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Sporty RS joins fresh lineup.
Compact Cars
Editor: New Car Test Drive
$14,200 Base Price MSRP
$20,995 As Tested MSRP
Model Lineup: "Chevrolet Sonic LS Sedan ($14,200), LS Hatchback ($14,800); LT sedan ($15,635), LT hatchback ($16,235); LTZ sedan ($17,245), LTZ hatchback ($17,845); RS hatchback ($20,200)"
Standard Engine: 1.4-liter turbocharged DOHC inline-4
Engine Options: 1.8-liter DOHC inline-4; 1.4-liter turbocharged DOHC inline-4
Standard Transmission: 6-speed manual
Transmission Options: 5-speed manual; 6-speed automatic; 6-speed manual
Basic Warranty: "3 years/36,000 miles"
Assembled In: "Orion, Michigan"
Model Tested MSRP: Chevrolet Sonic RS hatchback
Standard Equipment: "leatherette/synthetic-suede upholstery, heated front seats, manually adjustable seats, aluminum pedals, air conditioning, interior air filter, cruise control, trip computer, tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, 60/40 split folding rear seat, OnStar telematics service, AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary jack, six speakers, satellite radio, MyLink infotainment system, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, USB port, floor mats, remote keyless entry, power door locks, heated outside power mirrors, power windows, automatic headlights, rear washer/wiper, rear cargo cover, roof spoiler, fog lights, sport suspension, P205/50R17 tires on alloy wheels"
Options As Tested: none
Standard Safety Equipment: "front driver and passenger airbags, seat mounted thorax side-impact airbags, head curtain airbags, rear side-impact airbags, front knee airbags; antilock brakes (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), panic brake assist, stability and traction control, hill-hold feature, tire-pressure monitor"
Optional Safety Equipment: noneDestination Charge: $795
Launched as a 2012 model, Sonic comes in LS, LT, and LTZ models. For 2013, a sporty Sonic RS model joins the lineup while the rest of the 2013 Sonic lineup benefits from technology upgrades and additional features.
The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS offers sportier handling and performance. Sonic RS comes with the top-of-the-line 1.4-liter turbocharged engine along with a sports suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather seating surfaces and special exterior and interior trim. Unique gear ratios for the 6-speed manual and a unique final drive ratio for the automatic give the Sonic RS more responsive acceleration at the price of fuel economy. Sonic RS is only available as a hatch.
The Chevrolet Sonic comes standard with a 1.8-liter engine rated at 26/35 miles per gallon City/Highway. The 1.8-liter delivers 138 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 3800 rpm. Those numbers are worth noting in comparisons with the optional turbocharged engine. We found the 1.8-liter engine offers sprightly performance and a wide powerband. For 2013, Sonic offers a PZEV (partial zero emissions vehicle) version of the 1.8-liter engine.
The optional 1.4-liter turbocharged engine is both more powerful and more fuel-efficient, however. The 1.4-liter turbo delivers 138 horsepower at 4900 rpm and puts out 148 pound-feet of torque that starts at way down at 1850 rpm and extends through 4900 rpm. Fuel economy is 29/40 mpg City/Highway with the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Note that the turbocharged engine develops its horsepower at lower revs than does the 1.8-liter engine. Drivers find the Sonic zippier and more fun to drive with the 1.4-liter turbo, and they spend less money on gas. So we think the turbo is worth the extra money.
The 1.8-liter engine is available with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic; the 1.4-liter turbo is available with a 6-speed manual or the 6-speed automatic. Sonic comes standard with a hill-hold feature on both transmissions, especially welcome on the manual gearbox on hilly terrain. When the driver is stopped and releases the brake pedal, the brakes electronically hold the car in place for two seconds, thanks to a sensor that detects the tilt of the body.
Newly designed, the Sonic looks fresh and new. The Sonic has an urban vibe, particularly the five-door hatch. Sharp creases, exposed headlamps and motorcycle-inspired design cues set it apart from other compacts, while good fit and finish and available forged alloy wheels keep it from looking cheap.
Sonic comes standard with 10 airbags, including seat-mounted thorax side-impact, head curtain and knee airbags. Other nice touches not often found standard on a sub-$15,000 car include a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and 60/40 folding rear seats.
We found the Sonic's handling to be good in general, not just for a low-priced subcompact. The body structure is quite stiff, which aids both handling and ride comfort. Corvette engineers helped tune the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension for the U.S. market to strike a balance between fun and comfort. All but the RS model use front disc brakes and rear drums, the latter the norm for the class because they are less expensive than rear discs.
The interior is comparable for the class. While most of the interior materials are hard plastic, that's expected at these prices. Fit and finish in the Sonic is better than most, but some materials such as the headliner appear low grade. Chevrolet includes a new MyLink infotainment system with the 2013 Sonic LTZ and RS. Chevrolet MyLink features a seven-inch color screen with Bluetooth streaming audio. Access to apps is available. A MyLink navigation app called BringGo promises navigation for just 50 bucks.
2013 Sonic models get many minor upgrades, including revised OnStar buttons, blind-spot mirrors, an available six-speaker premium audio system, and upgrades to many options.
We think the Chevrolet Sonic has an edge over the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Honda Fit when it comes to sportiness and refinement, though the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 offer similar strengths at similar prices."
"The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic is available as either a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback. A 1.8-liter engine comes standard on all models except Sonic RS. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, a 6-speed automatic is optional with the 1.8-liter engine. The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine is available for LT and LTZ models and standard on the RS. The 1.4-liter turbo comes with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.
Sonic LS sedan ($14,200) and Sonic LS hatchback ($14,800) come with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, interior air filter, manually adjustable seats, trip computer, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, 60/40 split folding rear seat, OnStar telematics service, AM/FM stereo with auxiliary jack and four speakers, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, a roof spoiler, front floor mats, remote keyless entry, power door locks, trip computer, automatic headlights, and P195/65R15 tires on steel wheels with wheel covers. All hatchback models come standard with a rear washer/wiper and a rear spoiler. Chevrolet's new MyLink infotainment system is optional ($595), as is a 6-speed automatic transmission ($1095).
Sonic LT sedan ($15,635) and Sonic LT hatchback ($16,235) get upgraded cloth upholstery, cruise control, USB port, heated outside power mirrors, power windows, rear floor mats, a six-speaker premium sound system with CD player and satellite radio capability, and alloy wheels. LTs with the automatic transmission also get remote starting and the hatchback adds a rear cargo cover. LT buyers can get the MyLink infotainment system ($200); the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine ($700); and a Wheels and Fog Lamps package for sedan ($495) or hatchback ($345) with fog lamps, P205/55R16 tires, and, for the sedan, a rear spoiler.
Sonic LTZ sedan ($17,245) and LTZ hatchback ($17,845) upgrade with leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, wheel-mounted audio controls, Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, a USB port, Bluetooth phone and music connectivity, fog lights, and P205/50R17 tires. A sunroof is offered for the LTZ ($850), as well as the new RS.
Sonic RS ($20,200) is offered only as a hatchback. It comes standard with the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, more aggressive gearing, leatherette/synthetic-suede upholstery, a flat-bottom steering wheel, aluminum pedals, sports suspension, and unique 17-inch wheels.
Safety features on all models include antilock brakes (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and panic brake assist; electronic stability control with rollover sensor, traction control, tire-pressure monitor, hill-hold feature, and 10 airbags: front driver and passenger, seat mounted thorax side-impact, head curtain, rear side-impact and front knee airbags."
Walk Around
"Although it's made in America, the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic was sketched and modeled in Korea by designers who are avid motorcycle enthusiasts. As such, the Sonic contains many design cues borrowed from two wheelers.
The five-door hatchback model has a younger, more aggressive, boxy shape with hidden rear door handles and exposed rear taillights. The four-door sedan's profile, meanwhile, is sleeker and more refined.
On both body styles, the Sonic uses round, exposed headlamps, chrome trim around Chevy's trademark dual-port grille and honeycomb-shaped grille inserts. Steel wheels with wheel covers are new this year on the base model, and they result in a cheaper look. Alloy wheels are available in 15, 16 or 17-inch diameters, and they look far more sophisticated.
Large gaps between body panels were one tell-tale sign of cheap cars of the past. But the Chevrolet Sonic manages to pare down body gaps to 3.5 millimeters or less. Also, a special welding technique was used to make for a cleaner, more flush fit.
The Sonic RS model gets several tell-tale exterior cues. The ride height that has been lowered 10 millimeters and satin-finish aluminum wheels give it a sportier stance. The lower front fascia is also more aggressive and the lower portion of the grille appears to be more open. In addition, the lower rocker moldings and rear fascia are more aggressive, the exhaust outlets are bright, and the rear spoiler features a center dip that suggests a dual-cockpit design."
"The cabin of the Chevrolet Sonic carries over the motorcycle-inspired design with a large, round tachometer front and center. A large LCD speedometer to the right of the tach glows a pleasant blue color and is easy to read, though the red dial glows too brightly at night.
Audio and climate controls are simple, logical and easy to read and reach. The tall, narrow slots on either side of the center stack add extra storage, but they look out of place.
The cloth seats are comfortable and easily adjustable. We especially like the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, which is often tough to get as standard equipment on more luxurious cars. Dash and trim materials are mostly plastics, but that's expected in this class, and the plastics are substantial, fit together well, and feature well-executed colors and textures.
The Sonic RS has some sporty touches. You expect to find a flat-bottom steering wheel in an Audi TT, not an entry-level Chevy. The aluminum pedals are cool, as so is the red contrast stitching in the seats and shifter. The synthetic seat inserts also add a bit more grip to keep you in place during aggressive maneuvers.
In the rear, there is enough headroom and legroom, even for adults to fit behind adults. Most subcompact cars have tighter rear seats.
Cargo space comes in at an average 14 cubic-feet for the sedan and a decent 19 cubic feet for the hatchback. A shelf in the rear of the hatch stows away to make room for tall items and is completely removable for more space. Fold down the 60/40 rear seats, and cargo space expands to 30.7 cubic feet. That's small for a hatchback, but quite useful.
For 2013, Chevrolet is adding its new MyLink Color Touch radio to the Sonic. It offers the connectivity that young buyers desire. It consists of a 7-inch touchscreen that links with your smartphone to provide access to apps, pictures and movies (when stopped). Available apps include Pandora and Stitcher internet radio, as well as a new navigation app called BringGo. BringGo costs $50 and offers such functionality as point of interest search, Google local search, and real-time traffic information.
We tried BringGo in Chicago and found that it worked quite well. It requires a cell phone signal to work, but a full navigation system for $50? Sounds great. Kudos to Chevy for bringing this type of connectivity into such an affordable car."
Driving Impressions
"The Chevrolet Sonic delivers spritely acceleration performance with the standard 1.8-liter engine. Power from the 1.8-liter engine is sufficient off the line, but we found throttle tip-in to be overly sensitive and that made for jumpy standing starts until we got used to it.
We sometimes had trouble choosing the right gear over hills and through windy roads. With the automatic, we needed to manually shift to get the optimum power. With the manual, second gear seemed too short yet third was much too tall. This suggests torque from the 1.8-liter engine might not be sufficiently broad and robust for the gear ratios. In short, more power would be useful for motoring around town.
We found the 1.4-liter turbo models in the LT and LTZ to be a tad zippier, smoother, and quieter. There isn't much low-rpm response, so downshifting is required for good acceleration. Merge from the on-ramp onto the freeway in third gear and you'll be wishing for more power to get up to speed.
The shorter gear ratios in the Sonic RS make it feel noticeably stronger at low speeds. The 0 to 60 mph time is about the same at about 8.4 seconds, but that's because you'll need to grab an extra gear to get to 60. It may not be much, but we like the extra zip of the RS.
When it comes to handling, the Sonic is accomplished for the price. The steering is surprisingly responsive and offers decent road feel. The car's strong body structure and well-tuned suspension make it agile and composed. Throw the car into a cloverleaf on-ramp and it will maintain its line and rotate the way you want it to. Most other cars in this class will push forward instead of rotating, the front tires washing out, reducing cornering speed. We like to think of the Sonic hatchback as the poor man's VW GTI.
The Sonic RS is even sportier. The lower ride height and stiffer suspension make the handling a bit more crisp without becoming harsh or high strung.
Ride quality is comfortable, a nice balance with handling. The suspension is sufficiently compliant to handle bumps and railroad tracks, yet still firm enough to attack corners with minimal body roll.
Braking is responsive. The brake pedal is not as progressive as we would like, however. There's pedal travel then the brakes bite. They are perfectly safe but they're more difficult to modulate for smooth driving and this takes some of the joy out of the driving experience. The Sonic RS, which has four-wheel discs instead of rear drums, feels a bit more progressive.
Fuel economy for the Chevrolet Sonic regardless of body style is an EPA estimated 26/35 mpg City/Highway with the 1.8-liter engine and 5-speed manual transmission, 25/35 mpg with the automatic. The 1.4 turbo is rated at 29/40 mpg with the manual and 27/37 mpg with the automatic. The RS's shorter gearing costs it significant mileage: Sonic RS is EPA-rated at 27/34 mpg with the 6-speed manual, 25/33 mpg with 6-speed automatic. Regular gasoline is recommended for all models, so there's no need to pay more for Premium."
"The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic is a peppy, well-executed subcompact car with lots of standard features and surprisingly good performance at a reasonable price. It offers levels of sportiness and refinement that are uncommon in this class. It's quickly become our favorite subcompact.
Laura Burstein filed this NewCarTestDrive.com report after her test drive of the Chevrolet Sonic in San Francisco. Kirk Bell contributed from Chicago."
Top Cars


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2011 General Motors Future Cars
What's Right Around the Corner for Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevy
A year ago, General Motors filed for bankruptcy and installed a revolving door on the office of the CEO. Pontiac and Saturn are gone. Hummer is on its way to Chinese ownership. Saab remains in limbo and is likely to be liquidated soon.
A year ago, Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said, "In tough times, you have to look at and adjust your product-development programs, but you can't just stop. Because then, when things return to normal, you have nothing to come to market with. The one thing certain about the future is that people will continue to be driving cars." People are in fact still driving, and GM is preparing to roll out some quite interesting, relevant, and well-developed products.
Among other things, it is working hard to fill in the blanks in Buick's lineup as it also prepares to launch the much-ballyhooed and all-important Chevrolet Volt. Here's the skinny on the significant new products from The General that are just around the turn of a calendar's page.
Opel's Buick Takes on TSX
Saturn was to have been Opel's North American outlet, but New GM is instead tweaking the multiple-award-winning Insignia into a Regal. Engineers insist they're "tweaking," not "reengineering" the car, with chassis alterations limited to accommodating North American all-season Michelin Pilot tires (Opels come with summer Bridgestone Potenzas). A choice of two direct-injected four-cylinder engines will be offered: 2.4-liter naturally aspirated (182 hp/172 lb-ft) or 2.0-liter turbocharged (220 hp/258 lb-ft), mated to a manual or automatic six-speed transmission. Indeed the Insignia and Regal setups felt quite similar on a recent drive of 2.0T variants. Neither is as plush as the LaCrosse. Both follow the contour of the road faithfully with a well-controlled ride that may strike the aging Buick faithful as busy (doesn't bother Buick). Chassis impacts generate minimal noise, which improves the mental perception of ride quality. The Regal negotiates elbows and esses with minimal body roll and no squealing hysterics from the tires.
Sized about four inches longer and a bit wider and taller than its principle rival, the Acura TSX, the 3600-pound Regal still manages to project a light and nimble sensation from the cockpit that's not unlike the 3450-pound TSX. And Buick is contemplating a GS variant (it showed the Regal GS Show Car at the 2010 Detroit show), borrowing fatter tires, lowered adjustable suspension, Haldex all-wheel drive with electronic limited-slip rear differential, and go-fast interior and exterior styling bits from the Insignia OPC model, but substituting a 255-horse/295-pound-foot version of the 2.0-liter turbo in place of the OPC's 2.8-liter V-6 turbo. Impressive dynamics, appealing exterior styling, and an attractive and ergonomically astute cockpit may indeed help Buick turn some Acura heads.
When GM dropped the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept on everyone at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the response was a near-unanimous "Build it. And don't forget the V." Well, its now 2010 and the CTS and CTS-V Coupes are mere months away from arriving in dealer showrooms.
When it came to turning the concept in a production car, GM went with the "if its not broken, don't fix it" approach and made minimal changes. Put pictures of the concept and production cars next to each other and only the eagle-eyes will spot the differences. The production car wears smaller wheels borrowed from the CTS sedan that don't fill the wheel arches as much, but they don't look like they don't fit, either. In front, the lower fascia is unique to the coupe has been revised slightly from the concept with a less-prominent splitter, larger brake ducts and smaller fog lights.
As with most coupes, everything behind the A-pillar is unique from the sedan. It starts with fender vents that are toned down from the concept but differ in size and shape from those found on the sedan. The rocker panels are scaled back slightly from the concept, and aluminum-looking trim frames the side windows on the production car -- a touch not found on the concept.
As for the CTS-V, it shares the sedan's 113.4-in. wheelbase, but its rear track is about an inch wider. Cadillac says the Coupe's sleek shape and slightly lower mass ensures "a similarly high level of performance."
The requisite CTS-V bodywork dons the Coupe's nose and tail. Additions include a larger grille that doubles air intake, says GM, a bulge in the hood that makes room for the supercharger, and a center-mounted exhaust with two outlets poking out the back.
WHEN: LATE 2011-EARLY 2012The long-awaited replacement for the aging DTS and STS sedans finally surfaced at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in the form XTS Platinum Concept. Serving as something of a rolling showcase for the brand's Art & Science design language, the large sedan is about an inch longer than an Escalade Platinum Hybrid plus 2.3-inches wider and 1.1-inches taller than the CTS.
Modeled after the Platinum philosophy, the XTS features hand cut-and-sewn interior. Dark materials adorn the steering wheel and overhead compartment, contrasting against the prominent light cream interior color. The dash is a harbinger of the future of in-car electronics for the Cadillac brand. Organic Light-Emitting Diode (O-LED) displays replace the traditional gauges and screens, while the deployable touch-screen navigation system supplants the majority of buttons and switches on the dash. The panels appear black until the car is started; a "dead front" design, as dubbed by the designers, that aims to give the dash a flowing appearance.
The exterior "is the antithesis of the conventional three-box sedan, suggesting the active evolution of Cadillac's design language," according to design director Clay Dean. It features a sweeping profile and angled beltline to suggest forward motion. Vertical lamps sit at all four corners, while the lights up front receive adaptive lighting that adjusts direction depending on the angle of the front wheels.
Under hood is a paring of General Motors' direct-injected 3.6L V-6 and a plug-in hybrid system. The combination makes an estimated 350-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and can propel the XTS under electric power alone. When plugged into a power outlet, GM says the battery can recharge in about five hours. The engine routes power to all four 20-in wheels, which are wrapped in Bridgestone rubber. Widely believed to be underpinned by GM's front drive-based Epsilon II platform, the XTS also features magnetic ride control, using shocks that are capable of adjusting damping in indiscernible amounts of time.
Hybrid powertrain aside, the XTS Platinum looks to be as much of a concept as the CTS Coupe Concept, so the production version shouldn't be more than two years away, if not less, given that GM shouldn't be going bankrupt again anytime soon.
For its entire existence, Chevrolet's Korean-built Aveo subcompact has been criticized for its subpar design and execution. Well, it seems that the General's finally decided to do something about that, giving the world a preview of the next-generation Aveo in the form of the Aveo RS show car at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
Chevrolet has made the new hatchback wider, longer, and more spacious that the one it will replace. For the show car, Chevy has gone all out with special design cues including big front fender flares, extra-large brake cooling ducts with pushed-out fog lights, and big air inlets trimmed in both brushed and polished aluminum.
Other elements are more likely to make it to the production car, including the exposed, aluminum-trimmed headlights and round taillights, elements Chevy says were inspired by motorcycles. Turn signals integrated into the mirrors, and rear door handles tucked into the C-pillars, are also likely to carry over to the production model. The chrome, center-exit exhaust tips, racy roof spoiler, and aluminum-trimmed, tinted tail lights are a bit less likely.
While some of these bits might not be found on the production car, they may be available as accessories. Chevy says it's targeting younger buyers and enthusiasts and hopes to hook them with the kinds of personalization options that have been such a hit for small-car competitors Scion and Kia. For the show car, Chevy even crafted a special silver engine cover with aluminum accents flanked by wheel-colored honeycomb grilles, and blue-rimmed coolant and power steering caps. The company hasn't said yet which, if any, of these show car items will actually be offered as factory or dealer upgrades.
WHAT: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 AND CONVERTIBLE
Stirring the Pony Pot
As we've prognosticated, the Camaro will likely get the LSA supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine sometime in mid to late 2011. Packing roughly 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque and weighing considerably less than Cadillac's CTS-V, it should be capable of outsprinting the killer-Caddy. Figure a sub-four-second 0-to-60 and very low 12s in the quarter.
Spotters guide: A unique grille mesh, a deeper front bumper fascia with deeply inset foglights, taller rear lip spoiler, new rear fascia with integrated exhaust outlets, and 20-inch "tuning-fork" wheels distinguish the Z/28.
In spring 2011, look for the topless Camaro sporting a sleek one-touch soft top just in time for alfresco driving. It was delayed due to cash-flow and top-supplier issues, but all are ironed out now. No word yet on whether there will be a ragtop Z/28 variant, but don't hold your breath. That kind of torque would likely wring the roofless chassis like a dishrag.
The 2011 Cruze, the North American version of which will be built at GM's revamped Lordstown, Ohio, plant, is arguably as important to the General's future success, if not more so, than Chevy's electric vehicle savior and fellow L.A. show star -- the 2011 Chevy Volt. GM is making no bones about the Cruze's main mission. This is a car that must do what the outgoing Cobalt could not -- seriously challenge the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic for compact car supremacy. The automaker says the Cruze will have the refinement, build quality and options necessary to do battle with the top dogs in the segment.
Chevy's main selling point for the Cruze is GM's new turbocharged Ecotec 1.4-liter, DOHC I-4 with variable valve timing. The 1.4-liter is tentatively rated at 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. GM has predictably been hyping the engine's efficiency and its estimated 40 mpg highway, and unlike most turbos, the engine's recommended fuel is regular unleaded. There will be a base engine, a 1.8-liter four estimated to output 136 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. During our drives of the European and Chinese versions of the Cruze, we were underwhelmed with the 1.8-liter, so the extra grunt of the turbo will no doubt be welcome.
Mated to the Cruze's engines is a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions -- gear shifters not normally found as standard equipment the compact class. In fact, Chevy is tacking on a lot of features to the Cruze in an effort to make it stand out from the compact crowd. GM's StabiliTrak stability control is standard equipment, as are 10 air bags, electric power steering, traction control and anti-lock brakes.
Germany's Opel was responsible for the basic platform that underpins the Cruze, GM's new new-generation Delta architecture. Notable features include a high-rigidity shell and relatively sophisticated MacPherson front strut geometry outfitted with hydraulic bushes and aluminum lower arms. The compact's torsion beam rear is augmented by a Watts Z-link design that GM says helps center the rear axle during cornering, which is said to improve the car's overall handling by allowing the rear to better follow the front suspension's inputs.
Ostensibly a Delta-platform Cruze wagon, the Orlando will take on the Mazda5 microvan, offering three-row seating for seven. It may replace the HHR, and we hope it gets that trucklet's engines, as the Cruze's 1.4 turbo will likely be overwhelmed by this rig. Expect it in mid to late 2011.
The Orlando Concept, shown at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, was powered by 2.0L turbodiesel making 150-hp and 236 lb-ft. of torque, but GM is staying out of the diesel game in the U.S.
To make room for the extra passengers, the Cruze's wheelbase has been stretched three inches and widened 1.6 inches in the front and 1.2 inches in the rear. The Orlando's second-row seats have a 60-40 split while the third row seats have a 50-50 split. The backs of the seats have metal covers to protect them from the cargo. Both rows fold down for maximum cargo space. The Orlando's dash features a hidden cubby just below the audio, navigation and climate controls for stashing your MP3 player while it's plugged into the stereo.
WHAT: 2012 Chevrolet SparkWHEN: EARLY 2011
This perky minicar arrives here in early 2011. Upright bodywork affords reasonable space for four six-footers, and its 1.2-liter, 81-horse, 82-pound-foot four promises 40-mpg highway economy.
At just 143.3 inches long in global trim (add an inch and a half for U.S.-spec bumpers) and comfortably under 1950 pounds, this all-new platform had to be carefully engineered to provide the right European NCAP safety result. And yet it isn't impractically small: Four six-foot Americans can fit painlessly between its 97.6-inch wheelbase.
Inside, a simple motorcycle-type instrument pod sits atop the steering column. This idea was shown on the concept Beat. It uses a conventional speedometer, but everything else including a graphical tach and fuel gauge is taken care of by a simple mono LED screen. On the base model, where everything in the cabin is monotone gray, it has a depressing show-car-gone-wrong look. But in top-spec LT trim, where there are metallic accents and body-color trim garnishes, it takes on a cheery, individual, and modern aspect.
In the European example we drove, the 1.2-liter four-cylinder revs sweetly enough, and rev it you must if you need to pass a truck or get up to speed on an on-ramp. But there's a difference between sweet and quiet: This is a noisy little car. Engine hum and tire roar battle to upstage each other depending on how coarse the road surface is or how hard you are on the throttle. Ah, well, the engineers promise a better NVH pack before the U.S. launch.
Offsetting the Z/28's CAFE
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated American car of the new millennium, Chevy's Volt remains on schedule for launch this November, and based on a recent drive in the nearly finished product, folks expecting something radically unusual are the only ones likely to be disappointed. The car does its gol-dangdest to behave like any other car on the road.
No wonky surging on acceleration or braking, no tapering off of available power as the plug-in battery pack is depleted, no rush of power when the range-extending gasoline engine fires up. Hybrid enthusiasts will appreciate the reconfigurable dash screen, which includes an efficiency gauge with a floating ball that rewards good driving behavior by glowing green and hovering in the middle of its little vertical range of travel.
Other curiosities: When pedestrians are present, pulling the turn-signal stalk activates a warning tone, and you'll be able to control and monitor charging on your smart phone. Californians likely will pay around $32,500 after $7500 in tax rebates, and the EPA rating is bound to have three digits.
2011 GMC Acadia Denali
GMC will bring Denali bling, bells, and whistles to its crossover Acadia this fall after its debut at the 2010 Detroit show with a choice of either front- or all-wheel-drive, bearing the familiar drilled chrome grilles, Xenon headlamps, monochrome fascias and cladding, chrome accents and special 20-inch chromed wheels with black-chrome centers.
Inside the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali, there's a mahogany steering wheel, perforated leather heated and cooled front seats, head-up display, dual sunroof, tri-zone climate control, special footwell lighting, chromed sill plates with red light-up Denali badging, and most every other creature comfort you can imagine (rear-seat entertainment remains optional).
A more meaningful upgrade is fitment of most of the Enclave's quiet tuning elements (extra mastic, triple seals, and acoustic windshield-the front door glass is not acoustic, as the Acadia's windows are a different shape). Maximum towing capacity is a class-leading 5200 pounds. Expect the price jump to be less than the $15K leap from Yukon SLE to Denali.
The Acadia Denali will be available in front- and all-wheel drive, and seven- and eight-passenger configurations. The standard engine is GM's ever-present 3.6L direct-injected V-6, and maximum towing capacity is 5200 lbs. The Acadia gets a suspension retune to compensate for larger diameter wheels and available all-wheel drive. The EPA's fuel economy ratings don't change: 17/24 mpg for the front-drive models, while all-wheel drive knocks 1 mpg off both ends.
Loft Apartment on Wheels
Behold what may come to be the smallest GMC ever. Conceived as an "Urban Utility Vehicle," the GMC Granite Concept on display at the 2010 Detroit auto show is fully two feet shorter than the Terrain, it features a dramatically raked windshield and fat tires pushed to the absolute corners of the vehicle to maximize interior package space. Now that New GM's down to just four brands, each of those brands is hoping to broaden its appeal and reach into segments that even the defunct brands weren't reaching. This is one of those broader-reaching products. Its B-pillarless coach-style (don't-call-'em-suicide) doors open onto a swanky suede-like Nubuck interior, with a front passenger seat that can be reclined flat, then folded up against the center console to make room for a bike. Wider and lower than Kia's Soul, Granite is meant to appear (and be) considerably pricier.
Young urban professional type designers (don't call 'em Yuppies, as that's too Baby-Boomerish) sculpted the exterior with industrial-design and commercial-chic themes. We don't exactly know what that means either, but repeating it makes one seem savvy, and we're reliably informed that its "series of complex, intersecting planes and angles, create the impression of an industrial machine -- an object created out of necessity, but admired for its precision and functional aesthetics." Alrighty then. Naturally there's no chrome (just brushed metal finishes) and the footwear is low-profile rubber on honkin' 20s, bulging from exaggerated wheel arches.
These kids fancy themselves as social and active, more likely to take friends clubbing and lug outdoor gear on weekend jaunts than to schlep lumber or tow a boat. With those requirements in mind, they sketched a vehicle with rather unique dimensions. At 161.3 inches long, by 70.3 inches wide by 60.5 inches tall, it's too wide, squat and short in length to be a minivan; too short in the nose and close to the ground to be an SUV. Inside, the controls interface is totally PDA inspired, as kids these days are losing their patience with buttons. Professional-grade gear selection is via a rotary knob that turns with the precise clicks of a torque wrench. There's even a big floating compass incorporated in the barrel speedometer so nobody ever gets lost.
The suggested powertrain in this concept is GM's 1.4-liter turbo mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. At this point it is still just a concept, and we suspect those "carriage doors" are not likely to survive, but design director Dave Lyon assures us that "A pathway to production has been identified," meaning a platform has been chosen and drivetrain compatibility as been confirmed, but the program has yet to receive the green light.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tip 1604 Printable Monobook Previous Next
created 2008 · complexity basic · author Davidmaxwaterman · version 7.0
Qt has some extensions to C++ that break the built-in C/C++ formatting functions. Notably, the additional keywords "signals", "slots", and "Q_OBJECT" used in class declarations.
Here is a function that can be put in your vimrc, that makes the '=' indent operation work correctly.
function! QtCppIndent() " Patterns used to recognise labels and search for the start " of declarations let labelpat='signals:\|slots:\|public:\|protected:\|private:\|Q_OBJECT' let declpat='\(;\|{\|}\)\_s*.' " If the line is a label, it's a no brainer if match(getline(v:lnum),labelpat) != -1 return 0 endif " If the line starts with a closing brace, it's also easy: use cindent if match(getline(v:lnum),'^\s*}') != -1 return cindent(v:lnum) endif " Save cursor position and move to the line we're indenting let pos=getpos('.') call setpos('.',[0,v:lnum,1,0]) " Find the beginning of the previous declaration (this is what " cindent will mimic) call search(declpat,'beW',v:lnum>10?v:lnum-10:0) let prevlnum = line('.') " Find the beginning of the next declaration after that (this may " just get us back where we started) call search(declpat,'eW',v:lnum<=line('$')-10?v:lnum+10:0) let nextlnum = line('.') " Restore the cursor position call setpos('.',pos) " If we're not after a label, cindent will do the right thing if match(getline(prevlnum),labelpat)==-1 return cindent(v:lnum) " It will also do the right thing if we're in the middle of a " declaration; this occurs when we are neither at the beginning of " the next declaration after the label, nor on the (non-blank) line " directly following the label elseif nextlnum != v:lnum && prevlnum != prevnonblank(v:lnum-1) return cindent(v:lnum) endif " Otherwise we adjust so the beginning of the declaration is one " shiftwidth in return &shiftwidth endfunc set indentexpr=QtCppIndent()
- I suspect this code should be in something like
after/ftplugin/cpp.vim(not vimrc).
- And/or, remove the
set indentexpr=QtCppIndent()and have a mapping to apply that when wanted (setlocal?).
- Need to clarify what settings are required in vimrc to get everything working.
- Further work may be needed because the tip author said:
- This tip doesn't work very well. It seems to work on some code, but doesn't on other code. IMO, it clearly needs more work to become publishable.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Frequently Asked Questions
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I attended a wonderful chamber music concert put on by the Cactus Pear Music Festival last night. There are only two performances left in this festival (July 18 in San Antonio and July 19 in Boerne.) These are NOT-TO-BE-MISSED events!
Last night began with a late Beethoven sonata for cello and piano performed by cellist Bion Tsang and pianist Jeffrey Sykes. Beethoven can be tricky for performers because he is the bridge between the Classical era of Mozart and Haydn and the Romantic era of the 19th century. The danger is usually overdoing the romantic side and missing out on Beethoven's rhythmic vitality. Mr. Tsang got it just right. His first movement was electric with crisp dotted rhythms and his staccato bow strokes in the last movement brought out all the drama in the music. I also appreciated his judicious use of vibrato in the more lyrical sections. Throughout the cello and piano were in excellent balance.
FYI: Bion Tsang is on the music faculty at the University of Texas at Austin.
- Click here to hear him play part of the Elgar Concerto.
- Click here to hear him play part of the Lalo Concerto
- Click here to hear him play part of the Beethoven Triple Concerto
The second work on the program was the first of two pieces from my favorite neglected era of music–British composers from the early 20th century. I almost obsessed with trying to understand why these composers aren't played more in America. What could be more fun than music by Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arnold Bax, Gerald Finzi, Fredrick Delius and Rebecca Clarke? I hear lots of feedback from audiences that 20th century music is too ugly. Yet this beautifully music of the early 20th century is far too often left off our concert programs. (I digress, but the San Antonio Symphony is featuring two concerts next season with music from this era. On April 2 & 3, 2010 we are playing Vaughan Williams's haunting Serenade to Music and Holst's The Hymn of Jesus. We conclude the season on June 4 & 5, 2010 with Elgar's powerful Symphony No. 1. I CAN'T WAIT!)
Back to last night…The second work was a sonata for viola and piano by Rebecca Clarke. Mr. Sykes was joined by violist Ara Gregorian for a passionate and powerful reading. Clarke is a bit of a tragic figure. She was ahead of her time as the first female musician in the Queen's Hall Orchestra and received sudden fame with this viola sonata. She became discouraged by the obstacles facing female composers and much of her music still remains unpublished. I quote from the Rebecca Clarke Society's web page, "Rebecca Clarke achieved what she called 'my one brief whiff of fame' in 1919 when her viola Sonata tied for first place in a competition sponsored by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. Clarke lived much of her life in the US, although she was born and educated in Great Britain. Striking for its passion and power, her music spans a range of 20th-century styles including Impressionism, post-Romantic, and neo-Classical. Although she wrote nearly 100 works (including songs, choral works, chamber pieces and music for solo piano), only 20 pieces were published in her lifetime, and by the time of her death in 1979, at age 93, all of these were long out of print."
After intermission Sykes, Gregorian and Tsang were joined by violinists Axel Strauss and Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio (the festival's popular artistic director) for a rousing performance of Edward Elgar's Quintet in A minor. While the whole work is a masterpiece, the middle Adagio section was the highlight of the entire evening. Mostly a simple chorale with unison strings alternating with solo piano, it created a mood that almost forced the listener to hold your breath in eager anticipation of the next phrase.
Great music. Great Performance. Great Evening.
Jack Fishman


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Charges Dropped Against Three in Taylor Swift Disturbance Case
The three individuals arrested outside Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home in June are breathing easy after the Westerly police charges were dismissed Thursday (Aug. 7) in 4th Division District Court.
The Westerly Sun reports that Tristan J. Kading, Michael Horrigan and Emily E. Kading -- all in their late 20s -- appeared separately before Judge Madeline Quirk, where the charges for misdemeanor disorderly conduct were dismissed.
According to Swift's security, the friends were throwing beer bottles, yelling expletives and flipping middle fingers at officers on guard at the star's massive mansion. They pleaded not guilty on July 11.
That all three out of state residents contributed cash ($100 to the Rhode Island victims of crime indemnity fund) and ten hours of community service helped to get their charges dismissed. Swift was not home when the incident took place. Those accused have moved to have their records expunged.
Since the 'Red' singer bought the $17 million home, there has been lots of drama with neighbors, property lines, trespassers and the like. Even when she was doing something sweet like rebuilding the sea wall, there were false reports and disapproving speculation circulating. Thankfully, with a new album coming out and a possible live stream, Swift has plenty to keep her mind off of anything at home.
Startling Facts About Women and Country Music


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Zenith Hygiene Group plc is the UK's largest privately owned hygiene business. It distributes and delivers to 8,000 customers across 14,000 sites in the UK. It works in both the public and private sectors serving the Ministry of Justice, hospitals and care homes, the Houses of Parliament, high street operators such as Nando's, Krispy Kreme, Prezzo's and Yo! Sushi. The business prides itself on consistent delivery of quality, service and value, working in partnership with customers to provide clean and hygienic environments and reduce long term costs.
A fleet of 119 vehicles making more than 1,000 deliveries a day provided a major operational challenge. With a fleet of 63 trucks and 56 company cars, the operations team had no way of monitoring the routes taken on a day to day basis or the driving behaviour and standards of the drivers. WEBFLEET was chosen as a telematics solution that was also capable of driving change management with new policies and behaviour.


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O'Neill's Ilford
Station Road, Ilford, London, Greater London, IG1 4DW 020 8514 6343
Station Road, Ilford, London, Greater London, IG1 4DW 020 8514 6343
Our drinks menu is pouring with the best draught lagers, bottled beers, ciders and plenty of spirits, soft drinks, wines and whiskeys — in short, there's something for everyone!
We're the home of beer, burgers and bants. So... whether you're watching the footy with your mates, meeting the girls for cocktails, enjoying a few after-work drinks or getting your pre-game on, we'll make sure your glass is never empty.
Check out all of your favourite drinks below:
Get the best seats in the house by booking your table early. You can even pre-order ice-cold buckets of beers and ciders or your favourite bottle of spirit, so there's no need to waste time at the bar.


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|Southeast Spotlight
Juneau Douglas High School hosts Region V Volleyball Tournament
Published: 11/03/2011 13:30:00
Volleyball teams from all over Southeast converged on the Capital City this week to participate in the region V Championships at Juneau Douglas High School. Three days of competition will culminate with the Championship games on Saturday afternoon. We spoke with Sandi Wagner, the Athletic Director at Juneau Douglas High School, about the Tournament.
VIDEO: Volleyball teams from all over Southeast converged on the Capital City this week to participate in the region V Championships at Juneau Douglas High School. (Image: Rik Pruett)
"This weekend at Juneau Douglas High School, we are having the 3A, 4A Volleyball Championship for Region V, it includes ten teams, seven 3A teams and three 4A teams, Start the competition at 10am Thursday morning and the championships will be 4:45 and 3:15 I think, I don't know for sure, on Saturday, and again it depends on how everybody does but we're looking forward to an exciting weekend."
One of the things that makes it even more exciting is that this is the first Region V Championship Volleyball Tournament to be held in Juneau in over thirty years.
Sandi related how long it had been since the last time the tournament was held in Juneau. "The last time it was held in Juneau was when the state was one level; the Hoonah's played the Juneau's, the Ketchikan's played the Craig's or they were all playing together. When the state divided them up into 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and that was about thirty years ago maybe a little longer, we lost the tournament and the tournament has since been held in the small communities. And we made some changes a few years ago at the region level and so we now are able to host this tournament and we're very excited about it. The reason it was the way it was, is because the 4A's were hosting the big events, the region V 3A, 4A basketball tournament, music festival, the track meets which are huge events, they in the smaller communities couldn't do it. Well when Sitka became a 3A community they still wanted to host the huge events and so we said, well if you're going to host the huge events, then we get to host the smaller events so that's why it's back in the larger community."
By: Rik Pruett - email@example.com


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- Yield
- Makes about 3 quarts
- 6 cups half-and-half (48 fluid ounces)
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, toasted
- 3/4 pound dried pitted prunes (dried plums; 2 cups)
- 1 cup vodka (8 fluid ounce)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 8 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Special Equipment
- an instant-read thermometer; an ice cream maker
- Bring half-and-half with caraway seeds just to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let steep, uncovered, 30 minutes.
- While caraway seeds steep, simmer prunes, vodka, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, partially covered, until prunes are tender, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then purée mixture in a blender, scraping down sides occasionally (use caution when blending hot liquids), until smooth.
- Whisk together yolks and remaining cup sugar in a bowl, then add half-and-half (do not strain) in a stream, whisking. Pour custard into 3-quart saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it registers 170°F on thermometer, about 8 minutes. Immediately pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl and whisk in prune purée and vanilla. Chill, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
- Freeze custard in ice cream maker (in batches if necessary), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 12 hours.
Cooks' note:


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A certain John Corvino is a homosexual man who is well-respected by secular people for his attempts at rational defense of homosexual behavior. He recently put out a DVD defending homosexuality called What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?
I take it as uncontroversial that unethical acts are the function of injuring the hapless and weak by way of a too-convenient means of seeking one's own personal happiness. Such convenience is the prime case of 'It's too good to be true.' There is no garden of Eden in any of our lives, and woe to those who try to live as if there is.
A caste system is defined as the injury of some by way of the convenience of others. On this definition, a caste system can exist between as few as two persons. Think of a bad marriage. Of course, some bad marriages are bad because each partner injures the other more-or-less equally. But, I'll contain the present discussion to the fact that some adverse acts-of-convenience are far more injurious to the hapless than are other adverse acts-of-convenience.
Now, it is a fact that some adverse acts-of-convenience are not as obviously adverse as are others. In fact, for some such acts, the only immediate evidence of their adverse nature is a sense of subjective repulsion to them. But, some of the most adverse acts possible are acts the accompanying sense of repulsion to which are often the most subject to being overcome. And I'm not talking about things like smoking. I'm talking about the microbiological caste system so deeply produced by the worst sexual acts.
Sex is a very powerful force in the human psyche. I would even say it is the most powerful. In any case, it has the power to overcome its own rightful bounds, if not in all individuals at the same time, then in a population over time and generations. Anyone with a libido will admit that.
Certain kinds of biological acts create and deepen a caste system on the microbiological level, without respect to either social or economic status. Most importantly, the inherent adverse microbiological outcomes of certain sexual acts, in terms of everyone who is at a microbiological disadvantage, is the creation of deeper microbiological disadvantages to those already so disadvantaged.
Sexual mores are not founded on general social norms. General social norms are founded on sexual mores. And the instincts that work to protect ecologically sound sexual mores inhere in the microbiology of the individual organism. Steven Pinker would agree.
Liberals are right to abhor economic greed, for the damage such greed causes both to the human and non-human parts of the Earth. But, in how many of an individual human life's basic features is it possible to cause disease to others?
But, many Liberals, who love to invoke the 'butterfly theory' of cause-and-effect, are unwilling to see past their own noses when it comes to the way in which the Earth's ecology actually coheres as an ecology (much less as a stable ecology). Who truly is the more diseased: the one who gets the disease, or the one who causes it?
A human being cannot see, much less keep track of, the microbiological world. So, a human being does not directly know externally that disease to others is caused by certain sexual acts. John Corvino would have humanity believe that the conspiracy between two persons to engage in certain biological acts between themselves cannot inherently produce disease in the wider population.
But, what, if any, is the microbiological basis for outlawing sex/marriage between father and son? By Corvino's logic, if there is not known to be a microbiological reason to outlaw such an act, then there is, in fact, no microbiological reason to outlaw such an act.
But, if it is a fact that the microbiology of the offspring of the union of father-and-daughter is compromised, leading to the accumulation of disease by the continuation of such a means of reproduction, then shall we assert that such a sexual act does not already inject microbiological adversity into the wider population? And, if the repulsion to the idea of full siblings mating is reducible to the adverse results to any offspring, then whence the sense of repulsion in the individual at all?
Once something becomes existentially 'natural', Corvino would have us all presume that it is rightly allowed in terms of the microbiological ecology of which we have our respective and collective being.
I suppose Corvino has a problem with Apostle Paul's condemnation of homosexual behavior. But, Apostle Paul was simply implying that there must be many things which are unnatural and bad despite that people can become attracted to these unnatural things; And that, in fact, for every realm of human life, there are many bad things possible which humans nevertheless can become changed into enjoying—and even changed into seeming to themselves to have a perfect right to do.
I recently watched the Extended trailer for What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality? as linked to on Wikipedia's John Corvino page. From what that trailer contains, it seems Corvino's logic in defense of homosexual behavior is on the level of a stand-up comic: any rebuttal one can come up with which at all seems to deflate any point made adversely to one's own favored position on a matter is automatically accounted to be the superior logic over that adverse point.
In defending his belief that homosexual behavior is rationally justified, the key rebuttal Corvino makes is that, contrary to some people's adverse point that 'the parts don't fit', 'the parts do fit'. Corvino's point here is that, contrary to what some homophobes say, "Homosexual sex is mechanically effective to its intentions."
I could, in stand-up comic fashion, simply 'observe' that, by Corvino's logic here, lesbian behavior is less-than-ideally ineffective.
But, my serious reply to Corvino's rebuttal that 'the parts do fit' is that literally everything, according to some intention, fits together effectively. And, many of these things which 'fit together' no reasonable human would ever attempt (and every reasonable person would resist doing): throwing one's own baby in a trash compactor, snorting cocaine, having sex with an animal, or just plain being stupid.
Another of Corvino's points is that virus causes AIDS (that homosexual behavior does not cause AIDS any more inherently than heterosexual sex causes aids). But, here, Corvino could be construed as saying that "the pleasure of nicotine addiction does not cause lung cancer, and that, in fact, there is nothing inherently wrong with any pleasurable act no matter how contrary it may be to the complex microbiological ecology within which we live and by which we have our own physical being."
But the worst part about the logic of John Corvino's defense of homosexual behavior is that he has had to form it in face of the emptily inbred form of Christian doctrine. That Christian doctrinal inbreeding goes like this: "You ask us why we believe that this or that is wrong? We believe that this or that is wrong because the Bible says it is wrong."
The absurdity of this inbred 'Biblicist' logic is seen by imagining someone today asking Apostle Paul so many of the questions that Christians today get asked, and then imagining Paul replying that his own words addressing those questions in the New Testament are really there in the authoritative Bible. Paul would not have been so thick. He would have endeavored to answer the questions at least as sincerely and insightfully as the person asking the questions. This is just like what Jesus himself always did, though Jesus is recorded as having had to answer mainly doctrinally inbred Jews.
So, if you think you can answer a question with wisdom, at least first try to understand who it is you are answering, and try to understand the actual subject about which they ask. Because you can't play chess with someone by insisting that they accept that you are going to be playing by the rules of checkers.


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At the Football Transfer Tavern we have been stunned by the form of Malaga in the Champions League and Le 10 Sport claim that one of their players is being hunted by a host of clubs.
Malaga of course topped their group in the Champions League and are looking solid in La Liga coming off the back of the winter break having beaten defending champions Real Madrid. The side have been nothing short of brilliant this season and one player has stood out above all others.
Isco at the tender age of 20 has been attracting glances from Chelsea and Manchester City, with both hoping that the financial issues at the club would force a move this January. Malaga however are determined to hold onto their young star, at least until the summer.
Chelsea have of course told Frank Lampard that his time at the club will be over in the summer according to the Telegraph with the Blues looking for additional bodies in their midfield. City for their part are always keen to secure new talent, yet both Premier League outfits will face stiff competition for Isco's signature.
Real Madrid have also been sniffing round Isco and despite Malaga claiming the player is not for sale at any price, in the summer negotiations look set to commence.
Do you think Isco could do well in the Premier League? Vote in our polls below.
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text: From targets to solutions and commitments, the 6th World Water Forum "Time for Solutions" is advocating a strategic approach to solving key water problems. Whether institutional, technical, legal, financial or communication-related, a solution is a successful answer to a problem and contributes to reaching one of the Forum's ambitious thematic and regional targets. Commitments can then be sought at all levels and from all kind of stakeholders to strengthen the implementation and follow-up of the target action plans and promising solutions.


text:
Ben Meadows:
- Price
- $375.00
- On Sale:
- $322.00
- Description
- Specifications
- Reviews
- Videos (1)
Providing fast, accurate readings, this pinless meter locates moisture "hot spots" and helps to narrow down areas affected by moisture. The meter's sensor measures moisture up to 3/4" deep using patented sensor technology. The meter features two scales: a wood scale (5% to 30% moisture range) and a reference scale (0 to 100 color-coded scale for non-wood building materials). An adjustable alarm alerts you when a pre-selected moisture level is reached, allowing comparison to an established dry standard. The hold function lets you take readings even in hard-to-reach areas. The meter features an easy-to-read analog display, built-in calibration check, and a rugged housing. Plastic carrying case included. One-year warranty from the manufacturer.
We encourage our customers to let us know what experiences they have had with our products, whether good or bad. By submitting a review, you can share your experiences with others and also provide valuable feedback to us as well. With just a few simple steps, you can add your review of this product.
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text:
2 - 5 years. Perfect sized with suction cups that hold easel on the floor so it doesn't move around. Paint cup tray holds 4 paint cups (sold separately) on each side which is just enough for beginner painters. 20" W x 31" H. Mat and paint clips are not included.
We add a surcharge for expedited delivery of a few items because of their weight, size or dimensions. This charge is in addition to our base shipping charge for Next Day or Second Day Air.
|The Next Day Delivery Surcharge for this item is:
|The Second Day Delivery Surcharge for this item is:


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by Tom Utescher
It was a very young Germantown Friends squad that arrived at Episcopal Academy last Tuesday afternoon for a first-round game in the 2011 Pa. Independent Schools Girls Basketball Championships. The seniors on the team decided not to participate in the tournament, and with no juniors on the roster, a group of freshmen and sophomores made the trip to Newtown Square.
Considered underdogs even with their upperclassmen, the youthful Tigers fell behind 32-1 during the first half, but at least reached double digits after the interlude to finish with a score of 64-11.
Receiving 15 points from sophomore Megan Quinn, 11 from senior Allie Clark, and nine apiece from sophomore Kristen Hinckley and freshman Sarah Abbonizio, Episcopal improved to 16-9 overall. The tournament run for the Churchwomen ended the following day, with a 52-44 setback at the Hill School in the quarterfinal round.
Finishing their season with an overall record of 9-8, the Tigers earned a spot in the Friends Schools League playoffs this season, losing to eventual champion Shipley School in a semifinal game on Wednesday, February 9. Episcopal was coming off of a February 11 upset of Germantown Academy, which was the first league loss for the Patriots since 1999. The final standings in the Girls Inter-Ac League are determined by win/loss records in the regular season, and Churchwomen tied for third place with the Academy of Notre Dame, both at 7-5.
A year ago, GFS declined an invitation to participate in the Pa. Indy tournament.
"When the bracket came out this year, the seniors said they couldn't make it," related Tigers coach James Jordan. "We already made the commitment to be in the tournament, and I didn't want to turn them down again. It gave us a chance to see what next year's team will look like."
One of Jordan's concerns this winter was that his young players usually waited for senior Julya Loder, the team's best player, to take the initiative, especially when it came to shooting the ball. The Tigers continued this pattern in the first half of Tuesday's game, and the result was a lone free throw by freshman Isabel Ballester throughout the first half.
During the break, Jordan said he told his charges, "The score is 32-1; there's nothing you can do wrong by shooting the ball!"
The Tigers absorbed the message, and got their first field goal on a lay-up by sophomore Katherine Walden. Buckets by sophomore Lucy Guida and freshmen Maddie Andrews and Caroline Myran followed. Guida's second field goal, a bank shot from the foul line at the buzzer, made it 50-11 at the three-quarter mark. EA ruled the fourth frame, 14-0.
Jordan is looking into opportunities for his team to play together in the off-season, perhaps in a local summer league. He'd like his players to have a basketball in their hands at least some of the time between now and next November.
As he put it, "The next season begins right after the old one ends."


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Aberdeen saw a strong turnout for the UK leg of Volcoms "Wild in the Parks". Kris Vile and Ben Raemers were on hand representing Volcom Europe, as were UK Volcom heads Chris Ault and Rory Milanes.
The afternoon was split in two unsponsored competitions, 15 and Under and the 16 and Over. Entrants were allowed to skate every part of the park and were judged on overall ability by the Volcom riders. The early evening saw two best trick competitions which anyone, sponsored or unsposored could enter, one on the parks main wallride, and a second one in the bowl, which turned into an hour long jam session.
Check back on Monday for the footage…
16 and Over
1st – Keith Allan
2nd – Murray Fendin
3rd – Adam Maguire
15 and Under
1st – Mark Murray
2nd – Daniel Shaw
3rd – Angus Morrison
Best Trick: Wallride – Paul "Man" Silvester – Wallride Fakie over block
Best Trick: Bowl – Ben Raemers – Flip Melon
Footage can be found by clicking on Divs lovely head…


text:
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Hello, my name is Trisha and I have a secret. I have been training for a long-distance ride. And for some reason it has taken me forever to share this with the blogosphere! Maybe because those distance rides take time!
So last Sunday night, Whitney and I loaded the bikes onto her Subaru (this is a story in itself!) to do a 24-mile round-trip ride from Shelby Bottoms to the Percy Priest Dam.
We'll be riding the metric century in Clarksville on August 31.
The weather was perfect: Not humid, hovering under 80 degrees. Pretty much unheard of for late July in Nashville, but we were happy to take it.
We were feeling fine at the halfway point.
And even better as we rode back into the sunset across the river.
A couple of bloggers have been inspiring me this summer with their exciting stories of long-distance rides. I'm looking forward testing myself (and Le Peug) on a 62-miler! Any tips for the big day?


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Home | Dinnerware Dealers | Glassware Dealers | Flatware Dealers | Restore/Repair
Christmas Ornaments | Other Sites
Click on a letter to see a list of manufacturers starting with that letter, then click on the manufacturer's name to see a list of dealers who can help you.The dealers listed below may be able to help with Royal_Albert pieces. You may send e-mail directly to one or more of them. When sending a message, PLEASE specify pattern and pieces you need. Include your name and mailing address, and ask to be added to their wants lists. They will let you know when they have pieces in your pattern. You are not obligated to purchase anything they find. If dealers do not respond to your message it is because they cannot help.
* Denotes Dealers who have their own websites. Links can be found at our Other Sites


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Staff Directory
City staff are listed in the directory below by last name. For general questions, please contact the front desk at (805) 961-7500 during regular business hours or click here to send an email. You may also use our citizen support service (City Assist) to have your question/comment directed to the appropriate person.
Adomaitis, Vyto
- Departments:Neighborhood Services and Public Safety
- Title:Neighborhood Services & Public Safety Director
- Phone:(805) 961-7555
- Fax:(805) 685-2635
- Email:Email
Return to full list >>


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storm, disturbance of the ordinary conditions of the atmosphere attended by wind, rain, snow, sleet, hail, or thunder and lightning. Types of storms include the extratropical cyclone, the common, large-scale storm of temperate latitudes; the tropical cyclone, or hurricane, which is somewhat smaller in area than the former and accompanied by high winds and heavy rains; the tornado, or
a small but intense storm with very high winds, usually of limited duration; and the thunderstorm, local in nature and accompanied by brief but heavy rain showers and often by hail. The term storm is also applied to blizzards, sandstorms, and dust storms, in which high wind is the dominant meteorological element.
A storm surge, sometimes called a tidal wave, is a flood of ocean or lake water that occurs in areas subject to tropical storms and bordering on shallow waters, but any strong low-pressure system in a coastal area, such as a northeaster along the Atlantic coast of North America, may produce a storm surge. Storm surges are due mostly to wind, which pushes the water ahead of a storm. In Galveston, Tex., in 1900 a hurricane with a wind velocity of more than 100 mi (160 km) per hr caused an ocean storm surge 15 ft (5 m) above normal high tide levels that flooded coastal areas, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and extensive property damage. The highest storm surge on record in the United States is that caused by Hurricane Katrina (2005), which had sustained winds at landfall in SE Louisiana of more than 140 mi (225 km) per hr and a storm surge that by one estimate reached 29 ft (8.8 m) on the SW Mississippi coast and caused coastal devastation from SE Louisiana to Alabama.


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|No. 10
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Purchase: Amazon
|No. 09
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
(Ice H2O/EMI)
|No. 08
The xx
(Young Turks)
Tag: Raekwon
Raekwon "House of Flying Daggers"
This is the first single from the long awaited sequel to Raekwon's 1995 debut album, the hip hop classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After the success of 36 Chambers and the solo LP's by Method Man and GZA, Cuban Linx put Raekwon and Ghostface on the map as elite emcees and made it seem like the Clan was truly unstoppable. It remains one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, it's arguably the Clan's greatest moment and it is indisputably one of the most influential albums ever. Ever heard a rap song about crack before? Thank Rae and Ghost. Ever heard a rap song where they act like they're in the mafia? Yep, that was them too. Despite a classic, early Wu-Tang, i.e. RZA, sound to it, this beat was actually an unused beat produced by the legendary J Dilla who passed away a couple years back. Check out the animated music video below.


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^Check out the facebook post and read the description.
On October 30th d12 posted this to their page.
Not only is today Devil's Night a.k.a. the night before Halloween it's also the title of one of your favorite albums released on Shady Records!
"Devil's Night II" sounds like a good idea for an album title! #D124Life #SHADYXV #DN2


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I love this stuff. It is so easy to make, and wrapped up all pretty it makes a great gift. It is much easier and cheaper to make then buy from Harry and David, Williams-Sonoma, etc. I prefer dark chocolate but feel free to use any kind you like; some people use only white chocolate. Also adding a drop of peppermint extract or oil gives it a nice kick. – ts
chocolate- any kind you like; can be a bar or chips
white chocolate- any kind you like; can be a bar or chips
24 mini candy canes, crushed by hand
- Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
- Add chocolate to microwave safe bowl and microwave in increments of 30 seconds stirring the chips each time until chocolate has completed melted and mixture is smooth or melt chocolate using double bowl method.
- Spread melted chocolate as evenly as possibly into lined pan, make sure that it is not too thick.
- Place pan into freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat the same melting process with the white chips. While chocolate is still smooth, stir in half of the crushed candy cane mixture. Allow the white chocolate to slightly cool for a minute.
- Remove pan from freezer and spread white chocolate/crushed candy canes mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Spread white chocolate as quickly as possible. Top off with remaining crushed candy cane and gently pat down with the back of a spatula. Return pan to freezer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and gently lift the whole mixture from the pan with a butter knife. Remove parchment paper and break into pieces. Stores nicely in freezer or up to one week in refrigerator.


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This isn't the way Pink wanted to get the party started.
According to US Weekly, the pop star fell out of a harness and crashed into a steel barricade during a performance in Nurnberg, Germany, immediately ending the show.
While being rushed to the hospital, she used Twitter to inform her fans of her condition.
"To all my Nurnberg fans…I am embarrassed and very sorry. I'm in ambulance now but I will b fine," she wote.
She explained that the accident happened because she wasn't properly clipped into the harness, which proceeded to drag her off the stage and into the barricade.
Pink later sent another update.
"Nothings broken, no fluid in the lungs, just seriously sore. I made that barricade my b$tch!!! Thanx Nurnberg :( ,"she wrote.
According to boyfriend Carey Hart, Pink has already been released from the hospital.
Pink Rushed to Hospital After Onstage Tumble
This isn't the way Pink wanted to get the party started.


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Taking nominations for the biggest plodder in the history of international cricket. Ill start by nominating;
Paul Wilson
Tim May
Phil Tuffnell
Maddonacant Singh
Taking nominations for the biggest plodder in the history of international cricket. Ill start by nominating;
Paul Wilson
Tim May
Phil Tuffnell
Maddonacant Singh
I think you're a little confused with what a plodder actually is. A plodder is someone who is VERY BAD at what they do. Clearly under this definition i am not a plodder as i am one of the best players to ever wear a box. Other examples of cricketing plodders would be Ajit Agarkar, Simon O'Donnel and Posh Spice.
I hope this has cleared things up for you.
I vote Camel56 and Pinkline Jones as the most uphill gardening, plodding LOOSER double-act to ever grace the internet.
I mean, come on guys (if you're not the same person), if you're going to have that fixed a schtick, make it funny. It's like a one-dimensional Roy and HG retread, except without the laughs.
"Youre known for having a liking for men who look like women."
- Linda
"FFS I'm sick and tired of having to see a bloke bend over to pick something up or lean over and see their arse crack. For christ's sake pull your pants up or buy some underpants you bogan because nobody want's to see it. And this is a boat building shed (well one of them) not a porn studio."
- Craig
Agree totally.Originally Posted by Slow Love™
This guy Camel56 is drying out this whole forum.
Originally Posted by Slow Love™
Snow Love - I dont appreciate you insolence and im sure my many loyal fans dont either. I can assure you we are not the same person. Perhaps the moderators of the forum could confirm this?
Now, this was a serious post and so far it has been ruined by you two clowns in your yellow with black maltese cross uphill gardening suits complete with pom-poms.
The only reason I suggested you Camel56, is that in all the other serious threads where people discuss, who is the best hitter, has the best bowling action etc. you always post "Me, I am the best.." and all that kind of bull****. So don't try and take the high road on your "serious" post. You're an imbecile and act as such.Originally Posted by Camel56
Clearly evident by the lack of thought in your replies. There is nothing wrong with Slow Love or myself, although I've only been on here a few days you can tell by the quality of my posts that I have a good knowledge of the game as both a competitive athlete and an avid fan, and Slow Love is one of the best posters I've noted so far. Obviously the same can't be said of you.
Don't worry - if their conduct becomes inappropriate, they'll be banned.
Right now I just skim past any boasts and all the other nonsense, and ridicule the one-eyed anti-Murali stuff.
Oh, and Slow Love™ - don't worry, they're not the same person. If someone had tried to do that, Andre'd be all over the like a rash the instant they started. IP addresses are easy things to use.
Appreciating cricket's greatest legend ever - HD Bird...............Funniest post (intentionally) ever.....Runner-up.....Third.....Fourthcricket player"; "Bob"), 1/11/1990-15/4/2006
(Accidental) founder of Twenty20 Is Boring Society. Click and post to sign-up.
nzidol, give yourself an uppercut son. You have very little idea what you're on about.
Now gentlemen, if we're all finished our little uphill gardening session can we get back to the question at hand? Who do you think is the biggest plodder in cricket history?
Waddington Mwayenga.
(including 14/05/2004)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 9 13 2 159 47 14.45 45.95 0 0 3 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 216 43 677 9 75.22 3-82 0 0 144.0 3.13
(including 09/10/2004)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 45 30 5 273 47 10.92 62.32 0 0 5 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 253.4 8 1500 22 68.18 3-12 0 0 69.1 5.91
Noel McGregor on the batting front, Blessing Mahwire with the ball.
On another note, what is uphil gardening?
RIP Fardin Qayyumi (AKA "cricket player"; "Bob"), 1990-2006
RIP Craig Walsh (AKA "Craig"), 1985-2012
sorry thats actually nkala, but mbangwa was pretty useless too..
(including 18/09/2002)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 29 13 6 34 11 4.85 60.71 0 0 3 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 228.1 11 1140 11 103.63 2-24 0 0 124.4 4.99
nzidol - what are you doing joining in this thread? you said it wasnt serious so off you go.
Mwayenga was/is a hell of a lot worse than Mbangwa and Nkala.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks finished slightly lower in a quiet session on Tuesday as the back-and-forth wrangling over the "fiscal cliff" gave investors little reason to act.
Trading volume was light as legislators continue to negotiate a deal to avoid a $600 billion package of tax hikes and federal spending cuts that would begin January 1 and could push the economy into recession.
Just 5.86 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, below the year's daily average of 6.48 billion shares.
A key measure of investor anxiety has remained muted. The CBOE Volatility Index or VIX , a gauge of market anxiety, was at 17.12, up 2.9 percent. It has not traded above 20 since July.
Optimism for progress was dented after remarks by President Barack Obama, who rejected a Republican proposal to resolve the crisis as "out of balance" and said any deal must include a rise in income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
"People don't know if what's going on is political posturing or real negotiations that represent progress," said Bernard Baumohl, managing director and chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group in Princeton, New Jersey.
Expectations of higher taxes on dividends beginning in 2013 have pushed many companies to pay special dividends this year or advance their next payback to investors. Coach COH.N became the latest to move up the date of its next dividend payment, and the news lifted shares of the upscale leather-goods maker earlier in the session. By the close, though, Coach was down 1.2 percent at $57.52.
One of the S&P 500's top sectors for the day was health care .GSPA, considered a defensive group.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 13.82 points, or 0.11 percent, to 12,951.78 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX dipped 2.41 points, or 0.17 percent, to 1,407.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC shed 5.51 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 2,996.69.
The market has been sensitive to rhetoric from Washington, as a failure to reach an agreement could send the U.S. economy back into recession. Still, many expect a resolution to be found, which could extend the S&P 500's rally of 12 percent so far this year.
Differences within the Republican Party came to the fore on Tuesday as one senator opposed to raising taxes lashed out at Republican House Speaker John Boehner for proposing to increase revenue by closing some tax loopholes.
Congressional Republicans recently proposed steep spending cuts to bring down the budget deficit, but gave no ground on Obama's call to raise tax rates on the rich. The proposal was quickly dismissed by the White House.
"We're on hold trying to figure it out, but investors are stressed since they have to make decisions soon about how to proceed with their investments if taxes are indeed going up. We could see a real pick-up in volume over the next week or so," Baumohl said.
Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) was the S&P 500's top percentage gainer, advancing 14 percent to $86.65 after Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) agreed to give the company exclusive TV distribution rights to its movies, starting in 2016.
Intel Corp (INTC.O) shares rose 2.2 percent to $19.97 after the top chipmaker sold $6 billion in bonds to fund stock buybacks and other business activities.
Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI.N) shares plunged 9.6 percent to $47.40 as the S&P 500's worst performer after the company warned that its latest quarter would miss expectations after unsuccessful promotions led to a decline in sales at its Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse chains.
In contrast, Big Lots Inc (BIG.N) surged 11.5 percent to $31.27 after the close-out retailer posted a smaller-than-expected loss and boosted its full-year adjusted earnings forecast.
MetroPCS Communications PCS.N shares tumbled 7.5 percent to $9.96 after Sprint Nextel (S.N) appeared unlikely to make a counter-offer for the wireless service provider.
Almost half of the stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange closed lower, while 50 percent of Nasdaq-listed shares closed in negative territory.
After the closing bell, Pandora Media Inc P.N shares plunged 23 percent after the company reported its third-quarter results.
Editing by Jan Paschal


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How important is First Avenue to the city of Minneapolis? So much so that when the club faced bankruptcy in 2004, only months after its owner fired everyone and seemingly tanked the entire enterprise, the mayor himself stepped in to spearhead the effort to buy it out, guaranteeing that the nightclub that had made its home there since 1970 would continue to be the center of the town's music scene. At the show celebrating its reopening, the mayor "even did a stage dive," according to longtime stage manager Conrad Sverkerson. You'd be hard pressed to find many rock clubs that can provoke that kind of enthusiasm from local government officials.
"First Ave." has been a crucial part of Minneapolis' cultural identity since its opening night, April 3, 1970, when Joe Cocker played two shows at what was then called The Depot—so named because of the round, former Greyhound bus station it occupies. That auspicious debut paved the way for several decades of the biggest names in music playing its stage, to the point where hardly anyone can be said to have "made it," in Minneapolis or otherwise, without eventually playing a set there.
Of course, in spite of its importance to music history, my first—and honestly, only—knowledge of the venue was as the setting for Purple Rain, the 1984 film where Prince delivered electric performances of his most famous songs, when he wasn't abusing Apollonia or generally being a dick. Along with hosting some of the recordings for the album, the club served as the setting for almost the entire movie, transforming First Ave. into a magical world populated by vacant-eyed New Wave waifs, their lives centered on the seemingly nightly battle of the bands between Prince and Morris Day's The Time. To someone who's seen that movie as many times as I have, it was difficult to comprehend that First Ave. was real.
Of course, First Ave. differs slightly from the way it's portrayed in Purple Rain. There are no vast dressing rooms draped in silk, for example, just a recently renovated former broom closet (the same one where Wilco begins to fracture in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart). The stage, balconies, and checkered tiles remain the same, but the funky Paisley Park walls were all painted black as part of the 2004 renovation, and there definitely aren't any linen-covered dining tables where one could, say, impress a lady by ordering the club's finest bottle of champagne, while your romantic/musical rival sings a very poignant song in her direction.
But as far as being the nexus of the Minneapolis music scene, nothing about First Ave. has changed. When we talked to Dan Murphy, guitarist for Soul Asylum and a guy who's been coming there for decades, he remained as in awe of its power and importance as when he first attended as a teenager. These days, Murphy is on a first-name basis with seemingly everyone who works at the club, introducing us to Sverkerson and staff photographer Daniel Corrigan (whose iconic shots fill the next-door Depot Tavern), and recounting the many times he watched bands like The Replacements and Hüsker Dü tear up the club's punk-friendly front room, The 7th Street Entry, then sneak into the main area to swipe drinks abandoned by disco dancers. He and Sverkerson also took us backstage to look at the setlists from all the bands who'd played there, which remain taped up in a patchwork quilt along the wall, and then down into the Entry's dungeon-like basement green room, where a thousand punk bands have partied. (It stank of stale beer and cigarettes, and bore a dilapidated "couch" in name only—just as you would hope.)
The other thing that remains immutable about First Ave. is its galaxy of silver stars on the club's exterior, each bearing the name of a famous band that's played there in its 40-plus years of operation. When the club underwent its recent facelift, those stars were all scrubbed and then replaced—and even though we prodded him several times, Sverkerson refused to say how they decided who was deemed worthy of being revived. (He claimed he had no influence, other than making sure that the stars surrounding his own—which marks the door leading to his office—were friends of his, such as Soul Asylum, Prince, and R.E.M.) The end result is a beyond-weird mix: Outside of somebody's insufferable mash-up, those walls are probably the only place you'll see Nine Inch Nails rubbing shoulders with DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince, Ray Charles within spitting distance of Slayer, or Nirvana not too far from Menudo. But then, that's what makes First Ave. a place worth preserving—not to mention worth visiting.


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BEREA, OHIO -- Senior All-American wide receiver Cecil Shorts III caught a pair of touchdown passes and returned a kickoff for a TD as the No.2-ranked University of Mount Union football team defeated host and rival Baldwin-Wallace College, 41-13, today (Sunday, November 6) on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium before 5,985 fans on Seniors' and Parents' Day in Berea.
Shorts caught TD passes of 12 and 16 yards and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score in his first action in three weeks due to an injury. For the game, he caught four passes for 45 yards and the two TD.
The victory was the 52nd straight during the regular season for the Purple Raiders, 9-0 overall, who also clinched at least a tie for the OAC title at 8-0. The regular season title tie is Mt. Union's 19th straight and 22nd overall.
With its loss, B-W falls to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the OAC and ends its regular season next Saturday in University Heights against OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University in the Annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy.
The Purple Raiders and the Yellow Jackets were tied 13-13 after one quarter, Mt. Union led 20-13 at halftime and 27-13 after three stanzas. Overall, Mt. Union outgained the Yellow Jackets, 337-200.
In the first quarter, B-W opened the scoring when freshman wide receiver/defensive back Kevin Johnson (Garfield Heights/ St. Ignatius) caught a 50 yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) and senior placekicker Brad Pollock (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 12:59 remaining. The drive capped a four-play and 80-yard drive.
Mt. Union quickly responded to tie the score at 7-7 when Cecil Shorts took the ensuing kickoff 80-yards for the TD just 18 seconds later and sophomore PK Tyler Almeida hit the extra point.
The Purple Raiders took their first lead of the game at 13-7 senior tight end when Kyle Miller caught an 11-yard TD pass from sophomore QB Neal Seaman at the 4:12 mark of the first stanza, but Almeida's kick was blocked by Johnson. The play capped a 9-play and 52-yard drive in 3:39.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 13-13 with 1:18 left in the first quarter when junior running back Tim Miker (Parma/ Senior) scored on a one-yard run, but Pollock missed the PAT kick wide left. The play capped a 5-play and 50-yard drive in 2:44. The drive was set up by a 49-yard kickoff return by Johnson.
Mount Union regained the lead at 20-13 with 8:36 left in the first half when Shorts caught a 12-yard TD pass from Seaman and Almedia added the PAT. The score was set up when the Purple Raiders recovered a fumbled punt at the 12-yard line.
In the third quarter, Mt. Union extended its lead to 27-13 at the 12:20 mark when it marched 71 yards with the kickoff and Shorts caught his second TD pass from Seaman, this one a 16-yarder. Almedia added the PAT.
The Purple Raiders extended the lead to 34-13 when sophomore running back Jeremy Murray capped an 18 play, 93-yard drive that took 10:14 off clock when he ran three yards to the end zone and Almeida added the PAT.
Mt. Union scored its final TD when sophomore defensive back Nick Driskill picked off his fourth pass of the season and returned it 45 yards for a score. Almedia's PAT kick made the final score 41-13.
In addition to Shorts for Mt. Union offense, Seaman completed 16-of-24 passes for 203 yards with three TD and one interception. The game's leading rusher was Mt. Union's Murray with 170 yards in 32 attempts with a TD. Miller led the receiving corps with five grabs for 85 yards and a TD. The defense was led by Driskill and senior linebacker Sam Kershaw with 10 tackles each. In addition, sophomore defensive end Charles Dieuseul had nine stops and three quarterback sacks and OAC sack leader, senior Lambert Budzinski, had seven tackles and two sacks. The Mt. Union defense forced four turnovers and sacked O'Rourke six times.
B-W was led offensively by Miker and O'Rourke. Miker ran for a team-high 56 yards in 17 attempts with a TD. O'Rourke completed 12-of-22 passes for 166 yards with a TD but was picked off three times. The Jacket defense was led by junior linebacker J.J. Laseak (Mentor) with 13 tackles, including three tackles for loss, a QB sacks and a forced fumble. In addition, senior All-OAC linebacker Ryan Kish (Amherst/ Steele)had seven tackles and now stands 10th all-time in school history with 260 in his career.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at firstname.lastname@example.com Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.


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It was approaching dusk but the late afternoon light only intensified the radiance of the loud yellow paint covering Los Gallitos on West Alameda. The spit of pastor curbside was so big and lovely that when approaching from the East it was almost easier to spot (and certainly more pleasant to gaze upon) than the bright, almost glowing building itself. I pulled a sharp left and wheeled into the parking lot, eyes fixed on the wonderful stacks of pork loins shimmering in the late-day sun.
The taquero manning the spit was proud and gleaming, like any good taquero should be. And why not? Under his control was an enormous and well-manicured dark-red spit of carefully stacked-then-shaped pork loins. We approached his post before entering to snap some photos and admire the meat. He posed and smiled , probably wondering to himself why more people didn't stop by just to take his picture next to this magnificent spinning top of pork.
Also before entering we checked out the backside of the restaurant, drawn by the signs touting 99 cent tacos available from a drive-thru service window. The drive-thru taqueriais rarer than it should be in our town, and coupled with the pastor spit, needless to say my early impression of Los Gallitos was favorable. (Although the restaurant could have been burning to the ground and shooting flames while people screamed and ran in every direction and I would have still had a positive outlook as long as that lovely hunk of meat was out front.)
When we finally entered we ordered immediately from the pretty standard taqueria menu full of the usual suspects. In addition to the pastor, we also ordered between us a pair of gorditas, one with chorizo, the other with chicharron. They didn't give us a ticket to take outside, so we sat by the window and I kept alternating my gaze between the kitchen and the spit outside, waiting to see when someone was going to get my taco from the taquero who was surely making it now. I didn't want to miss a thing. And I didn't.
I am sad to say that Los Gallitos is an example of tacos al pastor in the US gone wrong. Outside is a brilliant, well-groomed and lovely (I said that already) spit of meat under the careful watch of a seaseond taquero. It looks divine as it rotates, smells perfect as it cooks and sounds like a sweet lullaby when it is sliced off (pff, pff, pff). Then the nightmare begins. Instead of being served al fresco, it is all stacked in a large container, dragged back into the kitchen and then fried in old grease until it resembles nothing more than withered, defeated, broken meat.
OK, it still looks pretty good, even if not like pastor
OK, it wasn't quite as bad as I just made it sound, but it is just so tragic that it might as well be. In the end it was a greasy taco of grilled pork and there is a certain saving grace to that fact. There was a very faint hint of sweetness but any complexity the original marinade may have had was grilled into submission on the flat-top. There were even small chunks of (canned) pineapple in there that were identifiable only by sight (and foraging) and not by taste, as they too had soaked up more grease than Squeaky-Voiced Teen after working a double shift at Krusty Burger.
It is of course another sad story that results from the hyper-hygienic health regulators that legislate raw outdoor meats and cooking. This might seem like a good thing, what protecting us from the occasional bit of raw pork flesh, but since admittedly bad things like trichinosis are virtually eradicated now in the US by hygienic pig-farming and trendy restaurants all over town serve there pork pink in the middle, it is sad that these taco places feel the need to over-cook their pastor.
The good news is everything else we had was pretty good. It wasn't the freshest, or the most original. In fact it wasn't that special in any way (expect that spit outside), but it was another decent taqueria with 99 cent tacos that would satisfy a simple taco urge. And it has a drive thru. And while I may never, ever (really, never) make use of their drive-thru service, somehow the world seems a little better just knowing it is there.
Moving on. Here is a steak taco (with cheese) had by my sister-in-law.
And a very good sope that my suegra ate:
My suegro was completely satisfied with his assortment of tacos, especially the lengua, which I did not get a picture of; but here is one of our gorditas, all sloppy and greasy in a good way:
We left Los Gallitos as an entire extended family thoroughly coated--almost visibly so-- with taco grease. But it is not this that had me disheartened, no it was what they did to those tacos al pastor. In Denver (and most of the US) where finding an outdoor taco spit rotating with pastor meat is rare (although becoming more common) there is nothing as disappointing as finding a place that messes it up so badly.
And while I have found some real gems over the years, my search to thoroughly scour the metro area for pastor continues. If you have any suggestions not on my blog please let me know. And if you are extra-bored this August, then prepare yourself for some mild amusement as my annual taco al pastor rankings are due out soon.