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Car Comparison
2014 Chevrolet Impala: New vs. Old
A new Chevrolet Impala is about to go on sale, redesigned for the first time since the turn of the century. Riding on the same platform that is used for the Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac XTS, the 2014 Chevrolet Impala provides more interior space and a larger trunk than the car it replaces, as well as modern infotainment and safety technologies. Offered in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels, the stylish 2014 Impala also gives buyers a choice among 4-cylinder, gas-electric hybrid and V6 powertrains.
Meanwhile, the old Impala, which last saw a significant update in 2005 for the 2006 model year, continues as the Impala Limited, and will be sold to rental car fleets, businesses and government entities. Will Impala Limited buyers be missing out on the upgrades bestowed upon the new Impala, or will the old Impala's discounted price make up for the shortcomings between it and the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Impala? Let's take a closer look.
Fuel Economy
The previous-generation Impala arrived for the 2006 model year, with the LS and LT models equipped with a 211-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 and a 4-speed automatic transmission. This V6 could operate on unleaded gas or E85 ethanol blend, and was rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to get 19 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway in 2011, the final year it was offered.
A 230-hp, 3.9-liter V6 and a 4-speed automatic were standard for the Impala LTZ, equipped with Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology starting in 2007 and E85-compatiblity in 2008. Active Fuel Management shut half of the engine's cylinders off under low-load driving conditions to improve fuel economy. In 2011, this engine's last year of availability, EPA expected the 3.9-liter V6 to get 17 mpg city/27 mpg highway.
An Impala SS model was sold from 2006 to 2009, equipped with a 303-hp, 5.3-liter V8 engine with Active Fuel Management technology, a 4-speed automatic and front-wheel drive. The Impala SS was rated to return 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway in its final year on sale.
For the 2012 model year, the Impala received a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. This E85-compatible engine made 300 hp, which is plenty for a car weighing 3,555 pounds. Fuel economy ratings improved despite the power infusion, rising to 18 mpg city/30 mpg highway.
For the new 2014 Chevy Impala, all models will initially be available with only a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The V6 carries over from the old Impala, rated to make 305 hp and responsible for motivating a minimum of 3,800 pounds in the new car. Chevrolet expects the 2014 Impala V6 to get 19 mpg city/29 mpg highway.
After the first batch of 2014 Impalas goes on sale, the car will get a standard direct-injected, 196-hp, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet expects this car to return 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway.
The new 2014 Impala will also be sold with an eAssist gas-electric mild-hybrid powertrain. The eAssist system combines a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric assist motor and a small Lithium-ion battery pack to generate a combined 182 hp and deliver 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway.
Thanks to its new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and available eAssist hybrid powertrain, the 2014 Impala is the more fuel-efficient full-size family car.
By the 2013 model year, the old Impala was equipped with six airbags, a traction and stability control system, 4-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes and an OnStar system with Automatic Collision Notification service. Nothing more exotic than these systems could be added to the car.
Despite the age of its underlying structure and its lack of safety technologies, the previous-generation Impala does a decent job of protecting its occupants. In crash tests performed by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) between 2006 and 2010, Impala models with side-impact airbags received a 5-star overall crash test rating.
In 2011, NHTSA strengthened its procedures, making it harder for vehicles to excel in tests. When the Impala was tested again in 2012, the car received a 4-star overall rating, not bad for an aging car. Unfortunately, the 2012 and 2013 Impala models provide nothing better than 2-star protection for the driver in a side-impact collision. NHTSA does not rate the 2011 Impala.
In crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Impala posts good, if not great, results. In a seeming refutation of NHTSA findings, the car does best in side-impact tests, receiving the top rating of Good for 2006-2013 models. Chevrolet also converted an Acceptable moderate overlap frontal-impact rating into a Good rating starting with the 2010 model year, a rating applied to all Impalas built after December 2009.
The 2006-2008 Impala models are rated Marginal for their ability to protect occupants against injury in a rear-impact collision, while the 2009-2013 Impala models rate as Acceptable in this regard. The Impala also receives an Acceptable roof crush strength rating for all models built after July 2010.
Fast-forward to the 2014 Impala, which is built on a stronger underlying structure and equipped with 10 standard airbags, and Chevrolet is offering far more safety equipment for its full-size family car. Options include a reversing camera, rear park-assist sensors, Forward Collision Alert with Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert technologies.
With the 2014 Impala's heavier curb weight, stronger and more modern structural design and long list of available safety technologies, we give the new model the nod for safety, even though crash tests have not been performed on the 2014 Impala as this article is written.
Take a look at a Consumer Reports reliability chart for the 2014 Chevrolet Impala and prepare to see plenty of black. That's not good. Except for the 2011 model year, reliability is average or below average going all the way back to 2006. The good news is that engines and transmissions appear to be reasonably dependable.
General Motors does offer a comprehensive Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle program, which makes a used Impala more appealing. Each CPO Impala goes through a 172-point vehicle inspection, includes a vehicle history report and gets a 12-month/12,000-mile limited bumper-to-bumper warranty. Buyers also receive the balance of the original 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which includes 24-hour roadside assistance for that same span of time and mileage.
If that's not enough, every CPO Impala also includes two years or 30,000 miles of free oil changes, tire rotations and vehicle inspections, as well as free 3-month trial subscriptions to OnStar Directions & Connections service and satellite radio service. Plus, if you decide you don't like your CPO Impala, you can bring it back within 72 hours and swap it for something else -- as long as you didn't amass more than 150 miles since purchase.
When buying a new 2014 Impala, you can't bring it back if you don't like it, but you do get a 3-year/36,000-mile standard warranty and a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance. If the car is in the shop for repairs related to the powertrain, a new Impala also comes with a Courtesy Transportation Program.
Comparing the 2014 Impala to the Buick LaCrosse, which shares its same platform, will help determine the 2014 Impala's reliability. Consumer Reports says the LaCrosse is expected to be worse than average, prompting us to recommend the less complex 2006-2013 Impala when it comes to reliability. Stick with a CPO model if you can.
As this article is written, 5,407 certified-used Chevy Impalas are on sale around the country -- a large number reflecting the degree to which this car is cycled into and out of fleets. Prices range from a low of $10,600, for a 2008 Impala LS with nearly 72,000 miles, to a high of $28,500, for a 2013 Impala LTZ with 705 miles. Normally, when financing a used car, interest rates are higher. However, through April 30, 2013, General Motors is offering 1.9 percent short-term financing on its CPO vehicles.
Dealers are still clearing stocks of the 2013 Impala models, which start at $26,685 for the Impala LS and rise to $32,610 for the Impala LTZ with every factory option box checked. Currently, Chevrolet is offering buyers of the 2013 Impala $4,000 cash or 0 percent financing for 72 months.
The redesigned 2014 Impala models start at $27,535 for the Impala LS. Add every option to the Impala LTZ, and the car rolls off the showroom floor for $42,200. Chevrolet isn't offering official discounts or low-rate financing for the new Impala, as the car is launched.
Given the discounts on the outgoing 2013 Impala and the low prices on CPO Impalas, the previous-generation car offers compelling value, even if it's not nearly as sophisticated. (We found a 2012 Impala LT with 29 miles listed on AutoTrader for $16,359.)
There is no doubt that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala is a more technologically sophisticated machine than its predecessor, whether referring to its engineering, mechanical systems, information and entertainment systems or safety features.
Highlights, in addition to the safety-related technologies described above, include standard electric steering with Pull Drift Compensation, standard active noise cancellation and an optional Bose premium surround sound system. The 2014 Impala also offers keyless entry and push-button starting, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel. An optional full-speed-range Adaptive Cruise Control system can bring the car to a complete stop and then resume the set speed with a driver command. LED running lights are included on LTZ models.
A next-generation version of Chevrolet MyLink technology debuts with the 2014 Impala, standard for LT and LTZ trim levels. This version of MyLink has an 8-in color touchscreen, smartphone connectivity, mobile application technology and natural speech recognition. Navigation is offered as an upgrade for the system. MyLink's screen works like a tablet computer, allowing the user to pinch, spread and swipe the screen, or drag icons to new locations.
AutoTrader's Recommendation
If you're looking for inexpensive, roomy transportation protected by a solid certified pre-owned vehicle program in the absence of a strong record for reliability, a CPO Chevy Impala offers strong value. The primary concern with this car, outside unimpressive dependability ratings, is its 2-star side-impact crash-test result for the driver after NHTSA strengthened its standards.
There is, however, more to consider in choosing a car than just great value. The new 2014 Impala is a dramatically improved vehicle, offering vastly superior safety and technology, a larger and more comfortable interior and more fuel-efficient engine choices -- all wrapped in more stylish sheet metal. If you can get into a new Impala instead of a used one, you'll likely be happier for it.


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The Art Gallery of Hamilton proved a stunning clean slate for this contemporary classic. It's awash with a crisp color palette of white, green and gold and beautiful modern details planned and styled by Shaw Events, with florals by Bloom and Co. Fun fact, the gorgeous gold chair the couple used in their ceremony was the same one used in the Bride's parents wedding. From gilded seats to a sea of white blooms, see the full affair captured by Kayla Yestal, plus a film by Brian Flaman below.
From the bride… Looking back on our wedding day, it's impossible for me to pick out a moment that stands out as my favourite part of the day. From Jordan and I's first look, to my veil flying off from the wind in the middle of our ceremony, to my dad surprising me with a choreographed dance to The Temptations alongside about a dozen of his friends, I can't even begin to narrow it down. I feel like that alone let's me know how much of a success our day was! We picked the Hamilton Art Gallery as our venue because we loved that it was a clean, crisp slate that we could really make our own. We wanted our decor to compliment how minimal and modern the space could look. We opted for only white flowers with greenery in all of our floral design, and accented everything with subtle gold elements - including the chair we signed our marriage documents on which was the same one my parents used at their own wedding! One of my favourite aspects was our dessert table, complete with a full gold and white donut wall! Even when it came to my dress, I decided on a classic look that was very structured with the hem lines and really worked hand-in-hand with all of our other decor items. Jordan and I are huge dog lovers and we wanted our dog, Chloe, to be at the wedding in some form. We created stir sticks of her silhouette along with a small gold cat or dog at every place setting to let our guests know about an SPCA donation made in lieu of guest favours. If I were to give any brides a piece of advice while planning, I would say that hiring a wedding planner is an absolute must if it is within your budget! Even if it is just for someone to be there on the day of. Having Danielle of Shaw Events there to take away all of the stress of planning and deal with the logistics was absolutely huge! For me, besides marrying Jordan, investing in her as our planner was the best decision I made. I was so at ease and I truly think that is the reason why I was able to actually enjoy my wedding!

subset: commoncrawl


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Dealer search
Advice and service from the experts
The exclusive creations from Gardisette are displayed to best effect when perfectly finished. Which is why they are only available at selected cooperation partners. After entering the postal code the dealer search displays all the specialist dealers in your vicinity with only one click.


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System is powered off and not sending a signal to the monitor.
When the system is powered off, it stops sending a signal to the monitor. These messages indicate that the monitor is no longer receiving a signal from the computer.
Out of Scan Range, Synch out of Range, or No Sync Input Message When the System is Powered Off.
When you shut down your system, one of the following messages may appear on the monitor screen:
Out of Scan Range
Synch Out of Range
No Sync Input
These messages may flash by quickly or may stay until the monitor is powered off.
Identificación del artículo: SLN67062
Última fecha de modificación: 01/21/2016 04:42 AM
Muchas gracias por sus comentarios.


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Reserve online or call 01993 824 252
Start your shortlist by clicking on the icon next to any property
This lovely,spacious villa is on a fabulous, large plot which backs right onto the North golf course. It has beamed ceilings and rustic floors throughout, is fully air conditioned, and is in a quiet location, close to the facilities of Las Lomas Village. It has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms; one bedroom and bathroom being located on the other side of the kitchen from the main house. Please note this villa is available for rental outside high season as 3 or 4 bedrooms, as well as 5. Please call for rates and availability.
Please also note that we recommend car hire with this property. Free wi-fi is also available at this property.
Accommodation – all on one level with air-conditioning throughout:
Living room - complete with TV, DVD/CD player, sofas, coffee table. Patio doors lead from the living room to the the private pool and the terrace, complete with outdoor dining facilities, pergola and built in barbeque, and from where you have views across the golf course. There is also a safe available for guests' use.
Raised dining area just off the living room, with dining table and chairs for 10 people.
Kitchen - spacious and fully fitted and well equipped with washing machine, dish washer, microwave, oven, hob and extractor, fridge/freezer and coffee machine.
Master Bedroom – with twin beds (can be made into a double bed if preferred), flat screen tv and an En-suite shower room with twin wash basins.
Bedroom Two - double bed and patio doors to the pool terrace. En-suite bathroom - with bath, shower, WC and washbasin.
Bedroom Three - with twin beds and patio doors to the pool terrace.
Bedroom Four – with twin beds.
Separate family Bathroom – with bath, shower, WC and washbasin.
Bedroom Five - also has twin beds and use of the separate shower room, both of which are located in a part of the house which is accessed through the kitchen and can be locked off from the main house if necessary. This area also has its own independant entrance from the exterior of the house.
All the bedrooms and the living room have ceiling fans in addition to the air conditioning.
OUTSIDE – In addition to the terrace and pool, the outdoor space has a garden laid to lawn, with lovely views over the North course.
Sports Rights. Relevant information: In school holidays including all of July and August please Saturday changeovers only. Free wi-fi is also available at this property. Great value offered on low and mid season bookings but please note: minimum stay is 7 nights.


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Wednesday, 02 November 2011 07:23 AM
Sony reported a 27 billion yen ($346 million) loss for the latest quarter and downgraded its annual earnings forecast Wednesday to stay in the red for the fourth year straight, battered by the strong yen and poor sales of flat panel TVs.
The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate is now projecting a 90 billion yen loss ($1.2 billion) for the fiscal year through March 2012 after earlier forecasting a profit of 60 billion yen ($769 million).
Sony Corp. said the strong yen and lower sales, especially in TVs, hurt July-September results. It also suffered production disruptions from the widespread flooding in Thailand, which came on top of the supply problems from the March tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.
Sony also announced a plan to turn around its TV operations, which have lost money for the past seven years straight amid price plunges, an oversupply of panels and intense competition. It said the plan will make the TV business profitable by the fiscal year ending March 2014.
Sony said the major problem was a surplus of liquid crystal displays, and it would shrink its TV production from 40 million units a year to 20 million. It also aims to reduce display costs and the number of models. The restructuring would incur a 50 billion yen ($641 million) special charge, it said.
"Management is feeling a serious sense of crisis about the seven years of losses," said Executive Deputy President Kaz Hirai, who was added to speak at the earnings announcement at the last minute. "I promise to lead the turnaround plan to get us out of the red."
The poor quarterly results and forecast of another annual loss underline a troubled year for Sony.
The company is hoping to integrate smartphones with other consumer electronics, such as televisions and computers, as it seeks to play catchup with Apple Inc. Analysts say the maker of Bravia TVs and Walkman players needs to restore its reputation for innovative gadgets as Apple powers ahead with its iPod, iPad and iPhone.
Hirai, a candidate to succeed current CEO Howard Stringer to head Sony, said that in addition to fixing the money-losing TV business, a growth strategy depended on boosting the company's smartphone business, especially in the U.S.
He said Sony will work at attractive network services so that entertainment can be enjoyed on various gadgets, such as mobile phones, game machines and bigger displays.
Hirai said Sony is in talks with powerful South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co. about the future of their flat panel joint venture that makes panels for Sony.
But he did not say any decision had been made. Japanese media had speculated Sony might pull out of the joint venture or sell part of it.
Sony's image also suffered a severe blow earlier this year because of a massive online security breach around the world, affecting more than 100 million online accounts.
Quarterly sales fell 9 percent from a year earlier to 1.58 trillion yen ($20 billion), mainly because of an unfavorable exchange rate. The yen has recently hit record highs against the dollar, which has faltered amid worries about the U.S. economy. A strong yen erodes the value of Sony's overseas earnings.
Sony, which makes about 70 percent of its sales outside Japan, is expecting the dollar to trade at about 75 yen for the rest of the year, down from about 85 yen a year earlier.
Plunging sales of liquid-crystal display televisions also hurt results, not only from price declines but also the economic slowdown in the U.S. and Europe, according to Sony.
The future of Sony's PlayStation game business is also unclear.
Its much hyped latest portable Vita is set to go on sale in Japan later this year, where it faces off against Japanese rival Nintendo Co.'s 3DS, which features 3-D gaming without glasses. But Vita won't be ready for the year-end holidays overseas.
In its film business, Sony returned to quarterly profit from losses the previous year, riding on the success of "The Smurfs," and higher TV revenue from cable programming, it said.
But it did not do much better in its music business compared with the previous year. Best-selling albums included Beyonce's "4'' and Adele's "21."
Last month, LM Ericsson sold Sony its 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson, a mobile phone joint venture with Sony, for $1.46 billion. The results from Sony Ericsson are reflected in the full year projections, as the deal is expected to close in January.
Tokyo-based Sony had a loss of 260 billion yen in its previous fiscal year.
Sony shares were down 4 percent to 1,520 yen in Tokyo, shortly before earnings were announced.
© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I consider myself a pretty well informed mom, yet I'll admit I've done some really stupid things with my 14-month-old.
I fed her jarred sweet potatoes when she was just 3 months old, and that's at least a month earlier than the earliest time experts recommend for the first solid food. (But she was begging!)
I've given her children's ibuprofen instead of the infant kind. (I couldn't read the label. It was 4 a.m. And it's really dark at that time of night!)
Sure, there's some solace in knowing that even the most conscientious moms make health blunders from time to time. After all, the learning curve is pretty steep: One moment you're pregnant, and then suddenly you're supposed to be an expert on eczema and peanut allergies.
The best defense against baby-health mistakes? Understanding moms' most common slipups -- and what to do instead when it's your turn.
Mistake: Wearing shoes inside the house
Babies live on the floors and rugs -- and right now you're tracking dirt, chemicals, and street germs on the bottom of your shoes. Babies also put every little thing they find in their mouths.
Smart solution: Invite guests to relax and remove their shoes before entering your home. For those who won't, keep a high-quality mat outside to wipe off shoes and boots, and a softer mat inside the door to catch extra dirt particles.
Mistake: Thinking you have to bathe your baby every day
It's fine for most babies, but it isn't necessary. And if your child has sensitive skin, it might be best to give him a bath every other day. For some babies, daily baths can disrupt the skin's protective flora and cause pH imbalances, leading to an over-growth of bacteria or yeast or making the skin red, irritated, and dry, says dermatologist Sarah Boyce, M.D., assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. If your baby has eczema, bathing can cause flare-ups.
Smart solution: Many infants are fine with a nightly bath, but don't feel bad if you miss it. If your baby has sensitive skin, dry patches, or eczema, experiment with less tubtime. Trisha Creekmore of Washington, DC, bathes her daughter, Lily, now 3, just twice weekly: "I felt guilty at first, but then I noticed that bathing her too much caused dry skin, so my neglect -- or non-obsessive parenting, as I like to call it -- turned out to be right for her."
Mistake: Assuming that caregivers understand the health instructions you give them
Be explicit. One mom I know learned this the hard way. Her daughter, age 6 months, needed Zantac, the reflux medication, during the day, so she gave it to the director of the daycare center to administer. But a few months later when she asked the providers if they needed a refill, she got blank stares. They had just stopped giving it long before, without telling her.
Smart solution: Whether it's the daycare staff, a babysitter, or your own mother, take a moment to write down the instructions in simple, direct language, and be precise. "Don't say 'one or two pills' or 'only if he looks ill,' because a caregiver shouldn't be asked to make these decisions," says registered nurse Gloria Mayer, president of the Institute for Healthcare Advancement, in La Habra, California, which studies medical communication. Ask her to read your directions back to you to make sure you've been clear.
My friend now puts in writing any health care instructions for her daughter and then gives a copy to everyone on the daycare staff. Plus one for the director.
Mistake: Treating your baby's cold symptoms with over-the-counter medications without calling the doctor
Especially dangerous: preparations that contain pseudoephedrine. "It might make babies feel a little better, but not dramatically better, and the risk of side effects is very real," says Steven Kairys, M.D., chairman of the department of pediatrics at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, in Neptune, New Jersey. Complications range from simple hyperactivity to high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.
Whatever the medication, read the fine print. Elizabeth Smith of Alpharetta, Georgia, swore off Benadryl after it kept her son Ryan awake for 36 hours: "The label isn't kidding when it says, 'Excitability may occur, especially in children'!"
Smart solution: Some over-the-counter medications may be fine for babies, but get the green light from the doc first. Always do so before giving infant acetaminophen to a baby 3 months or younger (it can mask a fever, which requires immediate medical attention). For babies older than 3 months, it's fine to give infant acetaminophen without calling first to relieve teething discomfort, the pain of shots, and cold miseries. And you can make a sick baby more comfortable by giving her fluids, using saltwater drops to aspirate her nose, using a cold-water humidifier, and keeping her head slightly elevated when she's sleeping.
Mistake: Sharing spoons and toothbrushes, or popping her paci in your mouth to "clean it off"
One bite for me, one for you and you get my mouth germs, too! Moms are a prime source of the germs that give babies tooth decay. But if you can keep those germs from establishing themselves in your baby's mouth (even before she has any teeth) you may protect her from the most common dental problems. "Anything with saliva on it has the potential to transmit bacteria," says Washington, DC, periodontist Sally Cram, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association.
Smart solution: Have your teeth cleaned by your dentist regularly, brush twice a day, floss once a day, and consider a fluoride mouthwash. If you chew gum, make it xylitol-sweetened. All reduce cavity-causing germs. And instead of sharing spoons with your child, just pretend to taste the food. When her daughter Laura was starting solids, Judith Basya of Santa Monica, California, put the spoon almost up to her mouth and said "Yummy!" Laura's now 1, and her mom's still pretending: "At first I did it for sanitary reasons, but now I just don't want to eat her overcooked carrots!"
Mistake: Changing your baby's formula to stop a spitup problem
Frequent formula changes can make it harder for your pediatrician to identify the true culprit, whether it's a milk allergy, acid reflux, or something else. When Mary Rose Almasi of Somers, New Jersey, would feed her newborn daughter, Grace would spit up and cry. The pediatrician advised switching to a non-milk-based formula to rule out an allergy. It didn't help, but eliminating allergy as a trigger let her doctor arrive at a diagnosis: reflux.
Smart solution: Work with your pediatrician to find the cause of the problem, especially if your child's not gaining weight (or is losing it) or if you see blood in her stool (which might mean an allergy to milk-based formula). Changing the formula may well be one recommendation. For reflux, however, other approaches work better. When she's feeding, her lips should form a tight seal around the bottle's nipple so no air gets in; you may want to experiment with different kinds of nipples. Try keeping your baby upright for a half hour after feeding (Almasi found that the car seat worked like a charm), offer frequent small meals instead of fewer larger ones, make sure she's burping adequately (even if you have to interrupt feedings to burp her), and tuck some rolled towels underneath one end of her crib mattress to keep her on an incline. If your baby's a spitup artist, Almasi recommends ditching the swing and the vibrating bouncy seat, which she found "jiggled my baby's little belly and brought up the spitup."
Mistake: Overbundling your baby to keep out the chill
After the first few days, infants are quite good at regulating their own body temperature. Dressing them in too many layers can lead to dehydration and exhaustion, says Trina Austin, M.D., chief of pediatrics at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, in Fountain Valley, California. During sleep, becoming overheated can disrupt the ability to regulate breathing, increasing the risk of SIDS.
Smart solution: Indoors or out, dress your baby in the same number of layers you're wearing. In the car or at home, set the air conditioner so it's not so frigid that you feel you need to bundle him up; when the weather cools, set the thermostat around 68 or 70 degrees F, no higher. Summer or winter, when your room temperature is comfortable for you, lightly dressed, it's fine for your baby. Telltale signs he's too warm? He may turn red in the face, sweat, or cry because he's uncomfortable.
Mistake: Not bringing fresh air into the nursery
A baby's tiny lungs are very vulnerable to allergens, secondhand smoke, and gases emitted from new paint or furniture. Air fresheners don't help; they release pollutants that, in one study, were linked with diarrhea, earache, and other symptoms in some babies. And many electronic air "cleaners" don't clean well and emit ozone, an air pollutant.
Smart solution: Open the windows in the baby's room for at least ten minutes a day. Houseplants (especially Boston fern, peace lily, and bamboo palms) clear carbon dioxide and chemical vapors. A bowl of baking soda absorbs odors, and fresh-cut flowers add good ones. Also, put high-efficient filters in your air conditioners (like 3M Filtrete, $15). As a last resort, buy an air-purifying HEPA machine, which doesn't emit ozone.
Mistake: Not taking your infant's temperature when he seems sick
Parents often skip the thermometer, claiming "he didn't feel warm to me." But the clinical sign of fever is an important hallmark for concern in really young babies, says Peter Tesler, M.D., director of pediatric ambulatory care at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. A fever of 100.4° or more in a baby under 3 months means an infection and automatically triggers an office -- and usually an emergency room -- visit. Always call the doctor.
Smart solution: If your baby seems under the weather, take his temperature with a rectal thermometer, which gives the most accurate reading until a child can hold a thermometer under his tongue (usually, around age 2). Karen Dunn of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, does so whenever her 5-month-old son, Nolan, seems ill or out of sorts. "Most of the time there's no fever, and my husband teases me, but on several occasions my instincts were right," she says.
Aviva Patz, a mom of two girls in Montclair, New Jersey, continues to make mistakes every day, learning as she goes.


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Your Reviews
Your Reviews
Love the weird order of songs but kind of bummed I didn't get "Somewhat Damaged". I knew when I saw Robin with that acoustic/electric guitar it was over.
Glad to hear "Something..." for the first time.
Lot's of blank faces during "The Lover".
Saw Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) in the crowd rocking it.
Overall I enjoyed the show.
Random tidbits:
-Hot girls everywhere!
The setlist of the show tonight was similar to Bakersfield.
Something I Can Never have was a VERY good surprise.
I think the production was a lot more stripped down
I was by the rail and it was brutal for the first couple songs. Kind of reminded me of the old days.
Overall, I really loved the show as usual. I kind of wish he would throw in a couple more surprises. Then again, these are festival dates so I am not too shocked. Perhaps when there is a full blown NIN tour next year this could happen. I also would like to hear some more of the newer songs. At the end of the day though, I love ever second of it. So no complaints here.
The Lovers sounded way better than the Bakersfield show, but Burning Bright (Field on Fire) was a little off. I could not tell if his megaphone was broken. I was pretty much on the rail and could barely hear anything. It's still a hell of a live song though.
Something I Can Never Have was a nice surprise and sounded great.
Crowd was physical and rough, especially during Closer, where I was squished so hard and thrown around that I could not breathe for most of the song. Was a lot of fun!
General thoughts (more in depth thoughts about the set in general in my Bakersfield post):
- It was so nice to hear Wish early and actually be excited by it again rather than it just being part of the four song countdown-to-bedtime set.
- The placement of Wish and omission of Piggy had me thinking it was going to end up being a very mainstream set, which had me pleasantly surprised when they retained I Can't Give Everything Away, The Lovers, and Burning Bright from the Bakersfield set and even added SICNH. It was a good three act structure of general fan pleasing, hardcore fan pleasing, and back to general fan pleasing, which is about all you can ask from a festival set.
- Trent looks as good as he's ever looked. Still buff but very skinny rather than burly. Fucking gorgeous man, and his outfit makes me want to go shopping.
- Every time I looked over and saw Atticus rocking out, it made me happy.
- I was worried this set was just going to be a < version of Bakersfield, but it felt a little tighter and higher energy. Way less intimate, of course, but I appreciate that there were pros and cons to being at the small show and then the big show. I enjoyed both equally rather than feeling like the festival set was just okay, which was a very nice surprise.
- As for the lights, I was too close to give a shit about lighting, but I hope the lack of spectacle wasn't disappointing for people who watched from far back (i.e. casual fans for whom a light show would've made the experience better).
- Fuck, festival people can be assholes.
- On the above note, I felt embarrassed to be a NIN fan for a moment. After being relatively close for Solange and talking to and dancing with many lovely Solange fans, the tone changed when her set was over and some NIN fans started aggressively shoving their way to the front. I heard a girl say, "ugh, must be Nine Inch Nails fans" and was sad that one or two assholes could that quickly give a whole fandom a bad name. I made my way up politely and was still front and center about three feet from the rail- didn't need to be a dick to anyone.
- It's been a few years since I've been in such a big pit. We really take breathing for granted, guys.
i'll do an abbreviated in order commentary.
branches bones sounded great after the blown out mess that was bakersfield where i couldn't discern a single lyric. it was just mixed horribly there. at FYF it was pristine. the sound all night was excellent.
wish 2nd song in was a welcome surprise, got me very pumped and the crowd went ape. stellar moment. i only went to day 3 for RTJ > NIN and this was where i started to feel at home.
omitting piggy for SICNH was another unexpected thrill, albeit a subdued one. thought the audience around me was very respectful. it got very quiet about 25-30 feet from stage center/lined up with trent's mic. people were dialed in for the most part. i like that in a diverse/festival crowd. i heard a lot of different accents and languages, an indication of the population in LA or that people traveled far and wide to attend FYF / see NIN.
copy of a appearing just about midway into the set provided another energy boost. curveballs were definitely being thrown, for a bit at least.
gave up...but no burn preceding it. booo. still people were amped. i liked the ferocity
happy to hear a reprise of the bowie cover. don't worry panorama and likely riot, you'll get it too. the middle verses with DB's recorded vocals and trent's live vocals are an incredible tribute to the one performer i was never fortunate enough to see live. i wonder if he was ever in consideration to join in Wave goodbye shows, considering mike garson was there. in a way i feel that was the closest i came to seeing him while he was alive.
the stage lighting was not nearly green enough during reptile.
great destroyer was sonically a little more impressive at bakersfield but the visual kaleidoscope at FYF was an undeniably awesome spectacle in contrast to the other sparse lighting effects. the visuals in bakersfield were overall better also, and they used more cameras there. but it's all about the music right? (kinda)
H trio to close. THTF fits like a glove for the dance fans at a fest like this HLAH is the ultimate throwback, over 25 years old now and Hurt still yields new surprises upon every performance.
i do feel disappointed that the other 2 encore songs were dropped at both bakersfield and FYF. they definitely had time to play at least one of them and the stage setlist also had survivalism crossed out. whatever, i got into the show for $25 and found a bootleg shirt in the pit. "eryka badu" is spelled incorrectly but it's my size so that was a little bonus.
hope they come back to LA or nearby for another full show soon. i think this was my 15th time seeing them since 94, can't wait for the next one.
Last edited by 3po1nt0; 07-25-2017 at 06:10 PM.
Really enjoyed this show but I liked Bakersfield better. I got into the fest around 9:30 and things seemed kind of dead but a ton of NIN fans showed up after 10pm.
$25 and you got a setlist? impressive.
Seems as though theyll never play the full encore. Just cut those 2 songs out and leave Hurt, it makes it an easier pill to swallow when you find out what got taken out.
Last edited by suprefan; 07-27-2017 at 07:27 PM.


text:
Redmond likes Hechavarria in two-hole
MIAMI -- In time, the Marlins envision Adeiny Hechavarria as a top-of-the-order-caliber hitter.
That time is apparently now.View Full Game Coverage
MIAMI -- In time, the Marlins envision Adeiny Hechavarria as a top-of-the-order-caliber hitter.
That time is apparently now.View Full Game Coverage
With manager Mike Redmond experimenting with lineups in hopes of finding a combination that clicks, he is batting Hechavarria second.
"I like him hitting second," Redmond said.
Redmond talked about the 24-year-old shortstop hitting in the two-hole during Spring Training. But when the season started, Hechavarria started off hitting eighth.
Although he is batting .211 in 95 at-bats on the season, Hechavarria is hitting .250 (3-for-12) in the second spot.
"You can see his approach and patience slowly start to improve," Redmond said. "That's what we're looking for. He has a lot of pop."
In spacious Marlins Park, Hechavarria is capitalizing on its wide gaps, hitting a pair of triples in the last series against the Reds. He's shown the ability to shoot the ball to right-center field.
Hechavarria's five triples are the most in the Majors, one ahead of Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury entering Friday's action. Three of Hechavarria's three-base hits have come at Marlins Park.
"When he takes his batting practice, he tries to stay on balls and drive them to right field," Redmond said. "That's a good approach. This guy is learning to hit in the big leagues, and learning an approach."
Hechavarria, acquired from the Blue Jays last November, is still developing. He is in his first full big league season after he appeared in 41 games and batted .254 with eight doubles, two homers and no triples in 2012.
"This kid is a special player," Redmond said. "We knew going in there would be some growing pains with the bat. But at the same time, he's out here working hard, taking extra hitting and doing everything he can possibly do to make himself a better player. We're seeing the results of it."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter Miami Marlins, Duane Below, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jon Rauch, Giancarlo Stanton


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6:00 pm
Earth Songs Inspired by decades of National Geographic specials, the BBC Planet Earth series, and the beauty of our terrestrial home, EARTH SONGS gently guides the viewer through a journey of ageless wisdom, inspiring poetry and stunning footage of Mother Earth. For more than two years, filmmaker Brian Luke Seaward traveled to many of the world's most pristine locations -- Patagonia (Chile), the Caribbean, Iceland, the Canadian Rockies, Hawaii, Greenland, Alaska, Peru and New Zealand - capturing the Earth's beauty in ways that are rarely seen. Set to a musical score performed by Grammy-nominated artists - including Michael Hoppe, Brian Keane, Secret Garden, Keola Beamer, Zach Bergen, Min TZe Wu and Nigel Holton - the program celebrates the planet's scenic beauty and precious wildlife. D
7:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
8:00 pm
8:30 pm
Journal NULL
9:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL
10:00 pm
Conquistadors with Michael Wood "The Conquest of the Incas" Six years after the fall of Mexico, the conquistador Francisco Pizarro, exploring south of the equator, uncovers another civilization unknown to the European world: the empire of the Incas, which extended 3,000 miles from Ecuador to Chile. Michael Wood recounts Pizarro's daring march into Peru with fewer than 200 men and tells the almost incredible tale of his capture of the Inca Atuahuallpa and his promise to ransom himself with a roomful of gold. Traveling across the Peruvian desert along ancient Inca roads, Wood climbs the Andes with a train of llamas, continues to the ancient city of Cuzco, the Incas' "navel of the earth," where massive Inca buildings still stand, and to the stupendous Sacred Valley ruins, including Macchu Picchu. D
11:00 pm
Cave People of the Himalaya Everest climber Pete Athans belays archaeologist Mark Aldenerfer down an 800-foot-cliff to a cave 700 feet down from the top. The two of them are on a mission in the world's highest mountains to find ancient mummies and uncover secrets hidden thousands of years in these cliff-top graves.G


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About this music pack.A driving, energetic music pack consisting of four confident and motivational songs. With over 8 minutes of upbeat, positive attitude, and more than double that length with included variations, this pack provides you with ultimate flexibility for your project, be it film, TV, commercial, corporate, or any other media. Grabbing these tracks as a bundle here saves you 50% over licensing them individually!
Included Tracks.This pack contains four unique songs, each one containing 4-5 variations of its own, such as seamlessly loopable versions and assorted durations (18 individual tracks altogether!). Here are the main tracks in order of appearance in the audio preview:
A Drive To Remember | 2:01 | 154 BPM | 5 Variations Included
This pop rock song features driving electric guitar with catchy riffs and melodies. Muted guitar lends a strong energy without being too overpowering. A middle section escalates into a head on guitar vs. glockenspiel showdown, full of attitude yet still with a very positive vibe. Very youth-friendly and appealing to current generation audiences.
An Eye on the Prize | 2:18 | 110 BPM | 4 Variations Included
This alt-rock song features dramatic electric guitar and piano. The guitar brings a strong energy while the piano lends a deeper emotional context. Powerful drum rhythms give additional intensity and attitude to the track. The song evokes images and feelings of mental focus, overcoming obstacles, perseverance, and victory.
A Running Start | 1:56 | 140 BPM | 5 Variations Included
This alt-pop song features strong piano and electric guitar. Layering of instruments and textures give this song a rich and dynamic sound, with an upbeat rhythm that is full of energy. The song evokes images and feelings of moving forward, taking the lead, dedication, and success.
A Surge Of Confidence | 2:21 | 105 BPM | 4 Variations Included
This song is an alt-rock electronic hybrid with lots of energy, attitude, and a modern tech edge. Twin guitar riffs call and respond to each other over an expanse of evolving, rhythmic, synth sounds.
For more detailed information on the individual items and their included variations, feel free to follow the above links to the respective item pages. Each individual variation is its own separate audio file, included as both a full resolution WAV as well as a high quality MP3 for quick and easy use over the web and portable devices.


text:
Vietnam releases dissidents amid foreign pressure
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has granted early release to two high-profile dissidents, bringing the number of democracy activists freed this month to three in what the government called a "policy of leniency."
The unusual moves come as Hanoi is negotiating a free trade deal with the United States that is expected to help Vietnam's stumbling economy.
American officials have said the deal might not get congressional approval unless Vietnam's government shows it is taking steps to improve its human rights record.
Vi Duc Hoi and Nguyen Tien Trung were released over the weekend with 1½ years and nine months remaining of their sentences respectively.
They were convicted of crimes relating to their peaceful advocacy of multiparty democracy in Vietnam, ruled by an authoritarian government that doesn't allow freedom of expression or political assembly.
"It was due to international pressure that the government of Vietnam had to release me," Hoi, a former member of the ruling Communist Party, told Radio Free Asia, a U.S. government-funded network. "I lost some weight but I am still OK physically and mentally."
Phil Robertson, Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the two men should never have been imprisoned.
"There are still hundreds more political prisoners languishing in Vietnam's prisons, so there is a very long way to go before we can say that Vietnam is making any sort of appreciable progress on human rights," he said.
Earlier this month, another prominent activist, Cu Huy Ha Vu, was released and went directly from jail to the United States, which had been negotiating for his release. He was four years into a seven-year sentence. A photo widely distributed on Facebook shows him at an American airport giving a V-for-victory sign. A U.S. diplomat posted at the embassy in Hanoi is next to him in the picture.
Foreign Affairs Ministry deputy spokeswoman Nguyen Thi Thai Thong said the releases were the result of a "policy of leniency" by Vietnamese President Truoung Tan Sang. She said Vu traveled to the United States for humanitarian reasons, but gave no more details.
Two people with knowledge of the negotiations said Vu's release was dependent on him leaving for the United States. They didn't give their names because they were not authorized to speak to the media about it.
The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi issued a statement welcoming the release of the two, saying they were a positive development for human rights in Vietnam.
"We encourage the government to release unconditionally all prisoners of conscience and allow all Vietnamese to express their views without fear of retribution," said embassy spokesman Spencer Cryder.
Activists and diplomats monitoring the human rights situation said the government appears to be trying to avoid high-profile trials of dissidents by not charging as many, but that harassment and sometimes-violent attacks on activists are increasing.
The Obama administration is seeking to conclude a trade deal with Vietnam and 10 other Asia-Pacific nations aimed at boosting American exports to fast-growing markets and demonstrating U.S. economic leadership in a region in which China's influence is gaining.
Vietnam's leaders, mindful of the country's struggling economy, want to join the pact because it will boost exports and create jobs.
The United States is seeking to use the prospect of the deal to win some concessions on human rights. Representatives of the Obama administration have said the U.S. Congress, which must vote on the trade pact before it can become binding, might balk at doing so unless Vietnam is able to show progress, such as releasing dissidents.
Ahead of Vietnam's succession to the World Trade Organization in 2006, it also faced pressure to show improvement in human rights, especially from American lawmakers. The country released a few dissidents and joined the trade body, but the progress was short-lived.


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New version of Valentino Rossi's official Sponsor adjustable cap. It's in cotton. An ample frontal embroidered Monster claw. On both sides a number 46 and Yamaha graphic. One size
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text:
|Episode Description
|Saturday, May 5, 2012 - 7:00 AM
"Emerging Empires Collide, Part 1"
Broadside tells the story of a newly restored English monarch, Charles II, leading his country into the fiercest trade war in the age of sail. The story shows the inner workings of Charles? court, including the influence of Lady Castlemaine, and the management of his navy and his war.. D
|More on WORLD (MT)
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text:
Maybe this belongs in the announcements thread, But I felt I had to make the announcement over here as well.
Some people have been asking about me. I've been gone for a while, and failed to meet my commitments to the LCC recently. This was mostly dude to school work, a new band I've been playing in and more personal issues. I also stepped down as a memeber of the organisation group. I will sign up as a regular member.
Don't worry, I may be down, but not out!
- Marijn a.k.a. Teherean.


text:
Corrections Department #4: VHS and W.
March 23, 2009
This weekend I watched Oliver Stone's W. It's not as good as many of Stone's earlier films, namely JFK and Nixon, but it does deliver the dose of cathartic, undiluted Bush-mockery that I expected and needed. Stone's style of satire is more silly than scathing, but the offenses of the Bush administration are so vast that I'm not sure how, at this point in history, a more serious approach could wrap itself around them.
Conservatives and devotees of truthiness probably take issue with the ways in which Stone plays fast and loose with facts (changing a lot of Bush's public utterances into private ones, for instance, so as to include a compendium of famous Bushisms). I could care less.
One glaring and particularly irksome historical inaccuracy caught my eye, though, mainly because it's relevant here (sort of; at least, I doubt it will be documented anywhere else). It's in the scene in which W. is depicted as the impresario behind the Willie Horton ad, which helped his father to defeat Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election. W. (Josh Brolin) shows the elder Bush (James Cromwell) the ad on a videocassette which is identifiable, from the distinctive red and white sleeve design, as a TDK AQ brand T-120 tape.
The problem is that TDK's AQ series cassettes weren't introduced until 1995 or so. I first remember seeing them in the local music store not long after I moved to Los Angeles and began my studies at USC. That was also the period when the TV Land channel (now a waste of cable bandwidth) was new and still broadcasting a plethora of rare television shows without any cuts. I still have scores of episodes of Mannix, Burke's Law, The Dick Powell Show, etc., piled up in those gaudy red sleeves. The AQ series was TDK's budget line, and reluctantly I bought them rather than the TDK E-HGs (as in, "extra high grade") because I was a starving college student without an income.
If W.'s prop department had wanted to avoid this anachronism, they might've chosen one of these cassettes:
I know that because 1988 was around the time that I became interested in old TV shows and started recording The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents on the tapes that came in those very sleeves. (I remember Scotch and Fuji brand cassettes too, but for whatever reason, we were primarily a TDK family.) Most of those tapes are long gone now, and good riddance to them. But I still have a stack of twenty year-old Alfred Hitchcock Hours on top of my kitchen cabinet – and, nope, not a TDK AQ among them.


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|2011-05-13, 02:06
|Link #1083
To the salt mines
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: God Knows...
ok, for the benefit of us not reading the manga due to reasons too many to mention, so with the recent developments, is there gonna be a season 3? (sorry if i sound retarded if someone else asked this before, or if is clearly obvious). if there is, well, what will be the fate of k-on now that the original 4 is out of the picture? (i don't know that these new members will fill in the gaps left behind, but i wish to see them do that, for the sake of the anime).
|2011-05-13, 02:33
|Link #1084
Join Date: Oct 2010
Age: 30
|2011-05-13, 02:34
|Link #1086
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
Split groups.
Mio, Yui, Ritsu, and Mugi, all at college. At least 5 new characters have been introduced. However their roll in the overall picture is now clear yet. (only 2 chapters of this group is out currently)
Azusa, Ui, and Jun (with Sawako-sensei), still in high school. Only one new character has been introduced into this group and we aren't sure what her roll is yet. (only one chapter of this group is out currently)
Third Season will be a ways off. Even at two manga chapers a month, it will take a little while to build up enough to make a good run for the two groups. No clue what KyoAni would do to keep the two groups' stories apart within a single season, nor if either group will be more popular than the other since it is way, way to early to tell.
|2011-05-13, 02:54
|Link #1088
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
College life chapter comes out the beginning of each month and the High School life chapter comes out at the end of the month...in different magazines. So two chapters a month.
This is why the College Life has two chapters out already while the High School group only has one out....the manga restarted in April.
|2011-05-13, 03:51
|Link #1091
Smiling beauty
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Indonesia
Age: 29
Come to think of it, if it will truly be only 1 manga (college + HS) then it could mean it'll be faster to finish.
Normally, mangaka would work 1 chapter per month (for the monthly publication of course), but Kakifly did 2 chapter per month.
As for the tv adaptation, they don't need to wait the manga to be finished to start a season, do they?
Well... that's only as far as I know and also my opinion.
|2011-05-13, 05:30
|Link #1092
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
I wouldn't expect another K-On! anime until 2012 at the earliest.
|2011-05-13, 09:14
|Link #1095
Smiling beauty
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Indonesia
Age: 29
I also don't want the 3rd season (if there'll be any) to start so soon. Even the movie is too early for me And just like what Sparvid said, I also think that the movie should be released in BD and DVD first (which means around the end of 2012), and maybe KyoAni will have another project going on too~
What I implied in my post before is just that it seems the manga would be done faster by doing the 2 chapters per month (considering it'll be around 4 volume like the 1st one). Otherwise, there's a possibility that the story will be longer too (more volumes, but done in 2 chapters to shorten the time) and the college years is > 3 years too
|2011-05-13, 13:32
|Link #1097
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
While we don't really see teachers get involved in college/uni clubs I do actually hope to see a male involved with the girls, I think it would add a nice spin to the series but then it's always been about the girls.
It's a hard place to be in...
Still can't wait to see more of Sumire, as I said to the KiNA-mon, so far at least shes the best both Mio and Mugi-chan. Mio's shy/scaredy cat and Mugi-chan's looks and tea making abilities.
|2011-05-13, 14:00
|Link #1098
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
Well so far the males of the series have been mostly background.
You have Ritsu's brother. The Music shop clerk. One teacher who taught when Sawako was going to school. You have the school principle who is only seen in the manga side jokes...the one that likes to crossdress in Sawako's handmade outfits. Mugi's butler. And I suppose Yui and Ui's father. Aside from the even more background parents of the other girls.
Plus they are going to Japan Women's University.
|comedy, moe, seinen, slice of life
|Thread Tools


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Stethoconus cyrtopeltis Flor, 1860
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Dokkens Dead Fowl Training Dummies - Dog trainer will condition your dog on how to properly hold and carry a pheasant. It is built with the upland bird dog enthusiast in mind.
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6:30 pm
Martha Stewart's Cooking School "Stocks" Making stock is an exercise in building flavors and, as such, one of the first lessons in any culinary course. Having a steady supply of homemade stock in the freezer will elevate anyone's home cooking. In this episode, Martha shares recipes and techniques for the three most common stocks - chicken (including a time-saving pressure-cooker version), beef and vegetable - as well as useful cooking and storage tips. D
7:00 pm
This Old House "Cambridge 2012, The Big Finish" The last details come together for the Cambridge project finale: granite posts set off the landscape and the revived vintage doorbell crowns the foyer. Designers Dee Elms and Andrew Terrat bring exquisite punches of color that make the sleek, white Scandinavian modern interior come alive from top to bottom. Homeowners Sally Peterson and John Stone are delighted, as the crew gives a final salute!. D
7:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Dubrovnik and Balkan Side-Trips" From Dubrovnik, a remarkably preserved medieval fortress city, Rick ventures into less-visited corners of the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia, he visits Mostar. In Montenegro, he sails the fjord-like Bay of Kotor.G
8:00 pm
Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope "Easter Island - Mysteries & Myths" Joseph visits the most remote inhabited place on earth - Rapa Nui (the island's native name), more than 2,000 miles from the coast of Chile. Questions surround the origins of the Rapa Nui culture, their enormous carved stone moai and the cause of the Rapa Nui people's ecological and natural disasters.G
8:30 pm
Lidia's Italy In America "Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh's Italian Americans" NULL
9:00 pm
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Autumn Desserts" Bridget reveals the secrets to the ultimate Apple Dumplings. Then, Adam reveals his top picks for cake carriers. Next, Chris learns about the best apple varieties for baking at Saratoga Orchards. D
9:30 pm
Simply Ming "Iris Tsai & Roasting Whole Birds" SIMPLY MING drops into the heart of Napa Valley, where some of the best grapes are grown, producing some of the best wines around. Ming is joined in the kitchen by his mom, Iris Tsai. Together they cook on they fly, showing how to master cooking whole birds on the grill. D
10:00 pm
Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.: Our Food Heritage "France: Fort St. Jean Baptiste and the Colonial Frontier" Early settlers faced many hardships in taming Louisiana's wilderness. There were no formal communities or laws, food was scarce and there were very few women. Chef Folse visits with Rick Seale at Fort St. D
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Dubrovnik and Balkan Side-Trips" From Dubrovnik, a remarkably preserved medieval fortress city, Rick ventures into less-visited corners of the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia, he visits Mostar. In Montenegro, he sails the fjord-like Bay of Kotor.G
11:00 pm
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish "Si Supieras...." In Mexico, Raquel and Angela come to the aid of someone with a surprising connection to Don Fernando.G
11:30 pm
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish "Exito" The Castillo family deals with a number of problems, including the hospitalization of don Fernando.G


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 3rd Nov 2012 01:11 UTC, submitted by Panajev
"Earlier this week Apple fired Scott Forstall, the architect of its iOS platform, and handed his duties over to the company's chief industrial designer, Jonathan Ive. Ive and Forstall had an infamously chilly working relationship, and one of their biggest disagreements was over the role of so-called 'skeuomorphic' design in Apple's products. Forstall, like his mentor Steve Jobs, favored it; Ive disliked it. To many observers, Forstall's forced exit looks like a vindication of Ive's stance. But if he wants to continue Apple's enviable trend of innovation, he'd be a fool to throw the baby of skeuomorphism out with Forstall's bathwater." Hoped for a thorough article on the benefits of skeuomorphism - got the age-old and intrinsically invalid excuse 'because it sells'. Windows isn't he best desktop operating system because it sells so well. Lady Gaga isn't the best artist because she sells a lot of records. This argument is never valid, has zero value, and adds nothing to what should be an interesting discussion.
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RE: Subconscious signal
by Neolander on Sat 3rd Nov 2012 07:13 UTC in reply to "Subconscious signal"
Does someone understand why skeuomorphism is so attractive? Its because it makes our instincts to react. Our subconscious ourself. Animal inside. It feels like something familiar, something it is used to. Not something "authentically digital". Just watch rich texture and feel how it touches your deeply. It is powerful, bacause we are still animals, all our motivation is still there, and motivation to buy as well. So I predict: end of reasonable skeumorthism will be the end of commercial success.
While excessive skeumorphism does wake up my animal self, it's more often about primal rage than feelings of endearment


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GOP's 'No' Votes On School Choice Defend Their Decisions
Legislative candidates fill out a lot of questionnaires from interest groups in election years.
Some stick with their answers if they are elected; others flip flop when it comes time for an actual vote, which doesn't sit well with the groups that asked the questions, or with voters who want elected officials to stay true to their word.
In 2010, the Great Lakes Education Project, a pro-schools of choice group, asked prospective legislators about increasing or eliminating the cap on charter schools in Michigan, but when a vote was taken, some Republican legislators voted contrary to how they answered the Great Lakes questionnaire, said GLEP Chairman Jim Barrett.
"It was greatly disappointing that a small number of legislators voted contrary to their support for eliminating the cap on charter public schools as expressed in their Great Lakes Education Project candidate questionnaires," he said. "We are grateful to those members who supported additional educational options for parents and students in Michigan and voted consistent with their response to our questionnaire."
Barrett did not name specific lawmakers. However, based on context and timing, the key votes involved were those cast by House members on Senate Bill 618. If so, that narrows the field to five Republican lawmakers who voted against the bill. They were: Rep. Mike Callton, R-Nashville; Rep. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan; Rep. Paul Muxlow, R-Brown City; Rep. Phil Potvin, R-Cadillac; and Rep. Sharon Tyler, R-Niles.
When asked how they voted and whether they changed from their questionnaire in 2010, there were mixed answers as to why they voted no.
"That would have been 17 months ago, I have no idea how I answered it at that time," Rep. Potvin said. "I'd say I answered it with my vote, which was based on the idea that one size does not fit all. In my [House] district we do not need to open up that door. We have one charter school, which does a good job, and is doing fine."
Rep. Muxlow also said that he didn't recall how he'd responded to the GLEP questions in 2010.
"I don't know what I said to GLEP," Rep. Muxlow said. "I guess I stand behind all of it. My position is the same as the position the governor had taken. I support charter schools in areas where there are failing schools. At one time they were talking about excluding counties with populations of less than 50,000. They got that, but then changed it to eliminating the cap.
"I represent a district with eight small schools that are successful, but legislation has been tearing them up," he said. "They keep talking about choices, but in my district, students have 17 different education choices. I support charters, if it's an area where schools face failure."
Rep. Callton said his position on eliminating the cap on charter schools has changed since 2010.
"I have changed my position on this after reviewing performance reviews on existing charter schools. I was disappointed," he said.
Rep. Tyler said her answer on the GLEP questionnaire was "yes." She voted "no."
"While I certainly support successful charter schools — and I do think that some areas of our state will benefit from a complete elimination of the cap — I believe that some regions of Michigan should have the charter school limit raised rather than removed," she said. "I wanted stronger language in regard to the locations of new charter schools as well as a bill that would gradually raise the cap over a five- to 10-year period to give some public schools time to improve, and it was these concerns that ultimately influenced my vote on this bill."
Rep. McBroom said he qualified his answer when he filled out the GLEP questionnaire, by including an explanation of the conditions under which he'd vote "yes" on lifting the cap.
"I answered quite clearly that I do support the expansion of charter schools in Michigan," he said. "I also answered quite clearly that I would not support an expansion that did not take into account the undo competition for resources and students in areas of the state that have successful and well functioning traditional public schools.
"I advocated for and committed to supporting the charter cap lift if it protected areas, especially the rural areas I represent, as long as their schools have high graduation rates/proficiencies. I thought this was a fair compromise and was certainly my position throughout my campaign and was certainly what I intended for GLEP to understand from my questionnaire."
McBroom's office sent a copy of what he wrote on the questionnaire. It opened with the following paragraph:
"I say 'yes' knowing this is true in many areas of the state, but also recognizing many other areas have excellent options available including the option of homeschooling I would like to know more about the universities responsibilities and the authorization process before granting unlimited numbers to be created. While I support these as general guidelines and good possible approaches the dynamics contributing to drop out rates and failing school are often more complex than just bad teachers, lack of choice or lack of programs. Family and community factor in to this problem in a large way and should be evaluated case by case rather than just axing a school that has not met certain thresholds alone."
<>See also:
House Votes To Raise Cyber School Cap
Bureaucrats vs. Parents — Who Should Choose Where Children Are Educated?
'We Found a Place Where Our Children's Safety Would Never Be An Issue'
District Refuses to Sell Unused Building to Public Charter School — Despite Receiving $250K Asking Price
School Choice Advocates Cheer Lift of Charter Public School Cap
Charter Public Schools Cap Eliminated
The Republicans Who Blocked Charter School Choice
Inaccurate Claims Buoy Attacks On Charter Public Schools
Commentary: The Difference With Charter Schools
Democrat Measure Targets Charter Public Schools
Superintendents' Letter About Charter Schools 'Incredibly Misleading'
Choice For Me But Not For Thee?
Public School District 'Strikes Out' on Criticism of Charter Schools
Charter School Demand Continues to Rise
The Republicans Who Blocked Charter School Choice
Commentary: Research Shows Parental Choice Works
Democratic Proposal: Charter Public Schools Must Outperform Conventional School Test Scores by 20 Percent


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Motorola i1000plus
ProsNo pros
- Lacks a camera on the back
- Thick body (1.18 inches)
- Does not support automatic screen brightness
- Dimensions:
- 4.69 x 2.40 x 1.18 inches (119 x 61 x 30 mm)
- Weight:
the average is 5.9 oz (169 g) 6.00 oz (170 g)
- 6.00 oz (170 g)
- Features:
- Numeric keypad
- Capacity:
Capacity - The bigger, the better! However, battery capacity is not the only factor that has an effect on battery life. Those include the chipset in use, the software running on the device, as well as the consumer's unique usage pattern.
- 900 mAh
- Talk time:
the average is 21 h (1235 min) 3.00 hours
- 3.00 hours
- Stand-by time:
the average is 20 days (482 h) 1.9 days (45 hours)
- 1.9 days (45 hours)
- iDEN:
iDEN - iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) is a wireless network standard developed by Motorola and used by Nextel Wireless. It operates at 800Mhz, 900Mhz and 1500Mhz frequency bands and it is a mixture of TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and GSM arhitecture. It allows the use of one mobile device as a digital phone, pager, two-way radio and fax/modem.
- 800 MHz
Phone features
- Notifications:
- Vibration, Phone profiles, Speakerphone
To see the full specifications with in-depth details click here.
Despite our efforts to provide full and correct Motorola i1000plus specifications, there is always a possibility of making a mistake. If you see any wrong or incomplete data, please LET US KNOW.
If you are interested in using our specs commercially, check out our Phone specs database licensing page.


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Pre-Medical Program
The Pre-Medicine program at Nyack College is designed for Biology majors and others who desire to attend professional programs in the health sciences. We have designed this curriculum to help students obtain the necessary prerequisites for admission into health science programs.
A 3.0 GPA is required for admissions into the program. Student must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in both the science course and overall GPA.
Students may apply to the Pre-Medical program after completion of General Biology I, General Biology II, Inorganic Chemistry I, Inorganic Chemistry II and Calculus I.
Biology majors – In addition to Biology major requirements, students are required to enroll in:
- Calculus I (4 credits)
- General Physics I and II (8 credits)
Non-Biology majors – The pre-medical curricular requirements are:
- General Biology I and II (8 credits)
- Inorganic Chemistry I and II (8 credits)
- Organic Chemistry I and II (8 credits)
- General Physics (I and II) (8 credits)
- Calculus I (4 credits)
- Probability and Statistics (3 credits)
Students who complete the pre-medical program will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the core principles of the life sciences.
- Think critically and apply the scientific method to design, analyze and evaluate research.
- Read biological literature, write proficiently and communicate effectively using appropriate scientific terminology.
- Develop the technical skills to be competent in the laboratory.
- Be prepared for medical school.
The pre-medical curriculum, along with the liberal arts core, covers the subject matter that is offered on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). The majority of students accepted into medical school receive a degree in a science field, especially biology and chemistry. However, a science major is not a prerequisite for medical school.
The Pre-Medical program is offered at the Rockland campus.


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B.C. gold-medal skier Ashleigh McIvor is suing the juice company that had agreed to sponsor her after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, according to documents filed in court Wednesday.
McIvor signed a $45,000 contract with Vancouver company YJ Sciences, Inc., formerly known as Our World Network Inc., in November 2010 to be the brand ambassador for "YouthJuice."
In a statement of claim, McIvor said the company "appeared to lose interest" in the freestyle skier after she injured her knee in early 2011.
The Whistler native won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in ski cross racing, the first-ever medal for women in the event.
View photos of McIvor and her gold-medal run here.
According to the court documents, the company owes McIvor $10,000 for a 2010 photo shoot, as well as monthly payments of $5,000 from January to July 2011.
McIvor tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, on January 28, 2011, and even though she was "ready and willing" to continue to act as a juice ambassador, she claims she was never paid for any work, the claim states.
McIvor is seeking $45,000 in losses, plus $770 in interest.
The company has not yet filed a statement of defence and none of the allegations in the claim have been proven in court. Lawyer Paul Hildebrand said the company was only made aware of the lawsuit Wednesday. He said attempts to settle the matter with McIvor had been unsuccessful, and that the company intends to defend the claim.
"It is the company's position that it does not believe it has breached any contract with Ms. McIvor," he said.
McIvor said in an email she had been advised not to comment on the case.


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Compact Interchangeable Lens Cameras
Micro 4/3 cameras are quickly becoming popular among photography enthusiasts who want DSLR quality without the bulk. Panasonic, the "mother" of micro 4/3, just announced their updated flagship camera, the Lumix GF2. We'll take a look at some of the micro 4/3 options out there, as well as some other comparable mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.
Micro 4/3 was a standard created by Panasonic and Olympus, but other companies like Samsung and Sony are making mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras with their own standard. Micro 4/3 and compact mirrorless cameras are in the middle ground somewhere between prosumer point and shoots (like the Canon G12) and entry DSLRs (like the Nikon D3000). The advantage to these lightweight cameras is that you're able to get high quality photos comparable to a DSLR, minus the heft. The lenses are also interchangeable.
- Panasonic Lumix GF2 ($TBD) - The GF2 was announced just last week and is the updated version of the GF1. It's equipped with a new touch screen UI, 1080i AVCHD video recording, and a 23-area focus. The camera is compatible with all of Panasonic and Olympus' micro 4/3 lenses, including Panasonic's upcoming micro 4/3 3D lens (hello 3D home movies!). The only cons I see so far are that the new 14mm pancake lens is a bit slower than the original GF1 20mm pancake—2.5 vs 1.7 aperture. The GF2 will be coming in silver, black, and red. It will be available in January and the price has yet to be determined.
- Samsung NX100 ($584) - The new NX100 is Samsung's micro 4/3 challenger and has a few interesting features that helps it stand out from the rest, featuring a 3.0" AMOLED screen similar to the ones found in their Galaxy smartphones. Samsung has the least amount of alternate lenses compared to the other cameras on our list. However, their lenses have a useful i-function button where you can control different parameters such as ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and white balance, simply by turning the lens.
- Sony NEX-5 ($649) - The NEX-5 and the NEX-3 are Sony's mirrorless cameras. Both work with Sony's E-mount lens or an A-mount lens with an adapter, so the lens options are comparable to Olympus and Panasonic. Sony also sells a NEX handycam camcorder which extends the versatility of its lenses. The NEX has an articulating screen that will help you get those low shots of your pets and kids without having to crouch or lay down on the floor. It also comes with some interesting photo effects, like Sony's sweep panorama mode (stitches pictures into a panorama right on the camera screen).
- Olympus Pen E-P1 ($499) - The Pen is one of the first micro 4/3 cameras to come out—I own one and am now a huge fan of micro 4/3. Olympus currently has 3 different micro 4/3 cameras—the E-P1, E-P2, and the consumer friendly E-PL1. The E-PL1 is one of the only compact interchangeable lens cameras with a built-in flash. The Pen series works with all micro 4/3 lenses from Panasonic and Olympus and can be used with older film cameras using cheap adapters.


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Interactive conscious group discussion for a global team of Shifters; community leaders, and media co-creators.
Paradigm Shift Full Moon Team Building Hangout
LIVE Thurs, May 11, 2017.
Team Arrival Time: 9pm EST. Live broadcast begins once everyone is ready.
Paradigm Shift Team Building Hangouts are a part of a real world interactive game to help bring together and evolve a global team of Shifters. Shifters are people who are actively helping shift consciousness through immediate local community efforts, creating art, creating Paradigm Shift Communities, Shiftivism tactics like Free Hugs, conscious media creation, and practicing conscious discussion. Join the inspirational and educational discussion to practice sharing knowledge, experiences, how we are helping the shift, metaphysics, spirituality, dimensions, hacking the matrix with love, dream exploration, infinity, and beyond.
Be Inspired. Be Involved.
Be a Part of the Shift.
Watch the broadcast on youtube at:
From one week to the next, the project is continuing to evolve on a global scale.
Team Building Hangouts are key in helping us take important steps forward as a team by discussing strategies, exchanging knowledge, getting to know one another, and focusing our collective intention.
Anyone is welcome to join and be a part of the team and the ongoing real world game.
Objectives of Team Building Hangouts:
- To create a casual opportunity to introduce ourselves, where we are from, what the shift looks like where we are
- To practice communicating
- To talk about the newest updates related to the project and the successes within the last weeks
- To talk about creating conscious media
- To brainstorm and create resources for social media outreach
- To discuss some tactical strategies for creating and building Paradigm Shift Communities where we are
- To discuss Shiftivism tactics (ie - things like Free Hugs)
- To engage in overall conscious metaphysical conversation
Explore Recordings of Past Team Building Hangouts
New to Paradigm Shift Central?
Be a part of the ongoing story and connect with the global team of Shifters and Paradigm Shift communities.
Add your support to the Team Patreon Crowd Funding and receive your Shifter Booster Kit:
Hosted by Brendon Culliton
Relevant Links:
> Team Map / Community Index
> Community Admin Tools (Pamphlet templates, sigil graphic, poster graphic etc)
> Shift Tools (Free Hugs signs, Global pamphlets, posters, etc)
> Community Start Up Guide - Tutorial Page w Videos, Tips, Tricks, etc
> Free Hugs / Shiftivism Tutorial Videos
> Admin Signup Form


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- AltCar Auto Show
- Beijing Auto Show
- CES Auto Show
- Chicago Auto Show
- DC Auto Show
- Detroit Auto Show
- Frankfurt Auto Show
- Geneva Auto Show
- LA Auto Show
- NAIAS Auto Show
- New York Auto Show
- Paris Auto Show
- Philadelphia Auto Show
- SEMA Auto Show
- San Diego Auto Show
- Shanghai Auto Show
- St. Louis Auto Show
- Tokyo Auto Show
Auto Show: 2013 Detroit Auto Show
2014 Jeep Compass: Detroit Auto Show
The 2014 Jeep Compass gives customers "everything they want in a compact SUV," according to the company that makes it. A bold statement, but with some justification. Safety gets a boost with standard-issue front seat-mounted airbags and an optional rearview camera. Jeep also claims fuel economy of up to 30 mpg, plus off-road ability worthy of the brand and its iconic seven-slot grille.
The revamped Compass can now come with a six-speed conventional automatic, which should make for much happier campers. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) used to be the sole option for those who don't like stick shifts. The previous CVT never won any fans because it was slow to react and no stranger to droning. Jeep says it has been reworked for a more "pleasing engine response." But the six-speed auto will probably be more popular.
On the subject of campers, the Compass comes as a front-wheel-drive model, or buyers may choose from two all-wheel-drive setups -- one more sophisticated and offering greater off-road capability than the other. Combine all-wheel drive with decent ground clearance and the Compass could take you places where you'd definitely need a compass rather than a road sign.
On the subject of 30 mpg, that figure may be obtainable on the highway by choosing the 2.0-liter engine paired with the standard five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. It makes 158 horsepower and 141 pound-feet of torque.
If it's possible to stretch to the 2.4-liter, that will bring 172 hp and 165 lb-ft. Gas mileage is still bearable: 23 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, running a front-drive/manual transmission setup.
As witnessed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the 2014 Compass has also seen some changes around its nose and tail. The lighting in particular looks a little more high-tech. The upper trim levels also get some minor tweaks in their cabins.
The 2014 Jeep Compass is available in spring 2013; trim levels are Sport, Latitude and Limited. Pricing will be announced nearer the time.
What it means to you: Many compact SUV crossovers don't have the tough Jeep image or hardware, so the made-in-America Compass could be an ideal pick.
What do you think of the 2014 Jeep Compass? Let us know in the comments below.


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If you're going to use an OLAP server to develop an analysis application, you must learn the server's query language—in the case of Analysis Services, MDX. And to write efficient, accurate queries, you have to understand how that language treats nulls (empty data cells). The treatment of empties usually varies between OLAP servers. Even though two OLAP servers (e.g., Analysis Services and Hyperion's Essbase) might both support MDX as their query language, they don't necessarily treat empties the same way.
Empty data cells are especially important to understand in an OLAP application because OLAP cubes are sparse. In other words, many cells in an OLAP cube aren't populated with data—no fact-table records correspond to that portion of the cube. For example, if you're analyzing your customers for the Northeast region of the United States, you don't want to see all your company's customers; you want to view customer data (transactions) for the Northeast. Customer data outside that region isn't relevant to your analysis and appears as empty data cells. Once you understand how Analysis Services treats empties, you can use some tricks for writing MDX that efficiently handles empty cells.
Understanding Empties
Empty cells occur for a couple of reasons. To understand these reasons, let's first define what empty means in an OLAP cube. Analysis Services builds a cube from a fact table. The fact table contains facts (i.e., records) that correspond to cells in the cube. For example, in the FoodMart 2000 Sales cube, the fact table is called sales_fact_1997. Each record in this table represents a particular product that a customer purchased in a sales transaction. The record contains measures (numeric values) such as store_sales, store_cost, and unit_sales for the transaction. The record also contains references to the date, customer, product, promotion, and store for that transaction. But many unique combinations of an individual customer, product, promotion, and store don't appear as records in the fact table. For example, a particular customer won't buy every product at every store. If you wrote an MDX query that requested a combination of a customer, a product, and a store and no such transactions existed, you'd get an empty (null) result.
Nulls can also get into your data in another, less common, way. Your fact table might include a record that contains a null for a measure value such as a transaction containing a customer and product that generated no store sales (e.g., a promotional giveaway). In such a situation, a transaction exists for this particular cross section of the cube, but that measure doesn't apply. I'm fairly sure that the FoodMart Sales cube doesn't have any null measure data, so to test how Analysis Services treats this situation, I added to the sales_fact_1997 table a record for September 1998 that had a null value for store_cost. I reprocessed the cube and tested null handling by using the supplied MDX Sample Application. Then, I used the MDX statement that Listing 1 shows to query for store cost for all months in the Sales cube.
As I suspected, the data that the query returned included a column for September 1998 that showed a 0 for the Store Cost measure. Even though the only record for September 1998 contained a null for Store Cost, Analysis Services considers the cube cell containing a 0 value to be nonempty. Analysis Services inserts the 0 value because of the way the aggregations of an OLAP cube work. Figure 1, page 40, shows a conceptual diagram of an OLAP cube aggregation. The bottom row of boxes represents the leaf-level cells of the cube. These boxes contain an entry for each measure in the cube. At the point in processing when Analysis Services has processed the dimensions but hasn't yet loaded the fact-table data, the diagram shows the cube structure (the lines and titles for December 1997, Jeffers Grits, Store 5) but no boxes. Analysis Services reads the fact table, looks at each record, and creates a box that corresponds to the combination of leaf-level dimension members. Then, Analysis Services uses the measures from the record to initialize the measure values in the box. If the box already exists because another fact-table record corresponded to the same leaf-level dimension members, Analysis Services aggregates the measures with the entries in the box. For measures such as Store Cost that aggregate as a sum, Analysis Services treats nulls in the records as zeros (just as Microsoft Excel would, for example).
After Analysis Services processes the fact table, some of the cube's leaf-level cells have boxes and some don't. Figure 1 shows that December 1997, Jeffers Grits, Store 5 doesn't have a measure box because that combination of dimension members has no associated facts.
When Analysis Services tests for empty cells, it's really testing to see whether a box of measures exists. Any cross section of the cube that has associated facts will have a box, regardless of the measure values in that box. So in my example, when I created a new record that showed a Store Cost of null, it didn't matter that the measure value was null; what mattered was that a record was associated with September 1998.
Dealing with Empties in MDX
As I mentioned, because OLAP cubes are sparse, you need to know how to handle empty cells when you write MDX queries. If you don't figure out how to eliminate empty cells from your result sets, you might end up with serious performance problems and large, unwieldy result sets because your queries will access more data or return more data than necessary. The following four MDX techniques will help you avoid empty cube cells.
The first technique is to use the NON EMPTY keyword. NON EMPTY is a useful keyword because it operates on the results of one entire axis of a query (e.g., the rows). For example, Listing 2 shows a query that uses the CROSSJOIN() function to create every combination of the top 10 customers and all the stores, but the NON EMPTY keyword eliminates the combinations that lead to empty data cells. The result set is a list of the top 10 customers and the stores where they shopped. (In this case, all top 10 customers shopped at store 16.)
A second, more efficient way to eliminate empty cells is to use the NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() function, which combines two sets and produces only the nonempty combinations of the members. This technique is more efficient than the technique that Listing 2 shows in terms of time and memory because Listing 2's code creates all combinations of the stores and customers before eliminating the empty cells.
Be aware that the NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() function also eliminates any combination of members that includes a calculated member. Listing 3 shows an example in which the query looks for nonempty combinations of years and measures. Even though the combination of 1997 and Profit is nonempty, the query eliminates the combination because Profit is a calculated member. If you rewrite Listing 3's query so that it uses the NON EMPTY keyword separately from the CROSSJOIN() function, the query includes the calculated measures Profit and Sales Average.
Even though the function eliminates calculated members, NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() is still useful. In queries that combine large numbers of members from different dimensions, the performance of NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() can be more than an order of magnitude faster than a typical CROSSJOIN() function. You should always consider using NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() in large, complex queries.
A third technique for eliminating empties is using the MDX function ISEMPTY(). This function accepts a tuple (a list of dimension members from different dimensions) and tests whether the tuple has an associated box of measures. If no box exists, the function returns True. ISEMPTY() is useful when you're creating conditional logic or filtering members from one dimension. I frequently use the ISEMPTY() function to determine which time dimension members have data loaded in a cube. In the code that Listing 4 shows, I use ISEMPTY() to determine the most recent month that contains data in the Sales cube. Then, with the most recent month as a point of reference, I use the LASTPERIODS() function to display the most recent 3 months. You can use this technique to create reports that shift forward in time when you load new data into the OLAP cube.
The fourth MDX technique uses the COALESCEEMPTY() function to eliminate empties. COALESCEEMPTY() replaces empty values with an alternative formula. The code in Listing 5 shows how to use COALESCEEMPTY() to display empty values as N/A. This technique is equivalent to using conditional logic to replace empty expressions; for example, you could use a conditional expression such as IIF( ISEMPTY( <<expr1>> ), <<expr2>>, <<expr1>>). The difference is that COALESCEEMPTY() can accept a variable list of expressions. The function continually checks each expression until it finds one that isn't empty, then returns to the first nonempty expression from its list. COALESCEEMPTY() requires that all its parameters are string type or numeric type; you can't mix the two types. (This requirement is similar to the IIF() function's requirements.) Note that I use a trick in Listing 5's code to circumvent this limitation and check the tuple to see if it represents an empty data cell and replace it with a string. The trick is to embed the string in another calculated member so that COALESCEEMPTY() doesn't identify the second parameter as a string type.
Empty cells are so common in OLAP that you can't ignore them when you're developing MDX queries. Empties can affect not only the numeric correctness of a result but also Analysis Services' performance and memory utilization. Always consider options such as using NONEMPTYCROSSJOIN() or ISEMPTY() to filter sets and improve the efficiency of your queries. Also, when you count items in a set, be aware from the outset of whether you intend to count the empties. When you effectively manage your empty cells, you improve query performance and make analysis easier.


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Apeiron X is Ambrosia's highly acclaimed classic, "Apeiron", given a new lease on life. With updated 16-bit graphics, Mac OS X compatibility, and the same fast paced, frantic gameplay. Also, you can now see how you rank against the best, with built-in Internet High Scores! Got what it takes?
During a port through the looking glass, the mirror shatters and your ethereal energy (you know, the stuff that allows you to get up and go to work on a Monday morning...) is trapped within one of the crystal shards. Immediately, the residents of the mushroom patch sense your presence. Lead by the Pentipede, this motley crew of mushroom patch misfits relentlessly hunt the crystal (You!), intent upon sucking out the trapped energy. The Pentipede is a sinister creature that has the ability to divide. If you think your troubles are over when you shoot this sneakered psycho once, you are twice as wrong.
The Pentipede is joined by a ruthless assortment of animated killers, and your situation is further complicated by a few unpleasant "environmental" hazards
Luckily you are not defenseless; with plasma cannon blazing, you must hold out as long as possible. Shooting certain mushrooms can be very beneficial to your mission. Several power up coins are scattered throughout the garden. Find one of these and you can teach the Pentipede and his pals the meaning of "full auto."
I havent had a Mac for about 10 years and as soon as I purchased my MBP one of the first things I did was look for Apeiron. I love this game - I have about 10 years worth of catching up to do!
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later
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