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You have to disconnect and temporarily relocate the automated conveyor system you just installed to make room for your move of the new switchgear from the loading dock to the switchgear room. How could you have foreseen, and prevented, such rework?
Today's project management software comes with Critical Path Method (CPM) capabilities. So, why do you need to understand CPM? Well, having a handle on the basics of CPM will allow you to use project management software with confidence. Also, you'll have the background for exploring the next layer of complexity in project management: probability, which attempts to compensate for the many factors that cause activity times to vary. But that's another topic.
CPM is not just a data manipulation tool, but a logical approach to work. The better you understand CPM, the better you can use it in software. And that means you can use it where the proverbial rubber meets the road: in the field.
So why use CPM, anyway? A simple project, like installing a new breaker panel, is simple to schedule. However, many projects are not so simple. Projects such as installing new production equipment or building a new facility often contain individual schedules of other disciplines that are also interdependent schedules. In other words, some of your tasks depend on the completion of other tasks by other trades. Thus, you must determine which activity must begin or end for you to start another activity.
You also must determine how many activities you can do concurrently to finish the project on time. For example, if you're wiring a new facility, you have to place your service entrance transformers on their pad before hooking them up. However, while you are preparing the pad, you can rough-in, for example, lighting and receptacle conduits in the building: a concurrent activity. If you're doing a design/build project, then you certainly don't want your electricians standing around waiting for interior walls to go up so they can mount device outlet boxes.
Finally, you need to coordinate activities so other disciplines are not getting in your way. Managing projects involves the usual management functions of planning, scheduling, and controlling (buzzwords in the management training industry). CPM, which is a planning tool, helps you do all three.
Network representation is the foundation for CPM. In other words, you can represent any project pictorially. In the world of CPM, you can represent individual tasks as nodes (shown as circles) and the relationships between them as branches (shown as arrows). Another name for branch is arc.
After first listing all the steps in chart format, as shown in Table 1 (on page 64D of the original article), you develop the network representation shown in Fig. 1 (of the original article), which is an Activity-on-Node (AON) diagram. We use this name because there is one node per activity. This is the most common way people represent projects pictorially, and it's the one we'll use to explain CPM.
Alternatively, you can think of each activity as having a specific beginning and ending point (which it does). We call these ending points events, and you can also use nodes to represent them. If you can represent the events with nodes, then you can represent the activities as arcs connecting the nodes. We call this an Activity-on-Arc (AOA), which is what you see in Fig. 2 (of the original article). Because we use AOA networks to represent both activities and precedence, you have an additional requirement. That is, you must add a dummy activity, represented by a dashed arrow. We use them only to make the system work, the same way you might use a dummy connector on a computer's SCSI port when connecting the various SCSI nodes together. This is no different, really, so don't let it confuse you. Dummy activities have a duration of zero, and their only value is to show precedence. Most CPM programs use the AON diagram as their foundation. But, if you see an AOA diagram, you now know what it means.
What exactly does a CPM do? To answer this, you have to look again at Fig. 1. Yes, you can understand the relationships of activities, but you really have no idea when each activity should start. So, the answer to our question is CPM helps you determine that starting time. Actually, you use CPM to determine the earliest (and latest) starting time, based on your expected duration for each activity and the precedence relationships you determine. (You'll see how to do that in a moment.) When you finish a CPM diagram, you'll know the total expected time it will take to complete your project.
By working backward from a completion date, you determine the latest time to start any given activity without delaying the project. Once you do that, you're ready to calculate the critical path, from which this method gets its name. The critical path consists of those activities that determine how long it will take to complete the entire project. Any delay along the critical path will delay the project.
To develop a critical path, you need to develop earliest start and finish times. Let's begin by calculating the earliest times-we'll refer to Fig. 3 (on page 64F of the original article). Let's call the starting time "time zero." Activity A, which has no precedent activities and thus can be done first, can start as early as time zero. You find the expected finish time by adding the expected duration time to the starting time. In the case of A, that starting time is zero. Let's designate these starting and finish times as the Earliest Start (ES) and Earliest Finish (EF).
We know the EF time for A is 3 (0+3). Remember, you have to do A before you can start B or C. Thus, the ES time for B or C is 3, which is the EF time for A. For any activity, its ES time will be the same as the EF time for all of its predecessor activities. You determine the EF time for B or C by adding the expected duration to the earliest start time.
You continue to add the expected duration to the earliest start time of the other nodes until you get to the end of the activities. Then you have the earliest completion time for the project. Just add this information to your CPM diagram as you go along.
Let's clarify something here. If an activity, such as F, has more than one predecessor, its ES time will be the same as the latest of the predecessor's EF times. You can't start a new activity until you finish every activity you're supposed to do first. In other words, if the longest predecessor activity takes five weeks, you won't start this new activity for five weeks-no matter how fast you finish everything else.
So, how do you develop latest start and finish times? From Fig 3 (of the original article), you can see you could finish the project in 26 days. You also see the earliest time each activity can start.
But what about the latest time for starting each activity without slipping the schedule? Let's suppose you have to complete the project 26 days from now. That date is the latest one at which you can finish the last activity, which is G. Since G takes two days to complete, the latest you can start G is two days before the project completion date. So now you know the Latest Finish (LF) and Latest Start (LS) for activity G. You can keep working backward from the desired completion date to determine other LS and LF times. Remember, you must complete all of an activity's predecessor activities before you can start that activity. For example, if G cannot wait past day 24 (that's the 26 day deadline minus the two days it takes to do activity G), then the LF time for activity F is at the 24th day.
When you are working backward, watch your predecessor relationships carefully, and remember you can't start a task until you finish its predecessor. It can get confusing- that's one reason so many people have stopped doing this by hand for large projects and instead rely on software. Understanding how this works is pertinent to understanding the diagrams.
Remember to cut yourself some slack to avoid late completion. All this information about Earliest Start, Earliest Finish, Latest Start, and Latest Finish can help you keep a project on schedule. But there is one more bit of information that can help you. By comparing the earliest and latest times, you can determine the amount of slack for each activity. If your LF time is 12 weeks and your EF time is 10 weeks, you have two weeks of slack. So in this case, slack is LF minus EF. You can use the Earliest and Latest Start times, too, making slack equal to LS minus ES.
Table 2 (on page 64D of the original article) shows how we calculate slack. As you look at it, note some activities have more slack than others. If you look at all the slack times, you'll see there is one lowest time that's common to several activities. Those activities with the least slack time tend to form a path through the CPM diagram from beginning to end. (You can see this in Fig 3 of the original article.)
This path is what we've been building up to: the critical path. All activities along that path are critical path activities. These activities are the ones you have to watch most closely because problems in any one of these activities will slow the whole project down. You can also see which activities can experience significant delay (C and E) with no impact on the schedule.
This CPM diagram becomes a "moving target" as the project progresses. Keeping up with that target by hand gets tedious. By using software, however, you simply enter the completion times or percent complete data for each activity, and you get a new CPM diagram whenever you want; without going through the whole diagramming process.
Slack won't always be zero along the critical path; it can even be negative in value. When you have negative slack, you must shorten activity times.
1. Develop a statement of work that describes your overall goal. What are you trying to achieve? 2. Define the individual activities or tasks you must perform. 3. Draw the relationships between each activity, and identify the precedence relationships between them. 4. Document the resources you need, including money, personnel, equipment, material, and special services. 5. Decide how long each activity will take, and tie resource elements to your time frame.


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I'm no fan of guns, but I have no problem with those who use guns for self protection in the home, or for hunting. But now that one year has passed since Gabrielle Giffords, a Congresswoman doing her job, her aide, a judge, innocent bystanders, and a precious child born on Sept. 11. 2011, were shot on the streets of Tucson, with too many deaths, there has been a deafening silence about gun control in Congress. How quickly we forget.
The second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." When that was written, the weapons of choice were the flintlock rifle, musket, and pistol. Once in awhile the saber. A very short history of gun legislation includes the following: 1871 — NRA formed, 1934, National Firearms Act, to limit machine guns, 1938, Federal Firearms Act, to limit shipping and selling of machine guns, 1968, Gun Control Act, to limit mail order sales, 1994, Brady Hand Gun Assault Weapons Ban, (this took effect in 1998), 1999, legislation about trigger locks and backround checks.
Recent Supreme Court decisions about the 2nd Amendment were District of Columbia v Heller, 2008, a 5-4 decision wherin they court upheld the individual model, rather than the militia model. The 2010 ruling in McDonald v Chicago said that the 2nd amendment applies to states. (Due Process Clause — 14th Amendment)
A list of those killed by guns in this country would be too long and too terrible to list. But in one year 484 Americans are killed by guns. Other countries fare much better. Finland, 17, Australia, 35, England and Wales, 39, Spain, 60, Germany, 194, Canada, 200. China has strict limits on gun control. As do most other developed countries.
Only in this country does the Wild West fantasy continue.
The Brady Center works for sensible federal and state laws, regulations, and policies to limit the number of deaths from guns. This group helped with the law that a buyer must wait five days and have a backround check to purchase a gun. The other problem is the large ammo clip, which allows a deranged person to kill many in a very short time. Why is this problem being ignored by Congress? One answer — the NRA, and money. No one wants to stand up to the TV commercials the NRA will run against them if they propose sensible controls and legislation.
Some state laws are so bad they want to allow guns in day care centers, churches, and bars. This is insanity. As Einstein said, the definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing and expect a different result.
What could we do, if we had the courage? Enforce the laws already on the books, get state to state co-ordination, foster a strict system for checks, prohibit large ammo clips. These are not used to hunt animals, only people. No backround check — no gun. No large ammo clips — period.
This could be the new pro-life movement. Protect the lives of those who are already born. Could we do it? Yes. Will we? Probably not.
Until then, let's offer a prayer for Christina Greene, that child whose life was cut short. Maybe if she had lived, she would have grown up to be the first woman president. One with enough courage to change the world.
Barbara Kelly can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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FORT SMITH Lane closures are starting on Interstate 540 in Arkansas to make way for rehabilitation work.
Left lanes on the northbound and southbound sides of the highway between Fort Smith and Van Buren will be closed starting Monday.
The closure will be between Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith and Interstate 40 in Van Buren.
Highway officials say the closure is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m.
The work is part of a $79 million project to rehab a seven-mile stretch of the highway. The work is to be completed next year.


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now in your cart 0 items
MapQuest Location
Location: Eble Music is now part of Groth Music and is located a few miles from the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Directions: We are conveniently located two blocks south of Interstate 494 on Nicollet Avenue. The Nicollet Avenue exit is the second exit east of Interstate 35W.
Parking: There is plenty of parking available on site.
Store Hours: (Central Time)Monday through Thursday: 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Friday: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.Saturday: 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Sundays and major holidays: Closed
Phone Hours: In addition to the store hours above, Eble Music Customer Service is currently available by phone at 952-948-5281 most weekdays beginning at 8:00 AM.
Copyright © 2010 Eble Music


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My Favorite Flirts is a feature that lets you reach your favorite Flirts easily from My Account or on 1-800-TO-FLIRT.Manage My Favorites
$0.69 per volley.
(12 Reviews)
Cam IDs
*When in doubt don't be a sap. Serve. Amuse. Praise. Keep your Goddess delighted. *Snap!*
I am Goddess Mya Kulpa, Thee Femdom Diva. Welcome to what little of My world that I'll allow you into until you have proven yourself worthy of taking up even more space and air. you have never been more ready in all of your life to find and submit to a superior, demanding powerful Female Supremacist Woman then you obviously are now. you were so desperate to find Me; and here you are. I am delectably seductive in the worst way and revel in it. I take pleasure in strict obedience training but also cater to the sexual deviant in Me and push what used to be considered boundaries in BDSM effortlessly. I am a lifestyle Dominatrix. I enjoy the fact that the very presence of Women makes males weaker than they already are by nature. I am addictive to My many followers and few personal slaves for a multitude of reasons. Be they perverts, scholars or rock stars; I take pleasure mentally training, molding and toying with each and every one. The very existence of strong, physically attractive Women is a beautiful thing and it keeps you ticking. It's time to treat yourself to the luxury of serving a sublime, intuitive Mistress, sure to become the pure object of your obsession in just a matter of moments...
Don't be lazy, take initiative and do the things you know that will please Me rather than constantly waiting for orders when I am busy. Use your time wisely to stay in My good graces.
My Pleasure:


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PGA Champions tour golfer Mark Wiebe is in the top ten of the AT&T Championship leaderboard at the moment, but a missed putt during yesterday's second round sent the 55-year-old on a humorously foul tirade—though, as always, we find the apology afterward far more amusing. You know, because viewers who care enough about the former Senior PGA Tour to be watching on a Friday afternoon are the sort of people who'd actually be offended by such a thing. [Golf Channel]
h/t to Brian


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John Gould. A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming Birds. London: Taylor and Francis, 1851. Gift of Ethelinda Schaefer Castle '08.
John Gould (1804-1881) was England's leading ornithologist in the nineteenth century, responsible for publishing more than forty large-format illustrated bird books, including comprehensive books on the birds of Great Britain, Australia and the Himalayas. He was appointed curator of the Zoological Society of London in 1827, and he used this critical position to correspond with natural history collectors throughout the world. When Charles Darwin presented the specimens he had collected on the Beagle to the Geological Society of London in 1837, Gould was chosen to examine the bird specimens for identification. He very quickly realized that these birds were not the blackbirds that Darwin had originally believed them to be, but rather a series of thirteen new species of finches from the Galápagos Islands, hitherto unknown to Europe. His discovery was important for the development of Darwin's thinking about evolution, as it provided evidence that a new species could come into existence when individual members of a species are isolated from each other.
Bryn Mawr College Special Collections


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Quick Links
Children's Health℠ is one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country and we consistently receive national recognition for the care we deliver. Our success is driven by the dedicated, passionate healthcare professionals who provide care and support for the patients and families we serve, and a commitment to improving the health, safety and well-being of children.
Our main campus is centrally located in Dallas, but we have primary care offices, specialty clinics, and administrative offices throughout the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Choose any of the sites listed below to get more information on the facility, its services, and the location.
Contact us at 844-4CHILDRENS to schedule an appointment.


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|2006-12-14, 22:54
|Link #242
I hear voices
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Age: 31
Yea, my 1st PS2, which was the bulky one, started dying on me like 2 years ago. It would always load up games so freaking slow. I mean it would stay in the browser menu, saying "reading disc" for like 6mins before it would finally boot it up. But lucky for me I one big in a poker game, and was able to buy the new slim version. I just gave the 1st one to my god brother, and was like, "enjoy". :P
My First Xbox kept trying to die on me, aswell. I ended up having to change the DVD drive in it, 2 times, before it started acting right.
I member back when I had a PS1, and I finally got my PS2. I took apart my PS1 and took apart my Sega Saturn, and tried to combine them into one system, lol. I was serious too, had my soldering gun and everything. Connecting wires, boards, and what not. But it caught on fire on me, and I had to throw them both out.
Good times, I loved being Techy.
|2006-12-15, 08:43
|Link #243
Just Married, Oct. 28th!
Join Date: May 2003
Age: 40
Guitar Hero fans should remember that the controllers won't work with the PS3. Another reason to hold onto your PS2. On a related, albiet entirely off topic, note:
Pitcher misses games due to Guitar Hero
|2006-12-15, 10:18
|Link #244
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2006-12-19, 01:35
|Link #245
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
I saw that video on a blog and someone said that they contacted a sony rep who said that the HMDI might have those kind of effects... suppossedly, i guess that means the PS2 and PS1 games work just fine so long as you use video composite instead of the HDMI...
though if i do get rid of my PS2 ever, i will probably donate it or something...it has treated me well, it deserves the best it can get ^^
|2006-12-20, 02:33
|Link #247
Time says PS3 was a bust
PlayStation 3 one of five things magazine says "went from buzz to bust"; calls console "hideously expensive," launch titles "lame."
What do you guys think? A lot of mainstream (nongaming) print media seem to be very anti-PS3.
It's funny too that even with all this next-gen hype, the PS2 still outsells all the next-gen systems. From what I understand, in a lot of countries, the PSOne is still huge too.
|2006-12-20, 07:03
|Link #248
I hear voices
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Age: 31
Not surprising. The PS2 is a lot cheaper than the next-gen consoles, and it has a well established library of games. Not to mention it still has good games coming out. PS2 is going to be outselling next-gen consoles, and especially its big brother, at least until fall of next year.
As for PS3 being a disappointment, eh thats way too early to tell. Now grading its launch, then yea, it was. Considering how much hype they built up at E3 '05 and '06, it in no way delivered to that aspect, for its launch. I was a tad underwhelmed with it, a lot more so than when I picked up my 360 a year ago and when roommate got his Wii. But its all good, and can't wait to play the ass load of games coming out next year on all 3 systems. I have a big O list
|2006-12-20, 21:43
|Link #249
Gundam Boobs and Boom FTW
Join Date: Dec 2005
Not surprising in the least. The playstation 3 is over half a thousand dollars, and whatever titles it has now aren't even worth getting the system over. Nintendo's wiimote is a good gimmick that will keep people tagging on until they can release Smash Brawl, Xbox 360 I feel is meh from what I've seen, and for PS3, it looks like we're waiting another year until we see Lightning and FFXIII, which looks absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Every single final fantasy release that was the first on a new playstation was nothing short of amazing. VII is just well...holy shit, X was gorgeous and far more emotionally beautiful and gripping than VII could ever hope to be (ZOH NOEZ, AERISS! -_-...), and XIII is just OMGWTFBBQ WOW. The graphics are as far as I can tell the same that's in the FMV, and Lightning going diving through Yuna's wardrobe makes it all the better!
|2006-12-21, 11:40
|Link #250
Combating Spoiler Scum
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 35
Well whaddaya expect from Time?
Honestly, the mainstream press doesn't have a clue about video games or consoles. To say that the PS3 has lame games completely ignores the fact that it launched with Resistance, which IGN has called a "killer app". Sure, it's not worth it to buy a PS3 now- primarily for 1st gen hardware reasons, but then, it wasn't worth it to buy a 360 when that launched a year ago. Less so, even. The 360 had an even less impressive launch line-up.
And the Wii, IMO, shouldn't even be compared alongside the other 2. Sure, it's fun (though I remain skeptical about the variety of games that will be offered), but it isn't really trying to offer the same things the other two are.
But the press just glosses over surface details and rails against the PS3.
Last edited by wsheit; 2006-12-21 at 12:05.
|2006-12-21, 16:55
|Link #251
I don't know if it's announced in English Site But Sony is prepared to launch a New Version of PS3... Like PSX if you remember, you want the Price? 1900Euros for European, 300000 Yens...
Equip with the famous processor CELL, 2 Jacks HDMI and a Huge HardDisk and A lot of Another Function who will be revealed in the Future.
|2006-12-21, 18:31
|Link #252
Combating Spoiler Scum
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 35
|2006-12-22, 18:28
|Link #255
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Blah
Age: 35
But, I would hold off playing PS2 games on your PS3, people are saying the PS3 melts PS2 discs, lol.
|2006-12-22, 20:21
|Link #256
Just Married, Oct. 28th!
Join Date: May 2003
Age: 40
By my understanding, the PS3 is not "region free" in any sense. DVDs are still held to the DVD region coding, and BluRay is held to the BlueRay region coding. The thing is, under the BluRay region coding, the United States and Japan are in the same region.
|2006-12-23, 23:30
|Link #258
Holy Beast ~Wuff!~
only time will tell, by logic based upon the historic natural of the console market, the PS3 will drop in price. How long do we have to wait, until the price reach one that society will find at a reasonable cost? Is another matter.
In fact, it could be that the life cycle of the PS3 will be so long that eventually the economy will be the one which will rise to make the PS3 current price reasonable....which i really hope so, as it implies a fortunate future.
I'm still on the fence as to decide wether all this HD thing is just a fade. (hey, people find the wiimote gimmicky, why not HD?)
After all, we always had HD on our PC monitors....
anyway, until they bring out a number of games that takes the advantage of the PS3 potential, is a better bet then waiting for the PS3 to drop in price.
|2006-12-24, 12:50
|Link #259
Just Married, Oct. 28th!
Join Date: May 2003
Age: 40
The PS3 will see a drop in price. It happens to every console. I sincerely doubt we'll see a price drop before a minimum of one year. That's bare minimum, and very optimistic. Two years is more reasonable.
I'm also severely skeptical that the PS3 will have a life span longer than previous consoles. Second-guessing technology almost never succeeds. In 4-5 years when we see consoles with graphics on par or better than the PS3's, with standard controllers like the Wii's, and a price point significantly lower, Sony won't sit content with the belief that the market will stay with the PS3.
HD is here to stay until technology produces something better and the industry is willing to adopt a new standard in television formats. Better quality is never a gimmick unless it exceeds our ability to percieve the difference, and all HD is, is higher visual quality.
On the other hand, most people do not have HD television sets and will not for at least another year or three. This means most people will not get the full benefit of HD graphics, or at worst will find themselves unable to read menues and text which was designed for an HD television. In this respect, the hype around HD is very much a gimmick. People who will not own an HD set for years will still buy a 360 or a PS3 based on the hype of their HD visuals.
|2006-12-24, 21:09
|Link #260
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
It's been about a month, give or take a week, after PS3's launch. However, I just want to express my sadness about how some people thinks that PS3 won't last long as any other next-gen consoles.
Like I said, it's only been a month. Should not the public give Sony a year at least for itself to grow and develop? Sure, it has lot of problems right now, excluding its price that causes Sony to lose money. But that doesn't mean that it'll have the same problems a year after.
Right now, PS3 is just as same as a pre-maturely born baby that needs a lot of intensive care. But given time with plenty of attention, and that attention is the attention from the consumers and the game developers, that baby will grow to a healthy child, then to fully mature and god-like adult like Xbox 360 is now.
Give some time, like I always say. Great things doesn't happen overnight.
|console, ps3, sony
|Thread Tools


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Los Alamos National Laboratory
Cancer-fighting treatment gets boost from Isotope Production Facility
Isotope Production Facility produces cancer-fighting actinium
A new medical isotope project at LANL shows promise for rapidly producing major quantities of a new cancer-treatment agent, actinium 225 (Ac-225).
Using proton beams, the Lab and its partner Brookhaven National Laboratory could match current annual worldwide production of the isotope in just a few days, solving critical shortages of this therapeutic isotope that attacks cancer cells.
A collaboration between LANL, Brookhaven, and Oak Ridge national laboratories is developing a plan for full-scale production and stable supply of Ac-225.
Alpha particles are energetic enough to destroy cancer cells
Ac-225 emits alpha radiation. Alpha particles are energetic enough to destroy cancer cells but are unlikely to move beyond a tightly controlled target region and destroy healthy cells.
Alpha particles are stopped in their tracks by a layer of skin—or even an inch or two of air.
Economically viable supply of Ac-225 is lacking
One of the primary barriers to wider use of Ac-225 has been the lack of an economically viable supply.
Scientists at the Lab's Isotope Production Facility (IPF) recently completed a successful research and development project in which they explored the accelerator-based production of the isotope.
Producing medical imaging isotopes is a primary mission
Since 2005, a primary mission for IPF has been production of medical imaging isotopes such as strontium-82 for positron emission tomography, known as PET scans. In addition to medical imaging applications, IPF has had the mission of making isotopes available for
- national security,
- environmental studies and
- a variety of industrial and R&D applications.
The Ac-225 work is a first and important step toward the addition of a range of IPF-produced isotopes for medical therapy applications.


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Mais qu'est-ce donc que le Yoga Modo ? Moksha change le nom de son studio U.S.
Publié le : Laissez un commentaire
Hot yoga junkies across the country may have been bewildered when they showed up to class at their Moksha Yoga studio this month and the sign had been replaced with one that read "Modo Yoga."
But the studios, it turns out, haven't really changed at all. The Canadian brand…


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Legislation specific to Phillip Island Nature Parks has been introduced for protection and conservation purposes, and to provide for the enjoyment and safety of visitors to Phillip Island Nature Parks.
- Where can I walk my do on Phillip Island
- Regulations within Phillip Island Nature Parks
- Fly Neighbourly Advice
Where can I walk my dog on Phillip Island?
Where and when you can walk dogs on Phillip Island's beaches and public reserves is restricted for the protection of native wildlife and for the amenity of other visitors.
Download the "Where can I walk my dog?" brochure.
Phillip Island Nature Parks regulations
Phillip Island Nature Parks is governed under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978. Crown Land Reserves (Phillip Island Nature Park) Regulations 2010 are listed in full in the Victorian Government Gazette, S179 17 May 2010, and provide an excellent tool for management of Crown Land on Phillip Island.
Download the Phillip Island Nature Parks 2010 amended regulations.
Download the detailed Phillip Island Nature Parks map LEGL./10-005.
Fly Neighbourly Advice
A Fly Neighbourly Advice was introduced on three sites within Phillip Island Nature Parks to protect environmental areas including a large Australian fur seal colony, sensitive seabird and shorebird breeding, feeding and roosting sites of national and international importance. The Phillip Island Fly Neighbourly Advice recommends a minimum flight height of 1500 feet within one nautical mile of the sensitive wildlife habitats. The FNA document is updated twice a year, and provides maps and details recommended for the sensitive sites.


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You may have heard about Trevor MacDonald, the transgender dad behind the blog Milk Junkies, whose breastfeeding success story caught a ton of attention when it went live on The Huffington Post back in April. For those who missed it, here's the short version: MacDonald was born a woman, transitioned to a male identity via hormones and "top" (chest) surgery, gave birth to his own son, attended La Leche League meetings while pregnant and ultimately—with the help of a supplementary nursing system (SNS) and some donated breast milk – nursed his baby through year one and beyond. MacDonald's story is fascinating, no doubt; it certainly challenged many readers' assumptions around gender, babies and breastfeeding. But, as much as the term 'breastfeeding dad' took the public by surprise, and as foreign as MacDonald's individual circumstances may be to most readers, his story is also relatable, I think, for anyone who's overcome breastfeeding challenges.
Many parents supplement with donated breast milk in the face of supply issues; I did. Many others use SNS systems to feed their babies either donated milk or formula at the breast (there are some pretty amazing adoptive parent stories to be found around this topic). And LOTS of moms have benefited from breastfeeding support, either in the form of individualized assistance from lactation consultants, or of group support systems like La Leche League membership and meetings; in fact, the AAP cites this kind of support as critical to breastfeeding success, especially in cases where moms face nursing challenges like supply issues. While it might be a major stretch for most women to imagine being a pregnant man, the breastfeeding side of this story remains totally within reach for lots of moms. Broadening perceptions around gender is important work, and I think it's particularly interesting that MacDonald managed to do so while simultaneously bringing additional visibility to breastfeeding support resources and alternative breastfeeding options (also important, and timely). Kudos, dude!
There's a new twist in this story, though; MacDonald recently inquired with La Leche League's Canadian branch about becoming a group leader within the organization. The response he received from the org thanked him for the visibility and support he's provided to the league, but informed MacDonald that he – as a (self-identified) man, and a father – is not eligible to act as a leader within the organization, which maintains a mission of providing mother-to-mother, breastfeeding support. As is stated in the league's written policy,"Since an LLL Leader is a mother who has breastfed a baby, a man cannot become an LLL Leader.". And the letter to MacDonald elaborates more specifically on the decision not to extend a leadership role to him, "You told me that you do not identify as a mother. You are your baby's father. According to LLL philosophy the roles of mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. I think that this would make it difficult for you to represent LLL philosophy. You acknowledge that some women may not be comfortable working with a male Leader. A Leader needs to be able to help all women interested in breastfeeding. Fathers are able to help in other ways, for example an informed LLL father who is supportive of LLL philosophy might present a fathers' meeting." (The letter goes on to note that leaders may share information on donated breastmilk, but the topic may not be introduced by leaders, something MacDonald might not feel inclined toward, since he has shared so readily about his use of donated milk… You can read the letter, in full, here.)
MacDonald has said that LLL needs to update its policy to be more inclusive of transgender families. Fiona Audy, the league's chair of the board of directors, said this is something the organization needs to discuss, but "It is not a discussion that would be a quick discussion….We wouldn't want Trevor to be sitting around waiting for something that may or not change." Meanwhile, MacDonald has started his own LGBT breastfeeding support group, and remains very pro-LLL on his blog. (Both parties have handled the issue thoughtfully and respectfully, which is refreshing .)
To be honest, I'm not sure where I stand on this one. Both sides seem equally compelling. On the one hand, I feel like MacDonald's breastfeeding experience, and commitment to the practice, makes him a great resource for breastfeeding moms (and, ostensibly, other breastfeeding dads). He's already made the benefits of breastfeeding support, and the options around breastfeeding backup, more visible in the public eye. But, on the other hand, that doesn't necessarily make him an ideal La Leche League leader; the organization has specific objectives and guidelines that MacDonald's identity as a man, and experience breastfeeding – as a man – might conflict with. Changing the policy to include men as leaders, and to broaden the definition of the word 'mother' (something MacDonald, who identifies as his child's father, has suggested should happen), could compromise the organization's ability to fulfill its objectives; I can see how this would take some lengthy discussion, on the part of LLL, to sort out.
It's certainly not clear-cut, because, of course, in MacDonald's case the organization provided mother-to-breastfeeding-father support. And it did so effectively. The organization's reach, in reality, is already more broad than its written objectives indicate, and perhaps this is the most convincing sign that its policy should be updated to account for the growing diversity that is to be found among breastfeeding families. I'm pretty sure (and I may be wrong—chime in, y'all) MacDonald is the first transgender, breastfeeding dad, but I doubt he'll be the last. I guess the question boils down to whether La Leche League is the organization best suited to parents like him, or whether it wants to be; in MacDonald's case it turned out to be a good match, but perhaps as MacDonald, and other trans parents, create groups more geared toward trans families, those families will choose to work with others who've dealt with situations and challenges specifically akin to their own. In that case, LLL could presumably maintain its mother-to-mother focus without leaving anyone stranded.
I'm still undecided on what the best answer is, but I do think the questions are helpful and useful, especially since they're being posed, and addressed, respectfully on both sides. As MacDonald says, "Just having this conversation is making people more aware of transgendered families and how transgendered people live and raise their kids. And the discussion that needs to be taking place is taking place, and that's really positive." What do you think? Should La Leche League allow him to be a leader within the organization, and update their policy to include men and fathers in the same roles as women and mothers? Should clauses be added, accounting for transgendered people who are bearing children and breastfeeding? Would it detract from the league's mission (to provide mother-to-mother support among women) to do so? Tell us your thoughts!


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In the beauty world, nothing feels more personal than fragrance. There's no rhyme or reason to what appeals to people — you either love a scent or you don't. And yet, many times — subconsciously of course — there are other factors beyond, well, scent, that guide our choices. Everything from the designer behind the perfume to the shape of the bottle can influence your decision, whether you realize it or not.
And since fall is traditionally the season when beauty brands launch the most buzzed-about new scents, we figured it was the ideal time to conduct a little experiment of our own. Inspired by Open Sky's Untitled Series project with Chandler Burr (each month the famed perfume expert chooses a fragrance, which is then sold in a blank, nameless bottle so users can judge it purely on scent) our blind sniff test consisted of seven new fall perfumes placed in unmarked tester bottles, which were all evaluated by our editors.
Here, you'll find their unfiltered first impressions of each scent, as well as picks for their favorites in the bunch. There are some pretty surprising observations and not all of our editors agreed on which ones they liked. But, they were all surprised when we unveiled each scent. Turns out, you really do have to throw all of your preconceived notions out the window when it comes to fall fragrances.
Once you take away the branding and fancy flaçons, a scent becomes much more personal — less about who you want to be or the image you want to convey and more about what truly resonates with you. Read on to see the surprising results, including what Lady Gaga's fragrance really smells like, and what less-than-luxe brand actually has a fragrance worth checking out.


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China's Xi rides high hopes ahead of presidency
LUOTUOWAN VILLAGE, China (AP) — China's fawning state media, jaded social media commentators and even poor corn and cabbage farmers agree: New Communist Party chief Xi Jinping is off to a good start.
"General Secretary Xi doesn't put on any airs. He talks like an ordinary person," said 69-year-old farmer Tang Rongbin. The new leader visited Tang's sparse, dimly lit farmhouse in Luotuowan village in December, bearing gifts of cooking oil, flour and a blanket.
Xi has styled himself as an economic reformer, an iron-fisted graft-buster, a staunch nationalist and a no-frills man-of-the-people — spurring expectations for change. But as he prepares to be appointed to the largely ceremonial role of president, pressure will be growing on him to deliver.
China faces rising public anger over endemic corruption, a burgeoning rich-poor gap and the degradation of the country's air, soil and waterways. Slower economic growth and territorial disputes, especially with Japan, add to the tension.
Mounting protests over environmental issues, land seizures and high-handed officialdom point to the underlying social discontent. Days before the party conclave that brought Xi to power last year, thousands of protesters in the eastern city of Ningbo faced off against riot police outside government offices, calling on officials to halt a chemical plant expansion.
"I think there has been a revolution of rising expectations," said Willy Lam, an expert on party politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "People realize they can get away with even demonstrations to make their wills heard."
Joining the clamor for change this past week were dozens of prominent intellectuals who signed a petition urging the government to ratify an international treaty on protecting human rights and the rule of law. Also, a group of about 100 parents of gays and lesbians urged lawmakers to legalize gay marriage.
The annual session of the national legislature, which opens Tuesday, will complete the once-a-decade handover of power that began in November when Xi and his leadership team assumed the top positions in the Communist Party. At the end of the session, Xi will take the title of president from his predecessor as party leader, Hu Jintao.
Deputies to the National People's Congress will rubber-stamp appointments of senior officials to the State Council, or Cabinet, to run economic and foreign policies; Xi and other party leaders finalized the personnel changes at a closed-door meeting last week. The No. 2 party leader, Li Keqiang, will become premier, the country's top economic official.
A separate meeting of the government's top advisory body held its opening session Sunday, with its chairman promising to support the new leadership.
The meetings of the legislature and the advisers, which will wrap up in mid-March, give the Xi administration a high-profile platform to lay out policies to build the prosperous, strong and fairer society he has talked about in his public appearances.
Xi came to power in the wake of a scandal that exposed infighting and corruption in the highest reaches of the party. Exuding a confidence and ease lacking in the remote, wooden Hu, Xi has seized on the public's disgust over graft and its hopes for national greatness to rally support for his leadership.
"He certainly took challenges and made them opportunities," said Cheng Li, an expert on Chinese politics at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He turned them around into great expectations for him, and great hope."
Xi visited an early testing ground for the market reforms that have transformed China into the world's No. 2 economy to align himself with reform in broad terms, though he has given no indication of the changes he wants to make.
He stopped off at Luotuowan, 350 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Beijing, and other farming villages to show his concern for those struggling to get by. And he has played to nationalist sentiments, taking a hard line against Japan in a long-festering territorial dispute, and touring military units to show his commitment to national defense.
Xi has disappointed some who had hoped for greater political freedom. Though he has espoused the virtues of constitutional government and the rule of law, dissidents continue to be harassed and a crackdown on self-immolation protests in Tibetan areas has only intensified.
It is fighting graft that Xi has made the signature campaign of his first three months — a popular campaign that so far featured more symbolism than action.
He launched a drive to cut out red carpets, motorcades and other official extravagance. State media touted that he preferred simple meals over the usual banquets leaders are given while on inspection tours. He has vowed to target corruption at high and low levels of power — both the "tigers" and the "flies."
So far, it's mostly flies that have been swatted. A slew of lower-level officials have been punished after revelations they were keeping mistresses or amassing multiple unaccounted-for properties. Its highest-level victim has been a deputy provincial party chief suspected of influence peddling and dodgy real estate deals.
Many politically minded Chinese aren't convinced that Xi will take the painful steps needed to root out deeply embedded corruption. Eliminating graft would require an overhaul of the patronage-based political culture and restraining the party's unchecked power.
"Will it be like the past when there was great determination expressed in speech, but ultimately no effective efforts followed to control corruption?" said Ren Jianming, an anti-corruption expert at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing. "We haven't seen much in terms of specific measures."
Some Chinese want the party to allow its anti-corruption watchdogs to operate independently, and to require officials to declare assets publicly. A system in place since 2010 requires some officials to report income, real estate holdings and other wealth to their superiors — not the public — but that has done little to stanch graft. A few areas in Guangdong have recently been named as testing grounds for public asset declaration.
Still, resistance to full disclosure is high within the bureaucracy and perhaps even the leadership. Bloomberg News reported in June last year that Xi's extended family has amassed assets totaling $376 million, though it said none was traced to Xi himself.
"I believe that Xi should take the lead," said Wang Yukai, an anti-corruption expert at the Chinese Academy of Governance, which trains provincial and ministerial-level civil servants. "Politburo Standing Committee members also need to declare information about their spouses and children. This will pave the way for future declarations."
Many experts advocated an asset declaration mechanism when they attended a meeting called by Wang Qishan, the party's new anti-corruption agency chief, in late November, according to Ren, who was one of the participants. Ren said Wang noted that more research needed to be done but otherwise stayed noncommittal.
"There's now a lot of public expectation about anti-corruption work, and as the leading cadre in charge of this work, he must remain calm and rational," Ren observed. "It's easy to raise public expectations, but if you're unable to meet them, then you'll end up disappointing everyone."
Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gillianwong


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Reviewed By Jarret M (Chattanooga, TN) Reviewed for a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder —4/5/2016 5:10 AM
Very happy with the end result, definitely more responsive at medium to higher rpm and the sound is great for an SUV when you open up. I only had one issue with the brackets included for the heat shield, the bottom bracket didn't fit my setup on my 2012. The bolts just simply would not lineup, but the other two brackets keep everything in place just fine. I was able to pre-assemble most of it prior to install and everything took maybe 2 hours total.


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This page gives examples how to read or write a NumPy array to or from a file, be it ascii or binary. The various methods demonstrated all have copious and sometimes sophisticated options, call help to get details.
We will consider a trivial example where we create an array of zeros called data, write it to a file myfile.txt (myfile.dat for the binary case), and read it into read_data.
This documentation could be improved by discussing more sophisticated cases (e.g. multiple arrays), and discussing the costs/benefits of the various approaches presented.
Text files
Writing files can be accomplished using savetxt. By far the easiest way to read text data is via genfromtxt, (or derivative convenience functions recfromtxt and recfromcsv).
>>> from numpy import *
>>> data = zeros((3,3))
>>>#Write data:
>>> savetxt("myfile.txt", data)
>>> data = genfromtxt("myfile.txt")
Matplotlib (pylab)
Matplotlib provides an easy solution which seems to load data faster than read_array:
>>> from numpy import *
>>> from pylab import load # warning, the load() function of numpy will be shadowed
>>> from pylab import save
>>> data = zeros((3,3))
>>> save('myfile.txt', data)
>>> read_data = load("myfile.txt")
>>> savetxt('myfile.txt', data, fmt="%12.6G") # save to file
>>> from numpy import *
>>> data = genfromtxt('table.dat', unpack=True)
csv files
Note that csv stands for "comma separated value". This means that the separator (also called a delimiter), i.e. the character which is used to separate individual values in a file, is a comma. In the examples above, the default delimiter is a space, but all of the above methods have an option (see their respective help for details), which can be set to a comma in order to read or write a csv file instead.
A more sophisticated example
Or, assuming you have imported numpy as N, you may want to read arbitrary column types. You can also return a recarray, which let's you assign 'column headings' to your array.
1 def read_array(filename, dtype, separator=','):
2 """ Read a file with an arbitrary number of columns.
3 The type of data in each column is arbitrary
4 It will be cast to the given dtype at runtime
5 """
6 cast = N.cast
7 data = [[] for dummy in xrange(len(dtype))]
8 for line in open(filename, 'r'):
9 fields = line.strip().split(separator)
10 for i, number in enumerate(fields):
11 data[i].append(number)
12 for i in xrange(len(dtype)):
13 data[i] = cast[dtype[i]](data[i])
14 return N.rec.array(data, dtype=dtype)
This can then be called with the corresponding dtype:
mydescr = N.dtype([('column1', 'int32'), ('column2Name', 'uint32'), ('col3', 'uint64'), ('c4', 'float32')])
myrecarray = read_array('file.csv', mydescr)
Binary Files
The advantage of binary files is the huge reduction in file size. The price paid is losing human readability, and in some formats, losing portability.
Let us consider the array in the previous example.
File format with metadata
The simplest possibility is to use numpy's own binary file format. See numpy.save, numpy.savez and numpy.load.
>>> numpy.save('test.npy', data) >>> data2 = numpy.load('test.npy')
You can save several arrays in a single .npz file using numpy.savez. When loading an .npz file you get an object of type numpy.lib.io.NpzFile. You can obtain a list of arrays and load individual arrays like this:
>>> numpy.savez('foo.npz', a=a,b=b) >>> foo = numpy.load('foo.npz') >>> foo.files ['a', 'b'] >>> a2 = foo['a'] >>> b2 = foo['b']
On older systems, the standard was to use python's pickle module to pickle the arrays.
Raw binary
These file formats simply write out the internal representation of the arrays. This is platform-dependent and includes no information about array shape or datatype, but is quick and easy.
SciPy provides fwrite() from scipy.io.numpyio. You have to set the size of your data, and optionally, its type (integer, short, float, etc; see http://docs.neuroinf.de/api/scipy/scipy.io.numpyio-module.html).
For reading binary files, scipy.io.numpyio provides fread(). You have to know the datatype of your array, its size and its shape.
>>> from scipy.io.numpyio import fwrite, fread >>> data = zeros((3,3)) >>>#write: fd = open('myfile.dat', 'wb') >>> fwrite(fd, data.size, data) >>> fd.close() >>>#read: >>> fd = open('myfile.dat', 'rb') >>> datatype = 'i' >>> size = 9 >>> shape = (3,3) >>> read_data = fread(fd, size, datatype) >>> read_data = data.reshape(shape)
Or, you can simply use data.tofile() and numpy.fromfile(). Following the previous example:
>>> data.tofile('myfile.dat')
>>> fd = open('myfile.dat', 'rb')
>>> read_data = numpy.fromfile(file=fd, dtype=numpy.uint8).reshape(shape)
fd is an open file, but you can also use numpy.fromfile(file='myfile.dat, ...) and dtype is a valid numpy data type. The option fromfile(..., count=<number>) specifies the number of data entries of that type you want to read in (the default -1 means read in the whole file, which is what you usually want). However, the method is not recommended for data storage and transfer between different platforms, since no byteorder and datatype information is stored (see also the docstrings). If you want that, use numpy's own binary file format. See numpy.save, numpy.savez and numpy.load.
>>> numpy.save('test.npy', data) >>> data2 = numpy.load('test.npy')
Another, but deprecated, way to fully control endianness (byteorder), storage order (row-major, column-major) for rank > 1 arrays and datatypes that are written and read back is scipy.io.npfile. Writing:
>>> from scipy.io import npfile >>> shape = (3,3) >>> data = numpy.random.random(shape) >>> npf = npfile('test.dat', order='F', endian='<', permission='wb') >>> npf.write_array(data) >>> npf.close()
And reading back:
>>> npf = npfile('test.dat', order='F', endian='<', permission='rb') >>> data2 = npf.read_array(float, shape=shape) >>> npf.close()
Write a Fortran or C array to a binary file with metadata
libnpy is a small library that provides simple routines for saving a C or Fortran array to a data file using NumPy's own binary format. For a description of this format, do
>>> from numpy.lib import format >>> help(format)
Here is a minimal C example cex.c:
The program creates a file ca.npy that you can load into python in the usual way.
>>> ca = np.load('ca.npy') >>> print ca [[ 1. 2. 3. 4.] [ 5. 6. 7. 8.]]
The corresponding Fortran program, fex.f95, looks like
program fex use fnpy use iso_c_binding implicit none integer :: i real(C_DOUBLE) :: a(2,4) = reshape([(i, i=1,8)], [2,4]) call save_double("fa.npy", shape(a), a) end program fex
but the entries of the NumPy array now follow the Fortran (column-major) ordering.
>>> fa = np.load('fa.npy') >>> print fa [[ 1. 3. 5. 7.] [ 2. 4. 6. 8.]]
The README file in the source distribution explains how to compile the library using make.
If you put npy.h and libnpy.a in the same directory as cex.c, then you can build the executable cex with the command
gcc -o cex cex.c libnpy.a
Similarly, with npy.mod and libnpy.a in the same directory as fex.f95, build fex with the command
gfortran -o fex fex.f95 libnpy.a


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VATICAN CITY — The Pave the Way Foundation spent years compiling readily available evidence to help prove Pope Pius XII did not just stand by while millions of Jews were slaughtered during World War II. It sponsored a Sept. 15-17 symposium in Rome to unveil its "stunning" proof that the widespread perception the pope did nothing was "absolutely wrong."
The symposium venue was at the immense Palazzo Salviati where five decades ago, 1,000 Italian Jews were rounded up before they were sent off to Nazi death camps. CNS covered that conference and the pope's address to participants here and here.
The foundation's Jewish founder, Gary Krupp, reproduced evidence from the Vatican archives, compiled interviews with Holocaust survivors, and searched online in the archives of The New York Times and the Jerusalem Post (which was called the Palestine Post at the time) just using the terms "Pope Pius + Jews."
While many critics and detractors say a final judgment cannot be made until the rest of the Vatican archives are made public (currently documents dated after 1939 are still being indexed and cataloged by staff at the Secret Archives), Krupp and other symposium panelists said there is more than enough historical evidence already out there.
The foundation assembled much of its "smoking gun" proof into a 200-page book that is being distributed free to scholars, historians, and the general public both in hard-copy form and on the Internet. Click here for the .pdf version.
The Pave the Way Web site has this page dedicated to video testimonies of eyewitnesses to Pius' humanitarian efforts as well as the transcripts of interviews with Holocaust survivors.
Krupp told Pope Benedict yesterday that the Catholic Church, under Pius XII's pontificate helped save 860,000 Jews from death. Some interesting examples symposium panelists offered:
- Pius XII helped facilitate many Jews' escape, including his childhood Jewish friend, Guido Mendes, and his family; the Vatican ran a sort of "underground railroad" shuttling Jews to safety; Vatican ships carrying food also smuggled nearly 12,000 Jews to the U.S. through Cuba and Mexico.
- He hid Jews from the fascists and occupying Nazis on Vatican territory including at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo; the pope's largely ceremonial Palantine Guard grew from 35 members to 4,000 during the fascist period because the pope enlisted refugees as a way to hide them from deportation.
- The pope sent food and kosher meat butchered by rabbis hidden on Vatican territory to Jews hiding in convents and religious institutes; when the Germans came to one Catholic hospital in Rome to identify the growing number of patients, workers wrapped the Jews in ointments and bandages and told the officers not to get too close since these particular patients had infectious skin diseases.
- The pope was ready to sell the Vatican's portrait of The Transfiguration by Raphael in order to provide food for the Jews in hiding; when Roman Jews were asked to come up with 100 pounds of gold in 36 hours or face deportation. The pope had no problem providing the missing amount, but before the pope could hand it over, Rome's Catholics had already come up with the 30 pounds that had been needed.
- The pope sent Hungary's Regent, Miklos Horthy, a telegram in June 1944 protesting the deportation of the Jews; before he was elected pope, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli protested a proposed law brewing in Poland saying it would be "true persecution" to forbid kosher slaughtering.
As Krupp remarked at the symposium, "Anti-Semites wouldn't do this."


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New Car Review
2014 Infiniti Q60: New Car Review
The 2014 Infiniti Q60 (formerly known as the G37) coupe and convertible nameplates are new to the Infiniti lineup, but the cars to which they are attached are very familiar. Unlike the so-called 4-door coupes being rolled out by such automakers as Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi and BMW, Infiniti remains true to the formula that makes personal transportation, well, personal.
Traditionally, a coupe has always had two doors and, to the truly faithful, only two seats. But the 2014 Infiniti Q60 coupe makes sense to us because its small back seat isn't really a setting for two adults. It's a nice just-in-case emergency spot you won't find on a Porsche Boxster or BMW Z4. In fairness, the Q60 coupe and convertible do have drawbacks. The demure trunk isn't going to swallow much more than a few pieces of luggage and, in convertible form, is practically nonexistent with the retractable hardtop folded down. The Q60 also sits low, making it difficult to climb into and out of, and it carries a pretty high price for offering so little convenience.
But those looking at a coupe usually aren't looking for convenience. They're looking for excitement, passion and something that turns everyone's head in their direction. Those are skills that the 2014 Infiniti Q60 coupe and convertible have perfected.
What's New for 2014?
Infiniti's G37 coupe and convertible get a new name, Q60, but little else changes from last year's model.
What We Like
Brilliant handling; smooth, powerful V6; great balance of performance and luxury
What We Don't
Tiny rear seat; somewhat firm ride; needs more horsepower on the IPL version if it's to compete with BMW M cars
How Much?
Fuel Economy
The Q60 uses a potent yet efficient 3.7-liter V6 engine. In Journey, S, 6MT and AWD models, this engine makes 330 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. The same engine in the Q60 IPL is tuned to produce 348 hp and 276 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy with the standard 3.7-liter is 19 miles per gallon city/27 mpg hwy with the automatic, 18 mpg city/25 mpg hwy with AWD and 17 mpg city/25 mpg hwy with the manual transmission. Fuel economy for the Convertible is rated at 17 mpg city/25 mpg hwy (16 mpg city/24 mpg hwy for the AWD), while the IPL is rated at 19 mpg city/27 mpg hwy with manual transmission and 17 mpg city/25 mpg hwy with the automatic.
Journey and AWD models all have a 7-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode and Downshift Rev Matching. The Sport trim has a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission. The IPL can be equipped with either transmission.
The AWD models use Infiniti's Intelligent AWD system. It has a rear bias until the system senses the rear wheels slip, and then power is routed to the front and rear equally until traction is regained.
Standard Features & Options
The 2014 Infiniti Q60 is offered in coupe and convertible form and in four possible trims: Journey, S, AWD (coupe only) and IPL.
The Q60 Journey ($41,305) includes Infiniti's Intelligent Key keyless entry and start system, leather seating, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, 7-inch color LCD monitor and 6-speaker stereo, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, USB/iPod port, dual-zone automatic temperature control, tilt/telescopic steering column, 8-way power driver's and passenger seat with manual lumbar, cruise control, 18-in alloy wheels and a rearview monitor.
The Q60 Convertible ($48,805) includes the same equipment plus a power retractable hardtop.
The Q60 S ($46,405, coupe; $53,655, convertible) adds a 6-speed manual transmission, 19-in wheels with performance tires, sport suspension, brakes and steering, a power glass moonroof, voice-activated navigation, an 11-speaker Bose Studio on Wheels sound system and a rear sonar backup warning system.
The Q60 AWD ($42,955) has all the features found on the Journey trim plus AWD and a snow mode.
The Q60 IPL ($52,105, coupe; $62,355, convertible) brings a more powerful V6 engine, 6-speed manual transmission (coupe only), 19-in lightweight alloy wheels, IPL sport suspension, red-stitched leather interior, power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, Bose audio and voice-activated navigation.
The 2014 Infiniti Q60 can be equipped with a variety of options, but most are bundled into packages. The Premium Package brings a power glass moonroof (coupe), 11-speaker Infiniti Studio on Wheels by Bose audio system, memory for the driver's seat, steering wheel and mirrors, driver's seat power lumbar support and a rear sonar system.
The Navigation Package adds voice-activated navigation with NavTraffic and NavWeather (requires SiriusXM subscription).
The Sport Package adds 19-in wheels, a limited-slip rear differential, sport suspension, sport brakes, sport seats, aluminum pedals and, on automatic equipped models, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The Technology Package adds Intelligent Cruise Control, which helps maintain a safe distance between you and the traffic ahead, Brake Assist with preview braking, rain-sensing wipers and an Advanced Climate Control system that purifies air entering the cabin.
The 2013 Infiniti Q60 coupe features front, front side-impact and side-curtain airbags, as well as electronic traction and stability control, 4-wheel ABS and a tire-pressure monitoring system. The convertible has the same features except that its side-curtain airbags are mounted in the doors, and it includes a set of pop-up rollover bars behind the rear seats that activate in the event of a rollover situation.
Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crash-tested the Q60.
Behind the Wheel
You won't have to twist any of our test drivers' arms to get them to admit the Q60 coupe is one of our favorite performance cars. Even in luxury Journey trim, the Q60 is a marvelous machine. The suspension is firmer than in the Q50 sedan, but as long as the road stays smooth, the ride does, too.
Move up to the Q60S and you'll get exhilarating acceleration with razor-sharp handling. The Q60 lives for the curve, exhibiting excellent stability and tenacious grip. AWD makes a great car greater, but the 6-speed manual transmission and sport suspension on the Sport model win us over every time.
Those seeking Infiniti's version of the ultimate driving machine owe themselves a test drive in the Q60 IPL. Although it's not significantly more powerful than the Sport, its suspension, brakes, steering and throttle response have been tweaked to peak performance.
Other Cars to Consider
BMW 4 Series Coupe and Convertible -- The new 4 Series is larger and wider than the old 3 Series coupe and convertible, and can become quite pricey when options are heaped on.
Cadillac CTS Coupe -- The CTS delivers excellent performance but with a smoother ride, a much bigger back seat and trunk, and a look that is proudly American.
Lexus IS Convertible -- The IS 350C offers a bit more legroom up front than the Q60, but its engine is not as powerful and its handling is not as sharp.
AutoTrader's Advice
Our convertible choice is the Q60 base with Premium and Navigation Packages. For the coupe, we'd go with the Q60 AWD. It delivers great year-round performance, which is especially important to those who live in snowy climes. While we love the performance provided by the S trim and available Sport Package, the ride may prove too harsh for most luxury buyers.


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