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On one hand Jason Rubin, the final president of now-defunct THQ, isn't making excuses for the publisher's failure. Asked by MCV if the industry pains squeezing out mid-tier publishers are what sank the company, Rubin said no, THQ created a lot of its own problems. "THQ had every chance to survive had it not made massive mistakes," Rubin added. Mistakes that were made "long before I joined."[/b] It may sound self-serving but Rubin is totally right. Danny Bilson was in charge when THQ was throwing good money after bad on things like uDraw and kiddie titles, and when Bilson was fired in May, few tears were shed for him in his own company. Rubin's blunt about the failures, citing: The incredible losses attached to uDraw, massive wasted capital in the unpublished MMO that was cancelled, sticking with children's and casual titles far after mobile and tablets had killed the business, bad, late, or otherwise inferior titles like Homefront, and a generally haphazard and inefficient approach to deal making, left the company with too much negative hanging on its books. As for Homefront, Rubin wouldn't attribute its flop to bad luck or to an audience that just didn't warm up to the game. And Homefront was a Bilson favorite, too. MCV's postmortem on THQ goes into a lot more detail about the firm's demise and its sale, including the general surprise that neither Electronic Arts nor Warner Bros. showed up to bid on any of THQ's studios or assets. There's also an explanation for why Koch Media paid $22.3 million for Volition, Inc. and Saints Row when the backup bid by Ubisoft was only $5.4 million. But there's nothing about the fate of WWE, of course. Probably with publicly traded companies and contracts involved, no one is answering any questions about that deal—with $45 million left on it—until a new owner is found, which is rumored to be Take-Two Interactive, publisher of 2K Sports.
Was THQ's demise the result of bad management, bad circumstances or just plain bad luck? The company that had generated millions from games based on Finding Nemo and WWE, had struggled to transition into a world where kids games and licenced titles were no-longer safe bets. Certain analysts and industry commentators are already suggesting THQ never stood a chance. In an industry that's enduring a painful transition away from the triple-A, boxed game model, mid-tier publishers are the ones that will ultimately get squeezed out. THQ is just the first big victim. Except, not everyone agrees with that view. Including THQ president Jason Rubin, who was parachuted into the company in March 2012 in a last ditch attempt to rescue the ailing publisher. "I think it is incorrect to attribute THQ's predicament with overall changes in the industry," he tells MCV. [Rubin, like the rest of THQ's staff, was left redundant last week as the firm went bankrupt.] "To be sure, all triple-A publishers have been under pressure, but THQ had every chance to survive had it not made massive mistakes. "Unfortunately, the mistakes that were made long before I joined, like the incredible losses attached to uDraw, massive wasted capital in the unpublished MMO that was cancelled, sticking with children's and casual titles far after mobile and tablets had killed the business, bad, late, or otherwise inferior titles like Homefront, and a generally haphazard and inefficient approach to deal making, left the company with too much negative hanging on its books."THQ had to be restructured to survive, and unfortunately, the restructuring ended up in an asset sale rather than an acquisition. There are certainly things to be said about challenges in the mid-tier triple-A publishing business, but I don't think that conflating it with THQ's experience is helpful." The CEO of Koch Media Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, who has just acquired THQ's Saints Row and Metro IP, feels THQ's demise may have been avoided if only one of its titles had broken through. "Each company needs to know where they stand and what they are capable of doing, and also what they are not capable of doing," he tells MCV. "It is also quite important with projects of this size that THQ was dealing with, that these projects are being thought through from start to finish early on, and you don't run into problems of discontinuing development or changing a game concept in the middle of the development. "Also with every company you need a bit of luck on your side, everything is not always in your control, and they didn't have that luck recently. If one of their titles had been a breakaway hit, maybe it could have been avoided." So was THQ just unlucky? Not according to Rubin. "I think that luck plays a role in success and failure, but THQ's decisions and execution were the major reason for its failure," he argues. "It would be a cop out to say that bad luck was the predominant force. Could Homefront have caught a nerve and sold 10m copies? It's possible I guess, but probably not without better production. And it's hard to attribute a cancelled MMO to bad luck. That was simply a bad decision in a sea of bad decisions."THE AUCTIONRubin's harsh assessment says that THQ's failure was its own. But he, like the rest of THQ's management, believed the company had a future. There was a string of promising products on the way, while established brands were being given more investment and time. In a bid to turnaround Homefront, THQ had given the title to proven and popular FPS studio, Crytek. So that's why THQ filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in December. The plan was to sell itself to investment firm Clearlake Capital, clear itself of its debts, and move forward with its new, slimed-down line-up. "I actually agree with a lot of the stuff Jason Rubin says in regards what went wrong at THQ," says Crytek's general manager for games Nick Button-Brown. Crytek ended up buying the rights to Homefront in the auction last week and will complete the sequel itself. "It just felt the timings didn't quite work out. Their games were really improving and there was some really top stuff within the portfolio. They had really slimmed down the portfolio. It just felt they couldn't get through it in time. We got on really well with THQ, we were happy working with them and it's a little sad they couldn't finish what they were trying to do." Unfortunately for THQ, the creditors were not happy about the prospect of a quick, cheap sale. Clearlake was only offering $60m for the firm, and the creditors and the US Bankruptcy Court felt this was too low. So THQ and its various assets were put up for auction, if the company can be sold off for more piece-by-piece, then THQ would effectively be no more. "The auction was incredibly dull," recalls Button-Brown. "We just didn't know what was going on. The most efficient way to do it was over Skype chat, so there was all of us sitting on Skype waiting for something to happen. It was an auction that took two days. It went so slowly. "The whole process was really strange. We'd never done the Chapter 11 thing before. The whole thing is designed to maximise the wealth of the creditors. Which is fine when you're selling boxes. But this isn't a boxed industry, it is all about the people. You are trying to quantify creativity. The whole process was a bit messed up."After the auction, THQ's individual assets went for a $72m, significantly higher than the $60m offer, and the publisher was effectively finished. Yet what was most surprising was who turned up at the auction. Despite initial interest and visiting the Volition studio, both EA and Warner Bros did not take part. In fact, Ubisoft was the only major publisher involved, with small and mid-tier publishers collecting the assets – Koch Media, Crytek, Take-Two and Sega. "We were actually surprised about EA and Warner not showing," says Kundratitz. "What was our advantage is that Sega came in with quite a substantial bid for Relic and Company of Heroes and Take-Two came in with a substantial bid for Evolve, so the total of the piecemeal bids came to a large amount, which made it quite difficult for Clearlake to compete against. "So we helped each other, if you like, to prevail over Clearlake. Clearlake had the advantage of a lot more due diligence time, they were looking at THQ for many months more, and they had the management support. It didn't start very promising, but we had some complementary piecemeal bids." Far from being a warning about the future of middle-tier publishing, THQ's collapse has added to those publishers. Take-Two has another new IP to place alongside its impressive line-up. Sega's niche PC titles have been given a real boost in the acquisition of Relic. Koch Media – which has only recently had its first big global hit in Dead Island – has arguably acquired its biggest brand. And in buying Homefront, Crytek is on its way to becoming a publisher in its own right."It was a weird set of people in the auction, we were quite surprised by the some of the people that didn't turn up," continues Button-Brown. "It isn't who we'd have picked out at the start. It's interesting that the middle-tier publishers have come out with some interesting properties and interesting teams."THE BATTLE FOR SAINTS ROWKoch Media winning Saints Row and its developer Volition was a big surprise. Outside of its home turf in Germany, the firm isn't well-known amongst gamers. 2011's Dead Island has been by far its most successful title, although it has published a number of niche and territory-specific products around Europe. Volition and Saints Row was seen as the crown jewels in THQ's crown. Ubisoft, EA and Warner Bros – three of the biggest names in entertainment – were amongst the names eyeing the company. Koch's only advantage was that it had worked with THQ over the last six months as its Italian and Spanish distributor. But Koch Media's bid of £22.3m won through. In fact, it looked like the studio had overpaid, with Ubisoft only offering $5.175m. But Kundratitz explains that wasn't the case. In fact Koch had been drawn into a bidding war. "The reports about Ubisoft's bid and our bid and the big discrepancy is not entirely the true picture," he says. "Our opening bid for Volition and Saints Row was $20.5m and we ended up getting it for £22.3m. So we did not succeed with the first bid. There was Clearlake that bid against us in the last round of the process, and they bid quite heavily against us. So it's quite clear that the price we ended up paying was not inflated as well. The same applied to the Metro bid. We started with $4.5m and ended with $5.8m, so we had a lively bid procedure, and we were the happy winner."Saints Row is a significant IP for Koch Media. But the studio is arguably the biggest gain, giving the publisher access to talent and technology it didn't have before. "We have always been fans of Saints Row," says Kundratitz. "We love the over-the-top, shooter-based, sandbox concept. We just felt that the studio has a proven track record. They are famous for their open world tech, very strong studio tech. They are just overall, for a publisher that does not have that many internal studios, an ideal studio to get involved in. When we did the due diligence, we found they had very strong management there. From many angles you are looking at it, from the IP angle, from the management angle, from the tech angle, it all makes sense to us." Koch Media found itself in hot water with the press last month following its controversial pre-order bonus for the next Dead Island, which included a mutilated female torso sculpture. The publisher regrets the bonus, but in many ways it shows that Koch – and its publishing label Deep Silver – could be well suited to Saints Row, which has itself attracted its own controversy. "We place no value for being controversial," explains Kundratitz. "Sometimes you can't avoid it and sometimes if a brand is an extraordinary brand and has its specialities, then we don't shy away from communicating those. We are certainly not known for holding back. And we will follow that through with Saints Row." The other part of Koch Media's bid saw it pick up Metro, a game that is already finished. "Metro has a gamer audience that we know quite well," says Kundratiz. "In the past we have published Stalker, and Stalker and Metro has many commonalities. And it was obviously not such a difficult decision with a game more or less finished and to be launched straight away."RELIC AND MONTREALThe rest of the bids were less surprising. Sega just about beat Bethesda to claim Relic for $26.6m. Relic is responsible for the Dawn of War and Company of Heroes (pictured) strategy titles, which ties in nicely with Sega's Creative Assembly and Sports Interactive PC developers. In fact, Sega has recently acquired the Warhammer licence, while Relic had developed titles based on Warhammer 40,000. As a result, Sega is tipped to acquire the 40,000 licence, too. Miles Jacobson, the head of Relic's new sister studio Sports Interactive, was delighted by Sega's move. "Us and Creative Assembly work closely together, and we knowledge share and we tech share between the studios," he says. "But it's not forced upon us. Nobody tells me to use a Creative Assembly engine. But if Creative Assembly or ourselves wanted to use some of the code from the other studios, we know that it is there and that we can do. "It's great that it's not just us on the PC side, we have Creative Assembly there and now we have Relic for well, which for me is a phenomenal signing for Sega. They are a great studio and fit in very nicely with what CA and us have been doing. It's nice to see a publisher that is still prepared to give more niche titles a home. Football Manager is not going to get to FIFA numbers, it is a niche game, Creative Assembly is not going to get to Call of Duty numbers with Total War, because they are making niche strategy games. But with both titles it is a very large niche. And the Company of Heroes series fits in very nicely to that."Meanwhile Ubisoft's acquisition of THQ Montreal for $2.5m also made sense. Ubisoft already has a presence in the city, while it already knows many of the staff, including creative director Patrice Désilets. "We know Montreal well and we know a lot of the people there," says Ubisoft's director of IP development Tommy Francois. "We know what the people at that studio can bring to the company, we have immense respect for the THQ Montreal team, so I think that's the main driver." Ubisoft also made a bid for Volition, but Francois for one is pleased the firm only has to focus on integrating one new development outfit. "Acquiring a studio is much more difficult than it looks on paper. It's like a wedding. You need to know that other person. You need to meet halfway to create a third entity together: there's you, there's your wife and then there's you and your wife. To do that well is going to require a lot of time and effort from both Ubisoft and THQ Montreal, and you can't do that on so many different fronts. "Of course when you look at Volition and how they do open world games, people may have said 'Hey, Ubisoft must be interested in those guys', but you can't do fifteen things right – you have to focus on one. We at Ubisoft try to make sure we maintain the culture of the studios we work with, like RedLynx which we acquired a while ago and attracting the Trackmania guys. We don't want to just buy brands and people, we want to buy cultures, to buy a way things are made."ON THE HOMEFRONTWhereas Ubisoft, Koch Media, Sega and Take-Two had splashed out big bucks for its new toys. Crytek spent a cool $500k for acquiring the rights to Homefront. Nick Button-Brown feels the studio has snapped up a bargain in acquiring the brand. But he says it wasn't all about the brand name, rather it was about the game they had been building over the last two years. "It's much bigger than Call of Duty," he jokes. "It's a game that was commercially successful rather than critically successful. We did not buy it because it is a slam-dunk brand that everyone around the world knows and will get 10m sales on the name alone. We bought it because we put two years into development, we thought we had a really high quality game, and we liked the setting and the story, it's really quite cool. That world gives you so much flexibility. The things we are delivering in Homefront 2 are great. This IP we think gives us a chance to make a really interesting game. "The last milestone that we delivered in December just before THQ entered Chapter 11 was really good."Crytek has been vocal in the past about becoming a free-to-play developer. And that its remaining boxed products, including Ryse for Microsoft and Crysis 3, will be its last. Now that Homefront is owned internally, does that mean the next game in that series won't be coming to retail? "We are not going to change the scope of the game. It has a really well thought-through single player and a really well-balanced multiplayer. Maybe we might enhance it in different ways. It is in our control now, it's a bit frightening. Now we can't blame anyone else."NO ONE WANTED VIGIL...ALMOSTTHQ's publishing business was not sold, leaving 300 people unemployed. Nor was THQ's old brands, like Red Faction and De Blob, although these were brands that even THQ had given up on. Meanwhile, licences like WWE have returned to their owners. 2K is rumoured to be in for the wrestling licence. But the biggest asset not acquired was Vigil and the Darksiders licence. The two Darksiders games have been critically well received, but although the first game was a small commercial success, its sequel (pictured below) underperformed. And as a result no-one came in. "We had a brief look at them, but we decided it was not our taste," says Kundratitz. "They are working on some interesting stuff, they certainly have a lot of talented people down there, but with these things you have to set your priorities. I am surprised that no-one in the end came forward with a bid for them. But there was only limited appetite as it turned out." Ubisoft's Francois said: "We're super sad that they didn't find anyone to buy Darksiders. I actually have friends that worked over at Vigil and I'm like 'sh*t'. I wish we could do something as a company, but we have to make choices and THQ Montreal seemed like the right one."But it takes a developer to see the value in development talent. And although it didn't acquire Vigil, Crytek did the next best thing and set up its own studio in Vigil's hometown of Austin and picked up many of its staff. A deal that Jason Rubin. "They are a really good team, and we didn't understand when no one picked them up," says Button-Brown. "It's a good team that have worked together for a while, and we wanted to help them like we helped Free Radical and turned them into Crytek UK. It's all about people, nothing else is that important. If you have good people working on good product, then you get a great game. That's why the ex-Vigil staff make up the core of Crytek Austin." THQ's Rubin adds: "I am extremely pleased that Crytek saw the talent in the core team at Vigil. As I have said elsewhere, I consider it a failure on my part that I was not able to save the whole team. "I made many calls to potential buyers, effectively begging them to take a look at Vigil during the process, but there were no takers. As I have also said before, I think that is a result of timing, and confusion over Darksiders' quality and sales rather than an indication of the value of the team. When Crytek asked casually about Vigil after the auction I was incredibly happy to be able to put them in contact with Vigil. I am very happy for [studio boss] Dave Adams and the team and wish them the best."THE NEXT STEPAnd that's that for THQ. In the end 350 games industry personnel are now without work, 40 of which can be found in the UK. But companies have already contacted MCV expressing interest in speaking to these people. It's a sad end to a publisher that has played a significant role in the development of the games industry over 24 years. But rather than these studios and IPs getting lost within big, global publishing giants like Activision or EA, they've largely found homes in smaller, mid-table firms, who will treasure their new acquisitions as their flagship products. "It's obviously sad to see in such a process that so many jobs are lost, and many, very good people, after years of putting effort and dedication into a company, then suddenly they come to a hard stop. It is a sad moment for our industry," concludes Kundratitz. "Hopefully the IPs the staff at THQ worked so hard on can continue, and, in our case, we certainly hope those IPs will have a bright future under our direction. So indirectly their hard work will have paid off."
More than 18 months after Nordic Games snapped up rights to THQ franchises Darksiders, Red Faction and more from the bankrupt publisher, Nordic announced today it has acquired the de Blob intellectual property from the company."de Blob is just a great and truly unique franchise," Reinhard Pollice, business and product development director at Nordic Games, said in a statement. "We are excited about what the future holds for this polychromatic extravaganza as the newest addition to our portfolio. We will evaluate opportunities with the existing games, as well as potential sequels."Nordic Games was one of a handful of companies that purchased intellectual property rights to THQ's games. Vienna-based Nordic spent $4.9 million for "substantially all" of THQ's IP, with the exception of Homeworld and Drawn to Life. Other companies that snatched up THQ's games, properties and developers include Gearbox Software, Sega, Ubisoft, Deep Silver and 505 Games.THQ published two de Blob games: de Blob for iOS, Wii and Windows Phone in 2008, and de Blob 2 for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii in 2011. The colorful platformer-adventure games were chiefly developed by Melbourne, Australia-based Blue Tongue Entertainment, which shuttered in 2011.
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TheChinese government has snatched power to approve wind projects from local government in an effort to ensure that the growth of the sector is properly controlled and regulated. The move is likely to slow the country's booming market.
In August, China's National Energy Bureau (NEB) issued a quota to each province limiting the amount of wind that can be developed in the country to 26GW between now and 2015.
Local government can still approve projects outside this quota, but these will not be guaranteed access to the grid. Even
if they are connected, State Grid will only pay the benchmark prices for thermal power at CNY 0.4-0.5 ($ 0.06-0.08) per kilowatt hour, compared with CNY 0.51-0.61 for wind power.
They will also be denied subsidies from the national renewable-energy development fund, so any wind farms approved by provincial government will not be economically viable.
The quotas account for 70% of the capacity planned by local governments; however, additional quotas may be granted under the current Five Year Plan.
Inner Mongolia has been granted the largest slice of the quota, at 5.63GW. But officials there are not happy because this significantly constrains the region's ambitions to have 50GW installed capacity by 2020, up from its current 12.6GW.
Local government currently has authority to approve wind farms under 50MW capacity. Around 93% of China's wind projects have been approved locally. Developers have designed projects to be 49.5MW so that they escape the scrutiny of central government. This has been largely blamed for the fact that one third of installed wind turbines in China are idle due to lack of capacity on the grid.
The government's move could slow down the development of wind projects, which would in turn affect the return on investment. This could force the exit of smaller investors in the sector and slow down the growth of orders for China's turbine manufacturers.
NEB has granted quotas to many provinces with poor wind-power resources but great demand for electric power. Shi Pengfei, vice-president of the China Wind Energy Association, said this shows China is shifting its focus from exclusively building large-scale wind power bases to paying equal attention to scattered development in low-wind speed areas.
As the performance of low wind-speed turbines has improved, many provinces originally believed unfit for developing
wind power have been connected to the grid as they are nearer electricity users (see page 52).
In addition, the China Electricity Council plans to launch a nationwide inspection of wind farms integrated into the grid since mid-August. The aim will be to ensure the turbines come with a low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capacity. The absence of this led to the disconnection of hundreds of turbines in three incidents this year.
Industry officials want more investment to ensure grid stability. Upgrading LVRT capacity on a 50MW wind farm costs more than CNY 5 million ($774,000).

subset: commoncrawl


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Oklahoma Teacher Pensions are number one
The Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System is performing better than 99 percent of all public funds in the United States, according to a recently released Oklahoma Pension Commission report. The OTRS had a 16.3 percent return on investments in the first nine months of fiscal year 2013, bringing the fund's assets to more than $11.6 billion.
The system has enjoyed long-term success. Over the past ten years, OTRS has ranked in the one percent of all public funds in the United States, with a stellar performance of an average 10.2 percent return.
"The teachers' long-term strategy and their investment board seem to have done a very good job," said State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones, who is a member of the Commission.
Don Stracke, Senior Consultant with the investment consulting firm NEPC, briefed the Pension Commission on the status of all of the state's systems.
"Every plan for the last three years has earned its assumed rate of return," Strake said.
State Treasurer Ken Miller echoed that conclusion stating, "All the plans are performing well."
Despite the positive news regarding the status of Oklahoma's seven pension systems, Governor Mary Fallin and Treasurer Miller continue to express an intention to cut future public employees' pension benefits and make drastic changes to the pension systems during the next legislative session.
"Our investments are sound, the returns are good and our plan is stable. Our public school employees and school districts have responsibly made their retirement contributions year after year without fail. Budget deficits and tax cuts should not be funded on the backs of the hardworking public servants in Oklahoma by reducing retirement benefits," said Linda Hampton, Oklahoma Education Association President.
Hampton also said Oklahoma teachers are already 49th in teacher pay. Every surrounding state pays their teachers more. Hampton feels it would be extremely difficult to recruit and retain highly-qualified teachers if the state also reduces retirement benefits for incoming teachers.
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Honey Tales by BrandMarket Ltd.
We would like to ask you to review our iOS app "Honey Tales".
Enjoy a wonderful adventure of a little Piggy and his friend Bear, who loves honey very much!
All bears strongly love honey, and our – is not an exception! It's so great that he has a very good friend, which can help him!
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Nikita Ilin
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Revamped design is nice. Sturdy frame. Wide selection of Intel processors. Backlit keyboard. Great typing experience. Soft mouse buttons. Excellent battery life. Higher-resolution available.
Very heavy for a 14-inch laptop. Pointing stick is stiff.
Bottom Line
The Dell Latitude E6420 is configurable in so many ways because it has so many options to choose from, though it's quite heavy for a 14-inch laptop.
Latitude-branded laptops are dedicated to the most demanding businesses and largest enterprises for a reason: They're fully loaded, with a world of options to choose from. For instance, the Dell Latitude E6420 ($1,788 direct), the company's latest 14-inch business laptop, has every feature and component that a power user could possibly dream up, from the full range of Intel Sandy Bridge processors to the gamut of business-oriented features. This particular configuration runs an Intel Core i5-2540M processor, a 9-cell battery (the biggest available), and integrated graphics. Although powerful, the E6420 is pricey and weighs a whopping 6 pounds, which is very heavy for a 14-inch laptop. Frequent travelers, take note.
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The E6420's heavy weight can be attributed to several factors. There's the huge 9-cell battery without which the E6420 wouldn't have its impressive battery life. Then there's the fact that it's a solidly-made laptop, made from magnesium alloy and topped with an aluminum finish. This metallic blend withstood a wide range of improvised military torture tests by Dell that include vibrations, extreme temperatures, drops, and moisture, to name a few. But then again, the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 (5.5 lbs) ($1,484 direct, 4 stars) and T420 (review coming shortly) were subjected to similar torture tests and given a similar battery, yet they're half a pound lighter.
Despite its heft, the E6420 has pleasing aesthetics. The gun-metal gray top is made of brushed aluminum that tapers along the sides, surrounded by a light silver trim, while the base is completely black. The interior has a similar color combination: black palm rests and aluminum trim around the keyboard. The additional orange lining around the keyboard, however, may seem like color overkill, although I didn't find it to be an eyesore. In contrast, ThinkPads sport an all-black frame.
The 14-inch widescreen is intensely bright, but not as rich in colors as the one found in the HP Elitebook 8740w (($1,999 direct, 4 stars). Its 1,366-by-768 resolution can be upgraded to 1,600-by-900, which is well worth $80 upgrade. It's a matte screen, the kind that doesn't reflect light back at you. The combination of a backlit keyboard and traditional-style keys makes for a satisfyingly productive experience, regardless of lighting conditions. It has dual-pointing devicespointing stick and touchpadthough the pointing stick was my least favorite feature on the E6420, as it was too stiff to use for navigation. The touchpad, on the other hand, felt really nice and dragged smoothly, complemented by a pair of really soft mouse buttons.
Its feature set isn't exactly brimming with new technology, but it has the essentials for any business to run smoothly. The E6420 is equipped with 4 USB ports, one of which is an USB/eSATA combo. There are no USB 3.0 ports, though. There's the legacy features such as VGA, ExpressCard, and SmartCard slot. The DVD drive (which doesn't burn DVDs) in my review unit is as ancient as it gets, although Dell offers a DVD burner option. The included webcam is actually an option, not standard for this model, and it doesn't shoot in 720p, like the one found in the Lenovo T420. In terms of storage, this configuration is loaded with a fast 320GB, 7,200rpm hard drive. An HDMI port and Gigabit Ethernet can be found in the back of the laptop.
The E6420 ships with a 2.67GHz Intel Core i5-2540M processor, which is based on Sandy Bridge architecture. A Core i7 option (dual-core) is available as well if a Core i5 isn't fast enough. Performance tests, as you can imagine, was nothing short of spectacular. It beat out the LenovoT410 and HP 8740w in processor-intensive tests, although the other two have yet to receive the latest Intel parts. It turned in one of the fastest Adobe Photoshop CS5 scores we've ever had, finishing in 3 minutes 25 seconds. Sandy Bridge entails a much better graphics subsystem than previous generations, so gaming is possible with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 chipset. If you need to crank up the eye-candy or run a very 3D-intensive application, Dell offers an upgrade path to an Nvidia NVS 4200M (a $69 option), which is more than I can say for the Lenovo T420 (it offers integrated graphics only).
A 9-cell (97WH) battery usually means great things for battery life. The E6420 did just that in MobileMark 2007 tests, draining the huge battery in 8 hours 30 minutes. It easily beat out the Lenovo T410 (5:30) and HP 8740w (0:50), although again, I suspect the other two will improve in this area once they transition to new Intel technology. Take the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 ($1,299 direct, 4 stars), for instance: It runs on similar Sandy Bridge parts and scored 8 hours 40 minutes in battery tests. If you would like to shave a few tenths of a pound from the heavy frame, Dell offers a 6-cell option that fits flush with the back of the laptop.
A new look, an Intel Sandy Bridge processor, and can be configured with an endless array of optional features, the Dell Latitude E6420 has everything that an enterprise user is looking for in a business laptop. It can be outrageously powerful (for a steep price) or run the bare essentials yet still be a competent business laptop. As well-equipped as it is, it left little room for mobility with its 6 pound frame. It's my only quibble and one that should be taken lightly given its full selection of goodies.
Check out the test scores for the Dell Latitude E6420
Compare the Dell Latitude E6420 with several other laptops side by side.
More laptop reviews:
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (Late 2019)
Lenovo ThinkPad P53
Google Pixelbook Go
Acer ConceptD 7
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-Inch)


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Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the MSN program, the graduate will be able to:
- Apply theories, concepts, strategies, and research findings in nursing and other disciplines to enhance the quality of health care and improve the environment in which health care is provided.
- Analyze the impact of health care policies on health care delivery systems and the health care needs of specific populations.
- Utilize information technology to assess, analyze, evaluate, and improve the quality of nursing care and patient care outcomes.
- Articulate and analyze the ethical, legal, financial, social, and political issues impacting health care, nursing practice, and education and identify and implement strategies for resolution.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals, consumers, and other key stakeholders to effect needed change in health care delivery systems.
- Function effectively in the advanced professional nursing roles of leader, advocate, educator, and researcher.


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Rick Hale & Associates is a small group of service-oriented, highly skilled real estate professionals. As one of the most respected teams in the area and ranking within the top 15 of over 100,000 national Keller Williams representatives, our combined experience of more than 50 years in business has made the real estate dreams of hundreds of families and individuals come true!
Our team is equipped to provide any and all real estate related services. In addition to helping clients buy and sell property, we proudly provide information on mortgages, real estate taxes, schools, handymen, contractors, movers and more! And we use cutting-edge technology to dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of our service.
Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced investor, you will find useful information about how to choose the "right" property, making an offer, negotiating, financing, mortgage rates, moving, and everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in today´s market.
If you currently own property and are thinking of placing it on the market, this site contains information about preparing your home for sale, selecting the right agent, pricing your home appropriately, marketing it effectively, going through the inspection processes, and receiving a timely market evaluation.


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Feb. 15, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's tennis team overcame a threat of rain and windy conditions Saturday to earn a 4-2 victory over Sacramento State at the SCU Tennis Center.
The Broncos improved to 4-3 on the season, while Sacramento State fell to 2-3 overall. The Broncos are scheduled to return to action tomorrow for a 1 p.m. match against UC Santa Barbara at the Santa Clara University Tennis Center. With a high probability for inclement weather in the forecast, updates on the match status will be available on SantaClaraBroncos.com and the Bronco Sportsline at 408/554-5550.
The two teams began with singles portion of the dual match and cancelled the doubles point after the two coaches agreed that incoming inclement weather was expected to affect the completion of the match. To open the match, Bronco junior Erich Chen quickly dispatched Sacramento State's top seed, Nich Sheehan, 6-3, 6-4 to earn Santa Clara's first point.
Sophomore Ben Hidalgo clinched the match for Santa Clara with a hard-fought 6-2, 6-2 victory over the Hornets' Peter Farkas at the number six position in the lineup. Hidalgo, a resident of Plano, Texas via Napa, Calif., improved his career dual match record to 3-1 overall and he is 2-1 this season for the Broncos.
"Ben plays with a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm and he plays with a lot of heart," said Head Coach George Husack following the match. "He did not get a lot of chances last season as a freshman but he is showing this year that he deserves to be here. He is a real inspiration to the rest of our guys and his desire to excel is a testament to the kind of person he is. For Ben to come out today and win this match the way he did and in these conditions was a huge lift for our team."
The match of the day belonged to sophomore Francisco Zepponi, who battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Sacramento State's Lewis Van Splunteren at the number three position. A native of Pleasanton, Calif., Zepponi took the first set 6-4 before dropping the second. He earned an early service break in the third set against the Hornet freshman and held on for the win.
Santa Clara 4, Sacramento State 2
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2003
Site: Santa Clara University Tennis Center
Weather: Cloudy & Windy, 58 degrees
1. Michael Bruggemann / Chen (SCU) def. Albertsen / Silva (SAC), cancelled
2. Bedilion / Mattioli (SCU) def. Farkas / Sheehan (SAC), cancelled
3. Hidalgo / Zepponi (SCU) def. Chatelan / Van Splunteren (SAC), cancelled
1. Erich Chen (SCU) def. Nick Sheehan (SAC), 6-3, 6-4
2. Julien Chatelan (SAC) def. Federico Mattioli (SCU) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 (4)
3. Francisco Zepponi (SCU), def. Lewis Van Splunteren (SAC), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
4. Taylor Bedilion (SCU) def. Jacub Sliva (SAC), 6-2, 6-1
5. Anderson Albertsen (SAC) def. Rick Ruso (SCU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
6. Ben Hidalgo (SCU) def. Peter Farkas (SAC), 6-2, 6-2
Records: Santa Clara 4-3, Sacramento State 2-3


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The Avanato family would like to thank the community and its loyal customers for their support over the years. We are especially grateful to all our wonderful employees and thank them for their hard work and dedication.
On August 25, 2019 we will be retiring and closing the doors of Stella Lunas.
Please come visit us soon to enjoy a fine meal and say good bye.
In 1892 the Market Street Train Station was erected to provide a resting place for passengers on their way to the towns and hamlets of upstate New York. In the year 2000, Vincenzo and Antonio Avanzato transformed the station into Stella Luna Stazione, an elegant stop for passengers on the rails of life.
Growing up in Oneonta, NY Vinne and Tony regularly passed by the Market Street Station. They admired the beautiful structure and dreamed of creating a restaurant that preserved the warmth and grace of the old train station. Architect Rick Eastman and his fine crew created Stella Luna Stazione from Tony and Vinne's sketches and ideas.
Through the doors of the Stella Luna, family and friends are transported to a quiet village in Italy. The first stop is an outdoor cafe where guests can gather and, if lucky, convince a fellow guest to sit at the piano for an impromptu show. In order to preserve the feel of open country air, the brothers have included a smoking lounge, the Tabbaccheria, to keep the restaurant smoke free. In the cigar room, frequent guests are welcomed to store their own cigars in a cigar humidor locker.
Across the hardwood bar, the Cantina displays hundreds of domestic and imported wines. The Avanzatos pride themselves in a sophisticated collection of vintages, all stored at a controlled cellar temperature. At the bar, guests are presented with an extensive selection of fine spirits, liqueurs, and beers from across the world.
Walking through the Piazza, or Town Square, visitors are invited to sit in the romantic grotto or the lofty Cortile. The Cortile, or Courtyard, has the feel of an Italian mountain top, with a celestial blue sky and streaking clouds covering the domed ceiling of the main dining area. Artist Kevin Hanlon captures the beauty of Tuscany's vineyards and villas through the tall inner windows. While guests dine "outdoors", they are occasionally caught in the middle of a bright show of thunder and lightening.
Stella Luna Ristorante also offers two additional dining areas. The Conferenza provides private dining for business meetings or family events of up to 30 people. The Banchetto accommodates up to 100 people with private bathroom facilities and a separate sound system. Hand painted roof tiles and Sicilian wicker baskets decorate the walls of the Banchetto, making it ideal for weddings and other special occasions.
In addition to fine dining, Stella Luna Stazione boasts an impressive array of Italian ingredients for sale in the Mercato, allowing guests to recreate the Tuscan dining experience in their own homes.
The Avanzatos take great pride in the completely modern kitchen at Stella Luna Ristorante. Traditional Antipasti, authentic house Risotto, and plenty of homemade dishes with a vaiety of sauces decorate the menu. Stella Luna specializes in fresh seafood, including the biggest seller to date, sea bass. Homemade lasagna with an authentic bechamel sauce and fresh pasta cannelloni provide the guests a bona fide taste of Italy. Desserts are prepared from recipes of Vinne's wife, Ruth Avanzato. Prices range from $8.95 to $19.95.
Perhaps most importantly, the service at Stella Luna Stazione is without compare. Guests are treated like family and friends to a cozy, fine dining experience.
The Avanzatos would like to invite everyone to join them at Stella Luna Stazione and hope that you enjoy your dining experience.
Please review our web site. You will find links to the left. Below, you will notice text links to our other pages. If you have any questions or comments about this site, please feel free to contact the Avanzatos.
Oneonta, A Place Before Time
Once a major meeting place for the Indians of the area, Oneonta's woodland paths and parks were also the highways of the Iroquois. Before the six nations of the Iroquois were meeting here, there were several cultures of Paleo-Indians who lived in the vicinity about 4,500 B.C.E. The Yager museum's American Indian Exhibit contains some 20,000 artifacts from the Nations of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas and Tuscaroras, the main tribes settled here.
Willard E. Yager, a native of Oneonta, dedicated his life to studying and writing about Indian cultures and their history in the area. During the Revolutionary War, Otsego County was a battlefield between the Patriots, British, Loyalists and Indians. In 1779 General Clinton's Continental Army passed through the area following the Susquehanna from Lake Otsego to join up with General John Sullivan. As they traveled down the river, they destroyed most of the Indian settlements they encountered. The Indian strength in the region was severely weakened, and the area opened up to white settlements.
In 1775 John Vanderwerker built a log cabin at the present entrance to Neahwa Park and when he returned from the war, he built a saw mill and bridge on the Susquehanna in 1787. A man named Simeon Walling, who had passed through the area with General Clinton, returned and built a cabin on present day Main Street and Walling Streets, where the United Presbyterian Church stands.
More settlers came to the area, and by 1800 several log cabins has been built. In 1808, John McDonald built a second bridge, which replaced the Vanderwerker bridge and the small hamlet became known as McDonalds' Mills. McDonald opened a post office in 1817 at his tavern, and the settlement was officially named Milfordsville because it was the southern extension of Milford. Dr. Joseph Lindsey delivered mail on horse back on the Cooperstown-Milford-Delhi route.
The town was comprised mostly of German and Dutch settlers, and had a reputation for being a rough frontier town, and earned the nickname "Klipnockie", German for tavern brawl. Eventually, Oneonta, the Indian name meaning "place of open rocks", was chosen, probably referring to Table Rock overlooking Chestnut Street.
- Adapted from information obtained from the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce.
The staff of Stella Luna welcome you and hope you enjoy your meal!


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Jack O'Callahan remembers the backdrop of the most important hockey game of his life.
"We were aware that times were tough -- the economy, the gas lines, the cold war," said O'Callahan, a member of the famed 1980 U.S. hockey team. ""We were kids. But we were aware we were playing the big bad Russians."
Sunday night, 30 years after he helped lead Team USA past Russia and to a gold medal, O'Callahan watched Team USA beat Canada, 5-3 -- perhaps USA hockey's second-biggest upset ever. He recognizes that the stakes weren't as high as they were 30 years ago, but he said he still swelled with national pride.
"It was magnificent," O'Callahan said Monday at Glencoa Ice Center, where he watched his children play hockey. "My wife and I were watching together, yelling and screaming. It was a great thing."
Earlier this year, O'Callahan and Miracle on Ice teammate Mike Eruzione gave Team USA a pep talk.
"We just told them kids that teams win championships, players don't," he said. "We won as a team."
O'Callahan's biggest moment in the Miracle on Ice came early in the game against the Russians, when he delivered a crushing hit on a Soviet player to force a turnover, leading to the first U.S. goal. The play tied the game at 1 and sent the message to the Soviets that the young U.S. team would not be intimidated. The U.S. won, 4-3, in what is often considered the greatest sports upset over.
Now, O'Callahan's hoping Team USA can take the lessons of their predecessors from 30 years ago to heart, and win another gold medal.
""These guys grew up the top American hockey players most of their lives," he said. "They understand the importance when you put the USA jersey on. They understand everyone in the country is watching."


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Egypt's PM rushes to Hamas' aid in Gaza
Egypt's prime minister has rushed to the aid of the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers in the midst of an Israeli offensive there, calling for an end to the operation.
Palestinian militants took advantage of an Israeli halt in fire during the visit to rain rockets on Israel, including a strike on the bustling metropolis of Tel Aviv for a second straight day.
Three days of fierce fighting between Israel and Gaza militants has widened the instability gripping the region, straining already frayed Israel-Egypt relations.
The Islamist Cairo government recalled its ambassador in protest and dispatched Prime Minister Hesham Kandil to the Palestinian territory on Friday in a show of solidarity with Hamas.
Israel, meanwhile, showed signs it was preparing to widen the offensive. After days of battering militant targets with airstrikes, Israeli forces were massing along the border in preparation for a possible ground invasion.
The operation began on Wednesday with the assassination of Hamas's military chief and dozens of airstrikes on rocket launching sites. While Israel claims to have inflicted heavy damage, militants have fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel, bringing the entire region to a standstill.
At least 21 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed, according to medical officials on both sides.
Israel, at Egypt's request, suspended its attacks during the Egyptian official's brief visit, but Palestinians brushed aside this first possible break in the escalating conflict with a wide-ranging rocket barrage. Hamas officials claimed Israel carried out several airstrikes during the visit - a claim that Israel rejected.
Israel promised to "hold its fire" during Kandil's visit "on the condition that during that period, there won't be hostile fire from Gaza into Israel", an Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained committed to maintaining the historic 1979 peace treaty with Egypt.
But militant factions rejected the gesture and the Israeli military said Gaza militants fired off 60 rockets after Kandil crossed into Gaza from Egypt, heavily guarded by Egyptian security personnel wearing flak jackets and carrying assault rifles.
Kandil was greeted by Gaza's Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, who was making his first public appearance since Israel launched the offensive. The two visited wounded Palestinians at Shifa hospital in Gaza City, where medics had brought in the lifeless body of a four-year-old boy.
Tears streaming from his eyes, Kandil claimed afterward that the boy was killed in an Israeli airstrike, and called for an end to the operation.
"What I saw today in the hospital, the wounded and the martyrs, the boy, the martyr Mohammad Yasser, whose blood is still on my hands and clothes, is something that we cannot keep silent about," he said.
Neighbours said the boy was killed in a blast around 8.30am, around the time Kandil was entering the territory.
Israel, which ordinarily confirms strikes, vociferously denied carrying out any form of attack in the area since the previous night.
Kandil's visit came after a night of fierce exchanges and signals that Israel might be preparing to invade Gaza. Overnight, the military said it targeted about 150 of the sites Gaza gunmen use to fire rockets at Israel, as well as ammunition warehouses, bringing to 450 the number of sites struck since the operation began Wednesday.
Militants unleashed dozens of rocket barrages overnight, setting off air-raid sirens throughout an area that is home to some one million Israelis.
One rocket, fired on Friday afternoon, set off air raid sirens and an explosion in Tel Aviv, Israel's bustling cultural and commercial capital. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said no one was injured and it appears the rocket landed in the Mediterranean.


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Subscribe To Former James Cameron Employee Claims He Created The Idea For Avatar Updates
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Plagiarism lawsuits are nothing new in Hollywood -- hell, we've covered several here just in the past few months -- so you would expect a movie that made nearly three billion dollars worldwide to attract its share of litigants. Indeed, Avatar director James Cameron has been sued before by people claiming he swiped the idea for his ecological sci-fi epic from this place or that. Now the lawyers are flocking once again, and this time it's a former employee of Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment claiming that Avatar was based on his ideas.
According to THR, Eric Ryder has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming that while employed by Lightstorm back in 1999 he wrote a story that became the basis for Avatar. Called K.R.Z. 2068, Ryder says the story was developed as a planned movie by Lightstorm, but was eventually abandoned in 2002 because the company didn't think there would be enough interest in the film. Ryder also claims to have created supporting materials such as treatments and photos.
So what was K.R.Z. 2068 all about? THR lists several choice quotes from the complaint (which you can read in full right here). Ryder's story was an "environmentally-themed 3D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting." The complaint also claims that both Ryder's story and Avatar include a corporation spy, similarities between their respective alien inhabitants, and the spy forming a relationship with the natives and eventually switching sides.
Okay, it all sounds relatively Avatar-ish, but whatever else you can say about it, Avatar definitely doesn't have the most original storyline in the world. Many have pointed out the film's similarities to movies such as Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves, to name only two. Plus, Cameron has said that he began developing Avatar back in 1994, when he wrote the 80-page treatment for the film, which was later leaked and popped up all over the internet. From what I remember of that treatment, most of the elements Ryder is claiming were stolen were already there, at least in prototypical form. Sure, it's possible Cameron could have incorporated Ryder's ideas into the eventual film...but that, along with the rest of it, remains to be proven.


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Thursday, December 20, 2012
"Gun ownership is one of the greatest expressions of liberty in America today, much like speaking your mind is an expression of Free Speech. Guns are what gave our founding fathers the ability to fight for independence against British tyranny. Without guns, we'd all still be British subjects, paying 70% tax rates and bowing to the Queen or rambling along as mindless idiots like Piers Morgan. In terms of liberty, a person with a gun is a citizen; a person without a gun is a slave. Which would you prefer to be?"
Mike Adams
The raging debate on so-called "gun control" makes it clear that many people still do not understand the role of private gun ownership in a free society. The best way to grasp the truth about the Second Amendment and private gun ownership is to think of it as democracy's immune system.
In the human immune system, when an invader threatens the body, the immune system rallies microscopic "members of the rebellion" who surround and destroy invading microorganisms, thereby preserving life. Without the immune system, the body would be taken over by an invading force, resulting in the body's eventual death and destruction.
In the world of geopolitics, when an overarching tyranny begins to spread and multiply, the immune system is citizens with guns who rally to the defense of the People and beat back the invading force, thereby preserving the health and liberty of the nation.
What really keeps people free in society, it turns out, is a government that is afraid of what the people might do if they are pushed too far. That's a good thing.
"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson
Tyranny is born from an imbalance of power
When governments disarm the public, they no longer have any fear of pursuing even the most freedom-crushing, tyrannical policies imaginable. This is how tyranny is born: from the imbalance of power where the government has enormous firepower and the citizens have very little.
Communist China, for example, is a country where private gun ownership is banned, and the government there gets away with almost anything imaginable (such as arresting people and then harvesting their organs so that government thugs can make money selling those organs on the black market).
North Korea is perhaps the best example of a government with monopoly firepower taken to the extreme. There, citizens have zero rights, zero freedoms and of course no firearms. In North Korea, the border checkpoints all have guards and elaborate razor wire systems engineered not to keep people out but to prevent citizens from escaping the tyranny!
Bush and Obama have catapulted America down the path of government tyranny
America's government today is rapidly heading towards the North Korean model. A year ago, Obama officially abolished due process and gutted the Bill of Rights by signing into law a highly illegal piece of legislation called the NDAA. This law authorizes secret arrests, secret prisons, the government holding prisoners without charge, and much more. It is America's darkest effort yet to mirror the gulag government of North Korea.
If America did not have a hundred million (plus) private gun owners right now, you can bet that Bush and Obama would have already put in place a North Korean-style system of totalitarianism. Believe it or not, it's all the private gun owners who are holding back the tidal wave of tyranny that seeks to gut America's freedoms and turn it into an all-out communist nation. The very idea that American citizens can defend themselves is what gives tyrants like Bush or Obama pause to reconsider their plans.
All governments, remember, desire infinite expansion to the point where they run everything (the media, industry, agriculture, science, etc.) and control everybody (what you eat, what you think, what you buy and so on). But government is always highly inefficient, stupid and foolish in the way it uses resources. That's why North Korea's citizens are living in widespread poverty, with tens of millions starving to death every few years. It's why California is in a state of runaway bankruptcy and can't even keep its roads paved. This is the result of total government control in a society with no immune system (i.e. no private gun ownership).
Gun ownership also offers immunity from crazed psychopaths
An armed citizenry is not only able to defend itself against tyrannical government takeover; it's also able to mount an instant, highly effective defense against crazed psychopathic (or mind-controlled) individual shooters.
For example, if school administrators and office employees were allowed to carry concealed weapons instead of being forced to disarm themselves inside a foolishly-labeled "gun free zone," they would have the ability to defend children against armed attackers.
No shooter would target schools if they knew principals were packing heat. For the same reason, house robberies are extremely rare in places like Texas where the vast majority of citizens are well armed and able to defend their lives and homes.
Democratic gun ownership keeps America free
It is the distribution of firepower across the nation that keeps America in a relative balance of power. Widespread gun ownership is inherently democratic. It is de-centralized. It is local.
Gun ownership is one of the greatest expressions of liberty in America today, much like speaking your mind is an expression of Free Speech. Guns are what gave our founding fathers the ability to fight for independence against British tyranny. Without guns, we'd all still be British subjects, paying 70% tax rates and bowing to the Queen or rambling along as mindless idiots like Piers Morgan.
In terms of liberty, a person with a gun is a citizen; a person without a gun is a slave. Which would you prefer to be?
Posted by Wallyworld
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Madeley Lake - Whistler Area Trails
Madeley Lake is a beautiful, remote mountain lake hidden high up in the Callaghan Valley. From Whistler Village expect to take 40 minutes to drive there. You can drive directly to the lake, however the access road is pretty bad with deep waterbars. An average 4x4 can make it quite easily, though most cars with have great difficulty driving over the numerous deep water cut gouges in the road. Located near Alexander Falls, Madeley Lake is close to several beautiful places.
Just metres past the turnoff to Alexander Falls, turn left at the sign for . Cross the bridge and follow the terribly potholed logging road for about 300 metres, turn right at the first logging road that branches off to the right(Madeley Road). Follow this logging road for about 8 minutes until Madeley Lake appears on your right. Provincial Park
There is a large map board at the trailhead to Hanging Lake, Rainbow Lake and Mount Sproatt. You can park here or continue past this and drive to the end of the lake and small campsite area(park and look for the small trailhead sign across the bridge). This is an unmaintained area camping area and for the most park you will feel very far from civilization despite being just a couple kilometres from Whistler Olympic Park.
This is an amazing place to camp. If looking for solitude at a paradise, mountain lake, Madeley Lake is hard to beat. Though somewhat popular with fishing, you are still likely to rarely see anyone at the lake in the summer and never in the fall. Once in a while you will see a car or two at the trailhead to Hanging Lake. If you have a canoe, Madeley is a great place to paddle around or just float in the sun.
Hanging Lake is located just before Rainbow Lake. Though ugly in comparison to Rainbow Lake, Hanging Lake has a nice camping area and is dog friendly and swimming friendly. Rainbow Lake is the source of Whistler's drinking water and camping, dogs, swimming and fishing are prohibited. Though all of these prohibitions are unfortunately, routinely flouted at Rainbow Lake, Hanging Lake is a good alternative. The dividing line for dogs allowed and not allowed runs between Rainbow Lake and Hanging Lake and is marked with a huge sign.
The trail from Madeley Lake to Hanging Lake is nice, however at times muddy. Free of snow, usually early June to November most years, this trail is a great way to avoid the much busier Rainbow Lake trail that starts from the Whistler side of this area. If you can arrange to have someone drop you off at the trailhead you can hike all the way to Whistler Village via the Rainbow Trail and the Valley Trail. The entire distance is about 23 kilometres and should only take about 6 hours, much of it steadily descending the beautiful Rainbow Trail. The route is well marked and there are several map-boards along the route ensuring you find your way safely.
Trail Map and Trailhead Directions
This trail map shows the Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake as well as the Rainbow Trail to Rainbow Lake and down to Whistler near Rainbow Park on Alta Lake. To print: Right Click on the map, save image as, save to desktop, then open the image and print on standard size printer paper. Cell coverage is sometimes spotty in the Callaghan Valley, however generally good nearer to Rainbow Lake. You will likely be able to access the internet and this map if you have a data plan, however saving this image may be a good idea especially if you are venturing out toward Beverly Lake where the trail is hard to find and follow.
From Whistler drive 20km towards Vancouver on the Sea to Sky highway, then turn right at the sign for Whistler Olympic Park. Drive up the beautiful, winding road for about 8 minutes. The sign for Callaghan Lake will be just after Alexander Falls and just before , you will turn left, cross a bridge and after a couple hundred metres turn right onto another logging road. Follow this for 5k until you come to Madeley Lake and a large info board and signs directing you to Hanging Lake and Rainbow Lake. There is lots of parking here. The first parking area as you approach the lake is the best if you are just hiking. Here you will see a nice sign and great directions. If you are camping, then continue to the end of the road where the campsite is and the top of the trail. If you try to find Madeley Lake on Google Maps it is named incorrectly as Powell Lake.
The campsite at the end of Madeley Lake is very basic, though wonderfully remote feeling and rustic. The sun rises over the lake in the morning and you are bathed in sun most of the day. In previous years you could also camp at the nearby Alexander Falls, however this is no longer allowed. Also, keep in mind that this whole area in the winter is taken over by Callaghan Country and Whistler Olympic Park so access via skis comes with a usage charge. Another campsite option in the area is the beautiful and large campsite area at Callaghan Lake Provincial Park nearby. Both Madeley Lake campsite and Callaghan Lake are free of charge for camping. For a look at the accommodation choices in Whistler try booking.com.
The Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake is very dog friendly but keep in mind that it is often a muddy trail so your car will get muddy if you don't take him for a swim at the end. Beyond Hanging Lake you will come to a large sign indicating that Rainbow Lake is Whistler's water source and dogs, swimming, fishing, etc are prohibited. There are plenty of other dog friendly trails around Whistler. For a look at some of the best easy, dog friendly trails try here.. and some of the best challenging dog friendly trails here...
Other Hikes & Sights Near Madeley Lake
Alexander Falls is a very impressive 43 metre/141foot waterfall just before the left turn to Callaghan Lake and Madeley Lake. Accessible year-round and located just before where several of the were held. There is a nice viewing platform on the edge of the cliff across from the falls which crash fantastically into the valley below. The parking area and viewing platform at Alexander Falls is one big area just 40 metres from the main road (to Whistler Olympic Park). The adventurous can find the obscure trail that leads to both the top of the falls as well as, with great difficulty, to the base of the falls. Callaghan Lake is not really a hiking destination but more of a drive to campsite on a beautiful lake, and gateway to some beautiful intermediate hikes. The campsite is small and looks a bit like a parking lot with about 6 spots to put up a tent. There is a proper boat launch at the campsite and the lake is large and beautiful to paddle. Surrounded by snowy mountains and nice rock outcrops the lake is good for fishing. If you have a canoe or boat of some kind you can find numerous, breathtaking places to camp. To get there from Madeley, drive back the way you came from and at the T junction, turn right and drive for about 8 kilometres. Rainbow Lake is one of the original hiking trails in Whistler that has existed well before Whistler was called Whistler. The 8k trail is challenging though beautiful as it passes through an impressively huge forest of giant trees. There are several wonderful bridge crossings and crashing river views. Rainbow Lake itself is surreal and beautiful. An unnaturally bright, green meadow extends from one side of the lake and a field of starkly white erratics litter the landscape along the shores of the crystal clear lake. Rainbow Lake is Whistler's water source so swimming, fishing, dogs and camping are not allowed. There are, you will quickly notice upon reaching Rainbow Lake, that a trail continues past the lake then forks. From the Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake, Rainbow Lake is just a 20 minute hike past Hanging Lake. Cirque Lake is an unbelievably beautiful paradise high up above Callaghan Lake in the Callaghan Valley. It requires a canoe to get you to the trailhead at the far end of Callaghan Lake and therefore is seldom hiked. The trailhead is tricky to find and the 2 kilometre trail is very steep, though surprisingly well marked with flagging tape.
Once at the lake you find yourself in the wind shadow of the cirque and in a world of serenity and calm. It is an extraordinary thing to have a cirque valley to yourself. Feels like you are standing in a volcano of sorts. But a giant, tree filled meadow of a volcano with a mesmerisingly still and perfectly reflecting lake at its centre. To get to Cirque Lake you have to canoe from Callaghan Lake Provincial Park to the trailhead at the far end of the lake.
Ring Lake is a fantastically beautiful and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10k hike takes you through a beautiful forest of cedars then to a spectacular meadow filled with ponds and ringed with distant, enormous mountains. 5k into the hike you come to Conflict Lake with trails running around it. Signs at various junctions indicate which trail to take to reach Ring Lake, a further 5k from Conflict. The trailhead to Ring and Conflict Lakes is very close to the Callaghan Lake Provincial Park campsite. About 200 metres before the Callaghan Lake campsite on your left you will see and unmarked parking area and a trail that crosses the river over a large log bridge. A few minutes into the trail you will start seeing trail signs.