolet is not only going ahead with offering a diesel in the upcoming Equinox, but also adding a diesel option for the Cruze. Yesterday, Chevrolet officially announced that the 2018 Cruze sedan and hatchback would come with a 1.6L turbodiesel four-cylinder. It will come with the choice of either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic. Official power figures are not out and Chevrolet would not confirm if this is the same engine found in the Equinox. "People who drive diesels, love diesels. And so there is a customer base there that wants to drive this type of vehicle and have this type of performance. What we're doing is providing that option," said Alan Batey, president of GM in America. Chevrolet is hoping to draw away buyers who were planning to buy a Volkswagen diesel vehicle and owners displaced by the current diesel emission scandal. But the question we have is can Chevrolet make any inroads? Will we actually see any of these vehicles on the road or will they just be sitting on dealer lots because of the evilness that diesel currently has due to the Volkswagen mess? Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), The Car Connection
comfirmation
Chevrolet News:Chevrolet Finally Confirms Cruze Diesel For 2018 Model Year
William Maley posted a topic in Chevrolet
Volkswagen has tainted the reputation of diesel in the U.S. So it seems a bit odd that Chevrolet is not only going ahead with offering a diesel in the upcoming Equinox, but also adding a diesel option for the Cruze. Yesterday, Chevrolet officially announced that the 2018 Cruze sedan and hatchback would come with a 1.6L turbodiesel four-cylinder. It will come with the choice of either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic. Official power figures are not out and Chevrolet would not confirm if this is the same engine found in the Equinox. "People who drive diesels, love diesels. And so there is a customer base there that wants to drive this type of vehicle and have this type of performance. What we're doing is providing that option," said Alan Batey, president of GM in America. Chevrolet is hoping to draw away buyers who were planning to buy a Volkswagen diesel vehicle and owners displaced by the current diesel emission scandal. But the question we have is can Chevrolet make any inroads? Will we actually see any of these vehicles on the road or will they just be sitting on dealer lots because of the evilness that diesel currently has due to the Volkswagen mess? Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), The Car Connection View full article
Quick Drive: 2016 Mazda3i Grand Touring
A couple years back, I drove the recently-redesigned Mazda3 hatchback. I really liked all the improvements Mazda made to the 3, while retaining the fun to drive nature of the previous model. What I wasn’t too keen on was the price. For a vehicle that carried an as-tested price of just over $30,000, I couldn’t fully justify paying that much for a compact. Fast forward to this summer and another Mazda3 came in. This happened to be a sedan and one that was under $24,000. The best part? I felt that it was one of best bangs for your buck. The 3 in question is the 3i Grand Touring sedan. The i is the most important part as it means this 3 is fitted with the 2.0L SkyActiv-G four-cylinder producing 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. s models get the larger 2.5L four-cylinder. Our test sedan came with a six-speed manual. This engine is slightly slower and rougher than the 3s we drove a couple years back. But this engine is much better in terms of performance than some other compacts we have driven recently (Nissan Sentra and redesigned Hyundai Elantra). Mazda gets a lot of praise for their manual transmissions and we’re going to add some more. The gear lever moves with precision and smoothness. The clutch is easy to modulate to get a shudder free start. In terms of fuel economy, the EPA rates the Mazda3i at 29 City/41 Highway/33 Combined. Our average for the week landed around 35 mpg. I should note that the 3 went on a 388 mile round trip across the state for a track school (more on that in a future piece) that mostly involved highway driving. I was able to achieve 40.2 mpg during the trip. This trip also revealed two weaknesses of the 3. First is ride comfort. The 3 didn’t do a great job with isolating most bumps or potholes from entering the interior. This is due to the suspension setup which is tuned for delivering a sporty ride around corners. This would have been worse if our tester came with larger wheels. Second is a common fault with most Mazdas, noise isolation. During this trip, I was able to tell the condition of the road thanks to the abundance of road noise coming inside. There was also a fair amount of wind noise entering the cabin. Mazda says they have added more sound insulation to the 2017 model, we’ll be checking this out in the future. I would be remised if I didn’t talk about the 3’s handling. This is still one of the best driving compacts on sale today with little body roll, quick direction change, and steering that can rival some sports cars. At least sitting inside the 3 was a pleasant experience. The front seats provided excellent support for the long trip and controls were in easy reach. The infotainment system is still a mixed bag where it is easier to use the control knob than the touchscreen to move around the system. Also, the navigation system stumbled a few times where it showed I was traveling on another road than the one I was currently on. Let us step outside for a moment and gaze at the 3’s shape. I still think the Mazda3 is one of the best-looking compacts on sale. The front end has the large grille with chrome trim running along the outer edge and into the headlights. I also like the sculpting along the doors.The only disappointing thing is the back. In sedan form, the Mazda3 doesn’t look quite right. As I mentioned in the beginning, the Mazda3i Grand Touring sedan came with a price of under $24,000 ($23,435 to be exact). For the price, it was well equipped. There was leatherette seats, six-way power adjustments for the driver, navigation, Bose sound system, push-button start, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a backup camera, and a moonroof. The only option was a trunk mat for $70.00. The 2016 Mazda3 is a compelling choice in the compact class if you want something that is fun to drive. If you want something a bit more balanced or can handle a long drive, I’m not sure the 3 can cut it. There are compacts that are quieter and provide a smoother ride. It ultimately comes down to what you want in a compact. Disclaimer: Mazda Provided the 3i, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2016 Make: Mazda Model: 3i Trim: Grand Touring Engine: 2.0L Skyactiv-G DOHC Four-Cylinder Driveline: Six-Speed Manual, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 155 @ 6,000 Torque @ RPM: 150 @ 4,000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 29/41/33 Curb Weight: 2,869 lbs Location of Manufacture: Hofu, Japan Base Price: $22,545 As Tested Price: $23,435 (Includes $820 Destination Charge) Options: Cargo Mat - $70.00
quick drive
A couple years back, I drove the recently-redesigned Mazda3 hatchback. I really liked all the improvements Mazda made to the 3, while retaining the fun to drive nature of the previous model. What I wasn’t too keen on was the price. For a vehicle that carried an as-tested price of just over $30,000, I couldn’t fully justify paying that much for a compact. Fast forward to this summer and another Mazda3 came in. This happened to be a sedan and one that was under $24,000. The best part? I felt that it was one of best bangs for your buck. The 3 in question is the 3i Grand Touring sedan. The i is the most important part as it means this 3 is fitted with the 2.0L SkyActiv-G four-cylinder producing 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. s models get the larger 2.5L four-cylinder. Our test sedan came with a six-speed manual. This engine is slightly slower and rougher than the 3s we drove a couple years back. But this engine is much better in terms of performance than some other compacts we have driven recently (Nissan Sentra and redesigned Hyundai Elantra). Mazda gets a lot of praise for their manual transmissions and we’re going to add some more. The gear lever moves with precision and smoothness. The clutch is easy to modulate to get a shudder free start. In terms of fuel economy, the EPA rates the Mazda3i at 29 City/41 Highway/33 Combined. Our average for the week landed around 35 mpg. I should note that the 3 went on a 388 mile round trip across the state for a track school (more on that in a future piece) that mostly involved highway driving. I was able to achieve 40.2 mpg during the trip. This trip also revealed two weaknesses of the 3. First is ride comfort. The 3 didn’t do a great job with isolating most bumps or potholes from entering the interior. This is due to the suspension setup which is tuned for delivering a sporty ride around corners. This would have been worse if our tester came with larger wheels. Second is a common fault with most Mazdas, noise isolation. During this trip, I was able to tell the condition of the road thanks to the abundance of road noise coming inside. There was also a fair amount of wind noise entering the cabin. Mazda says they have added more sound insulation to the 2017 model, we’ll be checking this out in the future. I would be remised if I didn’t talk about the 3’s handling. This is still one of the best driving compacts on sale today with little body roll, quick direction change, and steering that can rival some sports cars. At least sitting inside the 3 was a pleasant experience. The front seats provided excellent support for the long trip and controls were in easy reach. The infotainment system is still a mixed bag where it is easier to use the control knob than the touchscreen to move around the system. Also, the navigation system stumbled a few times where it showed I was traveling on another road than the one I was currently on. Let us step outside for a moment and gaze at the 3’s shape. I still think the Mazda3 is one of the best-looking compacts on sale. The front end has the large grille with chrome trim running along the outer edge and into the headlights. I also like the sculpting along the doors.The only disappointing thing is the back. In sedan form, the Mazda3 doesn’t look quite right. As I mentioned in the beginning, the Mazda3i Grand Touring sedan came with a price of under $24,000 ($23,435 to be exact). For the price, it was well equipped. There was leatherette seats, six-way power adjustments for the driver, navigation, Bose sound system, push-button start, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a backup camera, and a moonroof. The only option was a trunk mat for $70.00. The 2016 Mazda3 is a compelling choice in the compact class if you want something that is fun to drive. If you want something a bit more balanced or can handle a long drive, I’m not sure the 3 can cut it. There are compacts that are quieter and provide a smoother ride. It ultimately comes down to what you want in a compact. Disclaimer: Mazda Provided the 3i, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2016 Make: Mazda Model: 3i Trim: Grand Touring Engine: 2.0L Skyactiv-G DOHC Four-Cylinder Driveline: Six-Speed Manual, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 155 @ 6,000 Torque @ RPM: 150 @ 4,000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 29/41/33 Curb Weight: 2,869 lbs Location of Manufacture: Hofu, Japan Base Price: $22,545 As Tested Price: $23,435 (Includes $820 Destination Charge) Options: Cargo Mat - $70.00 View full article
BMW News: BMW 1-Series Sedan is A Chinese Only Affair
William Maley posted a topic in BMW
BMW has revealed the 1-Series sedan today in China. This is the German automaker's belated answer to the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA. BMW has only released one image of the new model, but we can tell the design is the same as the Concept Compact Sedan that debuted at last year's Guangzhou Auto Show. BMW's press release on this model is very sparse on technical details. We do believe this sedan is using the UKL front-wheel drive platform that underpins the BMW X1 and Mini Cooper. Power will likely come from turbocharged three and four-cylinder engines. It is expected the model will go on sale soon in China and be produced at Brilliance Auto's plant in Shenyang, China. Brilliance it should be noted is BMW's partner in China. The model is expected to only be sold in China. Source: BMW Press Release is on Page 2 The all new BMW 1 Series Sedan. Exclusively for the Chinese Market Beijing: The BMW Group and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) will further explore the premium compact segment in China with the BMW 1 Series Sedan – the first compact sports sedan under the BMW brand. This makes BBA's product range in the compact class even more comprehensive with premium entry-level cars covering segments of the Active Tourer, Sports Activity Vehicle, and Sports Sedan, attracting new customer groups to become premium car owners. The premium compact car segment is the fastest growing segment worldwide and in China. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is the most sporty and emotional sedan in segment. It is an exclusive model tailored and aligned to the needs of Chinese customers, solely produced and specifically sold in China. The development and testing of the new car was taken place in the BMW headquarters with the involvement of Chinese engineers. The new car also performed intensive road tests in respect to different circumstances of road conditions and climate situations on different terrains in China. With the BMW 1 Series Sedan, BMW engineers have made a lot of specific fine-tuning and improvements according to the Chinese customers' habits and vehicle-use environment. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is originated from the concept car BMW Concept Compact Sedan, which made its world premiere at Guangzhou Motor Show 2015. As a model ready for production, the BMW 1 Series Sedan maintains design elements of the concept car, including BMW's typical body proportion. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is instantly recognisable as a BMW. It has a concise BMW face with double kidney grille as well as LED double round headlamps and brand emblem in a very present, sporty and modern interpretation. The characteristic BMW design language is also shown in the sporty, emotional and modern-looking silhouette with Hofmeister kink. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is the latest proof of BMW Group’s strength in innovation and is superior in terms of connectivity. Its comprehensive BMW ConnectedDrive technologies provide all customers unparalleled convenience, rich infotainment, and significantly enhanced safety. The latest powerful and technology-leading engines with hi-tech electronic technology from BMW are produced at the new local engine plant in Shenyang and guarantee unparalleled driving pleasure. After the successful launch of the BMW X1 and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, the BMW 1 Series Sedan is added to the model range, which now comprises five locally-produced BMW model series in China. With that BMW offers even more attractive entry-level models for its customers. This will further help to expand the company’s product substance and competitive advantage. View full article
1-Series Sedan
Chinese Marketplace
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House Speaker News Conference
2009-09-17T13:37:15-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/2b0/288988-m.jpgHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press. In her remarks she welcomed health-care legislation released by Senate Finance Committee as a step forward. But she also drew distinction between it and House legislation, and reiterated her own preference for a public health insurance option. She also spoke about the hostile political climate, alluding to the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone as she called for greater civility in public discourse. She also answered questions from the reporters.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press. In her remarks she welcomed health-care legislation released… read more
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press. In her remarks she welcomed health-care legislation released by Senate Finance Committee as a step forward. But she also drew distinction between it and House legislation, and reiterated her own preference for a public health insurance option. She also spoke about the hostile political climate, alluding to the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone as she called for greater civility in public discourse. She also answered questions from the reporters. close
Transcript type Federal News Service Transcript Closed Captioning Record People Graphical Timeline
Filter by Speaker All Speakers Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi U.S. Representative [D] California
U.S. CapitolU.S. Capitol
News Conference
Congressional News Conference
Sep 17, 2009 | 1:37pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
See all on Violence Health Care
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press. In her remarks she addressed the anniversary of…
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press, focusing on health care reform efforts.
In her weekly briefing Speaker Pelosi spoke to reporters and answered questions on a number of issues including for…
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly legislative briefing to the press. She expressed confidence in the Democratic…
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User Clip: Media looks to the House Speaker
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The Caltrops Top 50 games of 2010-2019: #10-1
Posted on January 20, 2020, 1:05 PM, by Ice Cream Jonsey, under Article, Review.
Welcome! It was a long time going, but these are the ten best games of the decade, as decided by the Caltrops forum.
Here are links to the other entries in this web series:
Honorable Mentions: Part One
Entries #50 – 40
#10 – FLAPPY BIRD by dotGears (2013)
Original Game Unavailable
Another complete phenomenon, this game took over the world for a little bit in 2013. Dong Nguyen, totally his real name and the developer, took it off the app stores because it was apparently giving him anxiety, although he was reportedly making $50,000 a day with it. There are countless clones, as there were Tetris, which Flappy Bird most reminds me of. There’s an arcade game version that is completely licensed, however, and it has beautiful graphics. Or at least graphics maybe not completely cribbed from Super Mario Bros., haha?
#9 – VVVVVV by Terry Cavanaugh (2010)
Steam Link
Perfect graphics, perfect audio, perfect story – makes you care about the characters in the game within 20 seconds, which most games never do in several hours – and perfect gameplay. I had to go into the game to take a new screenshot because the ones I had taken in 2010 and uploaded to Steam are seemingly all gone, including the 12 pictures I took of the girl in the Playboy bunny suit for Dead Rising 2. Do I go to Gabe directly about that? I just don’t want the resolution to be all weird.
God, look at that screenshot. The player character saying, “I wonder why the ship teleported me here alone?” together with the frown on the PC’s face contains more drama and emotion in a single screenshot than most games contain ever. The VVVVVV characters were Baby Yoda but 10 years earlier. Writing in games is terrible, but it’s been terrible forever, to the point where something simple yet effective like this stands so far apart from its peers.
#8 – ELITE: DANGEROUS by Frontier Development (2014)
pinback says, ” I have put in more hours with this boring, empty game already than all of you put together, and now it’s officially released.
I think it’s wonderful. I am astonished by something every time I play, and usually more than once.
Tonight I was reminded about one of my most favorite things about it, and it’s very subtle, but it’s completely excellent. It is:
When you hyperdrive or whatever it is into a new system, you wind up by the star. The star is very bright, and washes out most of the other stars in the sky. What’s amazing is that the starfield background is consistent with the galaxy map — those are actual stars — but let’s move beyond that, because that’s old news.
What makes me giddy every time is that when you fly away from the star, towards one of the distant planets, and get out of the corona of the sun, the background noise in the starfield blacks out, and hundreds and hundreds of stars show up and shine brightly, like driving from the big city to the middle of nowhere.
If you wanted a space game because you like space, I mean… Christ. There will probably be nothing better than this in my lifetime. Well, there probably will be, but this is it for at least the next decade.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT you guys. It’s incredible.”
#7 – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT by CD PROJEKT RED (2015)
Worm says, “It’s Witcher 2 with a more open world, kind of like Dragon Age Inquisition where there are a few open zones but they’re bigger. Maybe the size of a GTA city? I’m not sure. Combat is a lot of fun, very Arkham without being too braindead. Quests have a number of outcomes and generally involve hunting and killing something which is fun too. Generally I think it’s a solid improvement on 2 in every way and a game that really represents how open world games ought to feel. Story doesn’t get in the way, you’re rarely trapped in endless cut scenes, and it feels good to explore.”
That’s not all Worm said, but I wanted to settle you with the first quote first. Worm also said the following, during a discussion about Ciri being kind of a Mary Sue character: “Honestly I always get surprised when people have more hang ups than me. I’m reportedly the guy who wants to club women to death and eat their skin but I didn’t really have an issue playing as Ciri the God-McGuffin. She zwee fights and loves adventure. Also you get to see old lady tits at one point in her story.”
(I don’t think you want to eat their skin, my friend.)
#6 – PORTAL 2 by Valve (2011)
A genuinely funny game, I would like to think that the writing in Portal 2 is the minimum of what we should expect for computer games. My memory is that the original Portal had a bit of a slow burn for comedy. The entire game was sort of slow burn. This probably means that GlaDOS has ten killer lines in the first two boards because my memory is awful. I do recall that Portal 2 is strap-the-fuck-in funny from the start and kept at it throughout my play.
#5 – P.T. by 7780s Studio (2014)
(I’m letting go of the fact that 20% of the top ten games of the decade are completely unavailable in their original form. This is the only entertainment medium that pulls this shit and it’s so goddamn dumb and immature. And I get that the Flappy Bird guy was going insane, so fine, but this is purely an asshole move by Konami on this one.)
We all found out later that P.T. is an interactive demo for Resident Evil 7, a fine game in its own right. But there was a spooky ghost (the best kind) running around P.T. and the very simple gameplay decision to make exiting the house bring you right back into the house is the horror bit to end all the other horror bits in the game. It’s genuinely creepy, the art direction couldn’t have created a filthier, more disgusting house if they tried. When I played this I thought that something was going to come after me every time I leaned in to look at something (and they kind of do that a lot in the full Resident Evil 7 game). Admittedly, it’s short to where it never wears out its welcome and requiring the Playstation 4 microphone to solve it is a nice throwback to old console games that had that input device nobody knew or cared about, but were useful for like one game.
#4 – FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS by Obsidian Entertainment (2010)
It definitely got better as it was patched and became mostly stable. Not 100%. But a lot more playable than when it was released.
New Vegas is probably the first or second best Fallout game from a role-playing perspective, depending on how you feel about the original. It doesn’t put its best stuff in the first two hours, but beyond that things really get fun. Cass is one of the best companions in any of these games, but before I was able to get her to join me I spent 30 hours with Boone. I didn’t say ten words to him the entire time we were together. He did, after all, murder someone in the head that he believed sold his wife to slavery and then he skipped down, which is pretty bad ass now that I think about it. Well, except for the fact that he sniped his victim in the head from a distance and it was at night and the victim was an old woman and he did it from a fiberglass dinosaur. None of those things are bad ass. If it was any softer he would have killed her with a cement milkshake and then denied that anyone on earth had ever made a cement milkshake, especially him.
Oh, Boone.
I used to wonder if people would actually choose to align with the Caesars, as they seemed like cartoon authoritative bad guys, but what have we learned about game players in the last 10 years? You can’t get your dick sucked enough on Reddit if you’re a shitty moderator, of course hundreds of thousands of players probably played the last half of the game in the fetal position, soaked-through in their own piss, becoming total stans for Caesar. They do it every day when they post about games. Choosing any of the other factions – and I’m glossing over the fact that you can make decisions in New Vegas where you really can’t in Fallout 4 – is the right decision but I guess that’s why the game is so good, as there are interesting decisions to be made.
When the moon is out it’s tough to not think that this is a really gorgeous game, too.
And I wish that in-game someone said that the vocalist for the Big Iron on His Hip song died the day before New Vegas starts, as that could explain why the song is played literally every third track on that one station. It would be like the radio stations becoming Rush tribute ones when Neil Peart died.
#3 – DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION by Eidos
Because the game is so good I want to quote some people regarding the cut-scenes:
FABIO says, “Every…single…one of the cutscenes involving boss encounters is some contrived jRPG Squaresoft horseshit. First my super character lets a 400 lb. metal man sneak up and cold clock him while Boris and Natasha go for their elevator ride and I thought that was the low point. Then fast forward to a Chinese penthouse and it’s SO SOLLY, G.I. I DIDNT MEAN TO I JUST POOR WEAK WOMAN PREASE RET ME FONDLE YOU WHILE I SNEAK BEHIND AND ha sucker. At least the Barret fight left plenty of ammo lying around. I have no idea what you were supposed to do if you were out of ammo without cloak in the penthouse.”
Arbit says, in reply: “Christ, that was bad. Adam Jensen, a guy with 3 foot blades implanted in his arms, is going to let an obviously augmented woman get all touchy-feely with him? I expected him to get gutted and endure another surgery sequence, only this time Sarif chops off his penis and the stupid parts of his brain because really how fucking dumb can you get.”
The game taken as a whole is a worthy successor to the original Deus Ex and Adam Jensen voiced by Elias Toufexis is the best character / voice actor combo in video game history.
#2 – HOTLINE: MIAMI by Dennaton Games
Incomprehensible except when you can actually play, Hotline: Miami is an indie champion. Although the developer had made tons of games before Hotline, so it’s that thing where it only took 40 tries to become an overnight sensation. I’d describe the magic of Hotline: Miami as sort of the ultimate realization of an action figure game that we might have played as little kids, only this time there are all manner of weapons that blow things up nicely. Oh, and when I was playing with toys at age six, the stories I had explaining the violence made more sense. Hotline: Miami is on the right side of frustration versus a feeling of accomplishment. In making me love it over the first five levels and then pissing me off because it was trying to teach me new things about itself, the game sets itself up as an 80s NES throwback – if you’ve solved this game in any fashion with any letter grades in the system, you’ve done something in gaming worthy of respect.
#1 – ROCKET LEAGUE by Psyonix
I think this is the best game of the decade and I feel the posts in our forum also bear this out. The fun parts of this game can only be experienced as a video game, which I feel is important for the game of the decade. The graphics are crisp and colorful, offline/bot mode is just as much fun as multiplayer with real humans and you can play it forever and constantly progress at getting better at Rocket League.
Entropy Stew says, “Initial games are chaos and have shit ball movement, because you are matched with other people who are as bad as you are at the game. Get halfway decent, and you start getting matched with other halfway decent players. Then, the game opens up. A goal can easily be scored across the entire field if the ball is not contested properly, and if the net is not defended. The level of ball control is insane given that it’s just a physics simulation of colliding bodies, and due to level of agility your car has. Don’t even get me started on aerials (which I still suck at – finally scored an aerial goal in a game last week though).
This game isn’t soccer, and it sure as fuck isn’t a soccer video game. Those are ass. It’s some kind of hockey/soccer hybrid without rules, with jetpacks. It’s the action man’s soccer. It’s glorious.”
It is glorious. It was a good decade for games. I mean, hell, they’re all good, but I think the games at least in the top 10 will be played and/or remade forever. It is a tad depressing that what we believe are the two best games had no story (Rocket League) and an incomprehensible one (Hotline: Miami) but there’s plenty of story in the other ones.
There’s one last note. This project was made possible because for 10 years people in the Caltrops forum wrote about games and expressed their opinions and let the site be a sort of archival record on how games were perceived at the time. Caltrops needs your support for such a thing to happen again in ten years. Unlike every scam Kickstarter, by saying we need your help we don’t need money, just your takes. So please feel invited to post about the games you like, the games that you love, the games that frustrate you and all the other video game drama in-between. Join us, won’t you?
Tags: Top 50 Games 2010-2019
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The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019: #20-11
Posted on January 13, 2020, 4:00 AM, by Ice Cream Jonsey, under Article, Review.
We’re counting down the 50 best games of the decade.
Previous entries:
And now … 20 through 11!
#20 – YAKUZA 0 by Sega (2015)
Worm says, “Yakuza is essentially a game in the spirit of Shenmue but ends up being a lot like River City Ransom as well. The series has always been great and Yakuza 2 might be the best but it’s really hard to say. Essentially it’s a action RPG where you get into random street fights and also you do whatever fucking random shit the developers decided would be fine this includes but isn’t limited to darts, watching porno, karaoke, looking for sparkling shit on the ground, or fighting people. The game is just incredibly dense and really fun and that’s all there is to it. There’s also a pretty good crime drama baked into the space you make to play the main story between playing UFO catchers and fishing. The real tragedy of this series is that it’s a game that everyone should like but Sega has been convinced that it’s for Japanese people and does next to nothing to advertise or hype up the games, beside the first game which was billed as “Japan’s Grand Theft Auto” which is ridiculous since it’s a much better game. Yakuza is a fantastic game that does the kind of shit that every other RPG hybrid tries at and fucking fails and for some reason Sega has just decided that as few people as possible should play it. I don’t think there is a single action RPG that has come out in years that is better than them.”
I am looking forward to future Yakuza titles with more features, like being able to actually quit the game.
#19 – PERSONA 5 by Atlus (2016)
Link to Playstation 4 Store
Worm says, “I liked Persona 3 and Persona 4 but in the end I feel like this is the first game where the framing of the powers actually fits the slice of life style of the game, rather than saving the city or rescuing your friend from a murder plot you’re making the CEO of McDonalds confess to unfair labor practices so you trend more on twitter, and it just works really well.”
(Thanks to Ultra High Def Digest for the screenshot.)
#18 – SUPERHOT by Superhot Team (2016)
Okay, there’s two things people didn’t like about Superhot. It was very short if you just played the single player game through compared to the cost – 2 hours for $25 minutes. Which in computer games is low, but realistically, it was so much fun I had no problem with it. The last thing is that when you do complete the game, the developers ask all the player to meme up some insipid line, word for word, about how great it is. It was so desperate and awkward and off-putting.
None of that matters when you are playing the game. Time (mostly) stops when you are not moving in Superhot. This gives the game tactics not found in any other shooter. It takes full advantage of this premise and explores so many fun situations with it. In fact, the biggest thing I took away from Superhot after finishing it is that reality is disappointing because we can’t throw stuff at people in the real world and get what they are holding. (And shoot them with it.) (No don’t put that part in.)
#17 – DARK SOULS by FROM Software (2011)
They made three of them in the decade, so that skews the numbers a bit, but I think this was the most-referenced franchise. Certainly a good comparison for jokes when people fail at common tasks, like that one guy that couldn’t get past the Cuphead tutorial. But yeah, all the Dark Souls games were mentioned everywhere this decade in our forum and our readers and posters played it a lot. I think it suffers a bit from not getting glowing praise because from what I understand it makes people furious the first few minutes you encounter any new boss.
#16 – CRUSADER KINGS II by Paradox Interactive (2012)
Rey Mysterio Jr. says, “The fun part from CK2 comes from Dwarf Fortress-esque unintended consequences. Think of it like a game with infinite lives for people who can’t keep it in their pants. Every girl you fuck and knock up is another chance at glory.
In one game in southern France I was doing pretty well until my main guy croaked unexpectedly but was lousy in the sack and left me with an 8 year old princess to my name. A real spoiled shit. Well, she went hunting 5 years later and the woodsman shot her through the heart with an arrow so that my asshole brother who had inherited 1/3rd of his father’s kingdom could take over. I immediately switched to another relative and invaded him.”
#15 – RIMWORLD by Ludeon Studios
pinback says, “The biggest knock on Rimworld is that Ludeon Studios bills it, with a straight face, as a “story generator”. First of all, EVERY game is a story generator, and I have the time I saved the last human family for 63 goddamn waves to prove it. Second of all, shut up. Also, don’t call the various difficulty levels “storytellers”. People who play Rimworld on Twitch even say “okay, we’re beginning a new story” as they fire up a new game. Jesus, just writing this I want to pull it from this list. But you can’t. If it’s a story generator, the story is very much like: Firefly crashes on an alien planet, except all of the characters are completely insane. A virtually perfect survival/colony sim, it gets the future-Western vibe just right, and even if the alien planet seems just the tiniest bit too familiar, you’ll never tire of exploring the world and making it your home.
On one of my first playthroughs, my three insane people were busy setting up shop, when a visitor came to us, asking to join us. She was an extremely unpleasant, irritating lady, but we needed the help. Oh, also, she insisted on being nude at all times. The picture of my three original colonists continually bitching to each other about the obnoxious naked lady working in the next room is possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in a video game. What a hilarious story– ah shit.”
#14 – PLAYER UNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS by PUBG Corporation (2017)
It’s the only Steam game I have that sometimes doesn’t work. The rest of them do. I recently played a “team” game with my nephew. He operated the Steam gamepad. I was at the keyboard controls and trackball in case I needed to show him something. He ejected last and by the time we got to the ground were were top 75. Many, many idiots – 25%, I guess – play PUBG. I don’t mean that they are bad at games, they are just idiots. Anyway, way out on the ass end of the map we were able to get some loot, but nothing with a scope, which is what has been used to kill me every time except for the time I got run over.
It was his bedtime before the game finished. I took over, got into a car, found a guy and was going to turn the tables and run this dude over. Only he shot me through the car. There is definitely an element of, “no matter what tactic you try you suck, no matter what tactic I try, I rock” to it. Surviving for me is at odds of getting valuable combat experience. And what truly matters is that I build shit all day long – software, good relationships, emotional barriers. I don’t need to build shit like we have to do in Fortnite, which makes PUBG superior in the eyes of Caltrops.
#13 – CUPHEAD by Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc. (2018)
Rafiki says, “I got through the first area (bosses + run and guns) in about an hour, game said I died 19 times, but it didn’t feel like it. The airplane level and the flower boss were the most difficult. The second area is kicking my ass. IT’S SO GOOD THOUGH. The genie level! The background! Little genie lamp shoes! I don’t know why that landed with me the way it did, but I loved it. And I love that they change up the bosses a little when you die so it doesn’t get stale and repetitive. I was a little disappointed when I realized a few months ago the game was mostly just boss fights instead of shooter levels with bosses at the end, but fuck it. Shadow of the Colossus was nothing but boss fights and it was great (side note: I am PUMPED for the HD remake). This game is great. Everything is great. I hope this game makes 100 million dollars.”
#12 – DOOM 2016 by id Software (2016)
pinback says, “If people were as nice to each other in real life as the demons are to you in DOOM 2016, the world would be a continuous, joyous celebration of life, and DOOM games in that world would feature bossfights with Aaron Hernandez and hungover Bojangles customers. DOOM 2016 features the “glory kill” mechanism, in which if you punch the demon’s brains straight out of his head, he gives you health! I was originally put off by what I felt was a “gimmick”, but once it becomes part of the flow of the game, you can’t live without it, and every time you do it you want to say “thanks!” Most games don’t care if you play them, they just want you to know how clever they are. DOOM 2016 desperately wants you to play it. Listen: Killing demons the normal way (shooting, exploding, etc.) does not give you anything, UNLESS you are low on something! Gettin’ a little low on health and bullets? BOOP! There ya go, buddy, have a few on the house! They only ever do that when you are low on stuff. They really, really want you to keep killing them.
Motherfuckers are rooting you on.
That’s why the Cacodemons always look like they’re smiling. They’re just happy to see you doing well, and having fun doing it.
#11 – THARSIS by Choice Provisions (2016)
Tharsis is a brilliant board game that offers a chilling look into what a large number of absolute dipshit morons that don’t understand anything can do to a game. PC Gamer had a horrible review where the author was too dumb to understand the game. Steam has zillions of brain dead idiots that literally just saw dice in the game (dice are depicted in the game) and shouted “YAHTZEE DURRRR RRR!” in their negative reviews and said it was all random numbers.
It isn’t all random numbers. And you know that because you are an intelligent person that comes to Caltrops.
Tharsis is a wonderful implementation of something that could be a crisis-management board game, but it optimized for computers. There are plenty of decisions that can be made at each turn and plenty of disasters that keep each subsequent game fresh.
pinback says, “If you can handle games that actually test you instead of patting you on the back every five minutes, you can’t go wrong.”
Worm says, “Really fun game actually. Reminiscent of Omega Virus to me. You basically play a board game version of stranded space ship where you’re constantly patching the hull to make it to your destination. It’s really great – being overwhelmed feels overwhelming and just hanging on feels like you’re just hanging on.”
Posted on January 6, 2020, 12:55 PM, by Ice Cream Jonsey, under Article, Review.
We’re counting down the 50 greatest games of the decade, 2010-2019.
Below are #29 through #21.
#29 – POKEMON GO by Nintendo, 2016
Available on your phone in the app store.
This was a phenomenon. I attribute all the thinking a person does about a game to a game’s entire “rating” when trying to determine how good a game is. I hope that makes sense, I don’t know if it does, so I’ll try to explain. When I was a kid and we had maybe three computer games, I’d spend entire weeks thinking about how to get past certain puzzles in Zork. Not every moment of every week – in my middle school you had to also navigate your way around the future serial killers and other young failures, but those puzzles were on my mind. Similarly, you’re “playing” Pokemon Go from the moment you leave the house and go into the forest and throw balls at the Pokemons to when your parents have to pick you up, or until kids today finish cutting out the paper doll clothes for the guns they’re going to bring into school. Or whatever their days look like, not an anthropologist over here. I’m just a man that noticed that kids and adults alike were showing up late to school and work for this game and I’ve rated it accordingly.
#28- DRAGON’S DOGMA
Mischief Maker says, “Shadow of the Colossus meets Dark Souls meets Devil May Cry meets Magic Tower. It’s one of those games that shot for the moon and came close enough to be amazingly unique. With a team of up to 3 AI-controlled “pawns” by your side, fight gigantic mythological monsters ranging from Chimeras to Cyclopses to the titular dragon by climbing all over them and stabbing them in the weak spot. People complain that the AI pawns are dumb, but there’s actually a game system where you “teach” the pawns how to fight enemy types by building up their knowledge bar, and can give it a boost by actually demonstrating the technique (like throwing an explosive barrel into a Hydra’s mouth). Once the bar gets high, they get pretty crafty in a fight. Protip: play as a hybrid class.”
#27 – SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL by Harebrained Schemes
Mischief Maker says, “Not only the best Shadowrun videogame of all time, but a serious contender for one of the best plot-heavy CRPGs of all time. It may not examine the human condition very deeply, but when the time comes to throw a moral decision at the player, it always throws a curve ball.”
FABIO says, “I’ve never given a harder “fuck you” to any NPC than Luca.
I have to audition to impress this Chinstrap McGee, who may or may not pay me at the end depending on how hard I make him stroke his soul patch? I did the first mission out of sheer curiosity then told him to get the fuck out of the neighborhood.”
#26 – FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S by Scott Cawthon
FullofKittens says, “There are four-ish animatronic dummys that are out to kill you.
Two of them (the bunny and the duckling) rove around the building, and will occasionally walk to your office to see if they can get in. If they can (the door is open), then they’ll walk in and kill you. (They technically can only kill you when you put the camera down, so if you have it down when they “walk in” then it seems like your door button is jammed, and then you’ll get killed after you check the camera again.) The only way to stop them is to keep their respective door closed, but of course you can’t leave the door closed because that… wastes power(?). When they walk up to check if you’re available, they’ll hang out in the camera blind spot for a few seconds. If you see them there (by hitting the light), lock the door until they get bored and wander away. They are the most common encounter.
There’s a fox dummy hiding behind the curtain in Pirate Cove. He is picky about how often you check on him with the camera: on some nights, he will come for you if you never check, on some nights it’s if you check too much, and on some nights it’s got to be just right. You can tell he’s starting to think about coming down because he will part the curtain and start looking at the camera. If you check Pirate Cove and he’s not there, he’s coming straight for you: you have several seconds to close the left door. If you look at the hallway between you and him, he starts sprinting towards you and you will probably die, you have like one second to close the door.
Then there’s Freddy, who allegedly adapts to your gameplay, can teleport in past locked doors, and really can only be stopped by keeping him at bay via a combination of watching him watching you from the hallway and keeping the right door closed. Freddy is also the dummy that gets you if you run out of power. He doesn’t really start moving until Night 3 or 4 though.”
It was a phenomenon. The creator made 4 sequels in a year and eventually made a game, “FNaF World” that was unfinished and broken and he had to pull it. Which is a shame, the jump scares and sense of dread was so real in the first one.
#25 – GRAND THEFT AUTO 5 by Rockstar North
There is an unwarranted organizational arrogance in regards to storytelling at Rockstar for the story mode to their Grand Theft Auto games, considering that at best they are a 10th-rate imposter of MAD Magazine and at worst they are a collection of insipid young nerdlings who clearly aspire to make terrible films and Scarface posters. Nobody has ever needed to hear what a GTA game has had to say; they are incapable of saying anything meaningful in single-player mode. It would be forgivable if we could bypass cut scenes but we usually (always?) can’t.
We like these games because we get to rampage in beautiful cities. I tried multiplayer for GTA5, though, and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had on-line.
Part of this is because my friends are funny, but with all the chaos in a typical GTA5 game you can’t help but sit back and laugh when your friends are enjoying it with you. We went on a couple missions and even just hanging out in one of the character houses, before the mission began, it was great. They have set up a system where it really is just you and your pals, we didn’t have to bother with the miserable screeches of typical on-line players. Our avatars looked ridiculous, I loved it. Multiplayer is setup to allow me, a zero-day, zero-level newb, hang with my more experienced (at GTA5) team mates. A wonderful decision, I was a bit worried that I’d have to “level up” first, but those in charge realized that just because someone is zero-level at GTA5, they juuuuuuuuuuust might have been playing games in general since Combat.
In fact, I can’t recall any of the single-player problems in multiplayer. The missions made sense, had good pacing and were interesting. At one point I was driving a car and a friend was able to set a waypoint for us, which was great as I hadn’t done that on the PS4 before. That was handy! The entire system seems streamlined to allow the four of us to simply HAVE FUN. We only played for a few hours, but it’s a goddamn triumph.
An excellent addition to what has been a franchise that really made you say, “It’s a great game, but” before this. There’s no buts now.
(Christmas GTA5 also gave us this delightfulness.)
#24 – DEAD RISING 2 by Capcom Vancouver
bombMexico says, “Zombies streaming through the doors, whats the first thing you grab? If you said duct tape, you get points for trying. The answer is swordfish.”
(Thanks to IGN for the screenshot.)
#23 – UNDERRAIL by Stygian Software
I knew it was a good game but I had no idea what could be beyond the first couple of hours. Then SsethTzeentach came out with this video. In no order, this is one of the greatest YouTube reviews I’ve ever seen, this instantly sold me on getting the DLC or expansion or whatever for UnderRail, it made me put another few hours into the game and it’s the greatest commercial anyone could ever make for a game. I think the culture of video reviewing is a natural step in game reviews because so many written-word game journalists hate games or the hobby or their readers. This video is bursting with JOY. A vicious joy, sure. A macabre joy… but joy.
#22 – COUNTERFEIT MONKEY by Emily Short
Interactive Fiction Database Link
There was a game once, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, that gave you a T-removing machine. When you use it you can remove the letter “T” from things – a rabbit becomes a rabbi, that sort of thing. Emily Short took that mechanic, introduced a full-alphabet letter remover and seamlessly integrated it into an 8 hour text adventure. There is so much more going on in the game than just a fun text adventure toy to play with, there is real depth to the player character relationship with themselves (sic) and an entirely different world and reality to explore. This game is from an artist at the height of her powers and probably the one I’d give to a veteran adventure game player looking to try a text game for the first time in years.
#21 – WASTELAND 2 by inXile Entertainment
A Kickstarter success story, they screwed up the balance at the beginning for Wasteland 2 and didn’t exactly correct it for the very first patch. It eventually became one of the best RPGs of all-time with the Director’s Cut. One of the best “moving little dudes around the screen” tactic games, Wasteland 2 implemented a game design choice to have the player pick one of two maps or boards to “save” at the beginning of the game, letting the other one rot. That’s a ballsy decision, making it so that some percentage of your game will never be experienced by players on their first playthrough, but what the hell, it was their backers’ money. A worthy sequel to 1986’s original for home computers, there are fun squad-based tactics, decent writing and in-game decisions with consequences.
Tags: interactive fiction, Top 50 Games 2010-2019
Posted on January 2, 2020, 2:00 PM, by Ice Cream Jonsey, under Article, Review.
We’re counting down the 50 best games of the decade, as tallied by the readers and posters of the Caltrops forum over the last ten years.
#39 – THAUMISTRY: IN CHARM’S WAY by Bob Bates (2017)
Bob Bates made two games under the Infocom label – the Sherlock Holmes and Arthur ones – and then co-founded Legend Entertainment where he worked on games like Spellcasting 101, Eric the Unready, Gateway and Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon. Those are really solid games. Bob didn’t stop thinking about what makes a good text adventure since Infocom broke up though and what Thaumistry is, is a close-up view of a guy that never lost being able to craft a game in a genre that at one time was the best genre in the world. This is a throwback (in terms of author competence) with modern sensibilities so there isn’t a lot of dumb text adventure parser confusion.
#38 – DEVIL DAGGERS by Sorath (2016)
Your mission in Devil Daggers is to stay alive for as long as possible. A good game is, what, 200 seconds of it? I tried everything to get the counter to increase without actually playing the game. I tried to pause the game. I tried to shut the game down via the Task Manager and hop back on, hoping it would pick up where it left off. I tried to lock up all of my computer’s memory and freeze Devil Daggers that way by running two concurrent tabs of Chrome. The game itself – throw daggers at enemies that are trying to kill you – is great, but the game inside the game, which is attempting every maneuver possible to cause the timer to keep ticking while the game is paused – well, that take on the game I can at least mess with for more than 25 seconds per attempt.
#37 – BABA IS YOU by Hempuli Oy (2019)
Pinback says, “Originally a (winning) itch.io Game Jam submission, a much-expanded, full version is now out on Steam.
It’s a Sokoban-y, block-pushing puzzle game, with the following, wonderful twist: Some of the blocks are words, and the rules of the level are spelled out in these words. The three blocks “WALL” “IS” “STOP” all lined up mean that any wall blocks will stop you. But if you push one of those blocks away, WALL is no longer STOP. One of the main rules that the levels begin with is the titular “BABA IS YOU”, but even this most basic rule can also be mutated based on how you push the words around. Every level provides at least one joyful moment of unexpected discovery and clever rule-bending.
It is the most brilliant puzzle game you will play this year, and maybe ever. If you don’t believe me, which you don’t, you can still play the Game Jam version for free here, and then instabuy the Steam version and come back and apologize for doubting me: https://hempuli.itch.io/baba-is-you
#36 – AKANE by Ludic Studios (2018)
I am always worried that games like Akane are from a genre that I haven’t seen before, so I attribute everything cool about the genre to the first game I played of it. Like if the first shooter you ever played was TekWar. It’d seem pretty revolutionary. I haven’t seen other games like Akane, so if I’m the asshole here, just let me know. The gameplay has you playing a gal with a sword and a gun. Enemies – some ninjas – come out in waves. The easiest thing to do is to hit the mouse buttons to slash them with your sword.
But you get a gun, too. There is a significant cooldown when it comes to the gun, so you can’t use it too much.
The gun is activated by hitting the left shift key. I don’t believe there is a way to remap keys in Akane. When you are hitting left shift … well, if you can still move (via WASD) while doing that you’re superhuman. Therefore, Akane gives you a gun to shoot these clowns in the head, but the specific key used means you have to make a decision as to how much moving you’re doing. And while left shift activates it, you aim with the mouse. I said in my original review that it’s like Defender in so much as the controls are “advanced” and mastery of them is required to get good at the game.
#35 – SHADOW WARRIOR 2 Flying Wild Hog (2016)
Mischief Maker says, “The best yet implementation of the Painkiller-school of FPS design with randomly generated maps chock full of explosive items to blow up in your enemies’ faces. I prefer it to DOOM 2016, the mobility is superior and instead of canned fatality animations, enemy dismemberment is dynamic. It’s also jaw-droppingly gorgeous but surprisingly easy on the hardware requirements. The one ding against the game is the menu for navigating weapon upgrades is a little awkward, but you can beat the game on normal without slotting any upgrades.”
This is ICJ again. I just want to add that Shadow Warrior 2 gets big points from me because the graphics are probably still top-5 for me, in terms of all the games I’ve ever played and it is the only game I’ve ever played that does the checkpoint thing yet has checkpoints often. Shadow Warrior 2 looks nice and wants you to play with it.
#34 – SAINTS ROW 4 by Deep Silver (2013)
I brought up Saints Row 4 to get a screenshot for this piece of the article. It has cloud saves, so I restarted where I last played, which was a couple years and one PC ago. My player character isn’t wearing anything but boots and glasses. There is a giant mascot-like character rampaging in a town and doing Magneto shit like flipping cars around and bringing people up in the air and letting them fall. I start shooting at it, but when I start doing that cops start shooting at me. I get the mascot-monster-thing’s attention and a Brinks truck comes out of nowhere and smashes into it, sending it flying. I take the opportunity to start shooting the shotgun I have at it and then it attacks me some more.
This was INSTANTLY after loading the save game.
Why did I ever stop playing this? Why is this franchise less famous than GTA or Red Dead Redemption or others in the genre? Has there ever been a game more serious about instant carnage, mayhem, fun and craziness than Saints Row 4?
#33 SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY by Nintendo (2017)
Go get the thing at Gamestop I GUESS
Here’s the latest perfect Mario game from the perfect publisher. Just perfect. Everything about the franchise has been absolutely perfect since Donkey Kong 3. Not a single screw up, not a single game that isn’t addictive. Not a Sonic R to be found. SMO is gorgeous, it sold (and sells) Switches, the jumping is right, the movement is right and the new thing – the hats – well of course that’s perfect too. They took the one thing that Tron games had and made it their own. It’s the latest perfect game in the perfect franchise so enjoy, it won’t get better than this until they make the next absolutely perfect Mario game. God, I’d love to fuck up the mascara on this one just once. Just once make Mario raise an eyebrow toward Luigi and say something like, “He’s not really going to leave that Kool-Aid spill for us to clean-a, is he?” as I’m eating cold fried chicken on the (their) couch. Some rebel at Nintendo that leaves work before 9PM: send me an e-mail if we can do Mario in a text adventure.
#32 NHL 16 by EA Canada (2015)
It’s been a bad decade for sports games, and I am someone that loves sports games. The NFL sold exclusive rights for football to the EA Sports Madden series. My brother has played each one of these non-stop for ten years and beyond and he loathes the franchise. Baseball’s been dogshit since the Hardball, Micro League and MVP series left and the Super Mega Baseball franchise is okay but not good enough that anyone mentioned it for this list. That leaves hockey and basketball and since most people on Caltrops are Canadian, the NHL series got some love. I’m picking NHL 16 because that is the one I played and it has Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in it and frankly, that’s the bare minimum I need out of these games, at least give me those two guys.
I bought the NHL ‘xx series from EA for almost 15 years and grew to hate them at the end. I was prepared to hate this, but NHL 16 is good in both arcade and “simulation” mode. Additionally, you can just start up a shootout between you and the person next to you. There are no real issues with this game – maaaybe “Normal” mode is too easy and “Advanced” or whatever the top mode is, you need to be perfect, but like we said in Banished this is a GAME, I expect that. I played almost an entire regular season on this, which I haven’t done since EA’s NHL 99. (Which, I learned, doesn’t end after 82 or 84 games, whatever it is, it just let me keep chugging until game 105 with no playoffs when I stopped. I’m sure Roger Goodell’s dick would puncture his slacks if told about that bug.) One more thing – in the screenshot, Eichel is wearing #15. I successfully bought a knock-off jersey from China for twenty five bucks when he was a rookie. I was shocked it arrived and fit a US American. For a second I didn’t even hate the Chinese government. Then Eichel decided he wanted to change to #9 and did so, rendering my jersey a relic. Thanks, Captain Jack. Thanks, Jack and Free Hong Kong.
#31 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM by Bethesda Softworks (2011)
Special thanks to Caltrops poster Tony, who hasn’t been on the forum for 9 years, for the screenshot. I ain’t topping that.
#30 ROAD REDEMPTION by Q-Games, Pixel Dash Studios
I wrote a review of Road Redemption for Caltrops last year.
I don’t have a motorcycle any longer. I was moving and there was a dirt road leading to the new place and it wouldn’t stop snowing in early 2019 and after spending $500 to get it fixed in November of 2018, the thing wouldn’t reliably start in March of 2019. I was just done with it. Additionally, my neighbor twice chased off would-be car thieves for me and was going through a bad turn, so I just gave him the bike. The one thing I needed to communicate to him is that riding a motorcycle without a helmet – well, you figure out why they had to make LAWS in some states forcing you to do it. It’s great, it’s the best thing ever. Zooming around by yourself in April or early October with no helmet? It’s better than most of the games on this list. We’re ranking just human experiences after this and heads-up, after reading the tea leaves on the forum for this one, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is well above anything involving condoms and most experiences featuring dental dams. It’s a crazy, dangerous thing to do to yourself and your loved ones and of course you shouldn’t do it. But if you do do it once you realize why they have to legislate it, that’s all I’m saying.
Tags: indie gaming, interactive fiction, Top 50 Games 2010-2019
Welcome to the Caltrops list of the 50 best games of the decade, which was from 2010 to 2019. Here is a link to the previous article, which had some honorable mentions. And if you’d like to discuss the list with people, please do! This is the way to the Caltrops forum.
Entries #39-30
Honorable Mentions Part One
#50 – CITIES: SKYLINES by Colossal Order Ltd. (2015)
There was an attempt by Electronic Arts to make an online Sim City game that was online all the time, even in single-player and of course the release was incompetent and they even said themselves it was dumb. Eventually they made an offline mode for this single-player game like they were doing us a favor. The game was awful, the maximum city size was small and it seemed like that was the end of SimCity games.
Then Cities: Skylines was released. Holy shit, it was amazing. This was “all EA had to do” and by that I mean not attempt to go cryptofacsist on their customers, but of course they can’t do that. Cities: Skylines is a beautiful, immersive game that the Caltrops forum spent weeks HGLUAHGLUAHGLUAing over. We all played it and loved it.
“Yeah, but for a Wittgenstein city aren’t you mostly just yelling at all the new citizens to leave? 8)” — Mysterio, 3/11/2015
#49 – XCOM2 by Firxasis (2016)
On one hand, it seems less than ideal to include a game that so frustrated valued forum member FABIO. On the other hand, he came around on it and XCOM2 had lots of advocates. The thing is, XCOM and XCOM2 are always going to be behind the eight ball when they start. X-COM from 1994 is possibly the greatest computer game ever made. XCOM2’s objective is to be better at being an X-COM game than the RoboCop and Total Recall remakes were at being RoboCop and Total Recall. And I think that while XCOM2 makes some odd choices (the 4-troop limit, starting you with pre-made characters, having panic when the troop limit is 4) they are much better at attempting to recapture what the original X-COM game did 25 years ago than most soft reboots and remakes. We have an entire base where the topic is Guess Who Fucked Up X-COM now. The highest praise I can give XCOM2 is that they didn’t.
#48 – Retrobooster by Really Slick (2014)
The first time I played Retrobooster, I just wanted ten minutes of solace. My life is a lot less hectic now, but Retrobooster is so much fun because it’s the next game in the Asteroids -> Asteroids Deluxe -> Choplifter -> Gravitar -> Gravitron 2 lineage. You’re in a gorgeous alien world where your mission is to shoot down enemies and not squash little guys who are on your side. The game’s writing is beautifully integrated within the actual game world while you’re playing. We’ve seen things like the high score table being part of the experience in, say, Omega Race, but I can’t remember ever seeing this effect before. It forces you (at times) to read or shoot. And it looks so good when things are blowing up.
#47 – Mount and Blade: Warband by Taleworlds Entertainment (2010)
Roop says, “I looked through my Most Played Steam List, and it was all just games I ran multiple times with mods, like Skyrim. I wouldn’t call that close to game of the decade, but because of all the creative mods I sure spent a lot more time than I should have with that janky fucking thing. Then there’s Warband. I didn’t ever mod that one but holy crap, I spent so many hundreds of hours on that game and then all over again on each of the two expansions. It’s clearly my most loved game… and it’s almost sad really. Not once did I ever finish a campaign!
#46 – Slay the Spire by Mega Crit Games (2019)
pinback says, “Awesome combination of deckbuilder and roguelike. If you like either of those styles, I find it impossible to think you wouldn’t get into it in a big way.”
Rafiki says, “This game is great and very addictive. The UI is damn near perfect. Cards display how much damage or block they’re going to do, and if you have modifiers that raise or lower the amount it’s automatically reflected on the cards themselves and colored green or red to let you know if you’re doing above or below the base amount. Relics that trigger after certain events, like every 3 turns, 10 attacks, or 6 plays, helpfully have counters attached to them. Each turn, you can see what an enemy plans to do (attack, defend, buff, etc) in a little icon over their head so you can plan accordingly. If you want to know what a buff or debuff is on your or an enemy, just mouse right over it and a clear and concise tooltip will explain it. Whoever designed this UI deserves an award. If I could make a single change, it would be to the damage modifier for vulnerability. Vulnerability makes an enemy take more damage, and to see the damage increase you have to drag a card and hold it over the appropriate enemy to see what the effect will be. I’d love to just be able to mouse over an enemy and have the cards auto-update, although I can see why they did it the way they did since you can sometimes have 10 cards in your hand which crowds out the ability to see the effects of all of them.
The artwork and presentation is simple, but it’s fine. You’re not going to really remember any enemies or attacks, but you’ll be focusing on your hand anyways. The upside is you don’t have to sit through 20 minute Final Fantasy animations. The cards are where the bulk of the artwork went and they look good, and the cards for each character have completely different visual styles, which is really nice. The music is good and doesn’t become grating after repeated playthroughs.”
#45 – Trover Saves the Universe by Squanch Games, Inc. (2019)
This is what Erik Wolpaw said about this game before it was released: “[Jay] Pinkerton and I spent about a month breaking story with Justin Roiland on Trover Saves The Universe. Here’s the trailer, which contains a lot of swearing. And I don’t mean like one or two “damns” 30 seconds in, either. The hardcore swearing starts at second zero and then continues pretty much uninterrupted by words that aren’t swears for about 3 minutes.” Rather than link to that, I will link to this extended ad that came out, which is hilarious and this fake ad by RedLetterMedia. RLM was told to just make something funny even if it had nothing to do with the game itself.
I bought Trover on day one and the game itself is just as funny as the ads are promoting it. Look, video games are usually extremely unfunny. Most games are not even good enough to make you push slightly more air through nostrils than one normally pushes. There are jokes everytime you go to do something in Trover and they always made me laugh. Maybe it’s because I enjoy anything Justin Roiland says, but if you’re looking for the funniest game of the decade, it’s this one.
#44 Banished by Shining Rock Software LLC. (2014)
Billed as a city-building strategy game, inspired pinback to write the following:
These are the main complaints in almost every critical review I’ve read of this game.
1. It’s TOO HARD: Hey genius, that’s why they call it a GAME. A game about SURVIVING with a handful of numbnuts in the middle of nowhere. I’m sorry you keep running out of food and wood. Perhaps click “restart” and try something else? Plenty of people have managed to build thriving towns of hundreds of citizens, even without whining about how hard it was to get there! If you just want to hang out in the woods and have everything go right for you, play fucking Proteus or some shit.
2. The UI SUCKS: This one I truly cannot forgive. The UI is fantastic. How did that one review put it:
“This doesn’t excuse the woeful interface, how it presents itself as prettily minimalist but in fact you need to manually keep open and arranged several, heavily statistical and visually tedious windows throughout.”
LOLOLOL. SEVERAL TEDIOUS WINDOWS. Look: open the little town summary window. Open the job list window. YOU ARE DONE! And they cover about 1/20th of the screen, and give you everything you need to know about everything. I can’t help it if your contacts prescription is off and you can’t read the tiny little numbers and letters, but when you can do and see everything you need to play a game, AND the main screen is still perfectly visible and uncluttered, THAT’S A GOOD INTERFACE.
And how do you “manually keep open” windows? Look, they stay open all by themselves! SCIENCE!?!?
I can’t believe ONE GUY wrote this entire game. It’s the most compelling city-builder I’ve played since SimCity 2000.
Editor: Giggity.
#43 My Friend Pedro by DeadToast Entertainment (2019)
Max Payne crossed with Contra crossed with Hotline Miami. And it looks great and it’s about a bipolar person. Caltrops has a long history of letting bipolar people’s behavior slide, and My Friend Pedro is no different.
The game uses “ballet” in its description, which I first saw used with the original Max Payne game. That took a lot of guts, to go the other way to describe their game using that word at that time when the press turned on Romero for being too manly about his marketing. Max Payne as a franchise has really lost its way and although My Friend Pedro is 2D, it’s a fine successor to making gunplay poetic.
#42 Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac Games (PS4) (2018)
Playstation Store Link
(I’m amused by the fact that after release they tried re-branding this as “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” As someone who bought it on day one I can tell you, quite categorically, that nobody was calling it “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” If you’re going to pretend there aren’t a bunch of other games that have the exact same name because your marketing team is dumb then at least have the balls to stick with that decision and not try to get us all to call it something else later, you cowards.)
There is a guy that cosplays in the area where I work in a Spider-Man costume, and it’s the one from this game. It is my goal to take a photograph of this man, therefore sort of turning me into Peter Parker when he dresses up as Spider-Man. The cosplayer sometimes gets asked to leave the area by security and I think if the place where I work ever gets exploded by the Hobgoblin shortly after security ran off the guy already dressed in the Spider-Man costume, my call to 911 is going to sound a lot like Kevin Cosgrove’s although I’ll be a lot more disappointed and my call will have a lot more sighing.
#41 Hollow Knight by Team Cherry (2017)
Entropy Stew, a programmer, says, “That is the best recommendation I can give to any game, because I just don’t play to the end anymore. I could have been playing Zelda of all things, but this drew me away. It’s the best money I’ve spent on a game since Rocket League.”
#40 Kerbal Space Program by Squad (2015)
Welp, I went through the comments on Caltrops and found this post by skip where he talks about the awful work conditions the developers put their remote workers under and this post by Jsoh Cable where he states that the alpha might turn into something nice after a thousand more updates. None of this really affects the game itself, of course.
It did get a good number of votes and I’ve had multiple jobs where people have talked about how much they love it at work. There’s a thread on their forum where the developers simply ask the question, “What did you do in KSP today?” and it’s got 15,000 replies. And they are still updating it, so I guess it really did get that thousand updates Jsoh was asking for.
The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019 Part One: Honorable Mentions
Posted on December 31, 2019, 1:17 PM, by Ice Cream Jonsey, under Article, Review.
It’s time for the Caltrops list of the best games of the decade. How was this list made? By discussion on the Caltrops forum over the last ten years, voting e-mails written to the admin, outright voting in one of our threads and interpersonal discussions the admin had with regulars. Some of the voters who voted for the list are friends with some of the developers whose games made it onto this list. And I have been informed that forum member Commander TDARCOS had sex with the Victor Vran team. I assume. The notes given to me just says he made them gag. With that, here are exactly zero of the top 50 games, but instead the HONORABLE MENTIONS!
MARVEL PUZZLE QUEST by Demiurge Studios (2013)
Thoughts by Caltrops Senior Writer Jerry Whoreback:
I just finished Marvel Puzzle Quest. Not as good as the original Puzzle Quest, much better than Puzzle Quest 2, it was fine. I think I would’ve liked it more if it was harder and if I didn’t have to level anyone up or unlock anything. I liked that I could have Storm on my team from the beginning. I didn’t like that unlockable Mohawk Storm was treated as a different character, so none of the special moves I unlocked for regular Storm would carry over. I like mohawks more than most, but I’m not going from a Storm with all the special moves to a Storm with none of the special moves. I’m not stupid.
There wasn’t a whole lot of Marvel artwork, probably one drawing of each hero at rest, one of them attacking, and a profile bust for the status bar. No animation to speak of. There were dozens of heroes, but most of them were unlocked without any special moves, and unlocking special moves was a random grinding thing that took forever. I finally got She-Hulk near the end and added her to my team for the final battles, despite her being completely useless without any moves. Even carrying a full one-third of my team as dead weight it was still too easy – not only did I never lose, I was never even in danger of losing. And I’m not some Bejeweled master, always thinking three turns ahead; I’m mostly thinking about what She-Hulk’s bum would look like if I could turn her picture around.
I can tell I liked Marvel Puzzle Quest well enough because I’m just bursting with suggestions for how to make it better, and fluids to spray all over the back of She-Hulk’s picture. I don’t have any idea how you could make Limbo better except to make it a different game.
FROG FRACTIONS by TwinBeard Studios (2012)
Link to play
There is a fun bit in the Wikipedia entry for Frog Fractions. “[Developer Jim] Crawford released Frog Fractions earlier than he wanted, when he sent an incomplete version to the 2013 Independent Games Festival as a ‘Main Competition Entrant’ but was told that he needed to increase the game’s popularity before it would be accepted.” More detail is in the original source: “[Crawford] had submitted an unfinished version for review at the Independent Games Festival, but was told he needed to build more buzz around the title. The irony, he says, is that building buzz is why he submitted the game in the first place.” It is very, very nice of Jim to use the word “irony” because reading about this for the first time this week, I would characterize what the IGF said as “abject stupidity.” Imagine holding tryouts for your baseball team and then telling the most promising walk-on that you’ll sign him if only he increases his follower count on the Gram. I’m sure not every one of these festivals or jams are staffed by idiots but it sure seems that way.
PREY by Arkane Studios (2017)
Thoughts by Worm:
Prey (2006) will forever reign as having the best opening of any FPS ever. You play arcade games in a bar and then two guys try to fight you so you beat them to death with a wrench and your girlfriend screams at you. Little does that twat know there’s an alien invasion and your recent manslaughter won’t even matter.
Alternatively, Prey (2017) had a cool idea but decided to just give you a tutorial and have everything go to hell, just like every FPS ever, except the ones that start with things already gone to hell.
Altogether this is the Skyrim space station game, it’s fun and feels seriously influenced by System Shock to a point where it’s the actual System Shock 3 you wanted BioShock to be. You walk around and have quests and find people’s bodies, shit pops out and scares you and whatever it’s a good time.
WORTHY by Pixelglass Games (2018)
Purchase Link
Worthy is a brand new Amiga game that was released in 2018. The premise of the game is that you’re a “fearless boy” collecting all the diamonds on a particular level to prove to the gal in the game that you are (wait for it) Worthy. Each level has like 50 diamonds and the boy has to navigate traps and things trying to kill him. When I last bought a diamond ring all I had to navigate was the fact that carriers stole half the packages sent to our house in downtown Denver and literally not a single thing was done by the complete wastes of space at the postal office servicing our area. It’s not that Worthy teaches us that there are monsters when it comes to delivery of packages containing priceless gems, what Worthy teaches us is that those monsters can be defeated.
(The post office that used to be ours eventually closed.)
LEGEND OF GRIMROCK by Almost Human Games (2012)
jeep says, “It’s just like Eye of the Beholder, but now your computer is fast enough that you can maneuver around the enemies. if you can even remember the Eye of the Beholder games you have a big advantage because the walls and stuff have secret buttons in the same spots.”
The amazing thing that Almost Human Games did is create a grid-based CRPG crawler – a “blobber” if you will, on their own. As opposed to what inXile did, which was scam thousands of their fans out of one and a half million dollars based on blobber nostalgia and then just make some unfinished … thing that had absolutely nothing to do with CRPG blobbers in any way. (When reading the word “thing” there, I mean to be mentally heard in the same way that Hans Gruber, who helped us bridge the gap between the original Nazis and neo-Nazis when we needed something in between the most, might show contempt toward Sergeant Al Powell when he learns that Al is impotent when it comes to blowing people away with machine guns during his – Gruber’s – lifetime.)
Din’s Legacy (PC)
Posted on September 25, 2019, 7:25 AM, by Mischief Maker, under Review.
No Man’s Sky has recently released yet another disappointing update that adds a fresh coat of paint to its lifeless Potemkin Village of a galaxy, but fails to deliver the living world promised by the infamous E3 trailers where I could join in, I could take sides. Defenders of No Man’s Sky say that delivering a living world is unrealistic, it’d take 50 years and $500 million to produce a game like that, “you ask the impossible!” But then, like Yoda lifting Luke’s X-Wing out of the swamp, indie developer Soldak not only creates procedurally generated worlds far more alive than even NMS’s wildest promises, it’s been making them for more than a decade.
Din’s Legacy is Soldak’s latest “living world” ARPG. While the game is as straightforward to play as Torchlight, the procedural world building, event generating, and player character mutation approaches Rimworld levels of procedural anarchy. All the more crazy because Din’s Legacy gobbled up all the innovations of its four preceding games.
Tags: action rpg, arpg, din's legacy
Dead Rising 2 And The Lack of Rebindable Controls
Posted on August 29, 2019, 12:57 AM, by Rafiki, under Article.
This is it, this is Dead Rising 2’s complete ‘Controls’ menu. Complete and unedited, which you can totally tell, because I would not let an edited version keep Uncanny Katie around.
Looking at the review averages for this game, it’s pegged at about 77%. HOW? It lacks one of those most basic interface options in PC gaming, rendering it unplayable. “Hmm, if you don’t like the default controls, the game is unplayable. I give it………………….77 PERCENT!” Jesus Christ, did no one notice this? Did anyone think it was important enough to bring up?
American Fugitive (PC)
Posted on August 22, 2019, 12:14 AM, by Roop Dirump, under Review.
So this is 2D GTA, I figured why not. I’m using keyboard and mouse, but I have a feeling a controller would be better. The camera is excellent, zooms in and out as it needs to, here it pulled back and to the right a bit as I sped up in that white car. It saves anywhere, no safehouse (yet anyway). Steam link.
Tags: american fugitive, gta
Short Review: DARQ (PC)
Posted on August 18, 2019, 1:57 PM, by pinback, under Review.
Well, I WAS playing it. Now I’m not, because it’s over. If you’re the type who think 2 hours for a $20 game is too much, this MIGHT change your mind, but maybe not. The puzzles are relatively straightforward, only a handful of times straying from “go everywhere, find everything, try to use everything on everything”. However, “going everywhere” is not quite as straightforward as your average graphic adventure, due to the rule/gravity-breaking nature of the game’s mechanics.
But none of that is what gives the game its value. It’s purely presentation that puts this over the top. Amazing, AMAZING to look at, during every single moment of those two hours.
If you’re in the mood for a little creepy surreality mixed with light puzzles and phenomenal production values, I think it’s definitely worth the $20, and I say this as someone who was gifted it.
Comments? Join us on the forum.
pinback
Tags: darq
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The Caltrops Forum
Oh: Re: Pretty sure my video card is borked - American McGee's Honda Civic January 22, 2020
Dumb question. But do you have another video card floating around to swap in to see if that does anything?
Caltrops Tech Support: On some laptops the dedicated video card won't run without power connected - American McGee's Honda Civic January 22, 2020
irrespective of what you tell Windows to do in the power settings. It's a setting you might be able to override in the BIOS, but I'm betting that all you would accomplish by doing that is successfully bluescreening when the laptop isn't plugged in. Those two Windows updates were both security patches and you probably […]
MM: Whaaaat??? Massive gfx improvement and optimization patch just dropped! - Gamerasutra January 21, 2020
It's legit. So far I haven't had any crashes tonight and it DOES look significantly better with the improved shading.
MM: Maybe it's the power supply that's borked? Also my new 1660 super GPU review: - American McGee's Honda Civic January 21, 2020
On a completely different note, I recently upgraded from a GTX 960 to a GTX 1660 super. Unreal Engine 4 games' performance is night and day better, unity less so, but they always seemed to run better on the old card. I can indeed now run Witcher 3 on ultra settings with hairworks and get […]
obi wan kenobi?: Pretty sure my video card is borked - American McGee's Honda Civic January 21, 2020
So I'm fairly sure this problem means my video card (5 years old) is kaput. This only pops up when I'm playing a game. Usually after 5-10 minute. Hard freeze, then the Windows 10 BSOD. A different error message each time. So far these have come up: -Page fault in nonpage area -clock watchdog timeout […]
pinback: I appreciate that this is not a "best" list, it's a "most important" list. - Article Discussions January 21, 2020
And I appreciate that games like Pokemon Go and Flappy Bird are on here, such trifling affairs that one might think this community wouldn't stoop to even mentioning them. If anyone thinks Flappy Bird is the tenth best game of the last decade, I'll come through the screen and pee on them. But there is […]
Vested Id: Is this for real? - Orbitor 1 January 21, 2020
Ok, Generation Headwound, or whatever they end up calling you
Eury: What a dumb take. Fuck off. NT - Orbitor 1 January 21, 2020
Mr. 3000: I clicked. It is all text. You're safe to click too. NT - Tansin A. Darcos's Alter Ego January 21, 2020
Mr. 3000: I can't argue much with this. NT - Article Discussions January 21, 2020
BX Foundry joysticks - positive! Review by ICJ: https://t.co/y42wEg9A5f 08:53:54 AM April 21, 2019 from Twitter Web Client
#resetera is a shithole. Come join us on Caltrops instead. https://t.co/rpwahDxhmd 11:43:49 AM March 20, 2019 from Twitter Web Client
After a giant data loss by #MySpace, some wonder if #Google is headed the same way. Here's six years of terrible de… https://t.co/qE6IM0FFCf 06:33:28 AM March 18, 2019 from Twitter Web Client
There is a lot of information in the Battle Brothers graphics. Find out more in this post by Mischief Maker… https://t.co/uOFhq2OJVU 09:34:49 AM March 16, 2019 from Twitter Web Client
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Reviews in the forums
River City Girls (PC)
by Mischief Maker 10/11/2019 positive!
Dead Cells (PC)
by Rafiki 8/6/2017 positive!
Nex Machina (PC)
by Mischief Maker 6/20/2017 positive!
Marathon: Aleph One (PC)
by blackwater 5/16/2017 positive!
NierAutomatica (PC)
by Worm 3/28/2017 positive!
Starcrawlers (PC)
by Oom Shnibble 5/17/2016 positive!
You Have To Win The Game (PC)
by blackwater 12/10/2016 positive!
Dropsy the Clown (PC)
Fear Equation (PC)
by pinback 2/9/2016 positive!
Killer is Dead (PC)
by FABIO 1/15/2015 positive!
Rune Classic (PC)
by Mischief Maker 11/22/2014 negative!
Broforce (PC)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 11/6/2014 positive!
Kromaia (PC)
The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo (PC)
by WITTGENSTEIN 10/18/2014 negative!
Alien: Isolation (PC)
by pinback 5/17/2014 negative!
Heavy Bullets (PC)
by Hans Clastorp 5/17/2014 positive!
Tower of Guns (PC)
by Mischief Maker 3/5/2014 negative!
Firefall (PC)
by WITTGENSTEIN 1/11/2014 positive!
Gone Home (PC)
by FABIO 12/29/2013 negative!
Hammerwatch (PC)
by Mischief Maker 8/22/2013 negative!
ZombiU (WiiU)
Devil May Cry 4 (PC)
La Mulana (PC)
by Lurker 58913 1/23/2013 positive!
Massive Assault, Phantom Renaissance (PC)
by Mischief Maxim 1/4/2013 positive!
Colossal Cave (PC)
by Tdarcos 1/4/2013 positive!
Sleeping Dogs (360)
by Last 8/27/2012 positive!
Shoot Many Robots (PC)
by Rafiki 5/1/2012 negative!
Legend of Grimrock (PC)
by jeep & Last 4/16/2012 positive!
Unstoppable Gorg (PC)
The Witcher, Enhanced Edition (PC)
Bastion (PC)
by mark 1/15/2012 positive!
Earth Defense Force (PC)
by Lurker 56498 12/18/2011 positive!
Dungeon Defenders (PC)
by Rafiki 11/1/2011 positive!
From Dust (PC)
by WITTGENSTEIN 9/4/2011 negative!
Tropico 4 (PC)
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)
by Rafiki 7/14/2011 negative!
Far Cry 2 (360)
by Jerry Whorebach 6/25/2011 negative!
Trenched (PC)
by The Happiness Engine
6/24/2011 positive!
Crysis 2 (PC)
by Last 6/25/2011 negative!
Art School Confidential (Movie)
by FABIO 6/6/2011 positive!
Pandemic (Board Game)
Longshot (Board Game)
Kitchen Nightmares UK (TV)
Dragon Age 2 Demo (PC)
by Dr M Schadenfreude
Von Katze, PhDD 3/8/2011 negative!
by jeep 2/27/2011 negative!
Team Fortress 2 (PC)
Liver Transplants (PC)
by laudablepuss 1/13/2011 positive!
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (PC)
by Fortinbras 11/27/2010 negative!
Alpha Protocol (PC)
by Fortinbras 11/27/2010 positive!
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
by Rafiki 11/20/2010 positive!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat (PC)
Die Hard (NES)
by Bananadine 11/5/2010 positive!
Sid Meier's Civilization V (PC)
by Fortinbras 9/26/2010 positive!
GET LAMP (Movie)
by Sword of Justice 8/9/2010 positive!
APB (PC)
by Fussbett 7/5/2010 negative!
Mario Kart vs. Speed Racer (DS)
by jeep 6/2/2010 negative!
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360)
Final Fantasy XIII (360)
by Noi Dau Don 3/10/2010 pending!
Paranormal Activity (Movie)
by a fairy princess 2/21/2010 positive!
MadKatz Throat Communicator (Hardware)
by Jerry Whorebach 2/22/2010 positive!
Star Trek Online (PC)
by Lizard_King 2/14/2010 positive!
Good Hair (Movie)
by Horrible Gelatinous
Blob 12/22/2009 positive!
DJ Hero (360)
Blob 12/15/2009 negative!
Ender's Game (Book)
by FABIO 10/9/2009 negative!
Transformers 2 (Movie)
by Zsenitan 7/14/2009 positive!
Call of Juarez II: Bound in Blood (PC)
by Schadenfreude 7/8/2009 positive!
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 1 & 2 (PC)
by Fortinbras 7/19/2009 negative!
Grand Theft Auto 4 (360)
by Lizard_King 5/28/2009 negative!
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (360)
Castlevania Judgment (Wii)
X3: The Reunion (PC)
Don't Look Back (PC)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 3/24/2009 positive!
French Horror Marathon (Movies)
by Fussbett 3/13/2009 positive!
The Daily Show (TV)
by Creexul 3/13/2009 negative!
iPhone 3G (Phone)
Breaking Bad (TV)
by Choson 3/9/2009 positive!
Atlantica (PC)
Gran Torino (Movie, spoilers)
by Theatrix 1/10/2009 positive!
Arkanoid DS (DS)
by mark 1/7/2009 negative!
Silent Hill Homecoming (360)
by Schadenfreude 12/2/2008 negative!
Golden Axe: Beast Rider (360)
by bombMexico 10/16/2008 negative!
Sword of the Stars (PC)
by pinback 10/8/2008 negative!
Deadly Rooms of Death RPG (PC)
by Worm 10/4/2008 negative!
Hinterland (PC)
by Fussbett 10/3/2008 positive!
Atomhex (PC)
Twilight Zone (Pinball)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 8/7/2008 positive!
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
by Lizard King 8/7/2008 negative!
Too Human (demo) (360)
Blob 7/20/2008 positive!
Final Fantasy 8 (PS2)
Super Paper Mario (Wii)
by FABIO 7/9/2008 negative!
ePSXe 1.7.0 (PC)
by Ray of Light 6/19/2008 positive!
The World Ends with You (DS)
by Last 5/5/2008 positive!
Bangai-O Spirits (DS)
by Creexul 4/8/2008 positive!
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (DS)
by Creexul 4/7/2008 negative!
No More Heroes (Wii)
The Signal (Movie)
by FABIO 2/24/2008 negative!
Professor Layton and the
Curious Village (DS)
Undertow (XBLA)
SMT: Persona 3 (PS2)
by Worm 12/23/2007 positive!
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
by Creexul 12/20/2007 positive!
Carcassone (XBLA)
by Jerry Whorebach 12/17/2007 negative!
Skate (360)
by Fussbett 12/16/2007 positive!
Need For Speed: ProStreet (360)
by Fussbett 12/12/2007 negative!
Contra IV (DS)
by Creexul 12/7/2007 negative!
Final Fantasy III (DS)
Elite Beat Agents (DS)
Baldur's Gate II "Tactics" Mod (PC)
by bink 10/31/2007 negative!
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
by Last 10/17/2007 positive!
Halo 3 (360)
by The Cable Bros. 10/7/2007 negative!
Stranglehold (PC)
BioShock (PC)
by Rafiki 8/26/2007 positive!
Penumbra: Overture (PC)
by Schadenfreude 7/29/2007 positive!
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)
UFO: Alien Invasion (PC)
The Red Star (PS2)
by Belbo Jacopo 7/18/2007 positive!
Project Gotham Racing 4 (Preview) (PS3)
by Jerry Whorebach 7/5/2007 negative!
LCD Topgun (PC)
by bink 6/27/2007 negative!
Immortal Defense (PC)
by Mischief Maker 6/7/2007 positive!
Marvel Trading Card Game (DS)
Future Pinball (PC)
Adventure Pinball: Forgotten Island (PC)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 5/16/2007 negative!
Freeware Strategy Lineup (PC)
Parasite Eve (PS1)
by Grumah 5/6/2007 positive!
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
Crackdown (360)
by Entropy Stew 3/25/2007 positive!
Yakuza (PS2)
DECKER (PC)
Warning Forever (PC)
Biohazard 4 (PC)
by Schadenfreude 2/21/2007 negative!
Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
by Lizard King 1/29/2007 positive!
Bully (PS2)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (360)
Princess Diaries (Movie)
Robert Canning reviewing 30 Rock (TV)
by I need clarification 12/20/2006 negative!
The Fountain (Movie)
by Ray of Light 11/22/2006 positive!
The Da Vinci Code (Movie)
Discs of Tron (Arcade)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 11/14/2006 positive!
God Hand (PS2)
by FABIO 10/24/2006 positive!
XBox Live Vision Pack (Xbox)
by forums.xbox.com 10/20/2006 negative!
Oasis (PC)
by FABIO 10/5/2006 positive!
Land of the Dead (Xbox)
Xenosaga 3: Also Sprach Zarathustra (PS2)
19xx: The War Against Destiny (Arcade)
by Fussbett 9/3/2006 positive!
The Clown at Midnight (Movie)
Serenity/Firefly (Movie/TV)
99 Nights (360)
Gae Bolg & The Church Of Fand: Tintagel (CD)
by Zsenicorpse 7/19/2006 positive!
Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox)
GP2X (System)
by Entropy Stew 6/25/2006 negative!
Brataccas (Amiga)
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Blob 5/17/2006 negative!
Sin: Episode 1 (PC)
by Creexul 5/17/2006 positive!
Monster Rancher (PS)
by QB 4/26/2006 positive!
Sin (PC)
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PS2)
Trapt (PC)
Hitman 3 (PC)
X3: Reunion (PC)
by Oom Shnibble 2/7/2006 negative!
Quake 4 (PC)
by Someone Vaguely
Mean 1/16/2006 negative!
We Love Katamari (PS2)
Mario Kart DS (DS)
by Pompei 1/4/2006 positive!
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PSP)
by I need clarification 1/3/2006 negative!
Madden 2006 (Xbox)
by Ice Cream Jonsey 12/21/2005 negative!
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (360)
by athodyd 12/7/2005 positive!
Soul Calibur III (PS2)
by Mischief Maker 12/2/2005 positive!
King Kong (Xbox)
by athodyd 11/24/2005 positive!
Patrick Stewart's Voicework
in Elite Force 2 (PS2)
by Weyoun Voidbringer 11/14/2005 negative!
Fry's (Retailer)
by Motherhead 10/12/2005 negative!
Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
by Kabuke 10/9/2005 positive!
Fable: The Lost Chapters (PC)
by Jhoh "Creexul"
Cable 10/8/2005 negative!
Dragonshard (PC)
by jeep 9/26/2006 positive!
Psychonauts (PS2)
by TAFKAM 9/26/2006 positive!
Burnout 4: Revenge (PS2)
Virtua Tennis World Tour (PSP)
by Eyo 9/7/2005 positive!
Caltrops (MMORPG)
by Bill Dungsroman 8/24/2005 negative!
Darkwatch (Xbox)
by The Gaijin 8/24/2005 negative!
Dungeon Siege II (PC)
Enigma: Rising Tide (PC)
Megaphones (Protesting Dev.)
Laser Squad Nemesis (PC)
by The Holy Goat
of Power 5/22/2005 positive!
N.A.R.C. (PS2)
Total Annihilation (PC)
Evernight: Reign of Darkness (PC)
Hot Shots Golf (PSP)
by I need clarification 5/10/2005 positive!
Heroes of Might and Magic 4 (PC)
American McGee's Bad Day L.A. (Preview!) (PC)
by bombMexico 4/28/2005 negative!
by Long, Shuddering
Spurt Over Druids 4/28/2005 positive!
Crimsonland (PC)
by Wacky Willy 4/27/2005 positive!
Jade Empire (Xbox)
by curst 4/26/2005 positive!
by Funkula 4/26/2005 positive!
Blitzkreig: Rollling Thunder (PC)
by Jacob 4/26/2005 positive!
Mr. Mosquito (PS2)
by Souffle of Pain 4/1/2005 negative!
Master of Supremacy 8 (PC)
by Zsenijeim 3/17/2005 positive!
Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)
Red Ninja (Preview) (PS2)
by Fussbett 3/11/2005 negative!
Supremacy: Four Paths to Power (PC)
Mechassault (Xbox)
Project: Snowblind (PC)
Ace Combat 5 (PC)
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World (PC)
by laudablepuss 2/13/2005 negative!
Def Jam: Fight for NY (Xbox)
Painkiller: Battle out of Hell (PC)
Double Indemity (PC)
by The Joosh 1/16/2005 positive!
Unreal 2: The Awakening (Movie)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
Metroid Prime 2 (GC)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (PC)
The Life Aquatic (Movie)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
by Daverd 12/6/2004 positive!
Half-Life II (PC)
by Creexul 12/4/2004 positive!
Saw (Movie)
by |bomb 11/2/2004 negative!
Mortal Kombat Deception (PS2)
by curst 11/1/2004 negative
Halo II (Xbox)
by MC Such and Such 10/18/2004 très bon!
Four Swords (Gamecube)
by foolio 10/7/2004 negative!
Katamari Damacy (PS2)
by K. Thor Jensen
and curst 9/28/2004 positive!
Def Jam: Battle For New York (Xbox)
Pikmin 2 (GC)
Killzone (beta) (PS2)
Phantom Brave (PS2)
by K. Thor Jensen 9/16/2004 positive!
Call of Duty: United Offensive (PC)
Burnout 3: Takedown (Xbox)
by Bodybag 9/10/2004 positive!
Blob 9/6/2004 positive!
Kohan: Ahriman's Gift (PC)
Half-Life II vs. The Punisher (PC)
Symphonia (GC)
Doom 3 (PC)
by conflictNo 8/9/2004 positive!
Gabe Newell's Doom 3 (PC)
by Motherhead 8/9/2004 negative!
Blogging (PC)
by Entropy Stew 8/3/2004 negative!!
Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
A.C. Newman: The Slow Wonder
(Audio CD)
by FullofKittens 7/25/2004 negative!
Advance Wars 2 (GBA)
Halo (PC)
by Jethro Q. Walrustitty 7/21/2004 negative!
Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)
by Zseni 7/20/2004 positive!
Two Lone Swordsmen: The Double Gone Chapel
Fight Night 2004 (Xbox)
Gunbound (PC)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (PC)
Pure Pinball (PC)
NBA Street Volume 2 (PS2)
Dynasty Warriors 4 (PS2)
2019 CALTROPS.
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https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Protesters-mob-Maleah-Davis-mother-after-court-13841026.php
Protesters mob Maleah Davis’ mother after court hearing for her boyfriend
By Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle and Samantha Ketterer
Updated 5:31 pm CDT, Monday, May 13, 2019
Quanell X walks out of the courtroom with Brittany Bowens, the mother of the missing 4-year-old, Maleah Davis after the court postponed a court appearance for Derion Vence, who is charged with tampering with evidence in the case of Maleah Davis' disappearance, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Houston.
Quanell X walks out of the courtroom with Brittany Bowens, the mother of the missing 4-year-old, Maleah Davis after the court postponed a court appearance for Derion Vence, who is charged with tampering with
Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer
A court date for Maleah Davis' mother's live-in boyfriend on Monday turned into a volatile scene as protesters chased the missing girl's mother out of the Houston courthouse and down the street, alleging that she was just as complicit in her daughter's possible death.
Text HOUSTON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
At least a dozen people, some bearing signs and T-shirts declaring "Justice for Maleah," had arrived for an initial court appearance for Derion Vence, the boyfriend accused of tampering with a human corpse in the four-year-old's disappearance. His court date was reset, but the protesters and reporters swarmed mother Brittany Bowens when she walked out of court with community activist Quanell X.
CLUES: Police find blood linked to Maleah Davis in family's apartment
Bowens stood back when Quanell X spoke, shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"The main thing right now that all of us want to know is, what did he do with Maleah?" Quanell X said.
The protesters drowned out Quanell X as he spoke to reporters.
"Why isn't she locked up?" one yelled.
"She let it happen," another said, referencing Bowens' admissions on Friday that she knew Vence might have been abusing and molesting her daughter.
After several minutes, Quanell X and Bowens walked down the hallway of the courthouse. Protesters followed, chanting, "Justice for Maleah!"
Several people yelled while tailing the mother down the street. One person handed her a poster and hugged her. Bowens broke down crying.
The mother had left Maleah and her other two children in Vence's care while she was out of state for a family member's funeral, Quanell X said. But on May 4, Vence reported Maleah missing and told police he had been knocked in-and-out of consciousness for nearly 24 hours while his stepdaughter was abducted. He said he was checking on a possible flat tire on the way to Bush Intercontinental Airport, where he was supposed to pick up his fiance, and was attacked by three men.
He said he woke up after nearly a day later, regained consciousness and got a ride to the hospital with his 1-year-old son, who was still with him.
In the days that have followed, police have tried grasping what really happened to the young girl, whose body hasn't been found.
A camera attached to an upstairs neighbor's porch might have helped bring together pieces of the puzzle. The video caught Vence going in and out of their Alief-area apartment twice on May 3, once while carrying a heavy laundry basket packed with a large trash bag, documents show. Houston police said Vence left the home during the second trip with cleaning supplies, including a bottle of bleach.
Drops of what may be Maleah's blood were found in the bathroom and a hallway leading to it at the apartment where she lived with her mother and Vence, according to court documents.
Two police dogs also smelled the "scent of decomposition" in the silver Nissan Altima that Vence drove the night of Maleah's reported disappearance, the documents state. The car was located in a Missouri City parking lot with a gas can and a laundry basket in the trunk. And investigators found footage of Vence arriving at the hospital in the Altima, despite claiming not to know the whereabouts of the vehicle after the abduction, according to charging documents.
MALEAH'S MISSING: Everything we know about the stepfather's arrest over the weekend
Vence, 26, was arrested Saturday at a relative's home in Sugar Land after nearly a week of ignoring calls from police. He was held in lieu of posting $1 million bond, which has since been lowered to $45,000, according to court records.
Vence's attorney, Tom Burton III, said he hasn't reviewed the evidence and is not yet prepared to speak about the case.
Houston Police Department officials haven't said whether they believe Maleah is still alive. Texas EquuSearch crews have spent days searching near Vence's apartment while many residents across Houston remain captivated by the effort.
Crystal Delmas, from the Cypress area, said she's been following Maleah's search through the local news and wanted to attend Vence's court hearing in support of the missing girl.
Delmas held up two signs before the hearing was reset. Some of the writing read, "Justice for our princess" and "lock them up."
"It's very heartbreaking," Delmas said. "She didn't have nobody."
Tamisha Mendoza, who said she is the cousin of Maleah's biological father, questioned why officials allowed Maleah back into her mother's care earlier this year. She had been in state custody after an unexplained head injury.
Mendoza said her cousin is still processing the situation.
"His daughter has been ripped away from him," she said.
samantha.ketterer@chron.com
Twitter.com/sam_kett
karen.warren@chron.com
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FAQs From Content Providers
CILC welcomes content providers who are committed to sharing knowledge and expertise via videoconferencing and collaborative technologies. Posting content to the CILC website allows you to dramatically increase the size and scope of your audience, expanding into new markets unencumbered by limitations of distance.
Below are a list of the top questions we receive from organizations that are interested in starting into Distance Learning with CILC. If you are not finding the answer to your question(s) please contact CILC’s Content Provider Liaison: Tami Moehring, tmoehring@cilc.org
Q: Where are CILC’s Members Located?
A: : CILC’s members are located in the United States and over half of the countries in the world. Membership is FREE.
Q: How many members receive your weekly newsletter that Content Providers can market their programming in.
A: 35,000 of the members receive our weekly newsletter that goes out every Sunday. Intermediate and All-Inclusive Content Providers get more opportunities to advertise in the newsletter.
Q: How many Content Providers are there on the CILC Website?
A: There are approximately 150 Content Providers from United States, Canada, Israel, Australia and Europe.
Q: How long is a typical program?
A: Programs are typically 45 to 60 minutes long and can change depending on the audience level they are targeted to.
Q: What is the average price for a program on the CILC website?
A: Most programs on our website are a point to point connection (which means a 1 to 1 connection/ Content Provider to 1 classroom connection at a time).
Average POSTED price of a program is $150.00 to $175.00
Average BOOKED price of a program is $110.00 (Average for the last 5 years)
Q: What does my organization need to have ready to deliver a program on the CILC website?
A: Each program has a description, vocabulary words, pre- and post-materials for students, national standards that align to the programs, format outline, and educational objectives.
Click on the following link to see an example of a program flyer:
https://www.cilc.org/ContentProvider/Program.aspx?id=581
Q: Who consumes the programs on the CILC website?
A: Most programs are delivered to a K–12 audience with a larger percentage of those going to the K–5 grade range. About 10% of our members are libraries and Lifelong Learners (Senior Adults). Lifelong Learners is a growing number and something that we have been expanding in the last year.
Q: Where can I find Virtual Field Trip programs on the CILC website?
A: You can find programs in the Interactive Search Database. A link to that database can be found here.
https://www.cilc.org/Interactive-Content/Search-Content-Provider-Programs.aspx
Q: Does it cost money to be a member of the CILC website?
A: It is free to be a member on CILC and to request programs. Content Providers pay a yearly membership to have their programs posted on the website. Memberships for Content Providers are broken down into 3 levels and information about that can be found here.
https://www.cilc.org/Providers/Content-Provider-Tier-Chart.aspx
Q: Does CILC provide the connection for the Virtual Field Trips?
A: CILC provides the opportunity for members and Content Providers to use One-Click Connect for free which provides the member and the Content Provider a connection link or IP Address depending on what works for you. Content Providers however can use the connection application that they choose works best for their organization such as Webex Meetings, Zoom, H.323/IP Address, Skype, Google Hangout and Bluejeans are just a few we see Content Providers use on the CILC website.
Our Content Providers
Say It Best....
"Tami, CILC Content Provider Liaison, knows everything upside down and backwards because she's done it before so much."
Karla Bloem, Director. International Owl Center
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Columns / Creativity
Flexible Expressions
By Maya P. Lim
If blobs had an astrological sign, it’d be Gemini. Communicative, mercurial and full of contradictions. Blobs are childlike and simple, yet sophisticated and mysterious. They are free, yet contained. They are fluid, yet crisp. They are fun and friendly, yet elusive. When shown static, they suggest motion. When animated, they are relaxing, yet energizing.
Blobs oscillate between looking organic, hip, retro and freshly innovative. It’s hard to pinpoint them in our cultural history. They appear in nature’s creation of amoebas and lakes. They appear in the works of Picasso, Miró, Dalí and Calder. They appear in alarming quantities in Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck and, later, in an anthropomorphized form in director Les Mayfield’s film Flubber. And now, they’re appearing everywhere, in flat colors, in gradients, as static images and in motion. Well, maybe not quite everywhere, but they’ve become noticeably popular.
Actually, it’s hard to say even that. Unlike most design trends, blobs have become increasingly in vogue without becoming rampant.
So, why are blobs flourishing in design now, whether we notice them or not?
Part of the branding for the 2018 Adobe Design Summit, these three posters are an expression of the conference theme, “Perspective.” They utilize textures; flat, two-dimensional forms; and juxtapositions of colors and shapes, like blobs, to create new planes of space. Each poster also has an animated AR experience that reveals a world within the poster.
Could it be that the blob is the antitrend of graphic design today, a signal of resistance against our age-old conventions of geometry in design and a reflection of our rapidly evolving modern design culture? Or perhaps the answer lies in the complex dualities of the simple blob, which make it a conveniently flexible design tool, full of communicative power for those who know just how to shape it.
Blobs made a splash at the 2018 Adobe Design Summit, where they dominated the event’s visual branding with vibrant colors, distinct textures and intriguing animations. The event’s theme for the year was “Perspective” and had three main principles: diversity and inclusion; blurring the boundaries of 2-D, 3-D, augmented reality and virtual reality; and reimagining what is possible.
Sonja Hernandez, senior design manager at Adobe and leader of the project, says her team created supergraphics that appeared differently depending on where the viewer stood. Quickly distinguishable from across a room, large blobs on walls, banners and more made instant impact and invited interpretations from different angles, complementing the event’s theme and principles. The blobs also provided an easy way to apply aspects of Adobe Design’s branding and showcase Adobe Stock media.
The effect was powerful. Hernandez says, “People at the Design Summit really loved the space and felt like it was an incredibly exciting change to Adobe’s normal corporate branding.”
STANDING OUT WHILE FITTING IN
The unusualness of blobs can do just that—shake things up without going too far.
By using blobs as a “deliberate counter to the often stuffy, pretentious identities [of] universities,” Tom Dabner found a way to distinguish Torrens University, a young institution that recently morphed multiple separate colleges into one entity. Dabner is creative director and partner of SomeOne, a branding studio based in Sydney, Australia. Reflecting on the university’s history as well as the fluidity of the educational process, Dabner landed on blobs, which he calls “morph shapes,” to carry forth the visual identity.
“Building knowledge is an unpredictable and stimulating experience—it can go in so many directions and never sits still,” says Dabner.
Whenever possible, the “morph shapes” moved. But even in print applications, the shapes were intentionally designed and positioned to look like they were in motion, or as though they had been captured just as they were about to multiply or merge together.
The forms worked flexibly as content holders for brand colors and photos, which peeked out of the curved edges, prompting curiosity. Paired with clean, strong typography, they provide endless design possibilities, serving the university’s diverse communication needs while presenting the school as a unique space for creativity.
NOSTALGIC CALM
While the Torrens University branding energizes and invigorates with its brightly morphing blobs, another team found blobs perfect for creating a sense of calm—like, stoner-level calm.
The “living” shapes in SomeOne’s identity for Torrens University (left) look like they are gliding and morphing, reflecting the fluid teaching style of the university. When creating the identity for cannabis company Strange Lands, ALTR Studio drew inspiration from microbes, psychedelic posters and surrealism. A die-cut blob on packaging (right) shows the product in an unconventional way, and the company’s website is filled with mesmerizing blobby animations.
To Kim West, creative director and founder of ALTR Studio in San Francisco, looking at a blob feels instantly relaxing. “I zone out. Similar to when I look at a big aquarium, there’s a sense of calm and unexpectedness at the same time,” she says.
But when West had the opportunity to design the branding for Strange Lands, a cannabis company focused on serving artists and musicians, blobs were not an immediate choice. West says that at first, she and her team only knew what they didn’t want: they didn’t want it to look typical or like a health product.
Thinking of the company’s target clientele, West’s team began looking at media from the 1960s and 1970s, from psychedelic art to liquid light shows. They increasingly noticed how blobs had a calming depth, a mesmerizing property and an ability to exist “somewhere between deep space and underwater.” The more they considered stoner culture of times past and played with blobby forms, they more they felt comfortable—very comfortable—with the emotional effect these shapes elicited.
“We often joked in the studio that if you were stoned while watching [our animated blobs], you might not even notice the movement at first, and then once you did, you’d want to stare at it for a while, much like a lava lamp,” West says.
NATURALLY BUILT
Juxtaposing organic forms with constructed shapes can create a harmony of tensions even in print applications. Monica Brand and Francisco Lopez, creative directors and cofounders of Mogollon Studio in New York, found blobs to be an effective solution for their poster designs for Love Labo and Accidental Movement, two dance companies. These designs show photos overlaid with blobs—some soft and fluid-looking, others harder and even geometric.
For both projects, blobs were used as abstract illustrations. With the Love Labo event poster, the client wished to make a statement about information saturation in the modern world, so blobs splashed upon a photo of a human concisely represented human-made clutter and debris.
With the Accidental Movement poster, blobs were drawn in rock-like formations, “megalithic shapes” that simultaneously suggested natural formations and human-made tools and sculptures. Brand describes Accidental Movement’s work as “very organic and innovative,” so contrasting photographed leaves with flat blobs set in whimsical colors created a design that matched. As abstract shapes, blobs actively engage the imagination and inspire ideas without a single word—similar to bodies dancing.
CUT OUT FOR THE JOB
Blobs have a visual tactility that invites physical interaction. When brainstorming how to design a preview booklet for Mohawk’s new line of colored papers, Caleb Kozlowski, creative director at Hybrid Design in San Francisco, knew that he wanted to produce something that would prompt people to play with color combinations. After looking at paint chips with viewing windows, he and his team realized that the edge of a color block would be a critical asset to their goal. Soon, they landed upon blobs, cutting them out of colored papers while allowing other colored blobs to peek through. The resulting book, Keaykolour, immediately invites exploration.
“The beauty of the blob is that it leaves room for the viewer to bring themselves to its meaning,” says Kozlowski. “In a way, it is so abstract as to be meaningless—at least on its face. When you strip away the most overt communications of form, you’re left with more elemental traits.”
“We’re interested in how the sea erodes man-made objects into basic, primal shapes,” says Mogollon Studio. “We traced hundreds of different shapes and created a graphic alphabet that resembles neolithic stones, monoliths and menhirs.” These shapes—some organic and blobby, others geometric—were used in posters for the dance companies Love Labo (left) and Accidental Movement (middle). To preview Mohawk’s newest line of colored papers, the audience can use the blobs and other shapes die cut in unbound cards (right) as viewfinders, mashing up color combinations. Hybrid Design, design firm.
This makes blobs a particularly apt design choice for the Keaykolour book. Just like elements themselves, each of the 43 colors in the book can be used as part of a palette or individually. Overlapping papers help to show color combinations while still recognizing the individuality of each color. As users flip through the book, they alter both the object and their emotional reaction to the resulting color combinations. “The viewer is the final ingredient that gives a blob direction,” says Kozlowski.
TO SAY IT WITH BLOBS—OR NOT
As companies evolve with technologies and markets, and as they redefine their audiences and goals, designers must find new ways of representing change. Like a candid snapshot, a static blob can symbolize the capture of a fleeting moment. Like a lava lamp, an animated blob can magnify the minutia of transformation while gently comforting us with a hint of nostalgia.
It’s clear that blobs can speak powerfully—even viscerally—in design, evoking a range of emotions from curiosity to calm. But because of their flexibility, they require skillful artistic direction to be implemented effectively.
Sonja Hernandez of Adobe says, “Mentally, I think there’s a bit of a challenge in how to work with a blob and get it to feel confident and intentional in its space. Emotionally, I think blobs offer a lot of depth and possibility. Blobs can feel happy or sad, and usually it’s just some subtle changes in the form or color that impact these possibilities.”
But design skills aside, it’s still hard to imagine blobs swamping our visual landscape the way flat illustrations, Helvetica-esque fonts and gradients have. After all, many subjects just don’t seem suitable for, well, the blobbiness of blobs, like estate planning services, prison boot camps and tombstone manufacturers. Or anything that wishes to convey gravitas, reliability, tradition, discipline, strength and stability. Blobs are simply too irreverent, too playful, too squishy.
Today, the blob seems to be neither a trend nor an antitrend, but rather a highly plastic communication tool and a widely transferable design device. Perhaps it is best left uncategorized, in its vague, undefinable form, playing on the edges of our senses and spilling across the boundaries of our expectations. ca
Maya P. Lim (mayaplim.com) works at the intersection of design and writing to share ideas and spark curiosity. Her work has appeared in Print, HOW, CreativePro, Design Observer and Adobe Create, among others.
Columns / Insights
Creative Flow
Designer and illustrator Verònica Fuerte is excited for designers to continue bringing their concepts to life in new ways.
Columns / Design Culture
Having recently taken up sewing, Wendy Richmond threads together the fresh insights it offers.
Emoji activist and literary studio cofounder Jennifer 8. Lee shares the importance of innovation.
Playlist: Design
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CYCLING SINCE 1948
Cosiest cabins to stay in for your next gravel weekender
From Kielder to Kinross, there’s a hygge-ready shelter for your next gravel adventure.
Fancy escaping on your gravel or cyclo-cross bike for an extended weekend? Any B&B, van or tent is okay, but staying on the trails in the autumn and winter feels like a bit of a damp squib. We’ve found the the cosiest hideaways to relax in and the best gravel rides and forests to explore.
The Sky Den
Kielder Forest, Northumberland
Built in 2013, and featured on the Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, the Sky Den is a triangular pod set at canopy level with a spectacular opening roof. There are all the amenities you'll need in the mini kitchen, a wet room, plus all bedding is provided. The den sleeps four and there is plenty of extra space on the deck for dinner, or open the roof and gaze at the stars.
Kielder Forest has become home to the oversubscribed 200km 'Dirty Reiver' event. The Forest has a limitless web of access roads, on which the event is staged, but you can ride the roads all year round. If you retrace the tracks of the Dirty Reiver, you'll arrive at the Sky Den after 96km, an almost perfect time to stop and relax.
Ride: the Dirty Reiver route
Stay: from £150 per night (sleeps 4)
Rufus' Roost
Husthwaite, North York Moors
With fantastic views stretching out across 96km of the North York Moors, Rufus’ Roost is a luxury stay in a chalet-style cabin, set amongst the trees on stilts. The three bedroom tree-house has an outdoor Jacuzzi, ideal for soothing aching muscles after a day exploring the moors.
Rufus' Roost is on the edge of the moors, and as you travel east you’ll cross through forests, wooden bridges, open heath, and spectacular mountains. It is easy to see why the moors has its own gravel event, Yorkshire True Grit.
Ride: download our North York Moors gravel ride
The Ferry Waiting Room
Loch Lomond, The Trossachs
The Trossachs is a gravel rider's paradise, with endless estate tracks and wooded glens, braes and lochs to explore. The National Park, about an hour from Glasgow, is blessed with beautiful scenery from start to finish.
The Ferry Waiting Room was once, as the name suggests, a ferry terminal. It was rescued on the way to the scrap yard and has been converted to a cosy bolthole with adjoining bothy. From the huge windows, you can admire the purple heather and take in mountain view of Ben More.
Ride: the Trossachs gravel ride
Puckshipton Treehouse
Marlborough, Wiltshire
Cars are banned at Puckshipton Treehouse, which is perfect for two wheeled adventures. The tree-house is set on a wooden deck with sleeping pod and mini lounge and is suspended in the trees, reachable only by a fluted walkway.
The tree-house is a few miles east of The Ridgeway, one of the oldest roads in Britain, now a pot-holded gravel trail open only to cyclists and walkers and is a designated national trail like the South Downs Way or Pennine Bridlepath. The ancient road stretches an impressive 140km from across the Chilterns and North Wessex. Puckshipton Treehouse is a short pedal from the end (or start). To the east of Puckshipton is North Wessex Downs, chock full of bridlepaths, trails, and car-free paths that you can explore, too.
Ride: the Ridgeway
Stay: from £80 per night (sleeps 2)
Dalehead Bunkhouse
Edale Valley, Peak District
Isolated deep in the Edale Valley, there are no public roads to access the bunkhouse. Instead, you will need to walk or ride there via a single narrow track. This rural hideaway is owned and maintained by the National Trust and is at the very start of the Pennine Way. From the bunkhouse, there are hundreds of kilometres of gravel, fire roads, and trails to ride, and it's a short ride to the popular stargazing haven, Mam Tor.
The bunkhouse has space for 20 adults, a wood burning log fire, showers, but limited kitchen facilities. So pick up some snacks before you finish your gravel ride — there are plenty of pubs in the nearby village of Edale.
Ride: the Pennine Way or this route from Olympian Nick Craig
Stay: from £220 per night (sleeps 20)
Greg's Hut
Hexham, Pennine Way
Greg’s Hut is a step back from luxury compared with the other options on our list, but does claim the honour of being Britain's highest Bothy and is at the opposite end of the Pennine Way to the Dalehead Bunkhouse. Bothies are free to stay in and this one, despite being remote, is well maintained and features a log fire. It sits on the peak near Cross Fell. Stop at Greg's Hut if you fancy tackling the northernmost section of the Peninne Way, or riding an out and back loop and staying overnight in the bothy. You will need to bring your own sleeping gear, though.
Ride: the Pennine Way
Stay: the Mountain Bothy Association
Landpods
YHA Burley, New Forest
An alternative to the traditional camping tent, the YHA has built three large wooden pods at their site in the New Forest. The pods sleep four; bedding is providing and the pods are heated. Inside the main house are amenities for cooking and you don't need to be a YHA member to stay. The New Forest is home to many gravel events, thanks to its miles of car-free trails and lush greenery.
Ride: dedicated gravel routes, The Gravel Cat or The Grand Slam
Stay: from £39 per night
Clavell Tower
Kimmeridge, Dorset
Clavell Tower stands above Kimmeridge Bay, overlooking a grand sweep of Dorset coastline. Here is the Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage site, and the South West Coastal Path runs past the door with a myriad of bridlepaths you can tackle.
This area of Dorset is home to the Dorset Gravel Dash, a 100-mile event that takes place in the summer and starts and finishes in Swanage. The route of the dash goes straight past the tower, too.
Ride: Dorset Gravel Dash
Champing in Fordwich
Fordwich, Kent
First there was camping, then there was glamping, and now there's champing. Champing came about when looking for long-term, sustainable uses for stunning churches that are no longer used for regular worship. Cared for by The Churches Conservation Trust, these magnificent buildings are some of the greatest architectural wonders our country has to offer, and often come with fascinating histories, too. So what better way to appreciate one than to stay in it?
Camp beds, tea/coffee, cushions and breakfast is provided, but you will need to bring your own bedding or sleeping bag. Fordwich sits in the heart of East Kent. You can ride down to the coast and follow the coastal path down to Rye and back, or head on Cycle Network route 18.
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Individual study: Effects of vegetation management and raising the water table on nutrient dynamics and vegetation change in a wet grassland
Ommes M.J.M, Olff H. & Altena H.J. (1996) Effects of vegetation management and raising the water table on nutrient dynamics and vegetation change in a wet grassland. Journal of Applied Ecology, 33, 576-588
Species-rich grassland communities have become rare in Western Europe because of agricultural intensification including fertilizer application, frequent cutting and lowering of the water table. The results of a restoration experiment carried out on grassland on peaty, heavy clay in the Netherlands are described here.
The experiment was under taken on a 13 ha improved field near Wageningen (52°54'N, 53°8'E), a formerly species-rich wet rush Juncus and purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea dominated pasture. After 1945, it was drained and annual applications of NPK (1968 to 1978) were made to convert it to high productivity (but low diversity) grassland.
Restoration started in 1978. Fertilizer application ceased and thereafter vegetation was mown and removed each June and September. In 1985, the field was divided into 1.5-2 ha areas in which ground water levels could be manipulated independently. Of the two reported here, one was raised to its former level ('wet field') and the other was left as it was ('dry field').
Management: In 1987, 9 years after cessation of fertilizer application, three management practices were implemented in the wet and dry fields (treatments (i) and (ii) five replicate 100 m² blocks; sod cutting one plot of 375 m² in each field):
i) cutting and removal of the hay in June and September (RR);
ii) cutting in June and September but mulching the cut biomass and leaving in situ (M M);
iii) sod removal (to 5 cm depth) in 1985, and thereafter cutting and removal of the hay in June and September (RS).
An analysis was made of the effect of the treatment regime and of raising the water table on nutrient availability, tissue nutrient concentration, dynamics of species and plant species replacement.
Water level differences: Over 4 years, the average water level difference between the wet and dry fields was 20-30 cm, the wet field being totally saturated in winter and spring. Raising the water level resulted in a more rapid establishment of species indicative of wet conditions, some of which invaded from nearby ditches.
No trend was discernible in soil pH, total C, N and P in the RR treatment; extractable P and K decreased sharply in the field with the raised groundwater level.
Biomass and nutrients Nine years after fertilizer application ceased, dry matter production had fallen from 10-11 to 6-7 t/ha/year. In the subsequent 5 years of the experiment it declined to 5-6 t/ha/year when all cut biomass was removed. and to about 4 t/ha/year after sod removal. Mulching caused an increase to 11 t/ha/year. No effect was seen of the raised water level.
The dry matter yield of the first June cut in the RR treatment decreased. The availability of K and to some extent of P appeared more important than N availability in explaining the decrease in dry matter production. The tissue nutrient concentrations were not influenced by the water table height.
Sod removal to a depth of 5 cm resulted in the lowest productivity and the lowest tissue concentrations of P, while tissue concentrations of N and It were not affected.
Conclusions: Raising the water table resulted in plant species indicative of wet conditions becoming dominant, independently of vegetation management. However, the removal of nutrients resulted in the appearance of smaller species, indicative of lower P and K availability.
Note: If using or referring to this published study, please read and quote the original paper.
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Breathe life into your service familySchedule Appointment
Work with Corie
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Life-Giver.org
I’m looking forward to working with you!
Corie Weathers, LPC, NCC
Founder/Owner of Lifegiver
Email Corie
The information below is intended to help with your event or publication. If you need additional information, please email or download a more detailed press kit here.
Corie Weathers, licensed professional counselor (LPC), is a sought-after speaker, consultant and author of Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage. Corie has focused her career for the last 20 years as a counselor specializing in marriage, divorce, women’s issues, PTSD, and substance abuse.
In 2015, Corie was named the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® where she advocated for mental health issues and served as a media correspondent writing online and print publications, consulting for command teams, and speaking to groups on issues like PTSD, grief, and marriage. She traveled to Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to visit troops and see deployment conditions. She has also traveled across the globe teaching individuals and couples how to live, lead, find purpose, and build relationships using their natural talents.
Today, Corie is a clinical consultant, working with service organizations to enhance programs, develop better team dynamics, and write meaningful curriculum; working with organizations like The Red Cross, The Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, and Baylor University just to name a few.
After seeing the need for more competent mental health clinicians for service families, Corie created the Lifegiver Clinician Directory– a modern searchable directory and map of professionals, including civilians, military spouses, veterans, and first responders. The Lifegiver Directory provides a true win-win for families , clinicians, and service organizations needing to find referrals.
Corie is often brought in to speak on military and first responder culture, produce content through interviews and videos, emcee events as well as lead meaningful and productive facilitated sessions and retreats for families. Staying true to her roots as a military and first responder clinician, she provides services through her brand Lifegiver, home to her inspirational podcast.
Sacred Spaces Book
Lifegiver Clinician Directory
Lifegiver Podcast
Counseling Licenses
Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and Colorado
(Georgia inactive, Texas coming soon)
Service specific certifications
Certified in Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy for use in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Department of Defense Center for Deployment Psychology
Tele-HEalth
Board Certified TeleMental health Provider (BC-THP)
Certified Gallup Strengths Finder Faith Advisor 7 Habits of Highly Effective Military Families, taught by John and Jane Covey Couples Communication, taught by Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc
Facilitating Workshops
Working as a power-couple, Corie and her husband, a US military chaplain, have provided countless weekend marriage retreats for military couples and relationship retreats for single soldiers. As a part of an initiative to encourage more marriages to develop and maintain healthy, balanced marriages, Matthew and Corie have written a marriage study titled ENLIVENMarriage available on Life-giver.org. Couples of all backgrounds and maturity level, from around the globe, have joined the free study and have gone on to find great improvements in their intimacy and connection. This curriculum was written during their own deployment and is perfect for military couples who face separation frequency. As a Gallup Faith Strengths Advisor, she has traveled all over the world investing in individuals and teams who desire to know and excel in their relationships, influence, purpose, and productivity using the Gallup Strengths Finder inventory. She is regularly invited to military women’s ministry retreats as a speaker.
Corie was the Care Team Coordinator for the 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, CO. Jake Tapper’s New York Times Best-Selling Book The Outpost: the Untold Story of American Valor, documents the squadron’s historic involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom X in the Kamdesh Valley of Afghanistan, now known as the “Battle of COP Keating”. Eleven soldiers were lost during this one deployment. Since then, Corie has served Gold Star families and consulted military command and their volunteers on issues of grief, the notification process, and Care Team development. She currently serves as an Ambassador for the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation serving military and first responder families and volunteers with the Red Cross training mental health professionals to be more culturally competent in their work with military and first responders.
Commander’s Award for Public Service (May. 2019)
Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® (May 2015), Military Spouse Magazine, Armed Forces Insurance
The Honorable Order of St Joan D-Arc (Aug. 2010), United States Armor Association;
The Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher (Dec. 2011), United States Field Artillery Association;
Commander’s Award for Public Service (April 2011), 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO Department of the Army;
Commander’s Award for Public Service (Aug. 2010), Department of the Army;
Columbine Award of Excellence (May 2010), 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th ID
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Join the Lifegiver Newsletter for encouraging content
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BDSM: a new sexual orientation?
by Bay Whitaker MBACP Accredited Counsellor: couples and individuals, listed counsellor/therapist
3rd January, 2010
The term ‘sexual orientation’ is mostly used about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual (LGBT). This powerful concept - ‘sexual orientation’ - pioneered courageously by members of the LGBT community, has empowered people, within the last 50 years or so, to think of themselves as not bad, or sick, but just different.
Readers may remember that it is not all that long since homosexuality was considered a form of sickness. Until 1973 Homosexuality was listed in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a psychopathology: a form of mental illness. The underlying assumption here was that gay people had something wrong with them. While there are of course still individuals who think this, it is no longer generally seen in this way, at least in the USA and UK.
Most people have heard of S&M, or SM (in case you’re one of the few who hasn’t, it stands for Sadism and Masochism). Fewer have heard of D/s (domination and submission), but the most comprehensive acronym which is in general use by those who take part in these activities is BDSM (the B is for bondage). If you google BDSM you will find a lot of porn websites, some community sites run by members of the BDSM community, sites of suppliers of BDSM gear (fetish clothing, specialist fetters and restraints, whips and so on).
However for those looking for serious research into the prevalence and experience of people who indulge in BDSM with consenting adults, there is not very much around. And yet these practices seem quietly to be sneaking their way into our consciousness, with a growing stream of articles and documentaries which, while they are not serious academic work, are also not purely porn. The internet, TV and mainstream magazines are providing media for people who are perfectly nice, and ‘ordinary’ (whatever that means) to reveal that they get off on BDSM activities. In these articles and TV shows, participants generally don’t seem to feel there’s anything wrong with them, or that they have anything to apologise for about their sexual practices. Having said that, most BDSM-ers feel uncertain about how they might be judged for their activities by, say, employers, friends, health professionals and family. In effect, then, it seems many BDSM-ers think of themselves as not sick, but as having a different sexual orientation.
If we think of BDSM as a sexual orientation then what are the implications of this? The following is a rough list.
• BDSM is not proof of some kind of emotional damage (e.g. trauma or abusive parenting)
• People cannot be counselled or otherwise ‘treated’ out of being into BDSM
• People should not be discriminated against for being into BDSM
• People are not in some way ‘ill’ if they are into BDSM
• People are not in some way ‘bad’ if they are into BDSM
Those who do see BDSM as a form of sickness can still find support in the DSM, where activities involving, for example ‘the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner’ are classified as a paraphilia: a form of mental disorder. But this is a grey area because there is a systematic ambiguity about whether ‘suffering’ or ‘humiliation’ within a mutually consensual roleplay situation is what is meant here. The BDSM players who are on our TV screens, or internet sites, or who are running businesses around BDSM are talking about exactly this mutually consensual game, as opposed to real, non-consensual torture or humiliation.
For therapists who may encounter clients who present with BDSM-related issues, I invite you to consider the bullet points above, and to see if any of these statements conflicts with attitudes you may have held about BDSM. I invite you to entertain the idea of BDSM as a sexual orientation.
About Bay Whitaker
I have ten years' experience in private practice and have worked with many issues. Particularly interested in working with clients who have alternative sexualities, especially BDSM. I am a kink-knowledgeable counsellor and work in a non-pathologizing way with varieties of sexual and gender difference.
In addition I am experienced in work with trauma and abuse, depression and rel… Read more
Located in Sheffield.
View profileEmail meCall me07546271425
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How to make barista-quality coffee without spending a ton on an espresso machine
Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the low to mid-70s.
During May, sunshine plays a very important role in how high the temperature can reach. By early afternoon on Friday, Meriden had several hours of sunshine and the temperature climbed to 78 degrees and Hartford had topped off at 76 degrees. However, just a few miles to the north where the clouds refused to part, Bradley Airport was 64 degrees. It wasn’t until the late-day sunshine that Bradley hit the 70-degree mark. It will be mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the low to mid-70s. Instead of a lack of sun today, coastal areas will likely hold to the 60s because of a sea breeze.
— Gary Lessor
Wintry mix expected over the weekend
Very chilly temperatures for Tuesday
Roads and parking bans clearing Sunday morning, after Connecticut’s first snowstorm of 2020
Mix of clouds and sun Sunday as storm clears away
Snow on the way
Middletown Native, Missionary In Mozambique Since 2007, Dies Unexpectedly At 41
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BASEBALL: Eastern heads into Diamond semis
Two big innings helped the Vikings knock off Cherry Hill West
BASEBALL: Eastern heads into Diamond semis Two big innings helped the Vikings knock off Cherry Hill West Check out this story on courierpostonline.com: https://on.cpsj.com/1TN2Kw7
Kevin Minnick, @cp_varsity Published 8:52 p.m. ET May 28, 2016 | Updated 9:00 a.m. ET May 29, 2016
Eastern shortstop Steve Love fires to first for an out in Saturday's victory over Cherry Hill West in a Diamond Classic quarterfinal.(Photo: Kevin Minnick/Staff photographer)Buy Photo
Eastern will face Olympic American rival Lenape in Sunday's semifinals
Jake Cudeyro delivered a key RBI triple to highlight Eastern's five-run fourth
VOORHEES - After its first-round playoff loss, the Eastern High School baseball team could have packed it in.
By the way they played Saturday, the Vikings certainly proved it wouldn’t be the case.
STAYIN' ALIVE: Gloucester Catholic reaches Diamond Classic semis
With plenty still left to play for, Eastern bunched together all of its runs between the fourth and fifth innings en route to an 8-1 victory over Cherry Hill West in the quarterfinals of the 43rd annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic.
“There are a lot of things as a coach that you have to reinforce with your players,” Eastern’s Rob Christ said. “There are many things to play for. We feel if we win the Diamond Classic, we’ll be the No. 1 team in South Jersey. That’s a lot to play for.
“We’re in a great situation. At the beginning of the year, if you tell the team all they have to do is win a few baseball games to be considered the best then there should be no greater motivation.”
After knocking off one of their Olympic American rivals in West, the Vikings (19-7) will face another in Lenape (15-7). The two will square off in one semifinal Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. at Eastern. The winner will meet the survivor of Gloucester Catholic-Clearview for the title at Eastern beginning at 5 p.m.
Lenape defeated St. Joseph 7-5 in another quarterfinal matchup.
MAKING AN IMPACT: Evan Giordano playing beyond his years
“We had a tough loss against Toms River North (in South Jersey Group 4), so nothing is better than battling back and getting another win,” said Eastern first baseman Frank Pallante, who went 2-for-3. “We had a lot of fight and battled.”
Eastern scored five runs in the fourth inning on three hits. Jake Cudeyro’s RBI triple drove in Pallante to tie the score at 1-1, while Steve Love’s RBI groundout drove in Cudeyro with what proved to be the winning run.
“After my first at-bat, I didn’t have a very good approach,” Cudeyro said. “I was trying to stay inside and hit it the other way. That’s what I did.”
Said Christ: “It’s a bunt situation, but Jake has a lot of potential. He hasn’t been in the lineup a lot, but when he’s been in there he’s come up with big hits in big situations. I let him see a pitch. If he sees his pitch, I’m going to let him rip. It paid off.
“I always believe you have to trust your players. You’ve seen them before perform in big spots and Jake obviously did that.”
Davis Schneider would add an RBI single in the outburst with two other runs scoring on an error and wild pitch.
Tyler Travis collected a two-run single to highlight a three-run fifth.
“Our guys tried to do a little too much,” West coach Dan McMaster said. “We made an error here and there and John (Stankiewicz) tried to do a little too much. We just couldn’t get back ahead of it.
“When you play one of the top teams in South Jersey on their field you have to play perfect baseball to get a win.”
West (16-7) collected its lone run in the third when Nick DiVietro (triple) scored on a Jake Azar ground out.
Dan Beebe went the distance for Eastern. The Vikings will face Lenape in Sunday's semifinals. (Photo: Kevin Minnick/Staff photographer)
Dan Beebe picked up the win, his seventh of the season. The senior right-hander went the distance, striking out six and scattering five hits.
“Dan has been great all year long,” Christ said. “He’s just so solid, someone you can count on. You know when he pitches that he’s going to give you everything he has. But more importantly, he’s going to be effective. He’s kept us in every single game.”
Said Beebe: “This was huge. The defense really helped me a lot and it puts us in a great situation. We’ve got all the momentum.
“The whole season, our energy has been unreal. After we lost that first-round playoff game, we set our eyes on the Diamond Classic. We had nothing to lose, so we just went out and played our best.”
Kevin Minnick; (856) 486-2424; kminnick@gannettnj.com
EASTERN 8
C.H. WEST 1
Big inning: Eastern scored five runs on three hits and two errors in the home half of the fourth inning.
Trifecta: Jake Cudeyro’s RBI triple highlighted the fourth-inning outburst.
Well said: “Our energy wasn’t that good. After that, we came to life and played the way we usually do.” – Jake Cudeyro on his triple.
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Moorestown native T.J. Brennan and Flyers appear headed for breakup
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Why trucks roll over
By: The Ed
The NZ Transport Agency and Road Transport Forum are spearheading a programme to reduce the amount of truck rollovers. The Ed went along to a seminar to find out more.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it seems that a week doesn’t go by without some news of a truck rollover somewhere around the country. Over the recent past it seems that a disproportionate number of incident reports stem from the Northland area, however the rest of the country is certainly not immune to this phenomena.
It did seem fitting though that the initiative to educate drivers about why their trucks roll over started at the top of the country and now four weeks (and 28 sessions) later it is being presented to a group of around 25 drivers along with a couple of hangers-on like myself at the NZ Trucking Association headquarters in Christchurch.
With another 22 sessions to go before facilitator Jeff Fleury hits the target of 50 presentations, it’s pretty obvious that he’s now well settled into the routine, as he introduces himself and backgrounds the seminars, their purpose, and how they came about in the first place.
Having past occupations as a motor mechanic and inspector with the CVIU (Commercial Vehicles Inspection Unit), based in the lower part of the South Island; the qualifications and work experience make Fleury well qualified to impart his knowledge, which he does in a clear, no-nonsense manner that engages the audience in what he describes at times as a ‘mum and dad talk’.
Along with a number of images from actual incidents, Fleury says that there is one main reason why a truck rolls over – speed into a corner. While that answer is pretty obvious to most of us, there are a large number of factors that contribute to a rollover which is the reason why the group has gathered on a cold winter’s night for a couple of hours; to find out more about the technical details, this being primarily done by returning to some basic high school physics.
To keep a rig’s stability as it negotiates a bend in the road, some key factors are: speed, centre of gravity, track width, suspension, and tyres. Also thrown into the mix for good measure are the types of vehicle combinations, which in New Zealand and Australia are different to many parts of the world.
"Additionally, there are more hills, bridges, corners and fewer divided highways per 100 kilometres of roadway than most developed countries, so professional drivers have really got their work cut out for them," says Fleury.
Centre of gravity
The laws of nature are what conspire to keep a vehicle on a road – or off a road as the case may be. Foremost to this is understanding a bit about the centre of gravity, which is critical to staying on the tarmac. Obviously, the higher the centre of gravity, the more likely a vehicle is to overturn.
Fleury’s demonstration is cleverly done by comparing a truck’s trailer to that of a yacht and it’s plain to see that the trailer’s deck is like yacht without a keel – and therefore pretty easy to roll on its side if all the weight is sitting above the ‘water’. Trailers have very little weight below the ‘waterline’, whereas a truck can be a bit more difficult to put on its side as there is the engine, gearbox, and diffs to provide a greater degree of stability – or act as a keel, one could say.
"Generally, the trailer will go first and this will take the truck with it," says Fleury.
Speaking to some of the truckies during a break, a couple are of the opinion that the numerous comforts in trucks these days contribute to the amount of rollovers as they delay a driver’s reaction time.
"By the time the air suspension transfers what’s happening through the truck to the air-ride seat, the truck is already gone," quips one driver, while another suggests that he never had a TK Bedford roll over on him as he felt every bump and curve on the road.
Turning and centrifugal force
Other contributors to truck rollovers that Fleury speaks about are the turning force and centrifugal force; the former is induced by the driver as they turn the steering wheel, and the latter slides your packet of Burger Rings across the dash and out of reach. The way that the turning force is handled by the driver makes a truck more or less stable and as we have all learnt from past experience, driving through a corner too fast creates excess centrifugal force, which causes the vehicle’s weight to move to the outside of a turn.
Certificate of Loading
A report by NZTA says that 15 percent of vehicles with a SRT (or Static Roll Threshold as it is correctly called) of less than 0.35g were involved in 40 percent of rollover crashes and Fleury makes no apology for the CVIU pulling a vehicle off the road if the load on board exceeds its Certificate of Loading.
Importantly, these labels refer to a SRT and it is imperative that anyone who calls themself a professional driver understands what these important labels on their rigs mean as they tell how much weight can be carried and how high it can be stacked. It also tells a driver how many ‘Gs’ the vehicle will withstand before it will roll.
Keeping it 10 below
While these numbers and acronyms can sound a bit daunting to a lot of people, Fleury says that there is one very easy way to ensure a driver keeps their rig upright when cornering.
"If drivers keep it 10km/h below the recommended advisory signs on corners, they’ll be upright when they exit the corner."
He’s not just saying this off the cuff though. Roadside advisory signs are calculated with a recommended speed that reflects a maximum of 0.22g of sideways acceleration following a constant, steady path at the posted speed through the corner. So, if you keep it 10 below the posted speed, then chances are you’ll be home for dinner that night.
Fleury does an excellent job at presenting these sessions so that they are easy to understand. I have only touched on just some of the topics that were covered in the two-hour seminar and while we all know why trucks roll over it’s really good to know w-h-y they roll over.
The NZTA and RTF will present the session for free to any group of drivers. With over 1200 people already better informed about truck rollovers, my suggestion is that you get your business to make contact with them to find our more. No one is ever too old to learn.
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Home Tags Royal Moroccan Air Force
Tag: Royal Moroccan Air Force
Morocco requests huge weapons and ammunition sale from the US
defenceWeb - 13th Sep 2019
Morocco has requested the sale of ammunition and weapons worth nearly a billion dollars from the United States, including anti-tank missiles and armament for...
Morocco seeking two ex-US C-130H Hercules transports
defenceWeb - 31st Jul 2019
Morocco has requested the transfer of two C-130H Hercules transport aircraft from the United States under its Excess Defence Articles (EDA) programme. The proposed grant...
Morocco requests $250 million F-16 sustainment contract
defenceWeb - 28th Jun 2019
Morocco has requested a $250.4 million support package from the United States for its F-16 fleet, which would include spares, training and logistics support. The...
Morocco looking to purchase additional F-16s, upgrade existing fleet
defenceWeb - 26th Mar 2019
The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) is looking to acquire an additional batch of F-16 Fighting Falcons from the United States and upgrade its...
Moroccan CH-47 Chinooks arrive home
defenceWeb - 17th Aug 2015
The Royal Moroccan Air Force's three new refurbished CH-47D Chinook transport helicopters arrived in Morocco on Saturday, after being transported from the...
Successful Ex African Lion held in Morocco
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New African military profile: Morocco
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The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces outclass most militaries in Africa but are hampered by corruption, strict control by King Mohammed VI and...
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Moroccan Air Force orders combat training systems
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Cubic Defense Systems has been awarded a $5 million contract to supply its P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) to the Royal Moroccan...
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De Hondsrug
UNESCO Global Geopark
Of all ages...
The Hondsrug Global UNESCO Geopark
Eten, slapen en meer
Informatie voor ondernemers
Geologie lezingen
The power of the Hondsrug
What is a Geopark?
A unique ice age landscape
In 2010 an initiative was started in the Hondsrug area to focus more attention on the story of the land and the people of the Hondsrug. The idea germinated to turn the Hondsrug area into a Geopark. In September 2013 the area acquired the status of Global Geopark, making it the first of its kind in the Netherlands.
The Global Geopark Network
Around the year 2000 four European regions, each with its own unique geological and cultural history, took the initiative to form a Geopark network. These were the Eifel in Germany, the island of Lesbos in Greece, the Haute Provence in France and the Maestrazgo region of South East Spain. There are now 66 Geoparks in Europe and around 130 worldwide.
The worldwide network is acknowledged by UNESCO and has received a separate status within the UNESCO organisation.
Map with European Geoparks
Unesco Global Geopark.
On the 17th of november 2015 the general assemblee of the UNESCO decided to award 120 Geoparks, including the Hondsrug area, the UNESCO status, so the parks can call themselves a UNESCO Global Geopark. The UNESCO status is a special recognition and is expected to provide a strong impulse for the tourist trade and economic activities. The Netherlands has currently only one Global Geopark, the Hondsrug, straddling the provinces Groningen and Drenthe. The award of the UNESCO status is a strong encouragement for the Hondsrug communities. The UNESCO label will have a positive effect on the attractiveness of the area, which will also have economic spin-offs. All Geoparks are a member of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN), an international platform for cooperation.
To get an impression of the world-wide network of Global Geoparks, click this link.
The status of UNESCO Global Geopark is awarded for a period of four years. Every four years the status area will be re-validated and prolonged after a positive result. The Hondsrug Geopark has been re-validated for the first time in 2017.
Impact on the Hondsrug area
The award of the UNESCO status has been very well received. World-wide experience shows that the UNESCO label strongly increases the touristic attractiveness of an area, with positive effects on the local economy.
Read more European Geoparks
Read more Global Geoparks
Masterplan, a plan for 10 years
The Hondsrug UNESCO Global Geopark Foundation
Stichting De Hondsrug UNESCO Global Geopark
Hunebedstraat 4A
9531 JV Borger
T (+31) 0599 725 009
info@dehondsrug.nl
Receive the newsletter of The Hondsrug UNESCO Global Geopark and stay informed.
The Hondsrug UNESCO Global Geopark
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Home » Blog » Injuries » 3 People Die In Fiery Crash Where Speed Was A Factor
3 People Die In Fiery Crash Where Speed Was A Factor
A total loss of control: That is what many survivors of rollover crashes report feeling right after such an accident. Rollover crashes are incredibly dangerous and often end in severe injuries or fatalities. NBCDFW in Dallas 5 reports that such a rollover crash on I-30 happened in the early morning of Wednesday, April 18th. The accident happened in the eastbound lanes between Dolphin Road and Eastbound Road and resulted in the deaths of three people.
A spokesperson from the Dallas Police Department said in a statement that the accident happened at approximately 2:30 a.m. as a passenger vehicle was traveling at what investigators say was an unsafe speed.
Related: Teacher Caught Up in High Speed Chase
The driver of the vehicle struck a center median and then rear-ended a semi-tractor trailer rig. The force of the crash caused the passenger vehicle to burst into flames. The vehicle then crashed into another 18 wheeler before striking a barricade on the divided highway. Three people were trapped inside the burning vehicle.
The victims in the crash have been identified as Ignacio Garcia. 36, Brian Amaya, 22, and Maria Saavedra, 21; all were declared dead at the scene. The drivers of the semi-trucks suffered only minor injuries from the accident.
While speed likely did play a role in the crash, an investigation is still being conducted to determine if impairment or other factors were also involved.
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U.S in contact with Taliban: Karzai
Former president of the country in an interview with a Russian news network said that America is in contact with the Taliban.
According to Mr. Karzai, Americans have visited and talked with the members of this group in Qatar and Pakistan and it probably continues in some other parts too.
He considered the U.S war against terrorism unsuccessful and added that Afghan authorities have also known about America’s contacts with the Taliban.
“Terrorists’ training centers are in Pakistan territory, but the people of Afghanistan are targeted by foreign raids,” ex-president of the country said.
Hamid Karzai had strongly criticized America’s policies in Afghanistan before too.
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“I am against more U.S troops in Afghanistan”
No one would survive US-Russia war: Putin
US Is Founder of Extremism in the Region: Karzai
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Politicscorruptobamaadministration
Mon Jun 11, 2018, 06:07 AM
Gunslinger201 (48,327 posts)
A skeptical chairman Grassley really, really wants to see the Michael Flynn 302
But the FBI is refusing, what are they hiding?
On Feb. 15, 2017 — that would be 16 months ago — Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked the Justice Department to turn over the transcript of fired national security adviser Michael Flynn's infamous call with the Russian ambassador, plus other documents related to the Flynn case.
The department refused.
Some of Grassley's and Feinstein's questions were answered the next month, on March 15, 2017, when the FBI's then-director, James Comey, briefed the committee on Flynn and other matters in the Trump-Russia investigation. It was at that briefing that Comey told lawmakers the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe he lied to them.
"Then-director Comey led us to believe during that briefing ... that the Justice Department was unlikely to prosecute for false statements made in that interview," Grassley wrote later.
After the March 2017 briefing, Grassley and others made the reasonable assumption that Flynn would not be charged. They were surprised on Dec. 1, 2017, when — months after the Trump-Russia investigation passed from Comey and the Justice Department to special counsel Robert Mueller — Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Last month, Grassley, this time without Feinstein, repeated his demand for the Flynn transcript, and also for the FBI's so-called 302 report, in which the agents who interviewed Flynn made extensive notes on what was said. Grassley also asked for any other notes or documents relating to the interview. And Grassley asked that the FBI make available agent Joe Pientka, one of the two agents (along with Peter Strzok) who conducted the Flynn interview.
Again, the Justice Department refused, and this time with more than a hint of impatience. In a May 29, 2018, letter to Grassley, assistant attorney general Stephen Boyd recounted details of the Flynn plea deal at length and delivered what boiled down to a simple message: Flynn pleaded guilty. You understand? He's guilty. Now stop bugging us.
"Whatever Mr. Comey may have said and whatever Mr. Flynn's demeanor," wrote Boyd to Grassley, "the evidence in the public record proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr. Flynn knowingly made false statements about contacts with the Russian ambassador." Referring to the Flynn case as a "pending criminal prosecution" — Flynn is currently awaiting sentencing — Boyd said turning over evidence to Congress could create "the reality or appearance of political interference."
If Boyd's letter was an attempt to mollify Grassley, it didn't work. And now, long after first requesting the documents, the chairman's patience appears to be running thin.
"The department's reply ... is insufficient," Grassley wrote in a June 6 response, adding that Boyd "relies on improper excuses in refusing to provide the requested information
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/a-skeptical-chairman-grassley-really-really-wants-to-see-the-michael-flynn-302?platform=hootsuite
24+ FBI Agents now want to testify to Congress about Corrupt Obama FBI Management 👍
0 replies, 254 views
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Vivian Cortes Hodz
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Our firm's philosophy is to amicably resolve every case.
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Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. is a Tampa law firm helping individuals and families throughout Hillsborough County and beyond in the areas of marital and family law. At the law office of Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A., you’ll find a team of attorneys and their professional staff eager to solve your legal problems and help you through a difficult time. Our goal is always to resolve your legal matter efficiently and effectively with your best interests in mind. With certified mediators on staff, we actively pursue collaborative approaches to conflict resolution whenever possible, but when a more aggressive is approach is called for, you can count on Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. to fight for you as needed. In the courtroom and at the negotiating table, our lawyers are creative problem-solvers and strong advocates for your needs.
A unique perspective to solving marital and family law issues
The named partners at the law firm of Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A., Vivian Cortes Hodz and Lawrence Jacob Hodz, are a husband-wife team of attorneys who work together on solving marital and family law matters for Tampa families, including divorce, child custody, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic violence and more. The two first met in law school and pursued different legal paths initially. Lawrence founded the Marital and Family Law Department as an associate attorney at a Tampa law firm before joining forces with his wife in her law firm and launching a family law and mediation practice. Vivian, meanwhile, has devoted her entire career to the practice of family law. In addition to her work advocating for her clients as a practicing family law attorney, Vivian is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator.
As parents, professionals and business owners who are both partners in law and partners in life, Lawrence and Vivian understand the challenges families face as they go through difficult times, as well as the strength and importance of family ties that continue to bind families even after the conclusion of a divorce or child custody dispute. That’s why you’ll find us focused on pre-suit mediation and collaborative divorce, and motivated to help you obtain an amicable divorce whenever possible. We also understand that a collaborative approach does not work in every situation, and we adapt as needed. Our team handles both uncontested and contested Florida divorces, and we are well-prepared to represent your interests in the areas of child custody, child support, alimony, and the property division in your divorce.
Our comprehensive family law practice is here for you post-divorce as well, including parental relocations, modifications and enforcement of court orders. We help MacDill AFB families navigate issues unique to divorce in a military family, and we are here for all your family law needs, from paternity actions to stepparent adoptions and more. Call Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. in Tampa to discuss your family law matter with our dedicated and experienced team of Florida family law attorneys.
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Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. is the law firm to call on for help with family law in Tampa and throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Members of our firm are active in Hispanic legal and professional associations in the Tampa community, and we respect the rich, cultural diversity this locality has to offer. Attorneys and staff in our office speak Spanish, and we welcome the opportunity to serve you in Spanish or English as you prefer. Call our office for an initial consultation. We offer a free case evaluation by phone so we can learn about your situation and let you know how we can help you. Weekend and evening meetings are available to fit your busy schedule or childcare needs. Call Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. today.
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DIY Network Host
Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott's Biography 01:34
Watch this video about the Property Brothers and get to know Jonathan and Drew Scott in a video biography.
23 Reasons Why We Love the Property Brothers 23 Photos
He may be one of People magazine's sexiest men alive, but we know HGTV's Jonathan Scott as one of our favorite goofballs.
Meet Jonathan's Cute Dogs
Check out photos and funny stories about Jonathan's two dogs Gracie and Stewie.
Jonathan Scott With Gracie and Stewie
"I'm spoiled as Gracie and Stewie are kind of the best hounds ever. Gracie is so laid back (maybe lazy, LOL) that you can do anything with her, take her anywhere, or put her on anything, and she'll stay put. She got the 'sit and stay' award in her training class." — Jonathan Scott, co-host of Property Brothers and Brother Vs. Brother
Photo By: Stephanie Diani / Getty Images ©2014, HGTV/Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved
"Originally I named Stewie 'Gadget,' but for the first week I had him, he was such a terror that I renamed him 'Stewie' from Family Guy. And when I bought Gracie as a puppy, I wanted a true Chihuahua name. So I tried everything from 'ChiChi' to 'Tequila,' but nothing felt right. Then a friend said she looks like a 'Gracie'...and she was right." — Jonathan Scott, co-host of Property Brothers and Brother Vs. Brother
Doggies in the Window
"Stewie never puts his guard down. He likes to know EVERYTHING that is going on. He follows me around like my shadow and loves it when I hold him upside down and scratch his belly." — Jonathan Scott, co-host of Property Brothers and Brother Vs. Brother
Take Stewie to Work Day
It looks like Jonathan even dresses his dog in plaid! "If you ask Stewie to smile, he makes this hideously adorable face to show you his teeth." — Jonathan Scott, co-host of Property Brothers and Brother Vs. Brother
John Colaneri With Brady
“He sleeps with us every night and takes up the whole bed! He loves when I say, 'Do you want a jelly belly?' He rolls over and puts his legs in the air.” — John Colaneri, co-host of Kitchen Cousins and Cousins Undercover
Posing for a family portrait, John looks as happy as can be with his beautiful wife and their sweet pup. “He acts like a human and even tries to speak to us!” — John Colaneri, co-host of Kitchen Cousins and Cousins Undercover
Ballin' Brady
Rocking a Brunelleschi Construction hat, Brady looks like he's ready to join the family business.
Gathered 'Round the Table
“He knows the names of people. I can put him in a room with friends and family and call their name out, and he goes to them.” — John Colaneri, co-host of Kitchen Cousins and Cousins Undercover
Vern Yip With Scooter, Hank, Bob and Schmoo
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Photo By: Sarah Dorio ©Courtesy of HGTV Magazine
Josh Temple With Eazy
"The name is ironic, because he was such a pain when we got him from the pound. But my wife and daughter wouldn't leave without him. Now I love my Eazy Boy." — Josh Temple, host of House Crashers
Anitra Mecadon With Jett
“Jett (a.k.a. Black Cat or JTK: Jett the Kitty) is our newest member of the family. He is IN LOVE with our dog Shiloh. Anywhere she goes, he goes. Honestly, I think that he thinks that he is a dog. When we take Shiloh out for walks, he beats on the window and screams bloody murder until we bring her back. He waits until she falls asleep and then creeps up next to her to cuddle. Shiloh is not as in love with him, so that is why he's always creeping.” — Anitra Mecadon, host of Mega Dens
Anitra With Shiloh
"Shiloh was rescued from death row. She was redlined and about to be put to sleep in an animal shelter the day we got her. She has always fought for the Alpha position in our house, so don't let her looks fool you. She's a lot like me: sweet when she wants to be, but don't get on her bad side. ;) Shiloh means "Gift From God" in Hebrew, and that's what she is to us. When we brought Shiloh home, our lives changed for the better." — Anitra Mecadon, host of Mega Dens
Anitra With Diggy
"Diggy (a.k.a. - The Infamous D.I.G) is an angel now, but I had to share this photo. It is my all-time favorite photo of what I considered to be my knight in shining armor. He was my love child, my best friend, my trusty steed. I still shed tears at the mention of his name. I know what unconditional love is because of Diggy. Jett came into my life as I had to say goodbye to Diggy. I think it was divine timing. He helped ease the pain of loss with love and craziness." — Anitra Mecadon, host of Mega Dens
Antonio Bellatore With Chewie
As a part of HGTV's Posh Pets special, Antonio Ballatore, of HGTV's The Antonio Project, and his precious pooch, Chewie, were photographed by celebrity pet photographer Grace Chon. Chewie has the pouty face down.
Photo By: Grace Chon | shinepetphotos.com
Doggie Kisses
There's just something about those cute little wrinkly faces that make English bulldogs totally kissable.
Chip Wade With Ben
"This is our favorite horse that lives in the barn at the end of the street. I don't actually own him, but he is like family." — Chip Wade, host of Elbow Room
Sabrina Soto With Harper
"When I lived in NYC, we would go to Central Park constantly! We would do the loop around the reservoir and run back home. She loves to be outside, so I'm hoping she'll love California living as much as I do." — Sabrina Soto, host of HGTV's The High Low Project
Quality Couch Time
"Harper is super smart (and I'm not just saying that because she's mine)! She knows how to give a high five and she rings a doorbell if she ever needs to go out." — Sabrina Soto, host of HGTV's The High Low Project
Danielle Bryk With Lucky Dog
"I got Lucky Dog when the kids and I were on the way to drop my husband off at the airport. He is an actor and was travelling to the Middle East for a month to shoot a movie. The kids were a bit anxious about their dad leaving for so long to such a faraway place. I thought it would be a welcome distraction to stop off and “see” some boxer puppies that I had seen on the internet. Of course when the puppy gently sat down beside my daughter and just started wagging his tail (unlike his litter-mates who were jumping all over her), we just couldn’t leave him behind. We decided to call him Lucky to remind us of just how lucky we are." — Danielle Bryk, host of A Bryk at a Time
Danielle With Ferdinand
"I have always adored English Bulldogs for their super-cute folds and their character. My husband and I told the kids we were going grocery shopping and we came back with “Ferdinand”. When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me a storybook called Ferdinand the Bull about a gentle bull who hated fighting and just wanted to sit quietly and smell the flowers. My own kids love this story, and we always knew if we got a bulldog this would be his name." — Danielle Bryk, host of A Bryk at a Time
Everybody Now
"True to his namesake, Ferdinand is the gentlest, most affectionate creature. He is one very big ball of love. He is much more stubborn than Lucky Dog, not as easy to train and a bit naughtier. He can’t help but try to jump onto the couch to get some cuddles, even though he knows he is not allowed on the furniture. And a bulldog defying gravity to get on the couch is like the bumblebee — he really physically shouldn’t be able to fly. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. He is not so concerned about other dogs, but he is deathly afraid of the vacuum." — Danielle Bryk, host of A Bryk at a Time
Jeff Devlin With Gretel and Spanky
"We started with dogs. They survived, so then we moved onto having children (kind of a test to see if we would be good parents). Then came the chickens, pigs, rabbits and turtle. There was talk the other day about adding some new members to the Devlin family (maybe some goats, but we will see)." — Jeff Devlin, host of I Hate My Bath
Jeff With Daisy Mae and Buttercup
"As far as stories go, I think the most interesting would be trying to potty train two pot-bellied pigs. I had no idea my wife had planned on keeping them in the house, and honestly I didn't even know she was bringing them home that day. I remember learning that they lived 35 years, and I almost passed out when my wife told me. They lived in the house for about a year, cuddled on the couch with the kids, and were pretty much like having two extra dogs (we already had two dogs, so I guess it felt like four). We had been using a Tupperware storage bin for their litter box. When they could no longer fit in the 4' box, we knew it was time to head outside. Our animals are treated better than most humans. They have heat, and if my wife has her way, they will have air conditioning this summer." — Jeff Devlin, host of I Hate My Bath
Chicken Selfie
"The chickens stayed in the house for the first month, because they were so fragile. (BTW baby chickens never stop chirping, NEVER!) When they were old enough, we moved them outside to their own coop. I was so nervous and excited when we got our first egg. I remember cracking it onto the frying pan and trying it. I was sure that it was going to taste horrible, or that there would be a couple throwaways since these were the first couple eggs. Well Mother Nature is awesome, and so were those eggs. We get roughly four to six eggs a day, and yes, scrambled eggs are almost always on the breakfast menu. It really has been a great pairing. I feed the chickens, and they feed us." — Jeff Devlin, host of I Hate My Bath
A Day on the Farm
"Our animals are a big part of the family and are included in all holiday cards. The kids love to tell the stories. On a warm, sunny day it is definitely a site to see at the Devlin house when the pigs, chickens, dogs and yes, even the turtle, are out playing on our hill." — Jeff Devlin, host of I Hate My Bath
Flannel Fever
Who Wore It Best? 18 Photos
Jonathan Scott and more DIY stars are working hard and looking good rocking the flannel trend.
Jonathan's Show
Mondays 9p | 8c
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story 01.06.19
Lathallan School
When it comes to Outdoor Education, Lathallan School is sector leading. For the past four years, the Aberdeenshire-based school has had the highest uptake and completion rate of all independent schools in Scotland for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The three-year average from 2015 to 2018 is unrivalled with 100% completion rate at Bronze, 76% at Silver and 22% at Gold.
The DofE is embedded in the school timetable and is delivered by Lathallan’s highly-qualified Head of Outdoor Education, James Woodhouse. His ambitious, adventurous and achievable DofE lessons make full use of the school’s unique location. Just one hundred meters from the North Sea and within an hour and a half’s drive of some of Scotland’s most iconic mountains, Lathallan’s setting and highly-driven outdoor education staff help advertise the benefits of DofE to their pupils from a very young age.
Earlier this year, the school took a group of three-year-old nursery children rock scrambling on a sea cliff and a year ago, successfully got all 28 participants to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. In September Lathallan Junior School pupils were prepared for DofE by climbing five Munros in one day, before abseiling the very next morning.
With plans to take a crew of Lathallan pupils sailing off the West Coast of Scotland in 2019 and an eagerly-anticipated Naples to Athens sail scheduled for 2020, James Woodhouse firmly believes in setting the bar high for pupils participating in the DofE.
He said: “Young people are far more capable than we as adults remember or understand. The only reason a young person limits themselves, is because the adults limit them. As you grow up, you forget what it is like to be a child.
“Children at Lathallan engage with outdoor learning very early on. We have two eighty meter on-site zip-wires that are used by children of all ages, including the nursery pupils.”
“We try to remove psychological barriers and fear and give parents an insight into how capable their children are. By the time the children turn 14 they are far more eager to sign up to start their DofE journey.”
James Woodhouse has been mountaineering for 30 years. His experience with DofE is augmented by his direct involvement with the John Muir Award and his role as Technical Advisor for the National Navigation Award Scheme. Pupils benefit from all three, with the pinnacle of Lathallan’s recent success their 2017 Mount Kilimanjaro expedition – where all 28 participants, staff, pupils and parents reached the top.
He added: “We started off with twenty- eight at the foot of Kilimanjaro and all made it to the top. When you consider an estimated 50,000 people attempt it every year but many don’t reach the top, that’s an incredible achievement.
“I place a lot of value on DofE. It is a big player in the outdoor world and it’s hugely beneficial for children and young people to achieve DofE success. Having curricular time in the school day for DofE, helping pupils with eDofE and finding volunteering opportunities all can facilitate success.
Ultimately, however, if you are incredibly enthusiastic about DofE the children will be as well. If you’re up for it – they will be.”
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#shopedgewater
Edgewater Farmers Market
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EdgeFest Goes Green
By Ralph Wells
2018 marks the first year that EdgeFest gave a concerted effort at reducing its carbon footprint. On the customer facing end there were recycling bins for the aluminum cans that were sold during the fest. They were all cleaned by members of Edgewater Enviornmental Sustainability Project hauled off by an aluminum scrapper. But for behind the scenes, we contracted with Healthy Soil Compost to help with vendor waste. In total EdgeFest composted 325 lbs of food scraps and reduced 234 lbs of carbon emissions over the weekend.
I caught up with the founder of Healthy Soil Compost, Johnathan Scheffel, at the festival and asked him some questions about composting, his company and its mission. Here’s what he had to say…
Wells: Hey, thanks for being here with us on this hot day. If you could start by saying who you are, the name of your company and its mission?
Scheffel: Yeah, I’m Johnathan Scheffel. I run and operate Healthy Soil Compost. Really, we’re a solution to food and waste going to a landfill. We provide multiple different solutions for either residential, offices or restaurant and food services locations. So that they can start diverting food waste from going to a landfill. The Cook County landfills have closed, and the other ones near by have a life span of less than 20 years so we’re trying to bring attention and awareness to that. About 60% of what [people are]throwing away usually is compostable. It’s a big chunk that could easily be separated if there was a solution. So, we provided the bins and the pickup service. We’re just trying to bring more awareness to it
Wells: How long has Healthy Soil Compost been around and what are some other programs you offer?
Scheffel: We’ve been around for three years. It started with me on bicycle. I did a year and a half on bicycle and hauling about 6,000 lbs. a month with these big bicycle trailers. Then realized that is wasn’t sustainable to do this with only a bicycle so we adapted into a bicycle and motor vehicle hybrid system. Now we pick up about 85,000 lbs. a month of waste. We have over 500 household members that we do house hold programs for. It works like an old milk service. People sign up for a frequency and its a personalized service where they put out the bucket and we swap it out with a fresh one.
Wells: What are some of your challenges with this business?
Scheffel: Right now the challenge for any [composting business] is creating the incentive for people to do the right thing. Its more expensive to do the right thing. Landfills and landfill services are really cheap so we can’t compete with those cost. What we are trying to communicate that it’s an investment into the future and an investment into a long term solution. Its more upfront money but its because its more valuable and more labor to do all that we’re doing.
Wells: What do you guys do with all the compost material?
Scheffel: We’re a pick-up service and we work directly with a processor that breeds earth worms and they also develop urban farms. They’re called Nature’s Little Recyclers. Their goal is to buy up vacant land in the city and use organic waste to rehabilitate the soil cause a lot of soil is contaminated in the city. So we’re recycling the compost into soil to use for land.
Wells: Why use earth worms?
Scheffel: Earth worms are amazing creatures that have been around way longer than humans and can eat half their body weight a day and anything once living. There are over 7,000 species but we work with one, the “Red Wiggler”. They also use bacteria and fungus to help break down the food waste.
Wells: What advice would you have for small businesses that are stuck in a wasteful way of doing business.
Scheffel: It’s a good question. Food services margins are really low, so to pay more for waste that’s not giving you anything back in return, even though landfills never give you anything back either, it’s hard to change your system and adopt to something new. Especially with the stigma of health code violations or that separating food would be more problematic. I say try to invest in the change because when the change happens you’re going to be more set up already rather than being forced in to it. Landfill cost will go up because they’re filling up. It’s like what happened to email: No one used it for a long time then ten years later everybody is using email. We’re at that stage where a lot of people don’t see the importance yet but its right around the corner.
FitPop Edgewater
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Edgewater Chamber of Commerce
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info@edgewater.org
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Diesel Scrappage – What Will The Effect Be?
As a specialist in HGV driver training and haulage recruitment, we pride ourselves in bringing you the very latest HGV news as quickly as possible. We’ve covered self-driving HGVs, electric HGVs and even the national driver shortage. Today, we bring you the latest blow to the HGV industry straight from the government itself – a total ban on diesel! Yes, the government announced its plans to scrap diesel by 2040 and remove all diesel vehicles from the road by this date as well. But why ban diesel at all, and what impact will this have on the haulage industry in the years to come?
So Why Scrap Diesel?
It is well known now that diesel is a heavy pollutant. That’s why environmental secretary Michael Gove announced the government’s plan to scrap diesel as a part of a greater move to tackle air pollution across the UK. As far as we know right now, the ban only refers to cars and vans and will not only prevent diesel vehicles from being sold in the future but require all drivers of them to switch to more eco-friendly or petrol vehicles. But that doesn’t mean HGV drivers can breathe a big sigh of relief. It is highly likely that HGVs will be tackled in an entirely different regulation set – especially since HGVs are one of the heaviest pollutants on the road. But for now, it isn’t clear on what the plan for HGVs is and what the transition process will be.
What we do know is that if diesel vehicles are completely banned, thousands of haulage companies will need to replace their current vehicles with a new, environmentally friendly fleet. This is not a cheap ask, particularly to larger firms. We already know of some businesses that are starting to switch to eco-friendly vehicles, but they are few and far between since low emission HGVs are fairly cost prohibitive. On top of that, there is no news about whether firms will be compensated for the replacement process.
We do know that there is already a compensation plan for car and van drivers under the diesel scrappage plan. Car drivers will be offered between £1000 and £2000 as an incentive to make the switch to an eco-friendly vehicle. For van drivers, there is an extra incentive – van drivers will be able to hire bigger vehicles if they switch to an eco-friendly vehicle. But since eco-friendly HGVs aren’t widely available on the market, we don’t know if a similar scheme will be available to haulage firms when the time comes.
But for now, diesel and diesel vehicles are still perfectly legal and will be for many years to come. In order to start some positive change for the environment sooner, the government has introduced new regulations. These regulations involve charging diesel vehicles extra to use roads, park and even increase diesel fuel prices, with the aim to drive diesel vehicles off the road beforehand. This measure is called the T-charge (or Toxicity Charge) and will come into effect on the 1st of October this year. A far cry from Blair’s claims that diesel is better for the environment than petrol, diesel drivers will now find themselves heavily penalised for their choice of fuel.
The debate over the implications and moving to a 0 diesel motoring industry are still ongoing. The plans are not yet finalised and are still being discussed in Parliament at the moment. At CPC Training, we will be bringing you updates and discussion around the diesel scrappage scheme as and when they are announced. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss HGV emissions or fuel with us, get in touch with us today.
Published August 16, 2017 and last updated on August 31, 2017 by Charlotte Haye
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Chautauqua Region Community Foundation
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New tools for web design and development: September 2012
So many good things appeared in September that Mark Penfold couldn't bear to cut the list down to the traditional 10. Here are 11 top utilities for building on the web.
It's a real mixed bag this month. IDEs, prototyping tools, visual effects, slide shows … there doesn't seem to be any obvious connection. But the tendency for tools to incorporate some degree of playing-field levelling remains evident.
For example, a mobile framework that enables you to 'code once' – and in JavaScript, no less. Prototyping tools with components for multiple platforms, IDEs that facilitate rather than getting in the way of fluid development. An important goal for each of these projects is to iron out some of the web's wrinkles so you can focus on solving real problems not re-inventing the wheel.
Stand-out performance though, has to go to Microsoft for WebMatrix 2. Not just because it's a strong piece of kit but because it puts so much of the PC giant's other output into sharp relief. And yes, IE, that still means you.
01. Adobe Edge Tools
Price: Free-£57/month+VAT
Flash-like animation tools for HTML, a tasty new code editor and a super-useful mobile testing environment. The plan behind Adobe's ongoing beta program becomes clear at last with the release of Edge Tools as part of the software firm's new Creative Cloud proposition.
Though Edge code is still a little rough around the edges, it does have one winning addition in the shape of Edge fonts – an interface to Adobe's free selection of web fonts. Accessed via your CSS code, hinting this is well worth checking out, it makes typography for the web seem almost natural.
The Creative Cloud itself is Adobe's new subscription model for all its software. From the Creative Suite to its development and publishing tools, everything is on tap so your kitbag can morph with the projects you're working on. Nice idea – and the web tools are available on the free plan, as it stands.
Edge Code gives you the most natural interface for web typography
02. tiltShift.js
If you've been watching television lately, you'll have noticed there's this strange obsession with depth of field going on. And in particular an effect called 'tilt shift', which gives the picture a kind of miniaturised feel.
The original treatment requires some expensive camera equipment but now you can achieve a similar effect with nothing more than a bit of fancy CSS.
Admittedly it only works on Chrome and Safari 6, but tiltShift.js hits the spot if you're looking to give your images an expensive 'on location' feel. It's a jQuery plug-in though, so you'll need to be running that particular library for this to work at all.
tiltShift.js. Are they tiny or just far away?
03. rvl.io
The fine art of slide show presentation is in danger of falling into disrepute. It can take a while to create something nice, even with the power of Microsoft or Apple behind you. But rvl.io, an online interface to reveal.js, makes the process an absolute doddle. Whether your holiday snaps are thrilling enough to keep the party going is another matter.
If you want to take your rvl.io slideshow with you, you'll need to have a local copy of reveal.js and do a bit of copy/paste work but once that's done you're free to export to PDF and edit with markdown. You could alternatively just publish and make a link available.
Export that show and take it on the road with rvl.io
04. Microsoft WebMatrix 2
It's easy to use, yet has a monstrous amount of functionality crammed into its nicely unified UI and manages to provide plenty of help (almost) without becoming intrusive. As a web development all-rounder WebMatrix 2 is little short of a triumph.
Since beta release MS has been busy building in support for the kind of technology that the kids are crazy about these days. Consequently, WebMatrix 2 is one of the nicest places to play around with Node.js, it has a massive warehouse full of off-the-shelf projects such as Joomla, DotNetNuke and so on, and supplies all the necessaries for a simple .NET project, should that be your cup of tea.
This being a Microsoft scheme, it would have to have a few quirks of use, for instance a slightly over-zealous code hinting system – but overall it's excellent. And it's free!
WebMatrix has a bewildering library of off-the-shelf projects ready to go
05. Moscrif
Moscrif is an impressive piece of kit. Using a hybridised JavaScript you can code up your game or app once within the system's IDE, and then deploy to just about every mobile device going: iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Bada …
The hybridising of JavaScript is actually quite sensible – providing the language with constructs such as real class declarations makes object-oriented development that much simpler. And probably also makes translating the resulting code into Objective-C, Java and so on considerably easier.
There's still a learning curve involved, but everything is in place for that: tutorials, docs, forum and so on. If you're thinking about getting into mobile development and have a reasonable grasp of JavaScript and object-oriented programming it's worth checking out. Shame there's not a more challenging proof of concept in the app store though.
Moscrif aims to abstract away the platform leaving you free to create once for mobile devices
06. Moqups
There are plenty of wireframing apps out there, and moqups is up there with the best of them. It's not super-advanced, but that's why it works. Putting together a few ideas takes minutes.
There's no real set-up to speak of, just load the site and you're off! Drag and drop your components, adding detail as you go. Then when you have something worth sharing, either fire off an email with the URL or download as PDF/PNG.
Plans are afoot for a paid version of the app, but functionality as it stands will remain free.
Moqups is just champing at the bit to get your prototype up and running
07. FluidUI
Price: Free-$129/month
Fluid UI gives you a very broad set of brushes for creating your mobile mockups. You can keep them generic, or switch over to one of the device-specific component libraries to give your projects an element of 'in the field' realism.
Creating screens is accomplished by drag and drop, with a settings toolbar that follows you around as you edit components and views. Screens can then be linked via hotspots to give a semblance of interactivity.
There's an in-browser preview, but the coolest thing is an iPhone/Android app for previewing screens on-device. FluidUI is free if you just want to develop a single limited project.
FluidUI has component libraries for most of the major device platforms
08. Processing 2.0 beta
Processing's 2.0 release maintains the arts-oriented coding ambitions of the original project but makes a few important technical changes – most notably a shift towards OpenGL as a graphics solution and Processing.js as a web-based interface.
Processing has been around for more than a decade now. Long enough to develop a loyal following and a good selection of tutorials, documentation and expansion libraries.
So, for those with an interest in data visualisation, this is perfect time to pick up Processing for the first time: the educational materials are there; the web is beginning to come into focus now that applets are being abandoned and systems' underlying architecture is no longer on a divergent track.
Noodling raised to the level of art: Processing is still going strong after a decade
09. StatusCake
Site maintenance or server disruption, there could be any number of reasons why a site might be down. But unless you hear about it there's nothing you can do to fix the situation. And there's nothing worse than hearing things have gone south from clients and their unhappy users.
Enter StatusCake, a simple system that monitors sites continuously at intervals as frequent as every five minutes, notifying you either by mail, SMS (if you have credits) or via a Chrome extension when something goes wrong. You can also hook up the monitor to either Boxcar or Pushover apps for the iPhone.
Accounts come with an API key too, so if you want to do something exciting with the collected service data, you can.
StatusCake: Making sure you are first on the scene when a site goes down
10. Monitor Backlinks
The backlink, one of the foundation stones of search engine rankings and consequently something you'll want to keep an eye on if your clients are anything other than extremely laissez faire. Thankfully, Monitor Backlinks has got your back in this respect.
Free accounts monitor only 10 backlinks, while the pay plans start at a much more sensible 100. Whatever you decide to go for, the simple backlink search is enough to get you thinking. There are frequently some glaring omissions, which you can get on the case remedying.
Keeping tabs on the quid pro quo
11. Sweet.js
Not everyone gets on super-well with JavaScript, particularly those who come from other programming styles – notably object oriented ones such as Java. JS has it's own way of going about things – and yes, you probably should learn to work idiomatically – but sometimes you just miss being able to declare a class with a call to 'class'. Sweet.js enables you to do this and other nifty hacks.
Sweet is a Node module, so you'll need Node and npm installed to get the system working. Create your macros by calling macro then defining, for example, a new way to declare functions. Once you've got your macro, use it throughout your code and call the SJS binary from the Terminal to compile this into regular JS.
Even if you don't choose to customise the syntax, Sweet could provide a nice way to write much more readable code.
One simple macro and you can write OO code like in the good old days ...
If you have come across any cool tools recently that haven't made our list, but you think they should have, please let us know in the comments.
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Failed Experiments: Experimenter and The Stanford Prison Experiment
Peter Sarsgaard as Stanley Milgram in Experimenter: The Stanley Milgram Story.
In May 1961, Stanley Milgram, a psychology professor at Yale University, first paired two randomly chosen subjects, a “teacher” and a “learner,” supposedly to study the effect of punishment on memory. The learner sat in a separate room with wires on his forearm, the teacher at a box equipped with switches set to ascending voltages. The teacher read a series of word matches, and the subject was to repeat random matches from memory. An official-looking man in a lab coat instructed the teacher to administer a shock if the learner was incorrect, and to raise the voltage for each successive error. From the learner’s room, very soon, came cries of pain, pleas for release, and finally silence. Only then was the teacher told that the shocks had been false, the learner an actor, and the experiment a ruse to see if and to what extent ordinary people would inflict pain under orders. Ultimately, 65 percent of the teachers went to the highest shock level, while an even larger number went at least to the “dangerous” level.
Ten years later, Philip Zimbardo, a psychology professor at Stanford University, randomly divided a group of college-age males into “guards” and “prisoners.” A mock prison—three cells, a hallway “yard,” a closet “hole”—was constructed in the bowels of an academic building; the cells were bugged and the hallway surveilled by video. The prisoners were arrested, fingerprinted, taken blindfolded to the prison, stripped, deloused, and dressed in loose smocks sewed with ID numbers. The guards were given opaque sunglasses, matching uniforms, and nightsticks. Within a day, guards had begun to mistreat prisoners verbally and psychologically. Within three days, prisoners were showing signs of extreme stress; two had to be released early. The abuse escalating, Zimbardo shut it all down. A study intended to run two weeks had to be terminated after six days.
By some odd coincidence, the professors who designed and supervised the two most alarming experiments in postwar American psychology were classmates at the same Bronx high school. It’s also coincidence, seemingly, that this year’s Sundance Film Festival hosted the premiers of dramatic films based on both men’s work. The Stanford Prison Experiment was released in July, while Experimenter: The Stanley Milgram Story is just out. Admirably tackling the question posed to filmmakers by any fascinating real-life event—How do I make a movie out of this?—each tries to wrest narrative and metaphor from scientific inquiry, closed environments, and base human tendency. Presumably the releases were staggered to prevent the films from canceling each other out, but their only real overlap is the disturbing nature of the results examined in each. (And, I suppose, those long-ago Bronx classrooms.)
Billy Crudup and Olivia Thirlby in The Stanford Prison Experiment.
Written and directed by Michael Almereyda, and starring Peter Sarsgaard, Experimenter is an interiorized quasi-fantasy that spans decades and treats its subject as a species of artist whose experimental “works” have a discernible thematic unity. Tonally it veers between the objective, the surreal, and the slightly off-kilter; Milgram often breaks space and time to address us directly, sometimes about future events—even his own death. Conversely, Stanford, directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez and starring Billy Crudup, is, save for the occasional resort to slow motion or surging music, straight docudrama. Its progress is strictly linear, and both narrative and aesthetic work toward a realism that insists on period accuracy while allowing for plot complications which, although factual, nonetheless fulfill the docudrama template.
As approaches to the filming of history, psychology, and the experimental paradigm, the movies could hardly be more different. Take the beards. Sarsgaard, as the middle-aged Milgram, wears facial hair that looks, literally, like a carpet clipping pasted to his jaw. Framed from behind, Sargaard glances to the right, then to the left, so that we may see the thing from both angles: clearly the falsehood is being foregrounded. Conceivably, that choice speaks to the principle of deception—upon which Milgram’s obedience experiment depended completely, and later experiments somewhat; but if the false beard is meant to so speak, it gives the wrong answer to the right question, inasmuch as the obedience experiment depended on successful deception (or what Milgram thought of as revelatory illusion, as in a play). In Stanford, on the other hand, Crudup’s Zimbardo sports a jet-black Van Dyke just as convincingly true to 1971 style as the wide neckties and abstract-expressionist office art. His beard, unlike Milgram’s, is just another piece of realism.
Experimenter presents us with several similar puzzles: the rear-projection of monochromatic, one-dimensional backdrops in dialogue scenes; the casting which calls out first-rate, too-little-seen actors like Anthony Edwards and John Leguizamo for brief appearances in generic roles; the recurrence, in different contexts, of “Some Enchanted Evening” as suggestive soundtrack; the appearance of Lori Singer as one character early on and a different, random and unrelated character later; the silent but full-size elephant that repeatedly stalks Milgram down a hallway as he lectures the camera. Though at first these seem mere obscurantist touches, bits of artful perversity, there’s actually very little about Experimenter that can’t be at least theoretically tied to a theme the film seems to track—themes, again, of deception; of interaction between strangers; of the reality-fantasy hybrid that might constitute a brilliant experimenter’s normal state of mind; of what Milgram calls the “common human complaint—the feeling that we’re all cut off, alienated, and alone.” But none of this feels very weighty, either in the moment or later, when the pieces are connected in the mind. The connections are clever; they make you work a bit; they explain a lot. But the film, instead of being tightened by them, stays slack in the memory. It’s the difference between “Oh, right” and “Oh … right.”
Winona Ryder and Peter Sarsgaard.
Experimenter is imaginative without being audacious, explicable without being coherent. Though clearly driven by fascination and a desire to understand, Almereyda doesn’t reach a real reckoning with his subject. My only previous exposure to him was the documentary William Eggleston in the Real World (2005), about the Memphis photographer—another portrait of a creative eccentric who sees the extraordinary in the ordinary. But this fantasized Milgram is too indistinct to center his own portrait the way Eggleston did his (mostly by mumbling and shuffling). That’s partly because there’s too much that Almereyda’s screenplay touches on without really shaping—such as the filming of The Tenth Level, a horrible 1975 TV movie starring William Shatner as a shock experimenter and Ossie Davis as his faculty ally, on which Milgram served as consultant. These recreations (with Kellan Lutz as Shatner and Dennis Haysbert as Davis) add nothing but pop-culture whimsy, Seventies camp, and a few minutes of rather vapid, indeterminate talk; apparently the episode was too good not to recreate, even if Almereyda couldn’t quite figure how to make it mean anything. Peter Sarsgaard, such a passive, abstracted actor to begin with, is another reason the movie doesn’t take hold. At his best in secondary parts in movies like Boys Don’t Cry and Garden State—where his passivity hid depths that flared up unnervingly and unexpectedly—here Sarsgaard is soft-eyed and soft-edged, muffled and passionless.
Experimenter eases the sting of Milgram’s shock with an excess of undisciplined fantasy. The Stanford Prison Experiment shuns fantasy and resolves to be hard-hitting. Apart from a brief prelude and a post-study epilogue, it is limited to the original six-day time-frame. Much of the talk is transcribed from the videotapes that documented the experiment; details of scene, costume, and hairstyle are assiduously observed. Acting and dialogue are naturalistic. The pace is that of a forced march.
It’s a remarkably cohesive and sensible piece of filmmaking. All the elements work together, all the joints are tight. The cinematography and set design effectively play the cold, bright experimental space against the relatively ambiguous darkness and softness of academic lounges and offices. Billy Crudup, though he has almost no character to play, holds the center credibly, and the mostly unfamiliar actors playing guards and prisoners are remarkably fine (though Michael Angarano, the doomed skateboarder from Lords of Dogtown, lays it on thick as the most creatively sadistic of the guards). Even the obligatory insertions of interpersonal conflict—the ethical protests of Zimbardo’s girlfriend, who is also his colleague; Zimbardo’s increasingly paranoid obsession with protecting the experiment at all human cost—are factually based, and thus within the bounds of the docudrama brief. Little or nothing seems to have been invented in the telling.
Stanford has, then, a compelling consistency, a certainty of what it is about, that Experimenter lacks. But that’s not to say it isn’t evasive, contradictory, and finally empty. On one level it posits Zimbardo as the divided hero, both fixated do-gooder and ambitious monomaniac; on another, it fosters a dispiritingly hostile and retrograde view of the intellectual as mad scientist, without having adequately established the reformist-to-radical Sixties politics that inspired the prison experiment in the first place. Zimbardo the idealist is glimpsed only briefly and vaguely, his motives deprived of any ideological or experiential context. “We’re trying to do something … good,” he tells someone early on, eager to convince them—and, for all we know, himself. (The movie might also have provided the interesting information that the study’s major funding came from the Office of Naval Research.)
A scene from The Stanford Prison Experiment.
To its credit, Tim Talbott’s screenplay doggedly challenges Zimbardo’s ethics as lead researcher—or, really, his abandonment of ethics, as he repeatedly violates his pact with his subjects by manipulating conditions to maximize the prisoners’ fear and frustration and the guards’ sense of brutal omnipotence. Though it admits this much, the film is unresolved regarding the presence, as consultant to the study, of a real ex-prisoner (Nelsan Ellis), who questions both the simulated prison conditions and the abusive role he is put to as part of a mock “parole board.” This character is based on Carlo Prescott, a San Quentin parolee and prison reformer who in 2005 renounced the Stanford experiment on the grounds that the guards’ behavior was not due to situational factors but rather to prompts from the researchers, based on specific abuses Prescott had described to them. Zimbardo had claimed something very different just the year before, writing that the participants’ “sole source of guidance” was their “prior societal learning of the meaning of prisons, and the behavioral scripts associated with the oppositional roles of prisoner and guard.” But here in 2015, the film (and thereby Zimbardo) acknowledges much of what Prescott said a decade ago—without making it clear to what extent the mea culpa is freely offered, to what extent forced by Prescott’s characterization of the experiment as “a theatrical exercise.” (I suspect a rich drama of ethics could be constructed just out of the Prescott-Zimbardo relationship.)
But the ultimate emptiness of Stanford’s docudramatic success is that it merely acts out its material, it doesn’t transform it. Doesn’t take it lower, higher, farther, render it ineffably other than the prison experiment as we already know it through existing documentary and interpretive sources. The aesthetics of the forced march have their validity, and scrupulous realism its benefits, but the turning of life into art calls for much more—a poetry of technique, feeling, and intellection that says that not everything can be conveyed in an ordered recounting of facts, or captured by getting the hair and clothing right. That there are human layers and existential connections all around us, which we feel, in great part, by way of narratives which make such things perceptible—which transform reality. The imagination to feel and render what lies beneath, between, and within: what Experimenter has in twee overabundance, The Stanford Prison Experiment is starved of.
But whatever they do well or poorly, both films feel, in the end, superfluous. Stanley Milgram supervised Obedience (1965), a documentary shot over the final two days of his original Yale study; his book on it, Obedience to Authority (1974), has never been out of print; and there’s an excellent biography by Thomas Blass called The Man Who Shocked the World (2004). On the prison experiment, Philip Zimbardo wrote and narrated Quiet Rage (1988), a cheesily produced documentary which nonetheless boasts a great deal of the original video footage, post-study interactions between participants, and Zimbardo being questioned on ethics by his own students. The Lucifer Effect (2005), Zimbardo’s magnum opus, recounts the prison experiment in blow-by-blow detail, following its implications through the gut-turning, real-world horrors of Rwanda and Abu Ghraib. Experimenter and The Stanford Prison Experiment augment these readily accessible sources by the fact of their existence, yet add nothing important to them. There were, I believe, good reasons to make these movies. But now that they have been made—one an ambitious failure, the other a redundant success—there seems no very good reason for them to exist. Call them failed experiments in the research lab of art.
– Devin McKinney is the author of Magic Circles: The Beatles in Dream and History (2003), The Man Who Saw a Ghost: The Life and Work of Henry Fonda (2012), and Jesusmania! The Bootleg Superstar of Gettysburg College (2016). Formerly a music columnist (The American Prospect), blogger (Hey Dullblog), and TV writer (The Food Network), he has appeared in numerous publications and contributes regularly to Critics at Large and the pop culture site HiLobrow. He is employed as an archivist at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and their three cats. His website is devinmckinney.com.
Posted by Critics at Large at 12:00 PM
Labels: Devin McKinney, Film
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Serotonin syndrome: a brief review
Philippe Birmes, Dominique Coppin, Laurent Schmitt and Dominique Lauque
CMAJ May 27, 2003 168 (11) 1439-1442;
Philippe Birmes
Dominique Coppin
Laurent Schmitt
Dominique Lauque
A 50-year-old man was admitted to hospital with hyperhidrosis, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. He had been taking fluoxetine (120 mg/d), meprobamate (400 mg/d) and aceprometazine (13.55 mg/d). The dose of fluoxetine had just been increased. The patient was agitated and had insomnia and hyperreflexia, but there were no focal neurological findings. His blood pressure was 155/80 mm Hg, his heart rate, 96 beats/min, his respiratory rate, 20 breaths/min and his temperature, 37.2°C. The findings of the complete blood count, blood potassium, blood glucose, liver function and kidney function tests, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate were normal. A blood alcohol test was negative. ECG, chest radiograph, blood gas measurements and a brain CT scan showed no anomaly.
A 50-year-old depressed woman was admitted to hospital for agitation, insomnia and tremors. She had been taking citalopram (20 mg/d), prazepam (10 mg/d), meprobamate (400 mg/d) and aceprometazine (13.55 mg/d). The patient's blood pressure was 135/70 mm Hg, her heart rate, 130 beats/min, her respiratory rate, 32 breaths/min and body temperature, 37°C. The patient was confused and had hyperhidrosis, hyperreflexia and myoclonus, but there were no focal neurological findings. Her blood electrolytes were normal, her leukocyte count was 13.3 x 109/L and her total creatine kinase was 494 U/L (MB isoenzyme fraction 6%). The aldolase level, liver function tests, and blood creatinine, hemoglobin, platelet and fibrinogen levels were normal. Qualitative plasma tests for alcohol, carbamates, salicylates, paracetamol, barbituates, benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants were negative. ECG indicated sinus tachycardia. The findings of a brain CT scan were normal.
Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter with neurons located in the raphe nuclei. Serotonin neurons play a part in sleep–wakefulness cycles, mood, emotional and food behaviours, and thermoregulation.1 Serotonin syndrome is the result of overstimulation of 5-HT1A receptors (Fig. 1) by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) or other serotonergic agents.2,3,4,5 The use of SSRIs is related to the frequency of the syndrome.2,3 Regardless of age or sex, onset is observed within 24 hours following the administration or overdose of a serotonergic agent.2,4 Serotonin syndrome is characterized by a triad of mental, autonomic and neurological disorders.2,3,4,6,7,8 Serotonin syndrome is confirmed by the presence of 4 major symptoms or 3 major symptoms plus 2 minor ones.3,9 Serotonin syndrome can be fatal, but in most cases there is a good prognosis when medication is discontinued.2,4 Improvement following the administration of cyproheptadine or chlorpromazine has been reported.3 Further studies of the therapeutic effects of propranolol and ziprasidone, which block 5-HT1A receptors, would be justified.
Fig. 1: Mechanisms of serotonin syndrome. (1) Increased doses of L-tryptophan will proportionally increase 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin) formation. (2) Amphetamines and other drugs increase the release of stored serotonin. (3) Inhibition of serotonin metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors will increase presynaptic 5-HT concentration. (4) Impairment of 5-HT transport into the presynaptic neuron by uptake blockers (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants) increases synaptic 5-HT concentration. (5) Direct serotonin agonists can stimulate postsynaptic 5-HT receptors. (6) Lithium increases postsynaptic receptor responses. Adapted with permission from Elsevier Science (Critical Care Clinics 1997;13[4]:763-83). Photo: Chesley Sheppard
Physiopathology
Serotonin syndrome is the result of overstimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in central grey nuclei and the medulla and, perhaps, of overstimulation of 5-HT2 receptors.2,3,4,10 Few cases have been reported in association with citalopram.2,11 In the case of fluoxetine, a high dose increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.4,7,9 Drug combinations may also have been involved. Meprobamate, which is metabolized in the liver through hydroxylation and glucuronide conjugation, might slow down the metabolism of a SSRI through competitive inhibition. Promethazine, a competitive inhibitor of 5-HT2 receptors,12 might cause hyperactivation of 5-HT1A receptors in the presence of SSRIs.
Several situations indicate an overstimulation of 5-HT1A receptors: excess precursors of serotonin or its agonists and higher release, lower recapture or metabolic slowdown of serotonin (Table 1).2,3,8 Cases of mild serotonin syndrome have been reported in patients who have taken Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), an in-vitro 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, in conjunction with SSRIs.13
In order to reach a diagnosis of serotonin syndrome, a history of use of a serotonergic agent, recognized signs and symptoms, and the exclusion of other conditions are required.2,8,9 Serotonin syndrome involves mental, autonomic and neurological disorders of sudden onset less than 24 hours after the beginning of treatment or an overdose.2,3,4,6,7,8,9 The diagnosis of serotonin syndrome is guided by the Sternbach criteria14 but is still difficult in cases of benign symptoms or normal neurological test results.3,9,15 Radomski and colleagues9 have revised these criteria and classified serotonin syndrome as a mild state of serotonin-related symptoms, or serotonin syndrome (full-blown form) (4 major symptoms or 3 major ones plus 2 minor ones) (Box 1) or toxic (coma, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, fever that might exceed 40°C).3,9
Box 1.
There is no specific test for serotonin syndrome. An elevation of the total creatine kinase and leukocyte count and elevated transaminase levels or lower bicarbonate levels have been reported.2,3,8 Disseminated intravascular coagulation, kidney failure, acidosis or acute respiratory distress syndrome are secondary complications.2,9
The principal differential diagnosis is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) (Box 2).2,3,4,7,8,10,16 Common criteria are alteration of consciousness, diaphoresis, autonomic instability, hyperthermia and elevated creatine kinase levels. NMS is observed most often following a rapid increase in dosage of a neuroleptic drug.2,10,17 These symptoms appear within 7 days in 66% of cases.17 Certain risk factors (dehydration, agitation, organic cerebral disorders) are associated with development of the syndrome following a brief exposure.18 Our patients were taking a phenothiazine (aceprometazine), one of the antipsychotic drugs associated with NMS, but the absence of hyperthermia and muscular rigidity and the presence of diarrhea and myoclonus were indicators of serotonin syndrome.19,20 The most frequent differences between serotonin syndrome and NMS are indicated in Table 2.
Serotonergic agents must be discontinued.2,3,9 Monitored intravenous (IV) electrolyte solution is administered in a hospital environment in order to maintain diuresis above 50–100 mL/h and to avoid the risk of myoglobinuria.3 Benzodiazepines may be prescribed to reduce anxiety. One case of partial improvement has been reported during treatment with propranolol.21 The benefits of β-blockers, which block 5-HT1A receptors, may be supported by other studies.16 Resuscitation (cooling off, mechanical ventilation, anticonvulsing agents, antihypertensive agents) may be required for serious cases.2,3,22,23
Although their effectiveness has not been demonstrated scientifically, cyproheptadine and chlorpromazine have been described as possible therapy for serotonin syndrome.2,3 Cyproheptadine is a histamine-1 receptor antagonist with anticholinergic and antiserotonergic characteristics and can cause drowsiness.22,24 Chlorpromazine is a 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist neuroleptic that can have anticholinergic effects and cause hypotension, dystonias or NMS.3,22,25 Cyproheptadine, which is taken orally, has lesser adverse effects.3 Among newer antipsychotic drugs, ziprasidone is the most powerful for blocking 5-HT1A receptors.26 Further study might outline its possible benefits; it has moderate extrapyramidal effects.
Most patients improve completely within 24 hours after being admitted. This is the case for individuals who have been taking cyproheptadine or chlorpromazine.2 For 40% of patients, some symptoms persist longer. The more powerful the serotonergic agent and the higher the dose, the more serious these symptoms. Duration seems related to the half-life of the drug.4,27 Prescribing the antiemetic metoclopramide may increase the long half-life of fluoxetines (4–6 days).28
Cases revisited
A diagnosis of full-blown serotonin syndrome was reached taking into account the sudden increase in dosage of fluoxetine and the presence of 3 major symptoms (elevated mood, hyperhidrosis, hyperreflexia) and 2 minor ones (insomnia, diarrhea). The patient's medication was discontinued. He was administered 3 L of electrolytic solution every 24 hours, 10 mg of IV metoclopramide dihydrochloride every 8 hours and 20 mg of dipotassium clorazepate orally every 12 hours. Nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis and diarrhea disappeared within 72 hours. The patient's anxiety subsided more slowly, and he was discharged 5 days later.
A diagnosis of full-blown serotonin syndrome was reached because the patient was taking citalopram, there was probable voluntary overdose and 5 major symptoms (confusion, myoclonus, tremors, hyperreflexia, hyperhidrosis) were present. The medication was discontinued. The patient was administered 3 L of electrolytic solution every 24 hours. The patient's condition improved sufficiently regarding her confusion and the autonomic and neurological symptoms for her to be discharged 24 hours later.
The diagnosis of serotonin syndrome was straightforward in these 2 patients who presented with the classic triad of mental, neurological and autonomic signs and symptoms. This is one of the first instances in which 2 cases of serotonin syndrome are reported based on the revised Radomski criteria. This classification aids diagnosis by allowing for a quick evaluation of the seriousness of the situation. Discontinuation of causal agents and treatment of symptoms is effective. This syndrome must be prevented by educating patients to avoid self-medication, by limiting drug combinations and by improving compliance with “drug holidays.”
Une version française de cet article est disponible sur le site www.jamc.ca
Contributors: Dr. Birmes was principal author and made a significant contribution to obtaining the information about the first case, reviewed the literature, interpreted the findings of these cases in the context of the literature and drafted the article. Dr. Coppin made a significant contribution to obtaining the information about the second case and revised the article for important intellectual content. Drs. Schmitt and Lauque made a significant contribution to the analysis and interpretation of the cases and revised the article for important intellectual content. All authors approved the version to be published.
Stalh SM. Essential psychopharmacology. Neuroscientific basis and practical applications. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2000.
Mason PJ, Morris VA, BalcezaK TJ. Serotonin syndrome. Presentation of 2 cases and review of the literature. Medicine 2000;79:201-9.
Jaunay E, Gaillac V, Guelfi JD. Syndrome sérotoninergique. Quel traitement et quand? Presse Med 2001;30:1695-700.
Gillman PK. The serotonin syndrome and its treatment. J Psychopharmacol1999; 13:100-9.
Oates JA, Sjoerdsma A. Neurologic effects of tryptophan in patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Neurology 1960;10:1076-8.
Sarko J. Antidepressants, old and new. A review of their adverse effects and toxicity in overdose. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2000;18:637-54.
Goldberg RJ. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Infrequent medical adverse effects. Arch Fam Med 1998;7:78-84.
Mills KC. Serotonin syndrome. A clinical update. Crit Care Clin 1997;13:763-83.
Radomski JW, Dursun SM, Revely MA, Kutcher SP. An exploratory approach to the serotonin syndrome; an update of clinical phenomenology and revised diagnostic criteria. Med Hypotheses 2000;55:218-24.
Carbone JR. The neuroleptic malignant and serotonin syndromes. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2000;18:317-25.
Brosen K, Naranjo CA. Review of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions studies with citalopram. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2001;11:275-83.
Sanders-Bush E, Conn JP. Neurochemistry of serotonin neuronal systems: consequences of serotonin receptor activation. In: HY Meltzer, editor. Psychopharmacology, 3rd generation of progress. New York: Raven Press; 1987. p. 95-103.
Fugh-Berman A. Herb-drug interactions. Lancet 2000;355:134-8.
Sternbach H. The serotonin syndrome. Am J Psychiatry 1991;148:705-13.
Baubet T, Peronne E. Le syndrome sérotoninergique : revue critique de la littérature. Rev Med Interne 1997;18:380-7.
LoCurto MJ. The serotonin syndrome. Emerg Med Clin North Am 1997; 15: 665-75.
Caroff S, Mann SC. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Med Clin North Am 1993;77:185-202.
Pelonero AL, Levenson JL, Pandurangi AK. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: a review. Psychiatr Serv 1998;49:1163-72.
Levenson JL. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:1137-45.
Lane R, Baldwin D. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced serotonin syndrome: review. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1997;17:208-21.
Guze BH, Baxter LR. The serotonin syndrome: case responsive to propranolol. J Clin Pharmacol 1986;6:119-20.
Graudins A, Stearman A, Chan B. Treatment of the serotonin syndrome with cyproheptadine. J Emerg Med 1998;16: 615-9.
Chambost M, Liron L, Peillon D, Combe C. Syndrome sérotoninergique lors d'une intoxication par la fluoxétine d'une patiente prenant du moclobémide. Can J Anaesth 2000;47:246-50.
Lappin RI, Auchincloss EL. Treatment of the serotonin syndrome with cyproheptadine. N Engl J Med 1994;331:1021-2.
Gillman PK. Serotonin syndrome treated with chlorpromazine. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1997;17:128-9.
Richelson E, Souder T. Binding of antipsychotic drugs to human brain receptors. Focus on newer generation compounds. Life Sci 2000;68:29-39.
Trindade E, Menon D, Topfer LA, Coloma C. Adverse effects associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antidepressants: a meta-analysis. CMAJ 1998;159:1245-52.
Vandemergel X, Beukinga I, Neve P. Syndrome sérotoninergique secondaire à la prise de sertraline et de métoclopramide. Rev Med Brux 2000;21:161-3.
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Philippe Birmes, Dominique Coppin, Laurent Schmitt, Dominique Lauque
CMAJ May 2003, 168 (11) 1439-1442;
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cmich.edu > Colleges > College of the Arts and Media > Department of Art and Design > Faculty & Staff
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RACHAEL BARRON-DUNCAN
Associate Professor
barro1r@cmich.edu
Wightman Hall 167
Education
Ph.D: Yale University
MPhil: 2001, Yale University
MA: 1999, Yale University
AB: 1998, Vassar College
Courses Taught
• Intro to Western Art II
• American Art
• Art After 1945
• Nineteenth Century Art
• European Art from 1890-1940
• Gender & Art
• Modern Architecture
• Seminar in Modern & Contemporary Art
• African Art
CHAD BIERDEMAN
Lecturer I Animation
bierd1dc@cmich.edu
Wightman Hall 131
Education:
BS: 2011, Huntington University
(Digital Media Arts-Animation)
Courses Taught:
• Digital Design
• Digital Animation
Chad Bierdeman is an artist and animator turned educator. He's worked in the animation industry as an animator and supervisor for several years, working on a variety of projects for major broadcasters. He has extensive experience in 2D character animation and drawn Fx animation.
LARRY BURDITT
Professor Graphic Design
burdi1lg@cmich.edu
BS Oklahoma State University
MS Oklahoma State University
BFA Oklahoma State University
MFA University of Oklahoma
• Introduction to Graphic Design
• Web Design I
• Web Design II
• Motion Graphics
• Emerging Media
• Capstone for Graphic Design
Larry Burditt is a Professor of Art and Design at Central Michigan University where he teaches graphic design with a focus on interactive design. Larry has over 20 years of experience in the area of information technologies and worked in web design since its inception in the early 90’s. His personal work has ventured into the new arena of 3D solid modeling and 3D printing as a medium of exploration. However, his focus continues in the area of diversity issues as the area for exploration. Currently, Larry is using traditional games as a means for exploration of gender identity and sexuality.
JEREMY CATARINO
Lecturer I 3D Animation
catar1ja@cmich.edu
M.S. Technology Studies 3D Modeling/Animation
Eastern Michigan Univeristy
• 3D Animation
Previously was a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University. Jeremy also has previously worked for MTS Technologies Inc. developing high level 3D models and animations for interactive multimedia instruction for military training.
Mr. Catarino likes to volunteer his time outside of his teaching duties to non profit organizations such as the Detroit ACM SIGGRAPH Professional Chapter, which he is the current vice president of the chapter. Along with volunteering his professional skills as The Clean Love Project's graphic artist/web developer.
ISRAEL DAVIS
Lecturer I Ceramics
davis1i@cmich.edu
MFA: 2003, University of Iowa (Ceramics)
BFA: 1998, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Ceramics and Sculpture)
israeldavis.com
• Design Foundations
• Intro to Ceramics
Israel “Izzy” Davis is an artist, educator, musician, BMX biker, and skateboarding enthusiast who lives and works in Grand Rapids, MI. After a decade of teaching at the university level he is currently focusing on his personal creative practice and has been working to produce a new body of work that utilizes ceramics, digital fabrication technologies, and mixed media. Upon receiving a series of private grants to purchase equipment and take technical courses in 3-D modeling and CNC fabrication, Davis has been busy setting up a small fab lab at his studio, Fundamental Formative Arts LLC (FUNFA). The FabLab at FUNFA currently boasts an Epilog laser etcher/cutter, a ShopBot CNC router, and a Ricoh ceramic toner laser printer.
JEREMY DAVIS
davis7jc@cmich.edu
Wightman Hall 148b
MFA: 2015, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BFA: 2005, Lyme Academy College of Fine Art
davis-sculpture.com
Courses Taught
• Introduction to Sculpture
• Intro to Digital Fabrication
• Sculpture Studio
• Advanced Sculpture Studio
• Moldmaking & Casting
• Portrait & Figure Sculpture
• Character Sculpture & Development
• Sound Sculpture: New translations of frequency into meaningful forms
• Figure Sculpture: Traditional and Contemporary
• Sculpture in the Expanded Field
My practice in art has been wide and varied. Currently, my work involves research into our understanding of sound and language – exploring its meaning, implications, and applications in sculpture. While I recently had a studio in Chicago, a city where I also taught at the School of the Art Institute, my search for understanding and expression in this area of art has made a winding path across the country. Truly the culmination of a life’s worth of interests, this story began in West Texas during my childhood. It would be there where the simultaneous interests in both music and art would lead me on two distinct paths: that of the ephemeral and that of the malleable. While sculpture, as the malleable, was an early love it would be some years before I studied it seriously. Music, as the ephemeral was the first and formative art form in my life. Joining an orchestra at the age of 11 as a violist, I grew to love the inexplicable, yet instantaneous, effect music had on me and those around me. This is what I seek to bring to the medium of sculpture: sympathetic resonance in form and concept.
Recent Scholarship
• 2020 Art Folio, Juried publication, Day III Publishing, Dallas, TX (In Press, Feb 2020)
• 2019 WIDE OPEN 10, Nat’l Juried Exhibit, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
• 2019 58th Annual Greater Michigan Art Exhibition, State Juried Exhibit, Midland, MI
• 2019 A New Media Exhibition, Nat’l Juried Exhibit, Indiana University Kokomo
• 2019 Do You Remember? Nat’l Juried Exhibition, Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
• 2019 Positive/Negative 34, Nat’l Juried Exhibit, Slocumb Galleries, ETSU
• 2018 A Sense of Place, Nat’l Juried Exhibit, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Atlanta, GA
• 2018 GlassAccess: Sound+Vision, Int’l Exhibit, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia
• 2018 GlassAccess: SOUND+VISION, exhibition catalog, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA; June 2018; pgs 21-22
• 2016 "Speech from Another: The Mechanized Pursuit of the Human Voice - Parts 1 & 2", November Art Journal, Chicago, IL
• 2015, MFA Show, Sullivan Gallery, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• 2013, Funny/HaHa, Base Space, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• 2012, After the Machines, Six Summit Gallery, Ivoryton, CT
• 2009, Runner-up, Art vs. Design, New Museum, SoHo, New York, NY
• 2009, Margaret Hexter Prize: National Sculpture Society 76th Annual Exhib., NY, NY
• 2005, Walter & Michael Lantz Prize, 1st Place: National Figure Sculpture Competition, National Sculpture Society, New York, NY
SCOTT de BRESTIAN
Associate Professor
debre1sc@cmich.edu
Ph.D: 2003, University of Missouri-Columbia
MA: 1997, University of Missouri-Columbia
BA: 1994, Boston University
www.najerillavalleyproject.org
Courses Taught:
• Ancient & Medieval Art History
• Intro to Western Art I
• Art Critic Methodology/Art History
• Islamic Art
• Research Seminar in Art History
• Ethnicity & Identity
• Roman & Early Medieval Spain
Biography
Dr. de Brestian got his BA in Archaeology from Boston University and his MA and PhD in Art History and Archaeology from the University of Missouri. He is co-director of the Najerilla Valley Research Project, an international multidisciplinary project that is examining changes in urbanization, rural settlement, art and architecture in the upper Ebro valley of Spain between the 1st century BCE and the 15th century CE.
Publications: “Vascones and Visigoths: Creation and Transformation of Identity in Northern Spain,” in R. Mathisen and D. Schanzer, (eds.), Romans, Barbarians, and the Transformation of the Roman World (Shifting Frontiers in Late Antiquity 6). (Ashgate: Farnham, Surrey; Burlington, VT 2010) 283-298.
“Interrogating the Dead: Funerary Inscriptions in Northern Iberia” in R. Häussler, (ed.), Romanisation et épigraphie. Études interdisciplinaires sur l’acculturation et l’identité dans l’Empire romain (Archéologie et Histoire Romaine, 17), (Editions Monique Mergoil: Montagnac 2007) 267-280.
BRIAN ELDER
Professor
elder1b@cmich.edu
MFA: 1996, Indiana University
BFA: 1994, University of New Hampshire
Service Responsibilities
BFA Program Chair
Director of Drawing in Florence Program
brianelderartist.com
Courses Taught (cont.)
• Intro to Painting
• Painting Studio
• Advanced Painting Studio
• Drawing in Florence
• Intro to Drawing
• Drawing Studio
• Advanced Drawing Studio
Research Interests
• Drawing & mixed media artworks that investigate ideas of travel and geography in relation to personal metaphor
A native of New Hampshire, Brian Elder worked many jobs including painting houses, setting up telephone service, and janitorial work before starting college at the age of 28. After receiving his MFA from Indiana University he taught in New Hampshire, Illinois, and New York before coming to CMU to teach drawing and painting in 2002.
Solo Exhibitions include the Halka Art Project in Turkey, Westjyllands Kunstmuseum in Denmark, the University of Rochester, Indiana University-East, Blackburn College, Cazenovia College and Delta College.
JESSICA HOFFMAN
Lecturer II
hoffm1j@cmich.edu
Ph.D: 2013, University of Maryland College Park
MA: 2001, University of Maryland College Park
BA: 1998, University of Texas at Austin
• Northern Baroque Art Courses Taught
• Intro to the Visual
• Intro to Western Art II
• Northern Renaissance Art
• Italian Renaissance Art
• Baroque Art
• Eighteenth-Century European Art
• Intro to Non-Western Art
After receiving her B.A. in art history from the University of Texas, she moved to Maryland to pursue her graduate studies. After receiving an M.A. in art history & archaeology from the University of Maryland College Park, she served as a Curatorial Assistant in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery for several years. She was awarded a doctorate in art history & archaeology from from the University of Maryland in 2013 before coming to CMU as a lecturer.
KATE KINDER
Lecturer I
kinde1k@cmich.edu
MFA Painting, University of South Florida Courses Taught:
Previously an instructor at the University of South Florida, St Petersburg, Kate Kinder taught courses in drawing, painting, and foundations. She is a practicing artist focusing in a variety of media, primarily painting. With upcoming exhibitions, she is currently working on a body of work expanding upon philosophies regarding object oriented ontology, and the unevenness of the experience of seeing. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she is the recipient of the Carolyn M. Wilson Fellowship.
STEVE LEEPER
leepe1js@cmich.edu
MFA: 2007, Art Institute of Boston (Visual Arts)
BFA: 1990, School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Animation, Drawing, & Painting)
Courses Taught
• Beginning Animation
Filmmaker, Storyteller, and Educator. Juggling all three of these hats seems to keep me pretty happy.
KAYLA LINDEMAN
linde1kk@cmich.edu
MA Art Education, Western Michigan University
Kayla Lindeman is an art educator and Francophile who has spent the past seven years working in Michigan’s public schools – most recently as a fourth and fifth grade art teacher. Prior to teaching in Michigan, she spent a year living in Paris, France while teaching elementary students in the suburb of Nanterre. Kayla earned her M.A. in Art Education in 2018 from Western Michigan University where her research lead her to assess the benefits and risks of choice-based art education in today’s classrooms. When she’s not teaching, Kayla enjoys working in her metalsmith studio and creating ways to advocate for the arts in the community.
CLARK MOST
most1cf@cmich.edu
MFA: 1999, Central Michigan University
BFA: 1981, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Undergrad: Aegean School of Fine Arts, Greece
Associate: 1977, Delta College
designdirection.com
Courses Taught:
• Intro to Graphic Design
• Logo & Identity Design
• Professional Design Practices
• Graphic Design Capstone
• Web Interface Design
• UX & UI Design
• Print & Video
Clark is a Professor in the Graphic Design program where he has taught a range of design communication courses since joining the Department of Art and Design in 2000. Clark has also been a Principal of RedPoint Design Direction in Midland for nearly 30 years, providing communication design solutions to a variety of business sectors from fortune 500 clients to small start-ups and non-profit organizations.
His work as an art director, designer and photographer has been published in multiple books and magazines. He has also been honored by organizations including: the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Design), Communication Arts, The Webby Awards, the American Advertising Federation where he has received multiple District and Regional Addys, The Pixel Awards and others.
JOHANNA PAAS
paas1jm@cmich.edu
MFA: 2001, Louisiana State University
Teaching Certificate: 1997, Eastern Michigan University
BFA: 1995, University of Michigan
johannapaas.com
• Intro to Printmaking
• Printmaking Studio
• Advanced Printmaking Studio
• Printmaking
Professor Johanna Paas has taught all levels of printmaking at Central Michigan University since 2002. She was the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award at Central Michigan University. Johanna activity exhibits her mixed media prints at a variety of national and international venues. Her work balances between the intuitive and the intentional. Collaboration and community are important aspects of her research and teaching.
Recipient of Teaching Excellence Award, Central Michigan University, Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching
A selection of recent exhibitions include:
2015: Global Print: The Douro Museum, Alijo, Portugal
2014: Feel the “D”: Re:View Contemporary Art Gallery, Detroit, MI
2013: Shy Rabbit Print International 4: Shy Rabbit Contemporary Arts, Pagosa Springs, CO
2013: New England Photography Biennial: Danforth Museum, Boston, MA
2012: Summer National Juried Exhibition: Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA
CARLOS PACHECO
pache1cr@cmich.edu
MFA: 2014, Ohio University
BFA: 2011, University of Arizona
carlosrenepacheco.com
• Intro to Photography
• New Media
As a young astronomy student, Carlos Rene Pacheco became disenchanted with applied physics and mathematics and exchanged his view through a telescope for a view through a camera lens. This was a transformational experience and he soon reconciled his passion for scientific exploration with his investigation of the photographic medium. Through this filter Pacheco explores issues of memory, technology, science, and photographic archives in his work. In 2011, Pacheco received his BFA with an emphasis in Photography from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and, in 2014, he received his MFA in Photography + Integrated Media from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Art in the School of Art at Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, Minnesota where he taught photography from 2015 to 2019. Pacheco continues to exhibit his work nationally and internationally in galleries and museums and has been featured on PetaPixel and HuffPost. He has also had the pleasure of presenting his research at multiple conferences; including, the 2017 South Central chapter Society for Photographic Education conference, the 2018 Northwest chapter SPE conference, and the 2018 Mid-America College Art Association conference.
KRIS SANFORD
sanfo1k@cmich.edu
MFA: 2005, Arizona State University
BFA: 2000, College for Creative Studies
AA: 1996, Washtenaw Community College
Service Responsibilties
Artist-In-Residence Committee (chair)
BFA Committee
www.krissanford.com
Courses Taught
• Experimental Photography Studio
• Photography Studio
• Personal Relationships
• LGBTQ Issues
• Vintage Snapshots
Kris Sanford grew up in southeast Michigan. Kris has exhibited her work nationally and internationally, including group exhibitions in Amsterdam, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, London, Miami, and New York. She was named a finalist for the 2018 Dorthea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Other recent awards include the Fellowship 17 International Award from Silver Eye Center for Photography and the Visual Studies Workshop Residency Award through Critical Mass 2016. Her art explores relationships and queer identity through the use of appropriated images, portraiture, and video.
PERCEPTIONS: Addison Brown, Kris Sanford & Sara Silks, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival Feature Exhibition (invitational photography festival) May 3 - June 28, 2019, Toronto, ON, Canada
Portfolio Showcase 12 (juried group exhibition), April 3rd - 27th, 2019, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
Through the Lens of Desire (solo exhibition), January 11th - February 10th, 2019, Sol Mednick Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Re/member/construct (juried group exhibition), September 21 - October 27, 2018, Filter Space, Chicago, IL
Portraits 2018 (juried group exhibition), December 22, 2017 - January 27, 2018, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
GREG STAHLY
Interim Chairperson/Professor
Ceramics/3D
stahl1gb@cmich.edu
BA: 2001, Goshen College Courses Taught:
• Ceramics Studio: Wheel-throwing
• Creation in 3D
Grey Stahly has been teaching at CMU since 2007. Prior to that he taught at Millersville University and SUNY-Potsdam. Stahly is currently the head of the ceramics area.
2015 - Graphic Clay, Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, MD
2015 - Workhouse Ceramics National, Workhouse Art Center, Lorton, VA
2015 - Americas Clayfest III, Blue Line Arts Gallery, Lincoln, CA
DAVID STAIRS
stair1dc@cmich.edu
MFA: 1993, University of Oregon
Certificate: 1976, Croydon College of Art, London
BFA: 1975, Rhode Island School of Design
Personal Website(s)
designerswithoutborders.org
design-altruism-project.org
• Foundational Visual Thinking
• Design Bureau
• Design History
• Contemporary Issues in Design
• Professional Practice
• Advanced Typography
• Social Design
• Design & Science
• Artists Books
• Design Criticism
David Stairs founded Designers Without Borders in 2001 while on a Fulbright research grant to Uganda. In 2006, he became founding editor of Design Altruism Project, an online experiment dedicated to addressing the shifting character of professional design practice. Stairs’ latest portrait was taken by his son Chris one morning at the City Market in Bangalore where he was a Hindu for three hours.
Fulbright to Uganda 2000-2002, Fulbright to India 2012,
View more publications
LEE VANDER KOOI
Lecturer II
vande1l@cmich.edu
BFA: 2000, University of Akron
MGD: 2004, North Carolina State University Courses Taught
• Intro to Graphic Design
• Digital Multimedia Designer
MICHAEL VOLKER
Lecturer III
volke1md@cmich.edu
BFA: 1996, Central Michigan University
MichaelVolker.com
Courses Taught:
• Advanced Drawing Studio
• Humans & Their Natural Environment
• Historical & Current Materials, Methods & Techniques of Oil Painting
Volker returned to college late in life after a career in music that began while he was still in high school during the "Michigan Rock" era. Recordings by his early band "Pitche Blende" are still featured in prominent discographies from the period.
He began teaching in the Art & Design Department at CMU in 1998 as the "Instructor of Record" while still a graduate student. Volker also taught at Alma College as a Visiting Instructor in Art & Design between 2001- 2006. Additionally he served by invitation on Alma's Art and Design Advisory Board for two years. Volker has also conducted many workshops, critiques, and lectures at various art institutions throughout the state.
Volker has exhibited both his paintings and prints nationally at Galleries, Museums, and in many Juried Exhibitions. Volker spent five years under exclusive contract to Bensen Galleries LTD, in Arlington Heights, Chicago, IL, where a limited edition of his painting "Passing Storm" was published. His monotype "Pond at Evening was featured in the "Journal of the Print World", after he won the Senator Leo J. Roizer award during the 2004 Annual Alma College Statewide Print Competition. His work is in the permanent collection of Alma college, and Saginaw Valley University.
AL WILDEY
wilde1a@cmich.edu
Wightman Hall 153B
MFA: 1996, University of Idaho
BFA: 1990, Rochester Institute of Technology
Photography Program Coordinator
www.alwildey.com
• Adv Photography Studio
• Understanding Digital Photography
• History of Photography
• Lens-based Imaging (Historical & Contemporary)
• Selfies (self-authorship, self-branding)
• Composite Photography
An artist and educator, I have been making lens-based art for over three decades and working in higher education for over 25 years. I have exhibited nationally in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and Dallas and internationally in Paris, London, Florence, Barcelona, Prague, Berlin, and Beijing. My works are in numerous public and private collections in America, Europe and Asia.
2015 "Based on Actual Events", (solo, invited), Ferris State University Art Gallery, Big Rapids, MI
"Terra Firma – Architecture and Landscape", (invited, national), Luminarte Fine Art Gallery, Dallas, TX
"ArtPrize 2015", (juried, international), Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids, MI
"Clare Community Portrait", (juried, state), Art Alley, Clare, MI
2014 "Emerging Lens-based Pedgogies of Self(ie): Precedents and Possibilities", presentation, Fifth International Conference of the Image, Berlin, Germany
CHARLES WILSON
Instructor I
wilso9c@cmich.edu
MFA: Imaging Arts and Sciences (Computer Animation)
www.smidge.biz www.womenanimators.info Courses Taught
• History of Animation
• History of Women working in the field of animation
Graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Taylor University. Currently a forensic animator for Investigative Mechanics, visiting lecturer at Michigan State University, and freelance animator and web designer.
Staff
SHANNON BRAGIEL
Executive Secretary
bragi1sm@cmich.edu
Associate degree in Accounting, Mid Michigan Community College, 2003
Bachelor degree in Finance, Davenport University, 2015
Shannon is a results driven professional with over 10 years of higher educatio experience. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and 13 year old son, as well as cycling and fishing.
RYAN FLESHER
North Art Studio Coordinator/Technician
flesh1rc@cmich.edu
MFA: 2003, Western Michigan University
BFA: 1999, Alma College
CMU Laboratory Safety Committee representative
My artistic interests revolve around the human condition. More specifically health and wellness, things we may or may not be able to control and our interpretations and capacities for self sufficiency and care. My personal endeavors are most often outdoor activities that expand my abilities, push my human potential and ultimately test my mettle. These experiences allow for intimate engagement with the world and remind me that I'm alive beyond the consumer world. Art and adventures fuel my human spirit and allow for something real, challenging and exciting every day.
ANNE GOCHENOUR
University Art Gallery Director
goche1as@cmich.edu
University Art Gallery
MFA: 1982, University of Iowa
MA: 1981, University of Iowa
BA: 1979, College of William & Mary
Courses Taught:
• BFA Exhibition
• BA/BS Capstone
• BAA Senior Seminar
Ms. Gochenour has more than 35 years of experience in curating and organizing art exhibitions. She was curator of contemporary craft at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Arkansas before moving to Michigan. In Iowa City, Iowa she was director of the Iowa City/Johnson County Arts Center and she also created a number of alternative exhibition spaces. As a student she developed the first juried student exhibition and a student art grant program at the University of Iowa. She is a sculptor with an extensive exhibition record. She curates and coordinates exhibitions at the University Art Gallery and teaches the fine arts capstone class for the Department of Art & Design.
Department of Art and Design
Pre-Architecture
Disciplines & Concentrations
Transfer Guide
Faculty Currently selected
Barstow Artist in Residence
Greg Stahly
Interim Chairperson
Shannon Bragiel
Executive Secretary
Update faculty/staff profile
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College of the Arts and Media | Central Michigan University | cam@cmich.edu | Moore Hall 129 | Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 | (989) 774-1885
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CMI Music Group International
Music Production & Composition
Manchester - New York - Los Angeles
CMI Music Group has an impressive roster of talent from the ground-breaking Mamma Freedom, RnB Legend Alexander O'Neal, Jazz Friends Trio, vocalists JV Johnston and Ashleigh Eymann to rapper Ishkan and Hip Hop group The Sonic Generals.
Click on the artists picture for a small biog and more information.
Preachers and Criminals
The debut album from the band, released in March 2013 and featuring No Pride But Prejudice, I Don't Belong and a cover of No Diggity which got the album playlist on BBC radio 2.
The Voodoo Suite Sessions Vol I
The band returned in October 2014 with their 2nd album, the first volume of a double album. Featuring Scorpio, Done & Dusted and Sonic General rapper Ishkan guesting on Voice an Opinion.
in the works Album 3
Finally back to Mamma Freedom music after Hearsay30 and writing the new Alexander O'Neal album, with the stunning bass player Chris 'Kojaq' Rogers now in charge of all things Bass in the CMI family the 3rd album is a mix of pure all out funk and soul with the usual massive orchsestral stompers that Mamma Freedom have become known for. With different influences turning up and Producer Alexander Johnston calling it 'The best work we've done', this will be an exciting wait.
Due for release Feb 2019
Mamma Freedom Live
Book the band that Fred Wesley called 'one hell of a band, as good as it gets'.
For booking email:
info@cmimusicgroup.com
JV Johnston
JV Johnston – Knockturns
As Mamma Freedom front man he is the centre piece of a master painters picture, surrounded by a cast of brothers and engulfed in a wall of colour and sound.
As a solo artist we finally get to hear his voice with stripped down songs in a more intimate direct setting.
This is a voice that isn't just soulful it's a voice full of true soul, true emotion, true feeling, but with the style and class of heroes past.
Knockturns
The debut solo album from the Mamma Freedom front man.
The Sonic Generals
The Sonic Generals are a Hip Hop collective from The US, Canada and The UK.
Set up by Producer Alexander Johnston and brother Singer J Johnston, The project features a number of some of the best underground rappers and vocalists such as Ashleigh Eymann, Ishkan, ASJ Islam, Chuck Israel and Robertson Tait as well as guest musicians from around the world along with all the members of Mamma Freedom.
Composers Alexander & JV Johnston
2 of the brightest stars in the world of score writing and composition. They have already written music including in several films and for advertisers such as Honda.
Alexander Johnston
Alexander Johnston is the head of the company and executive producer.
The band returned in October 2014 with their 2nd album, the first volume of a double album. Featuring Scorpio, Done 7 Dusted and Sonic General rapper Ishkan guesting on Voice an Opinion. Volume II will be released in 2015.
Design, alll images, designs and music
(c) CMI Music Group / CMI Media 2015
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MyCognex Log In
Introduction to Deep Learning
Industrial Barcode Reader
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Cognex Acquires SUALAB
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Deep Learning Blog
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Why Cognex Acquired SUALAB: Deep Learning Expertise in the Heart of Asia
As more and more manufacturers recognize the upside of factory automation, a subset of artificial intelligence technologies have become a critical aspect of that automation journey. Some inspections, such as complex defect detection, that are currently done with rule-based machine vision or manually are more easily solved for using deep learning inspection approaches.
Deep learning relies on an example-based approach, wherein a system is trained to recognize acceptable or unacceptable inspection images from a library of reference data. This trend is only going to accelerate for factories in the years ahead.
In October, Cognex announced the acquisition of SUALAB,Cognex a Korean-based developer of industrial vision software. Since its founding in 2013 by Song Kiyoung, SUALAB’s mission has been to focus on offering its customers the best software, tools, and expertise for deep learning-based vision inspection for manufacturing and factory automation.
Both companies recognized that there was an exceptional cultural fit with respect to the technology, engineering talent, and ability to become the trusted partner for not only the growing Asian manufacturing segment but global manufacturing.
Deep Learning Technology
Founded in 2013, SUALAB specializes in the use of deep learning technology to automate cosmetic optical inspections targeted toward the manual inspection market.
The company’s technology allows customers to locate, identify, and classify unpredictable defects on assembled products which, until now, could only be done by large teams of human visual inspectors.
“That’s a very delicate problem to solve in manufacturing for a whole host of reasons,” says Reto Wyss, Senior Director of Artificial Intelligence Technology at Cognex. “Manual inspection is a real pain point for manufacturers. It’s tedious and costly and most existing approaches are not very reliable.”
As the founder of Swiss-based ViDi Systems, which Cognex acquired in 2017, Wyss leads development of Cognex’s existing line of deep learning-based vision software, VisionPro ViDi. SUALAB’s SuaKIT product offers similar technology to VisionPro ViDi, but there are some differences, which is what excites Wyss.
“By taking the best of both SuaKIT and ViDi we’ll have a combination that offers unparallel inspection capabilities for manufacturers,” he says. “We’ll be able to help customers solve their inspection challenges more easily than ever.”
In addition to its world class technology, SUALAB has built an exceptional engineering team. The team’s deep knowledge of industrial factory automation, artificial intelligence for manufacturing, and aesthetic inspection processes adds up to an unbelievable combination, says Wyss.
“We’re competing for deep learning engineering talent and that expertise can be hard to come by in the current labor market because it’s a relatively new domain expertise,” says Wyss.
That talent is going to be strategically important as deep learning inspection technology gains momentum in the Asian manufacturing market.
The Heart of Manufacturing
“Many Asian manufacturing companies are very innovative and forward-thinking,” says Wyss. “And they have to be in such a competitive market. That makes them much more open to the use of newer inspection approaches like deep learning.”
Over the past decade, Asia has become the global hub of manufacturing output. China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Taiwan all rank amongst the top ten countries in the world for manufacturing output. Combined, these countries represent approximately 40% of the world’s total output, according to the Brookings Institute.
SUALAB is headquartered right in the heart of this growth in Seoul, South Korea, which gives the company unique insight into the booming Asian manufacturing market. It’s just one reason why the likes of Samsung and LG have trusted SUALAB with some of their most challenging industrial inspection applications.
As deep learning inspections become a more common aspect of factory automation strategies in Asian manufacturing and elsewhere throughout the globe, the combined expertise of Cognex and SUALAB promises to become the trusted deep learning partner for manufacturers.
Learn more about Cognex’s acquisition of SUALAB in the press release.
James Furbush | 11-07-2019
More Posts on
How to start a deep learning factory automation project in five steps
What AlphaGo Teaches Manufacturers About Deep Learning-based Industrial Automation
Vision Sensors Detect Defects and prevent the Rejection of Good Parts
For more information on Cognex Products:
MACHINE VISION PRODUCT GUIDE
Learn about the entire Cognex family of vision products
Introduction to Machine Vision - Automating Process and Quality Improvements
BARCODE READERS PRODUCT GUIDE
Learn about the entire Cognex family of barcode readers
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Ohio University finds partner to reduce textbook costs for students
By eCampus News Staff
Ohio University students to save an estimated $500,000 per semester by partnering with Top Hat.
Ohio University and Top Hat, a provider of a cloud-based teaching platform for higher education, recently announced a new partnership to expand student access to open educational resources.
Over 36,000 students at Ohio University can now benefit from the adoption of interactive and highly engaging open educational resources (OER) accessed through the Top Hat Marketplace. Ohio University students can realize an estimated savings of $500,000 per semester through the successful adoption of open education resources.
Using Top Hat’s platform, Ohio University faculty can author their own interactive content, create interactive homework, create and administer tests, as well as discover new course content in the Top Hat Marketplace. The Marketplace is a novel and game-changing resource for customizable educational content, allowing professors to publish, share, and collaborate with peers.
“Through this partnership, Ohio University continues to demonstrate its national leadership toward increasing pathways to quality academic opportunities for all students,” said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis. “Providing students access to affordable course materials is an integral part of Ohio University’s dual mission of educational access and educational excellence.”
The University’s efforts align with statewide efforts to cut costs for college students and their families.
“Tuition is not the only element driving affordability within higher education,” said Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey. “I am pleased that Ohio University is focused on finding new ways to make a college degree affordable for all Ohioans.”
The Top Hat Marketplace helps makes adoption of OER seamless for the University community.
“We’re thrilled to help Ohio University make course materials more engaging and affordable for students,” said Mike Silagadze, co-founder and CEO at Top Hat. “Additionally, we applaud OHIO for taking this momentous step forward to provide instructors with open education resources and the tools needed to create engaging and interactive classroom experiences and course content through our Marketplace.”
For more information or to schedule a demo with Top Hat, please visit tophat.com.
eCampus News Staff
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The Last Jedi and the rejection of the Mystery Box
This year I’ve made it my mission to defend Star Wars: The Last Jedi because I believe it has been unfairly criticized by some who can’t see past their own wants and wishes that weren’t met in the story and others who disagree with the direction of one character or another, or those who are frustrated by the apparent “fly by the seat of their pants” storytelling approach to this sequel “trilogy.”
It’s on that last point that I want to focus. But first, if you’ve missed the previous entries in the series…
Is the Star Wars sequel trilogy secretly a PREQUEL trilogy?
Was THE LAST JEDI a box office disappointment?
On The Last Jedi’s four-act theme of “failure”
How THE LAST JEDI deals with “Force Training”
When discussing the differences between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, we have to begin with JJ Abrams and his infamous “Mystery Box.”
Abrams’ approach to storytelling—particularly with how he engages his audience and sustains their interest—is through the use of mysteries. He asks lots of questions, visually but sometimes outright with characters wondering aloud about this or that, and gives few answers because he knows as long as someone is speculating, wondering and debating someone or something, they are invested in it. As his stories roll on he doesn’t answer questions, as the typical storyteller would. Instead, he layers the previously-established questions with newer, more nuanced questions, making the first ones seem mundane and simple compared to the new ones. All the while he stimulates your eyes with brights lights, whiz-bang camera work and quick-cutting edits, to keep your brain moving, but never letting you be satisfied.
He was the perfect choice to helm the opening of a Star Wars series.
More than anything, the Sequel Trilogy needed a hook. It needed something to grab fans and make them spend years debating. But therein lies the downside to Abrams’ as a storyteller: He’s great at setting things up but the payoffs are usually underwhelming. He’s a master at laying pieces on the board so that you’re titillated. but when it comes to executing the final move. his stories—with their massive, deeply woven layers of plots—often end up collapsing under their own weight. Still, if you need a guy to launch your ship, he’s your man. Asking him to land it, however…
What happened with LOST was the audience started to pick up on the fact that they were being strung along. Viewers realized that the crazy mysteries surrounding the island and it’s sudden inhabitants had no simple answer, or even a profound one. People were only able to take so much of questions being answered with just…more questions.
The Force Awakens was great about asking questions: What is Rey’s past? Where did Luke go? Why has he been missing? Is Rey a Solo or a Skywalker or something else? Questions like that are great for “first movie” because it fuels discussion until the next movie comes out. As long as people are discussing the questions, there are no bad theories. Anything goes because anything could be the eventual explanation.
It’s the job of the rest of the series to answer those questions. And once you start answering questions, you start establishing “truth” and truth is, by definition, exclusive and narrow. Rey either is or isn’t a Skywalker. Why Luke isolated himself has an answer. Whatever you think no longer matters once the questions start being answered by the people writing the stories.
And that’s where fans struggle.
We don’t just want answers; often we want our answers. After all, they make so much sense in our heads. Why can’t they just do this?!
Keenly aware that fans were frustrated with The Force Awakens “naked and obvious retelling of A New Hope,” which I vehemently defend here…
In defense of JJ’s “reboot” of Star Wars
…Rian Johnson knew he needed to do something else. The Episode VIII writer/director was also aware he needed to take JJ’s many mystery box questions and give them some solid answers, whether or not they were the answers fans had in their heads. JJ’s job was to introduce us to these interesting characters; Rian’s job was to make them three-dimensional.
His solution was to say “you think it’s this but actually it’s that.”
You think Snoke is the new Emperor and Kylo is the new Vader, but really Snoke is no one important and Kylo is really the bad guy to focus on. You think Hux is the new Tarkin, cold and calculating, but really he’s a boob; a boy soldier who grew up in an Imperial Navy suit and is puppeted around by Snoke, while really being derided by the true generals in his army. You think Luke is Kwai Chang Caine or some superhero with a lightsaber but really he’s a broken old man who failed big time one time and is afraid he’ll fail again so he quit. You think Finn ended The Force Awakens a hero ready to die for the Resistance, but really he’s still a guy who wants to run away from the fight (and only fought in the last one because he has the hots for Rey. He literally says this to Han but people seemed to have missed it).
What Rian did was deconstruct the characters that JJ merely dropped into the world. Rian give them flaws and purposes and set them on an arc that will conclude (or maybe continue, who knows) in the next film.
For example, Poe’s entire character arc was a deconstruction of the “hot headed fly boy who is technically a grunt solider but because he’s cool he gets to yell at his bosses, defy orders, and swoop in to save the day” trope.
Rian took that character and said “what would really happen would be a ton of casualties and a boss that didn’t trust him.”
People say Admiral Holdo was dumb for not just telling Poe her plan but why should she do that? He’s already shown himself to be insubordinate and reckless. Besides, he’s a solider and she’s the boss. She doesn’t owe him anything. That’s tough for us to watch in TLJ because (1) we know Poe and Holdo is new, and (2) it’s so much easier to turn a blind eye to the cool hero’s flaws and expect him to get special treatment.
Fans also complained about how different Kylo is between the two movies. JJ seemed to present a guy obsessed with Vader but Rian has him smashing the Vader-like helmet. But this is growth: Kylo is moving on from simple fanboyism and is trying to be his own man (especially after Snoke openly mocks the helmet). That’s not a contradiction, that’s character development.
And then there’s Snoke, whom everyone expected to survive until movie three, at which point there’d be a big throne room scene and then the hero would kill him, etc. In other words, fans—the same ones who criticize TFA for being a retread of A New Hope—are angry that Snoke won’t be in a retread of The Return of the Jedi.
But see the way Rian took both Kylo and Snoke and deconstructed the stale Star Wars cliche to forge a new path for the series: In becoming his own man, Kylo does what Vader couldn’t; he kills his master and takes his place as ruler. This isn’t Snoke’s story; it’s Ben and Rey’s. It’s different in the Original Trilogy: In the OT the story was Luke and Vader’s (at least by the time ROTJ rolled around) and the climax was about turning Vader against the emperor and over to Luke. That’s not the story here (which is good, because who wants that much redundancy?). Thus, Rian gave us the ROTJ throne room scene a movie earlier with a MUCH different ending, meaning we now go into the third film of the trilogy without any idea what to expect.
The whole point of Snoke getting offed was that Kylo did it, not Rey (the hero). The bad guy killed the other bad guy so he could grow into an even bigger bad guy. That’s new to Star Wars. That’s what Vader only teased in Empire Strikes Back. Now we get to see it play out in Episode IX.
If Rian had opted for a safe sort of movie, a retread of Empire‘s beats, we’d all be complaining how the Sequel Trilogy is just a Disney cash-grab with nothing new to say. Instead, Rian took JJ’s many mysteries and questions, answered them, and left us to enter the final chapter in this story with a whole galaxy of unknown possibilities to enjoy.
And for that he is hated.
Nuts to that.
“A New Hope” and the mythology of Star Wars
Let’s talk about Disney’s approach to Star Wars…
Let’s talk about blowing up the Death Star…
MACHETE: The “other” way to watch Star Wars
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GM: How The Giant Lost Its Voice – An Insider’s Perspective
CraigInNC
[first posted 5/21/2013. CraigInNC is a former GM employee, and has been sharing the benefits of his insider’s knowledge and perspective since he arrived here at CC. In this post, which was originally a comment Craig left, he shares his thoughts on the external and internal forces at work during the crucial era that started with the OPEC Oil Embargo, and which he identifies as a key turning point at GM. The decline of GM is the biggest automotive story just about ever, and there obviously are many takes and perspectives to it. Feel free to agree or disagree, but please keep the tone civil. – PN]
GM’s downsized 1985 FWD C-Body cars (Cadillac DeVille and Fleetwood, Olds 98, Buick Electra) and 1986 E/K cars (Eldorado/Seville) represent one of the key turning points at GM. The situation with these all-new cars was not just confined to those models only, but was part of a broader set of directions that GM decided to take ten years before they hit the street. To say that OPEC had influence on this would be an understatement, but that affected all cars, most especially the domestics who built big cars. At that time, most of the imports were very small, with the exception of some Mercedes models.
As much as we blame Roger Smith for all of the troubles of the 1980s, he was only marginally influential in the process that got all of this going. He could have done more probably to exert pressure to tweak models, but the die was already cast before he assumed the chairmanship in the fall of 1980. The situation as I saw it was like this:
Of course the OPEC Oil Embargo of 1973-1974 changed everything – it burst the bubble for most Americans and made us realize that the oil that begot gasoline was a finite natural resource, and a resource that was not entirely controlled by the United States. We all pretty much know and understand that part of history so nothing more needs to be said.
CAFE was enacted in 1975, to take affect for MY1978 passenger cars and MY1979 light trucks. GM was most affected by this legislation as they were the master builder of large cars. Chrysler fuel economy was probably slightly lower than GM’s during the 1970s, but given Chrysler’s dire financial situation by the late 1970s, the focus at Chrysler was keeping the company alive rather than the threat of government action on CAFE. Also being the weakest of the Big Three with about a 15% market share, Chrysler was less of a threat to government action than GM, which always lived under the threat of anti-trust, much like AT&T and IBM.
As I commented in the article with the Olds Firenza, GM not meeting CAFE standards would likely have resulted in severe consequences. At that time, Washington wrote legislation and bench-marked it again GM. AT&T gave you telephones, RCA gave you TVs, NBC/ABC/CBS gave you TV programs, Kodak sold you film for your camera, and IBM sold you computers. That was it in a nutshell. But as we can see, each and everyone of those companies no longer exist in historical form. Some like AT&T were forcibly broken up, others like IBM & GM endured a decline and recovered in new form, and of course we know how TV went from 3 channels to 3,851 and counting…
Ed Cole (left) retired as GM President in 1974. He was one of the last truly influential GM Presidents that was considered a “car guy.” He started his career working in an auto parts store and ended it as President of Checker before he tragically died. Pete Estes (right) followed Cole and was an operational guy, but under him the guy got rolling and despite his legendary career with Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet, he did not have the swagger of Ed Cole and others. But he was much loved. And a man of extreme innovations. While others were more big picture in their pronouncements, Estes understood all the details. As young GMI students, we were all in awe of the big names like Mitchell and Cole, and even Iacocca at Ford, because they were celebrities. But for those that did not possess extreme extroversion, a guy like Pete Estes whose influence was felt less in what you saw on the outside of a car than what you felt on the inside driving it. He was a real engineer’s man and it is quite apropos that there is a near shrine to him on display in the Scharchburg Archives at Kettering University.
Roger Smith was a numbers man; his tenure before Chairman and CEO was Executive VP of public relations, governmental affairs, and finance. Things we considered necessary for doing business but never expected anyone to get promoted to the head of the company from. A very unusual situation and one that many had a difficult time adapting to. We were used to getting our ideas approved or disapproved by guys that had walked in our shoes before hand. To discuss costs before results was tantamount to squashing creativity and productivity.
Part of the genius of GM for so many years as that is was really a collective organizations of mini brain trusts and ideas and energy flowed up to the top from below. Things like the genesis of the turbo Buick V6 originating from a Boy Scout project is testament to this. That would have been nearly impossible to have occurred after the 1980s. There simply was not that level of flow of communications. Coming from a non-operational background, Smith felt no connection to the engineering crew that actually made everything that that we sold. He had no personal affinity for any of them and often did not even know all but the most senior staff of the divisions at the time he became CEO. Thus, he felt unencumbered to embark on various projects of his liking without pains of guilt.
Bill Mitchell retired in 1977. Mitchell exerted influence over corporate management unlike what had been seen before or since. Pretty much whatever Mitchell wanted, he got. Unless it was mandated by the government, no one told Mitchell what to do. Unfortunately, Irv Rybicki, who replaced Mitchell, did not have the spine nor the influence that Mitchell had. By the time that Rybicki retired in 1986, he was basically designing cars that he was told to design and not the other way around.
By the time that Chuck Jordan assumed the design reigns, things were already too far along to be able to correct in concrete fashion, but had Jordan followed Mitchell, I personally feel things would have been a lot better. Jordan was a real fan of Cadillac and his influence was most felt with the 1992 E/K designs that are widely considered smart looking. Jordan was also influential in convincing management to begin upsizing cars again and was largely responsible for why cars grew from 1988-on. Of course Mitchell is second to Jesus Christ in automotive styling at GM, but Jordan had a flair for presence second only to that. The current GM design chief, Ed Welburn is very talented himself, but Jordan was the last of the old guys with the critical eye.
In the aftermath of OPEC, with the coming of CAFE, and changing customer tastes, the decision was made in 1975 within GM on a corporate level, to go full speed into FWD and to maximize space efficiency. The belief was, rightly, that the days as we knew them were over. The paradigms that drove automotive design and development from the first Oldsmobile no longer applied. Up until the late 1960s, automakers built whatever they wanted, totally unencumbered by anything, whether it be government regulation to world events. Europe and Japan were still digging out from the ashes of WWII. Detroit built cars represented everything that we thought of about the United States.
I remember sitting in an auditorium at GMI when a GM executive gave a speech extolling to us the virtues of GM and how it fits in with the rest of the country. You know “what’s good for GM is good for the US, etc…” The car was the ultimate expression of the freedom that built this country. Manifest destiny, live free or die, and the power of the individual. Soviet citizens drove Ladas and East Germans drove Trabants. We drove cars that represented the country’s industrial might, and they were styled accordingly.
Then it all changed. A bunch of small men, dressed in white shirts with skinny black ties and coke bottle glasses came in and told us it was all a dream. Well not really, but it felt like that. Suddenly we had insurance companies breathing down our backs, the EPA looking for trouble, NTHSA telling us that people were crazy, and OPEC told us that strange sounding men with permanent tans dressed in bathrobes showed us that they had more control over our behavior than our own elected government. It was very surreal after a while.
After 1978, everything seemed to be a giant scramble; if it wasn’t CAFE, it was cash flow, or something else. Nothing felt like it flowed freely from the brain to the garage. Everything felt like a compromise; success felt like you achieved as much as you could. Everything was a what if… The days of building cars from dreams that Bill Mitchell had of cars coming out of the clouds in England were over.
Given all of these factors, the decision was made at the corporate level to take the direction of the company towards FWD and space efficiency. The second oil crisis (1980) and the two following years of uncertain energy prices and inflation only validated that. First came the X cars (Citation, etc.). Then came the J & A cars, and the rest followed as we know them. It was a total commitment, not just on the model level, but corporate wide. RWD was gone, done, finished; for all but the most specialized models of passenger cars like the Corvette.
If all had went accordingly to plan there would have been NO RWD cars, except for a few, by MY1985. It was a paradigm shift unheard of in the automotive world that ranks probably third behind the invention of the self starter and the automatic transmission, in terms of what changed people’s perception of what a car was. Yes, the market had the VW Rabbit that was small, efficient, and FWD with a transverse four cylinder engine, but the Rabbit was a niche vehicle. It was purchased by people that needed a small car, and VW at that time did not produce anything that matched the center of the buying public, the big RWD car.
As much as we disparage the Citation, when it came out it really changed the thinking of both Detroit and the US buying public. Especially as time went on with the release of the J and A body cars, everyone knew where the market was going. Chrysler came out with the K cars. Had GM decided to make smaller RWD cars with longitudinal engines, it is very likely that FWD transverse cars would have remained the purview of imports, and/or only smaller cars. To underestimate the impact would not do justice to the sea change that both affected the design culture inside Detroit and in the minds of the US buying public. One only has to think of the Chevette and the Vega as ultra-small cars with ultra-conventional designs. While all these ‘deadly sins’ of the 1980s might have cost GM dealers, their influence begot space efficiency as a benchmark for car design that remains with us today.
The fulcrum of influence at GM shifted from the divisions to the executive level under Roger Smith. No more reflective of that was the ill-fated 1984 reorganization that largely demolished corporate autonomy. I suppose from a business perspective, the old model was not going to last forever. As we saw with the engine mixing affairs of the 1970s, total vertical integration of the divisions was no longer cost effective in light of continuing escalation of costs of goods sold, regulation, and the costs associated with the corporate plan to move to FWD.
In the old days, cars were simple, they were RWD, mostly framed vehicles, V8s, carbureted, and large. Most of the budget in car development went to styling. Engines evolved incrementally, bodies could be changed rather easily and with less expense with a body on frame design. Everything was set up nicely. Even using identical frames and substructures, you could make a car look and feel completely different with relative ease. GM was the master at this. With FWD and unibody that was no longer possibly, at least as easily and inexpensively as in the past.
FWD costs money, a lot of money. Unibody designs cost more money to design because they have to be designed as a package no just as a body that can be dropped on an existing frame. And they cannot be easily made different. Hence all the cookie cutter cars of the 1980s. Unfortunately, the other automakers, especially the imports, only built one kind of car, so there was nothing to look similar to, until the Japanese came out with their premium brands and many of those models started looking and feeling a lot more badge engineered (although admittedly not to the degree of GM vehicles).
So when you have five divisions now having to build similar-sized FWD cars on unibody designs, you go from platforms that could be before-easily altered to fit each divisions styling themes and customer characteristics, to platforms that were virtually impossible to make different. It was a bad situation that could not be easily rectified. Believe me, that idea was lost on NO ONE at the division level and it pained many people. But when a company makes a corporate decision to take the company in one direction and invests what is the equivalent of the GDP of probably several states, directions can’t be changed easily. Given the predictions of gas prices going up and regulations continuing, FWD was here to stay and we had to make the best of it.
Given that GM went whole-heartedly into the FWD program, not only did the basic body structure change, but everything else changed with it. The X cars were one of the first mass market vehicles that had fuel injection standard. Real fuel injection, like the kind that took cars into the modern ages and lasted well into the 1990s. That was another incredible paradigm shift. Of course the Seville was the first big GM model to have a modern EFI system, but it was a niche model and handled only by Cadillac dealers who could train select personnel to service it. And that EFI system borrowed heavily on existing European systems.
The GM TBI system that debuted in 1980 set the standard for basic but highly efficient throttle body fuel injections system in production. While there were many engineering failures over the years, that TBI system was not one of them and became a highly reliable rock solid design along with the subsequently developed SFI that came out in turbo Buicks for 1984 that again set the standard for fuel control in the industry. Until the recent adoption of direct injection systems, fuel injection systems were largely carbon copies of the original system that debuted in the 1984 Regals.
All of this was done on a massive scale, unprecedented before seen. The closest thing to a total re-engineering was the 1966 Toronado and that was justified because it was sold to Oldsmobile and eventually Cadillac and Buick because they were premium cars. Now we were building inexpensive everyday cars for the masses that had move development in them that had been spent developing the atomic bomb of WWII. If you added up all the monies spent from the first dollar spent on the Citation to the last car converted from RWD to FWD and converted them to 2013 dollars, you could almost balance the federal budget. No kidding. It was at that level. It was overwhelming. It was nothing like anything could have dreamed or imagined when they entered engineering school.
When we started college, we all expected to be building variations of RWD body on frame cars forever. Ones that were styled like each division wanted them. Some cars like the Vette and the Toronado were different but they were low volume vehicles and had dedicated staffs. Little did I know that by the time that I effectively retired full time after 41 years that we would be driving massively computerized FWD vehicles with space aged materials that could protect us from all but the most dire of situations.
And that really was where all the failures came from. Some of them, like the V864 were stop gap, clearly introduced to bridge between old and new. Others like the HT4100, an engine that turned out to be quite sound by the end but was rushed into production due to time and circumstance. So in a way, it was like mobilizing for war. The changes affected everything. Almost nothing was the same from 1975 to 1985. I am not sure a single automotive company changed like that in a ten year span on the face of the earth. Maybe the Soviet bloc companies but I suppose we could confine it to free market countries.
Whenever you undertake such massive change on that level, with a company that large, with that amount of influence in the industry, mistakes are going to happen. That does not absolve anyone of the effects, but it would have been difficult to have imagined how it could have been totally perfected since so much was going on we had our hands full just keeping everything moving.
So people ask, well how did Honda, or Mercedes manage to keep it together during this time and grow? Well, quite simply, they were a lot smaller, built fewer products, and were largely unaffected by the forces that affected the Big Three and GM in particular. Toyota built nothing of any particular size except for the Cressida which was only a bit player in the market. Honda only sold Accords, Civics, and Preludes three of which were small vehicles unaffected by CAFE, so Honda as a corporation did not have to endure a wholesale change that the Big Three experienced after OPEC. They could quietly continue to devote their energies into continuing to develop their vehicles without radical changes.
When gas was in short supply and fuel economy was of paramount concern, people bought a lot of small imported cars, plus a lot of small domestic cars. But when those concerns subsided we saw buyers return to more traditional buying patterns if only for short periods. During the 1990s we had an extended period of prosperity and low relative gas prices which, by that time passenger cars were already fully redesigned and much smaller, drove SUV sales which were the spiritual successors to the traditional American car design. Gas went back up and people started buying smaller again and the cycle has yo-yo’d around like that for some time.
So in a way, at least for the Japanese automakers, building only small cars, when things began to change on the energy front, they did not go to the market, but the market came to them. They just sort of happened to be there, like the Mustang II was in 1974, designed without any real regard to OPEC, but happened to be something that seemed so right for the moment. And it sold, partly because it was more manageable than the recent Mustangs, but often because it was just much more efficient. Same with the Vega, despite the troubles of the first couple of years, MY1974 was a banner year because it was a small efficient car when people’s worlds were turned upside down.
In the 1980s, the biggest sin for Roger Smith was the money spent on extraneous projects unrelated to car design and build. Things like EDS, Hughes Electronics, and buying robots to lick envelopes when money could have been spend refining product. It felt like the Federal government, billions of dollars flying everywhere but no one really knew where it was going. In 1965, every dollar went into putting cars into people’s garages. Yes Frigidaire built fridges and appliances, but they did so in part because they also made air conditioning for cars, and those product lines were profitable, and did not drain from corporate resources. I did not know until about eight years ago that a division of Hughes Electronics developed and introduced DIRECTV, yes THAT DirecTV that competes with DishNetwork and TimeWarner for our television viewing. So all you GM haters with DirecTV, better switch fast! Well actually you don’t have to since it is a fully separate company (spun off in 2003), but just so you know…
By the time that Roger Smith retired in 1990 and Bob Stempel assumed the reigns, things were a mess. Bob should have replaced Pete Estes in 1981, but he wasn’t at that point in the food chain at the time, but like Pete, he was an operations guy. He knew how to get things done. He could not have reversed the push to FWD, but he would have not spent the money that Roger Smith did on everything but and might have made these cars the best vehicles ever produced, or at least much better than they were. By the time he got the keys, he was hamstrung. The company was bleeding money, nothing was selling, and he spent most of his time trying to right the ship. Unfortunately for him, he was out of the country for much of the 1980s managing Opel (which was making money hand over fist at the time not like today where it is dying) and did not have influence over North American operations. But Stempel was a car guy and would have done well if he would have had the resources to do so.
To tie this into something that Paul might appreciate, back in 2007, there was an article written over at TTAC:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2007/06/when-did-the-general-motors-death-watch-begin-for-some-x-marks-the-spot/
(also this one, on the same subject: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/12/curbside-classic-1980-chevrolet-citation-gms-deadliest-sin-ever/ – Ed)
While most of the (first) story documents various ills experienced by the owner and others, I feel he rightly points to the X car as the beginning of the end. Really that date was June 21, 1975 when the executive committee approved the whole FWD X platform to begin with, but that is being discrete.
Its hard to say whether it was the decision to go FWD that began the decline itself or the ills that the car suffered as a product. Because we have to go back to the original premise of what made GM what it was and what made it great. All that changed with the decision to go FWD unibody. People bought GM cars because each division made something unique and not only was it unique, but at least with regards to imports, the only competition was from within the Big Three.
Before OPEC, no one really cared about imported vehicles except on the margins. Mercedes was chipping away at luxury sales but unless they started building mass market vehicles, they would have been confined to a small section of that market. As would have VW and the other Europeans who built small quirky vehicles that catered to niche segments of the populations that had specific needs or were just weird enough to not mind driving 55hp VW buses that went nowhere fast. If OPEC would not have happened, one of two things would have happened: imports would have remained nibbling on both ends of the extremes, or they would have been forced to introduce larger products that would have looked a lot more like old fashioned American cars than what they were currently building. As much as we talk about how much OPEC and CAFE affected the Big Three, just to play devil’s advocate I have often thought about what would have happened if the reverse were true that the government would have passed a law mandating cars of a minimum size. GM would have gladly dropped the Vega and chaos would have reigned in Tokyo. Not unlike how it reigned in Detroit for so long.
So the moral of all of this way many things, we could argue that Roger Smith wasted money that could have been spent on product, we could blame it all on OPEC for destroying the US business model, blame it on UAW for extracting maximum benefits, blame it on corporate decisions to go FWD. Its impossible to really do that constructively. It was just so big. So much was going on. The real deadly sin was that it was all just overwhelming. Almost like a drug addiction.
Once the ball got rolling back in 1975, it blew up into this huge amount of change that was unprecedented in history. It got out of control, and sadly, probably to the point that no one man could have stopped. When you have a corporate the size that GM was at one time, that was bigger than probably half the countries in the United Nations, it was like nuclear fission. When the reactions start happens they are hard to control. It was like the meltdown in Chernobyl.
So while I look back at the 40+ years of my life, and think of all of this and history and my place in it, what could have been done differently, what I could have done differently, in the end I really do not have any answers. It would have been like trying to figure out how to run the world during WWII. I suppose in the end it had to all go away. The days of vertically integrated massive corporations with dominating market shares are over. Some will dominate for a short time, usually when a new product is introduced, but the days of GM, AT&T, IBM, Kodak and RCA are over. Gone, done. Globalization, technology, communication, whatever the factors are will never let such things happen again.
But it was a ride, a fun ride, a ride I never dreamed would turn out the way it did, but despite all of the bitterness I could have regarding everything, I probably would not have had it any other way.
Pch101
Posted May 21, 2013 at 8:37 AM
There were too many overlapping brands (or, more specifically, too many distribution channels.) That encouraged a culture of badge engineering and cannibalization, which eroded the value of the individual brands and necessarily became more desperate as the company began to lose market share.
GM and Detroit generally were woefully unprepared for the OPEC crisis, which provided a sales opportunity to foreign competitors.
And the Japanese beat the pants off of them with total quality management and lean production. Consumers began to realize that the build quality and engineering just weren’t all that good.
Ford invented automotive mass production, and GM had invented the idea of competing based upon branding, styling and features. GM wasn’t expecting that business model to evolve anywhere beyond where they had taken it, and were unwilling to accept that some foreigners might be better at the game than they were. The greatest legacy cost was hubris, which fostered that inability to adapt to change.
VanillaDude
This is an outstanding article!
Curbside is becoming the place to be!
Over a period of a decade, GM went from making cars that made Americans happy to making cars that didn’t. Somehow the biggest car company in the US decided that the future was thataway – and their maket went thisaway instead. Somehow the biggest car company in the US didn’t see having both thisaway and thataway in their product portfolio as a possibility.
No one demanded that GM drop the cars Americans liked driving. No one told GM they no longer wanted a rear drive, body on frame, automobile. GM decided to stop making the cars Americans liked to drive. GM committed itself to a belief that the future of automobiles was not the automobiles that made them the biggest car company in the world. It was as if the New Coke phenomena infiltrated GM.
GM was monolithic, and still thinks monolithically. It was so hide-bound in this that regardless of the brand and the brand’s market, GM decided it’s one size fits all front wheel drive, unibody car of the future was going to fit every brand and market. So what is being described in this wonderful article was SELF INFLICTED. OPEC didn’t do it. Technology didn’t do it. Labor didn’t do it. Because if those were really the reasons this was done – then why is GM no longer producing the same cookie-cutter front drivers today? it is 2013 and there is more diversity of drivetrains and manufacturing methodologies than there was in 1985. GM’s problems were self inflicted, not forced upon them.
GM decided to reinvent themselves in a manner that only a monolithic hide-bound top heavy corporation would – and blew it. GM wasted billions of dollars reinventing themselves when no one was forcing them to. H. Ross Perot mentioned accurately that GM could have BOUGHT Toyota for what they wasted during the Roger Smith years. However, the men at the top of the organization couldn’t understand how to make an organization as big as GM do a 180 degree backflip, even when it wasn’t necessary.
GM’s new cars sucked like a F5 tornado in a Black Hole. What we wanted in a GM car was no longer made. You wanted a rear drive Park Avenue? Tough – you got a front driver that couldn’t be a Park Avenue even with when it came with tufted crushed velour.
We wanted real GM cars. GM told us that their craptastic front drive unibody pseudomobiles were better. We knew what they knew at the time they said this – these cars were not real GM cars.
When the front drivers didn’t give us what we wanted in a GM car, we left GM.
We still buy real GM cars, but they have a box on the back now.
That was Roger Smith’s sin. The wholesale switch to FWD was green-lighted before he became CEO, so he wasn’t directly responsible for badge engineering. What he did was spend all the profits of the early 1980s on various non-automotive projects that could have been better spent improving the product line.
Most of your comments I agree with. Hindsight is always 20/20. The question is is that was switching to FWD really the core problem or was it just bad execution? Say for example the Citation was perfectly reliable. Or any of the other X cars or A cars or J cars. Would it have mattered? Would people have still purchased absolutely perfect cars that looked the same?
I say that because it is proven that people will purchase less than perfect products, and cars too, if there is an intangible benefit that still brings value.
People loved GM cars, warts and all, until they started to not look like GM cars.
A decade after the X Car debacle, GM perfectly presented the Saturn. They sold over a million of them. After twelve years and one restyling, this vehicle was allowed to die on the vine.
Saturn proves that GM knew how to do it when they realized a new car needed to be completely redesigned from the ground up and untouched by it’s bureaucracy.
GM was completely foolish to believe in the one car fits all concept Henry Ford followed almost to the demise of the Ford Motor Company fifty years earlier.
BigOldChryslers
> GM was completely foolish to believe in the one car fits all concept Henry Ford followed almost to the demise of the Ford Motor Company fifty years earlier.
All of the Big-3 must have been panicking the same. American consumers quickly abandoned larger RWD cars, and the auto manufacturers must have assumed this change would be permanent.
Look at Chrysler during the same time period, which almost went bankrupt and then converted their entire line-up to smaller FWD cars, mostly K-car derivatives. Then when the market for larger RWD cars came back, they were worse-off than GM because they had NOTHING left in that segment.
Posted May 23, 2013 at 11:21 AM
That is generally true. When OPEC hit and CAFE came into effect, most people in the automotive industry believed (rightly so in the long long term) that the whole energy situation was forever changed and that cars were going to have to change. That is why GM invested so heavily in going FWD. Everyone expected the long term trend of higher gas prices to continue. The rapid drop of prices in the mid 1980s caught everyone off guard. It also messed up a lot of product planning as consumers began to purchased the larger older designed models in great numbers and well they were continued in production longer than previously planned.
An consequently, the models considered ‘collectible’ from the 1980s and early 1990s are all of the throwback models.
As for the previous comment about Ford and one car, you have to remember that when the Model T came out and then the Model A, that was a very early time in the history of the country. Cars were not universally owned as they are today. Financing was not developed as it is today. Then of course you have the Depression and other economic downturns in the early part of the year. Unless you had a lot of money, you could not be as discriminating in your car purchases as you can today. Ford also had other problems during the 30s and 40s mainly having to do with Henry Ford I
‘s autocratic management style.
Yes I do not really have a rational explanation for how Saturn progressed since I was not particularly involved in that. Off the cuff I tend to think that as the 1990s wore on when the economy boomed and gas prices stabilized buyers were gobbling up SUVs and multipurpose vehicles and small cars were less a priority. SUVs became so hot that even the European and Japanese companies that had been historically known for either high end performance cars or small cars began to develop SUV vehicles to compete. I would not be surprised if a rather high percentage of Mercedes sales, by unit in the US, is with SUV and crossover vehicles. The traditional Mercedes vehicles, the E & S class vehicles are probably only a small percentage of sales by volume.
Of course you probably already know this, that Saturn was predominately pushed by Roger Smith. So I guess we can credit Saturn’s early success to him? Had GM continued to invest in that brand would we have acknowledged that?
I have to disagree with Saturn proving GM could do it when they were unfettered from the static. Saturn proved GM could be adept at marketing and customer service. While I have no doubt that they had many thousands of satisfied customers, at no time was the Saturn product the equal of a Toyota or Honda, or even Mazda or Nissan.
Saturn was a success for GM at least for a while, to the point that many Saturn buyers did not realize that Saturn was part of GM. It was so separate that the entire service operation for Saturn was separate from the other brands. Historically, while individual branded dealers tended to specialize in the parts and servicing of their specific brand, the dealer could always conceivably order parts for any GM make vehicle. Especially when the ordering system became computerized, all of the parts catalogs were universal. Non Saturn GM dealers were not able to easily order Saturn parts since their parts and service information was separate. Some of that was done deliberately some of it was just circumstance since Saturn did not share many parts with non-Saturn vehicles (until the end). Saturn franchises were initially issued as stand-alone dealerships although frequently part of other GM franchise groups. As Saturn began to be wound up, the franchises were linked to a non-Saturn franchise to facility ongoing warranty and servicing.
IMO, Saturn could have continued a successful brand if GM had not of scaled back its investment. Between cash flow problems, and increasing sales of larger vehicles when gas got cheap in the 1990s Saturn was somewhat deemphasized. They did well with what initially was one car (S model) and then two cars (L model) before things started to get mixed up and Saturns started to be badged on platforms shared with other divisions. Limiting the vehicle selection to a couple of specific (smaller) models could have preserved the uniqueness of the brand and it likely would have survived into today. Remember, there have been other makers that survived on a selection of small models, VW lived almost entirely on sales of the original Beetle and subsequently the Rabbit until the mid 1980s in the United States (almost dying here a couple of times in the process) until the mid 1990s when they started investing in larger models and trying to turn themselves into something of a premium economy car maker. Honda has more or less lived off of the Accord and Civic for the bulk of its sales and Toyota the Camry and Corolla (until Lexus and even now the bulk of Toyota-brand sales are those two models).
As far as product, the Saturn was competitive enough to satisfy most buyers of smaller vehicles. I do not see Saturn suffered in any particular way specifically due to product failure.
What I always found interesting about Saturn was how it was set up with much the same kind of autonomy ALL of GM’s car and truck divisions used to have. And, when it had that autonomy, it was fairly successful, certainly had a unique identity that was not “generic GM” as the rest of the company had gone. Then, the autonomy went away and Saturn became “generic GM” too. With no better results than any of the other nameplates (that had once upon a time been called Divisions).
Guy Ulrich
Posted April 23, 2018 at 8:41 AM
Has what I’ve read in other books been wrong? You all say Saturn was successful yet I’ve always heard Saturn was a financial black hole.
One joke mentioned specifically that supposedly made the rounds was that GM would lose less money if they simply gave a Chevrolet for free to anyone who wanted to buy a Saturn. Is that wrong, I’m curious.
Eric VanBuren
I guess it depends on your definition of successful and competitive. Everything I’ve ever read indicates Saturn lost money in all but one of the years they existed. Thanks to the way they developed it by bench marking Japanese cars available when they started they were out of date when they hit the showrooms and the competition had moved on. GM even admitted that they spent so much money developing them, they didn’t sell well enough to recouple those costs, so they had no choice but to keep selling them with only minor updates well beyond their “best by” date.
On the one hand considering all that was wrong with the rest of GM it made sense to develop them in a vacuum but on the other hand making every nut and bolt a Saturn nut and bolt meant they spent way too much developing the car. Despite the other problems there were still GM divisions producing some of the best in the world components that were even in demand by other automakers. The buy wouldn’t have known the difference if they shared things like alternators, starters and AC compressors with other vehicles.
Paul Niedermeyer
GM’s investment in Saturn was a boondoggle. It lost billions on Saturn, and all it did was prove that GM was incapable of changing its corporate structure and cars to address the changed circumstances of the market. It sucked away development money, so that the Cavalier rotted slowly on the vine.
It proved that the power of marketing and pre-social media hype could effectively dupe buyers into thinking that Saturn was really something different and “special”.
And of course, it started becoming irrelevant when the heart of the market moved away from small cars to CUVs and such. Nobody anticipated that, right? Things never change, right?
I know this sounds like 20-20 hindsight, but I have former employees from back then who who will attest to my saying at the time Saturn came out: “This will fail”. Why? Because it was Roger Smith’s brain fart, and he hadn’t ever really thought it through. I was convinced the man was determined to have a batting average of as close to zero as possible, and history has proven it to largely be so. My personal GM Death Watch was then already some years along.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1992-saturn-sl-gms-deadly-sin-4-the-eulogy/
Nobody was prepared for OPEC. There really wasn’t any way for anyone to argue that you COULD have been prepared. It was just one of those things that happened. Sometimes when stuff happens, some are in a worse position to be affected by it than others. OPEC, and CAFE, hit GM hardest than any major car maker because they built volume large models. The Japanese brands, and most of the European brands, built almost all small cars. They built small cars not because they planned for an eventual OPEC, but because their home markets necessitated small cars and that was their natural base. American buyers had generally not taken to small cars, at least after WWII, except with certain demographics and the volume was small. So they got lucky, when the fuel crisis hit and buyers suddenly started looking for more fuel efficient cars, they bought every small car going, Vegas, Mustang IIs, and imports. So in a way, many imports got lucky in circumstance. That doesn’t mean that they were not worthy cars in their own right, but there is no disputing that circumstances aided their entree into the market.
Very few times in history are companies confronted with such a sudden situation that changed their entire basic rationale. The closest I can think of in modern times is RIM (Research in Motion) that all but invented the “smart phone” and dominated smart phone sales in the same way GM dominated car sales. Eventually competitors came out with models of their own that stole market share. RIM is fighting back with their new Z10 and Q10 models which may help them rebuild but they will probably never enjoy that level of domination again. The iPhone is currently the most popular product, but it too has succumbed somewhat to competition from the Droid, Samsung, and others. The smart phone market is much like the auto industry today, dominated by 4-5 major companies but none having an overwhelming market share.
The difference with RIM is that there was no OPEC equivalent with RIM, they just rested on their laurels and made poor product decisions and the market took off in a different direction. Same with Commodore, which once had 50% of the home computer market, yet today doesn’t exist.
Yes I did not mean to imply that there was an OPEC-like event in the smart phone market, but more so in saying that today, with globalization and everything else, that it is virtually impossible for a company to maintain an extremely dominant market share position in a broad line industry because eventually other players will enter the market and buyers will shift. Some items like cell phones tend to be influenced by fads but mainly once competition enters a market, it becomes difficult to recreate the factors of dominance. GM was able to dominate after WWII because, well one they swallowed up a lot of car companies early on, but of course there was not effective import competition because Europe and Japan were rebuilding from WWII. Of course the other world powers at the time, the Soviet bloc, served only internal customers.
There was also such an insulated culture at the very top of GM, John DeLorean talks about it in “On a Clear Day you can see General Motors”. He has an entire chapter about “The Fourteenth Floor” which was the top floor of the General Motors building in downtown Detroit, where the elite of the elite of GM brass would meet and count their money. I remember the line from the book, moving up to the 14th floor meant that if you weren’t a millionaire already, you soon would be(DeLorean’s salary in 1970 as the head of Chevrolet was $650,000…..think about that in terms of 1970 money for a moment).
Upper management was a no outsiders club, these were people brought up through the GM system, every day at a certain hour they turned towards the massive 2 story tall red neon GENERAL MOTORS sign on the top of the buidling and they would pray. The “GM WAY” wasn’t only the right way, it was the ONLY way to do things, after all, whose going to argue with GM?
redmondjp
There is a lot to this. I was a GMI student 1984-86 and worked at Delco Electronics. I got to visit several automotive plants during this time. When any auto executive looked out his (/her) window, all they saw was a sea of 0-5 year-old American cars – this was the case at every auto assembly and parts plant. They weren’t looking at the freeways in Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle and other places where foreign cars were becoming increasingly popular.
I still remember walking through the Delco plant complex (now essentially empty) and seeing the workers busily painting every forklift barrier and wall – that was how you knew that the top brass was visiting soon!
Thanks, Craig, for sharing your thoughts.
A couple of points: The Vega, which long predates OPEC, was the prophet of GM’s problems to come. It showed that the corporation was not properly organized to bring a fully fleshed-out small car to the market. Instead of being given to Chevrolet. it was a developed by corporate Engineering, and forced on a reluctant division to build. A recipe for disaster, and a foreshadowing of things to come. DeLorean’s unhappy experiences with GM’s management structure and effectiveness were of course well known through his book “On A Clear Day You Can See GM”.
Other automakers also had to adapt to enormous changes. VW had to completely shift from its rear-engine cars to modern FWD ones. It was a wrenching transition, but they pulled it off very successfully.
And even Toyota (and the other Japanese manufacturers) had to make huge changes. Except for Honda, all the Japanese were set up to build conventional RWD cars. Their transition to FWD was also momentous, if perhaps not quite on the scale of GM. But every one of Toyota’s three all-new fwd car platforms (Tercel, Corolla, and Camry) arrived without any significant shortcomings. That’s the huge difference from GM.
GM (along with Ford and Chrysler) typically released new products that simply weren’t fully fleshed out. In the eighties, that applies to just about every single GM new product/engine. There’s a reason why it’s quite rare to find existing survivors of the first year or two of GM products nowadays. Over time, most were improved, and some became quite durable indeed (A-Body, etc.), but in each case, the poor introduction turned a significant number of buyers away to the imports.
This is another aspect of GM’s hubris: for thinking that they could completely re-do their product line to FWD in just a few years (1980-1985), but the initial shortcomings in just about every one of them were crippling blows. I realize that it was a gargantuan undertaking, but perhaps it just needed to be stretched out on a longer timeline, or with greater commitment to quality controls and extensive pre-production testing.
And GM missed the boat with design in the eighties. Ford embraced radical change, with very euro-oriented aerodynamic design, while GM designs became very blocky and profoundly undifferentiated among their brands as well as between their cheap small cars and their expensive models. GM was seen to be out of touch by a new generation of younger buyers who were just coming into their prime new-car buying years.
I could go on; and have, and will…. I do agree that GM’s dominant position and size made it very vulnerable to the kind if insularity that makes companies vulnerable to the changes in the marketplace, and that it was essentially destined to fail.
Here’s an interesting quote from Alfred P. Sloan Jr, made in 1964 in his book ” My Years With GM” : “Any rigidity by an automobile manufacturer, no matter how large or well established, is severely penalized in the market.” He was referring to Ford back in the twenties, but it was a very prescient comment on the future of GM.
cfclark
Apropos the Vega, if you follow “Mad Men”, you’re aware that Don Draper’s agency has just won a big account for a car that we CC devotees would recognize as the Vega. So we know that if the series continues up to the point of the car’s introduction, they will be dealing (because Chevy will be dealing) with the PR mess that comes out of the Vega’s many problems. The car they’re trying to create ads for is supposed to be a revolutionary vehicle, and we know before the characters that this doesn’t really happen.
If you follow this weeks episode you see their frustration in dealing with GM’s layers and layers of management while working on the campaign for the Vega. At one point Don says, “tell them to call me around 1970 when they’re ready to make the thing”
The episode opened up with Ken Cosgrove being forced to drive a bunch of drunken Chevy executives around in an Impala while they fired thier pistols at road signs. Being exhorted to punch it, Cosgrove loses control and wrecks.
Uncle Mellow
” VW had to completely shift from its rear-engine cars to modern FWD ones. It was a wrenching transition, but they pulled it off very successfully” Quote Paul.
I had the impression VW had no choice – they would have gone under if they hadn’t switched and they almost left it too late.
Eventually, perhaps, but I think it was more that the writing was on the wall. By the late ’60s, Volkswagen was really becoming very dependent on the fact that the Beetle was still selling strongly in America, mostly because it was seen as a cute counterculture icon. In Europe, the Beetle was sinking fast (I don’t think European buyers, particularly in West Germany, found it so adorable as Americans did) and the follow-on air-cooled models were great disappointments.
The popularity of the Beetle here — it outsold American Motors in toto — probably bought some time, and obviously VW still had capital, but it was becoming clear that that wouldn’t be true indefinitely. Also, Volkswagen in those days was still part-owned by Lower Saxony, whose government was obviously not eager to see the company fail.
That was perhaps fortunate because the transition was definitely not without hiccups. The Volkswagen K70, their first water-cooled FWD model (albeit based on a design acquired along with Audi’s purchase of NSU), had a lot of issues and wasn’t a great success, although it was probably a useful trial run.
WV chased death on multiple occasions, at least in the United States, being saved mainly by still being relevant in Germany and the European market. As Aaron said, the Beetle was hugely popular (relatively) in the US, but was seriously overplayed by the mid 1970s and the other vehicles were duds. Then came the Rabbit which again became somewhat overplayed after a while and various ills related to production in Westmoreland, PA tarnished the image somewhat. They introduced the Gold/Jetta that were moderately popular sales rose a bit but started to slide again until about 1992 or so when WV America was on life support. They decided to invest heavily in a plant in Mexico to support vehicles intended for the North American market. Production and sales rose, but most observers believe that WV quality began to decline, especially with product coming out of Mexico. It never got bad, but it was nothing like the halcyon days of product from Germany.
As we know, except for Mercedes and BMW, higher end niche cars, most of the mainline European makes either died, withdrew from the market, or suffered along like WV did many times. What is interesting is that, in the US market at least, sales of import makes less than $40,000 is dominated by the Japanese.
Canucknucklehead
An excellent piece, Craig and thank you for taking the time to write it. I learned a lot of things about GM from reading it.
What is missing is the absolutely poisonous relationship GM had with its dealers in this era and how it took its customers for granted. I didn’t get it first hand but we had an independent repair garage literally across the street from a big GM dealer and about 1.5 km from another. The horror stories I both heard and saw were quite frankly shocking; I had been raised in a GM family and had always seen GM as practically infallible. Then came along stuff like the THM200 and the FWD cars. Sorry to say but compared to the Japanese competition, the cars were junk. GM should have bent over backwards to make its customers happy, but it didn’t.
The so called “Greatest Generation” snapped up GM cars without question until about 1980, when they started to expire (as most didn’t have the healthiest of lifestyles). Baby boomers got tired of permanent car payments and bought imports instead. Really, GM should have done radical surgery then and not tried to sell the same car at several divisions. Failure to do so led to the slow motion bankruptcy that now seems to be forgotten.
However the worst part of GM was their cynicism. I remember GM execs bragging they had never driven an import. It was a classic case of insular thinking and even GM of today is still doing it.
I will never, as long as I live, ever buy a GM car again after the way the dealer treated me on the last one I bought. Never, not if it were given to me, would I drive one.
cjiguy
Your Greatest Generation paragraph seems to hit the nail on the head for me. Small cars from GM were woefully bad one reason or another for nearly 15 years starting with the Vega. How GM thought all those first-time new car buyers would ignore the problems it, and the succeeding H and X cars would give their owners, is beyond me. All this during a period where the Japanese were making leaps and bounds upwards in regards to real and perceived brand quality… By the time the Js and As were “arguably” sorted out, it was mostly too little, too late. (As an aside, my parent’s first new GM, an 85 Cavalier type 10, was on it’s third clutch @ 6 years and 64,000mi on… The 86 Trooper II bought new we all drove as well still stick-shifted along with no trouble when we departed with it in 96 at 130,000mi so not operator error there… After that Cav, they never went back to GM again.)
ggh06
Interesting article. I don’t have much authority to speak about GM’s business practices, but I will say this: I never had the impression that GM’s managers had ever actually owned, or maybe even driven, the small cars they tried to foist on us, from the Vega through at least to the Cobalt.
My last GM car was a ’78 Malibu wagon, purchased new. Not a horrible car, but very poorly assembled and not very durable. Got rid of it after 2.5 years and haven’t touched the marque since. Don’t really intend this to be yet another GM bash-fest, so I’ll stop there.
I’m reminded of what Car and Driver said of the Vega when it first came out. They got the impression that it was a car designed to hit specific objective benchmarks in proving grounds testing, which it did, but that subjective considerations had gotten short shrift. Between that and the cost-cutting that a lot of these cars ended up undergoing (well-documented in the case of the Corvair and the Vega), you can see how a car that looks good on paper ended up not working out as well in the real world.
It’s also interesting to point out that Car & Driver readers and staff voted the Vega best compact car for like 4 years in a row too.
Gee, a Buff Book shilling for the largest advertiser in North America, one that actually cut Car and Driver off after the infamous Opel article. Whodathunk that a GM product would make car of the year! What was the competition? Well, the Pinto and the Gremlin would pretty much sum up the massive competition. Having had the misfortune of driving all three, the Vega was actually the least bad of the lot. The later ones were not nearly as horrid as the early ones, either.
Posted May 21, 2013 at 10:46 PM
Motor Trend also called the Vega their Car of the Year in ’71, which Car and Driver now calls out as one of the 10 worst automotive awards ever.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/dishonorable-mention-the-10-most-embarrassing-award-winners-in-automotive-history
Their road tests of the Vega do make their rationale pretty clear. It was not that they were oblivious to its flaws (excepting the engine issues, which are the sort of thing that don’t usually become apparent in a short-term road test of brand-new cars), but that the editors found most of the obvious rivals as flawed or more so.
In Car and Driver‘s 1971 comparison of the Vega, Pinto, Gremlin, Corolla, and Beetle, for instance, they complained that the Vega was noisy, had a three-speed transmission that felt like a five-speed missing two gears, and wasn’t a great joy in most subjective terms. However, it was among the most fuel efficient, had decent acceleration for its type, handled well, felt like it would be endurable for a longer highway trip, and didn’t look like a dumpling; each of the other cars tested could manage some but not all of those things. (Unfortunately I don’t think the test included the Datsun 510, and while I would have been very interested to see a side-by-side comparison of the Vega and the Opel Ascona/1900, I don’t think the latter was available yet when they did the test.)
Car & Driver in the 60’s and 70’s hadn’t yet become “Accord & 3 series Monthly” that it now has become, C&D was kind of the Gonzo journalism car magazine. C&D GM had and adversarial relationship ever since their really negative review of an Opel 1900 wagon in 1969, GM pulled all of its advertising from the magazine, so they weren’t kissing ass, and it was a READERS choice survey as well.
Unlike most Japanese imports at the time that the Vega came out which were billed almost strictly on economy, the Vega was billed to be no only economy but stylish with a certain degree of performance. Equipped with the 2bbl engine, F41 suspension, the upgraded tires, the car was quite capable for its size and given the competition. The car, even today, is widely regarded for its handling. Of course its styling a cross between the Camaro and the Fiat 124 coupe, was better than the typical import at the time. So the car had a lot of potential.
The Vega, while being RWD, ended up being a victim for many of the same reasons that the X cars did. When GM came out with the Vega, so many things were new, processes were new, that it overwhelmed everyone and mistakes were bound to happen.
The Elpo dip process, the source of many complaints about rust in addition to the lack of a fender liner, was brand new. Eventually it was refined and is the process that is used, more or less intact, today. Side post battery debuted on the Vega so that the cars could be tilted nose first for transport reducing spillage. The 100 unit/hr assembly line. All of these things hit at once and it was a monumental task to implement and manage at all times.
My father is at the trailing edge of the Greatest Generation and he switched from GM to Toyota in that year of 1980. Why? He was about to trade in a Cutlass for another when, in the showroom, part of the interior of a new car fell apart in his hand. Accross the street was a Toyota dealer. Its still there, Obviously, the Olds dealer is gone. He probably paid more for the Supra he bought, but the car was so good he never looked back.
Zackman
Woe. This article? All I can say is: WOW!
Very well done, Sir. Thank you. I expect to read this sort of stuff over on TTAC, but they seem to have their shorts in a wad right now for reasons I can’t see…
After the mid/late 1970s, except for the 1977 B bodies, I began to HATE GM and went to AMC in 1977. I then went to Chrysler in 1981 and we bought our first K-Car.
Reason? I knew it was relatively new technology, but the basic drivetrain I felt was better developed than any other domestic OEM – plus, I wanted to at least do a tiny part to help Chrysler, which was in dire straits at the time.
Our car had its issues, but it was a good car for the next 7 years.
c5karl
The GM X Bodies and the Chrysler K Cars are an interesting comparision. If I remember correctly, they were released about a year apart (the X cars first), were roughly the same size and similar configuration. Sales of the X cars were huge at first, probably outselling the K cars for a year or two or three.
But the K cars marked a turnaround for Chrysler and gave them a platform that spawned a variety of cars for years, including the minivans that saved the company. The X cars were a disaster for GM and marked the first of many stumbles in their transition to FWD.
There’s probably a CC post to be written comparing and contrasting the two. I don’t know enough of the history to write that post, but maybe someone else does.
I’ll also stand by the fact that along with the other entire truck load of issues that GM had to deal with, the UAW assembly line workers were part of the problem with the quality of cars generally going to **** after 1970 or so, an accelerated problem when the baby boomer generation started getting into the work force, these were the people that hated everyone above them, hated their jobs, the guys that would show up to work drunk, get stoned at lunch and throw nuts and bolts down into the deepest parts of the car during assembly to create rattles, and then go to sleep behind some parts for the rest of the day.
Oh, and you couldn’t fire them…..
I, a card-carrying baby-boomer, now 62, agree with some of what you say. I only hated those above me who were self-righteous and jerks – they come in all generations and age groups – many were mentors in one way or another, and I didn’t hate my job.
Perhaps you’re referring to assembly line workers? Yeah – I knew a couple of those, too – in and out of the auto industry! I have and could tell a few true tales about the Fenton, MO Chrysler assembly plant back in the early 70’s where a buddy of mine worked for a year or so!
Well the “Greatest Generation” carried many of the traits that the current Japanese culture does, a respect for age, seniority, and paying your dues. When you lived through the twin events of the Great Depression and the WWII, the effects and impacts of those lasted forever. The Baby Boomers were the first generation (except for those in Vietnam) to have really lived what we otherwise think of as “the American dream.” They often grew up in suburban households, many had a chance to drive a car early on, had modern conveniences, record numbers went to college, even non-college aged graduates were able to find decent employment at least early on, and the social changes of the 1960s opened up a lot of social opportunities. So it was sort of like being let out of prison. Drugs, rock and roll, birth control, freedom meant celebration. A lot of social mores were shattered after the 1960s. Probably for the better long term, but created a lot of short term consequences as described.
Of course, the UAW issue affected all U.S. manufacturers pretty much equally. Even so, there was often a wide range between the best-assembled cars and the worst, and Chrysler was often at the bottom here. Still, I have understood that GM did not always have the best relationship with its hourly workers.
Product quality is largely a function of design and the assembly **process**, which are management functions.
Toyota innovated the production side of the business. They did a fundamentally better job of building reliable cars than had anyone who had come before them. Honda jumped on board, but much of the world was slow to copy them (and it wasn’t easy to copy.)
What Toyota did was to completely change the game. Lean production substantially reduced the defect rates that had been accepted as the norm for decades. The domestics didn’t get worse, they just failed to progress when the consumer began to expect progress.
Final assembly plays a huge part of the quality equation. If the assembly line works are unhappy they will “forget” to put all the bolts in or tighten all of them properly or call the seriously out of alignment panel “good enough”. If the management is seen as the enemy or too strict that means if they do accidentally mess something up they won’t dare stop the line to fix it or make a note of it so it can be fixed off line. If relations get real bad then the assembly line works will turn to sabotage, leaving empty beer cans inside panels or hanging a nut from a piece of fishing line deep inside an area that won’t be accessible after full assembly.
The assembly process comes from management.
In a lean system such as what Toyota pioneered, QC takes place throughout the assembly process.
In a traditional mass production, QC is largely left to the back end of the process.
Traditional mass production produces a higher defect rate because it is more difficult to identify problems if nobody bothers to look for them until the car has already been built. Cars are made of thousands of parts, many of which are hidden away, which guarantees a high defect rate.
A properly managed assembly line would have found the beer can in the door and removed it long before it did any harm. (As an added bonus, the culprit could be determined and dealt with appropriately.) But the traditional mass production approach, invented by Ford and copied widely, emphasized throughput instead of defect rates. This is ultimately a systemic problem, and it’s up to management to fix it.
“The assembly process comes from management”
Sure management can put processes in place, but as long as there is an adversarial relationship between management and the assembly line workers those processes won’t make any significant difference.
So a lot of it comes down to the culture and that is not something management is likely going to be able to change on their own once it has become entrenched.
“as long as there is an adversarial relationship between management and the assembly line workers those processes won’t make any significant difference.”
That came from management, too. Culture is likewise a management phenomenon.
Lean production lowers defect rates. Go learn more about it, and who lead the way with innovating it.
Yes, and the speed management specifies for the line can also have a big impact on quality. If line workers are required to cut their time-per-operation by 30 or 40 percent (not necessarily uncommon), it really doesn’t leave a lot of room for fixing problems even if they develop. If a program is also rushed tot he point where there isn’t a lot of time to work out the bugs in the tooling or minor design flaws, that becomes compounded.
There is a splendid British examination of the labor issue by a professor named Theo Nichols called The British Worker Question, published in London in the mid-80s. It’s obviously dealing with the U.K., and not solely with the auto industry, but it’s very readable and offers some very useful insights on this area.
To a certain point yes the culture in a company does come from management put it also comes from the culture of the community as a whole. In the case of the automakers a large part of the adversarial nature is due to the union. It is sort of a catch 22 w/o the adversarial culture there would be no need for the union and w/o the union there wouldn’t be a reason to perpetuate that adversarial culture. A lot of it does go back to the culture of the community however.
“If a program is also rushed to the point where there isn’t a lot of time to work out the bugs in the tooling or minor design flaws, that becomes compounded.”
And traditional mass production compounds this problem by creating large inventories ahead of production, which means that mistakes will often already be built into thousands or tens of thousands of parts before the fact.
When Ford invented the assembly line, he and his colleagues were under the impression that standardized parts alone would be enough to produce a quality product. The first assembly line didn’t even have a QC process at all.
But then the first cars off the line proved to be pretty bad. Given how the system worked, the rework department was put at the end of the line, to fix cars that had already been built. Stopping the line was unthinkable — it had to keep moving in order to amortize the costs down as much as possible.
Toyota realized that this approach was prone to creating defects that would be hard to fix after the fact. By having QC throughout the build process, defects could be fixed before the end of the line. By building parts in smaller batches, design flaws could be fixed earlier.
The culture that will make or break such a system comes from management. For a lean system to work properly requires that employees not be treated as second-class citizens and that managers be more responsive to concerns on the line.
The mentality at the RenCen is going to be inherently hostile to such ideas. Nobody at the top wants to surrender power or trust the worker. GM gets the union that it deserves.
Pch 101, you are turning CC into TTAC. Make your point and let it go.
CRAIGINNC, great article and hope to see more from you.
Early Vega production in Lordstown was actually very well done. As you can read from various online sites and DeLorean’s book, when Chevrolet still controlled Lordstown, he had teams in place that were on the assembly line dealing with issues related to the new 100/hr unit production. When GMAD pulled control of the plant from the division, those special teams were let go and problems were handled internally. Had the teams remained in place, many of the production level problems would have never surfaced.
Sometimes problems are pure production, some are engineering. A good case study, at least for me, is my 1981 Imperial. It has many known problems, mostly related to the fuel injection, system, but the build quality is absolutely first rate. Even to this day 32 years later, that car feel more solid than just about any car that I have ever driven. I have pretty much engineered out any problems with the fuel injection system, so it performs pretty much as designs. It is dead quiet inside. Going over bumps even railroad tracks are hardly even felt. There are no squeaks, rattles, or other noises of degradation. The Imperial was built in Windsor with a high degree of attention during the assembly process and Imperial employees all had seniority of 20 years plus. Major components were all hand selected and are all marked with a unique pentastar symbol.
Aside from it being a bit slow, the 2.21 axle ratio and the choked 140hp 318 V8 in a heavy car, it is very Mercedes like in its solid brick feel. Of course its opulent interior is over the top. I dare say that enjoy driving it more than most of my other cars simply because it is a tank and a very attractive one at that. One day I have designs to switch the rear end to a 3.55 Sure Grip, because it won’t affect the cars AACA status, but will improve the off the line acceleration markedly while reduced highway MPG only marginally.
73ImpCapn
I don’t think the “Dang Hippies” hypothesis really holds water. It’s more about a history of bad blood between Detroit and the UAW, with ugliness and mistrust on both sides. Baby boomers have built a lot of CamCordTimas in the US without Big Three-style craziness. Saturn and NUMMI even did ok with a unionized workforce, so that can’t be the deciding factor either.
Yes, but remember many of those were built in states where they never made cars before, so that bred in UAW mentality wasn’t there.
NUMMI took an existing GM plant and UAW workforce in Fremont, California, with some of the worst labor relations in the system, and turned it around with a Toyota-led revolution in management culture and practices.
If only GM weren’t too arrogant and hidebound to actually learn from, and widely implement, the experience at NUMMI and Saturn.
NUMMI was an improvement. However, I hated the way the Nova looked. It was too small for my personal tastes and the whole hatchback thing isn’t my thing. If I wanted a Toyota-esque car I would have bought a Toyota.
I really disliked when GM did that. I like GM when they built cars that looked like GM cars.
Also remember that by the time Toyota and Honda opened plants, the “dang hippies” had had about a decade to mellow out.
Clonedspork
I keep hearing about Honda and Toyota having “lost their way” to the Koreans. If true then this might simply be a recurring thing among automakers.
Neither their sales figures nor profits back this claim up but I have seen this posted on many web boards and of course, if it’s on the internet, it has to be true.
Sales figures and profits have nothing to do with having “lost their way”. At this point they are just like GM in the 70’s riding on their reputation and ever increasing discounts, in the case of Toyota, to hide the problems. Toyota has been buying the title of best selling car in the US for a couple of years now. When the 2012 Camry was introduced the prices were dropped across the board, in some models quite significantly. Despite that they are continually offering deep discounts, at least in my area, yet they still can’t move the metal.
I just did a search on Cars.com for new Camrys within 10 miles. They still show 7 yes, 7, new 2011 and 14 new 2012 in stock. Meanwhile expanding the search area to 100mi results in no 2012 Malibus let alone any 2011, while there are 3 2012 Fusions and no 2011s in that 100mi radius.
So far I have yet to be convinced that Korean cars (or German for that matter) are generally any more reliable than domestics; if these were my only alternatives, I’d buy American for hopefully cheaper parts.
While I think the Japanese have slipped a bit since the ’80s, I still trust them the most.
I travel a lot for my business and I get a lot of rentals and I can without reservation say this: Korean cars are not as good as Japanese cars. Sure, they are 8/10th of a Japanese car and the have a significant initial cost advantage and that is good enough for most buyers. But not me.
Perhaps Japanese cars have “slipped” since the ’80s but one must take into account that practically every other car has vastly improved. Japanese cars are also much cheaper now than before, especially here in Canuckisan.
You do see alot more modern cars than I do no doubt about that but there are a few things that I see that bother me about Toyota in particular. I manage a tire store that is a part of a farmers coop in Arkansas and The Toyota trucks arent the same quality and are alot bigger than the ones from the 80s to mid 90s (and yes, I mean the Tacomas too). Also, if you ever changed oil on one you would never want to own one. A GM truck takes about 15 minutes tops, Ford about the same. Dodge? We really dont consider the new ones “real” trucks. They are just huge and heavy.
Imports have typically always been harder to service and often more expensive as well. Part of why I still keep my 20yo Buick Century around with almost 300K is that it is so cheap to insure ($25 a month), is reliable, gets decent mileage, parts grow on trees and I can fix it in my sleep. Its Cuba-style car maintenance keep it going no matter what.
Interesting perspective, as I feel that the current Hyundai Sonata is a far superior car to the current Toyota Camry, at least from the cars that I’ve rented during business and personal travel. The Korean machine doesn’t feel as disconnected from the road as the Camry, it’s got much better brakes, and a better stereo. Interior materials were subjectively better, as well.
Maybe the Hyundai won’t hold up after 150k miles but they seem to take 20 or 30k of rental abuse pretty well.
JustPassinThru
Success begat arrogance; which begat corner-cutting; which begat failure.
While the rot grew from within, the giant edifice remained seemingly invincible – and everyone wanted a piece of it. From the top management – their high wages were only a slight nuisance to such a huge enterprise; but the message it sent, that of leisure and contempt for the end-user and a mindset of taking, not producing – set the corporate culture on the road to ruin. Everyone down to the maintenance and custodial staff, to the most junior sales guy at the smallest dealer…was concerned first, foremost and only with, What can I GRAB out of this?
It’s the natural life-cycle of organizations. They have their births; their growing periods; their maturity…and their deaths. GM’s brands and properties could have been born anew a few years ago…it would have been tough, given the lingering economic slowdown. But the resultant operation would have been lean and mean; and the corporate culture would have been aimed towards survival and growth, not personal larceny.
I have experience with this. As a new railroader, I went to work with recently-privatized Conrail…the railroad made out of the bankrupt Northeastern lines. By then, Conrail was making huge piles of money…but the corporate culture was, to run scared. To always think of moving freight; to fear missing connections or customer demands.
It was an interesting way to see the 100-plus-year-old Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads, literally born again.
GM could have done this. Instead…I don’t want to get into politics. Let’s just say the road not taken would have served them better – as the institutional costs and much of the deadwood remain.
Philhawk
I could not agree with you more! The way it was done was wrong on so many levels.
It wasn’t so much that there was rot inside, but the company grew so large and so programmed to do things the way that they always done them that it was unable to turn around in any effective way at any effective speed. Sort of how they describe the Titanic, it was so huge at the time, and yet apparently as many believed, ill equipped to handle and emergency that we got the tragedy. By the late 1970s, mostly of the people at the company had only know life post WWII with big relatively simple RWD cars body on frame built much slower.
There was more. The corporate culture was a toxic mixing of insularity and arrogance. Not only did they not have experience with smaller cars or high-quality standards; they had zero interest in them or in any other difference or innovation.
Thirty-five years before GM filed for bankruptcy, David Halberstam documented this attitude in The Reckoning. Then-top GM brass thought their underlings ought to learn something about the Japanese industry…not they, the top, but their lower-ranking people. But the presentation they hired had to be cleared with GM censors, which neutered it down to the level of a PBS early-evening documentary…here are these quaint little people, and hey! they make cars, too!
GM was simply NOT INTERESTED in learning how others did it; not until they were deep in their spinning descent, and not really even then. NUUMI was an opportunity; an opportunity the GM culture poisoned. NUUMI-trained or involved supervisors were pariahs.
That is a bit drastic and not entirely cut and dry. I have no doubt that the 14th floor types were insulated and living in a bubble to some degree, that came about partly from a couple of things namely:
1) Most of the creative people were in the division level. Only a handful of real car people wanted to work in corporate since it meant being away from the farm so to speak. Some jobs like VP of Styling were coveted because they were visually influential (obviously) but by and large most of the corporate jobs were administrative;
2) Up until the early 1990s, most of the senior people at GM were of the WWII generation. Those guys spent their youth fighting off the Germans and Japanese in wartime situations and memories are long. My father was in Korea and while I consider him an open-minded man, he has little interest in Asian anything partly for that reason. While buying cars strictly for patriotic reasons is not what it used to be, there is still a significant portion of the population in the US that will profess a preference to American labeled products for that reason. While this point can take the conversation beyond the scope of this website, it is still valid. http://www.pamallison.com/2012/04/02/us-car-industry-who-is-buys-domestic-vs-imported/ That is born out by the fact that while some places, like the industrial Midwest buying domestic is to be expected given the proximity to the industry, when I was in Kansas at the beginning of May, driving I35 and in the small towns that a visited, you were hard pressed to find an imported make anywhere. I think we have reached a point now where we have something of a market equilibrium. With GM, Ford, and Chrysler generally financially stable now I do not for see the imports gaining significant market share in the US in the near future.
3) Not everyone was living in a bubble. I for one (while I am semi retired now) call myself someone who has tried to keep up with things as they have evolved. In our Service Operations group, we regularly purchased and serviced vehicles of all makes and models to study their design and serviceability. I think in that regard, most people are wrong. GM did not sit by idly and build the same kind of cars that they had always built over the years and watch their market share wither on the vine because they were unable to change. If anything, GM probably changed TOO much and TOO fast for it all to be executed properly. As I said in the piece, if you look at the model situation in 1979 versus 1982 you will see an almost unprecedented change in focus and design. The mere fact that GM all but committed to have all of its cars go FWD by the 1985MY was influential in itself. While GM ultimately lost market share over time, it would have been quite something to see if GM had made the decision to not go wholesale into FWD and bet to continue to build large RWD cars as they had been accustomed to and then had the price of gasoline drop as it did in the 1980s. In some ways I wish that would have happened, as it would have created quite the dichotomy in the market place. GMs decision to go FWD across the board was largely in place by the time gasoline had begun to settle down in 1982. So while we enjoyed stable and relatively cheap gas prices until the 00s, GM was already too committed to FWD to totally scrap the problem. Plus, it was thought, that if a large company could take larger vehicle FWD, like the C bodies, then it would add prestige and value to buyers who at the time viewed FWD as the strict purview of small and inexpensive cars. It is ironic, how today, that view has changed back to the point that most luxury and near luxury cars are RWD…
So really there are two pertinent questions, design and execution. You can design a car that everyone loves and often times it will sell well despite some flaws until something else comes along. Sometimes you can build a poorly designed or bland uninspiring car well and it will sell to a segment of the population that values that efficiency above all else. Product and brand management is a multifaceted thing. People don’t buy Corvettes because they are the best or most reliable car ever made. They buy them because they are sexy and hell, perform well, and make them feel good driving it. On the reverse, there is probably no way to make a Corolla sexy no matter how much body cladding is installed or aftermarket junk from AutoZone is used. Corolla buyers will not tolerate any deviation from cheap, efficient, non nonsense reliable car, while Corvette buyers will likely put up with almost anything to keep their beloved car going. That is the only explanation for how European cars have a following.
So I DO feel that GM can learn from the Japanese and others on assembly design, actual putting the product together in the factories that minimizes costs and maximizes defects. With that said, I do NOT want to see domestic cars turn into Japanese cars in design and flavor. If I want to drive a Camry, I will buy a Camry. But I like my Camaro thank you very much.
The CHZA
The X cars did not have fuel injection standard. They were carbureted for their entire model run. MPFI was an optional engine for one of the “high performance” variants.
The Iron Duke got TBI in 1982 as standard.
In my opinion, the biggest factor was the overlap of brands. At one point, you had Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer & Saturn. That’s a whopping 8 brands, when really only 3 are needed.
I believe at one point, before the ’70s, each brand had its own identity. But things soon changed & the luxury brands tried to build compact cars when they should have kept catering to the upper-class who don’t want to own a tarted-up Cavalier. (Cimmaron).
Buick, Oldsmobile & Pontiac became the same exact car. Chevrolet starts offering the Caprice in 1966, which should have been a Buick.
An aging customer base. The public’s refusal to accept the end of the Brougham era & to buy more efficient cars after the 1973 & 1979 gas crunches. Terrible management.
You name the problem..GM had it.
Well…that’s an interesting perspective. One shared by the reorganizers of the “New” GM.
I’d posit that it’s not so. The brand…”Pontiac” or “Buick”…connote something. Gussy up a Chevrolet, it still doesn’t have the cachet of a base-model Cadillac.
The problem was, there was too much badge-engineering overlap. The brands should have been divided among the classes:
Chevrolet: compact; subcompact; kei-class. Perhaps one sport-performer. Minivan.
Pontiac: Any new performance-oriented model.
Oldsmobile: Intermediate to full-size and “personal luxury”. Emphasize engineering, as they did…when something is new and first, send it here.
Buick…Personal luxury and full-size. The affordable big family car.
Cadillac: As present; less any Catera quack-quacks or other badge-transplant product.
Now…you say, no dealer can survive with such a limited lineup? Probably true. So…allow dealers to take on any TWO brands! Smaller markets, three or the whole shebang.
It’s a more logical way of doing it, than axing Olds and Pontiac and then having the surrounding brands, morph into the lines that were dispatched…as Chrysler is/was becoming a sort of Plymouth.
Keeping a NAME alive, while cutting overhead, can lead to the best of both worlds.
I like the way you think! Full model lineups may have kept the dealers afloat but they inevitably destroyed those divisions.
nlpnt
So, playing with the present lineup (and ignoring model nameplates that end up in the “wrong division”, eg the Camaro ending up in Pontiac would of course be called Firebird);
Chevrolet: Spark, Sonic, Cruze, performance variants of same, Equinox, Corvette.
Pontiac: Verano/Astra (including hatchbacks), G8/SS/Commodore, Camaro
Buick: Malibu, Impala, Traverse/Enclave (one model with full range of trim options), Lacrosse
Oldsmobile: ATS, Encore, Regal, Volt
Cadillac (as present line minus ATS and Escalade)
Chevrolet Truck: Colorado, Silverado 1500, car-derived van on Sonic or Cruze platform
GMC: Sierra 2500/3500, Savana, Yukon/Suburban (again, three divisions’ offerings collapsed into one lineup), possible return of Topkick and tilt-cabs.
Anything not mentioned above stays where it is.
Sean W.
That makes a lot of sense, I agree with where you put the various models. Very interesting thought.
The multiple brand strategy could work if the brands were highly focused and there were just two distribution channels, i.e. a mainstream channel and a premium channel.
For example, I could have seen a scenario in which one channel of dealerships sold Chevys, GMCs, Buicks, and Pontiacs, but with just a few cars per brand and no overlap, while the Cadillac dealer controlled the luxury cars.
What didn’t work was having multiple dealer channels selling 70-80 different nameplates, with each brand carrying its own comprehensive lineup. Badge engineering was inevitable, yet there is no way to create that many cars while keeping them unique.
Along the way, branding morphed into a nameplate-driven phenomenon, which GM helped to pioneer but was ultimately one of its greatest threats. GM could have avoided a lot of problems had it just consolidated these channels early on, when they had the money to pay for it. But that decision would have offended a lot of people within the organization.
geozinger
One of the things I did not see mentioned in this discussion is the growth of multi-line dealerships in the 80’s and 90’s; first with a US domestic dealer paired with a foreign manufacturer, then more commonly with another domestic.
Sometimes the partner domestic dealer was another domestic brand but not same corporation (one place I worked for in the early 90’s was a Chevy-Plymouth outlet), and others were different marques in the same corporation. Then we can discuss the mega-dealers…
Much is said about GM having too many channels, but how does VW do it, then? They have eight or so, although not in the US. Regardless, if GM had the stones to have forced their dealers to toe the line WRT brand mission, I believe the individual brands could have survived.
But, due to a number of different issues, one of which is dealer influence, GM allowed the brands to become diluted. I’ve asked this question a number of times online before, but why did GM need the senior compacts that were released in 1960? Didn’t Opel, Vauxhall and Holden already fill that need? Wasn’t the failed “companion brand” experiment of the 1930’s enough of an example to management that brand extension without a difference becomes dilution…
One thing I will say about Chrysler under the Cerebus regime, is that they got their dealer strategy in line for the automotive New World Order. They managed to consolidate many dealerships into full line (meaning ALL Chrysler brands) stores before carmageddon. I don’t know if that was part of the overall plan to sell off Chrysler or if it was part of a plan to get Chrysler healthier.
But it turned out to be a good idea when battling the then-current Asian competition, which generally has the two-brand strategy. Marchionne and Fiat have come in and muddied the waters with the RAM (WTF?) brand and tacking on the Fiat Studios almost as an afterthought.
A few others on here have posted their mental masturbations about what a narrowly focused GM would have looked like while keeping all of the former brands. I can say I’ve fantasized about what I would do if I were head of GM marketing, but the reality is that the new GM is about as small as it’ll get. As much as I would love to see a 2015 Cutlass or a 2015 Bonneville, I know it “ain’t gonna happen”.
People like me will have to be satisfied with new Impala and the Verano. People like me will have to wait and see if Opel survives it’s current dilemma and maybe we here in North America can see a REAL Astra or Insignia prowling our roads, even if it has Buick badges on it.
Of course, people like me have the free will to see what other companies come up with, also. Methinks the future may be interesting.
“Much is said about GM having too many channels, but how does VW do it, then?”
In the US, there’s virtually no overlap. Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini don’t compete with the Jetta or the A4.
Where they do overlap are generally for niches, anyway. (Audi and Porsche SUVs come to mind.) But VAG’s brand avoid competing against each other in mainstream markets.
In Europe, it’s actually an issue, but it’s a legacy cost of sorts. VW bought SEAT when the markets were still closed; they didn’t anticipate that an EEC/ EU would knock down the intra-European trade barriers. Likewise, Skoda has probably gone too far up the ladder from what was intended.
The company that is repeating the GM mistake is Hyundai-Kia. Both brands are trying to compete against each other, and there’s little difference between them. That may not end well, at least not for one of them.
I noted that VW does not compete with itself in North America, I didn’t make it clear I was referring to Europe with SEAT and Skoda. My bad. However, I think VW is in exactly the same place GM was with too many marques, even though no one cross shops an UP! with a Veyron.
Admittedly, I had not considered Hyundai/Kia, although they seem more like a Korean version of the Chrysler Corporation battles than a GM-style badge engineering fest. I wonder how much of H/K’s issues are dealer driven…
Hyundai-Kia’s structure is a legacy of its history. Each brand was once its own company, and neither brand wants to suffer the sales loss that would come from differentiating themselves from each other.
It’s like Peugeot-Citroen. They merge for the sake of survival, while trying to keep the status quo between them. You can see how well that’s been going for the French.
As geozinger says, I’m honestly puzzled that VAG doesn’t have more issues in Europe and the U.K. with the overlap between Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda, and the lower-line Audis, which do compete directly in price and features. For example, the new VW Up, SEAT Mii, and Skoda Citigo approach BMC levels of badge engineering: Except for grilles, badges, interior trim, and equipment, they’re pretty much the same car built by the same people with the same parts in the same plant.
Europe may be a unified market, but it still has national borders and traditions of brand loyalty that don’t disappear overnight. So Germans are still loyal to VW, Czechs still feel an affinity with Skoda and Spaniards still buy SEATs, even though the distinctions are becoming increasingly irrelevant.
I think that you’ll start seeing more branding conflicts as time goes on. But these things take decades to emerge; the process isn’t quick. For now, the system still works — give it another 20 years or so, and more cracks may be begin to show.
The US does not have the intrinsic loyal to a brand the same way that many Europeans and Asians do. Many Asians by Asian products because it is considered the appropriate thing to do. The products themselves may be decent but the loyalty goes beyond that. If you think GM execs were mistaken to only drive GM products, I am sure the same is true on many levels at Toyota. Given the market share that Toyota, and the home brands have in Japan, there are probably large segments of the population that have only ever driven one brand.
Also, in Europe the labor situation tends to lend itself to loyalty since, despite all the crowing about the UAW in the US, labor in capital industries in Europe is even more entrenched. The government plays a far greater role in market protection and benefit remuneration than in the United States. I won’t get into politics, but social benefits are a big factor. Also, the populations are smaller and the ethnic divisions more defined unlike the melting pot in the US so people are more apt to stick to their kind.
GM’s brand structure that it created in the twenties was destined to collapse in the post war era, sooner or later. It all started in the mid fifties, when the “economy” brands started selling cars with lots of options and high trim versions. A 1955 Chevy Nomad’s base price was MORE than a 1955 Buick Century Riviera hardtop coupe: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-capsule-1955-chevrolet-nomad-stealing-the-thunder-from-the-high-priced-cars/ At the same time, Cadillacs were becoming ever more affordable.
This turned the whole original Sloanian structure on its head. Keep in mind that in the twenties and thirties, there were almost zero options, except maybe a heater or such. The pre-war Sloanian structure only made sense in that kind of environment, were the brands didn’t overlap, and pricing was much more stratified.
This is why DeSoto and Edsel died, and why Dodge went down-market. GM maintained its five brands purely because they could afford to due to their huge volume. To a large extent, they were just trim variations of the same car. Yes, they had engineering differences, but did 95% of the buyers really know or care? A V8 is a V8; an automatic is an automatic.
GM’s divisional structure, which so many car nuts like us have fond memories of, was an albatross starting in about 1955. Of course they couldn’t get rid of it, but it turned into one of their biggest problems as market share declined. There just wasn’t enough genuine differentiation.
Ford went a very different route, and they set the die with their 1958 Thunderbird. That essentially negated the purpose of Mercury’s existence, and Mercury was mostly a weak brand awaiting its day with the executioner.
Essentially the same thing happened at Chrysler: the compression of the market killed Plymouth.
All of this turned out to be a boon to Ford, which was better able to adapt a single main brand (plus a luxury brand), like Toyota and the Japanese.
Sloan’s structure made sense in the pre-war era, but it became irrelevant in the post-war era. Getting out of it was the problem….
FIAT is betting big on the multiple-niche-brand approach. It even went to the trouble of inventing Ram when it wasn’t strictly necessary.
The approach contains certain advantages and disadvantages. But if it is going to have a chance, then the individual brands have to remain tightly focused. That probably requires having multiple-brand stores as a matter of design so that there is no pressure at the retail level to broaden the lineups for the sake of giving them more cars.
I still have to wonder if spinning off RAM is a prelude to shuttering Dodge.
@Aaron: Yes. I think you’re correct in that. THIS is where I think that people are wrong to hail Marchionne as some sort of genius. Even though raised in Canada, he seems to not understand the importance of the Dodge brand. Chrysler may have a bigger market in Canada, but in the US, it’s all about Dodge. Even more so than before, without Plymouth to hold down whatever lower end competition there is.
Of course, the other way to view this is, you can take some of the lousy CAFE scores away from Dodge division, but that hardly seems like a good reason to do that. Regardless, Dodge is the “big generator” (of money) in the US for Chrysler Corporation. Sergio needs to remember that…
I wouldn’t worry about it. Marchionne is a fan of niches, and he wants to cover a bunch of them. He sees Dodge as the mainstream US brand, and Chrysler moving upward to some sort of near-luxury slot.
The current trend in automotive marketing is to build car brands around a common face, in addition to other design language. I believe that Marchionne was trying to avoid a repeat of the Dodge Caliber, i.e. an awkward looking car that aped the styling cues of a truck. By separating Ram from Dodge, he could make cars look like Dodges (whatever that means) and Rams look like trucks.
Personally, I think that wasn’t a great idea. Americans don’t care if cars and trucks from the same brand look different — Ford has established that, and the same can be said of Chevy. But it probably hasn’t done them much harm, either — the Ram 1500 is gaining on GM in terms of sales, and gets very positive reviews.
(I also think that the Chrysler plan is a bit weak. Near luxury doesn’t work anymore — think of Mercury, Oldsmobile or SAAB for some examples.)
Geo separating the trucks from the cars isn’t going to affect CAFE for the better if anything it will make it harder for them in the long run. It’s Corperate AFE, so the brand doesn’t matter. Additionally trucks and cars have different standards that are tallied separately. That is why the PT Cruiser was a “truck”, to balance out the real trucks. GM of course did the same thing with their PT er I mean HHR.
If Chrysler dropped Dodge what would replace it? Chrysler-brand is a premium market vehicle, largely the LX cars, RAM trucks, there is no more Plymouth, and the Fiats currently the 500 is a niche economy product. So what would be ChryslerCorps bread and butter market? Or would they surrender it?
JFrank
Posted April 24, 2018 at 10:36 AM
Well, in 2018, it seems not to be the case, or at least it hasn’t happened – yet. The reason it works is that RAM is the truck line for FCA. No dilution of GMC/Chevy as at GM. Ford wins the pickup sales championship because it outsells GMC and Chevy, but not the 2 combined. If and when Dodge goes away, RAM can soldier on, alongside Jeep at your local FCA group dealer who sells the entire line, not just a brand or two.
ajla
” but did 95% of the buyers really know or care? A V8 is a V8; an automatic is an automatic.”
I disagree with you on this one. I think you are greatly underestimating the effect of powertrain branding on certain buyers. and I bet it is more than 5% effective.
Oldsmobile owners sued GM when they discovered they were getting Chevy engines back in the 70s.
Even today you have stuff like HEMI, VTEC, and Allison Transmission. And just about every used car ad for a ’94-’96 Roadmaster uses the words “Corvette engine” as a big selling point.
However, using engine differentiation to define an entire brand is maybe not such a great call.
I might have overstated that to a small extent. But did FoMoCo and ChryslerCorp. buyers ever care that their engines were all the same? GM may have used it to their advantage in helping build brand loyalty, but let’s face it, that was a marketing/branding issue in its own right. Maybe 90% of the buyers 🙂
Didnt Roger Smith actually brag that he wanted to have to read the name on the car to find out what division it came from? He was alot of their problem.
“But did FoMoCo and ChryslerCorp. buyers ever care that their engines were all the same?”
I’m sure that if someone with a 351 Windsor told someone with a 351 Cobra Jet that their two engines “were all the same”, that the CJ owner would not appreciate that sentiment.
Even right now, I’d venture that many F-150 owners have a strong opinion on the 5.0 versus the Ecoboost.
And with Chrysler you get Jeep owners complaining about the 3.8L “minivan motor” replacing the AMC I6. Also, this: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/01/junkyard-find-no-its-not-a-hemi/
Every domestic brand has engine superiority in-fighting, it’s just a bigger issue with GM because GM spent so much more effort to actively market it and brainwash people. If anything maybe they did too good a job. On me anyway…
…Chevy V6s suck.
Well, for a while, Ford did try to have different engines: In the late ’50s and early ’60s, they had the older Y-block, the FE series and the MEL engines, the latter not being shared with Ford Division at all. In 1958, for instance, the only Mercury that used a Ford engine was the price-leader Medalist, which had the 312; everything else had the MEL. Of course, that move ended up being ill-timed and probably cost Ford (as a whole) more than they got out of it, but they did try.
Corvette is nice plastic wrapper for a Holden powertrain
It was more than just power train branding but the total package. Every division had a unique appeal, a somewhat unique look, unique style and different colors and design elements. The platforms did spring from the same genesis, but the body on frame design allowed enough differentiation easily and inexpensively to make them unique. Monocoque bodies do not easily lend themselves to be altered as we saw with the FWD platforms in the 1980s. As time went on, both the domestics and the Europeans and Japanese gained experience with this design paradigm and learned to engineer them enough to be sufficiently different. Even though today many vehicle today, aka Infiniti, still brush dangerously close to look-alike vehicles. Although that may just be intentional or a lack of desire to spend the money to make them different.
As far as differentiation in general, look we have 260+ models on the market today. We have a half dozen major car makes competing in the US and worldwide and no one in the US in particular has a dominate market share. So it is almost like a free for all. Given that cars are a lot closer in size, features, and basic design today than 30 years ago, the makes have to get creative in other areas to appear different.
I’m assuming you’re speaking of recent developments with Ford, but I’m not convinced that the path they’re on currently is a good one. WRT to Lincoln Motor Company or whatever they’re trying to re-boot Lincoln as, it seems like a lot of artifice.
Ford spread so much of it’s money around in the 80’s and 90’s buying up companies and trying to keep all of them fed (with product and engineering) that now after the big sell off, there’s no money left to re-invent Lincoln, it’s oldest luxury marque. “One Ford” may be all we get.
I compare Ford’s stumbles with it’s products similar to the 80’s GM screw ups. They re-design cars but few are hits, and the old ones (Panthers, previous Focus) become instant classics because the buying public is put off by the new models, both here in NA and Europe. No one from Ford can describe an actual strategy for Lincoln, many plans are announced but we’re getting other Ford platforms rehashed for duty as Lincolns. Hello Mercury? (You must understand, I was a Mercury fan from a very young age. It was awful to watch it degrade into obsolescence…)
GM has made the commitment to Cadillac to give it unique models (some platform sharing, yes, but every other company does it) that are distinct from other GM lines. I have yet to see this from Ford with Lincoln. I have seen the new MKZ in the flesh… If this is the car that’s going to compete with the CTS or ATS, the ES or GS and others, Ford had better rethink their position or at least rename this thing the Montclair so when (if) the REAL Lincoln shows up, no one gets confused.
GM Ford and Chrysler both went buy-happy in the 1980s. GM bought a lot of non-car related business, Ford and Chrysler car related businesses. Most of those business achieved varying degrees of success, with Chrysler’s acquisition of AMC probably the best of them all. Otherwise most of them ended up typing up money that could have been better spent on product development. That is a problem not necessarily the purview of auto makers, but companies have gone down that road many times in the past. Both to try and broaden their profit pool, some just because they had the money, and others because they wanted some cache.
I think there’s an interesting story to be told here about the rise (and fall) of the factory option after the war. Before the war, there were lots and lots of accessories, but most of them were dealer options: spotlights, bumper guards, hood ornaments, radios, and the like. To the extent that the factory offered choices of equipment like dual horns or cigar lighters, they were often grouped into a couple of discrete trim levels.
After the war, automakers started adding stuff to the catalog to cash in; I recall seeing former Pontiac execs saying they realized that by loading up a de Luxe model, they could take a bite out of Oldsmobile or even Buick, as well as padding the profit margins. Add to that the rapid proliferation of features like automatic transmission and power steering/brakes and you got a situation where you could choose a strippo Buick or a loaded Chevy for comparable prices. By 1953, so many people financed their cars, often over longer periods, that it became easier for salespeople to push the extra options.
Then of course in the ’70s and ’80s the pendulum started swinging the other way, with the imports adopting “fully equipped” pricing policies to try to boost their perceived value and the domestic automakers belatedly realizing that having 15,000 variations of each product was a logistical nightmare.
calibrick
I would argue that the dealer-installed accessory approach from the pre-50s was the most efficient way of managing easy to install options. Quality can suffer though and more of the profit goes to the dealer.
The advent of the stand-alone factory option kept more of the profit at the OE, prices down for the customer (less labor to install on line) and gave higher quality. The 15,000 or so permutations were not a problem in and of themselves (as few were actually built) but customers would get POed seeing a combo in a brochure not being able to find it on the dealer’s lot. Dealers would get POed having to dealer trade to get the blue one with roof rack option.
Ford pioneered the Rapid Spec approach which grouped high-margin features into discount packages. Stand alones at this point were rarely ordered and served mainly to justify a “regular price” for the value package on which to justify/claim a discount. This has lead to “fat features” at some companies, like heated seats in regions where they have limited utility or sunroofs just about everywhere.
Honda does a nice job keeping the factory model count down while offering plenty of Honda-designed and supplied accessories for the dealer to install per customer demand that day.
I don’t see options per se having anything to do with the demise of premium brands but I do see breakthrough features such as AT, PS, AC, PW and PDLs making the lesser brands all the car you would ever need. Modern smartphones have done the same thing to pocket cameras.
I know John DeLorean said when he was at Chevrolet, the proliferation of options really had become a mess from a logistical standpoint. By that point (1969-1971), the sheer number of option combinations at Chevy really had reached about 15,000. Add to that running changes and you have a real hassle from a parts and service standpoint (especially because the running changes weren’t necessarily reflected in the service manual), not to mention the issues you have when each car coming down the line is at least a little different from the ones ahead of and behind it.
DeLorean said there was also the problem that the production schedules didn’t necessarily jibe with the marketing and sales promotions. He described having various situations where the division was pushing some particular option or feature that then wasn’t readily available, which naturally left the dealers rather frustrated.
As a consumer, I think the tiered and packaged options approach is both good and bad. Aside from the quality concerns, I appreciated when I bought my current car that most of the features I considered must-haves (particularly ABS) were standard on the model I wanted, which saved me a lot of arguments. On the other hand, it’s frustrating when getting one feature you want requires taking another that you really don’t. For instance, I’ve had bad experiences with factory sunroofs and moonroofs, to the point that I told the salesman from whom I bought my car that I would not accept a car with the optional moonroof even if they gave it to me for free. That actually took the comparable Honda out of the running for me because the EX model I would have wanted included the moonroof.
Americans love individuality. That is part of the American DNA and that extends to virtually everything that is sold or used in the country.
Part of the reason that the Japanese especially did the value thing was that the currency exchange rate at times was so bad that they had to do something as not to appear overpriced. I have not studied the content of JDM vehicles over that same time frame to do an inter country comparison but I do believe the premise is valid.
The reason that the number of options declined in American cars was mainly due to cost. As with the switch to FWD vehicle platforms that demanded more time, capital, and resources that allowed for less changes, it became expensive to do as such. In addition, as time went on, cars became better and better equipped even on comfort and convenience items to the point that virtually all cars today are equipped with a/c, basic power accessories like windows, locks, and many other things. Cars are not so basic anymore and people are less apt to option out a car.
Imports used to be well equipped with many basic items but also, until about 20 years ago, also had a large amount of dealer accessories including a/c. Most of that was due to cost since most imports were truly imported and the factory could not make it cost effective to build to order.
Lastly, the way cars are bought and sold today has altered that as well. Years ago, more cars were paid for in cash, ordered, or financed for only a short time. Today, a lot of finance companies and many lease companies demand that cars be bought from existing stock. Also many dealers advertise specials and sometimes the manufacturers themselves, with the usual stipulation that the vehicles be in stock. Very few cars today are ordered and waited on from the factory. Thus, control of the content decision-making process has shifted from the customer to the dealer/manufacturer.
Option complexity is a bit of a misnomer in that it exists as an issue mainly at the retail level. The parts are at the plant anyway whether they are set up as stand-alone options or trim grade standard. True more complexity means more coding work and the associated chance for error but this is a minor issue. Incremental wiring harnesses can be required at the plant but this too is a minor issue.
US car buyers haven’t factory-ordered cars in significant numbers for quite some time. The import structure of the 70 and 80s where premium features became trim grade standard was simply a more pleasant way to buy.
The domestics followed with packages, discounted or not, and trim grades separated more by features than trim pieces. Dealers pushed for this as it avoided customer frustration in not finding a brochure spec in stock and dealers having to dealer trade.
Customer frustration finds its way into quality studies and satisfaction ratings can dip if there is overly abundant choice. For OEs trying to improve their scores this is low hanging fruit and they are motivated to simplify.
Despite factory order guides dealers can deviate at some manufacturers and really screw up their stock if they don’t know what they were doing. Another reason to simplify.
Going trim standard or package standard is a pro/con discussion. Trim standard is less likely to be missed at auction (for residual value) and there is less sticker shock to the customer as he has to do the math to figure out he just paid $3,000 for navigation and parking assist.
Stand-alones will always have a role when new technology is being introduced. Today’s power seats and cruise control are items like navigation, parking assist and driver’s assist.
i would argue that at Tesla, right now, stand-alone options would make a ton of sense as everything is being built-to-order.
A lot of the reason that the customer order option went away on US cars was the fact that the companies wanted to keep the lines producing cars despite the lack of orders. Chrysler’s sales bank was the most famous and of course led to rebates to move those unordered cars.
Honda limits options for the sake of inventory management and quality control.
When options are limited, then there are fewer orphans on the lot. There are no pink Civics with whaleskin interiors but no air conditioning to worry about.
When there are fewer variations, there are fewer things that can go wrong. More combinations means more opportunities to screw up. Once you get the formula right, you can keep quality higher by reducing the variety of ways that you have to blow it.
Not really. The best way to avoid a pink car stuck in inventory is to not offer pink (or any other low demand color). The second best way is to offer pink but only as build-to-order.
As for ordering the right model/option/color mix there are dealer order guides to follow but like I said more choice can lead to a bad order from a dealer (or a region or HQ), especially on an all-new product with no demand history.
Cutting the choice fat to the bone can lead to under-equipped or over-priced cars. It’s a balancing act.
For instance we looked at a 2013 Honda Odyssey the other day. Seven models to chose from now and there are eight colors available. Honda is offering more choice now than they ever have.
Honda has done a far better job with inventory management than GM ever has.
And poor inventory management practices damage the company. Not only are they a cash drain, but they lead to higher incentives which harms brands.
Sorry, but GM ought to take notes about Honda manages these things. It is definitely the other way around. Let’s not forget which one of them imploded in a massive bankruptcy that was so large that only the government could fix it. You need to learn from these mistakes, or else it’s going to happen again.
I wasn’t making a point about how GM was or is managing their build complexity. My point was that Honda is adding more choice not less. And that hot cars sell without incentives because they are hot – one model or 15,000 doesn’t matter except in terms of customer satisfaction.
Slow selling models need incentives and if you are not careful with the choice there can be sales proof oddballs that require even more discounting.
I take that back about not making a point about GM doing it right or wrong. The Seville came fully-loaded with virtually no choice other than color.
It was a pioneer and great success in so many ways. Thanks for reminding me.
chas108
Paul, there’s some great analysis and comment here but you nailed it all quite succinctly. The ’55 Chevy and ’58 T-Bird can now be easily and rightfully seen as turning points, Ford had an easier time of it as they just built as their whims and the market dictated, regardless of how it would affect Mercury.
Chevrolet on the other hand has only been allowed to go that direction recently, and it’ll be interesting to see how far GM takes the division.
It wasn’t so much that the brands overlapped, but when the decision was made to develop all of these uni-body FWD models, the inherent characteristics of the design of a monocoque limits the designers ability to make changes. Back in the old body on frame days, you could simple alter the body and drop it on the frame. Thus platforms shared a common genesis, but were altered enough that the customer felt that they were indeed getting something different. Even if production qualities were absolutely first-rate on any of the 1980s GM cars, one would be hard pressed to be able to have made them any more unique than they were.
So you really had two problems at work, one being the assembly quality that suffered from different things but IMO mainly because so much change was introduced so fast that proper failure analysis was not able to be done. The problem is that it was so overwhelming that many simply did not know what to expect. Of course in those days, you really did not have computers like you did today to do simulation. Today if you have a wild idea you can essentially build it online and a computer program will run it through its paces so every failure point known or unknown is presented.
I’m sorry but distinguishing different brands on a unibody is not that hard and certainly not impossible. Take a look at the first Taurus, Sables, and FWD Continentals, there are almost no external parts that are the same on those 3 cars, heck they even stretched the wheelbase for the Lincoln in proper fashion for a more expensive vehicle.
At the bare minimum they could have at least developed a couple of different front fenders and hoods so they weren’t sticking a different grille in the exact same opening as their only differentiation. Or if they really wanted to, give different door skins to the Olds and Buick than the Poncho and Chevy just as they had with the Colonnades.
Sean Cornelis
I don’t understand this point either… go back even way further than the Taurus – GM itself had no problem differentiating between compacts on the Y-Body platform in 1960, of which the same basic structure was shared with the Corvair. From the time unibody construction became commonplace until fairly recently, it was standard practice for (most) European manufacturers to offer coupe, sedan, convertible, etc. versions of the same model that were radically different looking from each other. Sure, they had a head start in perfecting these techniques… but if Fiat could do it in the 50s, I don’t see any reason why GM couldn’t 30 years later.
Yes there are lots of examples of unibody platform mates getting very different looks. I picked the Taurble since the only parts visible from the exterior that were shared were the windshield, front door glass and door handles.
There are more differences to the GM 60’s compacts that “basic Corvair” structure, the Corvair was a unique vehicle, the belly pan was shared with the rope drive Tempest, which used a different body base on the Buick and Olds compact, and Buick & Olds shared the high end compact body shell.
During the development of the X J and A bodies, the differentiation you speak of would have cost additional money and time. The money could have been figured out if necessary but time was a major problem. So much was rushed during these years to meet introduction targets. Had we had known that gas was going to stabilize, the times would have been stretched and more could have been done to develop styling.
If you add up the first couple of years of volume of the X J and A cars, you are talking like about 8 million vehicles. That is probably more volume that the entire import volume combined prior. My point was that so much was going on it felt as though one was mobilizing for war. Normal patterns of product development were thrown out. Virtually nothing remained the same, neither the production process or the cars themselves. It should have been slowed down, a lot. But given the constraints of CAFE and corporate management’s desire to get ahead of the technology we did as much as we could as fast as we could. Think about it, look at the models that were introduced for the 1980, 1981 and 1982 model years. From the X J A F then the B&C were originally slated to be introduced in the fall of 1983. Seeing as all of those models represented about 2/3 of GM sales at the time and using a 50% market share figure that is more than 1/3 of all potential cars sold in the US were completely newly engineered and radically different in a very short time span. Then when gas prices began to fall again, and rather rapidly by the mid 1980s, big car sales took off and given the development costs of all of these FWD platforms, GM was making record profits off all of the old fashioned models.
One day I will dig through known resources that I have and come up with a pie chart of car development costs and resources over time. It will surprise many people. In 1960, most of the time and resources spent on a car was spent on styling and comfort and convenience (usually interior). By 1980, those factors were a MUCH smaller part as other factors began to come into play.
Most of those GM look a likes have more different parts than you would think, they crazy part is that GM did spend the money on different sheetmetal only to have the cars still look the same. The fenders on all the 1982 A-bodies are different for example.
That is a problem that is being dealt with now. Even to this day there are too many different parts for parts that are not really seen by the driver. Eventually there is going to be like 2 seat tracks for all vehicles.
GM was the largest automaker in the world. It had gobs of money to spend on product development and could obtain the best resources that money could buy if it wanted them.
Yet smaller companies with less money managed to make the move to FWD without any drama. I think that it’s time acknowledge that the problem was with GM and its inability and unwillingness to adapt to change, not with the technical challenge.
I go back to my point about lean. The new players in the game were better at making cars. Give some credit where it’s due; it has taken as long as it has for GM to regain some ground because of the general unwillingness to acknowledge that their methods just weren’t that great.
Junqueboi
It saddens me to think about how GM vehicles dominated the scene as I grew up in the 70s and 80s. I still am obsessed with the wildly differing styles and choices they offered the consumer and cannot have enough of the old heaps in my driveway. Now, GM is just another Daewoo in my eyes thanks to . Regardless of how they compared to the imports (I could care less), I rooted for GM in my ignorance in vain because I loved what they built.
There’s a broken ’82 Citation 4H sitting in the backyard and I just so wish GM could have ironed out the kinks in those X-cars! The styling was fantastic, the color and option combos vast, space layout amazing, the TBI setup (2.5L) reliable, cheap, easy to work on, and the THM125 transmissions strong. These cars had the backbone to be great but instead they broke constantly.
As disappointed as I am over what GM hath flushed itself into, I imagine an ex-GMer must feel that much more so. This was very well-written but not an easy read for me due to the unhappy ending. Nice job Craig.
How embarrassing — I got sidetracked and forgot to edit/fix my post. Now it’s out there basking in its idiocy for eternity.
You can edit it, you know.
That was pretty much GM’s secret. Build quality, engineering, performance, they all counted to various degrees, but GM cars always looked distinctive and unique. You ALWAYS knew when a Cadillac was around it always stood out. Even today, my 83 Eldorado that I have been driving regular turns heads gets constant looks and garners attention. GM always had an emotional appeal to buyers which often was a critical factor in purchase. Today’s GM cars are probably the best they ever produced and some, like my 2008 CTS-V are among the finest on the planet but still my 83 Eldorado always gets noticed.
pfsm
Craig, thanks for the very comprehensive article. With Paul’s addition re GM’s using its paying customers as beta-testers starting with the Corvair and continuing through the 1980’s A-body cars and Canucklehead’s point re dealer and manufacturing employee attitudes, I don’t think much more needs to be written.
Ian A Williams
Don’t forget the awful awful awful Oldsmobile diesel that soured a generation on compression ignition.
I have no doubt many tongues were soured by the ups and downs of the Oldsmobile diesel engine, but funny thing it, it never really affected Oldsmobile’s total sales. Which continued quite briskly through the whole affairs and for some time afterwards. Only falling dramatically in the late 1980s when the cars began to change markedly and buyers turned elsewhere. The diesel was introduced in 1978, problems were pretty much known early on, yet sales remained brisk peaking in 1981 until the energy situation stabilized and the price of gasoline began to fall. The price of gasoline and the sales of diesels fell almost in identical linear fashion until the diesel was discontinued after MY1985.
Alternative fuel vehicles have no resurfaced recently until the price of gasoline has remained high and Americans have begun to realize that cheap gas is probably forever a thing of the past.
silverkris
Great post! My interpretation was that change had to happen and the GM management was correct to recognize that, but the execution (shaped by the organization) didn’t help.
Very interesing read. I was unaware of the Hughes- DirecTV connection.
I just remembered the worst customer service experience I’d ever encounted was with “Hughes-net” (satellite internet). Beyond awful in every respect.
83 LeBaron
Great story. Thanks!!
CJinSD
The American people really needed GM to be strong twice. The first time was when CAFE was introduced. Somebody should have stood up for market principles and been able to predict the cost to our economy in terms of lost jobs and consumers ruined by expensive and short-lived cars. GM let it happen because they didn’t want to appear to be strong. The second time was just recently, when CAFE was doubled by O****a. This time they let it happen because they’re weak. Thanks for nothing.
The USA will soon be self-sufficient in oil. Is this a bad thing? You can still buy a big V-8 sled if you want to.
If this was O***a’s goal, he could have done far more through enabling domestic production than he has achieved thus far via his time bomb for the middle class. If you think CAFE has contributed anything to the goal, I invite you to look at our real fleet economy. Light trucks were 9.7% of our market in 1979. By 2001, they were 47%. Any benefits actually realized in spite of CAFE pushing every family into a light truck are linked to technology, particularly advancements in microprocessors and their contributions to understanding combustion events during design and managing them in use.
Some of that it true, but some of that is also some over generalization.
Yes truck based vehicles are now nearly half the market, but overall fuel economy of all vehicles is markedly better than it was 30 years ago. The fact of truck growth only affected the overall trend somewhat since the whole trend was up.
Interestingly regarding CAFE and long term trends in fuel economy. Between 1978 and 2011, fuel economy among domestic make models rose nearly 5 MPG, fuel economy among Japanese makes remained largely flat, while fuel economy among European makes decreased by 2 MPG. You can see that CAFE affected the domestics the most since they changed the most. The Europeans are a curious situation, mainly because there were more active brands selling cars in the US in the 1970s and most of those cars were small. Today, by volume, European brands are dominated by Mercedes and BMW, but WV and except in the case of a few WV models, are much larger today than 30 years ago.
With all that said, there is no question that our carbon footprint is much smaller today, per person and per car than 30 years ago.
Well according to Bob Lutz…Instead of CAFE The politicians SHOULD have Taxed Fuel….He points to the fact that as CAFE led to increased Fuel Efficency..People didn’t pocket this in Savings..Rather they Just drove more miles.
America probably does need to pay more for it’s fuel…Not popular thing to say, but necessary.
I agree with you 100%. Here in Soviet Cancukistan we’ve never had CAFE but we have had (relatively) high taxes on fuel. Quick comparison: most popular car in the USA is the Camry, in Canuckistan it is the Civic.
Here in British Columbia, we have the only carbon tax in North America, which is now 7.5 cents a litre. You should have heard to belly-aching that accompanied it. In fact, it is revenue neutral as families making less than $37,000 per year receive a rebate $115 per adult and $34.50 per child. This income threshold is also pro-rated, with the absolute cut-off being $60,000 per year. Thus, a low income family with no car actually benefits but of course, the nay-sayers don’t mention the tax credits.
We have now been through two elections and we still have a carbon tax and golly-gee, the world hasn’t ended. We also have a lower than average unemployment rate.
I agree with you on this. My answer to this goes beyond the scope of this website as it is both psychological and political. But yes I feel the same about CAFE. CAFE unfairly targeted the domestics because it artificially altered the rules of the game, making the domestics, especially GM, conform in a way that most of the European and Japanese did not. EPA and NTHSA regulations were common across the board so those pains were felt equally.
Had we not had CAFE, the market would have determined the popularity of a vehicle much as it has in Canada. CAFE has largely remained steady from 1985 until recently (except for trucks) and you can see how those trends played out. In the late 1980s, cars started to get bigger and consumer buying habits started to shift. American cars got larger again and SUVs became popular. Absolute fuel economy was no longer a top priority.
So what did the car makers do to respond to this, the domestics built a lot of SUVs and the European and Japanese cars began to grow in size and become more luxurious both in look and content. The Accord was no longer a flinty small compact car but grew to the point that, at least in the last MY, was considered a full sized car and quite plush.
It is interesting today that many Japanese cars are quite Broughamy (in today’s terms) compared to where they were 30 years ago.
I know this site stays away from politics, and that is generally a good thing. The elephant in this article though, is government meddling. It badly damaged GM, and the whole US automotive industry, and the economy as a whole, in fact the entire US way of life, by forcing unnecessary and rapid downsizing. I remember at the time CAFE was sold as a “must” because we would run out of oil by the year 2000. Instead, now we will be exporting oil by 2020…wrong again. For whatever reason, big government can’t restrain itself from social engineering…they must tell us all how to live and figure out ways to force us to do it their way. It seldom works out for the better. Government shouldn’t be banning or forcing us into Smart Cars…or big cars. WE should decide what we want to drive.
Thank you matt! It’s always nice to see that someone hasn’t forgotten that people who think they’re smarter than markets are always wrong. They don’t have the right, and we have a constitution that would protect us from their idiocy if it were abided by.
Great post, thanks for sharing. It’s refreshing to see the point of view of someone on the inside during those times, plus the perspective of someone in the engineering side, not management side of the business.
The automakers should have a design challenge where they throw out all regulations and rules and each design a vehicle that would entice people back into their brand. Imagine the possibilitys. While I doubt this would happen because of rules and regulations. Im sure there are others out there who would like to see cars or at least dream become reality. Like cars where built before OPEC or CAFE but with modern tech and amenities. And no I do not mean wild exotic concept cars. I mean cars for everyone and real world use.
Just reading Bob Lutz’s book
“Car Guys versus the Bean Counters”
He also mentions the Protected Japanese market..Allowing these companies to have a captive home base and guaranteed sales/ profits to advance..They weren’t hampered by legacy costs such as GM Pensions etc. And The Japanese Governmet kept the Yen low on purpose..Making these cars cheaper, than they would have otherwise been.
In effect that meant the Japanese had a $4,000 dollar advantage per car…So much for free trade.
He raidse some genuine points I fell. Not Just excuses.
There is a factor that I consider even more important that favors the Japanese. Almost everywhere else in the world, people buy small, efficient cars. Japan can make them by the boatload, and can sell them almost everywhere in the world. It is no big deal to meet a few additional emissions and safety regs and sell them in the USA too. When fuel is high, the Japanese get a very high return on very little investment.
American companies core competency is in big less efficient vehicles. Even in the best circumstances, there is a very limited export market for these cars and trucks. They too need to meet emissions and safety regs of different markets, but the payoff is miniscule.
This is why I am convinced that CAFE has hurt the US industry. It encourages the kinds of vehicles that are the specialty of other countries, and discourages the vehicles that are the specialty of the US.
The American strategy has been build to local markets. It arose prior to WWII, during a time when markets were highly protected.
The difference in tastes came early. The Ford Model A was a home run in the US, but a flop in Europe. Even at that time, this standard American car was too big, using too much fuel to be affordable to operate (early on, Europe cranked up the gas taxes in order to reduce consumption) and displacing too many cubic inches (engines were taxed by size.)
The local production strategy means, by definition, that you don’t export very much. You build regional cars to match regional demand. GM took it further by regionalizing the branding, too (Vauxhall, Opel, Holden.)
Lutz’s argument is a bunch of bunk. CAFE had nothing to do with the orientation toward local production — they were operating in this very same way decades before CAFE existed. If there was a market for GM in Japan, then it would have come from Opel, not from Chevrolet or the other American brands.
I certainly don’t buy Lutz’s protectionist arguments. As to CAFE, I guess my point was that CAFE did not require Japanese, Korean and the more economical European cars to re-engineer their fleet – their fleet was built for CAFE. The low-volume/expensive European cars could suck up the fines. It was the only US companies that had to reinvent their product lines.
Detroit had small cars to build. GM took the Opel Kadett and turned it into the Chevy Chevette. The Dodge Omni was based on a Simca. AMC built modified Renaults in Kenosha.
The problem was that the cars just weren’t very good. Even the European designs, which were OPEC-friendly, weren’t very good, either.
Starting in the 70s, American consumers began to realize that Japanese cars (or at least certain ones) were better built than the American cars. What the OPEC crisis did was to wake up Americans to the fact that their own cars just weren’t very good. Toyota was far better at engineering and production than was anyone in Detroit. When it no longer became possible to use styling and cubic inches to hide inferior engineering, then the jig was up. The problem persisted because the Big 3 had too much pride to admit (and those who did know it, such as Roger Smith, didn’t have the leadership skills to do much about it.)
PCH – I agree that the small cars were crap (or close to it). The problem was that the stuff most people were buying (Cutlasses, Caprices, LTDs, and Cordobas) WERE pretty good cars (OK, maybe not the Cordobas 🙂 ), and the GMs were surely among the best by the 70s. It was these (admittedly old-tech) cars that had to be deep-sixed.
CAFE replaced the Cadillac 425 with a 368, then finally that awful 4.1. No more Oldsmobile 350s in their Delta 88s and Cutlasses. No more TurboHydramatic 350s. The stuff that Detroit had perfected was gone. True, many of the decisions were made in an era of rising fuel prices. But when prices came back down, GM was prevented from bringing back the 350 in a Cutlass, even though they probably would have sold quite well through most of the 80s.
Perhaps the problem was that the old stuff had been designed back when GM was semi-functional. What we were getting by the 90s was the Northstar – not in the same league.
BTW, glad to see you. I see we get to pick up where we left off at TTAC. We disagreed on many things (like CAFE), but it is always a delight to deal with honest, thoughtful arguments.
“the stuff most people were buying (Cutlasses, Caprices, LTDs, and Cordobas) WERE pretty good cars.”
I was afraid that was where you were going with this.
Pretty much everything that Detroit made was second-rate. All of it. But those failures were easier to see with smaller cars, since there was direct competition. In contrast, one can’t claim that the Japanese built a better Eldorado or make unfavorable direct comparisons, since there were no Japanese Eldorados.
Those who fail to recognize that Toyota and Honda made better cars, and that they did so because they were innovators with production methods, aren’t going to see this. But Toyota was an innovator that transformed automaking, and its ability to reduce the defect rate left Detroit in the dust.
(Roger Smith did see it, but he lacked the management talent to sell it internally to GM. So he tried to do an end-run by using Saturn, but that didn’t win many friends among the troops.)
PCH – cannot disagree that most Detroit stuff was substandard by the 70s, particularly as a Mopar guy. The Japanese stuff was mostly superior, unless you lived in the rust belt, then it was 1957 Mopar all over again. But if we take, say, a 1978 Olds Delta 88 with a 350. They were not bad cars, and proved to be quite durable. And the Japanese were certainly not making anything like it. For a family in the days before the minivan, a Custom Cruiser or Caprice wagon was a pretty good choice.
These did stay around for awhile, but CAFE made sure that they were woefully underpowered with axle ratios best used coasting downhill. My 84 Olds 98 would have been pretty pleasant with a 350 or a 403. As it was, the tall geared 307 made it quite unpleasant at times.
Second-rate to what?
To an extent I see what I think you are trying to say. Yes CAFE had positive implications to smaller (imported) automobiles because of the included regulations, but where was GM ever trying to truly make a competitive small car up until the obviously needed RIGHT now 80’s? If the Vega was closer in truth to the way the engineers wanted it, and not the fumbled mistake it came to be, we’d be talking about a higher performing, lower sitting, and properly-cooled four for the basic setup, plus the performance-oriented but also stillborn wankel. Much like a mentiond Camaro II I saw someone post recently in something ‘stang related. Not quite the roll it ended up filling thanks to CAFE, but alas. We now know the Vega was a badly contrived compromise In the end. This was followed by the H body cars, followed by X bodies… They fed the new GM customer base garbage for a decade plus and thought they would step up from that expensive mistake into an Oldsmobile Cutlass? Young buyers with money went everywhere else in the long run it seems…
geeber
There were no Toyota Eldorados or Caprices or Cutlass Supremes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that if the Japanese had chosen to build one, it would have automatically been better than what GM was offering. One can’t really declare the Detroit offerings “second rate” when the competition is only hypothetical.
Note that the Tundra has failed to make a substantial dent in Silverado sales, despite substantial efforts by Toyota, and the Sequoia hasn’t exactly sent the big SUVs – Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Escalade – reeling.
But, unlike the 1970s and 1980s, Toyota hasn’t been attacking GM’s soft underbelly with those vehicles.
“if the Japanese had chosen to build one, it would have automatically been better than what GM was offering.”
The engineering and assembly quality would have almost certainly been better, because TMC was a lean producer (and good at it) while GM wasn’t.
And when TMC decided to build a better Buick in the form of the Cressida and Avalon, it did. The Lexus LS was certainly a more credible competitor to the Germans than was anything from Lincoln. I don’t see how an Eldorado would have been a great exception.
“Note that the Tundra has failed to make a substantial dent in Silverado sales”
This discussion – or mine, anyway – has been about disparities in build quality and assembly processes during the 70s and 80s. The truck market is a lot more conservative, TMC hasn’t been in the full-size truck game for very long, and the domestics are producing much better vehicles now than they used to — these days, everyone is a lean producer at least to some degree — which gives those current buyers less reason to switch.
There is truth to that statement, and a lot of my argument in a nutshell. Sometimes s*it happens in life, world events take over, something gets invented or something else intervenes. Often it has an unintended detrimental effect on someone even if they did not in particular to cause it. GM was a lot like that. We can write a lot of mismanagement, apathy, rot, or whatever but the fact remains that GM was the master builder of the large stylish powerful car and when various various things happened like OPEC, CAFE, EPA, and other things, they were disproportionately affected. Yes a lot of things could have been done differently, but in the end I often wondered if it would have still ended up at the same point. Maybe GM would have still had 30-35% but given the constraints placed on it, it would have been damn near impossible to have maintained 50%. At least not in a truly free market economy. That is why today, even with superior vehicles, individual makes like Toyota will never be able to achieve such a domination of market share in the US or worldwide overall.
But the Japanese market isn’t really “protected”. There have never been import barriers of any kind in the modern era. The German brands have been very successful in Japan.
Japanese simply wouldn’t accept the perceived and actual quality deficits of American cars in the last three decades or so. Toyota agreed to sell the Chevy Cavalier as a Toyota Cavalier in Japan, specifically to help with the balance of trade, but it couldn’t be sold.
No, the Japanese market is protected through non-tariff barriers. The type approval process makes it difficult to get vehicles approved in a timely fashion or to compete on innovation.
There’s a reason why the EU automakers don’t want an FTA with Japan — because they’ll be the losers from the arrangement. The system is opaque to outsiders and they have difficulty negotiating it, even though it’s theoretically open to them. Tariffs aren’t the only way to keep products out.
But the Americans haven’t had much to sell to the Japanese that the Japanese would want. Yes, there are trade barriers, but it’s not as there is a massive market in Japan for F-150s or Impalas.
I lived and worked in Japan during all the hubub and the attempts the Americans made to sell cars in Japan were just a big, cynical joke. Japan taxes cars based on displacement and Ford responded with a 3.8 litre Taurus and GM with a 2.4 litre Cavalier. This is the real reason the Americas flopped so badly as the vast majority of cars sold in Japan are 1.5 litre or smaller. Of course, Detroit screamed bloody murder about Japan’s tax laws and the Japanese replied that Detroit should sell market specific models just like they did.
Really, if you were Japanese, would you go to your local Toyota dealership and buy a proven product that wouldn’t be taxed to high heaven or buy a Cavalier? Easy answer.
Paul is also correct; German cars have done very well, even the large displacement ones. Japanese want to buy them.
“German cars have done very well”
They pretty much have no market share. They don’t really do very well at all.
At this point, Japan is a niche market for the Europeans. If they had high hopes for it, they would be clamoring for an FTA.
But it’s the opposite. The Europeans don’t see free trade as being any help to them at all because Japan’s non-trade barriers will still be there, while Europe will be free of its current 10% tariff. It is not easy for them to get through the Japanese system because they aren’t locals.
Taxes on displacement are the Japanese and European version of US CAFE. They are artificial means to control the market. Which shifts the decision making from the hands of the consumer to the hands of government.
European Auto makers are very well established in Japan. We get their cars used ex JDM perticularly BMW and Audi. The Japanese market is protected by their unwillingness to buy JUNK.
It wasn’t so much that they were “woken up” to the Japanese, but once GM and the domestics stopped building decidedly unique vehicles, there simply was no other justification to buy GM in many regards. Consumers would put up to some degree varying build quality and such things if they absolutely loved their car. Why do you think people hang on to and collect odd European cars even though they take the patience of Job to keep them running? When GM cars started looking like Japanese cars the writing was on the wall.
Yes it could Paul they turned up here as used JDM Toyotas and they are absolute crap, having to sdrop the engine to replace a waterpump means none get repaired and they are rexported in blocks.
Great article! I’m currently writing a 10 page paper (my HS senior paper) on why GM failed. I agree with your points. The massive switch to FWD everything was a big bet, and a bet that GM lost. If gas prices had stayed up, cars like the ’86 Eldorado recently posted might have been at least somewhat successful, but instead the opposite happened, and gas prices were lower than ever. Now, GM was caught with it’s pants down, with a bunch of small lookalike FWD cars, and only 2 big RWD cars, the outdated b-body brougham and caprice.
A funny thing is, if GM wasn’t so big, they wouldn’t have been able to afford to revamp every model line in every brand, and therefore would’ve had a nice mix of FWD and RWD cars by the mid 80s. They really were a victim of their own success.
Also, I think the vega was the first car from GM that showed the corporate culture was changing, and for the worse. Instead of letting the Chevy guys design, plan and engineer the car, GM corporate teams did all that, with Chevy effectively only selling and marketing it. The fighting that must have gone on between corporate guys and Chevy guys was a real precursor of things to come.
Very nicely done. A point I would add is the way GM drifted from its original form. The way GM had been set up was to mate autonomous divisions (which designed, built and sold cars and trucks) with centralized planning and administration. Worked like a charm into the 1960s.
As DeLorean’s book made clear, the GM Central Committee started usurping the job of the Divisions in the 60s, making more and more decisions (which should have been made at divisional level) subject to veto or revision higher up the chain where people were so far removed from the cars and trucks that their input was either useless or harmful.
By the 1970s, the die was pretty well set. The cars were built by the GM Assembly Division, which took over all of the old divisional assembly plants. The engine sizes were largely standardized to make ready for mix and match. The Vega was a product of GM Engineering, not of Chevrolet Engineering.
There is, floating around on the internet somewhere, a memo written to the GM brass by Elmer Johnson, an attorney who had become a GM VP. Johnson had seen some of the same things DeLorean saw, and tried to do something about them, but could not. His memo, written shortly before he resigned, is fascinating reading. As I recall, it basically called out a culture in which success was all but impossible. For example, managers were shuffled around so frequently that nobody ever got to oversee a significant project from start to finish. The goal became to stay invisible and not screw up in order to make it to the next promotion. The result was a bunch of managers who were lacking in any real experience.
Chrysler has proved to us that there are two ways to shed customers. First, you can build high quality but unappealing cars, as they did in the first half of the 50s. Second, you can build highly appealing but terrible quality cars, as they did later in the 50s. By the 80s, GM was, in my view, building cars that were largely unappealing and that were periodically of awful quality as well.
GM folks will probably not like the comparison, but Chrysler has been a much more successful company since the 60s, as bad as this sounds. Chrysler has been a roller coaster, but last I checked, its market share is roughly the same as it was in 1962 (a very bad year). GM’s results were much, much worse. GM’s best quality cars were surely better than Chrysler’s best quality cars, but its worst were worse than Chrysler’s worst. Also, on average, Chrysler’s cars have been much more appealing to customers over that entire time (or certainly from the 80s on).
A long, sustained failure is almost always the result of a flawed system. It is the flawed system that results in flawed products.
robert.walter
“For example, managers were shuffled around so frequently that nobody ever got to oversee a significant project from start to finish. The goal became to stay invisible and not screw up in order to make it to the next promotion. The result was a bunch of managers who were lacking in any real experience.”
And I used to complain to my colleagues that the Big 3 had gotten to the point that they developed their managers better than the developed their people …
Sadly, both your statement and mine are true at the same time, hence the results.
Edit: at the end, “people” should be “products”.
I do not know if that is really true. I for one spent 1/2 of my career at Oldsmobile, and the other 1/2 at Cadillac, mostly at my discretion. I did not move around positions all too often, even eventually holding an ME degree as well as an MBA. I even thought about getting a PhD but I grew older and realized that there was not point. People were either going to listen to me or not and no more paper would change that.
slow_joe_crow
The short answer is GM failed to learn the lessons of the Vega and Corvair and let the bean counters overrule the engineers. As a result critical products with major technical challenges were released half-baked with with critical flaws due to either penny-pinching or lack of engineering time and resources. This was compounded by squandering the profits of the SUV boom instead of developing better products and burying Saturn in the divisional turf wars instead of doing something useful with it. At the core GM did not adapt effectively, unlike Ford and Chrysler who innovated successfully in the 80s with the Taurus and the minivan.
The X-Car in concept was a dynamite product launched at the right time. If it had the engineering and refinement of the first-gen Accord, and was followed up with equally-good products in other categories in following years, GM could have dominated the car market as in their heyday.
Instead, despite spending a huge wad of money (marketing, unlike engineering, never seemed to suffer from penny-pinching or lack of attention), GM’s arrogant internal culture of cynicism and bean-counting fumbled product development near the goal-line with under-engineering and shoddy corner-cutting. They turned off a generation of younger buyers who were still receptive to GM products at the time but soon would not be, and fueled the rise of the Japanese brands to the top of the sales charts in mainstream family sedans where they remain today.
A lot of the half-baked part came in due to time constraints. CAFE regulations increased year to year and it forced a lot of last minute changes. The V864 program was entirely CAFE driven and was dropped not as much because of the problems but because they fuel economy targets were not met. The HT4100 was not intended to be introduced longitudinally, but it was to meet CAFE targets. The downsized cars were not ready yet so it was either engineer the HT4100 into the current cars or risk government action by failing CAFE. Given AT&Ts impending breakup at the time, the fear was real.
What you say is well understood by many.
I will have to check but remember seeing comments that GM was no more affected by CAFE, OPEC or EPA than the rest of the OEs?? Clearly there was more pressure on them. More pressure means more mistakes.
Perhaps not THE root cause for the downfall but an important, contributing factor.
You often hear GM didn’t try hard enough or that they lost their way. In fact they tried too hard switching to FWD so aggressively and across the board. No one ever spent so much in so little time. As Craig said the change at GM from 1975 to 1985 was unprecedented.
Power shifted from individuals like Mitchell and groups like the Divisions and Styling to Finance and Manufacturing. That was a major cultural change at the company. Engineering and Manufacturing were responsible for getting the product out on time and Finance for getting it out on budget. Of course there were also targets for product competitiveness. The plan on paper certainly looked good.
Achieving on time, on budget and competitive is a tall task for any company let alone one with such enormous profit pressure and hungry, capable competitors all around. But you cannot say no to the targets and keep your job even if the task is unreasonable.
Instead you say yes and do the best you can. Failing at on time or on budget is career suicide because the mistake is apparent immediately. Therefore those targets are never missed. Instead the competitiveness (including design, performance and DQR) is compromised to whatever level necessary to meet the more immediate goals because a weak product won’t come back to haunt you until later. By that time product-side staff will have been moved around making it hard to pin blame on any one group or individual. Constant reorganization is another way to protect people from unreasonable objectives.
Chrysler under Iacocca was still managed by a Kings X and it worked as a stop gap. When he left power was in the hands of Gale, Castaing and Lutz, not Finance. That worked too.
Ford took the most interesting approach on the Taurus. Peterson was not just a car guy he was a smart guy and saw what happened at GM. Since the investment in Taurus would be enormous the expectations for volume and per unit profit had to be high. But the product also had to be great or Ford would be done.
They made that work by creating Team Taurus, a cross functional team empowered to actually say no. This approach prevented short shrifting of the product to meet the goals of Finance and getting it out on time. An effective way to manage a program but rarely seen in mature, large organizations before the mid-80s at Ford.
GM, while struggling, was a far healthier company in the late 70s than Ford or Chrysler and that was a contributing factor in how they decided to managed their business.
A large part of the DN5 Taurus’ success was also due to who was picked to set the cooperative, practical, tone of the team’s culture: Lew Veraldi.
Contrast that against the guy responsible for the X-car just 5 years earlier: Bob Eaton (same guy later brought in to slay the golden goose at Chrysler.)
Success is always preferable, but experience in failure is better than no experience at all. That is why experienced individuals will always be more valuable than fresh people. Yes fresh people may have new ideas or be willing to change faster, but there is a way to bring those ideas into an organization balanced by someone that can make seasoned informed decisions based on experience.
That statement is largely true.
It’s great to have Craig’s inside perspective, and I look forward to more from him.
GM in its prime was like Kafka’s Castle, everyone on the outside wondering what the heck they’re up to in that big, powerful, intimidating place. US manufacturers don’t loom so large anymore. Today the state-like corporate leviathans are finance and oil companies. There was a Gladwell story from the time of the bailout about how private equity guy Steve Rattner threw his weight around at GM, as the designated hatchet man for the feds. Can you imagine anyone doing that to ExxonMobil or Goldman?
No, but the same could have been said about GM 30 or 40 year before, never say never.
So far neither Goldman or Exxon quite mismanaged themselves into the situation that GM did.
Not to turn this into Investment Banking Classics, but Goldman actually was bailed out. If Goldman hadn’t been converted into a bank (which gave it access to the Fed window), then I have my doubts that Warren Buffett would have come riding in to the rescue with a bucketload of cash.
This. And Goldman was saved without getting its stables hosed out.
There’s a clumsy “in Soviet Russia” joke here.Your government takes over Government Motors…Government Sachs takes over you! Joke’s on us, and is more depressing than funny.
principaldan
Great article and thank you for another perspective. Hindsight is 20/20 but staring back at GM sometimes makes me feel blind.
So much information, so many points to consider in a posting like this… I could spend hours re-reading this and commenting on many of the posts.
I mostly want to say, well done Craig! It’s important to hear these things from someone who lived through them. I was a youngster in the 1970’s, but very aware of the auto industry as I grew up near Lordstown, Ohio. Between the steel mills, raw materials, Lordstown and the transportation industries, there was never a dull moment. Many of the things mentioned in this post are as I remember them from the times, but of course some of these events are nearing 40 years ago now.
As a note to Paul: Maybe split something like this up in to smaller pieces? Craig covered a LOT of ground in this post. The commenting alone has been and continues to be fascinating reading. Just a thought.
A detailed post on the Lordstown strike would make fascinating reading.
http://libcom.org/library/lordstown-struggle-ken-weller
Good reading, thanks for posting it.
For me one thing that perpetually, in the 80’s/90’s, showed that GM was failing to understand basic customer expectations was the turn signal and wiper control stalks on some of their cars, that when activating, at best, made an ugly click, and at worst a sickening crunch also given the slang term “breaking chicken legs”.
How such an essential driver control, made in house, could be crap for so long reveals a lot…
BuzzDog
Many Ford products were just as bad in this regard though. The GM turn signal switch remained nearly unchanged from ’69 to the mid 90’s. The column mounted dimmer switch did not necessitate any changes to the turn signal switch itself.
I never liked the way it felt either so I “softened” the spring in my ex-g/f’s ’82 Cutlass years ago. That was a mistake because if the lever is not in the exact middle of its travel, power is cut from either the left or right brake light, depending upon where the stalk “lands”.
I think Craig’s fundamental proposition here is that the US market for cars after, say, 1974 was discontinuous with the market for cars before then. And the fact that a company was successful in the pre-74 market was in no way indicative that it would be successful post-74. The engineering, marketing, and manufacturing process requirements were substantially different between the eras.
Both GM’s massive front-drive program and its attempted diversification reflect that corporate management believed the fundamental proposition at the time. The future would belong to the Saab 99. Or data processing and signal transmission.
The US makers had, indeed, gone down a distinct path. I think that the objective differences between a 1955 GM sedan and a larger Peugeot, Mercedes, or Jaguar sedan of 1955 were smaller (and weighted toward GM), compared to the differences between GM’s cars and those cars in 1975. So there was much farther to go for the Big 3: foreign makers needed to scale up, but Detroit needed to reform.
But the way GM, and to some degree the other US makers, made these reforms transformed them from price-setters to players bound to compete hard on purchase price. For GM, there weren’t too many new or substantially improved engines in this era. And way too many GM cars looked like 1976 Sevilles, or aero-Sevilles, until about 1990, at least 5 years too long. The seating and instrument panels were often unpleasant. Somehow the GM reboot managed to retain negative trends of the earlier era. Not the elephantiasis, but the rubbermaid.
And so the time came when price was the main way the cars were sold, because consumers could find a preferred overall experience for maybe a 10-20% premium over the US car’s sticker price. Widening that gap was how sales were won. The exception to this was the truck/SUV market, which used to be like a miniature version of the pre-74 car market (limited regulation and temporary absence of gas price shocks). Do you think this worked so well because of different consumer expectations, lack of direct competition, or what?
Part of the current challenge is for GM and others in the USA is to continue to fulfill the market niche of “basic transportation.” But the other part is to innovate and lead consumer taste (what would a contemporary Iacocca want to sell, and how would a contemporary DeLorean make it go?).
I generally agree with this.
Carlo Di Tullio
Craig, this is a great write-up. I appreciate the inside perspective and was wondering when you’d get around to doing it. I have nothing to add to this that hasn’t already been discussed above or previously. But, I hope you’ll stick around and provide other stories from the inside of the giant. I would love to hear about some of the specific projects you might have been involved with, if you can think of things that might make for a good tale.
On cars and GM in particular, I can only offer my stories based on my experiences as a customer and as a former mechanic. Some of the best and worst cars I have owned or the family has owned came from GM. This shouldn’t be surprising considering the market share that GM enjoyed for much of my life. Still as a customer, I report my stories and my opinions as I see them, and let the pieces fall where they may. I don’t have a loyalty to a car company, really as I appreciate certain models from all of them (…well a lot of them). Loyalties to specific models and engines, is probably a better way to describe it.
But as an engineer, who doesn’t work in the car business, I can relate to having a personal stake in your product and your company. If a system that I design and build doesn’t function correctly, or a project doesn’t go as planned, I take it personal. It’s hard not to when you invest so much in something. Likewise, I want to work for a company that I believe in and will defend the decisions we made to those on the outside. I know that if I was in the car business, I would feel the same way. If I was part of the team that built the power window mechanism in a Cavalier, then you can be sure that I’d have one in the driveway. Much of what I do never becomes a physical system or a product that you can take home. For that reason, I envy those who actually got to work in the auto industry.
Of course all of the new cars that I have purchased have been GM and the cars I typically drove day to day, especially to work, were GM. With that said, I have owned about 50 or so cars in my life and not all of them GM. I have owned a handful of Ford/Chrysler product (including my 81 Imperial that I regularly plug), a handful of European cars, and exactly 1 Japanese make but the Eclipse was made in Illinois. With that said, Son #1 has the repair shop and takes in everything so I have seen everything over the last couple of years. So I have some vantage point to comment from a repair perspective.
John Lane
The 1949 to 1979 GM cars are amazing to me – styling, engines, etc. I would love almost any of them and it would be an interesting car.
1980 through today – not one car is interesting. And they still aren’t.
The 1980 Citation was the worst car I have ever driven. Once a month it would throw a belt. You had to pull the engine to replace the belt. That isn’t a company run by a car guy.
It was amazing to see the reliability of Japanese cars in the early 1980s compared to GM. There really was a difference.
You are forgetting the bright spots in the lineup:
GMT360, I find this one particularly shiny.
Y body, always bright
3rd and 4th gen F body. I am more fan of the 3rd gen one.
VT-VZ, Z
2nd gen Vectra, Astra, Corsa, 1st gen Zafira. The current Insignia and Astra.
I am sure there are other good cars there. And yes some of them may not have stellar reliability
mcc.pj
+1. I was born in the early ’80s, and while they may have been the exceptions to the rule, I’ve driven some truly brilliant GM cars in my time:
Cobalt SS Supercharged: Cheap, fast, glued-down; attainable, liveable, and controllable. A modern-day Z/28.
Saturn ION Red Line: see above, with added quirkiness and subtracted quality 🙂
Cadillac CTS-V: A quiet, civilised, comfortable four-door Corvette. Serious adrenaline rush on a track and, one suspects, a thoroughly liveable daily driver.
Saturn Astra: GM’s Mazda 3, and might have been as successful if only it had been better marketed in the US.
Pontiac Grand Prix GXP: Sounds crazy, but this thing was crazy-good to drive for a W-body on steroids. Loved it to bits.
Any Holden-based GMer: the GTO, G8, and Caprice are real gems.
Having grown up in a GM household, I’m all for celebrating this company’s successes in recent years. And yet, given the expertise they’ve showcased in pieces, it seems like they could have done so much more with everything else…
I have a 2008 CTS-V. Its dark red metallic with the chrome rims. It drives like military jet aircraft and it does turn heads. Not as many as my old cars, but still it is a definite presence among cars. Given the V platform, it is the most capable yet most efficient Cadillac, and maybe any GM car ever. With that car I could legitimately bait all comers, at least 4 door comers from any Japanese or European brands and be confident that I could outrun them.
Car & Driver recently tested a CTS, BMW, and a Lexus and while each best the other in something, the Cadillac was universally acknowledged as having the best chassis they ever tested in a car that wasn’t a super exotic.
Yeah, I really dont get this statement either, a 1979 Riviera you like, but an 80 you don’t?
They are the same car.
And really, not one one car after 1980?
Not even a Regal Grand National?
I think his comment about having the pull the engine to replace the belt explains his side. Throw some “not trues” into any hatred to make it seem worse than it really was in reality.
What belt required you to pull the engine? I know of no GM product that needed that or any car on the road for that matter. Except for maybe some obscure Ferrari or something. I have worked on many Citations and the 2.5 and 2.8 engines persisted for many years in many other products.
impalafleetta
Have learned from this post and the comments. The discussion on the slow death of GM is kind of like watching the Titanic sink or the World Trade Center fall in slow motion. Unfortunately, I do believe our own government played as big a role in GM’s failure as anything. Wonder how things would be different if GM had been broken up around 1962 ala ATT.
AT&T was broken up in 1984 but the Supreme Court decision was handed down in 1982 but the lawsuit was filed 1974. Conglomerates were going out of fashion in the US by the early 1970s and GM was always under threat.
Great article. Very enriching. Must have been a very exciting experience.
Dr Lemming
Glad to see such interesting analysis. To me the basic problem with Sloanism is that it was heavily based upon styling and marketing. Substantive engineering innovation didn’t matter a whole lot. Indeed, it got in the way of maximizing economies of scale.
This is the ultimate reason why the mid-50s merger of Studebaker-Packard and American Motors would have been a much quicker failure than George Romney’s gambit, which ran in the opposite direction from GM envy.
Romney instead anticipated the Toyota/Honda approach. He emphasized efficiency, economy and engineering innovations instead of styling, size and power. He also placed what for the time was an unusual emphasis on build quality. And while he did, to a certain degree, participate in the annual model change sweepstakes, he stuck with the same basic bodies for an unusually long time during an era where the Big Three threw huge sums of money into clean-sheet redesigns.
According to the common wisdom of the time, the late-50s/early-60s Rambler should have been a dismal failure. Instead it was the most successful independent American brand since the roaring-20s.
Automotive websites don’t often talk about the POLITICAL economy of the auto industry — and that leaves out a key issue. During the 1950s Congress debated with some regularity whether the Big Three — particularly GM — had become too big. Indeed, Romney proposed antitrust legislation that would have broken up an automaker once it reached a certain size.
I would argue that GM’s — and to a lesser but important extent — Ford’s dysfunctions of the 1960s onward would not have been “fatal” if the American industry had maintained at least six viable passenger-car makers through the 1970s. When that didn’t happen, as Romney predicted, Detroit became too fat and lazy to be competitive with the imports.
As a case in point, GM wouldn’t have waited nearly so long to master FWD technology — and thus had such a steep learning curve in the 1980s — if it had stronger domestic competition in the 1960s and 70s.
PS: The post deserves another round of copy editing.
While I agree that Romney’s approach was prescient, I disagree on one point – I don’t remember him emphasizing engineering innovations that much during his tenure at AMC.
AMC was still using flathead sixes in the American through 1965, and vacuum windshield wipers as standard equipment on all lines through the early 1970s. The “standard” Ramblers and Ambassadors used the outdated torque tube drive arrangement through 1966, and the AMC continued using kingpins in the front suspension of the American and Javelin long after every other domestic car maker had abandoned them.
AMC was a very resource limited organization compared with GM or Ford, so it’s not surprising that they kept the old technology as long as they did. That is really the reason why Romney didn’t emphasize engineering as you’ve mentioned – they didn’t have the $$ to make major changes.
Romney did not have the resources to compete across the board and against the mainline GM models. AMC tried this a bit in the 1960s and it cost them dearly in the long run, effectively forcing them into a cycle of stop gap product engineering that ultimately led to their demise.
Geeber, AMC in the Mason-Romney era was hardly the American Citroen, but the company was a pioneer of unit construction, an advanced form of air conditioning, “fuselage” styling in the 1956-57s, and a sedan-wagon body style that was much less cumbersome than the typical wagons of the 1950s.
Let’s also not underestimate the innovativeness of the 1956 Rambler, which was arguably the most space efficient family car of the 1950s. Its basic dimensions — including an unusually upright seating position for the late-50s — anticipated the contemporary mid-sized Camry and Accord.
Note that Ramblers were often ahead of direct competition with regards to features such as three-speed automatics, dual-master cylinder brakes, headrests, and safety door handles.
I would agree that this is not terribly exciting stuff for the sporting lad, but these features added up to a meaningful alternative to low-end Big Three offerings.
How much earlier than 1966 did GM need to start “mastering” FWD?
I dont recall there being much FWD work over at AMC.
FWD in the Toronado, Eldorado, and eventually Riviera was very different than in later FWDs and with most FWD applications as we know them. It would not have been cost effective for GM to have done what they did with those cars to small cars. Part of the reason why that technology was then given to the premium brands because they could be priced to recover the cost. FWD in those cars was sold less on total package efficiency but was considered a luxury touch. Like how it was on Cords in the 1930s.
I know, its not transverse, trust me.
Regarding copy-editing: I take responsibility for that. Craig left this as a comment (longest ever), and I couldn’t bear to see it down there at the end of another article. So I turned it into a post in great haste. Craig originally preferred that I wait until he had a chance to go over it more carefully, but I am a very impatient man! My bad. But it stands on its content.
I am generally satisfied with it. I said what I had to say. Typos and pure grammatical errors can be dealt with but I dislike changing things based on tone or implication. Stories need to reflect the mindset and competency of the author especially on an amateur site like this.
Really interesting post to read. And as a credit to the commentariat–really speaks volumes to see a civil and thoughtful 125+ comment thread on a nationally and politically loaded topic. Kudos.
Lincolnman
Great article – always interesting to hear from someone inside the corporation for the “real story”….
I believed the hype and bought a new 1982 Buick Skylark (X car) – 2.8 V6 with a 4 spd manual. I really thought this was going to be a great car; roomy, sporty, economical……
It was a nightmare; in the first year it was in the shop six different times – the transmission locked up, it sprang a gas leak in the engine compartment (fortunately caught before catching fire), the paint was full of orange peel, etc, etc.
I traded it a year later for a …….wait for it……..Olds Cutlass 5.7 Diesel………..
The 80s were not kind to me………..
From the frying pan to the fire!
Well a nearly new mint example of said car just sold for $4500 on ebay…
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MINT-COND-1981-Olds-Cutlass-Supreme-Brougham-Coupe-DIESEL-Low-Miles-NO-RESERVE-/330922949747?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4d0c8b7c73#ht_62661wt_1165
What is interesting is that we talk so negatively about the diesel now, good running examples will often sell at a premium in the collector marketplace compared to an equal gas version.
Just an interesting twist on things 30 years later.
I probably should have added – the Cutlass diesel actually gave me few problems – as has been noted here, the bugs were worked out of the diesel by ’81. It was just horribly slow – we nicknamed it the “Gutless”,,,,,
Virtually all diesel products that I have driven that were not turbo charged were slow. I have driven a couple of Mercedes 200 & 240D and they were so slow they could make you cry. I am not sure how Mercedes was able to getting away with selling those vehicles for such a premium. The performance was awful and they suffered from many of the common diesel ills. Now the turbo diesel Mercedes were much better almost civilized.
Back then, raw performance wasn’t a major complaint with diesels, as it might be today. Remember then, once performance cars died, most cars got a lot slower than they had been, so for most people, the Oldsmobile diesel was not really that worse off.
Cannot … resist … irony …
And thus was born… LINCOLNMAN!!
great write-up!
i’m thinking the core problem was (and is) twofold:
for one, it’s the complete lack of brand management. just look at Opel – nobody on earth could tell you what Opel is about. and in our times, with all cars being “good” to a certain level, it really is the brand that sells. proof that GM is the WORST at brand management is Saab. they even managed to f**k this up, a brand that was loaded with promises and an unreal perception of veryloyal customers… all gone within15 years. I really wonder what Ferdinand Piech would have been able to do with Saab!
second reason is – and one that goes hand in hand with the first – the failure to build cars that are desireable. not just appliances to be discarded when used up, but things that makethe customer feel special, maybe happy. i mean, everybody knows what you get when you buy Italian … problems. but then again, an Alfa Romeo still is an Alfa Romeo. Look at the cars they built in recent years: the 156, 147, 166 and 159, the GT and the Brera or the new Giulietta … all of them not really up to scratch in face of the competition and probably as unreliable as their reputation.but boy, what beautiful cars. desireable. to the extent that makes you forget their imperfections. and that’s how you do it … at least if you’re not Toyota, I guess.
I disagree with your second point. Many people say that they want a car that is “special”, but what they ultimately buy is an appliance-like vehicle that gets them from point-A to point-B comfortably and reliably. A mainstream auto manufacturer can’t make a business case around building niche vehicles.
One of Graig’s points was that GM used to be able to make even their low-end bread-and-butter family sedans look “special”, both due to their RWD-BOF layout and the percentage of design budget that could be put towards bodywork. When they went FWD-unibody, they couldn’t do that anymore, so their cars all started to look and feel the same. Suddenly having myriad brands selling effectively the same car made them redundant, but GM couldn’t (easily) shutter any brands, so they had to badge-engineer the same car to provide something for each dealer channel.
Compounding the problem, the attitude at GM was that small cars, and low-end cars in general, were starter vehicles and that consumers should move up the brand ladder to larger, more opulent cars as they became more affluent. With that attitude permeating the organization, there was no incentive to make low-end vehicles attractive to the customer.
That the consumer WANTED to move-up to a larger, more expensive car was the fundamental tenet of the Sloan brand hierarchy. When they were “the only game in town”, this was easy to get away with. We can argue that this system was already failing slowly after WW2 for several reasons. However a big nail in its coffin was GM being unable to differentiate the styling of expensive versus cheap cars.
As Dr.Lemming said above, “To me the basic problem with Sloanism is that it was heavily based upon styling and marketing. Substantive engineering innovation didn’t matter a whole lot. Indeed, it got in the way of maximizing economies of scale.”
That was the secret of Detroit and GM in general. A lot of people kept buying Detroit cars, even after bad experiences, because for a while, the cars kept on being special.
At Oldsmobile, the whole diesel experience seems to had been almost a forgotten even by the time the plug was pulled in December of 1984. As late as two years later, MY1986, Oldsmobile was selling a million units. Diesels came out in MY1978. It took 8 model years for sales to drop off drastically. A lot of people naturally tie the diesel experience in with Oldsmobile’s decline. It is hard to accurately quantify its effect, but diesel problems were already well known by 1981, yet diesel sales peaked that year. People continued to buy diesels because they wanted Oldsmobiles, big stylish comfortable yet inexpensive Oldsmobiles and at least while energy was uncertain fear drove sales. When gasoline prices began to settle down and energy was more certain, so did diesel sales, almost irrespective of the reliability of the diesel.
So while diesel sales fell to nearly nothing by MY1985, Oldsmobile sales continued to go up peaking in MY1985 and nearly matching that for MY1986. Suddenly, buyers didn’t wake up in the late 1980s and say, gee I think we need to take our business elsewhere because we bought a diesel Cutlass in 1981 and it gave us trouble. No what happened was that owners of traditional cars that were still being produced reached the point of trade in, did not like what was being offered, and moved on. Sales fell accordingly. It is very likely that had Oldsmobile continued to produce the RWD models, even without change, and despite risking being excoriated by some of the press for selling “old” car designs, sales likely would not have fallen so dramatically.
The fact is, the 1988 Cutlass Supreme, in and of itself, was not a bad car. But it wasn’t an Oldsmobile, or at least the kind of Oldsmobile that buyers came to Oldsmobile dealers expecting to buy. As Coke found out, sometimes old habits die hard. You don’t mess with success. Oldsmobile was incredibly successful as late as MY1986 because people liked what they were offering. Then it was gone, and so were the customers.
Same goes for the Vega, people knew about the Vega issues, but Vega sales never really petered out until the Vega was already at the end of its natural 5-6 year product cycle. Chevrolet kept selling more and more Vegas, peaking in 1973 or 1974, thre millionth Vega was made in 1973, just a couple of years into production
Chevrolet did sell a lot of Vegas. But how many of those Vega owners replaced it with a Toyota, Datsun or Honda instead of another GM car? That is the key question.
Also note that there wasn’t the internet in the 1970s, and the annual Consumer Reports reliability survey wasn’t plastered all over the newspapers when it was published, so word-of-mouth regarding unreliable vehicles traveled at a much slower rate than it does today.
“…because for a while, the cars kept on being special.”
For the life of me, that’s exactly why I keep on buying Impalas I guess!
Something in my innards still regard them as “special”, whether true or not, most likely due to my heritage of learning to drive in dad’s beautiful 1960, driving his gorgeous 1966, me owning my awesome avatar, my great 2004 and my 2012 powerhouse.
Kick me…
This was an interesting article, and I appreciate Craig’s willingness to share his views and experiences with us.
The article places too much emphasis on CAFE. The fuel shortages of late 1973 and early 1979 were the important events, not CAFE. They heightened customer concerns over fuel economy, and encouraged them to try out Japanese cars. Those two things would have happened without the federal government enacting CAFE.
It’s also important to note that sales of imported cars and small cars in general had been increasing before 1973. They had grown enough that GM and Ford felt the need to roll out the Vega and Pinto, respectively, in the fall of 1970 – or three years before the Arab Oil Embargo. The growth in the sales of intermediate-size cars was another indication that people were getting tired of the bulk and economy of full-size cars. Read road tests during 1970-72 – reviewers were already mentioning concerns regarding fuel economy and operating costs of various vehicles. Note that inflation was also a concern in the early 1970s.
This sentence says a lot about the GM “mindset” that led to its downfall:
Before OPEC, no one really cared about imported vehicles except on the margins. Mercedes was chipping away at luxury sales but unless they started building mass market vehicles, they would have been confined to a small section of that market.
Looking at the sales of Mercedes misses an important point – Mercedes was attracting customers who were truly rich, and generally younger and better educated than the typical Cadillac owner. As Paul has noted in his article on Cadillac’s fall, the division moved increasingly downmarket in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, chasing volume but at the expense of its former prestige image. By the mid-1970s Mercedes was more desirable than a Cadillac, and considered to be the “top of the heap.”
CAFE did kill off the standard-size car, and, thanks to the way it was written, allowed the light truck to take its place. But even if CAFE had never been enacted into law, GM still would have found itself in serious trouble by the early 2000s. It still would have been too reliant on vehicles that faced no real foreign competition – but instead of bearing names like Silverado, Tahoe and Trailblazer, they would have been called Caprice Classic, Cutlass Supreme and Fleetwood Brougham. The ultimate outcome for GM, however, would still have been the same.
Some of this I agree, some not. Who knows if GM would have been in trouble by 2000 without CAFE. OPEC was the ultimate change factor of course, but what CAFE did was alter the rules and those rules changed for the domestics and especially GM the most. The Japanese brands and by and large the European brands did not really have to do anything to be CAFE compliant. They did not sell anything that wasn’t. So when the government enacts a regulation that does not affect you, well you generally don’t change anything.
Without CAFE, Mercedes would have continued to have been a nuisance to Cadillac but Mercedes did not build anything that directly competed with any of the other brands. At that time Japan built nothing of any significant size and the other European models like WV were quite small. So the broad middle was open to the domestics and likely would have continued to be unless the imports started building cars to fit that market. As I said in my piece, without no CAFE, GM would have continued to build as many cars as large as they could as long as the market would bear. The imports, if they wanted to break into the volume game would have been forced to build cars more similar to GM and they likely would have been a lot larger and more Broughamy than they were. Its funny because especially the Japanese cars ARE a lot larger AND more Broughamy than they were 30 years ago.
The saying was, what’s good for GM is good for America, I find that to ring true, during good times and bad times. We really can’t point our fingers at GM’s downward spiral and criticize them without looking in the mirror and seeing America in the reflection.
Good read on the inner workings of GM back in the day.
For my 2 cents worth. I understand Honda and Toyota were better positioned for this “metamorphasis” which you explain in detail. One can almost understand the hurdles placed in front of GM once the die was set so to speak.
But this does not take into account the glaring discrepancy in quality between American and Japanese produced vehicles during the time frame in question.
I purchased a new 1981 Citation X11 with the High Output 2.8 litre engine equipped with the functional (sort of) Cowl Induction Hood, the tried and true Saginaw 4 speed, 5 spoke alloy wheels, hatchback with the rear spoiler. I was amazed at the way this car handled when new, and even more impressed with the true Hi-po engine which had a exhilarating torque curve to say the least. I bring these details into the conversation because this car was light years ahead of the Vega in drag known as the Monza. Quite honestly IMO this is the car that started the pocket rocket craze, being followed shortly thereafter by the Volkswagon GTI along with others.
This car promised so much…but was an unmitigated disaster once driven off of the lot. To this day, this was the biggest POS I have ever owned. So many of the problems were due to the workmanship, quality of materials, and just flat out poor design/engineering.
GM, regardless the upper management decisions was allowing pure garbage to be sold in the US. Wherein this car looked great on paper and on the showroom floor, the culture at GM had turned into “who gives a ch!t” just roll ’em out the door. One x-body piece of crap after yet another. The list of cars that were released to the public before they were ready is long indeed.
All the while Honda and Toyota were producing relatively cheap, fun, stylish, fuel efficient cars that had bullet proof reliability built in.
This IMO is where GM lost its way. I have raised 3 young men, 2 of which will probably never be seen in a GM product. Luckily my youngest isn’t old enough to remember the sins of GM throughout the 80’s, but this is the damage GM has to live with. I read daily about the huge strides GM has made in quality narrowing the gap to the point there seemingly now is no gap. I also read about the woes at Toyota with recall after recall. This news seems to have no effect to the generation of kids running around in Civic’s, Preludes, 250IS’s, Supra’s and the like.
Yes, GM lost an entire generation IMO, and they will struggle to get them back.
I am 50 years old and buy only American, a virtue which is lost amongst the younger generation.
This is the legacy GM will have to overcome IMO.
I do apologize for the lack of participation by me with my own article. That was because I wrote the article, as a comment, entirely on the fly Monday evening. Paul liked it, contacted me and wanted to run it immediately. I agreed and it went up Tuesday morning, aside from the added pictures, mostly entirely as I wrote it free form. I guess like many singer-songwriters, when the inspiration hits, things just flow…
Well Tuesday was an exceptionally packed and busy day and I did not get home until after 10 PM thus having little time to get online. As I write this, I have not had the time to even read any of the comments, but I will today and make replies accordingly.
I am sure it was not lost on astute readers of this site my background and knowledge base, but I felt that, despite the controversies of the time, it would be both interesting and beneficial to hear about some of the observations and feelings that were prevalent during much of that time in Detroit and at GM specifically. The automotive industry is a completely different place today than it was even 30 years. Some of it due to the fact that Detroit no longer accounts for most car sales, some of it due to those tubes we call the internet, some of it due just to the passage of time.
So while it has been interesting reading about people’s feelings and experiences about different cars on a personal level, it has also been personally interesting for me to compare current and past observations with my own experiences from within. Some, if not a majority of the comments are generally close to events as they happened, some are not so.
I will continue to contribute, as a commentator and as a publisher, maybe not so many articles as deep and lengthy as this, but likely from a similar retrospective viewpoint.
62Skylark
Does this article take the high record for the number of comments?
I think so. In any case, it has been the most popular article (views) here on its first day, without the benefit of a link from some big site to it.
Really great article Craig. I wish I could buy you a beer for this one.
May I suggest sending it to Collectable Automobile…seems like something written in their magazine.
No the article was written free form Monday evening totally out of the blue.
You can buy me a steak someday as I do not drink alcohol.
“Before OPEC, no one really cared about imported vehicles except on the margins..”
This is one of many attitudes that led to downward spiral. Ignoring imports as if only ‘weirdo’ drive them. VW Beetle/Toyota/Datsun sales were up and up in the late 60’s, and GM assumed that ‘When they grow up, they will buy full size cars’. They made Vega poorly with that line of thinking, too.
Also, lots of blame shifting and finger pointing in the article. “If only GM didnt switch to FWD” etc. More like GM should have made better products and not assume people would keep “trading in when they got a lemon”
> This is one of many attitudes that led to downward spiral. Ignoring imports as if only ‘weirdo’ drive them.
That line of thinking had worked well for the Big-3 in the past, when their primary “fringe competitors” were smaller domestic companies like Studebaker and Nash, and later AMC. These subsisted mostly on compact cars and niche-market vehicles such as Jeeps. GM couldn’t be bothered to compete head-on in those segments because they were relatively small markets then, and there wasn’t as much profit margin in them.
Most imports in the early 1970s were very much niche vehicles styled and priced accordingly. Until those makers broadened their base and built more meat and potatoes vehicles they would have remained in those niche markets.
Michael Notigan
Craig, well done. It’s something I will need to revisit a few more times to take in the true scope of the story, the biggest corporation in the world deserves no less then the article you wrote. Just a few random thoughts.
I suppose it is no coincidence that the EMD Locomotive group was suffering from the same malaise of it’s master. In the early to mid eighties they lost market share to rival GE, who never looked back to this very day. Their SD50 series locomotive almost sunk the company and was ground zero for losing dominance.
“All Corvettes Are Red”, an insider’s point of view by James Shefter gave a good accounting of Chuck Jordan. He was a driven man, nicknamed the Chrome Cobra for his dashing good looks and sharp bite. The book played a sympathetic role to Corvette designer John Cafaro, who clashed often with Jordan. Looking back on how things played out, the C5 Corvette was a success, in part thanks to the hard driving Jordan.
There was a time in this country when an announced automotive recall was a BIG deal. Nowadays, they seem to be an afterthought to be announced after the latest human interest story played out in the evening news. But back then, recalls of engine fires or rear axles falling out were borderline scandalous. And in the 80’s GM as well as Chrysler seemed to have had many recalls. That had to have had great influence on the American car buyer.
Another turn off to the average American car buyer was the feeling that they were financing the Research and Development Department of GM. How could they not with the abysmal operating record of the Vega’s sleeveless aluminum bore, the Citation rear axles falling out, the Pontiac Fiero 4 cylinder engine fires, the Oldsmobile passenger V8 Diesel engine, the rusted bodies and frames, the plastic interiors. I believe many folks thought that “their” GM cashed it all in after 1972. From these incidents and rumors a lot of folks vowed they would never buy GM again. And so, here we are today, a once great company a mere shell of what it once was.
I’m a GM fan, always was and always will be. I believe Roger Smith and his ilk to be the chief architects of the downfall of GM. It should have played out another way, but for the love of more money, they fell and fell hard. In many ways they mirror the path our country is on. True leaders nowhere to be found and the money boys and bean counters in charge….
First of all – Craig, that was absolutely fascinating and insightful… well-written, too. There’s so much compelling information here and even though I haven’t commented on this thread until now, you (and everyone’s follow-up comments) have kept my brain working O/T the last couple of days digesting it all. This is really top-notch stuff in every regard.
I could not agree more that CAFE was, and continues to be, a misguided, ineffective disaster that should be seriously re-imagined or scrapped entirely moving forward… but this situation looks very different to me from the outside, and I think a lot of the sentiment you (and others) have expressed illustrates why GM failed and why so many of their loyal customers turned their backs.
This quote from JPC sums up the situation perfectly:
CAFE did not replace Cadillac’s big block engines with the awful HT4100, General Motors did. CAFE is something that happened to General Motors and their several decades worth of flawed reactions to it is what caused them to fail. The fact that GM built their business on big, stylish, powerful cars many years prior to OPEC only works as an excuse for so many years worth of failure. As you stated, the move to smaller, FWD cars began in earnest in 1975 – but even before then came the Vega and before that the Corvair/Tempest… nevermind all the small-ish cars their European divisions were developing all the while, dating back to before Honda or Toyota had even built their first automobiles. But lets forget all of that anyway; I would say that GM still could have (unquestionably) turned things around until the year 2000. They were selling tons of light trucks at that point and making a larger profit on each one than they did for any passenger car. CAFE, by then, had turned around and shifted the market right into GM’s sweet spot. Here, all of the imports were at a distinct disadvantage. These vehicles were not, historically, their forte and they also faced a 25% tax on anything built outside the US. Just Ford and Mopar to worry about in this segment, and really only one of the two amongst them. For all the failures of the prior decade, they came into the 90s with a net profit of ~$24.5 billion earned between 1980-1990… and then the SUV boom happened. How was all that money wasted? How were they still building woefully uncompetitive passenger cars at that point?
1975-2000 – that’s 25 years. Twenty-five! How many product cycles is that, and for how many different cars?! They were the home team. They had the advantage and the market share to prove it. CAFE was undoubtedly most detrimental to GM, but it was hardly a fatal wound. They still sold more cars than any other corporation on the planet every year of their existence until 2007. There was plenty of time to adjust, plenty of ways to make it work. To get to the point they ended up at takes an unprecedented amount of bad decisions and bad cars, and I’m being generous with the timeline here.
I also can’t believe that GM was ever legitimately in danger of being broken up from 1980-onwards. Federal “voluntary” import restrictions were imposed on the Japanese manufacturers starting in 1981, with the rationale being that Detroit needed time to play catch up on fuel-efficient, CAFE compliant vehicles. Even though this was originally designed to benefit Ford and Chrysler, the same government that negotiated those restrictions was not going to risk harming the nation’s largest auto manufacturer in any way.
That’s the way I see it at least… and I could go on, but I don’t think there’s any point. If I had to pick the one thing that damaged GM more than any other single factor it would be their unwillingness to build a decent small car. It wasn’t that they weren’t capable of building decent, unibody, FWD cars – I see the C/H-body cars as extremely good vehicles in terms of both quality and driving dynamics – or that they were incapable of building cars that were both attractive and small… but they did their damndest at every step to make sure those two elements never combined in one single product. That’s where they lost to the competition and it seems to come from some crazy misconception that those cars don’t matter; a position that was never re-thought until it was way too late. In the post-bailout era I guess it’s once again “wait and see” – personally I like the Cruze and Sonic a lot, but it’s still early for them.
I hope they do well and I honestly mean that. I’m sure some people are going to read this and say “that guy has a BIAS against GM!” but that is a load of bullshit. I’ve never had any brand loyalty and I have no dog in this fight since I’ve never bought a new car and don’t plan on it any time soon. I have owned several GM cars and if I was in the market for a new car, there are many GM products I’d buy – yet no Toyotas or Hondas. Not any that are currently available, anyway…
GM was clearly affected by CAFE more than any other manufacturer. All you have to do is look at each manufacturer’s CAFE figures at the time the legislation was enacted and you could clearly see that. Most import makes automatically complied because they only sold small cars thus basically had to do nothing. Some manufacturers, mostly premium European brands, chose to simply pay the fines over the years instead of altering their existing product or introducing smaller models to smooth out the figures. GM, to a lesser extent Ford, could not realistically flaunt CAFE without the expectation of severe action by Washington. To this day, GM has never paid a dime in CAFE-related fines.
Lets play devil’s advocate here for a moment. Toyota currently has a 45% market share in Japan. The Japanese automotive market is very similar to where it was in the US during the late 1970s. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan control about the same market as the Big 3 did. Currently, Japan has taxation laws on displacement and gasoline encouraging small efficient cars. Of course Japan is a densely populated place but that is a factor that cannot be easily changed. So imagine what would happen if the laws on taxation on displacement were suddenly lifted, gasoline prices suddenly dropped to historic lows about that time, and non Japanese manufacturers began flooding the market with larger vehicles. Physical constraints might stifle sales to some degree so it would not be a perfect comparison, but it would send the home market companies into a tizzy having to compete with all of these big vehicles suddenly in the marketplace that people now have no constraints to buy. Then say if Toyota took all the profits that it had and decided to bet the farm and start building massive amounts of beastly vehicles to get ahead of the situation. And they had to do it in 5 models years. Then after 3-4 years in, a change of government in Tokyo decides to reimpose gasoline taxes causing buyers to scramble towards smaller cars again. (I throw that in there to simulate the reverse that the rapid decline in gas prices had in the market in the US in the 80s).
How do you think all of that would play out? That is about the perfect reverse situation that GM was in during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
There was demand for small cars. There were gas lines, shortages and odd-even rationing, and a considerable number of consumers were desperate to save fuel.
The way to comply with CAFE was to sell a lot of small cars. The largest automaker in the world with the highest US market share should have had an easy time of this, but for the fact that the cars weren’t any good.
GM had plenty of resources to throw at it. They even had operations in Europe, which were already making small cars with small engines for local audiences. But the fact that even the European designs such as the Kadett/ Chevette were second-rate tells you something about the company as a whole.
Companies such as Toyota were pipsqueaks in comparison. They could have been shoved back into the ocean if GM had been capable. But GM squandered its resources and did a poor job of it. Don’t blame the government for that — that goes entirely to the hubris of an organization that couldn’t muster its resources and deal with a changing environment for improved reliability and the supply of oil.
The defense of GM is a bit like Goliath complaining about his defeat by David. There was really no excuse for it. It sounds good to the supporters who remain, but the majority of the former customers voted with their feet.
The demand for small cars that was created by the first energy crisis had dropped significantly by the time CAFE took effect.
Best selling cars in the US
#1 Pinto
#2 Valiant
#3 Chevelle
#4 Vega
#5 Full size Chevy
#1 Cutlass
#2 Granada
#5 Monte Carlo
#4 Full size Ford
#5 Malibu
#1 Full size Chev
#3 Fairmont
Which is exactly why CAFE put GM in such a bad place. Sure when gas prices were relatively high/recently spiked Americans bought small fuel efficient cars but as soon as prices stabilized they switched back to larger vehicles and who did they turn too for those V8 powered cars? GM. Sure those 77 and 78 figures included the downsized Full and in 78 midsize vehicles but they were still behind the 8 ball as far as CAFE was concerned.
Craig, outstanding read.
Lotta insight and perspective here, very well written. My inclination is to believe that if the Vega, X, J and A lines had been well-executed, the American automotive landscape would look a lot different today. But that said, I’m hopeful for the company given what they’re offering today, even the Chevy Cruze offers interior appointments once unthinkable in a small car sporting a bowtie.
It’s taken the Koreans and Europeans to get them there with small- and medium-sized cars, but the future does look bright indeed for GM. It’ll just be a matter of leveraging their expertise in those markets, with GM’s traditional domestic (and Aussie) large-car and truck leadership to get them back, or near, on top. One thing’s for sure, it’ll be interesting to watch it play out.
The biggest asset that GM always had, and still does IMO, was the ability to build a good looking car and something interesting and exciting. That is one thing that the Japanese and other Asian manufacturers either never understood or dismissed about the American buyer. In many parts of the world, in dense populated areas like Japan, or in parts of the world not as economically advanced, the car (in general) has always been viewed as almost strictly a utilitarian device. Not necessarily something that provides a whole lot of personal enjoyment beyond the general freedom that it brings to allow you to get from point A to point B quickly.
The Europeans have had it to some degree with some cars. That is why European cars have always had unique (and somewhat dubious at times) styling since they too have somewhat of an emotional appeal. Unlike the US where taxation has generally been low on cars and space more available, European cars have generally had smaller engines to go along with their smaller sizes, but none the less many exciting and unique models have been offered over the years. Much like the US, many European makes have emphasized the personalities and features of their cars, often to the detriment of cost, reliability, and serviceability. Even among the worst US models, servicing them (however frequent) is usually easier and less costly than European cars. Some of the more exotic (say Maserati) European brands can be very interesting but have the most horrendous cost of ownership especially in the long term. There is a reason why the VW Beetle (first one) sold well all the way until the 1970s even though it was horribly outdated, primitive, and had unusual features (windshield washer activated by tire pressure?) because it was cool, simple to work on, and different enough that buyers loved it despite.
That is why at car shows, you see lots of domestics, a fair amount of Europeans and almost no Asians. Why? Well Asian cars are acknowledged to be well built but are generally purchased and driven almost strictly for their utilitarian value usually by people who do not value any personal experience in a car other than getting them where they need to go with minimal fuss or regard. Fortunately, they are only one segment of the buying population. So there will always be a market for cars that emphasis additional virtues such as styling, performance, prestige, or unique characteristics that draw specific buyers. No longer will any car market likely dominate independently but it is a healthy sign that we have a vibrant marketplace of domestic, Asian, and European makers that offer 260+ models currently that satisfy all needs and wants.
140Vair
Good point. Thanks for sharing.
Posted August 6, 2014 at 2:38 PM
That’s also the reason no one has ever written a song about a Toyota; or ever will write one. For all the “Toyota is perfect, GM stinks” business that people like to throw around, there’s one admission a Toyota executive once made to a Chevrolet executive that pretty much sums things up. He said, “We may build a product that people want to buy, but you build a product that people want to love.”
I agree with this article. I have always felt that government regs were GM’s downfall. It’s very interesting to read from an insider what I feared as an outsider.
Now our federal government is going to fix our healthcare system.
God help us!
Posted October 1, 2014 at 10:49 AM
Every car company needs a people of various types. They need “car guys”, who are interested in cars. They need “money people,” who know how much it’ll cost to build something, they need someone to help balance the two. One can’t dominate over the other.
P N Dr Lo R
What’s amazing is that in 1976 no one sitting in one of those OPEC inspired gas lines could have predicted that in 40 years there would be so much product on the market there wouldn’t be a place to store it and that prices would have just collapsed 50% to 1965 prices adjusted for inflation. Today we have 4-cylinder cars that could run rings around any V-8 model of 1976 and V-8 models that can out perform the hottest cars of the Muscle Car era, but GM lost its way and now has barely 18% of the market. I know on some cosmic plane the employees and owners of the independents of the 50’s, Nash, Hudson, Packard, Kaiser are looking around at each other, nodding and smiling.
Tomcatt630
In 1976 there was a mild recovery and no “gas lines”. Big cars sold ok again, and some questioned GM’s upcoming downsized big cars about to be introduced.
I have to chime in here, with respect to GM. Man, did I ever dodge some bullets in the past, due to luck/circumstance/some small knowledge.
The first time was when I looked at a Vega in late 1972. My GTX just wasn’t winter friendly. I passed on this car because:
1. The salesman, despite being the uncle of a friend of mine, was a class “A” jerk. (The term I wanted to use is unprintable).
2. After he tried to get me to buy the car BEFORE test driving it, I discovered that the roofline on the hatchback was too low for me.
I bought a 1973 Plymouth Duster, for about $120 or so more.
The second time I dodged a bullet was when it was time to replace my aging/rusting 1977 Malibu Classic w/350/350. Gas was going up, and I wanted better mileage. I looked at a 1981 Oldsmobile Omega. Two things turned me off:
1. Torque steer (I’m going from memory here).
2. The class “A” salesman, who tried to con me. (Why do they keep trying to do that?)
I then looked at a Malibu, but my Malibu wasn’t worth much in trade, so I kept it for another six years, then bought a 1987 Cutlass Supreme, w/305/200R4 which I drove for 19 years.
It is the Cutlass that I wonder about. It was discontinued the after following year. My understanding was that the Cutlass was the then number two selling vehicle. Craig stated in one of his replies that the car was replaced with the W-body FWD. When I never understood was, why discontinue a car that is selling like hotcakes? The time to discontinue a car is when nobody wants it.
A former frenemy of mine bought a 1988 Bonneville, which is similar to the Cutlass Supreme FWD replacement. The repair cost differential was telling.
My impression was always that GM thought that it could dictate to the market what its customers would drive, rather than selling them what they wanted. GM dug their own grave, with that kind of hubris.
“My understanding was that the Cutlass was the then number two selling vehicle…”
By 1987, RWD Cutlass sales dropped, it was not “# 2 seller” anymore.Taurus came out and was a hit. Also, 2 door opera window coupes went out of style. 1986 was beginning of Olds decline.
Bob Lutz whined that “We had to switch to FWD and had issues…”
Meanwhile, Toyota switched Corollas and Camry to FWD at same time, and look where they are now.
Toyota was actually remarkably resistant to FWD, in part because of the tooling costs and in part out of concern for customer resistance. The Corolla and Corona didn’t begin the switch to FWD until 1983, and the changeover wasn’t complete until 1987.
The Camry was a slightly different story because the first FWD (V10) Camry/Vista was an all-new model on an all-new platform. (There had been a RWD car carrying the Camry name — the Celica Camry — but that was a JDM-only version of the Carina sedan with a Supra grille.) Although the Camry effectively succeeded the Corona in their U.S. lineup, it was NOT a renamed Corona — the Corona line continued separately in Japan through the year 2000.
Toyota’s big cars (the X-platform Mark II/Cressida/Chaser/Cresta and the Crown) never switched to FWD.
Joseph Dennis
I’m only chiming in to tell Craig what an engaging, informative read this was. This is one to bookmark.
fortee9er
Posted April 23, 2018 at 5:22 PM
Belated congratulations Craig, what a great article. I am curious about your statement concerning the Buick turbo V6: “hings like the genesis of the turbo Buick V6 originating from a Boy Scout project is testament to this.”
Could you please go into more detail. As a former Buick GN owner I find this very interesting.
Following everybody else is what killed GM. They became a follower….not a leader.
Edmond Phillibert
When we compare a Chevy Citation’s interior and that of a Malibu, Both cars were cheap and the Vega was a disaster. The poor quality of the GM product was “institutional”, not linked to an only family cars. For all these reasons, I don’t think that the X-cars initiated the tragic GM’s fate. On other hand, the TASC program, which eventually led to X-cars, had to be an early global platform for GM and it would have been a success if the initial concept had been respected but, since the inception, the project met many resistances of divisions’ managers which won more bonuses if theirs cars were equipped with their divisions’ components or not. Consequently, they were reluctant to develop a new engine family or to use the Opel’s expertise. In a scarce foresight, Bill Mitchell had launched a similar project nicknamed VOH (Vauxhall- Opel-Holden) which was dropped for the same reasons (https://www.shannons.com.au/club/news/retroautos-march-gms-secret-1963-plan-to-interchange-vauxhall-opel-and-holdenmo/). Furthermore, initially, the program planned to use the aborted Ed Cole’s rotary engines, the rotary program costed a lot of money and, according to me, delayed the TASC, started in late 60! This money would have enabled to design these new engine family (1300 cc-1800 cc) or/and improve the final result. Finally, they have used an old four inline engine, too big and not quite international. The x-cars would have been a catalyst to change the corporate if all divisions (US or european) had participated to this collective effort.
v8powerage
Posted June 13, 2018 at 9:00 PM
VW started humble with silly hippie buses and now look at them, they have W16 bugatti. GM was exactly the other way around.
Mike Pecoraro
Posted September 5, 2018 at 7:18 PM
I read this article once……I want to read it twice.
Craig this is a fascinating article. Being an Aussie I have no experience of the X cars, but they certainly looked good to me.
I’m confused about the lack of engineering and development everyone talks about. If the X body was sold as a Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and a Buick, doesn’t it follow that there were 4 entire design, engineering and manufacturing departments available? How is it possible that the car came out half-baked?
Was it a Central Engineering project like Vega? Did Chevy have to do it all? Was there no collaboration?
Shouldn’t the result have been 4 times better than what a standalone brand could produce?
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MikePDX on Curbside Newsstand: Tesla Market Cap Tops $100 Billion; Second Highest After Toyota
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Paul Niedermeyer on Curbside Newsstand: Tesla Market Cap Tops $100 Billion; Second Highest After Toyota
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Making cool sounds for audio retailer - DEU-1810
“It’s so quiet” – That was the first reaction of a high-end audio and video equipment retailer, after his shop became the first London retailer to upgrade to a Daikin Sky Air R-32 system throughout, integrating a Seasonal Smart Roundflow cassette indoor unit.
The system is part of Daikin’s Bluevolution range, featuring energy-efficient R-32 refrigerant, which has a lower GWP.I n a business where audio quality is the keyword, it is important to keep extraneous sound to a minimum. But with lots of bright lights and electronic equipment at work all day, it’s also essential to keep things cool.
“For us it’s all about the customer experience,” says Paul Blake, Director of Bang & Olufsen, Bexleyheath, South-East London. “The old system had become quite noisy, so we had to switch it off every time we did an audio demonstration. That was not good for the customer experience, as without air conditioning, the temperature inside the shop could reach an unbearable 40oC in high summer.”
The retailer has enjoyed a long association with Daikin. Founded in 1989, it moved to its current premises on Broadway in 1996. As part of the fit-out for the new store, a Daikin R-22 split system – then state-of-the-art technology – was installed throughout. With the present EU total phase out of R-22, Daikin’s new generation of Sky Air units made business sense for its HVAC refurbishment.
London based Daikin installer, Technicool Air Conditioning, took less than a day to remove the old components and fit the new 7kW system. Technicool’s Spencer Johnson says: “It was a straightforward installation. The replacement of refrigerant pipework was less than ten meters between the indoor and outdoor units and the unit came pre-charged with refrigerant, which also saved time.
As it was the first installation of its kind, a Daikin engineer was on site the following day to check the installation and formally commission the system.
Paul Blake explained: “A customer originally recommended Daikin to us. We felt that having the latest in air conditioning technology was in keeping with the B&O brand image. The old Daikin unit had served us well over 20 years. Which is a pretty impressive life-span.”
Daikin's Round Flow cassette delivers all year round high performance, integrating energy-saving inverter technology efficiency with seasonal efficiency features. The Round Flow cassette's minimal visual impact, even temperature distribution and quiet operation now contribute to create an inviting atmosphere for B&O clients and staff, delivering a comprehensive, energy-efficient solution with minimal maintenance requirements.
To find out more visit this page
B&O shop case study_DEU-1810_Press Release_English
ZIP | 42.60MB
An efficient masterpiece: The new DAIKIN Sky Air Seasonal Smart Bluevolution series ensures cool heads and warm feet - DEU-1711
Daikin's newest bluevolution addition is Europe's greenest in the light commercial market - DEU-1707
A cut above the rest - Unique Daikin Round Flow cassette now available for all Sky Air outdoor units - DEU-1803
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Extending the cloak of invisibility - DEU-1706
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Ethiopia’s Hiwot Yemer wins women’s pro race;…
Ethiopia’s Hiwot Yemer wins women’s pro race; American Aliphine Tuliamuk settles for thrid
U.S.A. Red finishes second in team standings behind Ethiopia
BOULDER, CO – May 27, 2019: Women’s elite winner, Hiwot Yemer, during the 41st Bolder Boulder on May 27, 2019. (Photo by Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
By Brad Cochi | bcochi@prairiemountainmedia.com | Boulder Daily Camera
PUBLISHED: May 27, 2019 at 3:53 pm | UPDATED: May 27, 2019 at 4:32 pm
Aliphine Tuliamuk was an All-American long before she became an American citizen in 2016, and the Kenyan-born runner gets into the patriotic spirit just like most people do at the Bolder Boulder.
The annual Memorial Day celebration and 10K road race is also one that brings the best out of Tuliamuk, as it should considering the high-level international talent the race draws. As the reigning runner-up, Tuliamuk entered this 41st Bolder Boulder among the favorites to win the professional race and headlining a U.S. women’s team that had an excellent shot at a team title.
Despite her best efforts while in the early stages of altering her marathon-centric training regimen to build speed, Tuliamuk settled for third. That combined with the emotional Memorial Day atmosphere left Tuliamuk with plenty to think about.
“For me being a new American, especially by choice, is that we’re here celebrating a day for so many people who gave up their lives for the freedom of this country,” Tuliamuk said. “I’m not in the military, obviously, so I feel like my only way to give back to this country is running this Memorial Day weekend and commemorating with everyone else.”
Team USA’s Aliphine Tuliamuk, left, and Ethiopia’s Hiwot Yemer battle for the lead in the final stretch of the 2019 Bolder Boulder International Pro Women’s Race on Monday in Boulder. Yemer finished in first place and Tuliamuk finished third. (Photo by Jeremy Papasso/Staff Photographer)
Tuliamuk, whose time of 33 minutes was the third-fastest time by a USA runner at the Bolder Boulder, took the lead around the midpoint of Monday’s race and held it until the final kilometer of the race. She finished third behind Ethiopian runner Hiwot Yemer (32.49) and Yemer’s teammate Meseret Tola (32:55), who had the lead entering the stadium but lost it when she mistakenly turned off course into a staging area where media members and photographers were being directed so that they could get across Folsom Field to the finish line.
Though she did lead and looked to be in control for a time, Tuliamuk just couldn’t hold off the long-striding Yemer and a massive uphill kick from Tola down the final stretch heading into the stadium.
“I was looking back so many times because I was thinking that I’m working really, really hard,” Tuliamuk said. “I was in so much pain at that point and I thought maybe they’re also feeling the pain … Right before the hill at the finish, I realized that I was just running out of energy. Before I knew it, the girl who ended up getting second went by me and I’m like, ‘You go, girlfriend. I’ve got nothing left in me right now.’”
Tuliamuk’s U.S.A. Red finished second in the team scoring and 16 points behind Ethiopia, which claimed first, second and fifth place.
Also for U.S.A Red, Kaitlin Goodman (34:21) and Shalaya Kipp (34:32) placed 10th and 11th, respectively.
Women’s International Team Scores—1. Ethiopia 8; 2. USA “Red” 24; 3. Kenya 29; 4. Japan 37; 5. USA “White” 40; 6. Pan Africa 49; 7. USA “Blue” 59; 8. Brail 65;
9. Mexico 71; 10. Latin America 83.
Women’s Top 10 Finishers—1. Hiwot Yemer, Ethiopia, 32:49; 2. Meseret Tola, Ethiopia, 32:55; 3. Aliphine Tuliamuk, USA 33:00; 4. Margaret Muriuki, Kenya, 33:21;
5. Rahma Chota, Ethiopia, 33:29; 6. Ivy Kibet, Kenya, 33:50; 7. Kayoko Fukushi, Japan, 33:56; 8. Magdalena Shauri, Pan Africa, 34:05; 9. Yuka Ando, Japan, 34:19;
10. Kaitlin Goodman, USA, 34:21.
2019 Bolder Boulder
Brad Cochi
Brad Cochi covers the Boulder County preps scene for the Daily Camera, Times-Call and Broomfield Enterprise.
Follow Brad Cochi @bradcochi
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Clear, 35°F
The Aux
Three Protests, Two days, One Union
By The Daily Lobo Editorial Board Published 05/06/19 7:53am
By Anthony Jackson/ @TonyAnjackson/ Daily Lobo
Graduate students and faculty stage a walkout on Thursday, May 2. They walked around campus demanding better wages.
Last week there were three unrelated demonstrations at the University of New Mexico — each one larger than the last.
On Tuesday, the UNM faculty marched to Scholes Hall chanting and using an air horn. The march followed a meeting discussing the agreement between United Academics of UNM (UA-UNM) and the University to allow a vote on the existence of a faculty union. UNM President Garnett Stokes has promised to honor the outcome of the vote. The group of about 30 faculty dispersed after an hour.
On Wednesday, graduate workers walked out in order to advocate for “living wages.” That protest swelled to around 200 people and lasted over two hours.
On Friday, hundreds of Albuquerque students walked out of class to bring attention to human-caused climate change. This in conjunction with the worldwide movement, School Strike for Climate.
All three stories can be viewed in their entirety at www.dailylobo.com.
UNM, Union reach agreement (updated)
The University of New Mexico and United Academics of UNM (UA-UNM), the proposed faculty union for the state’s flagship university, reached an agreement late Monday night, according to multiple sources close to the matter.
That night, Associate Professor Matías Fontenla, a member of the union’s organizing committee, told the Daily Lobo there would be two bargaining units — one for full-time faculty and the other representing part-time.
He also said faculty from branch campuses will be included in the full-time bargaining team, a major sticking-point for UNM in their initial rejection of the union’s petition.
President Garnett Stokes and UNM Chief Legal Counsel Loretta Martinez expanded on the outline of the union during a general faculty meeting on Tuesday morning:
Emeritus professors, department chairs and directors, and visiting faculty are not included in the bargaining units.
Martinez said an election to approve a collective-bargaining unit for the faculty is planned for an unspecified date during the fall 2019 semester. Stokes has spoken previously about starting an education campaign, although it is unclear what the campaign would look like.
UA-UNM has yet to speak publicly about any education campaign. However, the union has held various social and informational events during the semester.
Graduates protest for higher wages
“Who are we? Graduate Workers! What do we want? A living wage!”
That was one of several chants shouted by around 200 (mostly) graduate workers during a march and protest for higher wages on Wednesday.
The event was nine days after the Board of Regents, who govern UNM, approved a hike to graduate student’s cost of attendance.
“I just want to live somewhere safe, I just want to afford rent and I want to be able to pay my car insurance to drive to school,” Monica Wolfe, an organizer of the march, said.
With a 3% tuition increase and additional fees, graduate students will pay an additional $302 a year to attend after July.
Wolfe is a teaching assistant in the English department. She said that Wednesday’s march around UNM Main Campus was the first step of a process to secure higher wages.
“This is to gain awareness, to gain recognition and to reach out to other graduate workers who might be afraid to speak out,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said Wednesday's march and the graduate workers who organized it were not affiliated with any union, including United Academics of UNM (UA-UNM), the proposed faculty union.
But that’s the direction Axel Gonzalez, another organizer, said he would like to go.
Gonzalez, a teaching and graduate assistant in the American Studies Department, said he did not have comment regarding if the group had been contacted by a large labor union (such as the American Federation of Teachers or UA-UNM).
ABQ students walk out for climate action, participate in global movement
The youth have spoken on climate change, and their message is clear: inaction will no longer be tolerated.
Over 200 students from the Albuquerque area walked out of class on Friday afternoon. They converged on Johnson Field in protest of governmental failures to address climate change. The student-led demonstration demanded elected officials and businesses face the reality of human-caused climate change and take steps to mitigate it.
It was organized by Fight For Our Lives, a student-activist group formed in response to the Stoneman Douglas high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in February of last year. The protest ended in a march from Johnson Field to the intersection of Central and Carlisle, where the junction was blocked for the better part of an hour.
Izzy Griego, a 14-year-old student from Media Arts Collaborative Charter School and an organizer for the protest, said that since adults aren't taking charge of the situation, it was up to the students.
"They know that this is a challenge and it's happening right now, but they're greedy and don't want to lose money in order to save our planet," Griego said. "Us, being the youth, needed to go out there and make a splash in the community, because it's our future that we're fighting for."
As chants of "climate change is not a lie, do not let our planet die" faded away, a group of speakers from various schools around the city began the official proceedings at 1 p.m. They lamented the lack of engagement from government and civic leaders and spoke at length about the dangers of a changing climate, drawing cheers by excoriating the fossil fuel industry and plastic pollution. Several motorists passing by on Redondo Drive honked their appreciation, and curious onlookers filtered in and out over the course of the goings-on.
Kyle Land wrote “UNM, Union reach agreement (updated).” Land is a senior reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @kyleoftheland.
Justin Garcia wrote “Graduates protest for higher wages.” Garcia is the editor in chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Just516garc
Andrew Gunn wrote “ABQ students walk out for climate action, participate in global movement.” Gunn is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted by email at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @agunnwrites.
NM gov talks pot and free college at State of State address
By: Justin Garcia, Lissa Knudsen | Jan 22
New Mexico Artisan Market brings local artists to Santa Fe in February
By: Caitlin Scott | Jan 21
Lady Lobos secure 73-62 win over Colorado State
Review: White people like films: observations at No Man's Land
By: Lissa Knudsen | Jan 20
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Volunteers without diabetes are needed for an evaluation looking at how diabetes may affect the brain. $100 for completing the study. A brain fMRI will be performed and additional testing. There is no radiation or dye injections involved with the MRI. You are eligible if: You do not have diabetes, some college education or higher, are of Caucasian, non-Hispanic ethnicity, born between 1953 and 1964, in good health, and are not pregnant, nor have metal within your body or severe claustrophobia. (HRRC# 94-049 v.10/16/19) Contact Janene Canady, 272-6949. — Announcements
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Wanted PT (physical therapist or personal trainer) Formal training no necessary, just drive me and make sure i do the work. (my house and gym within a mile of UNM) 2 to 5 days/week, flexible hours. grv2003@swcp.com — Jobs Off Campus
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MailOnline brings people together: Woman writes comment on article revealing her pain of life alone after split from 'controlling' husband... so another reader offers to take her out for a tea party
Shireen Jamil, 60, was reading a Femail article about Reddit users 'loneliest moments' and spoke of her own crippling loneliness
Felicity Morse, a social media editor noticed Jamil's comments online and said that she found it 'unbearable'
Morse stepped in to invite her to a tea party so that she would have some company
Jamil accepted her touching invite and has said that she feels overwhelmed with the 'kindness' that she has been shown
Morse posted details of the tea party which is scheduled for Sunday 20 December in London
By Belinda Robinson For Dailymail.com
Published: 06:56 EST, 19 December 2015 | Updated: 09:12 EST, 19 December 2015
It is often said that commenters on the Daily Mail Online have an uncanny ability to generate robust debate, rib-tickling humour and brutal honesty.
But when Shireen Jamil, 60, was reading a Femail article about Reddit users 'loneliest moments' she became candid and left a brutally honest comment about her own crippling loneliness.
Jamil, from Hampstead, told of her pain after her divorce from her controlling husband.
And to her surprise another online commenter stepped in to invite her to a tea party so that she would have some company.
Felicity Morse, a social media editor at BBC Newsbeat said that she found Jamil's admission 'unbearable.'
Shireen Jamil, 60, left, was reading a Femail article about Reddit users 'loneliest moments' and left a brutally honest comment about her own loneliness. Felicity Morse, right, a social media editor saw Jamil's comments and stepped in to invite her to a tea party so that she would have some company
Jamil wrote under the username 'S60': 'I wasn't 'allowed' to make friends during my marriage by a controlling husband, so I face a bleak future, and wake up every lonely day, wondering what the point is.'
Morse wrote on Twitter: 'On Sunday I'm having a tea party in London for anyone feeling bit blue/lonely. If that's you or if you feel like doing a bit of cheering, DM'
But instead of turning away, she replied to her asking Jamil if she wanted to go for coffee.
She said that she knew it was a 'bit of a long shot' as she didn't even have a name.
But felt motivated to get in touch because 'what she said bothered her.'
She wrote: 'Being lonely is so awful and so solvable.'
She posted online: 'Hey I am going to have a little tea party this weekend for anyone in London who wants to come to a meet up or is feeling a bit low and lonely. Inbox me for details felicityannmorseevent@gmail.com. Please pass this on (or upvote.)'
'I slept with my dead husband's pillow': Reddit users reveal... Madonna says claims Sean Penn hit her with baseball bat,...
'I felt like I couldn't NOT say something': Meet the brave...
Jamil, who was once a model suffered mental and physical torture at the hands of her husband Ali Jamil who she alleges abused her during their marriage.
She left her husband in the mid-1990s but only reported the abuse to the police in 2013.
She told The Express: 'He twice broke my nose, the second time in front of my two children who were aged nine and 18 at the time, and I suffered a brain haemorrhage.'
Her life since her marriage has been a mixed bag of ups and downs. And while reading through a story about others who felt the same she felt compelled to leave details of her own experience.
She told Daily Mail Online: 'I found the [Daily Mail] article very touching to read, as I did the comments.
'They all resonated with my own feelings of desperate isolation, which I had recently suffered more forcefully than usual.
Jamil accepted the offer and wrote back on Daily Mail Online: 'YES PLEASE!! Thank you so, so, much.
Jamil wrote on Twitter: 'Beyond shocked, that on the DM forum, at my lowest point, someone reached out to me and turned out to be a genuine and real person'
Jamil wrote on The Daily Mail Online under the username 'S60': 'I wasn't 'allowed' to make friends during my marriage by a controlling husband, so I face a bleak future, and wake up every lonely day, wondering what the point is.'
The divorcee says that she was not expecting a response from the comment that she left on Daily Mail Online. She was just being honest. Yet what followed embodies the idea of Christmas cheer.
The touching gesture by Morse left Jamil stunned. She describes how she was touched that two people offered to have tea with her.
She wrote back: 'YES PLEASE!! Thank you so, so, much. I only just came back to this article, otherwise would have replied earlier. I'm easy to find on Twitter...I know I'll have to change my username on this site, but my goodness it will be worth it to actually have TWO people who have shown me this kindness on a DM site. Indebted. xx'
Jamil, a divorcee, alleges that she was in an abusive marriage for years but feels happy that she has made friends online
She later wrote online: 'You really are the most amazing young lady, Felicity, for doing what you are doing.
'THIS, in our fast moving age, is the now lost Spirit of Christmas, and it's Real meaning; which is not self indulgence, or an overabundance of gifts, but making those who feel utterly alone, feel wanted for a moment. I, for one, Thank you. Sx'
Jamil told Daily Mail Online: 'In this day and age, people do not have the time to reach out to loved ones, let alone complete strangers writing on a Forum!
Adding: 'Many, from around the world, said they wished I lived in their country, so they could befriend me.
'My followers' on Twitter have shot up from 160 to 250, and there was an outpouring on the Internet of Good wishes sent to both Felicity and I.'
Morse posted details of the tea party which is scheduled for Sunday 20 December.
It will be held at two thirty in central London and anyone interested in attending can email her at: felicityannmorseevent@gmail.com.
Pete R tweeted to Morse: 'With all the evil in the World, it has been heartwarming to read your story, you are an inspirational beautiful person,Thank you.'
Jamil told Daily Mail Online: 'I have felt completely overwhelmed by the love and care and compassion that I have received.
'In one night, I have felt happier than in my entire 60 years...2015 has been changed from the year from Hell into a year which is ending filled with promise of a less lonely future, and perhaps sustaining this feeling into 2016 from a life unlived until now.'
Shireen Jamil suffered domestic violence at her partners' hands for 10 years | UK | News | Daily Express
MailOnline brings people together after people meet in comments section
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From plastic bottle to … plastic bottle: how Cape Tow...
From plastic bottle to … plastic bottle: how Cape Town recycles
By Drew Wayland for GroundUp• 22 November 2019
Plastics waiting to be sorted at the City of Cape Town’s Sea Point drop-off site. Photo: Drew Wayland
About 90% of South Africa’s waste is not recycled – but tracking the ‘virtuous’10% is an interesting journey.
Each year, South Africans produce about 40 million tonnes of general waste, only 10% of which is recycled, according to the State of Waste Report published by the Department of Environmental Affairs in 2018. The other 90% ends up in landfills or waste storage facilities around the country. But what happens to the 10% of materials that have a second, third, or even a fourth, chance at life?
The South African government lagged behind many countries in implementing public recycling programmes, with its pilot project in 2004 in Cape Town. Only in 2006 did public recycling come to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and then slowly spread to the rest of the country.
Many rural South Africans are still without access to public recycling, but engage in informal recycling, such as waste picking, at much higher rates than urban residents.
So, after quick deliberation, you’ve made the choice to throw that plastic bottle into the recycling bin instead of the rubbish bin. You walk away feeling good about your decision, but what happens to the bottle after it has entered into the long and winding chain of the City of Cape Town’s public recycling programme?
It will start the process in one of the City’s 26 public recycling drop-offs, dispersed throughout the Cape Metropolitan Area.
“People tend to associate places like this with a dump,” said Dexter Bruce of Lardex Trading, a waste management contractor. “This is not a dump. This is a friendly place, a neighbourly place. We know our customers here.”
Bruce is the manager of the Sea Point drop-off site. He proudly showed GroundUp his facility, pointing out his two employees, Joseph Shawa and Fabrice Ndegeya. “They’re the most important people in this entire industry,” said Bruce. “They make sure nothing gets through the first stages that could cause problems down the line.”
Ndegeya and Shawa comb through the loads of material dropped off by residents, businesses and public garbage trucks, and sort it into paper, plastic and glass. Then the loads are what Bruce calls “purified” by the removal of items that cannot be recycled, like styrofoam, or electronics containing heavy metals.
The plastics are then separated into categories such as clear plastic, green plastic, soft plastic and “sticky” plastic that has been stained by food or dirt. The materials are crushed with hydraulic press machines and made into bales nearly two metres across.
The bales are loaded onto trucks and transported to washing facilities, which the City’s head of waste minimisation Alison Davison calls “the bread and butter of South African recycling”.
Davison says there are two processes for washing recycled materials. “Virgin” plastics – plastic that has not yet been recycled – undergo a simple process called de-dusting to prepare them for the next stage. Virgin plastics are usually denoted by a symbol printed on the product itself, but Davison notes the markings can be inconsistent.
If a material has been recycled, it is sent to a different facility, where it is spun rapidly in circles in a centrifuge, then soaked in cleansing chemicals.
Both facilities break down the material into tiny pellets after the initial cleaning. The pellets are then steam-cleaned to become the building blocks of new plastics.
“Think about the pellets as the atoms of the recycling world,” said Bruce. “The plastics industry can make just about anything out of the pellets these days. Bottles, broom handles, toothbrushes, toilet paper.”
Glass, he says, is the only material that does not lose some mass during the recycling process.
Bruce sells the pellets to plastic manufacturers.
“It is a huge boost for business in this country,” he said, “and it adds value to the supply chain. We are just keeping in the system things that would normally be left for garbage.”
South Africa is unusual in its ability to sell materials discarded within the country to manufacturers that are also based here. In Europe and North America much plastic rubbish is exported to poorer countries, but in Cape Town the bottle you recycled this morning might be made into the very one you buy next month.
“We like to think of this as ever-growing,” said Davison. “We have goals to increase interest, engagement and activism around reducing waste. We have come a long way in 15 years, but we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Beginning in 2012, the City started to hold competitions between the public drop-offs, rewarding the best decorated sites. Many of the materials brought there that cannot be recycled are used as decorations, such as pots for plants, chairs, sculptures or wall art. The entrance to the Sea Point site is surrounded with brightly coloured trinkets and art pieces made from old, once-abandoned things.
“I do think it’s beautiful, the way they have saved these things from a landfill and made them into something so lovely to look at,” said Davison.
The entrance to the Sea Point site has been decorated with discarded items. Photo: Drew Wayland
The City, and much of South Africa, is fighting an ongoing battle with rampant illegal dumping, particularly in waterways.
“We want to curb that as much as we can by making this a place that is easy to get to and nice to be in,” said Bruce, “especially among young people.”
Bruce and Davison agreed that the younger generations are the most vocal about environmental issues, but the least engaged in personal recycling.
“Most of my regular customers are older people,” said Bruce.
Despite some challenges, the City claims that public recycling programmes in Cape Town have processed more than 589,000 tons of plastic since their start in 2004.
“More important than all of this is to reduce your waste,” Bruce reminds his customers on their way out of the gate. “Recycling saves money and saves waste, but one day the goal is still to have less of it to do.” DM
Alison Davison
de-dusting
Dexter Bruce
Lardex Trading
public recycling
rampant illegal dumping
State of Waste Report
sticky plastic
virgin plastics
Drew Wayland for GroundUp
JUDICIAL CRISIS
Sex, lies, physical assault & court rigging — all in a day’s work for John Hlophe, claims his deputy
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MAVERICK CITIZEN
Heartbreak in border town as Home Affairs ignores birth certificate court order
DEATH IN DETENTION
Neil Aggett Inquiry: Judge, family, activists visit 10th floor of ‘formidable’ police station where activists were interrogated
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NEWSDECK
News and reports from around the world
Last updated: 15 mins ago
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Somalia, terrorism and Kenya’s security dilemma
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‘Amigo case’: Testimony of how a R144m tender was irregularly awarded to Gaston Savoi
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4/13/2015, 12:07am
Association of Student Governments wraps up for year
BY Elizabeth Matulis
In the final meeting of the UNC-system Association of Student Governments this academic year, N.C. State University’s Zack King was sworn in as the next president — beginning his tenure as the student representative on the UNC Board of Governors.
The main focus of the meeting, held at East Carolina University, was a recap of events from throughout the year. Still, Steve Nunez, a delegate from UNC-Wilmington, said delegates found time to debate several new grants.
A grant for an exam week event and a suicide awareness event for Appalachian State University were passed after multiple suicides this past year at the campus. N.C. State also received a grant for LeaderShape, a summer leadership camp.
UNC-CH applied for a grant to lobby the legislature to pass the Energy Freedom Act, which would allow UNC to buy solar panels from third-party vendors, but Nunez said it failed.
“The Finance and Budget Committee decided that that was a little bit too political to make a stand on as an entire ASG,” Nunez said.
On Friday, ASG also gave out various awards. The Eve Marie Carson Servant Leadership Award went to Chapel Hill shooting victims Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha. The award will be presented to their families this week.
It was the last ASG meeting for Alex Parker, who served at the helm of the organization during a difficult year for the UNC system.
“I think we definitely made progress,” Parker said. “ASG has not always been the most efficient organization and does not have the best reputation among students and among board members and the General Administration.”
Parker said his biggest advice to King was to remember that while on the Board of Governors and leading ASG, he is the voice of students, not any particular group, campus or political ideology.
“Your power comes from the weight of the fact that you are representing over 220,000 students of the system,” said Parker. “That is your strength, and that’s what you need to leverage in order to make a difference.”
King said he’s already looking ahead, and he plans to focus on the “big four” in 2015-16 — sexual assault, mental health and racial and gender issues. He also said ASG will push for better voting access on campuses.
He hopes to expand systemwide initiatives and advocacy, such as the day of sexual assault awareness that occurred on April 6.
“I think if there is just one or two of us, even if we are one of the bigger schools, it’s really not going to make as much of an impact as all 17 schools standing up and saying this is where we all stand on this issue,” King said.
state@dailytarheel.com
Next up in UNC system
UNC grad becomes first Black female pilot for N.C. National Guard
Judge who approved Silent Sam deal previously had UNC-favorable decisions reversed
Sons of Confederate Veterans members oppose $2.5 million Silent Sam reward
Next up in Higher Education
DTH lawsuit discussed in closed session by BOG Governance committee
Board of Governors urges General Assembly to end state budget impasse
Next up in UNC-Chapel Hill
MLK's visit to UNC planted the seed for Black activists of today
Universities are preparing for the future of dreamers amid DACA's potential rollback
Next up in Sexual Assault
N.C. sex education is lacking in consent education
Inconsistent sexual assault definitions hamper UNC-system Campus Security Committee
DOE no longer releasing weekly Title IX investigation updates
Next up in Appalachian State University
UNC-system happenings for April 28, 2017
UNC-system happenings for March 27, 2017
UNC-system happenings for Feb. 14, 2017
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Finance, Banking & Capital
IT & Data
Staffing & Hiring
SmartyPig Tips and Lessons Learned
The goal of Greater Des Moines (DSM)-based SmartyPig was to help customers save money for financial goals from vacation to gifts to retirement. Founder Michael Ferrari shares insight on creating a new platform with innovative technology.
Tips for Startups
Know Your Greatest Asset
SmartyPig is known for goal-based savings. The company owns that niche, Michael says.
Get Validation
In the beginning, SmartyPig saw interest from more than 150+ banks and they were fielding several calls a week about the company. Michael talks about taking the SmartyPig technology and creating a SaaS model for financial institutions. In 2011, after visiting with both international and domestic companies, they discovered there was a market for the technology after getting four contracts without even having a product. The four contracts came from an array of industries: insurance, banking, payroll processor and global retailer.
Be Able to Pivot
Michael talks about how this doesn’t mean to change your vision, but to expand or change in ways you may not have originally thought. SmartyPig went from a B2C to a B2B business.
Be Open to Change
As a founder, you have a vision and when the vision changes, it can be uncomfortable. Michael discusses these moments as times that can transform the company. Founders have to become comfortable with change and evolution of the company.
Focus on Distribution
Scale is difficult. Look for ways to leverage distribution points and partnerships.
Michael says to know your company’s strengths. SmartyPig’s strength is the technology.
Hear the stories of other small business and startup business owners in the community in The Partnership’s Small Business Resources Hub or sign up for the NAME TBD newsletter to stay connected for information about upcoming events, other resources and the latest announcements in the small business community in DSM.
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Joining and Attending our School
The School and the Wider Community
Medical Information, Sickness and Absence Procedures
Discipline and Behaviour
Contacting Your Child's Teacher
Pupils with Special Educational Needs
SEND Code of Practice
Link to: SEND Local Authority Offer
Prospectus Introduction School Aims Joining and Attending our School Uniform School Meals Teaching and Learning The School and the Wider Community Pupil Premium Free School Meals Snow and Bad Weather Procedure Withdrawal from Religious Education Sports Premium Attendance Safety & Well-being Equality Statement Inclusion SATs Test Results SEND Cultural Guarantee Policies Ofsted CCC Strategy for School Improvement
Family Learning programmes are designed to enable adults and children to learn together or are programmes that enable parents or carers to learn how to support their children's learning.
Involving parents/carers in learning helps not only to improve children's learning but also adults own skills. The 'Family' includes immediate and extended family and can include; children, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles etc.
Family Learning projects aim to increase life skills and confidence by offering informal as well as formal learning within a supportive environment. These projects can also signpost to other learning opportunities.
The school provides the hub of the community and intends to extend its learning opportunities to the wider school community and not just those aged 5-11.
Family Learning projects can take place within schools and other community venues and can include; literacy and numeracy workshops & courses, family finance, parent & toddler groups and parenting courses to name a few.
Home and School Partnership: All staff at our school share a concern for the happiness and well-being of all the children.
Please remember that we may need to know about any home circumstances that affect your child's happiness. We therefore hope that parents / carers will keep us informed of any factors, which may affect a child's life at school. You may be assured that anything told to us in confidence will remain so. Where home and school work together, it is always best for the child.
Family Workers: There is also a Family Worker attached to the school who can be contacted by any parent or carer who feels they need additional support. Their role is mainly to help you get the very best from your school by providing support, advice and information. They will help you with any worries you may have in relation to your child's education, attendance or behaviour at school or at home.
You can contact our Family Worker by attending our regular drop-ins or by talking to the Head Teacher or the school office.
St John's School Governors
Ely St John's has a Governing Body drawn from parents, local authority, representatives of the staff and the local community. The Governors work closely with the headteacher and senior staff to ensure that pupils get a good balanced education. The Governors role involves ensuring that the school has clear aims and a vision supported by clear plans and goals. It is a 'critical friend' monitoring and evaluating how the school is progressing towards its aims. Further information about contacting the Governors, or becoming a Governor are available on the school website.
Friends of Ely St John's
Ely St John's is supported by the Friends of Ely St John's - a parents' group that raises funds to support activities and developments that benefit the children who attend St John's school. This includes an annual Christmas Fayre, school discos, car boot sales and a variety of other activities.
The Friends Committee can be contacted at thefriendsofesj@hotmail.com
We run a varied programme of up to 20 after school clubs a week including sports, art, French, Lego, music and dance to name a few. Each term sees the start of a new programme so that the children can try different clubs which are mostly chargeable although there is funding available on request. Some clubs are run by members of staff and others are run by companies who come into the school. All external tutors receive the appropriate checks and are basic first aid trained. The clubs start straight after school and normally last for one hour.
Kids Club Ely provide Out of School childcare in the community room before school, after school and throughout the school holidays. For further information visit:
www.kidsclubely.co.uk
email: cathy@kidsclubely.co.uk
St John's Preschool operates from the community room inside the school grounds. For further information on the preschool visit: www.stjohnspreschoolely.co.uk
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EXCLUSIVE: Number of men who are reporting rape across Tayside triples in six months
There has been a huge spike in the number of men who have reported being raped across Tayside in the past six months.
It is no wonder rape victims fear they will not be believed, commissioner warns
People who are raped face a “culture of disbelief” when trying to obtain justice, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has said.
‘My mum didn’t know how to handle it – she was a rape victim too’: Brave Dundee woman, raped aged 17, speaks out about harrowing experience
When she was just a teenager, Sarah endured one of the most harrowing experiences anyone can go through.
‘If a not proven verdict hadn’t been available, my attacker could have been found guilty’: Dundee woman speaks out after Scottish jury research
A young Dundee woman whose former boyfriend was acquitted of raping her believes that if the not proven verdict was not available her alleged attacker might have been found guilty.
SCOTLAND: Teenager raped four girls and attacked fifth with razor blade
A teenager who raped four victims and horrifically attacked a fifth with a razor blade has been locked up for six years.
Dundee man who carried out sex attacks on 11-year-old boy jailed for eight years
A rapist who carried out a series of perverted sex acts on vulnerable teenagers in Dundee was yesterday jailed for eight years .
Fife woman raped by two men after one pretended to be taxi driver
Two men have been convicted of raping a teenager after New Year celebrations in Fife in 2017.
Oritse Williams’ manager tells court he touched woman during alleged rape
Boy band star Oritse Williams’ tour manager has told a jury he tried to start a threesome as the singer had “cringey and awkward” sex with a fan.
Ex-boy band singer baffled by ‘crazy’ rape claim, court told
Former JLS star Oritse Willams told police he was bewildered by a “crazy” rape allegation being made by a woman he met at a gig, a jury has heard.
SCOTLAND: Rape victim quizzed by police because she had dating app Tinder on her phone
A woman who was brutally raped in an Aberdeen park claims that police thought she had gone to meet her attacker – because she had a dating app on her phone.
Jail for beast who raped woman, raped 8-year-old girl and tried to rape second 8-year-old in Dundee
A man who carried out attacks on two girls and twice raped a woman was jailed for nine years.
Opinion split on scrapping ‘not proven’ verdict following alleged Dundee rape case
A Dundee woman’s call to end not proven verdicts in Scottish courts has split opinion.
POLL: Woman who ‘recorded herself being raped by ex’ calls for end of not proven verdict
A young woman who claims to have recorded herself being raped by her former boyfriend has taken her campaign for a change in the law to a Dundee MSP.
BREAKING: Six years in jail for Tayside man who brutally raped father-of-two
A man was ordered to be detained for six years and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely after brutally raping a father-of-two.
Paedophile police officer found guilty of raping girl, 13
A paedophile police officer has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.
Dundee man who raped three women while they slept told victim she ‘must have been dreaming’
A rapist jailed for seven years told one of his victims she “must have dreamed” his sick attack.
Man raped woman as she slept in Dundee home before ‘putting her trousers back on’
A rapist who claimed he wanted his victim to take her accusations to the police has been remanded in custody.
Outrage as man escapes from court after being convicted of rape
Police are searching for a man who escaped from court after being convicted of rape.
Judges throw out Dundee child rapist’s bid to clear his name
A serial rapist who attacked three children in Dundee has failed in a bid to clear his name.
Youth arrested over ‘rape of 16-year-old girl’ in park near M&D’s
A youth has been arrested over the alleged rape of a teenager in a park.
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Family Atlas Mountain and Sahara Adventure
Morocco - Trip code FAT Family
Deposit From £59
Was From £699
Now from £594
An active adventure in the Moroccan wilderness exploring North Africa's highest mountains and the world's largest desert. Ride mules in the High Atlas and cycle the southern mountain slopes. Explore the great Sahara desert by camel, sleeping in a traditional Berber tent among the dunes. Finally discover the ancient city of Marrakech and experience the evening street entertainment on the Djemma El Fna Square.
Atlas Mountains villages - Head into the remote Atlas region of the fertile Tighza valley by mule and stay overnight in a traditional Berber gite, enjoying local hospitality.
Sahara Desert - Travel to a desert camp by camel, spend a night camping under the stars.
Marrakech - Explore the captivating medina and Djemma el Fna with its snake charmers and lively food stalls.
Breakfast: 7
Lunch: 4
Dinner: 2
Explore Tour Leader
Driver(s)
1 nights simple camping
1 nights simple gite
2 nights premium hotel
1 nights comfortable kasbah
fat-2020 fat-2021
Day 1 - Join trip in Marrakech
Arrive in Marrakech. Morocco's famous Red City, Marrakech is the spiritual heart of the country, a cultural melting pot of the mountain Berbers and the desert peoples of the south. Blessed with some of the most stunning architecture in Morocco, its mix of tradition, colour and history makes it the ideal starting point.
There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Marrakech at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK), which is around 20 minutes' drive from the hotel. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting. Should you miss the meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.
If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to relax beside our hotel's swimming pool or take a stroll around Djemma El Fna Square. Our hotel is located in the heart of the new town surrounded by many restaurants with easy access to the main avenue to the old town.
Hotel Meriem (or similar)
Grade: Premium Hotel
Swimming pool available
Day 2 - Drive to Anmiter and ride mules up to the remote Atlas village of Tighza
Departing Marrakech after breakfast head south, crossing over the Tizi 'n Tichka Pass (2260m) following a meandering course that takes us deep into the towering peaks of the Atlas Mountains.
North Africa's greatest mountain range, the High Atlas presents us with some of the country's wildest landscapes, a region culturally removed from the rest of Morocco and one that has provided a barrier between the northern plains and the pre-Sahara for centuries. This is the land of the fiercely independent Berbers, the 'Lords of the Atlas', whose traditions and ways still hold sway up here in their mountain strongholds far away from the cities below. The Berbers present us with a unique view of a way of life lost to the rest of North Africa, where music and dance, even language and religion, are far removed from their Arab neighbours.
Our morning's journey brings us passed the ruined Glaoui Kasbah of Telouet to the fortified village of Anmiter, lying at the end of the tarmac road. Here we join our mules and, at a more relaxed pace, follow a winding track with stunning views onto the small village of Tighza where we spend the night in a remote, local gite high above the valley.
This family owned village house has many rooms with shared facilities as well as a lovely terrace providing great views of the valley.
Gite Tighza (or similar)
Grade: Simple Gite
Day 3 - Morning valley hike; drive to Ait Ben Haddou for a tour of the historic Kasbah
After breakfast we head out for a hike through the valley in this remote corner of the Atlas. Walking along cultivated fields, we learn about the traditional irrigation used in this arid region with channels built to divert the snow melt waters into the terraces and mud built villages. Heading down the southern slopes of the High Atlas, we reach the trailhead in Anmiter where we are reunited with our vehicle. The total hike duration is between two and three hours.
Our chef will prepare a deserved picnic lunch under the shade of almond trees before we continue our journey.
After one hour driving along the picturesque Ounila Valley with its barren slopes in sharp contrast to the rich green valley floor, we reach our hotel located opposite the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Hadou.
The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy the swimming pool. Late afternoon when the lights are suitable for the photos we take a guided tour of the UNESCO Heritage Site. Ait Ben Haddou presents us with one of Morocco's most famous locations, a once important stop along the old trading routes between Marrakech and the Sahara during the 16th century and a superb example of a typical fortified ksar.
Hotel Ksar Ljanoub (or similar)
Meals Provided: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 4 - Bike ride to Ouarzazate; visit film studios and drive to Tamnougalt
This morning we take to the saddle as we cycle from Ait Ben Haddou down towards the fertile landscapes of the Draa Valley and the town of Ouarzazate. Helmets are supplied in two sizes or you can bring your own for a better fit. The total duration is 21km, a support vehicle is also in attendence. In summer months we will set off early to avoid the midday heat.
Known as the 'Doorway to the Desert' this fascinating outpost, lying to the south of the High Atlas and sandwiched between the high mountains and the expansive sands of the Sahara is home to one of the largest movie studios in the world. The Atlas Film Studios boasts an impressive list of productions, including The Mummy, Gladiator, Babel, Kingdom of Heaven and Lawrence of Arabia. We'll pay a visit to the studios today, taking a tour of some of these famous film sets before we depart and continue through the beautiful Draa Valley.
Driving by bus from Ouarzazate we cross a landscape lined with palm groves, Kasbahs and traditional ksours (villages), as we make our way to the village of Tamnougalt to explore what was once the capital of this remote desert region. The village's name translates as 'meeting point' and its history has been interwoven with the ruling qaids (masters) of the Mezguita region for centuries. Even today it hosts an annual festival in October when all the surrounding villages gather for a celebration of the religious and cultural traditions of these hardy people.
Our kasbah style accommodation is located in the middle of the Draa Valley with its green palm groves. It has a swimming pool and easy access to the valley for nice walks in the fields. The rooms are air conditioned.
Kasbah Itrane (or similar)
Grade: Comfortable Kasbah
Day 5 - Drive via Zagora to Ouled Driss in the desert; afternoon camel ride
Turning south today we follow the course of the Draa River, spending the morning driving through the ever-changing scenery as we make our way towards the vast oasis of Zagora, referred to by many as 'The Gate of the Desert'. Once a major outpost along the caravan routes, it takes 52 days by camel from here to Timbuktu, or so a nearby sign indicates! We continue on to Tagounite, which lies at the outer fringes of a line of undulating sand dunes that provide a taste of the immense grandeur of the Saharan Desert beyond. Amidst this seemingly inhospitable landscape the desert heat causes the air to blur and quiver, creating mirages that shimmer in the soaring temperatures, the ideal setting to explore in the time honoured manner of the Tuareg nomads.
Taking to camels, we form our own caravan, to reach the oasis of Ouled Driss (the camel ride may take place in the late afternoon on summer departures). The Arabian camel is ideally suited to these conditions and has long been highly prized by the nomadic peoples of the desert. Living for up to 40 years, they are not only valued for their endurance as beasts of burden, but also for their fur, skin and dung, all of which can be utilised for tents, leather and fuel for the fires.
Stopping to enjoy the quiet desolation of the setting and to learn something of desert life, we reach our overnight camp to enjoy a late afternoon of bread making, before settling down under a desert sky for the evening. After a hearty Berber style meal settle down under the twinkling blanket of the African sky. Rather than sleeping in tents, you may choose simply to sleep out in the open, enjoying the rare majesty of the setting and watching out for shooting stars racing across the horizon. Please note a sleeping bag is required for this night, these can be hired locally at an extra cost of 160 Moroccan Dirham (approx £13) per person and need to be requested in advance of travel.
Tiraf Nomad Camp (or similar)
Grade: Simple Camping
Day 6 - Visit Tamegroute; drive to Ouarzazate
Retracing our steps this morning we head north once more by camel for a couple of hours back to the road. We will make a stop at the settlement of Tamegroute to visit its famous 17th century zaouia, one of the most important in the Moroccan Sahara. This was once a centre of great learning and the base of the Naciri Brotherhood, who for centuries held sway over the tribes of the Draa Valley. The holy leaders of Tamegroute were traditionally (up until quite recent times) the arbitrators of desert disputes, settling differences amongst the residents of the surrounding kours and the traders that passed through these lands on the great camel caravans that journeyed through Zagora. We'll also pay a visit to the local potters' cooperative, before continuing back to Ouarzazate later this afternoon.
Located in the main avenue of Ouarzazate and close to the main market, the hotel has a swimming pool and the rooms are air conditioned.
Hotel Perle du Sud (or similar)
Day 7 - Drive to Marrakech; afternoon city tour
A morning drive takes us northwest back to Marrakech, where we'll have the rest of the day to explore a city that has for centuries been a meeting place for the mountain Berbers and the desert peoples of the south. This afternoon there will be an opportunity to explore something of its rich heritage with a sightseeing tour of Morocco's fascinating Red City, a city that can boast a staggering array of spectacular architecture and wonderful facades. Like many North African cities, Marrakech is divided into two distinct parts, the Gueliz (the modern French-built city) and the Medina (the Old City), a place where trade and barter amongst the colourful souks still has at its ancient heart a glittering cacophony of noise and colour.
Journeying into this vibrant city with a local guide affords a chance to discover some of its most enthralling sites. The city's beating heart is the spectacular Djemma-el-Fna, a site not to be missed and a scene straight out of the pages of the Arabian Nights. Here you will find the streets and alleys alive with storytellers and musicians, jugglers and acrobats, snake charmers and clowns. You can wander past vendors selling doughnuts and fried grasshoppers, meander through native markets where Muslim women, their hands and feet dyed with henna, call out to sell their wares, and enjoy the sounds and the smells of the exotic.
After our tour you may like to take some time to enjoy more of the remarkable Medina, haggling for a bargain or two, or simply sit at one of the local cafés and watch the street tableaux unfold before you. Do remember that many of the mosques may be forbidden to non- Muslims and be careful of photographing women, as this may be unacceptable, it is always best to ask.
Day 8 - Trip ends in Marrakech
The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Marrakech.
There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Marrakech at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you need to depart from Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK).
Depending on the schedule of your flights, you may have some additional time to wander in the souks of Marrakech or buy your last souvenirs before departure.
The climate is both Mediterranean and Atlantic. The dry, hot season is from May to October when summer temperatures can reach 38°C and above (if sight seeing is included we will do our best to avoid the heat of the day during this period). Temperatures may drop significantly at times during the night as the day's heat rapidly diminishes. From December to January snow can be expected on mountain passes and it can be wet. In winter, day temperatures will probably be around 18-25°C, dropping to perhaps 0-5°C.
2 Pin Round
Arabic, Berber, French.
Morocco is a Muslim country and it is important to dress with respect for local customs. People may be offended by shorts or revealing dresses, which can attract unwelcome attention. We advise that in general both men and women should cover shoulders, upper arms and knees. Transparent, plunging necklines and tightfitting clothes should be avoided. Women and older girls should also cover their heads when entering a sanctuary, though in general, mosques are forbidden to non-Muslims. While cycling it is no problem for you to wear your regular cycling gear, tight fitting or not.
Summer: Clothing should be lightweight. However, a warm jumper is also advisable, as the desert can sometimes get cold at nights, even in the summer.
Winter: Warm days but much thicker clothing is essential for cold nights (between November and March). It is advisable to take warm clothing (eg. track suit or thermal underwear) to sleep in, as the quality of heating in Moroccan hotel rooms can be variable. A waterproof jacket, jumper trousers and fleece are recommended between December and March.
It may also be worth bringing cycling gloves for the mountain bike ride.
Lightweight walking bootshoes, plus sandals or trainers for relaxing.
One piece of baggage (suitcases not suitable as luggage is stored on the roofracks of our 4WD vehicles and we are restricted on weight) and a daypack for the walks.
A head torch, water bottle, sunhat and high factor sunscreen are all essential, whilst we recommend swimming costumes and towels. Sleeping mattress will be provided for the desert camp or you may prefer to bring your own thermarest.
Please also bring a 3-4 season sleeping bag depending on season. Sleeping bags can be hired at an extra cost of 160 Moroccan Dirham (approx £13) per person, these must be requested in advance. You may like to bring your own helmet for cycling to ensure a good fit. These can then also be used for the mule and camel rides.
Explore leader
Tipping isn't compulsory, and we work hard to ensure that our leaders all receive a fair wage. However, you might want to recognise a leader that's done a great job or really added to your trip by giving them a tip. We're often asked about the recommended amount. It's a tricky one, and down to personal preference, but we'd recommend between £15 to £20 per person per week as a guideline.
Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, your leader may organise a group's tips kitty for included activities and meals and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.
Accordingly, you should allow £20.00 per family member for group tipping.
For all non-included services and meals on your trip please tip independently at your discretion.
£6.00 - 8.00
£8.00 - 12.00
Moroccan Dirham (MAD).
US Dollars, Sterling and Euros are readily exchangeable. We recommend you take a mixture of cash and credit cards. Scottish bank notes and Australian dollar travellers cheques and cash are NOT normally accepted in Morocco.
Most major towns - your Tour Leader will advise you.
ATMs are available in main towns/cities, though can be unreliable.
Not all places.
Travellers cheques are difficult to exchange and are not recommended.
Bus, Minibus, On Foot
Accommodation notes
The hotel in Marrakech is located in the new city centre with a 20 mn walk from the main Jamaa El Fna Square. The hotel has a swimming pool and a restaurant and the rooms are air conditioned. We then move into the mountains where we stay in a family owned gîte village house which has a number of rooms and shared facilities as well as a nice terrace for great views of the valley. We stay in a hotel in Ait Ben Haddou which is located opposite the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Hadou. The swimming pool and the restaurant overlooks the Kasbah and the valley of Ounilla. The rooms are air conditioned. The hotel in Tamnougalt is located in the middle of the Draa valley with its green palm groves and easy access to the valley for nice walks in the fields. The hotel is designed in a Kasbah style and has a swimming pool with air conditioned rooms. After our camping experience in the desert, we stay in a hotel in Ouarzazate which is located in the main avenue of the town and close to the main market in the city centre. The hotel has a swimming pool and the rooms have air conditioning.
Family swimming
Available at hotels in Marrakech, Ait Benhaddou,Tamnougalt and Ouarzazate
Morocco: Visas are not required by UK, Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian citizens. Other nationalities should consult their local embassy or consular office.
UK passport holders are requested to have at least 3 months validity from the date of entry into Morocco. All other nationalities please check with your nearest embassy for requirements of passport validity.
Ability to swim
Whether in swimming pools, rivers, lakes, the sea or the ocean, participation requires that you are able to swim unaided for your safe enjoyment
Nothing compulsory, but we recommend protection against tetanus, typhoid, infectious hepatitis and polio. Consult your travel clinic for latest advice on different prophylaxis available against malaria. Please check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure. The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at Explore Travel Health and from your local healthcare provider. Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed by you before travelling.
Desert oasis, Southern Morocco
High peaks, vast deserts, captivating Marrakesh: Morocco is an easy going country to travel to with children of all ages and with a direct flying time between London and Marrakesh of just 3 hours 20 minutes, travel comes without the trials of a long haul flight.
We’ve packed a great deal into eight days. Starting and ending in Marrakech there is plenty of time to explore the labyrinth of market stalls that has firmly put Marrakech on the map. Venturing out of the city we journey over high mountain peaks to the sand dunes of the Sahara where we get to ride a camel to our Bedouin desert camp. Other highlights include cycling in the fertile landscapes of the Draa Valley, visiting the film studios outside Ouarzazate and witnessing the beauty of Ait Ben Hadou with its historic Kasbahs blending into the landscape.
Be aware that it will be very hot over May half term and the summer holidays.
Triple Rooms: This trip allows the option for a limited amount of triple rooms to be included within the booking on all nights except the Berber homestay on day 2 and desert camp on day 5. If you would like this option please ask our Sales team for further information.
Average Age: As a guide we have identified the actual average age of the children who have travelled on this trip over the last 5 years, to help you decide whether it's the right one for your family. The average age on this trip is 13 years old.
Minimum age: This trip is suitable for children of all ages from 7 upwards. On certain trips there may be some flexibility to accept children from the age of 5 if travelling with older siblings, please speak to our reservations team for details.
Why book this trip
This tour is designed for families who enjoy a range of activities from riding mules in the High Atlas mountains and camels in the desert to cycling to a film studio and walking amongst the mountains and visiting the Berber villages and their people. It's a journey as well as an active trip where the scenery changes daily and it gives you the chance to meet up with locals including a unique experience where camel handlers of the nomad tribes share a their lifestyle with the group.
Also note, we have priced this trip on a direct flight with BA arriving in the afternoon. There are alternative options including with Air Maroc which flies via Casablanca and arrives late at night.
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Our Urals at Khe Sanh
Ride to the roof of Vietnam
Red Dao lady near Sapa
Motorcyclist magazine - April 2007
Riding the Ho Chi Minh Trail
I was standing on the crumbling remains of a former top-secret air base deep in the mountains of Laos that was once used by America in its secret war against Laotian and Vietnamese communists. Instead of Huey helicopters, CIA agents and US pilots dressed as civilians however, now only a terrible mix of Britney Spears cover songs kept the local people focused on their dance moves as they shimmied over the tarmac. It was the wedding season, and no one was interested in that conflict anymore. Nor did they care that they were dancing on what was once the second busiest airport in the world, where every day planes loaded with bombs made their way southwards to take out the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Keeping the Trail open during the 60’s and 70’s was therefore a matter of life and death for North Vietnam’s war effort in South Vietnam. If the US had shut it down then the strategic balance would have shifted in its favour. Thus tens of thousands of Vietnamese road construction/repair teams, thousands of trucks and porters and hundreds of anti-aircraft guns bore the brunt of a ferocious, yet secret, US bombing campaign. Most of the Trail ran through the mountains and forest of neutral Laos, which due to the Geneva Convention was a political no go area for America. Nevertheless, Presidents Johnson and Nixon ordered such extensive bombing that close to 600,000 combat missions were directed against this tiny nation. Put another way, a US plane dropped its payload of bombs every eight minutes, around the clock, 24/7, for a staggering nine years!
Little wonder then that the jungle track I had been driving down was surrounded by bomb craters, some dry, some filled with water, even after forty years. Meanwhile, villages contained simple wooden houses perched on top of bomb casing and spring onion patches grew in upturned cluster bomb casings. There were even bombs just lying on the sides of the road, and on one large river, boats were actually made from massive jettisoned aircraft fuel tanks that have been cut in half.
We were taking no chances, and stuck to the dirt track at all times. People still die every year due to unexploded cluster bombs, the size of tennis balls. During the war some 80 million cluster bombs were dropped on Lao, and now some eight million remain unexploded. Four boys earlier that day had shown us a number of broken pieces they had found with an improvised metal detector. They will earn US$3 for the 30 kilos of rusting shrapnel they collected that day, and once a month a Vietnamese truck will visit all the local scrap yards in that area and load up around 25 tones. Considering more bombs were dropped on Laos than the entire Allied effort in WWII, it is little wonder that forty years on, the Vietnam War still leaves its mark.
The jungle track forked in two and we were not sure which way to go. During the war there were thousands of such junctions and turns that allowed the Vietnamese trucks and porters to bypass heavily bombed areas. All told, the Trail was a network which contained more than 3,500km worth of motorable roads. We consulted a US army map used during the war by forward air controllers, who flew single propeller Cessna “Bird Dogs” low in the sky in an effort to map the Trail, spot targets and direct attack runs by other planes. They had a pretty good idea exactly where the main arteries of the Trail were, and with the aid of a GPS, we followed their lead and took the right fork down to a river crossing. There we waited for a snake to swim to the other side before driving through water up to our waste. Once on the other side we realized we had chosen correctly, as underfoot were the original paving stones first laid down by the Vietnamese road teams, almost 40 years ago. We were back on the Trail!
Our two week adventure started at the Mu Gia pass, a dramatic slot valley that cuts through the otherwise impenetrable Truong Son mountain range which runs along the border of Laos and Vietnam. This valley is one of the only ways to get into Laos from Vietnam as the mountains there are plugged full of very rugged limestone rock formations called karst. To American pilots this pass was code named the “Dog House”, as Vietnamese AAA and SAAM missile batteries shot down 43 planes and rescue helicopters there. Round the clock bombing from B52s failed to close the pass, because every night Vietnamese road repair teams would emerge from their bunkers to patch up the craters. The US even tried seeding the clouds with chemicals to cause heavier downfalls while another operation saw detergents dropped into the bombed out areas in order to make them slippery and un-repairable.
A particularly dramatic rescue operation occurred there in February, 1967 when a forward air controller piloting a low flying Cessna was hit by AAA fire and went down just near the top of the pass. Having bailed out into the jungle, rescue helicopters and support fighters were sent in to pick up the pilot, who had to run away from enemy ground forces. They succeeded but a minute later the helicopter was hit by heavy AAA fire and it slammed into a cliff face. Somehow the helicopter pilot was thrown out just before impact, survived the crash and was picked up by another rescue helicopter. The remaining four personnel, including the original forward air controller, were listed as MIA.
Nowadays a large empty highway climbs the windy pass while in the valley floor mine clearance teams work methodically to remove unexploded bombs. Nearby schools and notice boards had many warning posters. Some showed the kinds of weapons dropped here, some warned children not to play with anything they found while another was a map of Laos with the bombing runs marked on it in red, which not surprisingly, was mostly red.
We continued southwards down dark jungle tracks from Mu Gia pass towards an important junction where the Trail led up to the Ban Kari pass into Vietnam. According to my files we passed nearby to five crash sites, including a F4 Phantom that went down just meters from the Trail. Again the US maps were spot on and we had little trouble finding the rock foundations of this section of the Trail. We used machetes to get around a particularly long and deep bog on our approach to the Ban Laboy ford. This river crossing has the unenviable distinction of being the most heavily bombed place in the history of warfare. In the early 70’s the US ordered a relentless campaign led by thousands of B-52 attacks, each with a payload of 18-30 tones.
We lost some time to a flat tire and had to turn back to Sepon, an important Vietnamese supply depot during the war. Along the way we passed through an area code named “The Hub”, in which, according to our pilot maps, contained a number of choke points code named “Alpha”, “Bravo” etc. A favored strategy by the Americans was to blast a particular section of road around the clock, causing it to choke forcing the trucks behind it to backup. Then these targets would be attacked one by one, often by massive gun ships that circled above. One such gunship crashed into the forest off to our left. As we drove through the forest at Alpha, I looked at a reconnaissance photo taken during the war of the same spot. It looked like the moon.
Unfortunately all the decent hotels in Sepon were fully booked out by a team of 50 American MIA (Missing in Action) personal who were on the hunt for four aircraft crash sites. Around 540 US aircraft of all types were lost over Laos during the war. Rescue efforts at the time were remarkably successful, and some 60 per cent of downed pilots were extracted. All crash sites were recorded but sometimes the severity of the crash, the lack of a parachute or the density of AAA cannon fire prevented a successful rescue. Every year the MIA teams recover the remains and or circumstantial evidence of the missing pilots like dog tags, engraved wedding rings, bone fragments and clothing that, post exhaustive analysis in the US, allow them to remove a pilot’s name from the MIA to the KIA list.
We continued southwards and spent a day pushing tracks towards Ta Oi, another important junction during the war, which unfortunately always petered out into walking paths. The jungle, it seamed, had retaken this part of the Trail. There were hundreds of oil drums scattered along the sides of the Trail, and houses were even perched up on them. Many were peppered with bullet holes. I looked at a Vietnamese map of the Trail and found that there were three major depots hidden there during the war. The Vietnamese called these depots “Binh Trams’ and there were about 30 stretched out evenly along the Trail. Each was a semi-autonomous unit, boasting hospitals, truck storage areas, repair shops, fuel depots and sleeping quarters. Each night the heavily camouflaged trucks would be loaded up with supplies that had been dispersed in underground bunkers during the day. First out were armored vehicles who’s job it was to set off any magnetic delay mines dropped on the Trail during the day. They drove quickly. The next Binh Tram would be a night’s drive away. Drivers only drove one section, back and forth, so were intimately aware of the conditions. Around three in the morning they would arrive, the trucks would be parked in hill side bunkers while the supplies would be dispersed again underground.
This section was sparsely populated so getting directions was difficult. Luckily, Vietnamese traders plied these roads on little Honda scooters piled high with house hold goods, a kind of Wall Mart on wheels. We met one man who had driven over from Vietnam that morning, and who was on the lookout for valuable alloys found in engine parts from crashed aircraft. He had been lucky, and had picked up two 20 kilo engine parts from a village we had just passed through. We was going to sell them back in Vietnam for around US$50 each and was in a good mood. He gave me what looked like a hand held radio. At the time I did not realize how significant this piece of war material would become and if I had we would have high tailed it back to the MIA team.
Instead we headed further south on the remains of an old French road that has been out of action ever since two major bridges were destroyed by US bombs early on in the war. The only way across the first bridge-less river was to lay the bikes down on a thin wooden long boat and then slowly cross the 200-meter-wide river. The top of the boat was only inches above the water line and the bike’s handle bars trailed in the river, causing a lot of water to splash up into the boat. The driver bailed it out with a cut-open oil jug. Once safely on the other side we enjoyed some magnificent forest trails before the way really became a walking track. The forest was thick, dark and boggy and we were not sure if we were on the right track. Ten kilometers later and two hours worth of jungle driving/walking/pushing we emerged back onto just a dirt track with some foot prints. Phew!
Later that night in comfortable lodgings in Saravan, a provincial capital bombed out of existence during the war, we took stock of the maps. Saravan was far enough south for the Trail to begin its return to Vietnam so we explored a number of routes that headed back towards the border. On one we passed an enormous old Russian truck that could have been used to carry tanks down the Trail in its later years. At another junction we found the remains of a SAAM missile. While these missiles did score some hits during the war, their importance was more strategic than tactical as they forced the US planes to fly higher and therefore drop their bombs more inaccurately.
During the later parts of the war the Americans launched a number of seasonal campaigns, all called Operation Hunt. The stated objectives were to target trucks, the Trail, the bases and AAA/SAAM sites but the real mission was to delay an invasion of South Vietnam and to make the Vietnamese pay in blood for their effort. During such campaigns there could easily be up to 300 sorties every day. A particularly lethal US aircraft was the propeller driven C-130 gun ship, called the “Spectre”. Kitted out with night vision, heat and magnetic detectors, the latest in electronic gizmos and four high powered machine guns, these planes could circle their targets firing 5,000 rounds a minute.
As we entered the very south of Laos, the Bolevan Plateau began to take shape on the horizon. Early on in the war US Special Forces had trained local hill tribe men from this plateau to become clandestine road watching teams. Special Forces teams, dressed as civilians instructed these men to recognize the vehicles used by Vietnam. They would be inserted at various junctions along the Trail and report back by radio. Another particularly hazardous mission carried out by Special Forces teams was the installation and running of the secret Leghorn listening base. Perched on top of a cliff lined mountain and accessible only by helicopter, this base was used to direct bombing runs and to support Special Forces operations into areas around this southern end of the Trail.
Ironically, a new highway recently built by the Vietnamese passes within eyeshot of the remains of this base. This same road marks the end of the Trail as it re-enters Vietnam near the Tri border with Laos and Cambodia. We learnt from road workers that a year ago local people found a way past the mines and up to the Leghorn base, where they promptly removed all the metal by cutting it up with oxy torches. The border was not open to foreigners and we could not re-enter Vietnam. However the route, like the road through the Mu Gia pass, will eventually become a major cross-border artery connecting all the countries in Indochina.
The ride took us twelve days by motorbike, whereas during the war soldiers could march it in six weeks. While at the height of the war the US needed some 14,000 tones of supplies every day to keep its forces in the field, the Vietnamese required only 20-60 tones. Remembering that a single truck could carry from 5-9 tones and that an estimated 3,000 trucks worked the Trail at any one time, not to mention the porters, it is little wonder that enough supplies got through every day despite the bombing effort.
A post war US study found that the A-1 propeller driven bomber destroyed an average of 12.8 trucks per 100 sorties for a cost of US$55,000 per target. Compare this to the jets which averaged only 1.5 trucks per 100 sorties for a cost of US$700,000 per target! Every B-52 attack cost around US$90,000, with half that sum being the cost of the bombs, and that’s in 1970 dollars! Little wonder that a protracted conflict turned into Vietnam’s strategic advantage. It simply cost too much.
By waging a low tech war effort which saw the widespread dispersal of trucks and supplies, the Vietnamese denied the US with lucrative targets. A road is a difficult target, especially when tens of thousands of road repair crews were willing to brave mines, cluster bombs and delayed fuse bombs to keep it open. Trucks were even harder to hit, especially when they were heavily camouflaged, driven at night by experienced crews, on trails that had triple layered canopies of cover. So despite the bombs, jets and napalm, the Trail was kept open and the war in the south continued to America’s disadvantage. However, life on the ground was a terrible ordeal, and an estimated 30,000 people died keeping the Trail open. From a captured Vietnamese soldier the following quote was taken from his diary.
“Southern Laos. This place is miserable. The green jungle is full of birds twittering. Flies sting and sting, and the holes don't stop bleeding.”
Upon return to Hanoi I learnt that the radio was an emergency recon beacon carried by every US pilot to aid search and rescue. According to the war records, a helicopter carrying a Special Forces team was shot down in the same valley we found the radio. The MIA office in Hanoi has been contacted.
Motorcyclist magazine (USA)
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A Return to Civility
What is Civility?
With the 4th of July drawing near and in honor of our founding fathers, it’s time to put aside political hostility and re-establish civilized behavior. Civility is the ability to interact with others while demonstrating courtesy and integrity. Without civility, communication simply isn’t possible. Civilized interaction is so important to a society that it was once taught to all young scholars. 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, established by the Jesuits in 1595, were considered an essential component of a well-rounded education. The teaching of these rules was a common practice. In fact, these very rules were once copied down by a young man named George Washington as an assignment from his schoolmaster. It is clear that George Washington learned his intended lesson. He was most definitely a civilized man.
Roger Williams
The father of civility in America was Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. A Puritan, Williams was one of the first to imagine public life in America as an exercise in constructive conversation. Williams’ ideas regarding civility and the respect for all cultures were at odds with the Puritan establishment of Massachusetts. Frustrated with the inability of church leaders to listen or compromise with opposing viewpoints, Williams eventually left Massachusetts in 1637. Upon leaving Massachusetts, Williams began to study ways in which groups of people could come together and communicate without hostility for the common good.
Roger Williams believed that it was the duty of citizens to work together. “Each individual must guarantee the same rights to others that he claims for himself.” Civility is what allows people to work together to improve society. It preserves public peace and enables human beings to engage in the cooperative relationships necessary to live together. Williams asserted that “tolerance, common courtesy, friendship, and truthfulness” were the cornerstones for engaging in public dialogue. The boundaries that guaranteed civility were: Courteous conversation, listening with integrity and genuineness, showing respect for one’s opponent, and refraining from personal insults.
Our Founders Agreed
Our founding fathers used the teachings of Roger Williams and the Jesuits to build this nation. They put aside differences and listened to one another. We don’t have to search for ways to engage in civilized conversation. That blueprint was created long ago. These ideas are worth emulating. If we leave out the civility component in our interactions with one another, we’ve left out the glue that binds us together. So, as we join together to celebrate our independence, let us also celebrate our founding fathers for giving us their wisdom. The following expectations were compiled from the writings of the Jesuits, Roger Williams and George Washington:
The Expectations of Civility
• Respect the rights and opinions of others.
• Engage in courteous conversation.
• Try not to embarrass others either intentionally or unintentionally.
• Listen with integrity and genuineness.
• Pay attention to the tone of your written and verbal communications.
• Even though you may disagree with someone, try to avoid negative facial expressions.
• Be sincere.
• Show consideration for time. Be brief when necessary.
• Avoid condescension. Others may know more than you think.
• When someone has tried valiantly and failed, avoid criticism.
• Do not reprimand others publicly. Allow people their dignity.
• Avoid criticism when you also might bear blame in the matter.
• Celebrate the achievements and positive qualities of others.
• Use caution when offering unsolicited advice.
• Listen and be flexible in your opinions.
• Demonstrate and encourage tolerance.
• Avoid gossip and don’t speak ill of someone not present.
• Show respect for your opponents and refrain from personal insults.
• Display gentleness in all human interaction.
• Keep your conscience alive.
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What’s New in 2.3
This page lists the new and improved features in version 2.3. See What’s New (All Versions) for details of features added in other versions.
1. Support for Narrative Reports
A major new report has been added. This is a narrative report: Descendants by Generation. This has numerous options, and like other reports, can be saved in HTML, RTF or text format. The report allows you to show all events and attributes about a person’s descendants and their spouses; and also (optionally) event/attribute notes, event/attribute addresses, record notes, marriage notes, shared notes, private notes, and more. You can also include pictures and sources. See also the discussion of the new Sentence field in Changes to the Property Dialog below, and the discussion of the new Narrative Report Options button in Changes to Preferences.
2. Enhancements to Existing Reports
The Descendant Outline Report now has an improved layout (and the HTML version is also much improved). The report has been extended to include the following additional fields (optionally):
Event/Attribute notes
Event/Attribute addresses
Record Notes
Marriage Notes
Plus there is an option to include private notes if you wish
You can now also specify sources for all information in the Descendant Outline Report (and the Report Options dialog for that report now has a Source tab).
In the past, reports did not correctly handle tabs and line-breaks (e.g. in long notes). These are now handled correctly.
The Reports menu has been re-organised to break reports down into categories, and make it easier to find the report you want.
There is a new Add Relatives button on the Select Records Dialog (when selecting records for a report) to make it easy to add ancestors, descendants or spouses. Some queries have been enhanced to make them more useful for selecting records for reports also (using the Add Using Query button on the same dialog) – see New and Changed Queries below.
There is now a Print Preview option for the Reports Window. This is rarely useful because the Reports Window itself shows you what you will get when the report is printed. But there are occasionally some circumstances in which it is useful.
There is also another new report: Data – Source Types. See Enhancements to Sources below.
There have been several improvements with respect to the display of Source information in Reports – again, see Enhancements to Sources below.
See also Mouse Wheel and Zooming below.
3. Support for Copy and Paste
You can now copy and paste any branch of any record in the Records Window or in the All tab of the Property Dialog. For example, you could click on Birth in a person’s record and copy that field and all ‘sub-fields’ (Date, Place, Source etc) at the same time. When you paste, the entire branch is pasted. You can now select multiple fields as long as they are all ‘child’ fields of the same ‘parent. Press Ctrl or Shift while clicking on a field to add to the selection. You can copy multiple fields. To copy, click on Copy on the Edit menu or press Ctrl-C.
To paste a branch, select the record or field you wish to paste them into and click Edit > Paste (or press Ctrl-V). You can only paste data that would be valid in that context. You can’t paste a date as a sub-field of another date for example.
If you right-click on any tag in the Records Window, the context menu will have ‘Copy’ and ‘Paste’ on it (paste will be greyed if not appropriate).
You can also copy and paste in the Events tab of the Property Dialog. The events/attributes list also now supports multiple selection. To copy all selected events or attributes, press Ctrl-C, or click on the toolbar menu button (below the events/attributes list) and choose Copy Events/Attributes. To paste into the Events tab of the Property Dialog, press Ctrl-V or click on Paste Events/Attributes on the toolbar menu button.
As well as copying fields and pasting them within Family Historian, you can also copy any field (branch) and paste it as text into any text editor (e.g. Notepad). You can copy entire records if you wish to, but they cannot be pasted as new records within Family Historian. Unlike fields, records can only be pasted as text – e.g. into a text editor. To make this clear, if you select a record ‘Copy’ will be renamed ‘Copy as Text’ on both the Edit menu, and on the right-click context menu.
In the past, if you had copied a source citation, you would have seen Paste Citation on the menu that appears when you right-clicked on a field in the Records Window (or All tab of the Property Dialog). There is no longer a special menu command for it – just use Paste (as with any other copied data).
4. Enhancements to Sources
There is now a new Type field for sources, which allows you to specify, for each source record, what kind of source it is. The choice of values for this field is up to the user (e.g. you might prefer to use general terms like ‘certificate’, or more detailed terms like ‘birth certificate’). The field supports auto-completion, and there is a new Work with Data dialog for Source types which is accessible either by double-clicking on any source type field (or pressing the button with 3 dots next to it); or by clicking on Tools > Work with Data > Source Types. The dialog allows you to edit, view and merge source types as you can with other auto-completion fields. You can also view records that use a given source type and jump to them.
There is also a new report for source types: Data – Source Types.
On the Source tab of the Report Options dialog (for reports that support Sources) there are 2 new options: (a) Combine Identical Citations for Same Source and (b) Use ‘Ibid’ for repeated citations to same source. The first can significantly reduce the number of citations for a report. The second can reduce the length of citations. These options are quite independent of each other. You can have either, neither or both.
You can now include Text from Source and Notes for source records. You had previously only been able to include Text from Source and Notes for citations only – the assumption being that you would not normally want this kind of information to be repeated for each citation to the same source. However, as you can now combine citations to the same source (even if you wish combining all citations to the same source) it is more likely that you might also want to be able to include Text from Source and Notes from Source records to be included too.
You can now disable quotes around Source Titles if you don’t want them. The option is set on the Source tab of the Report Options dialog – just to the right of the check box for including Source Titles.
See also New and Changed Queries below for more enhancements relating to Sources.
5. Changes to the Property Dialog
Already mentioned: new support for multiple selection in the Events tab, and in the All tab of the Property Dialog. Support for copy-and-paste and new copy/paste menu commands in the Events tab toolbar Menu button’s dropdown menu. Plus:
A new field ‘Sentence’ shows how the event or attribute will appear, given the current data, when displayed as a sentence in a narrative report (see above).
You can now specify the contents of the caption of the Property Dialog for each record type. When you do this, you can include any data taken from the record itself – such as Custom Id – so you can configure these captions to show exactly what you want. This is done on the new Property Dialog tab of the Preferences dialog (click on Property Dialog Captions).
The Events tab has a slightly improved layout. Events and attributes are now displayed more consistently.
For Residence, you now specify the place of residence in the usual place field, rather than opposite the label as previously. Again, this gives greater consistency.
The Age field is no longer hidden for the Birth event. The label is greyed, but the field itself is editable. This may seem anomalous, and of course the field should normally be left blank. But if a child is stillborn, this is specified using the Age field (if you double-click on the field you will see that ‘Stillborn’ is a possible value for this field).
You can now re-order local notes and shared notes (i.e. links to note records) relative to each other in the Notes tab of the Property Dialog. Previously these were kept entirely separate.
The Online Help for the Events tab of the Property Dialog has been rewritten and considerably extended.
6. New and Changed Queries
There is a new query Sources for Given Record. This allows you to select a record (any type of record) and it shows you all the sources cited within that record. In the case of Individual records, it will show you not just sources cited for the Individual record, but also any sources cited for spouse family records associated with that Individual record.
The standard query Links to Sources has been removed, and replaced with the more general Source Records – All which includes not just the number of citations, but all the basic information about each source.
The queries Ancestors, Descendants, and All Relatives have all been enhanced to provide more useful information, and to make them more useful for selecting records for reports (the records found now appear in a sensible order). A new query Immediate Family has been added, to make it easy to select a person’s immediate family for reports (using Add Using Query in the “Select Records” dialog box, when opening a report).
7. Enhancements to Diagrams
The Diagram menu now has a new Save Diagram As submenu, which allows you to save diagrams as image files in 9 different formats, including JPEG, Enhanced Metafile, Windows Metafile and TIFF.
Diagram Statistics, available from the Diagram menu, now provides more useful information, including the size that the Diagram would be if printed.
You can now set the selection colour (the colour of the little boxes that appear round something when you click on it). This colour can be set in the usual way (in the diagram colours listing it is listed as ‘Selection’). The default selection colour is now dark blue, irrespective of the current system selection colour. You can either override this to set a specific colour if you want, or you can choose ‘System’ if you want the system colour to be used. This feature is particularly useful if you use one of XP’s silver colour schemes, as otherwise the selection colour can get lost against the default background colours which are very similar.
If you use diagram-based editing, to add relatives by clicking-and-dragging, the procedure has been slightly simplified. When you release the button to add a relative, in the past, the menu that appeared would prompt you to add a parent or child. Now it prompts you to add either a father or mother, or a son or daughter. This means that the sex is automatically filled in when the new record is added, making one less field to enter. If you wish to add a child without specifying their sex, add them as either a son or daughter, and then clear the sex in the Property Dialog, after the record has been created.
In the past, there has sometimes been a problem with viewing and printing very wide diagrams if your version of Windows was Windows 95, 98 or ME, owing to limitations of these versions of Windows. There has been no equivalent problem with Windows XP, 2000 or NT4. Various enhancements have been made to make it easier for users of Windows 95, 98 and ME to overcome some of these problems. These include:
A new Large Chart Settings button has been added to the Dimensions tab of the Diagram Options dialog. Clicking on this button causes settings to be changed to make them suitable for displaying and viewing very wide diagrams. Users are warned that they should not use these settings unless they have to. They will know if they need to use the settings or not, when they come to display a very wide diagram, because, if the diagram is too wide (for Windows 95, 98 or ME – remember that none of this applies to users of Windows XP, 2000 or NT4) a message will warn them that the diagram is too wide and suggest that they use Large Chart Settings for this diagram. There is also advice and information in the Online Help about viewing and printing very wide diagrams (click on the Large Chart Settings button in the Dimensions tab of the Diagram Options dialog, and then click on the Help button of the dialog box that appears).
A new option Use printer default line thickness has been added to the Print tab of the Diagram Options dialog. This option can be used at any time and will usually have the effect of making printed lines thinner than normal. The option is primarily useful, however, when Large Chart Settings have been enabled, as without it, all lines in printed diagrams would be much too thick.
A new text scheme “Name, Birth, Marr, Death & Places (Abbr.)” has been added to the standard list of text schemes. This is also designed to help with large chart printing. Some diagrams can be very wide because the place information displayed in each box is itself very wide. This text scheme uses the MEDIUM qualifier for each place name, to ensure that it is not too long.
8. Mouse Wheel and Zooming
The Diagram Window, Multimedia Window and Report Window now all support the mouse wheel for scrolling up and down.
All 3 windows now also support the mouse wheel for zooming in and out (you have to press the Ctrl key while turning the mouse wheel). You can also now zoom in and out by pressing Num+, Num-, Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L in the Report and Multimedia Windows, as you have always been able to do in the Diagram Window. In the Report and Multimedia Window you must make sure that the focus is on the report/picture when you do this. Click on the report or picture to give it the focus if zooming doesn’t appear to be working.
In the Report Window, the affect of mouse wheel scrolling depends on the location of the mouse when you turn the wheel. There are 3 areas of significance. If the mouse is over the report itself, you will scroll up and down within that report page. If the mouse is over the rightmost scrollbar, you will scroll up and down throughout the entire report (moving from page to page). If the mouse is over the spin control in the top right corner (opposite the page number), it will scroll you forwards and backwards between report pages, but keeping to the same position within the report page (as clicking on the spin control does). In other words, the mouse wheel can be made to emulate the actions of the inner scrollbar, the outer scrollbar, or the spin control, depending on where the mouse is when you turn the wheel.
9. Place Name Enhancements
Some users like to use a standard policy for separating out the various parts of a place name. For example, they might prefer to always make the country the 3rd item. If they only know the village and country they might choose to add extra commas to achieve the desired separation: e.g. “Hexham,, England”. Family Historian now has various feature to support this: the existing SHORT and MEDIUM qualifiers for place names now ignore redundant commas (even redundant leading commas) and don’t reproduce them when displaying the short or medium versions of the place (e.g. the MEDIUM qualifier would render the above as “Hexham, England” with only one comma. A new qualifier ‘TIDY’ shows the full place, with all parts, but removes redundant commas.
10. Changes to Preferences
The Preferences dialog has been re-organised to group items more logically, and make them easier to find. Also you have the following new preferences:
You can now completely customise the caption for the Property Dialog, for each record type. So, for example, you can get the Property Dialog to show a person’s Custom Id instead of, or as well as, their Record Id.
You can opt for Backup file names to be generated using the date in year/month/day order. This means that if you sort by backup file name, they will all be in sensible order.
A new Narrative Report Options button on the General tab allows you to set a template to be used when generating sentences for custom events and attributes.
11. User Manual Changes
The User Manual now has an Index.
If you display the Bookmarks area for the User Manual, each chapter (and the Contents and Index) now has a bookmark
Clicking on any entry in the Contents listing of the User Manual jumps you to that section.
The User Manual has also been modified to reflect other changes, such as the changes with respect to the Tutorial Files.
12. Other Improvements
The User Manual makes reference to a number of ‘pre-cooked’ Tutorial files that you can use in conjunction with the tutorials in the User Manual. These files are now all accessible from the Help menu.
A new File Statistics menu item (on the File menu) shows the full path name of the current file and the number of records of each record type.
In the past, when you have wanted to know what a particular field (GEDCOM ‘tag’) was used for, you could find this out by opening the Query Window, selecting the Columns tab, and selecting each field (tag) in turn. A description for the field would appear in a box below the Fields list. The same description is now shown in the Data Reference Assistant dialog box. This is the dialog box that is displayed when you click on the Insert Data Reference button in the Text tab of the Diagram Options dialog. The same dialog box is also used if you create a custom column in the Records Window, or define a custom field in a report.
You can now Play any file in the Multimedia Window, and not just ones that Family Historian does not support natively. So, for example, you could use the Play button (on the Multimedia Window toolbar) to open your preferred editor for JPEGs. The menu command equivalent, on the Multimedia menu, has now been renamed Play/Open in Default Editor.
If you switch focus away from Family Historian and then switch back to it, it will warn you if the file has been changed by another application and ask if you wish to reload it.
There are 3 new relationship types: Step; Step (father); and Step (mother). The display of relationship information in the Records Window has been improved and simplified.
The default font for the Records Window is now Arial 10pt, where it used to be MS Sans Serif 8pt. The larger size is easier for most people to read.
The implementation of custom events and attributes has been reworked and improved.
There have been numerous minor enhancements to improve the look of the program. For example, the look of certain fields within the Query Window has been improved.
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Obadiah Mailafia: From Fulaniphobia to Embarrassing Ignorance
Twitter:@farooqkperogi
I normally don’t respond to responses to my column if the responses do no more than disagree with me. But when a response drips wet with pitiful ignorance and willful misrepresentations, such as Obadiah Mailafia’s (see his June 7, 2018 response titled “Re: El-Rufai’s hypocritical xenophobia and Obadiah Mailafia’s Fulaniphobia”), I have a duty to set the record straight in the interest of knowledge.
I will ignore his juvenile ad hominem attacks on me. It bespeaks the barrenness of his intellect that he chose to descend to unprovoked sophomoric name-calling. Ad hominem attacks are the rhetorical weapons of first choice for the intellectually weak.
Mailafia’s original article in the BusinessDay of May 11, 2018 titled “Genocide,Hegemony and Power in Nigeria,” which inspired my June 2, 2018 column, is an astonishingly ill-informed farrago of xenophobic and simplistic garbage that masqueraded as serious thought. I encourage the reader to read the column firsthand.
In the article’s very first paragraph, Mailafia deployed what he understands to be Gramscian hegemony to explain “what is going on in relation to the genocide being perpetrated by the Fulani militias in the Middle Belt of our country today.” I actually let out a guffaw when I read this. It’s an entirely illiterate misuse of the concept. Gramsci used hegemony to explain how the ruling classes in capitalist society naturalize their dominance by getting subordinate classes to accept ruling class values as “common sense” values for all. This is achieved through artful consensus building, which requires that the consent of the subordinate classes be perpetually won and re-won voluntarily, “for people’s material social experiences constantly remind them of the disadvantages of subordination and thus poses a threat to the dominant class.”
The replacement of “Hausa” rulers with “Fulani” rulers in the far north is certainly hegemonic now. No one questions it without coming across as an extremist, anachronistic troublemaker. But by what logic can hegemony explain “genocide”? Is Mailafia implying that people who are being murdered by “Fulani militia in the Middle Belt” have accepted and internalized their condition as “common sense” and that fighting the “genocide” would come across as deviant and out-of-line?
Even when Gramsci extended his theory of hegemonic domination to encapsulate physical violence, he used it exclusively to describe totalitarian states such as Tsarist Russia. He recommended a "war of maneuver," which is resistance against the state through physical violence, in such circumstances. But Mailafia didn’t even reference this extension of hegemony. He referenced ideational hegemony for which Gramsci recommended a “war of position.” Mailafia obviously used the word only because it sounds grand and intellectually fashionable, not because he understands it.
This is just one of several examples of Mailafia’s self-indulgent wooliness and pedestrianism. He also, for instance, described the racial admixture between black Africans and “North Africa and the Middle East” that putatively produced the Fulani as “biological miscegenation.”
“Miscegenation” is a thoroughgoing racist term that only white supremacists use—with a tone of violent disapproval— to describe interracial marriage between white and black people. White racists hurled that word at Obama throughout his presidency, and many of them suffered untoward consequences for it. But Mailafia, a hate-filled, self-aggrandizing dilettante, uses the word to describe how the Fulani, his compatriots, evolved.
In both his BusinessDay article and his response to me, he repeats the claim that “Guinea” is the “ancestral homeland” of the Fulani. He got this information entirely from Wikipedia. Well, here is why the claim is unacceptably ignorant. Linguistic evidence shows that the provenance of the Fulani is traceable to what is now Senegal. In his 1971 article titled "West Atlantic: An Inventory of the Languages, their Noun-Class Systems and Consonant Alternation," Emeritus Professor David Sapir, son of famous linguist Professor Edward Sapir, found that the closest language to Fulfulde in the world is Serer, Senegal’s third largest ethnic group after Wolof and Fulani. Serer is a Niger-Congo language like most languages in West Africa. (Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal’s first president who is famous for Negritude, was Serer).
Linguists have also found a smattering of Berber words in Fulfulde, which gave rise to the theory that the Fulani are the product of the ethnic fusion of Berber and Serer people around Senegambia. Only a Wikipedia-reliant dilettante like Mailafia would describe Guinea as the “ancestral home” of the Fulani. The fact that the Fulani enjoy relative numerical dominion in Guinea doesn’t make the country, which was invented by colonialists only a few decades ago, their “ancestral homeland,” whatever that means.
In any case, ethnic identities and formations are intrinsically labyrinthine and irreducible to Mailafia’s simple-minded, vulgar empiricist, and essentialist formulations. And talking about the “ancestral homeland” of any contemporary Nigerian group, not just the Fulani, whose ancestors have populated this country centuries before the formation of Nigeria is textbook case of “othering,” which is the intellectual precursor to genocide.
I strongly recommend that Mailafia read Jean-Loup Amselle’s discipline-defining book, Mestizo Logics: Anthropology of Identity in Africa and Elsewhere, to understand the fluidity, dynamism, and originary syncretism of ethnic formations in West Africa. The genetic ancestors of several people who self-identify as Fulani today never did so several generations ago. For instance, Amselle showed that thousands of people who were Senufo (an ethnic group now found in parts of Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana) generations ago became Fulani, and many people who were Fulani centuries ago became Bambara or Mandinka, and so on and so forth.
Mailafia has no knowledge of this vast complexity in identity scholarship and chooses to mask his ignorance with laughably infantile self-congratulation and exhibitionistic preening of ill-digested, barely understood concepts.
When I said identity is fiction even though it’s an emotionally valid, politically consequential fiction, which is a stale fact in identify studies, Mailafia’s theoretically sterile mind couldn’t grasp it. He wrote: “What he is really saying, in plain English, is this: If a madman from Damaturu wakes up one morning and solemnly declares and earnestly believes himself, to be the long-awaited ‘Mahdi’, we are, ipso facto, bound to believe him, ‘even if that’s not necessarily who they are’. Our friend has clearly read too much postmodernist trash for his own good.” I was embarrassed on his behalf.
Let me explain this in a simpler, less convoluted way that Mailafia’s a-theoretical mind can hopefully understand. Identity isn’t just genetic or biological; it is also cultural, historical, emotional, and often arbitrary and variable. For instance, many people who are called Hausas today merely changed to that identity; a few decades ago, their ancestors were not Hausa. Yet, this fact doesn’t invalidate their claim to being Hausa because, in any case, all modern identity is syncretic and evolutionary. To understand this point, read Frank A. Salamone’s 1975 article titled, “Becoming Hausa: Ethnic Identity Change and Its Implications for the Study of Ethnic Pluralism and Stratification.” When Arjun Appadurai talked of the “paradox of constructed primordialism,” he was talking about the variability and artificialness of identity, which nescient jingoists like Mailafia ironically choose to reify.
Interestingly, Mailafia admits that his “effort to explain” whatever he wrote in his column “may not have been adequate” and that he is “prepared to concede that” his “conclusions may have been inadequate,” yet he wasted his energies to write a worthless, self-humiliating rejoinder that was high in juvenile self-praise and ad hominem attacks and low in substance and nuance.
"Fulani Herdsmen" as Nigeria's New Devil Term
The Dangerous Criminalization of Fulani Ethnicity
News Media's Cultivation of "Fulani Herdsmen" Hysteria
Existential Threats of Nomadic Pastoralism to Nigeria
Hypocritical Vilification of TY Danjuma in the North
El-Rufai's Hypocritical Xenophobia and Obadiah Mailafia's Fulaniphobia
Posted by Farooq A. Kperogi at 12:11 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Daily Trust on Saturday, Farooq Kperogi, Fulani, Gramsci, hegemony, identity, Obadiah Mailafia
Obadiah Mailafia: From Fulaniphobia to Embarrassin...
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Switzerland and Ecuador
Embassy of Switzerland in Ecuador
The Swiss embassy represents Switzerland's interests in the country and provides consular services and visa support for people resident in: Equateur (y compris Galápagos)
Consulate General of Switzerland in Guayaquil
Travel advice for Ecuador
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Ecuador
Click on a part of the image to go to the publications. © FDFA, Swissemigration
Swissemigration is a service provided by the Consular Directorate (CD) that provides information for your stay abroad, emigrating, living abroad and returning to Switzerland.
Net migration figures published by the Federal Statistical Office show that on average 29,424 Swiss nationals emigrated each year between 2011 and 2013. Many sought information from Swissemigration about working and living conditions in their destination country ahead of their departure. The 10 most frequent destinations for emigrants were France, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand, Spain, Canada, Brazil and Australia. The "Swiss emigrants" map in the statistics section features more destinations.
The service includes online information, guides and country dossiers on the most frequent destinations for emigrants, as well as statistics and free telephone advice.
Preparing for a stay or long-term residence abroad needs a lot of careful research and information, including up-to-date travel advice on your desired destination.
Swiss nationals wanting to return to Switzerland can get answers to their questions about entry, registration, and looking for employment in Switzerland.
The local Swiss representation is the first point of contact for Swiss nationals abroad. Future travellers resident in Switzerland can contact Swissemigration via the FDFA Helpline.
Information on stays abroad, emigrating and returning to Switzerland
Travel advice of the FDFA
Relations with the Swiss Abroad
Consular Directorate CD
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Febiofest Guests Renée Nader Messora
Renée Nader Messora
Renée Nader Messora (Brazil graduated in cinematography from a film university in Buenos Aires. She worked as an assistant director in Brazil, Argentina and Portugal for fifteen years. In 2009, she met the Krahô native tribe for the very first time and has been working with this community ever since. Together, they have created a collective of amateur filmmakers who use cinema and film language to express individual, cultural, and tribal identity. This feature docu-drama is based on her long experience with the Krahô people and constitutes her directing debut The Dead and the Others. The film won in the Un Certain Regard section in Cannes and she will introduce it at Febiofest on 26th March. (New Europe)
The Dead and the Others
Chuva é Cantoria na Aldeia Dos Mortos
Directed: João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora / 2018 / 114min
Add to favorite movies
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Standard Instrument Approach Procedures; Miscellaneous Amendments
A Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 02/07/2005
This rule is effective February 7, 2005. The compliance date for each SIAP is specified in the amendatory provisions.
CFR:
14 CFR 97
Docket No. 30436
Amdt. No. 3115
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 97
Adoption of the Amendment
PART 97—STANDARD INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES
* * * Effective March 17, 2005
* * * Effective May 12, 2005
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
Final rule.
This amendment establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, addition of new obstacles, or changes in air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.
The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the regulations is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of February 7, 2005.
Availability of matters incorporated by reference in the amendment is as follows:
For Examination—
1. FAA Rules Docket, FAA Headquarters Building, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591;
2. The FAA Regional Office of the region in which the affected airport is located;
3. The Flight Inspection Area Office which originated the SIAP; or,
4. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.
For Purchase—Individual SIAP copies may be obtained from:
1. FAA Public Inquiry Center (APA-200), FAA Headquarters Building, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; or Start Printed Page 6339
2. The FAA Regional Office of the region in which the affected airport is located.
By Subscription—Copies of all SIAPs, mailed once every 2 weeks, are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Donald P. Pate, Flight Procedure Standards Branch (AMCAFS-420), Flight Technologies and Programs Division, Flight Standards Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, 6500 South MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73169 (Mail Address: P.O. Box 25082 Oklahoma City, OK 73125) telephone: (405) 954-4164.
This amendment to part 97 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 97) establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs). The complete regulatory description of each SIAP is contained in official FAA form documents which are incorporated by reference in this amendment under 5 U.S.C. 552(a), 1 CFR part 51, and § 97.20 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). The applicable FAA Forms are identified as FAA Forms 8260-3, 8260-4, and 8260-5. Materials incorporated by reference are available for examination or purchase as stated above.
The large number of SIAPs, their complex nature, and the need for a special format make their verbatim publication in the Federal Register expensive and impractical. Further, airmen do not use the regulatory text of the SIAPs, but refer to their graphic depiction on charts printed by publishers of aeronautical materials. Thus, the advantages of incorporation by reference are realized and publication of the complete description of each SIAP contained in FAA form documents is unnecessary. The provisions of this amendment state the affected CFR (and FAR) sections, with the types and effective dates of the SIAPs. This amendment also identifies the airport, its location, the procedure identification and the amendment number.
This amendment to part 97 is effective upon publication of each separate SIAP as contained in the transmittal. Some SIAP amendments may have been previously issued by the FAA in a National Flight Data Center (NFDC) Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) as an emergency action of immediate flight safety relating directly to published aeronautical charts. The circumstances which created the need for some SIAP amendments may require making them effective in less than 30 days. For the remaining SIAPs, an effective date at least 30 days after publication is provided.
Further, the SIAPs contained in this amendment are based on the criteria contained in the U.S. Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS). In developing these SIAPs, the TERPS criteria were applied to the conditions existing or anticipated at the affected airports. Because of the close and immediate relationship between these SIAPs and safety in air commerce, I find that notice and public procedure before adopting these SIAPs are impracticable and contrary to the public interest and, where applicable, that good cause exists for making some SIAPs effective in less than 30 days.
The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current. It, therefore—(1) is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a “significant rule” under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. For the same reason, the FAA certifies that this amendment will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Start List of Subjects
Incorporation by reference, and Navigation (Air)
End List of Subjects Start Signature
Issued in Washington, DC on January 28, 2005.
James J. Ballough,
Director, Flight Standards Service.
End Signature
Start Amendment Part
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me, part 97 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 97) is amended by establishing, amending, suspending, or revoking Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, effective at 0901 UTC on the dates specified, as follows:
End Amendment Part Start Part
End Part Start Amendment Part
1. The authority citation for part 97 continues to read as follows:
End Amendment Part Start Authority
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106, 40113, 40114, 40120, 44502, 44514, 44701, 44719, 44721-44722.
End Authority Start Amendment Part
2. Part 97 is amended to read as follows:
End Amendment Part
Atlanta, GA, Cobb County-McCollum Field, VOR/DME RWY 9, Amdt 1
Atlanta, GA, Cobb County-McCollum Field, RNAV (GPS) RWY 9, Amdt 1
Atlanta, GA, Cobb County-McCollum Field, RNAV (GPS) RWY 27, Amdt 1
Carrollton, GA, West Georgia Regional-O V Gray Field, RNAV (GPS) RWY 17, Orig
Cedar Rapids, IA, The Eastern Iowa, RNAV (GPS) RWY 13, Amdt 1
New Orleans, LA, Louis Armstrong New Orleans Intl, RNAV (GPS) RWY 19, Amdt 1
New Orleans, LA, Louis Armstrong New Orleans Intl, RNAV (GPS) Y RWY 19, Orig, CANCELLED
Auburn/Lewiston, ME, Auburn/Lewiston Muni, RNAV (GPS) RWY 4, Orig
Auburn/Lewiston, ME, Auburn/Lewiston Muni, RNAV (GPS) RWY 22, Orig
Auburn/Lewiston, ME, Auburn/Lewiston Muni, ILS OR LOC RWY 4, Amdt 10
Auburn/Lewiston, ME, Auburn/Lewiston Muni, NDB RWY 4, Amdt 11
Auburn/Lewiston, ME, Auburn/Lewiston Muni, VOR/DME-A, Amdt 1
Hattiesburg, MS, Bobby L. Chain Muni, RNAV (GPS) RWY 31, Orig, CANCELLED
Indianola, MS, Indianola Muni, VOR/DME-A, Amdt 9
Indianola, MS, Indianola Muni, VOR/DME-B, Amdt 5
Indianola, MS, Indianola Muni, NDB RWY 17, Amdt 5
Indianola, MS, Indianola Muni, RNAV (GPS) RWY 17, Orig
Mineola-Quitman, TX, Wood County, RNAV (GPS) RWY 18, Orig
Mineola-Quitman, TX, Wood County, VOR/DME-B, Amdt 2
Mineola-Quitman, TX, Wood County, VOR/DME RNAV RWY 18, Amdt 2
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, RNAV (GPS) RWY 9, Orig
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, RNAV (GPS) RWY 13, Orig
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, ILS OR LOC RWY 27, Amdt 34
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, RADAR-1, Amdt 1 Start Printed Page 6340
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, NDB RWY 27, Amdt 14
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, VOR OR TACAN-A, Amdt 10
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, GPS RWY 12, Amdt 1B, CANCELLED
Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field, GPS RWY 26, Orig-A, CANCELLED
Minot, ND, Minot Intl, LOC/DME BC RWY 13, Amdt 7
End Supplemental Information
[FR Doc. 05-2222 Filed 2-4-05; 8:45 am]
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Premier League: With 58 points from 20 games so far, Liverpool on course to break Manchester City's record 100-points haul
Sports Reuters Jan 03, 2020 19:31:48 IST
When Manchester City won the title in 2017-18, it was felt their 100-point total, a new Premier League record, would endure for many years
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Thursday means they have 58 points from a possible 60 after 20 games
With 19 wins and a draw, they are averaging 2.90 points per game, putting them on course for 110 from 38 games
London: Liverpool are on course to shatter the Premier League’s record points haul and the way Juergen Klopp’s side are churning out wins it would now be a surprise if they failed to do so.
When Manchester City won the title in 2017-18, it was felt their 100-point total, a new Premier League record, would become a high-water mark to endure for many years.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, front left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal in the match against Sheffield United. AP
City’s haul that year was five more than the previous Premier League record of 95 set by Chelsea under Jose Mourinho in 2014-15, although they needed almost as many last season when they topped the table with 98 to Liverpool’s 97.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Thursday means they have 58 points from a possible 60 after 20 games — the tally Man City achieved at the same stage two years ago.
With 19 wins and a draw, they are averaging 2.90 points per game, putting them on course for 110 from 38 games which would also be a record for Europe’s top five leagues.
Even with a couple of defeats or a few draws, they would still top City’s 2018 total.
Since losing to Manchester City exactly a year ago, Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League, taking 101 points from 37 games during that period.
Only two other teams have gone a year unbeaten in the Premier League — Arsenal’s so-called invincibles in 2003-04 (a run of 49 Premier League games) and Chelsea (40 matches) from October 2004 to November 2005.
Since that City defeat, Liverpool have won 32 of their 37 league matches, averaging 2.7 points per game.
They are 13 points clear of Leicester City having played a game less and those desperately seeking a chink in Liverpool’s armour appear to be wasting their time.
They have scored in 29 successive league games and have netted 89 goals in their year-long unbeaten run.
Liverpool have won their 11 league games and have even stopped leaking goals, a theme earlier in the season when they went eight games without a clean sheet. They have scored 12 goals without reply in their last five league matches.
Yet Klopp believes his side are still improving.
“We can do things better and we have to,” he said after the win over Sheffield United. “In the dressing room, there was no party or something.”
While a first English title since 1989-90 looks a formality, Liverpool still have a way to go to match other great runs in European football.
Arsenal’s 49-match streak is beatable this season but matching AC Milan’s remarkable 58-game run without a Serie A loss from 1991-1993 still looks a distant prospect.
To emulate that great Milan side would require Liverpool to go unbeaten in the Premier League until November. Even to break the British record looks a daunting task with Celtic’s 62-match unbeaten league run between 1915 and 1917 looking untouchable.
Tags : AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, José Mourinho, Juergen Klopp, KickingAround, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Premier League, Sheffield United
Premier League: Crystal Palace hold Manchester City despite Sergio Aguero's brace; Newcastle register late win over Chelsea
Premier League: Arsenal fight back to salvage draw against Chelsea; Manchester City edge past Sheffield United
Premier League: Liverpool's Joel Matip, Fabinho in line for return from injury against Manchester United
Premier League: 'Thank you for that evening', says Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhüttl on 9-0 loss to Leicester City, ahead of reverse fixture
1Premier League: With 58 points from 20 games so far, Liverpool on course to break Manchester City's record 100-points haul
2PBL 2020: Tommy Sugiarto, Lakshya Sen power Chennai Superstarz to dominant win over Mumbai Rockets
3ISL 2019-20: Defending champions Bengaluru FC ease past debutants Odisha FC to retake top-spot
4ISL 2019-20: 'Indian football has potential, needs to be nurtured with proper resources,' says Chennaiyin FC star Andre Schembri
5Australian Open 2020: Unheralded Tommy Paul rises to the occasion as Grigor Dimitrov's inconsistency returns to haunt him
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Geldingatjörn near Reykjavík
Brown Trout Fishing Just Outside Reykjavík
Geldingatjörn is a unique trout fishing lake only 25 minutes driving distance from Reykjavik city center. The lake is privately owned and fishing permits have not been obtainable on the open market until now. The lake is set in a secluded heath 220m above sea level. From there, one can see the beautiful Mosfellsdalur Valley below and nearby Mt. Esja. The lake is 0.6 square kilometers (0.25 square feet) and its average depth is three meters (10 feet).
Originally no fish habited Geldingartjörn because the lake would freeze to the bottom during hard winters. However, in 1950 the landowners built a dam resulting in excellent living and growing habitat for trout. The fish was harvested in nets until 1995 when the dam broke and most of the fish died. In 2000, the farmer at Seljabrekka-farm rebuilt the dam and restocked the lake with trout, but this time with the world-renowned giant brown trout from lake Thingvallavatn. This stock, which originates from the last ice age, is incredibly strong and is now self-sustainable in Geldingartjörn.
For the last decade fishing in Geldingartjörn has been restricted to a few friends of the landowners resulting in trout up to 16 pounds in weight being caught. The lake is brimming with trout weighing 2-3 pounds on average. The exclusive group of fishermen who have had the privilege of fishing Geldingartjörn agree on the experience that the trout there is truly a tough opponent and a pure joy to play with.
Distance from Reykjavík: 20 km
Fishing season: 1 April - 30 September
Average size: 2 pounds
Number of rods: 6
Tackle: #6-8 fly rod / Spinning rod
Best flies: Streamers and nymphs
Access: 4x4
Accommodation: Several options
Photos from Geldingatjörn
Fish Partner - Dalvegur 16b - 201 Kópavogur - Iceland - Tel: +354 571 4545 - info@fishpartner.com
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| 0.761959
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William Lewis is a partner in the Morgan & Morgan Business Trial Group and manages the firm’s West Palm Beach office. His practice is dedicated to complex business litigation and he has successfully represented clients in a wide-variety of industries and disputes.
William litigates business cases on a contingency-fee basis, representing companies and individuals with meritorious claims that have been damaged due to the misconduct of larger, wealthier, or insured parties. He is driven by the philosophy that justice requires cases to be decided on the merits, not by the size of a corporation or insurance company’s legal budget.
William is a proven trial lawyer, having won multiple jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations in cases involving contracts, employment, partnerships, real estate, and securities, among others. He regularly litigates in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration forums, throughout Florida.
William has been honored by Florida Trend Magazine as Florida’s “Legal Elite” – an award given by lawyers to less than 1.5% of fellow Florida Bar members. He has consistently been named a Florida Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” which recognizes the top 2.5% of the state’s lawyers under the age of 40. And on multiple occasions, he has been recognized by his peers as one of Palm Beach Illustrated’s “Top Lawyers..”
William was appointed to a three-year term on the Florida Bar’s Committee on Professionalism, he is currently the chair of the Palm Beach County Bar’s Circuit Court Civil Committee, and was previously the chair of the Business Litigation Committee, and he was elected to the Executive Committee of the University of Florida Law Alumni Council. William is a frequent speaker on issues involving business and securities litigation to groups such as the American Bar Association and the Florida Justice Association.
Prior to joining the Business Trial Group, William prosecuted large-scale claims for a well-known securities and antitrust firm claims. He also interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, where he first-chaired multiple jury trials. Before becoming an attorney, William received an MBA in finance and securities analysis and worked at a hedge fund.
Business Tort Litigation
Contract Litigation
Shareholder Derivative Actions
$400,000.00 Verdict Anne C. Grey v. Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. FINRA Arbitration 2019
$544,500.00 Settlement John Doe v. John Doe Professional Malpractice 2018
$771,000.00 Verdict de la Paz, et al. v. de la Paz Breach of Contract 2018
$86,344.58 Verdict Fusco et al. v. Smith et al. Breach of Contract 2017
$131,653.36 Verdict Siscon, Inc. v. C&P Trading and Sales, Inc. Business Litigation 2016
$784,898.00 Verdict Nate Dixon, SAS, GPN v. Security Systems, Inc. and David Roman Business Litigation 2016
Anne C. Grey v. Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc.
John Doe v. John Doe
Settlement - 2018
de la Paz, et al. v. de la Paz
‘Customer Service Rep’ Spied on Customer, Used Credit Card to Buy Porn: Suit
Recent Representations
Contract Disputes:
Won a $784,000 jury verdict for a small business owner that was underpaid sales commissions by a national distributor.
Obtained settlement equal to 100% of the alleged damages for sellers of business after purchaser breached the sale agreement.
Employment Litigation:
Represented officer of multi-billion dollar publicly traded REIT for alleged breaches of an employment contract and recovered more than 125% of alleged unpaid compensation.
Obtained confidential settlement for former CFO of a multi-national athletic corporation for claims of unpaid severance.
Won $137,000 jury verdict, plus attorneys’ fees and costs, for a sales representative owed unpaid commissions.
Obtained confidential settlement of claims for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of a non-disclosure agreement against multi-national public corporation.
Obtained confidential settlement for manufacturing consultant who claimed his trade secrets were misappropriated by an international corporation.
Investment and Securities Litigation:
Obtained confidential settlement for an elderly client against a securities brokerage and advisor that allegedly made misleading statements and sold unsuitable investments.
Obtained a confidential settlement from a major brokerage for an investor who purchased bonds based on a financial advisor’s alleged misrepresentations.
Won a $400,000 FINRA arbitration award against a brokerage that allowed its customer’s retirement funds to be misused.
Obtained a confidential settlement for a financial advisor in a dispute over a commission from a large life insurance contract.
Represented a broker/investment advisor on claims of breach of a Shareholder Agreement and reached a confidential settlement.
Professional Malpractice:
Obtained a confidential settlement for client that alleged attorneys improperly settled a FINRA securities arbitration.
Obtained confidential settlements from an attorney and an accountant who allegedly negligently performed trustee duties.
Won a $771,000 jury verdict for breach of an oral contract and fraud related to a real estate investment.
Won verdict after bench trial of behalf of condominium owner being sued under note and mortgage.
Won jury verdict on behalf of partners in investment property whose share of the proceeds was withheld.
Shareholder and Partnership Disputes:
Represented owner of a closely-held corporation in shareholder-derivative litigation and prevailed at summary judgment.
Obtained confidential settlement of behalf of a partner of a closely held chemical corporation against manager who had allegedly been self-dealing and misappropriating company funds.
Obtained a confidential settlement on behalf of partner in substance abuse clinic that was locked out of the business.
Florida Bar Association
Committee on Professionalism
Circuit Court Civil Practice Committee, Chair
Business Litigation Continuing Education Committee, Chair
Judicial Relations Committee
University of Florida Law Alumni Council
Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA)
Forum Club of the Palm Beaches
Admitted to Practice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Publications & Related Articles
Business Trial Group Wins $400k FINRA Arbitration Award, April 16 2019.
Seven Business Trial Group Attorneys Selected for Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List, June 20, 2018,
Business Trial Group Wins $771k Verdict for Florida Family, April 24, 2018.
Business Trial Group Wins Trial on Behalf of Estate, April 18, 2018.
Seven Business Trial Group Attorneys Selected as Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, June 21, 2017.
William B. Lewis Appointed to Florida Bar Professionalism Committee, June 14, 2017.
Business Trial Group Wins Verdict in Sales Commission Case, September 21, 2016.
Business Trial Group Attorneys William Lewis, Damien Prosser, and Benjamin Webster Awarded Super Lawyers Distinction, June 23, 2016.
How Commercial Real Estate Brokers Can Recover Unpaid Commissions, June 13, 2016.
Law Firm Hourly Rates Hit $2,000: How Can Businesses Afford High-Quality Representation?, June 1, 2016.
Business Trial Group Helps Small Business Owner Win Jury Verdict Against Safeguard America, May 17, 2016.
University of Florida, Frederic G. Levin College of Law, Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude
Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy
University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business, MBA, Cum Laude
Colgate University, B.A., Cum Laude
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Tropical Storm Harvey forms; heads toward eastern Caribbean
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) - Shops and government offices are closing early in Barbados and flights have been canceled as Tropical Storm Harvey approaches the eastern Caribbean.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Harvey had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) on Thursday as it headed toward Barbados and St. Lucia. It was on track to pass near or over Barbados early Friday on a path toward Central America.
LINK: Track Harvey on MyFoxHurricane.com
Regional airline LIAT canceled flights Thursday in and out of Barbados and elsewhere in the eastern Caribbean.
The government of Barbados directed public agencies and the public bus service to shut down early Thursday. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged all retail businesses to gradually close down in anticipation of the storm.
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Adam Kahan - Rahsaan Roland Kirk: The Case of the Three Sided Dream(Monoduo Films, 2016) ****
Monday, September 12, 2016 DVD, Film 5 comments
I'm not sure how Rahsaan Roland Kirks's music is best considered- it's not 'free jazz' - though it has elements of it in sound and spirit, and its certainly not 'traditional jazz', though he played standards. It was tuneful, soulful, unusual, and often defined by his use of multiple horns.
It seems that it was his own music, and it came purely from a world of sound. Kirk, who became blind because of medical care carelessness as a baby, lived in a world defined by sound, and by his own account, his dreams. Politics and fashions informed his music, but not as much as his own dreams. He asserted that it was the sounds that he heard in his dreams that he wanted to recreate with his multiple horns. It's this notion that provides the framework for Adam Kahan's documentary on Kirk, 'The Case of the Three Sided Dream,' which has finally received wide release, through multiple digital channels.
We first see Kirk in action, heading to a club date in the late-1950s/early-1960s, with a voice over of him introducing a song. Then, we backtrack to his early life. This part is quick, a brief discussion of his discovery of music, and then his move to New York in the mid-1950s. Interviews, concert footage, and snippets of candid moments are mixed with animation. Of course watching Kirk in action and getting a glimpse of the man behind the inflated tear is worth the time alone, but I kept asking myself at first, did the animation help? It lends a certain feel to the film, but aesthetics aside, I soon realized that the animation is key in evoking the imagination that drove Kirk's music making, it illustrates his dreams and provides a stream of connective imagery.
A real highlight is that the film consolidates footage from several televised concert specials by Kirk. It's a blast to see him in action with the multiple horns (even the kind of crazy nose whistle), and evolving from wearing a suit to the period fashions in the 70s. We learn a lot through interviews with people like his widow Dorthaan Kirk (who works at the Newark, NJ based powerhouse jazz radio station WBGO), and trombonist Steve Turre (who played with Kirk). Check out Turre's story about Kirk's circular breathing, and you get a sense of the mystical side of Kirk.
Recounted by friend Mark Davis, Kirk's political side also comes through. In the early 1970's, Kirk wanted to raise the stature of what he coined "black classical music" and used television - and whistles of course - as his medium. Interrupting an interview during a taping of the Dick Cavett show, his protest was parlayed into an invitation to perform on Ed Sullivan's show. Where, instead of performing the agreed upon song for this show, he assembled a band augmented by Charlie Mingus, Archie Shepp, and Roy Haynes, and performed a spirited version of 'Hatian Flight Song'. His political feelings also were expressed freely in his on stage banter and in his music, like the song 'Blacknuss', which is shown performed in a televised concert.
The impact of Kirk's first stroke, in 1975, is conveyed by Dorthaan Kirk in a moving, somewhat visually dramatized way. Kirk had just signed with Warner Brothers and his career and music, she explains, was entering a new level, when he suddenly collapsed in the family home. A video of a 1977 post-stroke performance is a stunning rebuttal to what had happened physically to the musician. Playing a modified horn which allowed the pinky of his working hand to compensate for his paralyzed one, 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' is an emotional tumult. Turre talks about how amazed he was at Kirk's ability that he would sometimes be watching him and forget to play. It was a second stroke, the day after a performance in 1977, that ended Kirk's life. He was only in his early 40s.
Kahan's film captures Kirk's character, determination, and pure musicianship through thoughtful stitching of interviews, existing footage, dramatizations and animations. It's a powerful story: a musician who did everything that he could to bring passion, politics, and feeling to the world through his music against surmounting odds.
The film is available on blue ray DVD, Vimeo, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
Beautiful review. Thank you!
So great you picked up on all the biographical detail in the film. There is plenty! I am a little perplexed when I hear people say that the film is lean on biographical details. It is all there (beginnings, blindness, stroke, rapport with musicians, political agenda...), though delivered organically from Rahsaan himself and the people who knew him. (No "experts" or narrator leading you by the nose.) I guess it is not what people usually expect in a documentary these days (as there is ALOT of music, we don't just give you ten seconds and cut away). Because Rahsaan's legacy is his music, this is where our focus was and is and had to be. Also - of course there was Rahsaan's stage presence, so we give Rahsaan as much screen time as possible (he is after all the star of the show!) For those missing Rahsaan's major partner in crime - Joel Dorn - Joel appears in the bonus material. Unfortunately, we were only able to do a brief lo-tech interview with Joel before he passed away, this is why he does not appear in the film itself.
Bright Moments,
Adam Kahan
PS - I think he is best categorized as a "Stone Cold Blues Musician", that's how Hendrix put it!
I just heard about this film last week and was so excited to hear it's coming out! Thanks for the lengthy review, I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
I'll go with Hendrix on that!
Klarinetles Amsterdam said...
Great movie! I would love to see it. I didnt know this musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
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Our Picks to Win
August 3, 2017 by FLW
There’s really no telling who’ll walk away the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup champion after three days of grueling competition at Lake Murray Aug. 11-13. Almost anything can happen. A rookie could get on a hot bite, or one of the locals or seasoned veterans could put on a clinic. Nonetheless, it’s fun to predict what might be. We gathered up some prognostications from pros who didn’t make the Cup, notable outdoor writers and some FLW staff for a glance at the favorites leading into the event.
FWC details page
FWC event schedule/vendor list
FWC event map
Curtis Niedermier, FLW Editor-in-Chief – Shane LeHew
Hear me now: LeHew will be the LeWinner of the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup. Why? Because LeHew’s career is on an upward trend and heading toward a big moment. I think the Cup on Lake Murray is it.
Consider that the 28-year-old finished 40th in the AOY race his rookie year on Tour in 2014 and has improved his AOY finish each season since. That means he’s getting better, or perhaps more confident. His Cup track record looks like it’s on the same path: 28th in 2015 and 16th in 2016. If that upswing continues, I figure he’ll at least make a top-10 finish this year, but I think he’ll do much more than that.
LeHew is a Carolina kid and surely understands how to navigate a reservoir with blueback herring, water willow and the like, and I’m guessing (though I don’t know it for a fact) he’s done some pre-fishing at Murray this summer. Most importantly, LeHew’s a gamer in the summer with some versatile chops. He’s an expert jig fisherman, who very well could crack some good bags pitching a jig to wood or docks, or even in deep water, but he’s also an experienced schooling-bass angler. And last year at the Cup he proved he can catch ’em in the heat of summer on finesse worms and baby swimbaits.
I think he gets it LeDone.
Joe Balog, FLW contributor, tournament veteran and writer – Larry Nixon
While I occasionally let adoration overwhelm clear thinking, my pick is far from fantasy. Nixon is the greatest tournament angler – in terms of career longevity matching accomplishments – the sport has ever known. Nixon won his first national event in 1978 and claimed his most recent title in 2012 – an unheard of span to hold championship status.
Following pestering injuries and surgeries, Nixon was back on track this season, finishing 19th in points. Nixon excels at tough events, and has always done well in the summer with a legendary track record of structure fishing with plastic worms. He never gets rattled, and would likely enjoy topping off his career with a Cup win, the same way his good friend George Cochran did before retirement. I pick The General to give it a go.
Alex Davis, FLW Tour pro – Michael Neal, Bryan Thrift, Marshall Deakins
I like Michael Neal because he's versatile enough to where he can fish shallow and deep. He's one of the best at electronics as far as scanning structure and cover and finding catchable fish. He's had so many second-place finishes, but he knows how to win and pressure doesn’t affect him. His time is coming.
If it's a shallow deal Bryan Thrift has a better chance than anyone because he has the run-and-gun mentality to not get in a panic and grind for five quality bites.
Lastly, Marshall Deakins. Not only is he my best friend, but he's spent a lot of time pre-practicing and since last October has been on a roll with a BFL Regional and All-American win. He will fish to win, not just for a good finish.
Joseph Opager, FLW Director of Public Relations – Scott Canterbury
My pick to win the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup is Scott Canterbury. Everyone knows the story. Everyone has seen the video. Canterbury had the winning fish on at the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup, before it heartbreakingly slipped off and he went on to lose the event to eventual champ Anthony Gagliardi by just one ounce. One ounce. What is very rarely talked about is that Canterbury only weighed in four fish on the first day of competition in that event. If he could have caught one little dink on day one, the history books would be very different, and we’d be asking if Canterbury could become the first man to ever win two. I have to believe that moment has played out in Canterbury’s mind many times over the last three years, and he will be looking to avenge that loss in this tournament. Look out for Scott Canterbury at the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup.
Sean Ostruszka, FLW contributor – Michael Neal
This may be an all-or-nothing pick, as Neal will more than likely look for an offshore bite. If he finds it, he could pull off the win as he nearly did at last year's Cup. If not, look for a repeat of the 2014 Cup on Murray (43rd place, ouch!). That said, Neal has quietly been one of the best anglers, both deep and shallow, on the FLW Tour. If he can't find something out deep I doubt he'll die by it like he would've earlier in his career.
Jody White, FLW Associate Editor – Anthony Gagliardi
We’re overdue for a repeat champion, and Gagliardi is exactly the right guy to make it happen. Home field advantage has factored into the Cup a fair bit over the years, and Gagliardi seems well positioned to take advantage of it this time around. Not that anyone in the Cup is a scrub, but Gagliardi is probably one of the top 10 or 20 bass anglers in the country. Couple that skill with tireless preparation and living on the lake, and you’ve got a potent combination. Lake Murray isn’t quite the same as last time, but I don’t expect that to matter for someone as steeped in the ways of the lake as Gags.
Todd Hollowell, FLW Tour pro – Shane LeHew
He’s from the Carolinas, the dude is extremely wise beyond his years when it comes to fishing and I just think he’s super cool under pressure. It’s the Cup, but I don’t think it bothers Shane. He’s a cool customer, he’s one of the best on our Tour, he’s super polished and I think it’s his time.
Chris Burgan, Video Production and Digital Brand Manager – Brandon Cobb
I talked with Brandon Cobb during ICAST about fishing the Cup on Lake Murray. The South Carolina angler claims August is the only time he can catch them there. That kind of confidence bodes well for the generally modest man. Lake Murray is only a 45-minute drive from Cobb’s home. He had been hitting the lake frequently before ICAST and presumably after. That confidence and extended pre-practice bode well for someone who has made back-to-back Cup top 10s. He was my preseason pick to win it all, and I’m sticking with it.
Tags: flw pre-tournament 2017-08-11-forrest-wood-cup
Sam Rayburn Reservoir Readies for 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Opener
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BROOKELAND, TEXAS – FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) is set to kick off the new 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, professional bass fishing’s premier five-fish limit tournament series, this week, Jan. 23-26 with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Sam Rayburn Reservoir... READ MORE »
John Cox Making Most of Opportunities
In addition to finishing second in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit standings last season, John Cox finished runner-up in the Bassmaster Central Open standings and fourth in the Eastern Open standings, qualifying him to fish the Pro Circuit and Bassmaster Elite Series this year. While many pros were faced with some either-or decisions this offseason, Cox chose both – fishing the Pro Circuit and Elite Series – and he’s not even a bit nervous about doing both. READ MORE »
Tackle Warehouse Signs as Official Tackle Retailer of FLW, Becomes Title Sponsor of Pro Circuit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BENTON, Ky. – FLW (Fishing League Worldwide), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that it has reached a sponsorship agreement with Tackle Warehouse, the sport’s leading online retailer that offers the guaranteed lowest prices on bass... READ MORE »
Oklahoma’s Carper Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Florida’s St. John’s River
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PALATKA, FLA. – The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine continued competition Saturday at the St. John’s River in Palatka, Florida – the first time that the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. has opened their season on the St. John’s River – and featured... READ MORE »
FLW Series Championship Returns to Lake Cumberland in 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BURNSIDE, Ky. – FLW (Fishing League Worldwide), in conjunction with the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission, announced today that the 2020 FLW Series Championship will be held at Lake Cumberland in Burnside and... READ MORE »
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Home >> Uk + Ireland >> England >> Lincolnshire >>
Help and advice for Lincolnshire Poor Law Bastardy Cases
Lincolnshire Poor Law Bastardy Cases
Prior to 1600, the ancient Germanic tribal custom prevailed. A man was "responsible" for his children until they became a contributing member of the tribe or village (generally age 16). Privacy in small villages was rare, and all your sins were common knowledge. Unwed pregnancies were considered a fact of life and little stigma was attached to the mother or the child. A man was expected to "step up" and provide for the child, but some men abandoned the mothers or shirked their duty. If a man abandoned his child(ren), then the local parish and the girl's family did their best to provide for the child(ren). Sometimes a woman would make an arrangement with the man and keep the details private to protect both of their public character, but records of such arrangements are rare.
Around 1600 England started to formalize the process of providing for bastard and orpahaned children. One reason for baptism records was to record the parents' names, although many bastards have only the mother's name listed.
In 1834, the Poor Law Amendment Act provided that a member of the Board of Guardians could initiate a bastardy hearing at Petty Session courts. These hearings were to determine the rightful father and to impose a weekly charge on him for the infant's support until the child was employable.
In 1844, the Bastardy provisions are altered so that the mother of a bastard child could initiate a bastardy hearing at Petty Session courts. They were also supposed to supply corroborative evidence.
Many of these Petty Session events were reported in the local newspapers. After 1844, the number of cases reported declines. Presumably the women were able to make direct, private negotiations with the father for support. And, an increasing number of cases were turned away by the courts.
One should be aware that in some cases newspaper reports were quite short. "... and three bastardy cases were heard" is not uncommon, while other reports give names and amounts.
Note: An Order of Affiliation is just another term for a Bastardy Order.
From the Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury newspaper
1840, LR&SM news.
Thank you, Anne Cole, for the above.
Find help, report problems, or contribute information Last updated 13 September, 2019 - 16:51 - maintained by Louis R. Mills
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Hug Machine
Artist: scott c
Exhibition: HUG MACHINE by Scott C
Features: Hardcover
Signed by Scott
Scott Campbell (Scott C) is a maker of paintings, illustrations, comics, kid’s books and video games. He studied illustration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, focusing on comic and children’s book illustration. Soon after graduating, he began at Lucas Learning as concept artist on children’s video games. Four years later, he joined Double Fine productions as Art Director on such games as the critically acclaimed Psychonauts and Brutal Legend. Alongside this career in games, he has published numerous comics and created paintings that have appeared in galleries and publications around the world. Some of his most notable projects include the GREAT SHOWDOWNS series, “Igloo Head and Tree Head” series, Double Fine Action Comics, Hickee Comics, the Zombie In Love children’s book, and Psychonauts and Brutal Legend with Double Fine Productions. Scott lives in New York City.
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Zombie in Love 2 + 1
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The Art and Imagery of Cam De Leon
Cam de Leon
Say Hello to Zorro
Mister Bud Wears The Cone
The Art of the Wonderland by Ilya Kuvshinov
Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Stories to Tell
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Death Stranding review: “An okay game ironically lost in its lengthy delivery”
By Leon Hurley 2019-11-01T07:41:33Z
(Image: © Sony)
Kojima’s mysterious would be epic has its moments but can’t carry the weight of expectation.
An incredible visual achievement
An atmospheric world
Tedious core mechanic
Little threat or risk
After all the conspiracy theories, conjecture and just plain hype, Death Stranding turns out to be about carrying boxes from A to B. And, often, back again. That’s it. That’s the game. This is going to be a spoiler free review in terms of story, but mechanically it’s hard to talk about anything without making it clear: you carry boxes around pretty much the entire time. Sometimes you fall over, occasionally ghosts appear and get in the way, but otherwise almost the entirety of your time involves staggering over uneven terrain carrying a backpack loaded to spine-rupturing levels with anything from underpants to medical supplies.
Extinction event
The idea is that ‘the Death Stranding’, a cataclysmic past apocalyptic event, has reduced the world to little more than walled cities and bunkered survivors, known as preppers. The outside world is a rocky hellscape filled with ageing Timefall rain showers and Beached Things, or BTs – spirits of the dead unable to pass on, and now drifting the wasteland fatally seeking out the living. Even now, after some 70-odd hours of playing, it still sounds exciting, and the first time you encounter these ethereal spectres, tethered to the world by a ghostly umbilical cord, there are shivers. At the front end there’s an exciting prospect laid out in front of you: it looks incredible, with a beautiful landscape you can endlessly drink in, and some incredible facial capture (one late scene contains some of the best in-game performance I’ve ever seen, that’s almost impossible to distinguish from someone just being filmed). The world, the idea, and the promise looms large.
And so you set off, carrying your boxes full of stuff to wherever you’re meant to go. And you carry, and you carry. Sometimes you fall over. Sometimes you creep through fields of somnolent, shadowy wraiths, sometimes you get a moment of contemplative isolation over an amazing vista. Sometimes you fall over again. But as you deliver, and deliver, you start to realise that the mechanic of carrying things is almost the only way you can reach in and touch the world. In the same way that a shooter only really lets you interact with a game’s world through shooting things, Death Stranding principal form of interface is transportation.
It’s not a bad idea per se – there’s a contemplative element to loading up, choosing your gear and then setting out – but it’s basically all you do and there’s only so long that idea can be interesting. It’s a gameplay language with little vocabulary, so the experience struggles to express itself in any deep and meaningful way. Your cargo might be very fragile, or explosive, as a variation, or the ground might be extra rocky… but that’s about it. In the later stages of the story, when the stakes are raised, the only way Death Stranding’s gameplay can really express any sense of tension is by asking you to walk incredible distances or, in several ‘oh Jesus, really?!’ moments, ask you to walk back, or further, on completion. (There’s is eventually a fast travel system, but it only transports ‘you’ and no cargo.)
Fighting chance
There are moments of variation – some more traditional third person combat (again, seen in trailers) – but these are tangential, fleeting moments that feel like an addendum. Arguably show stopping moments but not really substantial enough to have any real impact. Even in these moments of direct conflict however there’s almost no real threat, and generally the worst that happens is damaging a package so much you fail the mission. There are a scattering of human enemies called Mules who, for reasons, are addicted to stealing cargo. They’re easy to Square button thump into submission though, even before you unlock any weapons, and even easier to avoid. Even the BTs, the poster monsters for the whole thing, aren’t particularly dangerous. They’ve easy to avoid, and even if you do get ‘caught’ - triggering a one-on-one boss battle with a giant BT monster - it’s easy to defeat the creature or just run away. (Often it’s almost a viable tactic to get caught on purpose to clear the area as winning the boss fight gets rid of everyone.)
"There’s almost no real threat, and generally the worst that happens is damaging a package so much you fail the mission"
The lack of risk contributes to making it all feel a bit like a chore. There are always multiple deliveries on offer, leaving you juggling an eternal dilemma: do you pick it all up at once and be comically overloaded, your goods towering above as your knees buckle, risking falls that can dent your completion score, or fail you outright? Or do you take one thing at a time – a safer option that’ll have you backtracking endlessly back and forth one box at a time? It’s basically ‘Overencumbrance: The Game’. The essential gear you need – things like ladders and climbing ropes, healing Blood Bags and canister repair sprays to negate Timefall rain damage – all occupy the same boxed units as cargo that stack up on your back and body to the point that even a light loadout can quickly pile everything on. With more weight your stamina falls faster, you’re more likely to fall, and there’s more risk you can lose something along the way.
The game provides tools to help: things like exo-skeletons, floating trolleys and vehicles but it often feels like for every solution there’s a problem. When you eventually unlock the basic starter bike vehicle, and later trucks, it’s in a location so rocky and uneven it’s almost impossible to drive anywhere, as you clang and catch on rocks. Plus, batteries can run out and wheels can get stuck, so you take a risk loading up anything with more than you can carry alone should machines fail. Which, much of the time, pushes you back to being on foot, which is a frustratingly inconsistent experience. Stamina, footing, speed and ground angle all contribute to an animation system that can have you wrestling with the sticks and shoulder bracing buttons to stay upright should you trip. Your stability improves as you level up stats, and unlock better gear, but there’s always the lingering fear that the slightest movement could randomly result in anything from a skipped step to a full-sprint face-planting fall. It seems oddly scripted at times: I found catastrophic, can’t-stop-it tumbles far more likely to happen near ravine and cliff edges where I was, ironically, being so, so careful.
Network connections
There’s one other thing that also makes life easier, and that’s everyone else playing the game. There’s a wonderfully inventive asymmetrical online element that sees items and constructions from other players appear in your world and vice versa. The ladders and ropes you leave around on your travels appear for other people in their game. You can build bridges and roads, or contribute resources to other people’s, with the landscape slowly becoming more traversable as this equipment and structures appear, bearing the name of whoever originally built it and showing the ‘likes’ its received (one is automatically given whenever you use something, and you can add more with a button press or three).
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
It’s a fantastic idea; a lovely expression of strangers pulling together against an inhospitable world, adding moments of solidarity in an otherwise bleakly isolating world. The space where this system first comes into play is full of youthful enthusiasm, sprinkled with charging stations, roads, bridges and more as players test it all out. The further you get (both physically and in terms of time) progress slows and things are spaced out with a more weathered and functional minimalism. When the story moves to more mountainous routes, ziplines pop from peak to peak, becoming a literal game changer. Throughout, the idea holds up well as players collectively shape and inform the world through their actions, routes evolving over time. Someone’s bridge might become a crucial landmark, or let you negate some terrible, rough terrain. Your space becomes signposted and defined by the player tags attached to the things around you. You start to recognise these unseen faces as you repeatedly run into their traces. The names have meaning, so when you find items of lost cargo flagged with a friendly face you can return it for extra likes and the chance to pay it forward. It’s a game you play alone, but in a world you share.
The whole game riffs on this idea of connection. As mentioned already in the trailers (the only story stuff I’ll bring up) you play as Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges, tasked with saving the world through the medium of delivering stuff. You’re basically an apocalyptic Amazon Courier reconnecting a shattered America, location by location, to the Chiral Network, a sort of metaphysical AT&T that enables communication, as well as 3D printing of all your gear. You can’t see or access player structures until an area’s connected, or fabricate the gear you need to push on either, so making these deliveries is essential if you want to… make more deliveries.
A Hideo Kojima game
Obviously this is a Hideo Kojima game, which I’ve stayed away from until now in an attempt to discuss the game on its merits alone, without everything that name brings with it. It’s a name that obviously conjures up huge expectations and Death Stranding doesn’t entirely deliver on them. I can’t explain why in too much detail without spoilers but there are no real ‘holy shit’ moments, no surprises, just an okay-ish game about carrying boxes at the end of the world. The story is fine: high fantasy sci-fi full of Kojima’s trademark lengthy cutscenes, most of which involve characters explaining the story with broad swathes of exposition that doesn't so much break the ‘show don’t tell’ rule as pound it into submission with line after line of careful rationaled explanation.
There’s a lot of symbolism and metaphor spread thickly all over all of the story and characters, and some of it is incredibly literal – Mama is a mother, Heartman’s heart stops every 21 minutes, etc – some of it is nonsense. And plenty of it seems to exist just to provide the possibility for people to attach meaning to – like multiple slices of toast that may or may not contain the face of Jesus. At least a handful of critical plot points and elements seem to defy explanation or logic utterly, beyond a ‘ta-da!’ curtain reveal.
Death Stranding does have its moments though, despite the overall monotony of its principal activity. The groundbreaking visuals create a beautiful world, and there’s an incredible atmosphere when you reach a great view, or take a moment bathe in the glory of the snow crusted mountain you’ve just scaled. When the setting, progress and music combine it is a mood. If nothing else I’m a Low Roar fan now having played 70 odd hours of possibly the most expensive interactive music video ever made.
Progress is key to really enjoying it. I hit around 30 hours at the Chapter 3 mark, before I discovered I was barely a quarter of the way through and made the conscious decision to focus more on the story. Doing so gives everything more impact and meaning by bringing the cutscenes and story closer together, and adds more variety to what limited texture with a quicker progression of new locations, equipment and other things. You can spend days if not weeks making side-deliveries to a cameo heavy cast of survivors and gain little from it bar a deafening gulf between narrative beats that leaves fragmented isolated moments devoid of all connecting momentum. There is an okay experience here, filled with a scrapbooking hokum of afterlife mythology and pseudoscience, with a cast of likeable if bluntly literal characters but it’s a game that, ironically, is easily lost in its lengthy delivery.
Available platforms PS4
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Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles MMORPG is a side-scrolling PC
The Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles MMORPG is just one of several games that Gravity is revealing at G-Star 2019. We've learned the first tidbits about this new game based on the Ragnarok Online franchise, and now one additional and substantial detail was disclosed.
Ragnarok Crusade Midgard Chronicles is a PC exclusive, unlike other games such as Ragnarok Origin or The Lost Memories: Song of Valkyrie, two games designed for mobile devices.
Don't Miss: Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles is the new Ragnarok PC MMORPG
The noteworthy detail from the Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles demonstration is that this is a side-scrolling 3D action RPG, unlike other Ragnarok games. Knowing the legacy of the series, it certainly wasn't expected, taking the game closer to the likes of Dragon Saga (or Dragonica).
In Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles, you have several skills to attack the enemy creatures, with the usual cooldown times preventing you from spamming them. You can create interesting combos in a stylish and action-packed way. Bosses will get in your way, testing your skills, and you'll surely meet some fierce monsters later in the game.
However, Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles has a focus on PvP, so this is what you should have in mind if you want to play the game. This isn't the new Ragnarok Online 2 that many players are expecting (or at least another attempt at a sequel), but more of a spin-off that is nonetheless aimed at fans of the series.
There is no word on a global release yet, but if the Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles MMORPG gets a warm reception in Korea and other Asian regions, it's highly likely that Gravity takes it to other regions.
You can watch the announcement trailer below, but there is no gameplay available to the public as of yet. It shouldn't take long though; the first Ragnarok Crusade: Midgard Chronicles footage will probably be released soon after G-Star 2019 reaches its conclusion.
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Admission FSM
The Two-Year Full-Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management in International Business - is an AICTE approved programme running successfully for the past 13 years. It aims at preparing students to take up careers in corporate houses and family businesses engaged in International Business operations.
Admissions Brochure-2020 Admissions Calendar-2020 FAQs Company Sponsored Certificate Education Loan
No. of seats: 180
Full Time PGDM-IB
Full Time PGDM-FM
No. of seats: 60
The programme specializes in International Business and helps students imbibe a professional approach and sensitivity to international business environment. The course attempts to develop a cadre of business executives to meet the growing requirements in the field of international business management. The programme aims at providing a comprehensive coverage incorporating all the important areas and disciplines relevant to international business activities. The total number of approved seats available for this Programme is 120.
Programme Objectives:
To develop and train participants for assuming positions of responsibility in corporate houses and family businesses.
To provide a thorough grounding to the participants in the conceptual framework of management theory, in the skills appropriate to managerial practice, as well as in the essential issues in international business operations.
To equip the participants for working in a competitive global environment them to face confidently the pressures and challenges of the new millennium.
To Evolve with the dynamic and complex emerging Global environment.
The candidates fulfilling the following criteria are eligible for the programme-
The candidate must hold a Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% marks in aggregate of all the subjects studied at any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of Central or State Legislature in India or other Educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India. The Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail or minimum of 3 years of education after completing Higher Secondary Schooling (10+2) equivalent.
Candidates appearing for the final year degree examination in the year 2020 can also apply subject to furnishing the proof of having passed graduation by Tuesday, October 1, 2020 and obtaining minimum 50% marks in aggregate total of all the subjects studied failing which the provisional admission will be cancelled and no fee will be refunded in lieu thereof.
A candidate must appear in CAT-2019, XAT-2020 or should have a valid GMAT score in a test taken between 1st January 2018 and 20th January 2020.
Selection Procedure:
The Institute has a robust selection procedure for admission to the programme and it includes-
Short-listing on the basis of CAT/XAT/GMAT Score.
Written Ability Test (WAT), Business Awareness Quiz (BA-Q), Extempore and Personal Interview (PI).
Final selection on the basis of CAT/XAT/GMAT score, performance in the WAT/BA-Q/Extempore/PI, academic performance and work experience.
Some selection criteria may be added/removed as considered appropriate by the Institute. The final criteria for selection shall be informed to the candidates before the selection process.
Candidates interested in applying are requested to note the following-
Candidates can apply online http://admissions.fsm.ac.in/. For online application submission candidates need to pay either through net banking or credit/debit card.
Applicants need to pay the application fee as mentioned below.
No. of Programmes Applying for
Base price in Rs.
18% GST
All-inclusive Application Fee in Rs.
One programme
Two programmes
Three Programmes
The above amounts are only applicable if you apply for multiple programmes at the same time in the same application form.
In case, you apply for the other one or two programmes at a later stage, the full application fee for one or two programmes as mentioned in the table will apply.
Candidates applying under Company Sponsored Category need to download the format from the website and submit the Company Sponsored Certificate in the given format within the stipulated timeframe.
Candidates shortlisted for the “Selection Process” must review their Application Form compulsorily before appearing for the selection process.
Programme Fees
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D.S.S. replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:04PM Permalink
Special care needs to be taken that video game-related content is not unfairly targeted. Just because someone is streaming a game intended for children does NOT mean the channel is made for or intended for children. Many adult YouTubers enjoy playing games from their childhood, but use adult humor and language. This does not make the channel content made for children.
Guest replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:16PM Permalink
I would like to say that, could you please make the rules more understandable and not so vague? Like for example, you have been saying that gaming content is directed towards kids, but it is not kids who watch it. Gaming content should not be labeled as kids content. It should be mature content.
There is literally a YouTube Kids app. That's where kids need to be going to watch videos that are directed to children. If parents, guardians, or caretakers allow children on the main YouTube website, they need to be responsible enough to monitor what those children are watching.
By potentially punishing YouTube content creators you would also punishing their audiences. I am a grandparent, and 99% of the channels I subscribe to are probably considered directed to children based on your definition.
In order to interact with YouTube videos you need an account. I just tried to set up a new YouTube account using the year 2009 for my birth year, and I was immediately denied. YouTube isn't intended for kids under 13. Please quit punishing the entire YouTube community for irresponsible parents, guardians, or caretakers.
_chainedsecrets_ replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:28PM Permalink
It's not fair to all of the creators that earn a living on youtube. Where are all the family friendly content is going to go? If it's YouTube Kids, just please make a upload button. There are millions and millions going to quit. It's the parents fault of their kids are watching YouTube. Also, if your video have badwords, and animated characters, is it still family friendly? I don't want to go and pay 42k for just a family friendly video. Thank you.
_chainedsecrets_
Ryan walker replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:32PM Permalink
Please it has to be for everyone it's not just for kids everyone's channels need something right we need to fix this all.
kmarkowiak145 replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:39PM Permalink
My problem with COPPA and YouTube is that not all videos that this law would count as made for kids may not be intended for children to watch. A video from a YouTuber who is at Disneyland, sees Disney characters, but goes around trying different alcoholic drinks could still be marked as made for kids because it had cartoon characters and colorful backgrounds in it. Please consider adding a general audience option as well. I understand COPPA is intended to protect kids but kids will watch whatever they can find on YouTube if parents are not being parents.
What if an animation has censored cursing- or blood, is it still for kids? And also- what about YouTube kids- it's the parents who need to watch their kids!
Big Mak replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:42PM Permalink
1) Even if it isn't directed for kids, how in the world are, even you guys, able to track everything to check and see if it is a child-safe idea WITHOUT "spying" or tracking every single thing that everyone does anywhere in the world. For all I can see, you are saying that this is going into heavy consideration over YouTube and Google. Both are very broad and are really difficult to understand not just because of content, but because of each country, language, and content. Take this example:Say I am from Germany making content for kids, do I follow COPPA, which is American Made? Do I get fined?
2) Because of how content is made, how do we follow COPPA if I don't track their emails or anything else without breaking the security of the people?
Theoretically, you would need a software to track every single movement on these two majorly used programs, determining what their age is, who they are, and what sites they are tracking. This would also mean that if someone was an "adult" and was an actual kid, you would need a hardware device connected to the program, but that would mean that would be exposing your terms of privacy. Because YouTube said that there may be kids that might watching the more adult-topic sections, that would mean that YouTube is aware of the problem, but can't do a thing about it because there is no way of tracking them.
3) YouTubers all are trying their best to show what their ads are and what aren't by going off topic. Even my younger sister, says that she notices the ads and doesn't want any of it because the YouTuber said so. She wants it because she likes it, and the same can be said for many kids. In fact, the parents usually will be asked if the kids can buy something if it is said by the YouTubers because most of the kids think that their parents can buy them everything they want. And that isn't illegal on anyone's portion. I can understand if people are showing advertisements involving certain content that the kids might like because they aren't targeting them, so who is really the "advertisers" that you are speaking of?
I would like you to consider this next time before you put this act into effect and question yourselves about any other major topics that seem to be concerning to the rights of the people.
If you are a channel owner, when you upload a video to YouTube that is "directed to children," you will use the mechanism YouTube and Google created to label that video.
How can you determine if what you upload to YouTube or other platforms is “directed to children"? There is no one-size-fits-all answer about what makes a site directed to children. If your intended audience is kids under 13, you’re covered by COPPA.
This blog has more information to help you. And, the complaint in the YouTube case offers examples of channels the FTC considered to be directed to children. Read pages 10-14 of the YouTube complaint.
Richeau replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:43PM Permalink
Something to understand, specifically referencing animation channels, is that sponsors are usually a very helpful way to discern whether a channel is geared towards kids. (Note: sponsers differ from adverts due to sponsers directly reaching out to the person(s) operating the channel and paying them to make a statement about a product they've been paid to endorse. Automatic ads provided by YouTube work differently. For more information on advertisements verses sponsers, contacting YouTube directly would be ideal.) For example, if a channel has a lot of color and is discussing something that would normally be considered "kid-oriented" has a VPN (network security) sponsers, it may be directed more towards a young adult audience. On the other, if a channel has a sponsor such as a mobile app on a video with a lot of child targeted content, it could be subject the new changes.
Christine Mcnabb replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:47PM Permalink
I am grateful FTC is reviewing the coppa law and hope its updated version will be easier for us the small business owners of our channels to implement.
Please consider the fact the law need to be updated so that getting parents cosent via email or site/platform signup is possible, such change will be easy for youtube to implement.
Many creators need the target ad revenue to have incentives to continue their program channels and 1 person operation should not be subjected to the same kind of punishment that is meant to dish out to a giant corperation.
Behzad Khan replied on Nov 23, 2019 4:48PM Permalink
Thank you FTC for showing creators precisely what is happening.
That milt gacha replied on Nov 23, 2019 5:08PM Permalink
So if we mark our content as not for kids will we receive a penalty?
Haven Kessler replied on Nov 23, 2019 5:22PM Permalink
I understand that COPPA is going under affect and is used to protect children under the age of 13 but that's what YouTube Kids was made for and it protects children that can't make a Google account. YouTube its self is made for 13+ hense that's why you have to make a Google Account. I think COPPA is a bad idea because when a creator makes content they have to make thumbnail relating to their video hense most of the content on YouTube has got some sort cartoon character or celebrities or game affiliated with but the content is made for mainly young adults and kids of age 13+ with a parents permission. YouTube is a job and most of the content creators are make a living off of making videos and if the law goes into affect, people are at risk of losing millions of dollars and could potentially lose their jobs over not saying whether the videos they are intended for children or not. I feel like charging someone $42,000 per video, if they do not comply with this new law is a little bit excessive, because that's a YouTuber's yearly salary.
ok boomer replied on Nov 23, 2019 5:40PM Permalink
this is just a money grab put fines on content creators
Raymond F. Muench replied on Nov 23, 2019 5:57PM Permalink
I find the distinctions indistinct. If one says, It's not intended for children even if no salacious content is included, is one liable for fines if a child watches (for example) a show about animals and an animal is hurt, and a child watching this is upset? When are parents and guardians of children to be held responsible rather than the creato of a nature show. Is the shows creator held harmless if there is a disclaimer at the start? Maybe even newscast or news conference should begin with a like disclaimer as much of that content is incendiary, disingenuous, and vacuous. This is overreach.
Your going to make so many people homeless....your going to blame innocent people.... Your going sfter the wrong people...
Many peoples lives will be affected if you do this please reconsider
Yes, all my videos are for children also
Hello I don’t get if my channe is made for kids or not I read the rules but I don’t unsterdend them can y’all explain them please
Ryan replied on Nov 23, 2019 6:53PM Permalink
You’re basically destroying YouTube which could make 25 million people go homeless, plus it’s not YouTubes fault because kids are watching YouTube It’s more of the parents fault For letting them use.It to please I tell you please stop this or else open the rules up so it’s not so strict.By the way you know your are making yourself look like a fool.So please stop this I know YouTube downloaded data on children but it was an accident.Remember this and really mean it every person makes a mistake, No matter how smart or dum, making mistakes is how us as humans learn.
Xo Lulu Xo replied on Nov 23, 2019 6:54PM Permalink
What about YouTube kids?
I believe that what you are doing is wrong, YouTube is a social media where people can make money off of videos for a living based on what each channel on there is made for, for the entertainment of others, where people can learn things, and what is going on in the world. Youtube is fine how it is, if there's anotherthing you can change is Youtube kids, YouTube kids is for more safer use, Google needs shut down on gathering data to PREVENT taking advantage of COPPA and come up with the policey to restrict the children under the age of 14 year old. You can't change the entire YouTube media in a well-organized society because of what people do for a living, age restrictions before signing in youtube is a better solution, make YouTube kids into something new and shut down its collecting. Do what is best for everyone so they can make living today
Coppa fails to recognize that model train, Disney, and the high end toy markets are directed to adult customers and that parents should be responsible for what they children watch on YouTube.
This is causing great concern for both the creators and users of YouTube tutorials for things like face painting and balloon twisting. Either YouTube is trying to ditch these creators or they are not appropriately setting up options. From the explanation you provide it sounds like these creators could be given an educational type and YouTube could then apply appropriate ads to those sites. It needs to be clear who is creating the confusion. I don’t know a single balloon artist or face painter who could afford a $42,000 fine.
What if youtubers videos are made for children and teenagers as well?
As a content creator, of the smaller kind. I wish for COPPA to have YouTube make an all adults type of thing so not all content gets to disappear. Please dont take what some of us grew up with away. Please
Name cus Name. replied on Nov 25, 2019 1:43PM Permalink
Agree. They must also consider gender, according to studies Girls become teenagers at the age of 11-13 while boys are 13-14. Also THEY MUST consider age is not the mind. I wasnt childish after 3 yet was my brother, while some of my realitives say that they were so childish until 12 as well.
rubieredbegonia replied on Nov 23, 2019 9:01PM Permalink
The responsibility is solely on the shoulders of the youtube content creators. So, do the content creators siphon off the data belonging to children? Do they mine the IP addresses? No, Youtube does. Yet, the responsibility and blame is on the content creators instead of the platform that takes advantage of the cookies and profits from it. Though this is moot. Children shouldn't even be on Youtube. The apps are for 17+ and to even have a Youtube or Google account, the owner has to be 13+. So, children under 13 on the platform are in violation. The owners of those accounts that allow their children to watch content on Youtube are in violation and should have their accounts removed. End of story. Get rid of the children. They are a liability to our entertainment. Youtube is not a babysitting service. That's what Youtube Kids is for.
YouTube is also not a babysitting service for creators. Every single person, creators or not, has an individual responsibility to comply with laws. YouTube is simply providing creators with the tools they need to comply with this particular law. And no one is blaming the creators or putting the sole responsibility on them. As a matter of fact, YouTube is doing all these changes, that help creators to comply with COPPA, free of charge.
No replied on Dec 14, 2019 12:17PM Permalink
Tell that to the $42,000 fine on content creators
I think you shouldn’t do it and just have kid go on YouTube kids
Ciearria Hunter replied on Nov 23, 2019 9:38PM Permalink
I and many other channels are concerned about COPPA effecting our content. We are doing videos with an app called Gacha Life. We make lots of skits and music videos among various different things. We show our arts if some choose to do so, but we are concerned because our content might catch the eye of children even though most of us aren't intending our audience to be children and put "13+" along side some videos. I just wanted to state this because we range in different ages.
I also have a question, how does coppa effect others who aren't getting paid for videos. Does it effect them the same or is there a difference. Please let me know and others cause this would be a big help to possibly calm down the panic going across YouTube and in the communities.
Concerned Observer replied on Nov 23, 2019 10:21PM Permalink
The one who will be enforcing the Rule is YouTube and not the FTC, correct? YouTube plans to use their algorithm to enforce whether a video is “for kids” or not. This algorithm has not proven to be reliable and I fear that many channels that should not apply to COPPA will be incorrectly categorized as such. I hope that the FTC can find a way to prevent what will most likely become the senseless massacre of many innocent content creators.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of children under 13. The FTC enforces the law through the COPPA Rule.
Infamous Stupidity replied on Nov 23, 2019 10:31PM Permalink
If I play video games that look cartoony or fun but I swear whilst recording such games will it be for Adult content or Kids content
Derek Kidd replied on Nov 23, 2019 10:33PM Permalink
This is not going to be good for creators! Please reevaluate this and think of the creators point of view on this!
WingedLady replied on Nov 23, 2019 10:36PM Permalink
I'm still feeling a vagueness to the explanation of what constitutes a violation of the COPPA rules. I have mostly cute videos of my cats, but never intended it for children. Though, the videos would certainly be enjoyable for all ages. I have no advertising or monetization on my videos. How do the COPPA rules apply to channels like mine, where there are cat and gardening videos, just for fun, but no monetization?
Kaylee replied on Nov 23, 2019 10:55PM Permalink
Is Gacha considered for kids? Cause I use the app to generate a character to use for animations and I’m still lost on if it’s considered for kids or not. Also, do us as content creators get fined for marking our videos wrongly or just for having our videos marked as for kids?
Colleen replied on Nov 23, 2019 11:11PM Permalink
I wanna say that many youtubers that work for youtube for a living, that it makes others happy with whatever content they create that appeals to younger or older audiences. With so much bad things in the world youtubers help make content that's not only entertaining but to help cope with harsh realities, cause I like watching them making others laugh and laughter is best medicine.
I am extremely worried about the new changes regarding the new ruling on you tube videos in respect of the COPPA regulations. Firstly, I cannot see how it will work in real life, as many subjects could be seen as ‘child appealing’, such as sport, trains, motor cars, etc. Children are curious beings and want to learn. The animation content of a video would be a flag that it is directed to children, but I know a musician who uses the medium of animation. In his videos to express subjects such as terrorism, a woman losing her whole family in a mass shooting, and the tragic death of a loved one. How is he supposed to mark those videos? They are cartoons but the subject matter is definitely not for children.
However, my main concern is in relation to ‘subject mater’ which may be directed or appealing to children. My passion is art and adult colouring. I watch adult colouring videos on you tube every day- a lot of them being live-streams where quite often the same people will meet up in chat and interact. Most people who take up adult colouring do it for stress relief. There are many video creators and viewers in this colouring community who suffer with anxiety and depression, and or chronic pain and illnesses. Some of these people are housebound and the only connection they have with the outside world is through the people they meet on livestream chat or through the comments on videos. They have made friendships from all over the globe with likeminded people with the same passion in adult colouring. This is their lifeline everyday. I have heard a lot of of people say that adult colouring and the friends they have met through you tube have saved them. We are now obviously worried, as colouring is the subject matter, which I guess traditionally is seen as a child’s activity. These videos are definitely not for children though, as the creators and people in chat talk about adult issues, including a lot about anxiety and depression, and dealing with chronic pain. If creators mark their videos ‘for children’, then in most cases this is inaccurate because of the subject matter talked about, and the social interaction which is one of the main things in the colouring community, would be completely irradiated with the removal of comments and chat, so there will be no point anymore in creators making videos. However, if the videos are marked ‘for adults’, then the creators will be constantly worried that their videos will be flagged, and that they will receive a life damaging fine. There has already been many creators who have removed all their colouring videos, and some have already completely closed their channel as they cannot deal with the worry and confusion over the uncertain rules. A lot of these creators are disabled, on low incomes and have said that they cannot subject their families to this possible financial ruin. Most of the creators already suffer with anxiety and depression, and this is just too much for them. People are leaving in droves. For the people who watch the videos and interact on a daily basis will lose the thing that keeps them going. To be honest, it is not an exaggeration to say that I can see some people taking their own lives over this ruling.
So, I respectively ask that this ruling be reconsidered, and this utter madness be stopped. It is up to parents to monitor their children, not for the blame to fall on video creators. This is very serious.
Thank you for your time in reading this comment.
Louise Davies, Reading, United Kingdom
Once again adults who don’t understand the internet making laws because parents don’t know what their kids are doing on the internet
Edward replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:12AM Permalink
YouTube channels are an important source of income for many YouTubers. This new law will cause many people to lose their jobs, and their passions. YouTube also plays an important role in review videos, many of which seem to be directed towards kids, but are actually directed towards adults.
Matt replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:21AM Permalink
COPPA is on the overbearing side of things for three reasons.
1) There are a wide variety of audiences. Many channels with more mature audiences in mind (e.g. tutorial channels for fixing things, gameplay channels, comedy channels, music channels) will likely be taken down.
2) Children will eventually grow out of the channels tailored towards said children and become part of the more mature audiences. Which means another audience lost.
3) If child-friendly is the intention, it would be wiser to make a secondary video streaming website that only has child-friendly content in mind. Youtube has always been fun for the masses, and this development has caused a tremendous amount of backlash.
Things will continuously get worse. As more people take the fall, so will Youtube. Until there is nothing left but a one-generation audience. And after that, no more generations will stick around to even view a video.
My videos are uploaded for everyone not only chile if any persons are like my videos
Min Yu replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:25AM Permalink
i can't do this anymore. i am okay with certain channels being taken out like toy review channels but not this.
Jamie replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:36AM Permalink
YouTube shouldn’t need to be directed to kids. Not all animated doesn’t have to kids at all. They are animated that are pg-13 and R rated. You do realize. YouTube is been doing it over decades. You change that. Over 60 percent of channels will go against you FTC and COPPA. You still don’t understand anything. You are extremely out of touch. That is reality.
BrianLyons315 replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:46AM Permalink
This is wrong, this so wrong. The FTC is not helping anything, all they're doing is trying to ruin lives and crush dreams and COPPA is only going to make it worse. So what I'm asking for is that the FTC withdrawal from YouTube and #RepealCOPPA.
Steven Phares replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:53AM Permalink
This rule is too vague. If I post a video from an amusement park like Disney, of course that is going to appeal to kids yet my channel is not geared towards kids. There should be a general audience section for family-friendly content as well. Honestly, the REAL way to prevent all of this is to force companies like YouTube to force you to sign in to an account to watch content, that way age can already be established and it now falls on the parents. There is an easier way, companies like YouTube just choose to punish the small creators like us because they screwed up! I am sure the FTC can find a way to remedy this.
Brian replied on Nov 24, 2019 12:58AM Permalink
I am an ADULT toy collector, I play video games, I love pop culture. I watch YouTube videos that cover topics and hobbies that I'm truly passionate about. These videos are targeted towards us nerds that are adults that enjoy are hobbies. You are taking away our ability to come together and discuss are hobbies and interests with like-minded individuals. It may come as a shocker that probably more adults spend more money on toys than kids. How about parents actually do their job and monitor what their kids are doing instead of the government feeling as though they need to be the parents.
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Progress in a Phase I Clinical Trial in the United States of the anti-cancer agent “FF-21101”
Tumor uptake of antibody “FF-21101” confirmed by imaging of advanced solid cancer patients
Expectation to treat diseases with radiation from “FF-21101”
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) is announcing the progress in a Phase I clinical trial of radioimmunotherapeutic anti-cancer agent FF-21101 in the United States in patients with advanced solid cancers. In imaging, tumor uptake of antibody FF-21101 was demonstrated in administered patients. Taking these results, it is expected to treat diseases with emission from the radiolabeled antibody. Fujifilm will proceed with the clinical trial and evaluate FF-21101 as an anti-cancer agent.
FF-21101 is an anti-cancer agent consisting of a radioisotope labeled antibody (armed antibody*), and uses radiation emitted by the radioisotope to directly attack cancer cells. This is why it is expected to have a higher level of efficacy, regardless of the state of patient's immune system. In addition, its accumulation in cancer tissue can be confirmed by imaging with an administration of antibodies labeled with a radioisotope. To date, tumor uptake of antibody was demonstrated in 3 of 4 patients who have undergone imaging with an administration of radiolabeled FF-21101.
These results were presented on June 27th at the World Innovative Networking in Personalized Cancer Medicine Symposium 2016 (Paris, France) by principal investigator, Vivek Subbiah MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center** (MD Anderson Cancer Center, hereafter), Houston, TX, USA.
Fujifilm has organized the technologies of its Group companies to develop FF-21101. The bio-venture, Perseus Proteomics, has contributed to antibody drug discovery, while the biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, has taken charge of antibody production. The radiopharmaceutical company, FUJIFILM RI Pharma, utilized its technology for developing the diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.
Fujifilm initiated the Phase I clinical trial of radiolabeled FF-21101 in patients with advanced solid cancers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States, one of the world's most distinguished facilities for cancer research and treatment, in January 2016. In this trial, FF-21101(111In), antibodies labeled with Indium-111***, were administered prior to therapy and its biodistribution to normal and cancerous tissues were visualized and quantified by imaging procedures. In addition, for safety estimation in advance, radiation absorbed doses of Yttrium-90*4 in organs were calculated from these data, after which, patients were moved on to the therapeutic dosing of FF-21101(90Y), antibodies labeled with Yttrium-90.
Although the trial is still underway, preliminary observations include:
---Imaging revealed tumor uptake in 3 of 4 patients administered FF-21101(111In).
---FF-21101 was well tolerated in all patients who went on to receive the therapeutic dose of FF-21101(90Y).
Fujifilm will continue the study to further evaluate tolerability and efficacy in multiple advanced solid tumors at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and will move on to the phase IIa study.
Fujifilm is working on the R&D of innovative pharmaceutical products and creation of their production processes by combining the technologies and know-how accumulated in the photographic film business including analysis technology, nanotechnology, and production technology, with the technological expertise of its core pharmaceutical affiliates such as Toyama Chemical. Defining “oncology”, a field with numerous unmet medical needs as its focal area, the company will actively promote R&D to expand business deployment and supply innovative pharmaceutical products so as to contribute to resolving challenges social issues.
*Armed antibody: Antibody conjugated with toxin or radioisotope via a chemical linker. It is expected to have a potent anti-tumor effect.
**One of the world's largest cancer centers based in Houston. Texas (USA), specializing in cancer treatment, research, education and prevention. It was established in 1941 with a mission to eliminate cancer. Under the core values of “Caring”, “Integrity” and “Discovery”, the Center has developed numerous new cancer treatments and is as an international leader in oncology.
***A radioisotope which emits gamma rays appropriate for imaging. Its physical half-life is, approximately 67 hours.
*4A radioisotope which emits beta particle radiation with a range of 5 mm in human body, appropriate for treatment. Its physical half-life is, approximately 64 hours.
About anti-cancer agent FF-21101:
FF-21101 uses antibodies that target P-cadherin*5, which is overexpressed on the surface of solid cancer cells, including lung, pancreatic and colon cancers, and is implicated in tumor growth and cancer metastasis. For the clinical application of FF-21101, tumor uptake will be confirmed in patients administered antibodies radiolabeled with emitter, such as Indium-111 or other radioisotopes. Antibodies labeled with Yttrium-90 namely FF-21101(90Y), will be subsequently administered and directly attacks cancer cells by radiation emitted from the 90Y radioisotope. FF-21101 is expected to be more effective than therapy using the P-cadherin targeted antibody without the 90Y. In animal testing, it has already demonstrated a high efficacy in shrinking human tumors implanted in mice.
*5A cell surface protein which plays an important role in cell adhesion.
For inquiries on information in this media release, contact:
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Home > Middle East News > Turkey
Turkey's Erdogan Attacks French Manifest Denouncing anti-Semitic References in Quran
Erdogan describes the group that includes actor Gerard Depardieu and former president Nicolas Sarkozy as 'despicable,' accuses them of attacking scriptures sacred to Muslims
Send me email alerts for new articles by The Associated Press
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ankara, May 8, 2018ADEM ALTAN/AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted angrily to a group of some 300 well-known French personalities who urged prominent Muslims to denounce anti-Jewish and anti-Christian references in the Quran.
Addressing a ruling party meeting on Tuesday, Erdogan described the group that includes actor Gerard Depardieu, singer Charles Aznavour and former president Nicolas Sarkozy, as "despicable" and accused them of attacking scriptures sacred to Muslims.
The group signed a manifesto which was published in Le Parisien newspaper last month. The statement urged Muslims to denounce some references so "no believer can refer to a holy text to commit a crime."
The publication of the manifesto followed the recent murderof 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll, which prompted a march against anti-Semitism in Paris.
Erdogan suggested other holy books had controversial references, saying: "If they had read it, they would probably ask for the Bible to be banned but they have no such concern."
Turkey to carry out new military operations after Syria offensives, Erdogan says
The woman trying to oust Erdogan picks up steam
Revealed: The four articles that got Wikipedia banned in Turkey
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Making America Great Through Exploitation, Servitude and Abuse
By Prof. James Petras
Global Research, February 09, 2018
Theme: Law and Justice, Police State & Civil Rights, Poverty & Social Inequality
The public denunciation by thousands of women and a few men that they had been victims of sexual abuse by their economic bosses raises fundamental issues about the social relations of American capitalism.
The moral offenses are in essence economic and social crimes. Sexual abuse is only one aspect of the social dynamics facilitating the increase in inequality and concentration of wealth, which define the practices and values of the American political and economic system.
Billionaires and mega-millionaires are themselves the products of intense exploitation of tens of millions of isolated and unorganized wage and salaried workers. Capitalist exploitation is based on a rigid hierarchy with its private prerogatives, which enables the oligarchs to demand their feudal privileges, their seigniorial sexual predations.
US capitalism thrives on and requires unlimited power and the capacity to have the public treasury pay for its untrammeled pillage of land, labor, transport systems and technological development. Capitalist power, in the United States , has no counterpart; there are few if any countervailing forces to provide any balance.
Today, 93% of US private sector workers have no organized representation. Moreover, many of the 7% who are in unions are controlled and exploited by their corrupt union officials – in league with the bosses.
This concentration of power produces the ever deepening inequalities between the world of the billionaires and the millions of low-wage workers.
The much-celebrated technological innovations have been subsidized by the state and its educational and research institutions. Although these are financed by the tax-payers, the citizen-workers are marginalized by the technological changes, like robotics, that they originally funded. High tech innovations flourish because they concentrate power, profits and private privilege.
The hierarchical matrix of power and exploitation has led to the polarization of mortality rates and moral codes. For the working poor, the absence of competent health care has led to the massive use and abuse of prescription opioids and other addictive drugs. For the upper class, it has led to the flagrant physical and psychological abuse of vulnerable employees, especially, but not exclusively young working women. The prestigious bourgeois media blur the class polarization by constant reference to what they term ‘our shared traditional democratic values.’
The pervasive and growing vulnerability of workers of both sexes coincides with the incorporation of the latest technological innovations in production, distribution and promotion. This includes electronic and digital advances, artificial intelligence, robotics and extensive surveillance on workers, which incorporate high profits for the investors and long hours of demeaning monotonous work for those who manufacture and transport the ‘products’.
The proliferation of new technology has grown in direct relation with the abject debasement of labor and the marginalization and trivialization of workers. Amazon and Walmart approach trillions of dollars in revenue from mass consumption, even as the Chaplinesque speed-up of robotized humans race to fill the overnight delivery orders. The entertainment industry amuses the population across class lines with increasingly vulgar and violent offerings, while the moguls of film entertain themselves with their young workers – who are depersonalized and even raped.
The more egregious immorality exposes itself one time too often and is condemned, while the victims are temporality lionized for their courage to protest. The worst predators apologize, resign to their yachts and mansions and are replaced by new avatars with the same power and structures in place which had facilitated the abuse. Politicians rush to embrace the victims in a kind of political and media ‘Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy’ when one considers their own role as enablers of this dehumanization.
The problem is not merely corrupt and perverted individual miscreants: It is the hierarchy of inequality which produces and reproduces an endless supply of vulnerable workers to exploit and abuse.
The most advanced forms of entertainment thrive in an environment of absolute impunity in which the occasional exposé of abuse or corruption is hidden behind a monetary settlement. The courage of an individual victim able to secure public attention is a step forward, but will have greater significance if it is organized and linked to a massive challenging of the power of the bourgeois entertainment industry and the system of high tech exploitation. Sexual abuse of an individual in the workplace is just part of a chain that begins with exploitation of workers in general and can only be stopped through collective worker organization.
Can anyone say with a straight face that the US remains a nation of free and autonomous citizens? Servitude and moral degradation are the outcome of an atomized, impotent laboring class who may change one boss for another or one vulgar president for a moralizing hypocrite. We hope that the exposés will start something but without class conscious organizations we don’t know what will arise.
Copyright © Prof. James Petras, Global Research, 2018
Articles by: Prof. James Petras
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Press release / Oct. 15, 2019
Global witness joins NGOs to urge the EU to stop deforestation
Tweet Share Forests European Union DONATE
The European Commission Communication “Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests”, published on 23rd July 2019, is a welcome step forward in the fight against global deforestation. As a major importer of agricultural commodities associated with deforestation, the Commission acknowledges the EU’s responsibility to address environmental destruction and protection of human rights, proposing five different options.
Global Witness, with a coalition of environmental NGOs advocating for the protection of world’s forests, has put together a briefing that lays out a set of measures including the implementation of a new legislation that would regulate companies and financial institutions to tackle their role in global deforestation and therefore reduce EU’s footprint on the world’s natural ecosystems.
What we are calling for:
1. The adoption of new legislation that requires companies to conduct due diligence throughout their entire supply chain in order to identify, prevent, and mitigate environmental, social and human rights risks and impacts
Supply chains linked to the EU market must be sustainable, free from deforestation, forest degradation and conversion or degradation of natural ecosystems and comply with international standards and obligations on human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
2. The introduction of due diligence requirements on financial institutions to identify, prevent, and mitigate environmental, social and human rights impacts
Ensure that the EU finance and banking sectors are neither directly nor indirectly linked to deforestation, forest degradation, conversion or degradation of natural ecosystems or human rights violations.
3. The strengthening of cooperation with producer and other consumer countries to address deforestation, forest degradation and conversion or degradation of natural ecosystems and related human rights violations.
Ensure consistency of EU trade policy with these objectives: the EU must guarantee the protection and restoration of forests and other natural ecosystems whilst defending human rights, ensuring good land governance, supporting local livelihoods and maintaining the cultural integrity of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and smallholders.
4. The improvement of existing policy measures and their coherence: better implementation of existing legislation is needed but also improved coherence to ensure EU policies do not create negative incentives for the environment or people.
5. The implementation of the EU’s and/or its Member States’ international commitments: the EU should live up to all of its social and environmental commitments including on climate, biodiversity and human rights, and drive the global agenda on these issues.
6. The drastic reduction of negative impacts of the EU food system on forests and other ecosystems: EU Action should create new incentives to promote sustainable food systems and diets. This includes reducing waste and pressure on the global food system stemming from EU consumption.
Please click here for the full briefing.
/ ENDS
Giulia Bondi, Forests Campaigner
European UnionPress release
Huge call for EU human rights and environmental due diligence legislation
Global Witness and others call on the European Commission to bring forward corporate accountability legislation.
ForestsPress release
Ten European companies could be importing illegal Congo timber worth millions to the EU, new Global Witness investigation reveals
As well as wreaking havoc on climate-critical rainforests, this could be a direct breach of the European Union Timber Regulation.
Revealed: major banks and investors including Barclays, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock are pouring money into global forest destruction
A truly global picture of major financial players driving $44 billion into companies involved in deforestation
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Glossophilia
1. n. The love of language
Yanks vs. Brits
Glosso’s got the gaffes
Ask Glosso
The dying art of shorthand
In one of my first jobs after college, as secretary to the then managing director of Novello & Co, George Rizza (a distinguished bewhiskered gentleman), I was often called on to take dictation. With my legs crossed and tucked politely under my chair, a note-pad on my knee and sharpened pencil in hand, I’d focus my eyes on the blank lines before me, poised to capture the words about to spill from my boss’s mouth. After a few moments of pregnant silence, like the pause before the shot of a starting pistol, George Rizza would nod with a smile in my direction, then begin to talk fluidly and eloquently as though the intended recipient of his letter were in the room with him — more often than not a composer whose new work was about to be unveiled. I would scribble furiously, my heart pounding in my chest as I took each syllable that reached my ear and allowed it to pass like a code through the audio, mental and nervous flowcharts of my brain and down into my hand, instantly parsing the information and depositing it on the page as a symbol representing the phonetic ‘chunk’ that had reverberated on my eardrum just a split-second earlier. Over the course of a ten-minute dictation, Rizza’s well-considered words transformed themselves through my seated form from a barrage of sounds and syllables into a picture of pencil-lead marks, most of which were decipherable only by me.
As the longed-for final four phonemes arrived at my ear — yaw – sin – seer – lee, my head and hand flushing with relief — I would rush from my chair with as much grace as I could muster in my haste. Back at my desk just a few steps and seconds away, I would begin the process — sometimes exhilarating, sometimes exasperating — of transcribing my scribble back into the meaningful and elegant prose that had issued from Mr. Rizza’s mind.
I had emerged a few years earlier with flying fingers from a three-month course at the Anne Godden Secretarial School in London, clutching a diploma declaring my typing and shorthand speeds: 100 and 150 words per minute respectively. Young Englishwomen seeking secretarial positions in the early to mid-1980s were expected to have respectable shorthand and typing speeds, given the traditionally underwhelming hunt-and-peck typing skills of their (usually male) prospective bosses. As was the trend in England at that time, I was trained in the Pitman method of stenography. (Stenography, meaning to write in shorthand form, comes from the Greek word stenos meaning “narrow” and graphē or graphie meaning “writing”.) Developed by Sir Isaac Pitman in the early 19th century, his is a phonetic system in which sounds rather than letters are represented — consonants by straight and semi-circular strokes in different hefts and orientations, and vowels (when needed) by dots, dashes and other marks. By the end of the 20th century, Pitman’s was the most widely used method around the world — it has been adapted for no less than 15 languages. Although still ubiquitous, especially in the UK, it has been superseded in the U.S. by the Gregg method, which is also phonetic but with more simplified strokes. Nowadays, a third system called Teeline has become the shorthand of choice for teachers of stenography in the UK; unlike Pitman and Gregg, it is a spelling- rather than phonetic-based method, and it is recommended in Great Britain by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Outside the office, shorthand was until very recently an inherent part of the jobs of court reporters or stenographers, journalists, and medical practitioners (although in the latter case, shorthand is more for the purpose of concise, compact recording than for swift transcription). However, with the advent of the stenotype machine in the late 19th century and more recently with the use of high-quality digital audio recordings, the court stenographer has effectively become extinct. (The contract of the last stenographer at the Old Bailey in London was allowed to expire in March 2012.) Add to that the ubiquity of portable personal computers, the universal ability and willingness to type fast, and the abbreviated new lingo of texting and IMing, and it only stands to reason that penned stenography has become something of a dying art. Many journalists still regard it as an inherent part of their trade, and whether it’s by means of Pitman, Teeline, Gregg, or an improvised personal language of one’s own devising, the skill of shorthand will probably endure in some form for as long as there’s a discrepancy between the respective speeds of speech and handwriting.
This entry was posted in Language and tagged Gregg shorthand, Pitman shorthand, shorthand dying art, stenography, taking dictation, Teeline shorthand on April 4, 2013 by Louise.
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One thought on “The dying art of shorthand”
Andrea Chiou April 5, 2013 at 9:03 am
My interest is now in learning to sketch note using drawings and text to capture the essence of what I hear in meetings (granted I have less need of the precision required by journalists or court reporters)
It is fun and engages both sides of the brain!
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Home / Music / Artists / David Diggs / Supercook! (LP)
Supercook! (LP)
https://www.goldlabelartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/60101-David-Diggs-Supercook.mp3
Top ten Billboard Jazz artist David Diggs follows up his first big band album with “Supercook,” and a nod to Jazz Rock styles, as well as more standard Big Band genres. The album features noted studio musician and Jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, as well as Latin Jazz trumpeter and educator, Bobby Rodriguez. Also featured on tenor sax is prolific Big Band arranger from Southern California, Tom Kubis, who penned the title with his reference to David’s work. Diggs slows it down with “She’s Mine and She’s Beautiful,” a beautiful ballad composed for his wife, Diane.
Supercook! (LP) quantity
SKU: 60111 Categories: David Diggs, Jazz/Great American Songbook, Staff Picks, Vinyl Tags: 1974, CD
Chew Baby, Chew!
My Gift to You
Instant Joy
She’s Mine and She’s Beautiful
The Red Balloon
Reiteration
Composed, Arranged & Produced by: David Diggs
David Diggs
A melodic imagination and an extensive education in arranging, composition, orchestration, and conducting have carried David Diggs to the heights of Jazz artistry and to the top of the Jazz charts. David lets his music speak for itself, making a strong, upbeat statement on the 18-song CD Jazzwerk, which includes all 12 songs from his latest surround sound DVD-Audio, Eklektrik, released by 5.1 Entertainment/Silverline Records.
With a unique blend of instrumentation – a mixture of Jazz and Rhythm & Blues, Diggs brings a dimension of ‘blue-eyed soul’ to his music. With synthesizers and strings, and some of the top musicians in Los Angeles, David’s albums get right to the point with unrestrained creativity, illustrating why both CASH BOX and BILLBOARD rated him one of the top three New Jazz Artists in 1985.
Tired of playing pots, pans and a ukulele during his childhood in Fort Knox, Kentucky, David began formal piano training at age six. He was part of a band in high school, later moving to Los Angeles to intensify his musical studies. With support from his parents, David began lessons in arranging, composition, conducting, and film scoring, eventually incorporating computers into his musical arsenal.
Under the influence of Michel Legrand, Bob James, Claus Ogerman and Quincy Jones, Diggs polished his arranging and producing talents, which were eventually featured on projects by Pat & Debby Boone, Irene Cara, Richie Furay, The Brothers Johnson, Jonathan Butler, as well as David’s own albums. David’s album Streetshadows was a top ten entry on BILLBOARD’S Jazz Album Chart for 26 weeks. To this list of musical credits, David has added television programs, including The Tonite Show and Midnite Special, Better Homes & Gardens’ 90-minute television special, and feature films, including American International Pictures’ California Dreamin’.
He has produced/arranged several Grammy-nominated albums including the music for Finally Captured by comedian Jonathan Winters.
Inspired by his passion for living, David Diggs’ music is revealing and realistic, unrestrained and upbeat. Up front and honest, Jazzwerk unites David’s old-fashioned heart with a contemporary Jazz sound.
David’s recent album, Black Coffee, features his daughter and lead vocalist, Rachel Diggs. Rachel has enjoyed international success with her song Hands of Time, which has been heard many times on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. Rachel is an amazing singer and composer. Their new collaboration is a smoky, sensual and jazzy collection of time-tested love songs from the American Songbook interpreted through Rachel’s youthful, million-dollar voice, and featuring her father’s impeccable arrangements and lush orchestrations performed by world-class musicians.
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WATCH: Tiger Woods arrives at Bethpage Black, tees it up before PGA Championship
By Pat Ralph
The Masters champ is in the building: Tiger Woods has arrived at the site of golf’s second major tournament of the season.
The 15-time major champ was spotted on Wednesday teeing off from the par-3 3rd hole at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., just a week before the PGA Championship arrives to Long Island. Video of Woods was posted on the Twitter account of Barstool Sports’ @RiggsBarstool.
The Black Course looks magnificent and ready to host the PGA Championship for the first time in its history. But you know what also looks good? Woods on the course for the first time (publicly) since capturing his fifth Masters title last month at Augusta National.
Woods reportedly put both tee shots on the green, including one just seven feet away from the pin. Take a look for yourself:
Per my sources, the Masters champ is at Bethpage and looking GOOD. Stuck both shots on the long par three 3rd, one to 7 feet. Grand slam alert @FrankieDeLuca_ pic.twitter.com/LxeZSL38nK
— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) May 8, 2019
PGA host Bethpage Black has tormented New Yorkers for years (but they keep coming back)
The 81-time PGA Tour winner, ranked 6th in the World, won his second U.S. Open title when the tournament was hosted on the Black Course in 2002. It was Woods’ eighth major title, as he was the only player to finish under par. Woods tied for 6th at the 2009 U.S. Open when it was played at Bethpage Black.
Woods has never won the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year, but his four PGA titles are second only to his five green jackets in terms of major championships won. He did, however, win at Augusta National and Bethpage Black in 2002.
Anchor down! Tiger Woods’ hulking yacht is already docked just miles from PGA Championship site
Given his success at Bethpage and his Masters victory in April, Woods is the odds-on favorite to win the PGA.
He’s slated to play the first two rounds next week alongside Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka, the defending champion of the event. Woods finished second to Koepka at last year’s PGA Championship.
We knew Woods’ yacht arrived on Long Island and was parked not too far from the course last week, but now we know that the biggest name in golf has arrived as well.
To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.
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World Golf Hall of Fame lowers age minimum, opening door for Tiger Woods’ induction in 2021
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Carnoustie’s seven British Open winners
All credit to Champion Golfer of the Year (’99) Paul Lawrie, but looking back at the British Open Championship’s seven previous visits to Carnoustie, one thing becomes clear: it was not meltdown maestro Jean Van de Velde who cheated history in 1999, it was Justin Leonard. If the plucky Texan had prevailed in the four-hole playoff with Lawrie, he’d have fit quite nicely in the Carnoustie pantheon, all of whom not named Paul won multiple majors and at least several of whom were vertically challenged. The 1999 Open would have given the 5’9″ Leonard his second Claret Jug, making him the least accomplished but still impressive Carnoustie conqueror. Here are snapshots of the entire crew.
2007: Padraig Harrington
Stats: 69-73-68-67
Course: 7,361
Majors: 3
Final-round notes: He hit two balls into Barry Burn and double-bogeyed the final hole, leading to a playoff, which he won by one shot.
Hard-luck tale: Sergio Garcia’s lip-out on the 72nd hole would have won it.
Fun fact: He was a certified accountant before turning pro; his longtime caddie, Ronan Flood, married the sister of Padraig’s wife.
Legacy: He and his son—another “Paddy”—finished T16 at last year’s PNC Father Son Challenge.
1999: Paul Lawrie
Final-round notes: He started 10 shots back, the largest deficit for a major or a PGA Tour event winner.
Hard-luck tale: See encyclopedia entry “Jean Van de Velde.” Also, needing a birdie on the final playoff hole, Justin Leonard hit his approach into the water and made bogey.
Fun fact: He never held a share of the lead until after he finished play.
Legacy: The Paul Lawrie Match Play on the European Tour (2015 to 2017).
1975: Tom Watson
“Huckleberry Dillinger”
Final-round notes: Won in the Open’s last 18-hole playoff with a two-putt par.
Hard-luck tale: With a chance to tie or win on the 72nd, Johnny Miller failed to escape a fairway bunker.
Fun fact: He’d never played a links course before that week.
Legacy: Named an honorary member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in 1999.
PA Images via Getty Images
1968: Gary Player
Final-round notes: Hit a 3-wood over the Spectacles on 14 to a foot to set up an eagle.
Hard-luck tale: Billy Casper held the 54-hole lead but shot 78, lowlighted by a 6 at the 14th.
Fun fact: At the time, it was the longest course in Open history. Player had only two three-putts the entire week.
Legacy: Among a slew of businesses, Gary Player Stud Farm stands out.
1953: Ben Hogan
“The Wee Icemon”
Final-round notes: He chipped in at No. 5 for birdie; he had the flu.
Hard-luck tale: Roberto De Vicenzo shared the 54-hole lead, but he went O.B. on the ninth in the final round and fell to sixth.
Fun fact: In ’53, Hogan won five of the six events he entered. This was his only Open appearance.
Legacy: Ben Hogan golf clubs; the Hogan Bridge at Augusta; Five Fundamentals; Hogan’s Alley(s)…
1937: Henry Cotton
Final-round notes: Almost cancelled by downpours and flooding.
Hard-luck tale: In the finale, Sam Snead shot 76 and Denny Shute and Henry Picard were in the 80s.
Fun fact: Drove a Rolls Royce.
Legacy: The Dunlap 65 ball was named for his then-record 65 in the 1934 Open.
1931: Tommy Armour
“The Silver Scot”
Course: 6,410 yards
Final-round notes: Came back from five down.
Hard-luck tale: Jose Jurado thought he needed a five to tie on the 72nd. He got the five—but he needed a four.
Fun fact: A poor putter, Armour coined the term “yips.”
Legacy: Tommy Armour Golf Clubs were relaunched this year; grandfather of two-time Tour winner Tommy Armour III.
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Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
Photos from the 2015 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, including Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Lydia Ko.
Michelle Wie waits to hit a shot on the eighth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Michelle Wie lines up a putt on the eighth green during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Paula Creamer waves to the gallery after sinking a putt on the eighth green during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Azahara Munoz, Paula Creamer, Inbee Park
(L-R) Azahara Munoz of Spain, Paula Creamer and Inbee Park of South Korea play the eighth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Azahara Munoz of Spain, Inbee Park of South Korea and Paula Creamer play the eighth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Ariya Jutanugarn
A beachgoer looks on as Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand hits a shot on the eighth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
A beachgoer looks on as Inbee Park on South Korea walks down the eighth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko of New Zealand reacts after her caddie, Jason Gilroy, was presented with the Rolex World Rankings number one caddie bib during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jessica Korda
Jessica Korda walks off the course after a rain storm forced the round to be stopped during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Suzann Pettersen of Norway takes cover under an umbrella during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 5, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Jessica Korda walk to the fourth tee during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Suzann Pettersen of Norway hit a tee shot on the seventh hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Lexi Thompson lines up a putt on the sixth hole during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jessica Korda walks to the second tee during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Stacy Lewis walks to the fourth tee during round one of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Mika Miyazato
Mika Miyazato of Japan putts the ball on the eighth green during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Mika Miyazato of Japan lines up a putt on the eighth green during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko of New Zealand hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 6, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Natalie Gulbis hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Paula Creamer hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Michelle Wie hits a shot on the seventh hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Inbee Park of South Korea hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Michelle Wie hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Paula Creamer walks to the fourth tee during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Ai Miyazato of Japan hits a tee shot on the third hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Sandra Gal of Germany hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during round two of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 7, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jenny Shin
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Jenny Shin hits a tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Brooke Pancake
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Brooke Pancake hits a tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Sun Young Yoo
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Sun Young Yoo of South Korea prepares to hit a tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand prepares to hit a tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Ai Miyazato of Japan hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Inbee Park of South Korea hits a tee shot on the eighth hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Stacy Lewis reacts to a shot during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Sun Young Yoo plays a shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Sei Young Kim
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Sei Young Kim of South Korea walks onto the 18th green during the final round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Sei Young Kim of South Korea poses with the trophy after winning the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY 08: Sei Young Kim of South Korea kisses the trophy after winning the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club course on February 8, 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Tiger Woods final round 2018 Tour Championship
Tiger Woods winning the 2018 Tour Championship. Images from the course by Mercer Baggs.
2020 LPGA winners
Images of winners on the LPGA tour during the 2020 season.
Best of: Pete Dye-designed golf courses
Here's a look at some of Pete Dye's best and most-notable golf courses.
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Home / About / News / Greater appoints Scott Morgan as CEO
Author: Craig Eardley
Greater appoints Scott Morgan as CEO
Greater farewells CEO Don Magin Don Magin will step down as CEO of the Greater Building Society today (Friday August 22) after almost 28 years service, including six and a half ... Greater echoes COBA calls for real change from FSI COBA today released its second submission to the Financial System Inquiry, and The Greater Building Society supported the submission's call for a ... Hunter young people judged emerging leaders Two Newcastle-based Greater Building Society staff members have been recognised as emerging leaders nationally and internationally.
The Greater Building Society has today appointed a new CEO.
Scott Morgan replaces Don Magin who stepped down last month after more than six years in the role.
Mr Morgan is The Greater’s chief risk officer and a member of The Greater executive team.
Greater chairman Wayne Russell said the Board took the time to go through an exhaustive national search but found Mr Morgan to be the best candidate for the role.
Mr Russell said Mr Morgan had the right balance of knowledge of The Greater as well as external experience to lead The Greater as it continued to meet customers’ changing needs and provide much needed competition to the major banks.
“Scott has very strong risk management and financial management skills and he is passionate about innovation and process improvement to benefit customers and staff,” Mr Russell said.
He said Mr Morgan will be well supported by deputy CEO Greg Taylor, who has more than 35 years experience with The Greater.
“We have an outstanding team in Scott and Greg who will continue to ensure The Greater is a strong, well managed financial institution that always puts customers first,” he said.
“They will be focussed on ensuring The Greater continues to evolve as a major financial institution offering a greater way of banking for people in regional areas.”
Mr Morgan has worked for The Greater for more than seven years and was appointed to The Greater’s executive by Mr Magin when he became CEO. Prior to that, he worked for more than six years as a senior manager at PwC Australia.
He has a Masters in Risk Management from The University of NSW and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Mr Morgan lives in Newcastle with his wife and child.
Scott Morgan
Wayne Russell
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New Suicide Bereavement Service
Nov 28, 2019 | News archive
A new service to support people bereaved or affected by suicide goes live on Monday (2 December) across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. The service is a response to the fact that people bereaved by suicide are more likely to suffer from severe depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or even adopt suicidal behaviours themselves.
The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service will provide support through one to one peer support, peer support groups and advocacy.
The new service, an extension of the Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service, is central to West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s plan to improve bereavement support, while it works to reduce the numbers of suicides too.
Support on offer, which will enhance suicide bereavement support services across the region, will include practical advice and signposting to other much needed services, for example counselling or financial advice.
A number of workshops are running throughout December and are open to all, irrespective of a coroner’s conclusion. People will be able to self-refer to the service or be referred by other people such as funeral directors, police, coroners, or NHS staff across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.
Additional support will also be available to staff affected by suicide in the course of their duties; for example health, social care or emergency service staff. Help will also be available to people who have been bereaved historically yet feel they may benefit from peer led support.
Yorkshire and Humber has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership is driving a collaborative approach to reduce suicide and improve services. It is working towards reducing suicide by 10% across the region and by 75% in targeted areas.
Referrals can be made by visiting www.wyhsbs.org.uk or by calling 0113 305 5800. Practitioners will be based in Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Leeds but meeting locations will be flexible. Support groups will begin in December at the following locations:
Kirklees group: Thursday, 5 December, 6pm-7.30pm at Support to Recovery – S2R CREATE SPACE, Brook Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1EB
Bradford group: Friday, 6 December, 6pm-8pm at Mind in Bradford – KenBurgh House, 28 Manor Row, Bradford BD1 4QU
Calderdale group: Wednesday, 18 December, 6-8pm at Halifax Fire Station, Skircoat Moor Road, King Cross, Halifax, HX1 3JF
Craven group: Wednesday, 18 December, 6-8pm at Settle Victoria Hall, Kirkgate, Settle, BD24 9DZ
Harrogate group: Monday, 9 December, 6pm-8pm at Mind in Harrogate – Acorn Centre, 101A Station Parade, Harrogate HG1 1HB
Wakefield group: Wednesday, 11 December, 6-8pm at Lightwaves Leisure Centre, Lower York St, Wakefield WF1 3LJ
People bereaved by Suicide in Leeds are able to access the linked Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service, funded by Leeds City Council. Referrals can be made by visiting www.LeedsSBS.org.uk or by calling 0113 305 5803. Leeds drop in group is first Tuesday of every month, Civic Hall in Leeds City Centre, 6-8pm.
Rob Webster, CEO Lead for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership and CEO for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘As someone personally affected by suicide, I understand the impact it can have on individuals, families and other people too. This service will provide essential help to those facing one of the hardest issues to face. This is something that I hope becomes less needed as we reduce suicides through our other work to help more people’.
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership focuses on the health and care needs of local people across Bradford District and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. The partnership is made up of a number of organisations who work together to help 2.7 million people in the area including the NHS, councils, Healthwatch, voluntary and community organisations. You can find out more at www.wyhpartnership.co.uk
You can read our Suicide Prevention Strategy and the Annual Report here.
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Former UNC runner keeps pace
Brian Kula is addicted.
One glance at the 28-year-old Greeley West physical education teacher, and it’s obvious.
The guy can’t get it out of his blood.
And we should all be so lucky.
You see, Kula, who looks like he’s been carved from stone, is addicted to competing.He can’t stand to think that somebody might be able to jump farther or run faster than he can.
The truth is that there are those who can – those 10 years younger. And even so, the Adonis-looking Kula is going to make sure you’ll realize the effort it took to hit the tape before he did.
More than a handful of years removed from the University of Northern Colorado track team, Kula is still to be contended with. Give him the opportunity, and he’ll show up looking buff and perform accordingly.Last week, the former Greeley West/UNC standout was more than appreciative for Good Friday.
Sure, he took time to worship, and then he spent the rest of the day leaving a handful of competitors wondering how and why he continues to beat people in the decathlon events.
“I’m too damn competitive to stop,” Kula offered.
He’s also in too good of shape not to compete.
Just try and find some sign of age in Kula. Okay, so maybe the hair is a bit thinning.But even if you look real close, inside his Oakley sunglasses, all you’ll see from his eyes is a glimmer of pride.
Looking for wrinkles? Forget it. How about a scar, the result of an old injury? Nope.Kula exudes desire and dedication, looking like he’s been lifting weights the size of manhole covers.
“I just still feel like I want to compete against these kids before I get too old,” Kula said. “I know I still can in some events.”
Kula’s best decathlon score while at UNC was 7,103. And that may seem like ancient history when he explains that he plans to try and qualify for the U.S. Indoor Heptathlon next year.
His West athletes know how much competing means to him, and are reminded of it every day.
“I still practice with the kids every day,” Kula said. “I mostly do the hurdles and sprints with the kids.”
He’s too polite to mention that rarely does he ever let any of them beat him.
The only thing that keeps Kula from improving in the field events is time.
“This could be the last year that I do this,” he conceded. “It’s actually been four years since I did a decathlon, but I really think it’s even more enjoyable now than before.”To compete at this level is a whole different ballgame,” Kula added. “Honestly, it’s fun.”
– BASEBALL … You have to be an eternal optimist to think that the Bears can still salvage this season. But, with a 2-6 record in North Central Conference, UNC is still in the hunt to participate in the NCC postseason tournament.
Consider this: North Dakota and North Dakota State have yet to play a conference game due to inclement weather.
Minnesota State-Mankato (3-1) and Morningside (6-2) look to be locks for the tournament, but it’s still anybody’s game for the remaining berths with one month left in the season.
The Bears’ overall record of 10-20 is disappointing when you consider the amount of talent in the lineup.
Head coach Terry Hensley is remaining optimistic that the Bears will use the last four weeks to all but redeem themselves after two months of turmoil and losing.
First baseman Brian Pickel, who will be coming off a suspension for violating team rules, is ranked second in the NCC in hits with 38, in doubles with nine and in home runs with seven. Pickel leads the NCC in RBI with 33.
Jase Wagner is the NCC leader in triples with three, and third in runs scored with 32.Staff ace Nathan Bright is second in strikeouts with 50, and in innings pitched with 42.The other bright spot for the Bears against NCC competition has been their defense, ranked fifth with a .944 fielding percentage.
– RAFFLE … The UNC Reverse Raffle Drawing is scheduled for Aug. 18 at the University Center Ballroom.
The grand prize will be $10,000, with proceeds going toward the UNC Lettering Award program.
– TOURNAMENT … The Sixth Annual Trailblazer Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 16 at Boomerang Golf Club.
An 18-hole scramble format will be used with teams consisting of either four females or three females and one male.
The cost is $70 per player or $280 per foursome.
Proceeds will go to the UNC Women’s Athletic Department.
Information: 351-2534.
THE BEARS THIS WEEK:
ï Baseball -Yat North Dakota at 11 a.m. Friday, doubleheader; at North Dakota State at 11 a.m. Saturday, doubleheader.
ï Softball -Yat Nebraska-Omaha at 2 p.m. Thursday, doubleheader; at NCC North Division Tournament, Saturday and Sunday, at Fargo, N.D.
ï Track & Field: Thursday-Saturday at Kansas Relays, Lawrence, Kan., all day
ï Women’s Golf: Sunday-Monday at Nebraska-Kearney Invitational, all day
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Elizabeth Nickson
Columnist, investigative journalist, and novelist Elizabeth Nickson was European bureau chief of Life magazine and a reporter for Time magazine, and has written for many international publications. She lives on Salt Spring Island in the Pacific Northwest.
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Works by Elizabeth Nickson
Eco-Fascists
by Elizabeth Nickson
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© 2019 by Hand Deere & Cox
LEISURE & RECREATIONAL
Chelsea Football Club Stadium Expansion and Redevelopment
HDC were commissioned by Chelsea Football Club in 1992 for the first phase of the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, a new 8,250 seater North Stand incorporating supporters club and two executive club rooms.
HDC were then retained as Quantity Surveyors for each successive stage of the stadium development until its completion in 2001 and thereafter on various refurbishment projects often acting as Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor.
The stadium was built to exceptional standards, with public access maintained throughout its redevelopment. Key features include:
- Spectator seating for 41,631 supporters.
- Extensive executive, conference and banqueting facilities including multiple restaurants and bars.
- Two four star hotels including apartments.
- Offices, TV Studio, Mega-Store, Chelsea World of Sport Visitor Attraction.
- The Chelsea Club Health and Leisure Centre.
Procurement:
Fulham - London
QS - Full Service
Management Contracting
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Giant Calvin Harris Feat. Rag 'N' Bone Man Download 'Giant' on iTunes
David and Victoria Beckham relationship: How long have they been married? What was their wedding like? And how many children do they have? Details revealed
8 June 2018, 15:02 | Updated: 26 November 2019, 09:28
By Naomi Berners
Posh and Becks are arguably Britain's most iconic couple, and have been married for 19 years.
David and Victoria Beckham have been the UK's most influential power couple for 19 years. After meeting in 1997, both admit that it was "love at first sight", with David spotting Victoria on TV and claiming "that's the girl I'm going to marry."
With bookies suspending bets on their divorce, here's all you need to know about the Beckhams, including everything about their wedding ceremony, where they live and cheating rumours than have plagued the couple through the years.
How did David and Victoria meet?
David has previously said that Victoria was 'his favourite' Spice Girl after seeing one of their music videos on TV. He reportedly turned to best friend and Man Utd team mate Gary Neville and said: "That one there, that's the girl I'm going to marry'."
David and Victoria then met after a charity football game in 1997, but Becks didn't have the courage to ask her out. Two weeks later, the pair crossed paths again, where David nabbed her phone number and arranged a date for the next evening.
Becks drove all the way from Manchester to London, and the rest is history.
How did the Beckhams get engaged?
A year after they met, David and Victoria announced that they were engaged to be married. David popped the question to Victoria over dinner in a restaurant in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.
How long have the Beckhams been married?
David and Victoria held their nuptials on 4th July 1999, just two years after they began dating. They have been married for a total of 19 years.
Where did they get married?
The couple tied the knot at Luttrellston Castle on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. Around 300 friends and family turned up to enjoy the 560 acre estate.
David and Victoria had already had their first son, Brooklyn, four months before the wedding.
What was the Beckham wedding like?
Their wedding cost a reported £600,000, with Victoria wearing a "champagne-coloured Vera Wang gown with a 20 foot train". She also wore a gold crown atop her short dark pixie crop.
The couple sat on golden thrones at the reception, and a single white dove was released after they said their vows.
More extravagance followed as a purple flag raised up Luttrellston Castle emblazoned with the letters V.B.D - Victoria Brooklyn and David.
Their wedding cake topper was a nude sculpture of the couple, and to cut it they used a sword.
Manchester Utd defender Gary Neville was David's best man on the day.
Where do the Beckhams live and how much is their house worth?
David and Victoria own a home in Holland Park in West London, which is reportedly worth £52million. They moved into the property with their four children in 2016 after spending an estimated £8million renovating.
The couple also own a barn conversion in The Cotswolds, as well as a property in America.
@cruzbeckham Such a good big brother x They love each other so much!! kisses on a cold Sunday in London x VB
A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) onNov 12, 2017 at 1:03am PST
Has David Beckham ever cheated on Victoria?
In 2004, David's PA Rebecca Loos claimed that she had had an affair with the footballer while he was playing for Real Madrid. She openly discussed the alleged affair in a series of newspaper interviews, but neither David or Victoria has ever commented, denied or confirmed her claims.
Rebecca told The News Of The World: "His wife was thousands of miles away all the time and was no support to him at all. "I am very sure our affair would never have got off the ground if she had been by his side. What happened between me and David was more than just sex. He needed a woman to be with him and to help him through a difficult, lonely spell in his life."
That same year a second woman stepped forward claiming she had slept with Becks, a 'high class escort' named Sarah Marbeck. She claimed that she met David at a party during Manchester United’s pre-season tour of the Far East in July 2001.
She told The News Of The World that she was escorted to Beckham's hotel room by bodyguards and that the pair made love just four hours after they met. She said: "He said he felt he'd been hit by a sledgehammer from the first time he saw me.
He said he loved the way I tied my hair back. "The first time he said he loved me was after we spoke on the phone and he said he didn't think the lines were safe so he'd send a text. He sent one saying, 'I love you.’”
Did David Beckham have an affair with Katherine Jenkins?
In 2012, opera singer Katherine Jenkins publicly denied that she had had a fling with David after internet rumours questioned the nature of their friendship.
She tweeted: "Dear Twitter friends, I've read some horrible rumours on here & want u 2 know I absolutely deny I’ve had an affair with David Beckham.
"The rumours are very hurtful, untrue & my lawyers tell me actionable.
"I’ve only met David twice: once at the Military Awards in 2010 & on a night out in the West End in Feb 2012.
"We were out in a group of friends & it was just a normal fun evening out.
"Just so we are clear I have never been on my own with him and never arranged to meet up."
Credit: PA - Katherine Jenkins denied the rumours surrounding David Beckham
How many children do the Beckhams have?
David and Victoria share 4 children - Brooklyn, 19, Cruz, 15, Romeo, 13 and Harper, 6.
I think they love him! We you @davidbeckham X VB
A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) onJan 30, 2017 at 12:06am PST
WATCH! David Beckham teaches Harper how to drive:
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Holly Willoughby's This Morning outfit today: How to get her button black mini dress from Sandro Paris
Susanna Reid shocks fans with unrecognisable throwback news clip from 20 years ago
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HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Pick a child? Ha! I’m not done with them yet. It wouldn’t be wise to show bias. Although, to the degree that each of them possesses some aspect of myself, they all have moments in the favored spotlight, you might say. But don’t tell them that. I tell them each that he or she is my favorite.
I am a composer, arranger and performer of music. I play guitar, banjo, percussion, keyboards and sing. I also have a recording studio and have made 3 CDs of original music. I had one national and several local singles in the 90s. I am an editor and copyeditor for independent/small presses and authors as well.
Sam Sykes, S.B. Knight, and Timothy Zahn.
Inspiration comes in many ways. It could be a soundbyte on the news or in a newspaper story; something from a conversation, article or film. Sometimes it comes from other books or short stories or other authors. Mostly, it comes from releasing the natural flow of creativity and seeing where it takes me. It can make for an interesting ride. It’s fun to wind up down roads and in places you never expected when you started the journey. It’s even more fun to watch readers relive the ride and enjoy it.
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride? Pantser all the way. I wear pants as I pants it. Yep. I like to discover the story in a way that helps me embody the reader. I do limited outlining when working on sequels. Since I use a lot of POVs and storylines interspersed, there’s a lot to keep track of and it really helps me get a clear head and keep it tight. But the outlines are basic: storyline(s) the scene belongs to, characters involved, one or two sentence description. And the outline is fluid. I change the order, cut scenes or completely rework them as I write with no apologies.
Timothy Zahn, Robert Silverberg, Orson Scott Card, David Eddings, Mike Resnick, Ken Scholes, John Grisham, and WEB Griffin.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt is the author of the space opera novels The Worker Prince, a Barnes & Noble Book Clubs Year’s Best SF Releases of 2011 Honorable Mention, and The Returning, the collection The North Star Serial, Part 1, and has several short stories featured in anthologies and magazines. He edited the new anthology Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, headlined by Mike Resnick. His children’s book 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Jokes For Kids from Delabarre Publishing. As a freelance editor, he’s edited a novels and nonfiction. He’s also the host of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat every Wednesday at 9 pm EST on Twitter, where he interviews people like Mike Resnick, AC Crispin, Kevin J. Anderson and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. A frequent contributor to Adventures In SF Publishing, Grasping For The Wind and SFSignal, he can be found online as @BryanThomasS on Twitter or via his website. Bryan is an affiliate member of the SFWA.
DESCRIPTION FOR The Returning:
New challenges arise in this second book in the series as Davi Rhii’s rival Bordox and his uncle, Xalivar, seek revenge for his actions in The Worker Prince, putting his life and those of his friends and family in constant danger. Meanwhile, politics as usual has the Borali Alliance split apart over questions of citizenship and freedom for the former slaves. Someone’s even killing them off. Davi’s involvement in the investigation turns his life upside down, including his relationship with his fiancée, Tela. The answers are not easy with his whole world at stake.
To order The Returning at a discount or to read the rest of the entries on this blog tour, go to http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/2012/05/29/the-returning-blog-tour-schedule/
Labels: author interviews, bryan thomas schmidt, heidi ruby miller, heidis pick six, science fiction, the returning
Heidi Ruby Miller July 7, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Thanks for stopping by on your big tour and picking six for us Science Fiction lovers, Bryan!
And congratulations on the second book in your series!
:) Heidi
Bryan Thomas July 9, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Thanks, H. Sorry to take so long getting here. So busy catching up from a four day Con with no wifi.
PATHS TO PUBLICATION: Susan Abel Sullivan
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Ennis Drake
HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Jonas Hyde
CAST YOUR CHARACTERS: The Third Scroll by Dana Mar...
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Review: Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Pizza Crust Is a Gluten-Free Dream
Review: Tr...
It was a miserably rainy evening in New York City when I stopped by my local Trader Joe's to replenish my vacant fridge with too-heavy bags of fresh produce. My stomach was empty and, knowing me, I'll spend my entire life's savings if I don't stay clear of the frozen section. Alas, I steered my cart down the aisle anyway. After looking longingly at the empty cauliflower gnocchi bin, something caught my sad eye: butternut squash pizza crust.
The 101 Best Pizzas in America
If you also shop at Trader Joe's, you're likely familiar with its store-brand cauliflower and broccoli/kale pizza crusts. It appears that sometime in November, butternut squash joined the lineup too. With a cart full of things that will probably go bad before I eat them, I added the crust to my arsenal and set out to make a delicious home-cooked Italian meal.
Trader Joe's butternut squash pizza crust is made with just seven ingredients: butternut squash (which makes up 50% of the recipe), cornflour, water, cornstarch, potato starch, olive oil and salt. One slice, or one sixth of the crust, is just 60 calories (20 less than its cauliflower counterpart) with 0 grams of fat, 150 milligrams of sodium and 14 grams of carbs. It's gluten free, but it's not keto and it's not vegan because it might contain traces of milk.
Making it is really easy. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the frozen crust on a parchment-lined sheet pan. I put it on the pan unprotected and it stuck in several places, but with the help of a little olive oil, it still turned out OK. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes on each side before adding your toppings. I used tomato, tomato/garlic sauce, sweet onion, spinach, fresh mozzarella, salt and pepper. Just pop that under the broiler for about five more minutes and you're done.
I only ate two slices of this small to medium-sized pizza because (please don't judge me) I practically inhaled Brie and crackers while I waited for it to cook. So, my roommates ate the other four slices and one said, "I swore off bread as a result of the crust. It was really that good," adding that, "the generous amount of fresh mozzarella is a necessity." She really loves fresh mozzarella.
The other said she felt like she was benefiting from eating the pizza rather than feeling guilty, like she sometimes does with traditional crust. It's light, but it's not paper-thin, and you can put a decent amount of toppings on without it becoming too heavy and making the crust flop, dumping everything onto the head of your begging dog.
"It added depth to the flavor of the pizza," she said. It doesn't taste exactly like bread, but it's not supposed to. It doesn't have the same mouthfeel as squishy butternut squash either. It's a happy medium. It feels healthy and it pretty much is. Half the recipe is butternut squash and the remaining six ingredients are completely recognizable. You could technically make this at home if you really wanted to.
It's probably most important to note that although this is a gluten-free product, it doesn't taste gluten free. Plus, it costs just $4.29 - but that's not the only item you can score on the cheap at this cult-favorite grocery store. Of all the things you may want to buy at Trader Joe's, here are 15 of the best finds you can get for less than $5.
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How Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Made
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+34 981 220 585 :: info@herculesediciones.es
Subtotal: 0.00€
Home – .
About Us – .
Major Works – .
Galicia Project
The Big Work of the Ways to Santiago
Monasteries and Convents of the Iberian Peninsula
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Andalusia Project
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Heraldry & Genealogy
Press – .
News – .
Letter from Francisco Rodríguez Iglesias
President of Hércules Global Group and of the Foundation that carries his name
In the late sixties, in the context of Galicia in which young people were forced into emigration for work and be independent, my great dream was to develop my career within the world of culture without leaving this country. After living in Madrid and in the Basque Country, in 1979 I got this goal: returning to Galicia with a position of some importance in a Spanish publisher.
Once in A Coruna and after the experience in the world of books, I reached a conclusion: Galicia needed a major project to gather all the most important of our culture and our identity, increasing self-esteem, ultimately, that made us feel proud of what we are: Gallegos. Its title: The Galicia Project.
But to realize this dream, it was necessary to create a publishing company, and thus was born Hercules de Ediciones. I wanted to create culture and so, seeing the need to Galicia had of books covering fundamental aspects of its reality, I decided that Hercules undertake this task, with invaluable and indispensable aid of the most qualified experts on each topic.
With the support of leading intellectuals, with the union of all co-workers, with the help of family, but especially with the ongoing encouragement of the Galician people, which resulted not only subscribing to the same fate in the push to incorporate new series that will complete the work, today I can say is I accomplished another goal: to collect in a book all the knowledge about Galicia and help her build one of the pillars of our identity.
It is indeed very encouraging that the great works constitute an essential service to society and so I wanted it to be limited exclusively to Galicia. With this idea born Hercules Astur de Ediciones, based in Oviedo, which addresses the same goals in the Principality of Asturias, Publicaciones Comunitarias, headquartered in Seville and with a similar purpose in all of Andalucia, which makes me profoundly happy to note satisfaction and the warmth with which we were received by all the Andalusians.
Each of these projects are part of my life are imbued with knowledge, total dedication and love. Under all these initiatives into reality were becoming full, it was necessary to build a house to give them shelter and thus was born the Hercules Building.
The intention is to be a permanent forum of culture, a worthy representative of civil society Galician, Spanish and universal. And the first result was Fundación Rodríguez Iglesias, which was born to carry out these ideas, whose statements reflect the creativity and love for the art of the greatest contemporary Galician artists, whom I will be forever grateful. Reaching this point is much more than you ever imagined, but I hope it is much less than what we are able to achieve.
Cronology
1985: Creation of Hércules of Editions, headquartered in A Coruña, devoted to the distribution of books
1991: Start of the publishing activity of Hércules de Ediciones, with the publication of the History series of The Galicia Project
1987: Foundation of Hércules Astur de Ediciones, based in Oviedo
1997: Creation of Rodríguez Iglesias Foundation
1999: Establishment of Publicaciones Comunitarias, based in Sevilla
Hércules de Ediciones
Hércules de Ediciones was born in 1985 as a personal effort of the current president of the Board of Directors, Francisco Rodriguez Iglesias, who tried to promote Galician culture from the publishing world. Therefore, he gathered a group of Galicians, coming from the publishing industry, who set out to provide Galicia with a thematic work that deepened in those questions that define our community.
Publicaciones Comunitarias
Publicaciones Comunitarias is the newest publishing house incorporated into the Grupo Hércules, of which it is a part since 1999. With headquarters in Seville, the promotion of Andalusian culture is its banner, by works intending to go deeply into the knowledge of this Community. The Andalusia Project is the crowning work, a publishing attempt without precedents to collect in an only work the whole knowledge on the region, tackling subjects such as History, Antropology, Art, Literature and Nature of this land.
Hércules Astur de Ediciones
Hércules Astur has become a publisher of reference in the Principality. Near fifty professors, artists and scholars have turned into reality the collection Artistas Asturianos, the most ambitious work never realised on the Art of this Community, the first step to the Project Astur, a titanic publishing bet which intends to collect the pillars of the culture of the Principality tackling its History, Art, Anthropology, Literature and Nature.
Fundación Rodríguez Iglesias
The name of Rodríguez Iglesias Foundation comes from the founder and present President of the Editorial Group. Created in the year 1997, it is provided with funds from the three publishing houses of the Group, which allocate a part of their profits to social activities. The Foundation activity is focused on the promotion of Arts and Culture, in all aspects.
Hercules Global Group headquarters are located in a building complex in the urban area of the city of A Coruna, on the site of the old Goya cinema.
[+] Info about our headquarters
Castelao Medal to the Galicia Project
Was conceded to Project Galicia in June of 2007 by the President of the Government of Galicia. The Castelao Medal distinguishes the work of galicians.
The Castelao Medal has to be an example of the work of those galicians that have to be guides for future generations that want to keep ennobling the reality of Galicia.
[+] Info about awards
Espacios FRI
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2015 @ Hércules Ediciones. C/ Cordelería 32. Edificio Hércules 15003 A Coruña Tel: 981 220 585 Fax: 981 220 717. Webmaster Appsolutwebs
Nature and Ecology
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Growing our business in beautiful Portland Maine.
Our Origin and Mission
Here at Hopsie, we know well the trials and triumphs of running a nonprofit, because we live it every day. While running our own foundation, nKoso, we saw first-hand the obstacles faced by small, grassroots organizations that lack the modern means to raise money online. With this in mind, we embarked on our mission to create a low-cost, highly accessible product for the organizations that dedicate their missions to making the world a better place. Today, we still see a massive need for a complete nonprofit paradigm shift — the majority of nonprofits are still years behind when it comes to digital resources and overall management — and Hopsie aims to be the agent of that change. Working from our headquarters in Portland, Maine, we devote our days to revolutionizing the way nonprofits tell their story and create an impact online.
Working at Hopsie
Want to build products that serve a greater purpose and provide hands-on support to causes you feel passionately about? At Hopsie, we envision every member of our team having the opportunity to collaborate in building products that change the world. We believe that to create a product that truly elevates our customers and the work that they do, we have to intrinsically understand the struggles and triumphs of nonprofits — that’s why we run one ourselves and make sure that everyone, including our CEO, takes part in customer service. When you join our team, you’ll immediately jump in and get your hands dirty by working at every level with amazing nonprofits from all over the world.
Located in beautiful Portland, Maine, Hopsie is rooted in a city bursting with a burgeoning business and cultural scene. When you work at Hopsie, you’ll be a stone’s throw away from world class food and drink, art, and entertainment — not to mention a beautiful harbor view and all the fresh lobster a person could ever want. If you’re passionate about nonprofits, building products with purpose, tackling complex and interesting projects that will take your proficiency to the next level, and the aforementioned fresh lobster, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re not in a position to relocate, we’re open to remote working arrangements as well!
Learn More View Positions
Portland Maine is cool. Surfing, fly fishing, Striper hunting and world class food & drink abound in the East Coast’s up and coming startup hub. We have an international Jetport 10 minutes from downtown, boasting flights to NYC in less than an hour. History, diversity, and an endless list of things to do make this a choice place to call home.
Our office, right in the center of town on Monument Square, has all the latest in startup features: drink-stocked fridge, ping pong table, classic video games and even a deadly mini-beast of an office pup named Winston, who keeps the mailman – and new hires – honest. We are walking distance to many amazing coffee shops and happy hours, which we frequent regularly – in a good way!
nKoso
nKoso is a foundation run by Hopsie, and the reason we decided to dedicate our lives to nonprofits. Every single Hopsie employee volunteers for nKoso as a way to actively give back while gaining hands-on experience to better relate to our customers.
Currently, nKoso supports over 130 students and orphans in Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana, and is currently building a school of its own, which will be equipped with the town’s first modern computer classroom. We’ll use this to teach students and community members how to use technology and, eventually, how to code.
Ready to take your online fundraising to the next level?
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Best of Houston® /// Shopping & Services /// 2007
Men frequent barbershops less for the trim than for the banter, the testosterone and the taxidermy. The best barbers fall into two categories. There's the cutter who jawbones nonstop on everything. Then there's the quiet man, usually a stooped old-timer, who lets the customer do the yakkety-yakking. Matt Wright falls into the latter category, except he's a young fella who stands straight like an arrow. He calls all customers by their surnames, and he knows just what questions to ask to get them rolling. He's a yes-man to stoics who transform into great storytellers in his chair. Oh, and he gives a fine trim.
Bizarre Times on Richmond lets you cover more vices than most (Houston Press employees excluded) can handle in one night. Of course, there's the porn, with a selection ranging from borderline tasteful to completely horrifying; sex toys, featuring nine variations on The Rabbit; prostitute-esque fetish wear; and "viewing rooms" for "couples." But there's also a wide array of tobacco accessories and perfumes that really define Bizarre Times as the Wal-Mart of Adult Video. Sam Walton would be so proud!
5727 Richmond Ave., Houston, 77057
We were gonna say Craig's List, but then we found Adrien Gibson, who hangs out on Craig's List and who, despite the inauspicious place for a first meeting, is one helluva apartment hunter. Our friend used Gibson when she was looking for a place a little while back. He asked her what she wanted, where she was looking, what her price range was, and get this: He took her to a place that met her description right off the bat. No "this is almost in your range." No "it's close to where you were saying." None of that. Only friendly, efficient service, so efficient our friend signed up for the first place she saw. Can it get any easier?
Originally from the coral reefs of the Pacific, the Napoleon wrasse living in the confines of the Downtown Aquarium is truly a wonder to behold. He looks as if he'd like to strike up a conversation with you – and that he could formulate a good sentence with those huge lips, given the chance. There's a conscious awareness lurking behind his independently roving eyes, and a presence in his five-foot hulking form. The Aquarium's humphead wrasse is a male, indicated by the bump on his forehead. Labeled as a "sequential hermaphrodite," the Napoleon fish is born male, changes into a breeding female when it matures at five to seven years old, and during its 30 or more years of life may change back again to a dominant male should the need arise. Go see this rare, exquisitely patterned fish, for free – you don't need to buy dinner to visit the aquarium at the Aquarium.
410 Bagby, Houston, 77002
aquariumrestaurants.com
There's no place that can compare to Hong Kong Market No. 4. It's probably the best example of the mix of Texan and Asian cultures. Only in Houston can you find an Asian grocery that has adopted the local fetish of building the largest and grandest supermarkets possible. Here you'll find a plethora of products from every Asian country imaginable. From seemingly odd Japanese soft drinks to Korean candy, this place has stuff for those looking for the exotic and for those who're just homesick.
11205 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77072
Packed with high-quality furniture for babies and kids, USA Baby is the place to go when you're looking to outfit your nursery. From beautiful and delicate bassinets to rough-and-tumble bunk beds, from rocking chairs to car seats, it's all at USA Baby. It doesn't matter if you want to create a fairyland for your little princess or a touchdown zone for the little man of the house (or the other way around), it's here. There are adorable "Time-Out" chairs with built-in alarm clocks, fun "How Tall Am I Now?" wall hangings and huge assortments of strollers and baby carriers. And USA Baby has a great selection of hard-to-find stuffed animals. Looking for a life-size gorilla? It's here. Or maybe a pink elephant wearing a tiara? It's here, too.
9523 Westheimer, Houston, 77063
This sprawling complex in Katy is a sort of Mecca for outdoorsmen. If Armageddon ever comes, this is the only place you'll need. It's your basic one-stop survival shop, selling a variety of guns and hunting supplies and probably everything a man who loves fishing ever needs, and then some. After you've bought your new tackle, you can browse the ridiculously large selection of boats. Say you're looking to learn how to fly-fish; you can come here and take part in regular workshops. So when Christmas comes around, spare Dad the crappy sweater and just buy him a gift card.
5000 Katy Mills Circle, Katy, 77494-4400
basspro.com
So, Bob, heard you need a road bike. You should try Bike Barn. And Emily, I hear you need a mountain bike. You should tag along with Bob. And Frank, you need a cool bike for your kids, right? Dude, go to Bike Barn. Trek, Serotta, Gary Fisher: Bike Barn. Clothes, helmets, parts, repair: Bike Barn. Need anything special-ordered? Yeah, you got it — the Double-B. They eat, sleep and breathe bikes. They also ride them. They know what the heck they're talking about. You just might turn into a bike freak, if you're not one already. And that's a good thing — for your body and the planet. Now get in gear (see what we did there?) and get thee to the Barn.
Houston book lovers were crushed a few years back with the closing of Colleen's Books, the ramshackle used book store out on Telephone Road. But good things have sprung from the closure: Now, if you enjoy a little country drive, you can head to Butler & Sons in Rosenberg. Owner William Butler purchased Colleen Urbanek's stock, has added his own significant items and put them in a comfortable, casual store in a 1930s building in the antique center of the Fort Bend County town. Butler is a dedicated bibliophile: His collection includes books signed by Hemingway and Faulkner, and a copy of The Dictionary of Vulgar Language with handwritten notations by Mark Twain. And it's not limited to just books: Last December he spent $360,000 combined for a page of Paul McCartney's draft lyrics of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and a 1968 Fender Stratocaster owned by Jimi Hendrix.
Dave Rosales
It's not easy to make high-society, grown-up types look like, well, kids in a candy store, but these sweet slingers manage to pull it off. The Chocolate Bar offers tasty, original-recipe ice cream and cakes along with chocolate-covered everything; and Candylicious sells a variety of traditional and wacky confections, from jelly beans to a plunger sucker that you dip in a toilet filled with candy sprinkles. On any given night you can see both kiddos and just-out-of-the-office types drooling over something on the shelves or in the cases. Both shops are owned by candy masters Gilbert Johnson and Jimmy Smith, who are always developing new ways to enjoy their tasty treats, including a pirate ship made from fun-size Hershey bars, licorice whips and whatever else they have lying around their stores.
1835 W. Alabama, Houston, 77098
theoriginalchocolatebar.com
Bubbles isn't the cheapest car wash in Houston. But do you want your car to be clean, or do you want it to be kinda clean? The good folks at Bubbles will clean your carriage inside and out, top to bottom, while you chill inside and entertain yourself by looking through merchandise ranging from CDs to books to flip-flops. Or you can use a computer to check e-mail or www.houstonpress.com. With a variety of cleaning, waxing, shampooing, detailing and whatever-ing packages, Bubbles definitely can meet your particular needs and make even a '79 Gremlin feel like a brand-sparkling-new Bentley.
5735 Westheimer Rd., Houston, 77057
We had Thanksgiving catered from Adrian's – delivered to our home, no less – for pennies on the dollar for what it would have cost to cook it ourselves. And could we have duplicated Robert Campbell's succulent turkey or Tina Grimstead-Campbell's perfect potato salad? No way! Walk-in customers have learned that they can both place and pick up catering orders from Adrian's, as well as grab a custom-made salad or sandwich for lunch – all made with the freshest ingredients. If you like a berry cobbler featured one day, rest assured you can order a mega-size one to take home to feed your family reunion. It's strange how people suddenly invite themselves over for luscious home cooking – and it's strange how we're not real up-front about whose home was used for the cooking. This family-run catering company now also has a downtown storefront called The Jury's Out...To Lunch (815 Walker) in the historic Esperson Building, where they do a fair amount of business with law firms.
Best Barber: Matt Wright
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