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I was covering motorsports for four years before I saw someone die in what might be considered a senseless crash. I didn't know Ricky Knotts, a 28-year-old driver who had spent every dime he and his parents could muster to qualify for the 1980 Daytona 500.
He died on Valentine's Day in a simple crash, a crash exactly like the one that would claim seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt's life 21 years later. I was there for Earnhardt's death, too. Both of those accidents at first glance might seem innocuous, but they were both devastating, head-on collisions into the outside wall at Daytona International Speedway.
When Knotts was killed what struck me was that everyone in the garage area — from the owners to the drivers to the mechanics — kept on working.
The race, a 125-mile qualifying race for the 500, ran to its finish. The victory was celebrated. And the work went on. Tools clinked on metal, but no one was talking. .
It was nothing like what I saw and heard Sunday, after Dan Wheldon, 33, became the first IndyCar driver to die in a racing accident since 2006.
In 1980, I cried for Knotts and for all those men who seemed to me to be unable to mourn. Bobby Allison, a long-time NASCAR legend even then, put an arm around my shoulders and explained what I was seeing.
"This is how you pay respect to someone who races," Allison, now 73, told me that day. "In 1969 my best friend Don MacTavish was killed here right before my eyes. He hit the wall and lost the entire front end of his car. The car spun around and another driver coming out of the turn ran right into him as he sat there, strapped in his seat.
"It was brutal," said Allison, who had seen it all as he drove by. "But I kept driving. I drove the entire race with tears in my eyes. But I drove, because to do anything else would have been giving in to death and no one on the track or in this garage ever does that."
I thought of Allison Sunday and what he said, as I watched on television what happened at Las Vegas Speedway.
Drivers sobbed openly. The race was not restarted — whether it could have been or not, given the damage to the track, walls and fencing. I'd never seen that in more than 30 years of covering motorsports.
It's always been like the theater — the show must go on.
But the Las Vegas Indy 300 didn't on Sunday. Three-time champion Dario Franchitti, when asked if the sport was worth the carnage, didn't hesitate, "Of course it's not," he said.
At the Ravens' game, Baltimore Grand Prix president Jay Davidson got a text alerting him to something "terrible" happening in Las Vegas. When he got home and turned on the television, he was as shocked and horrified as everyone else.
"It was just awful," Davidson said. "It certainly opens your eyes to the perspective of safety versus competitiveness. You see that and you understand why the safety element is so critical."
Of course, there is a big difference between street races and oval races. You're not going to see 225 mph on a street course like Baltimore. The fields are smaller, the distance between cars and walls narrower. And the roads are flat, not banked. Cars don't usually go flying.
Davidson said he doesn't think circumstances of Wheldon's death will have a major impact on the design of the track here.
"We saw the Tony Kanaan incident [Kanaan lost his breaks and drove over the edge of Helio Castroneves' car to slow him down on his way to the tire barrier at the end of Pratt St. during the morning practice before Baltimore GP]," Davidson said. "We know there is an element of danger to it, but generally speeds are lower and incidents are not the kind we saw there."
The Las Vegas crash was the biggest, most brutal crash I've ever seen. And the emotion?
When Allison raced, drivers were used to mayhem and death. It happened. If not all the time, enough of the time to to seal their emotions against the worst possible outcome.
These days? There might have been two or three drivers on the Las Vegas track who have witnessed a death during an open wheel race.
But despite the lack of experience with tragedy, the veteran drivers in the field have no trouble recognizing a recipe for disaster. Even before the race began drivers voiced concern about the 220-plus-miles-per-hour speeds their cars were capable of. And there was worry about overcrowding on the 1.5 mile oval with a field of 34 racecars. Not even the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway fields 34 cars.
Adding to the stress and pressure was the GoDaddy Indy Car Challenge, a $5 million bonus offered to Wheldon and a fan if the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion could drive from last place to victory in the race.
Wheldon blogged for USA Today before the race that he hoped to make up ground quickly to catch points leader Dario Franchitti and Will Power, winner of the Baltimore race, who were starting mid-field. Wheldon had made it to 24th when the accident happened and his car took flight.
The British driver died from what IndyCar chief executive Randy Bernard called "unsurvivable injuries".
It's what they all die from.
Fortunately, since Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500, NASCAR and IndyCar have worked hard to come up with more protective devices and equipment – everything from Safer Barriers, a soft-wall construction, designed to soften the impact of collisions with concrete walls, to Hans Devices, that keep drivers' heads stable during high impact crashes.
IndyCar has worked on designs that assure the cars will fly apart, disbursing the killer energy of major impacts that the body would otherwise have to endure.
But nothing being used — yet — could help Wheldon Sunday, as 15 cars collided. Carrying full loads of fuel, many burst into flames and at least two cars took flight, one of them Wheldon's. All of them crashed either into each other or into the track walls or catch fence.
Perhaps listening about the danger of excessive speed and crowded race tracks would have helped.
As for my thoughts about Bobby Allison, I wonder what he thought of the decision to take five laps in honor of Wheldon instead of finishing the race.
Personally, I thought it was a sign of these times — when racing has become safer than it has ever been. A time when tragedy is unexpected and perhaps that much more emotionally brutal because of it.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Ricky Knotts as a teenager when he died. The Baltimore Sun regrets the error.


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Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony overshadows negativity for a night
For three hours Friday night, the translucent plastic bubble that soars over the magnificent new Fisht Stadium protected the 3,000 athletes and 40,000 fans from all the negativity that dominated the buildup to the 2014 Winter Olympics.
As they enjoyed an Opening Ceremony aimed at showing off the world Russia's post-Soviet identity, their minds surely were transported from unfinished hotel rooms, stray dogs, anti-gay laws and fears of terrorism.
Most people in the building probably didn't even realize that just as the ceremony was getting started, a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack a Turkey-bound Pegasus Airlines plane to Sochi, saying there was a bomb on board. Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul.
It was just another reminder of the security concerns surrounding the Games, but the news did not spoil this seaside party at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. The only glitch of the night was when one of five flying Olympic rings didn't open properly.
Fireworks blasted inside and outside the stadium when the shoehorn-shaped cauldron was lit in the center of the Olympic park. It will burn there for 17 days as athletes from 88 countries compete in 15 sports. Hockey legend Vladislav Tretiak and figure skater Irina Rodnina lit the torch, a nod to two of this country's most beloved sports.
The Russians did not try to oversize the magnificent Beijing ceremony of 2008 or outwit the clever, star-studded ceremony of London in 2012. They stuck to what they do best — classical music, ballet, literature, folk art and architectural wonders such as the colorful onion spires of St. Basil's Cathedral.
Instead of One Direction, they played Tchaikovsky — although they did have a military choir do a surprisingly good rendition of Daft Punk's Get Lucky in the pre-ceremony show.
Instead of James Bond, they featured famous ballet dancers bringing to life a ballroom scene from Leo Tolstoy's 1,200-page War and Peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not leap out of a helicopter, as the Queen of England (sort of) did at the opening of the London Summer Olympics in 2012. Putin entered his box through a door, wearing a dark business suit.
"When we set out on this journey, we tried to open the doors to the future to break down stereotypes to reveal a new Russia to the world," said Dmitry Chernychenko, president of the Sochi Organizing Committee. "Today, the future is here."
He then explained the motto of these Olympics: hot; cool; yours.
"Our Games will be hot. Not only because of the palm trees outside the ice arenas, but also because of the heat in our hearts. Our Games will be cool with new modern sports, new heroes, new icons. Our Games will be yours. All of yours. Because when we come together in all our diversity, it is the Olympic Games that unite us.
The most anticipated part of the ceremony, the Parade of Nations, included a unique wrinkle. Instead of entering the stadium from side tunnels, athletes emerged from an underground ramp in the center of the stage while a map of the world was projected onto the stadium floor. Each country was highlighted on the map when it was announced.
As always, there was a wide array of fashion choices. Bermuda's small team came dressed, of course, in Bermuda shorts and blazers. Jamaica's team, which features its lovable famous bobsledders, was wearing uniforms designed by Bob Marley's daughter Cedella. The New Zealanders looked most comfy in their fuzzy onesies.
Although Germany has gotten attention for its rainbow-striped jackets, team officials insisted the color selection was not a political statement against Putin's anti-gay laws but rather a tribute to Sochi's turquoise sea, white snow and yellow sun.
The athletes settled into their seats to enjoy the rest of the show.
The history of Russia was told through the dreams of a young girl named Lubov, which translates to "love." Her journey began with an examination of the vast size of Russia — a country that spans 6.6 million square miles and nine time zones. Floating in the air from one end of the stadium to the other were images of the twinkling lights of the Aurora Borealis, the subtropics of Sochi and the Ural Mountains.
Then there was a chronology of historical figures that shaped the country. It began with a giant illuminated Troika — a carriage pulled by three horses, the iconic Russian symbol of courage — flying across the stadium.
Next came the most fanciful part of the show. Gigantic inflatable colorful onion spires like those of St. Basil's came dancing onto the stage.
One number featured Russian folk art, a colorful street circus and a tribute to "Maslenitsa" (Pancake Week). Maslenitsa is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday that is celebrated seven weeks before Easter, the last week before Lent. It celebrates, among other things, the end of winter, so traditions include sledding and snowball fights, and eating "bliny" pancakes — buttery treats that are given up during Lent.
Peter the Great was represented by a diorama of his army; the Russian Revolution was depicted with huge dramatic flying sculptures and many pieces of avant-garde art. Modern Russia came to life with cosmonauts and construction workers.
Konstantin Ernst, producer of the show, said Friday afternoon that the ceremony would celebrate Russian culture and history. "Unfortunately like London we can't boast a plethora of well-known pop performers," he said. He did, however, ask the Russian female pop-duo t.A.T.u. to perform, which was an interesting choice in anti-gay Russia because they are known for their faux-lesbian act.
But on this night, anyway, the focus was not on issues or problems. It was a party to celebrate Russia's newest winter sports playground.
"These are the first-ever Olympic Games organized in the new Russia," said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee. "The Russians' deep desire for their own winter-sport resort was so great because of their passion for sports on snow and ice. What took decades in other parts of the world has been achieved here in just seven years. This is a remarkable achievement."

subset: commoncrawl


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Stained glass patterns
Stainedglasspatterns–free.com is proud to give you the possibility of inspiring you by proposing many stained glass patterns of different kinds. The Patterns that we conceive are of high quality and we hope that all your expectations will be fulfilled. We know they will inspire the amateur as well as the craftsman. They are conceived by a professional and a very creative person, who knows very well the rudiments of the basic preparation of stained glass pattern
Every week, we are again and again going to add new stained glass patterns and be assured that our patterns will respond to a high quality standard. So don't hesitate to come back each time that you will need a boost to your imagination because we shall be there to convince you that we are an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
You have to buy the rights of our stained glass patterns if you want to use them in a commercial purpose or to resell them. You can in nobody use our patterns to put them on another website. Go to BUY section and choose the patterns and buy it.
Free stained glass designs Free stained glass patterns Patterns stained glass Easy stained glass patterns


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This job posting is no longer active.
DescriptionSHIFT: Days (rotating weekends)
Good Samaritan Hospital is a 474 bed acute care hospital in the heart of Silicon Valley, with two locations, the main campus in San Jose, California and the Mission Oaks campus in Los Gatos, California. Recognized nationally for quality and safety, it has an 'A' from The Leapfrog Group and has been voted a "Family Favorite" hospital for more than ten years. It is one of only ten hospitals nationwide to be awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer four consecutive times. Good Samaritan is a leader in neurosciences, high-risk obstetrics, advanced cardiology and innovative surgery techniques, and is a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and an accredited Chest Pain Center.
The Critical Care Nursing teams are dedicated, healthcare providers with excellent services for patients at Good Samaritan Hospital. Interested in joining this team? Apply online now.
SCHEDULE: 0.9 (36 hours per week), SHIFT: Days with rotating weekends.
Under general supervision, provides clinically competent professional nursing care.
The Registered Nurse is responsible for patient assessment, development, implementation and coordination of the patients' plan of care including the medical treatment plan and the evaluation of patient treatment. The Registered Nurse will function within the full scope of the RN licensure, according to the California Nursing Practice Act.
The Registered Nurse has primary accountability for monitoring patient outcomes. As the team coordinator of the patient care team (including but not limited to: physicians, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, technicians, and support and clerical staff), the Registered Nurse collaborates, directs, delegates, assigns, guides and serves as a resource to the department and the patient care team for patient care delivery.
The Registered Nurse promotes a cooperative working relationship with care team members, physicians, other disciplines and the public by facilitating and enhancing communication, displaying honesty and respect, displaying sensitivity to cultural and age differences, and expressing and accepting feedback in a professional manner.
The Registered Nurse supports the mission, philosophy and goals of the Good Samaritan Hospital.
Current California Registered Nurse License.
Current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS) certification.
Advanced Life Support (ACLS, NIHSS) certification as required by specific hiring department criteria.
A Registered Nurse who has one (1) year of full-time equivalent or more prior experience as a Registered Nurse.
Ability to learn and utilize computerized patient care management system.
Ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions. Must read, write and verbally communicate in the English language.
Must maintain confidentiality.
HCA Healthcare
One Park Plaza
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: (615) 344-9551 (615) 344-9551


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|US Market Plunge- Global Panic??
However, I sleep pretty well although I have some US stocks which dropped almost 15% one 2 days. I always believe that when there is a crisis, there is always an opportunity. For you to sleep well at night even you hold stocks in US, Malaysia or Singapore, remember these 4 golden rules,
1) Don't buy stocks using bank margin- Use your own money and NEVER borrow to buy stocks!!
2) Don't panic, when stocks go down, they will go up eventually as long as you ARE BUYING GOOD STOCKS! Hold on and wait a while, your stocks will go up soon!
3) Diversify- buy some stocks, properties, REIT, gold/silver, when one comes down another investment will go up certainly!
4) Earn and invest and never invest to live. If you do not have a fixed income and retired, put at least 80% of money in bonds/hedge fund or else you will lose all your money if you put everything in stocks when the market is bad!
No worry when the market plunges because it provides you golden oppurtunity to hunt for cheap and valuable stocks!!


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You know what's the best thing about Aylin Mujica? It's not the adorable mole on the side of her mouth, or that smoking hot body that we'd murder our whole family to have. The best part about this Cuban is how versatile she is. Not only is she an actress, but the adorable Aylin also models and is a ballet dancer. No, wait. Who are we kidding? It's her body.
More About:


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Minnesota is located in the northern Midwest of the US and borders Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas, Canada and the Great Lakes. A trip to Minnesota may not necessarily be your typical idea of a beach vacation, but Lake Superior is a top destination spot for many Midwesterners. There is much to see and do when you go on a Minnesota vacation.
In the winter months the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis come alive with snow festivals and Christmas events. The twin cities are filled with luxurious hotel accommodations, delicious restaurants, shopping spots and concert venues. For you art lovers visit the World Class Modern Art Museum or the Walker Art Center during your Minnesota travels. If you are looking for a more nature oriented experience, be sure to tour the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. In the summer visitors are drawn to the many Minnesota state parks and the boating, fishing and swimming in Lake Superior. Finally, don't forget to visit the Mall of America, the nation's largest mall and a popular American shopping destination!
On your Minnesota vacation be sure to explore the Boundary Water Canoe Area, a wilderness preserve that offers guided tours and boat rides. Also check out the local art or folk music festivals in the area. Plan a trip to Minnesota for your next family vacation or weekend getaway; you'll be glad you did!
Jeanine Kutil


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David Letterman has a Top 10 – or longer – list of reasons to thank prosecutors.
The plea deal struck Tuesday with his accused blackmailer means the host won't have to take the stand at a trial.
That's no doubt a great relief to the often cranky Letterman, who seems as close to comfortable as he can get when he's seated behind his desk in the safe, if freezing, confines of the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Robert Halderman's deal with prosecutors, which will put the former CBS News producer behind bars for six months, also means that Letterman is now basically a free man – at least career wise. There's no chance now that any courthouse rehashing of his sex scandal or potentially embarrassing cross-examination will distract him from pressing funny business: his late-night rematch against Jay Leno.
We learned a lot more about Letterman than we probably ever wanted to know in early October when Halderman was charged with blackmailing the married host over office affairs. Letterman slept with Halderman's girlfriend – one, as it turned out, in a long line of staffers the "Late Show" host had bedded over the years.
"I know what you're saying, 'I'll be darned, Dave had sex,'" Letterman told his TV audience in a bizarre semi-comic confession, spurring uneasy laughter in the Ed Sullivan Theater and, no doubt, in many living rooms across the country last year.
Letterman, during a couple of extraordinary nights of TV, tackled the allegations head on – even treading into the dangerous territory of making himself the butt of the joke. The scandal, which cast the self-deprecating Letterman in the unlikely role of a Lothario, didn't seem to hurt his ratings. He consistently beat Conan O'Brien, who moved into "The Tonight Show" slot last June.
As the Letterman gossip gradually faded from the headlines, NBC plunged into a late night drama of its own with the O'Brien-Leno reshuffle.
Leno made a strong return to late night last week, besting Letterman in the ratings, benefiting at least in part to the publicity surrounding his comeback. Letterman, who had all but closed the gap with Monday's show, could get a brief ratings bump from news coverage of Halderman's plea to attempted grand larceny charges.
On Tuesday night's show, Letterman briefly noted the resolution of the case, and didn't go for so much as a chuckle as he praised New York prosecutors and cops for handling his case "professionally, skillfully and appropriately."
Perhaps a clearer look into where Letterman's head is at came in his monologue, when mentioned another New York official – Gov. David Paterson – in a joke set up, noting the state's embattled chief executive was refusing calls to step down.
"Who does this guy think he is – Leno?" Letterman cracked.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 for Thanksgiving. All libraries open Saturday, Nov. 30. Central, Capitol, Zablocki open Sunday, Dec. 1.
The Library houses many extensive special collections in its archives. These finding aids describe MPL's special collections. Not all of the Library's special collections and archival materials currently have finding…
Taking a test? Practice your skills with tutorials, books and sample tests for the ACT, SAT, AP, Praxis, TOEFL, ASVAB, CDL, NCLEX, civil service and more. Provided as part of Wisconsin's BadgerLink program.
Sorry, this event has already happened. Please explore our event calendar for events in the future.


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American Atheists' new billboard "Shame on Mormonism" has been spotted in Boca Raton, in time for tonight's presidential debate. Reportedly, no "write-on votes" graffiti yet.
The billboard "aims to educate the public about two of the lesser-known aspects of the Mormon faith: First, that black people were forbidden from entering the priesthood until 1978; second, that sexually-active gay people are still banned from the church altogether."
(Virtually all white adult male members held the priesthood in the LDS Church. It is required for participating in certain spiritual events as well as for holding significant leadership roles. Priesthood is also required, according to church doctrine, in order to enter the highest degree of heaven.)
From American Atheists' press release:
"... Mormonism ... has already used its money and might to impose its beliefs on the non-Mormon citizens of California."
"We need to know if Mr. Romney supports these and other discriminatory actions of his church, for which he evangelized when it was still overtly racist, and to which he continues to donate millions of dollars."
"When President Kennedy was running for office ... he answered, in no uncertain terms, that he stood by this country and supported the separation of religion and government. All we are asking is that Mr. Romney address the same issue—as president, will he give his first priority to the U.S. Constitution or the Book of Mormon?"
Friendly Atheist reported that "Unlike their other billboards, this one will be featured on a mobile ad truck, which will drive around Lynn University (the site of the debate) tonight and then follow the Romney campaign on the road for the next few days."
It remains to be seen how the general public reacts to this instance of insisting that a religion not get a free pass....
Views: 934
Is it really that much of an accomplishment that we found something wrong with the church of Moronism? By the way, how do you get your words crossed out like that?
That's the "strike-through" font treatment, Chris. It's the S in your editing bar, between the I for italics and the U for underscore.
The issue of Romney's mormonism and its potential impact on a possible Romney presidency seems to have been a third rail with the news media to date. Strikes me, it's time someone called ol' Willard on it.
And it's significant when a potential President of the U.S. has been supporting discrimination to the tune of millions of dollars.
Here's a poser for you: Romney doesn't want to reveal his income taxes. Do you suppose they MIGHT reveal a significant donation which coincides with the vote for California's Prop 8? THAT could be a touch embarrassing!
So many people in this country want our elected officials to have some sort of affiliation with religion, but they are NOT willing to have a conversation about the details of Mormonism because that would just be opening up a whole Pandora's box filled with cans of worms about ALL religions. They last thing they want is to have the spotlight of scrutiny and reason shining on their implausible beliefs and doctrine. They KNOW a public conversation about religion would not benefit them. Hypocrisy: they want religion and it's details to be kept as a private matter, but they want religion to be an integral part of public life.
I was wondering why the media has been using kid gloves. They weren't this reticent with JFK.
The whole topic of religion is toxic. If you criticize it you better prepare for the backlash. I'm too young to have personally witnessed the JFK/Catholicism issue, but my understanding of history is that the concern over JFK was not about the actual dogma of his religion, but whether he was going to fully submit to a papal authority in Italy rather than submitting his allegiance to the US and our constitution.
Today's environment is totally different. The American Atheists' billboard is pointing out specifics concerning religious dogma. This just wasn't done in the 1960's. And just the fact that there's a national atheist group asking these questions in a public setting on the national level is unprecedented. Again, you never would have seen this type of display in the 60's. (Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong about the previous two paragraphs.)
Fast forward to today. As atheist's we hope, and we would expect, that the media would be all over this story, but alas, as I said, they are too afraid to touch the toxic topic of religion for fear of the backlash. You know it would be brutal. Religious people would be up in arms crying foul and declaring their victimization. I think it's pathetic that the media has lost all courage and credibility to ask some very sane and rational 21st Century progressive questions. For the media corporations, being timid and making the most people happy keeps the money flowing in and the ratings higher than your competitor.
Thanks to Jim @ Guitarzeroh for sharing a news video about this.
Unfortunately the Newsy piece frames American Atheists as "controversial", and towards the end mentions AA's previous DNC billboards attacking both Mormonism and Christianity.
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text: The Environmental Protection Agency found Hyundai and its sister company, Kia, overstated the fuel economy ratings on about 900,000 cars. Nam Y. Huh/AP hide caption toggle caption Nam Y. Huh/AP The Two-Way EPA Cites Hyundai, Kia For Inflating Gas Mileage On 900,000 Cars November 5, 2012 The Environmental Protection Agency says the two South Korean carmakers, owned by the same parent company, overstated the gas mileage on 900,000 vehicles over the past three years. The automakers say they will reimburse customers by covering the additional fuel costs. EPA Cites Hyundai, Kia For Inflating Gas Mileage On 900,000 Cars Listen · 4:29 4:29 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/164362408/164362193" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript


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Don't Let Those Annoying Charging Or Starter Circuits Get The Better Of You. Don't let those annoying charging or starter circuits get the better of you. We give you just common sense information you need and no math - promise.
Electrical snafus are among the most annoying problems with older cars. Unlike tires or bodywork, there's something about electrical systems that seems to baffle many car crafters. We could blame it on 12-volt voodoo or the curse of mummy wiring, but the best way to get past all those superstitions is with some good old-fashioned electrical knowledge. Most direct-current conundrums can be solved with basic diagnostic work that will point to a simple repair. Dig out that test light and multimeter because we'll use them as the tip of our wiring attack spear to root out all those nasty electrical gremlins.
Voltage Drop Testing
Many common electrical difficulties can be diagnosed by using a simple voltage drop test to discover the root of the problem. The voltage drop test is a dynamic test intended for use mainly with high-current draw systems, such as the starting system, charging system, or items such as a heater fan, electric fuel pump, or electric cooling fans. Performing this test will require a digital multimeter. The number displayed on the multimeter during the test will indicate the amount of voltage lost to resistance through a connection or a cable in the circuit. The beauty of this test is that we can break down a complex circuit into individual components to home in on the real problem.
A voltage drop test uses small voltage readings measured within a circuit as an indication of resistance. Most high-current flow, low-resistance circuits-like a simple length of battery cable-should generate a 0.10- to 0.20-volt drop during a dynamic test. Dynamic testing means this voltage drop can only be measured when a load is applied to the circuit, as when the engine is cranking.
If the cable measures 0.75 volt, for example, this would represent excessive circuit resistance. Making the connections for the test is easy. You set the meter on volts and place the negative lead to one end of the cable and the positive lead to the other end of the battery cable.
Not too long ago, we ran into a hard-start issue with a '68 small-block Camaro. The car had a new battery, cables, and starter but still suffered slow-cranking woes. The new cables were suspicious, so we checked the voltage drop for the battery cables by setting our multi-meter on the lowest scale (some models, like our Equus, do this automatically). Next, we pulled the coil wire out of the distributor cap and grounded it so the engine would not start. We placed the multimeter test leads on the positive battery post end of the positive cable and the other lead on the positive cable connection at the starter motor. Then we had a friend crank the engine while we read the meter. We discovered that brand-new discount-store battery cable measured a 0.91-volt drop (roughly four times the normal voltage drop), which means it had a tremendous amount of resistance. On the ground side, the voltage drop (resistance) was even greater at a 1.1-volt drop, adding even more resistance to the circuit. We swapped both cables for high-quality, 1/0 multistrand welding cable, available through either MAD Enterprises or Painless. Retesting resulted in only a 0.20-volt drop in each cable. The car cranked over like it had 24 volts because the battery could now deliver all its cranking amps to the starter instead of losing it to resistance.
This photo simulates a voltage-drop test on the positive battery cable. Place the positive voltmeter test lead on the battery side of the cable and the negative lead on the starter motor cable connection. If the voltmeter reads more than 0.4 volt, there is excessive resistance in the cable. Remember, voltage drop will only work with the engine cranking. Do not crank the starter for more than 10 seconds to avoid overheating and damaging the starter.
Charge It
In the musclecar days, a typical car came with a 60-amp alternator, a separate regulator, and perhaps an entire electrical load of 30 amps with the heater and headlights at full song. But today, it's not unusual for a typical street car to be fitted with a pair of electric fans (30 amps). Add an electric fuel pump (8-15 amps), a CD ignition (6-10 amps), and even airbags with a compressor (20-30 amps), and the electrical load at idle could easily equal 60-80 amps. Now add a corroded cable or connection and a 40-year-old charging system harness, and you have a recipe for an excessive load on that original alternator and a quick drain on the battery when the voltmeter dips below 11 volts. But before you instantly blame the alternator, try performing a simple charging-system test. Start the engine, put a load on the alternator by turning the heater and headlights on, and use your fingers to feel the main charging-system circuit between the alternator and battery for unusually warm connections. Resistance builds heat. The hotter the connection, the more current and voltage are being lost. We discovered that the main charge wire connection next to the battery on our El Camino felt warm where the stud and wire connectors had corroded. A simple cleanup fixed the problem and improved our charging-system performance. Following are a few basic diagnostic steps you can take to cure your charging-system ills.
Tech Tip: Never disconnect a battery cable to test the output of an alternator with the engine running. The voltage spike could permanently damage the alternator.
Even the best '60s alternators were not designed to generate maximum output at idle. At best, a 60-amp external regulator alternator (left) can output perhaps 40 amps at idle. We knew that fitting our Chevelle with a pair of big, 12-inch Spal electric fans was going to tax the charging system with a minimum current draw of 40 amps with the fans running, so we opted for this Powermaster 12Si 100-amp alternator that can muster as much as 90 amps at idle and 118 amps at full output. Powermaster tests each alternator for output before it goes out the door.
Alternators rated between 85 and 105 require heavier six- to four-gauge cables to the battery. On '60s GM cars, this means routing a larger gauge wire from the alternator to the horn relay and all the way to the positive battery terminal, including that small insulated terminal block next to the battery.
What's All This Fuss About One-Wire Alternators?The Powermaster people tell us that the most asked tech question is: "How do I hook up a one-wire alternator?" One-wire alternators are becoming increasingly popular in modified cars as well as typical street cars due to their simplicity. The only wire that needs to be connected is a cable from the large output terminal on the alternator to the battery. One-wire alternators begin charging using a circuit that senses internal voltage once the alternator is spinning fast enough. This is why one-wire alternators require the engine to be revved past roughly 1,500 rpm to begin charging. Once energized, one-wire alternators will charge at idle no problem. Factory three-wire alternators use 12 volts from the ignition switch to energize the charging circuit, which is why these alternators begin charging the instant the engine is running. Most aftermarket one-wire alternators are designed so they can be used as either one-wire or three-wire installations.
What's All This Fuss About One-Wire Alternators?
The Powermaster people tell us that the most asked tech question is: "How do I hook up a one-wire alternator?" One-wire alternators are becoming increasingly popular in modified cars as well as typical street cars due to their simplicity. The only wire that needs to be connected is a cable from the large output terminal on the alternator to the battery. One-wire alternators begin charging using a circuit that senses internal voltage once the alternator is spinning fast enough. This is why one-wire alternators require the engine to be revved past roughly 1,500 rpm to begin charging. Once energized, one-wire alternators will charge at idle no problem. Factory three-wire alternators use 12 volts from the ignition switch to energize the charging circuit, which is why these alternators begin charging the instant the engine is running. Most aftermarket one-wire alternators are designed so they can be used as either one-wire or three-wire installations.
Go to Ground
Electrical systems are very simple. For all domestic, 12-bolt negative ground circuits, you have a power (+) side and a ground (-) side. The most basic circuit feeds power through a wire to the load, like a light bulb, and then must complete the connection back to the negative side of the battery. Without this return side of ground, the circuit is incomplete, current will not flow, and the bulb will not light. What most car crafters overlook is the ground side of the circuit. We've seen this happen to all kinds of circuits, such as with a simple electric fuel pump wired with an adequate 8-gauge wire on the positive side but then handicapped with a tiny, 14-gauge ground wire. The ground wire was badly corroded from heat and severely limited the output of the electric pump because the smaller ground could not support the current draw back to the battery.
We've also experienced bad grounds in our Chevelle after installing a set of electrical gauges. We noticed that with the engine running, when we turned the headlights on, the in-cockpit voltmeter would drop roughly half a volt. Plus, switching the headlights on would make the engine temperature gauge read higher by 10 degrees. Clearly, we had a poor ground between the body and the battery because all those factory ground straps between the engine, body, and frame had long since disappeared. We fabricated several new grounds among the body, frame, and engine, and the voltage fluctuation (and resistance) disappeared. More importantly, both the temp and voltmeters are now more accurate.
Tech Tips
Electrical problems are often very difficult to track down. We've run across many of these that are especially common with muscle cars. One of these might save you a few hours of grief.
If your '60s GM musclecar has a left brake light that seems to have a mind of its own, take a look at the turn-signal switch. A weak turn signal switch will allow the turn signal lever to drop slightly, disabling the left brake-light circuit. The best fix is a new turn-signal switch.
Rather than plug extra circuits into that original, overloaded fuse box, why not just add a new six-circuit box like this Painless unit? The new box features blade-type fuses and plenty of wire to do almost any job.
Want to convert that GM '60s vintage, external regulator alternator to a more modern 12Si internal-regulated alternator and retain the warning light on the dash? The simplest route is to plug an M&H Electric Fabricators adapter (PN 27555, $19.00) into the four-terminal harness from the regulator. The cheapest route is to make a jumper wire to connect the blue and brown wires at the connector. Then follow the circuit changes on the drawing for the white wire and the No. 2 wire from the field to the BAT terminal and you're good to go.
Those '60s glass tube fuse boxes used bare metal clips that have been slowly corroding for 40 years. When checking for a bad fuse, make sure to place the test light probe on the clip rather than the actual fuse. Oftentimes, the fuse is good, but because the connection is so rusty, no power is available to the circuit. This is a common problem. You can attempt to clean the clips, but the best solution is a new underdash wire harness and fuse box from M&H Electric Fabricators.
When swapping an HEI distributor into a musclecar that was originally equipped with points, be sure to use an actual 12-volt switched power source for the distributor. The original factory wires were resistance wires that reduce the voltage to around 6 volts and may not even allow the HEI to operate. Run a wire from a nonfused, 12-volt source on the fuse box that is controlled by the ignition switch. MAD Enterprises offers a simple kit (PN HEI-1, $18.95) that includes the wire and the special power and tach factory-style connectors.


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NISE Network product
"Macro, Micro and Nano Stretch-Ability" is a fun, hands AND feet on game which explores objects on several different scales. This activity teaches visitors about the macroscale, microscale and nanoscale, the objects within those scales and the way we measure these objects.
Product category
Download link
StretchAbility - Board7.24 MB
StretchAbility - Spinner653.49 KB
Big Idea
Size matters: things in the world come in different sizes.
Learning Goals
Distinguish between the macro-, micro- and nanoscales.
Discover what types of objects are found in each scale.
Understand the units of measurement which are used for each scale.
Understand that there are many scales in the world, some which we can't see with our eyes.
Nano Content Map
Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.
Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Development Process
NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.


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Law Changes
In 2014, the State of Michigan modified the requirements of how non-medical waivers for immunizations, of school and childcare programs, are processed. The new rule took effect on January 1, 2015 and will be required for all future school years. Non-medical waivers include those that are requested for either religious or philosophical reasons.
For parents requesting a non-medical waiver, an educational/informational meeting with a Public Health Nurse, is now required before waivers can be certified.
This state requirement applies to parents seeking an immunization waiver on behalf of their children enrolled in a public or private:
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1 Like
What a colorful view it is!! In this week, we japanese say as "Golden week" because we can enjoy holidays from the end of April to the 5th, May. Many people come here to see the large field of Iceland poppy (300 thousand flowers!).
The following has been cited from wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_nudicaule. The Iceland Poppy is a boreal flowering plant. Native to subpolar regions of northern Europe and North America, Iceland poppies are hardy but short-lived perennials, often grown as biennials, that yield large, papery, bowl-shaped, lightly fragrant flowers supported by hairy, one foot, curved stems among feathery blue-green foliage 1-6 inches long. All parts of this plant are likely to be poisonous,containing (like all poppies) toxic alkaloids.
Tama area is the name of the western part of Tokyo Metropolis. It consists of 26 cities, 3 towns and a village. A lot of people (about 4 milion) live in a eastern half part of the area. However, there are many mountains in the western part of Tama area, and there are very little flat land. Many hiking spots are in the western area, so you can enjoy walking on the trail, camping, and so on. If you see the beautiful mountain scene, you may not believe this is also in Tokyo.


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It has taken a while but a video has finally surfaced of Seth Rich alive at a 2015 conference around a year before he was killed.
full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yOEwQ9ijQ8
Is it the same man(right image is a still from the above youtube video)?
He looks similar, but for me his ears look different.
And I wonder how difficult it would be to supplement a different head onto another body, because while no expert on these matters this fotoforensics analysis below, of the Youtube still, appears very irregular, with the ear highlighted in white and an even vertical outline at each side of the head as opposed to a stepped outline of the body.


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Welcome to Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer Administration Guide - helping you to use Discoverer Administrator and set up and maintain Discoverer systems.
Discoverer Administrator enables you to control and manage your Discoverer system so that users of Discoverer Desktop, Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer can find the information they want.
Use this guide if you are responsible for managing a Discoverer system, and you want to know how to:
Create and maintain End User Layers
Set up business areas, folders and items
Help users find information by defining joins, calculated items, and conditions
Improve Discoverer performance using summary folders
Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible to all users, including users that are disabled. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at
Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation
Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.
Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation
This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.
Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For information, visit
http://www.oracle.com/support/contact.html or visit
http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/support.html if you are hearing impaired.
Oracle BI Discoverer supports standard keyboard navigation. Standard keyboard navigation includes the use of the tab key, mnemonics (using the Alt key and the underlined character), and accelerators (such as Alt+F4 to exit a window).
You can access the documents referenced in this guide, and other information about Oracle Business Intelligence (for example, whitepapers, best practices, documentation updates, other collateral) on Oracle Technology Network at:
Conventions used in this manual are shown in the table below:
|Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.
|Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which you supply particular values.
|Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.
|< >
|Angle brackets enclose user-supplied names or values.
|Square brackets enclose optional clauses from which you can choose one or none.
|Menu name | Command
|Text in this format conveys a sequence of menu choices (for example, choose the menu, then the command under that menu).
Discoverer often gives you several ways to perform an operation. For example, to create a new condition you could:
choose Tools | Conditions
click the Conditions toolbar button
Since you might not be using a mouse, the Discoverer documentation always tells you the menu and menu option to choose.


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Even though the name suggests that builders are entrusted to build homes, there is actually more entailed on the job which they are supposed to accomplish. In fact, so much work, skills, and knowledge are needed to be qualified of being one.
The construction and renovation of new establishments are daunting undertakings. There are many paperwork and documentations needed to be prepared before even starting the project. Proposals should first be approved by the government which has to abide by the Building Code of Australia or BCA.
After that, supervision on the entirety of the developments is imperative. There are numerous trades and professionals to manage and converse to. Moreover, outsourcing of materials, ensuring everyone is compensated on time, safeguarding the quality of the architecture, and more must be taken care of as well.
That is why trade professionals have to be licensed and authorised to take the challenge. Additionally, they should have a background experience in various fields such as plumbing, carpentry, landscaping, and whatnot to be able to determine whether the progress does not have any mistakes to be rectified.
Building an infrastructure is not an easy feat. It will require huge amounts of money, time and effort from many people. With that, you should make sure you are working with professional home builders who can give you the value and quality that you deserve whether that is for commercial service, renovation, house extensions and more.


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The original line of GOLDEN Artist Acrylics is known for its exceptionally smooth, thick buttery consistency. It contains the largest assortment of unique pure pigments in a 100% acrylic emulsion vehicle available to the professional artist. These colors offer excellent permanency and lightfastness. There are no fillers, extenders, opacifiers, toners, or dyes added.
Each Heavy Body color is formulated differently depending on the nature of the pigment. Colors that tolerate higher pigment "loads" dry to a more opaque, matte finish. Colors that are more reactive and do not accept high pigment loading dry to a glossy finish and tend to be more transparent. Heavy Body colors contain no additives, such as matting agents, therefore the gloss of each color will be different.
Available in 2, 16 and 32 oz. Other sizes are available by speical order. Please contact us for prices.
Health & Safety: Some colors contain a chemical and/or cadmium known to the State of California to cause cancer by means of swallow and/or inhalation. Do not spray apply colors contain cadmium.
Due to inherent differences in computer monitors, colors displayed on this page may not accurately represent the actual color.


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CT Cardio-Vascular Engine
Driving progress with the full spectrum of myocardial perfusion assessments.
Get further. With the CT Cardio-Vascular Engine.
Enhance your clinical capabilities when diagnosing hemodynamically relevant coronary stenoses – with myocardial perfusion evaluation right on your CT. The CT Cardio-Vascular Engine already featured pre-procedural planning, with innovative tools that offer automated assistance for inserting aortic valve implants and AAA stents. With the 2015 Edition, you can speed up your process efficiency in diagnosing coronary stenoses with new applications.
- What top innovation will you get?
syngo.CT Cardiac Function – Enhancement and syngo.CT Myocardial Perfusion enable a comprehensive assessment of myocardial perfusion
- What else is new for you?
The CT Cardio-Vascular Engine offers several automated features that help you make rapid and precise evaluations


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Game #19: Yanks at Jays postgame
DUNEDIN, Fla. — John Thomson could've easily just headed out the clubhouse doors. Instead, he walked over to where Tomo Ohka stood, surrounded by reporters, and Thomson gave the Japanese pitcher a pat on the back — the universal baseball sign for "Good job today."
With that, Ohka gave a nod and Thomson made his way toward the exit. The two pitchers are in direct competition with one another for a spot in Toronto's rotation, and over the past two weeks, Ohka has been cruising, while Thomson has been slipping.
On Monday, Ohka turned in another five strong innings — this time against the Yankees in a 9-1 win at Knology Park. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits and three 64 pitches, including 37 strikes. Ohka allowed four runs in his first inning of the spring four outings ago, but he's yielded just one run in his last 13 frames.
Thomson, meanwhile, started in a Triple-A game on Monday and gave up six runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. In his last two starts, the right-hander has given up 12 runs on nine hits over 8 2/3 innings.
After Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun was done speaking about Ohka's performance, he learned about Thomson's outing.
"They always say these things sort themselves out," said Zaun, referring to the competition. "But you hate to see it sorted out like that."
Ohka has been very impressive, though. He and Josh Towers appear to be the current leaders for the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. On Monday, Ohka wasn't entirely pleased with his performance, but Zaun was raving about it.
"He'll come in the dugout every once in a while and talk about a pitch or rag on himself a little bit, saying, 'Oh, that was terrible,' or whatever," Zaun said. "But he's rolling right now. He's got a pretty good idea of what he's doing."
Against New York, Ohka wasn't able to use his sinker much because of the windy conditions. Instead, the righty turned more to his cutter and was extremely effective with it. During one at-bat against Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, Ohka even snuck in a slide step, which caught the hitter off guard.
"He actually did a slide step changeup on his own and ended up jamming A-Rod," Zaun said. "There wasn't any chance the guy was going to try to steal with A-Rod at the plate. But he used a quick move to the plate to be a little bit more deceptive to mess up his timing and it was really effective."
After discussing a few of Ohka's pitches, Zaun was asked how many different pitches the Japanese starter threw. Zaun chuckled and began to rattle them off.
"Let's see, sinker, four-seam fastball, cutter, slider, curveball, split, change — that's seven," Zaun said. "We try to make things simple. I don't have seven fingers on one hand, so I had to let him throw two pitches off of one sign."
One other thing that Zaun likes about Ohka is his ability to reach back for a little more on his fastball when he needs to. The pitcher tends to stay in the high 80s with his fastball, but Zaun said he can dial that up to 91 mph if the situation dictates it.
"He does what I wish more of our pitchers would do, which is to save a little something to reach back for when they need it," Zaun said. "Most of our guys are max effort all the time. You see five, six straight fastballs at 93, and when it's time to put somebody away, they have to go to the offspeed stuff instead of reaching back for a little something extra on the fastball."
Ohka is providing an easy decision for Toronto, which dished out $1.5 million for a one-year contract to sign the pitcher this past offseason. But there are still two weeks left this spring, and Towers, Thomson, Casey Janssen, and to a lesser extent, Victor Zambrano, are all in the running for starting jobs. It's more likely that Zambrano either begins in the bullpen, or begins in the Minors to stretch out more as a starter.
"It's going to be a tough decision. I can't see the decision being easy for anybody," Zaun said. "They've got a nice luxury. It's been a great camp and everybody's throwing the ball well and I don't envy the decision they have to make at the end of camp."
We'll all just have to stay tuned…
5 Comments
Nice write-up, Jordan. It sounds as if Mr. Towers should sit next to this guy a lot, because they both live and die by control and deception. Slide step, eh? Hmmm.
I thought at the beginning of the spring taking a chance on Ohka,Thompson and Zambrano was a good idea even if only one of them worked out.It seems as if both Ohka and Zambrano are showing great promise.I feel bad for John Thompson as he seems to be getting left behind.Nice to see Josh Towers pitching like he did a few years ago.I kept thinking last year that he was putting too much stress on himself to live up to the new contract.JP and Gibby are going to have some tough decisions {but good ones}in the coming weeks if everyone stays healthy.I like Ohka in the 4spot with Zambrano and Towers looking at #5 or the bullpen for insurance.Maybe,if Zambrano is ready to start,Towers would be the better swing man in the pen along with Shaun Marcum.Either way it shakes out,the Jays are in much better shape than last year.I sure am glad they didn't overpay for a mediocre Lilly or Meche and sacrifice depth.
The way the guys are throwing right now, I don't think that the decision is going to be as hard as people seem to think. Ohka is doing exactly what he and the Jays were hoping for. Other than the injury last year, Ohka is a known commodity, with decent success that backed with an offence should translate to wins. The Jays management have 2.9 million reasons to want to see Towers on the major league roster, and with him so far looking like he belongs there, it shouldn't be hard to earn the spot. I wouldn't write off Thomson though, this is spring training and ERA's can be inflated pretty easily with a bad outing. As exciting as Zambrano's comeback is, it is important to protect his repaired arm and build up strength if he is going to be a starter.
I think if the Jays broke camp today, they would have to take Okha and Towers with them, with Zambrano taking Pete Walker's spot in the pen. I wouldn't count out Thompson just yet. He may just need some more recovery time, and I can see him being a great backup in case someone falls by the wayside. That way, Janssen, Marcum, McGowan, et.al could have another full year in the minors, because we will surely need them to step up next year.
I really think Zambrano is going to pitch his way onto this rotation. Come April, the Jays are taking the best pitching staff possible. If he keeps his numbers close too where they are now, there is no way they can keep him out of the rotation.


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August 1, 2013
Wikipedia comes to the Beach Museum of Art on Aug. 8
The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art invites faculty to an informational session led by Alex Stinson, Wikipedian and K-State graduate student in English, on using Wikipedia editing in classroom instruction.
This program is intended to encourage participation in Wikipedia's development and inspire Wikipedians to write articles related to the Beach Museum of Art.
The session will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, in the UMB Theater at the museum. Light refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to email@example.com or call 785-532-7718. There is no charge for this session but we would like to provide adequate seating.
GLAM-WIKI is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation that supports galleries, libraries, archives and museums, and other institutions who want to produce open-access, freely-reusable content for the public.


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The Finest in Caribbean Scuba Diving and Adventures
For twenty six years on the island of Roatan, it has been the goal of West End Divers to provide quality PADI Scuba Diving Instruction, as well as fun, relaxed, professionally guided diving experiences for all our Scuba divers, and snorkelers. West End Divers, a PADI 5 Star Resort and the longest operating dive center in West End, is located within 10 minutes of some of The Roatan Marine Park's best dive sites. With more than 40 dive sites available, we explore a new location on each of your dives. Our fun and enthusiastic staff is committed to making your Caribbean vacation one of unforgettable memories.
We are centrally located in the village of West End, with our private dock extending out from our shaded deck into the blue waters of West End Lagoon.
Partnered with the newly renovated Mariposa lodge we are able to offer some of the most affordable dive vacation packages in the Caribbean.
Here on the leeward side of the island of Roatan, we are blessed with calm waters, minimal currents, great visibility, with spectacular underwater seascapes and marine life, not to mention some killer sunsets.


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Read our Bangkok city guide for information about eating out, things to do and much more.View Bangkok Guide »
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This colourful, social hostel is very close to Khao San Road and is 'a perfect base to explore Bangkok and beyond!' More Info »
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1. Chceck in from 6am and check out until 12 noon. 2. Cash payment only upon arrival. 3. Cancellation policy: Up to... More Info »
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Video guides, travel podcasts, city maps & free city guides. What to eat, where to stay and things to do and see - our travel guides have it all.Find a guide »
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We offer the most comprehensive selection of hostels on the internet with over 33,000 great places to stay in 170 countries. The ultimate online resource for hostels everywhere.Find great value hostels »


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PRESIDENT OBAMA ran promoting women's issues.
But how about promoting some women?
With the old white boys' club rearing its hoary head in the White House of the first black president, the historian Michael Beschloss recalled the days when the distaff was deemed biologically unsuited for the manly discourse of politics. He tweeted: "1/12/1915, U.S. House refused women voting rights. One Congressman: 'Their ankles are beautiful ... but they are not interested in the state.' "
Now comes a parade of women to plead the case for the value of female perspective in high office: Women reach across the aisle, seek consensus, verbalize and empathize more, manage and listen better. Women are more pragmatic, risk-averse and, unburdened by testosterone, less bellicose.
Unfortunately, these "truisms" haven't held true with many of the top women I've covered in Washington.
Janet Reno was trigger-happy on Waco, and a tragic conflagration ensued. Hillary Clinton's my-way-or-the-highway obduracy doomed her health care initiative; she also voted to authorize the Iraq invasion without even reading the National Intelligence Estimate, and badly mismanaged her 2008 campaign. Condi Rice avidly sold W.'s bogus war in Iraq. One of Susan Rice's most memorable moments was when she flipped the finger at Richard Holbrooke during a State Department meeting.
Maybe these women in the first wave to the top had to be more-macho-than-thou to succeed. And maybe women don't always bring a completely different or superior skill set to the table. And maybe none of that matters.
We're equal partners in life and governance now, and we merit equal representation, good traits and bad, warts and all.
It's passing strange that Obama, carried to a second term by women, blacks and Latinos, chooses to give away the plummiest Cabinet and White House jobs to white dudes.
If there's one thing white men have never had a problem with in this clubby, white marble enclave of Washington, it's getting pulled up the ladder by other men. (New York magazine claims that of late, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has a better record of appointing top women than Obama does.)
Last week, The New York Times ran a startling photo, released by the White House, of the president in the Oval Office surrounded by 10 male advisers (nine white and one black). Valerie Jarrett was there, but was obscured by a white guy (though a bit of leg and "beautiful ankle" did show).
Obama has brought in a lot of women, including two he appointed to the Supreme Court, but it is more than an "optics" problem, to use the irritating cliché of the moment. Word from the White House is that the president himself is irritated, and demanding answers about the faces his staff is pushing forward. Unfortunately, he has only a bunch of white guys to offer an explanation of why the picture looks like a bunch of white guys.
Right from the start, the president who pledged "Change We Can Believe In" has been so cautious about change that there have been periodic eruptions from women and minorities.
Maybe Obama thinks he's such a huge change for the nation to digest that everything else must look like the Eisenhower administration, with Michelle obligingly playing Laura Petrie. But it's Barry tripping over the ottoman.
In more "He's Like Ike" moments, the president spends his free time golfing with white male junior aides. The mood got sour early in the first term when senior female aides had a dinner to gripe directly to Obama about lack of access and getting elbowed out of big policy debates.
Some women around Obama who say that he never empowers women to take charge of anything are privately gratified at the latest kerfuffle, hoping it will shut down the West Wing man cave. It's particularly galling because the president won re-election — and a record number of women ascended to Congress — on the strength of high-toned denunciations of the oldfangled Mitt Romney and the Republican kamikaze raid on women.
"We don't have to order up some binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women" to excel in all fields, the president said on the trail, vowing to unfurl the future for "our daughters."
It may be because the president knows what a matriarchal world he himself lives in that he assumes we understand that the most trusted people in his life have been female — his wife, his daughters, his mother, his grandmother, his mother-in-law, his closest aide, Valerie.
But this isn't about how he feels, or what his comfort zone is, or who's in his line of sight. It's about what he projects to the world — not to mention to his own daughters.
Obama is an insular man who is not as dependent on his staff as some other presidents. With no particular vision for his staff, he surrounds himself with guys who then hire their guy friends.
Most people who work in the top tier of campaigns are men; most people who work for Obama now were on his campaigns; ergo, most people in his inner circle are men. Pretty soon, nobody's thinking it through and going out of the way to reflect a world where daughters have the same opportunities as sons.
And then the avatars of modernity hit the front page of The Times, looking just as backward as the pasty, patriarchal Republicans they mocked.


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Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park:
Created by Jen Millner, Geoscience Education Web Development Team, Montana State University
An American right, or wrong?
This module includes information and resources about:
Impacts on Air Quality :: Impacts on Snowpack Chemistry and Water Quality :: Impacts on Wildlife :: Noise Level Impacts :: Economic Impacts :: Public Opinion :: Proposed Solutions and Alternatives :: Particulate Emissions
You will also findTeaching Activities to help teachers and students utilize and integrate the information into the classroom.
Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park. Details
More than three million people travel from around the world to visit Yellowstone National Park each year. Most people vacation during the summer months, when the air is warm, the days are long, and the roads are clear. But nearly 125,000 visitors prefer to wait until the coldest, darkest, snowiest time of year precisely because the weather is inclement and the roads are impassable. They go to experience the wonders of Yellowstone on a snowmobile.
About 640,000 years ago, a cataclysmic volcanic event of a scale not known in human history disgorged a volume of ash so immense that it covered all of the western U.S., as well as parts of the Midwest, northern Mexico, and some areas of the eastern Pacific. The colossal eruption left a massive caldera 30 miles wide and 45 miles long, an area we know today as Yellowstone National Park.
Once called "the place where hell bubbles up," interest in the region's astounding geothermal features led to the creation of the world's first national park in 1872. It continues to be most famous for its multitude of geysers, mud pots and hot springs, the total amount of which out number the rest of the world combined. The park also contains the greatest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states - mighty moose, great herds of elk, elegant swans, fearsome grizzly bears, elusive gray wolf, and the majestic bison, the only wild bison herd that has survived continuously since prehistoric times and the last free-ranging herd on earth.
Once called "the place where hell bubbles up," interest in the region's astounding geothermal features led to the creation of the world's first national park in 1872. It continues to be most famous for its multitude of geysers, mud pots and hot springs, the total amount of which out number the rest of the world combined. The park also contains the greatest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states - mighty moose, great herds of elk, elegant swans, fearsome grizzly bears, elusive gray wolf, and the majestic bison, the only wild bison herd that has survived continuously since prehistoric times and the last free-ranging herd on earth.
What is the controversy all about?Snowmobiling in the park is controversial on several fronts. Conservationists are concerned about how snowmobiles, and snowmobile emissions in particular, may impact wildlife, air and water quality, noise levels, and the pristine aesthetic of the Yellowstone wilderness. Another concern is for the health effects upon both snowmobile riders and park rangers who are exposed to exhaust and high noise levels for significant amounts of time. Supporters of snowmobiling point to other considerations such as the economic benefits to local communities and the importance of preserving access to public lands. They also contend that newer technologies make cleaner, quieter snowmobiles that mitigate the effects of snowmobile use on air, water and noise pollution.
Ultimately, the fundamental question is this: Is the park a place which is meant to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein," as stated in the Organic Act of 1916, or is it "a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people," as stated in the 1872 dedication of Yellowstone as the world's first national park?
When it comes to conservation versus public access, where do you draw the line?
Winter visitors at Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park. Details
Snowmobiles were first allowed into the Park in 1963. At the time, the National Park Service (NPS) encouraged sensible snowmobile use in the Park as a way to increase winter visitation. But as snowmobile visitor numbers have grown to more than 75,000 each winter - up to 720 per day - so has concern for the effects that snowmobile emissions, noise, and crowds have on the health of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and those who enjoy it.
Winter use first became a legal issue in 1997 when the animal rights organization Fund For Animals filed a lawsuit to ban all snow grooming of paved roads in the Park, effectively banning snowmobiles because they are only allowed to travel on groomed roads. Upon settlement of that suit, the Park and the NPS began to develop a new usability plan and environment impact statement (EIS) which led to a Record of Decision in 2000 to ban all snowmobiles within the park. This ban became effective in April 2001. A subsequent lawsuit filed by snowmobile manufacturers and supporters prompted a second, supplemental EIS (SEIS) and ultimately overturned that ban in 2003. Legislation continues to be hotly debated while public opinion remains strongly polarized. With both sides still actively pursuing their interests the issue remains unresolved.
Learn more:
Final Rule (more info) - provides background information about the legal events leading up the 2004 decision, a summary of responses to public comments, and economic analyses of proposed alternative management plans.
Yellowstone's Temporary Winter Use Rules
Environmental Issues
Impacts on Air Quality
Snowmobiler with filter mask. Details
One of the biggest concerns about snowmobiling in Yellowstone is whether or not snowmobile emissions cause air pollution. Those opposed to snowmobiles attest that emissions can lead to health problems for park employees who are subjected to prolonged exposure, while snowmobile supporters contend that the toxicity levels of emissions and exposure rates are not significant enough to cause harm.
Most snowmobiles currently in use have two-stroke motors that pass 20-33% of the fuel straight through the engine and out the tailpipe unburned. Standard two-stroke engines also require that lubricating oil be mixed with fuel, so lubricating oil makes up part of the exhaust. This creates most of the visible haze that snowmobiles produce in the form of particulate matter, which itself is composed primarily of volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons.
Under Yellowstone's Temporary Winter Use Rules, snowmobiles must meet the NPS's Best Available Technology (BAT) standards for noise and exhaust emissions, including carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate matter. These compounds are common mobile source emissions.
Show me more about carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. When inhaled, it hinders the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood and reduces delivery of oxygen to the body's organs and tissues. Carbon monoxide toxicity may cause cardiovascular and neurological impairments.
See more about carbon monoxide:
Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) cause a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of various compounds and derivatives in the family of nitrogen oxides. It can be an irritant to eyes, nose, throat and lungs. In the environment, it contributes to air pollution, acid rain, and even global warming.
See more about oxides of nitrogen:
The potential health impacts of particulate matter (PM) are two-fold. Most PM is in the "ultrafine" range (less than 100nm) which means that it is respirable and may be deposited in the lungs. Additionally, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are well-established as possible carcinogens.
See more about particulate matter and volatile organic compounds:
Particulate Matter
Air Pollution and Health (more info) offers a summary of the above compounds.
See more about carbon monoxide:
- Health and Environmental Impacts of CO
- Environmental Impacts of Newly Regulated Nonroad engines, see page 3.
Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) cause a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of various compounds and derivatives in the family of nitrogen oxides. It can be an irritant to eyes, nose, throat and lungs. In the environment, it contributes to air pollution, acid rain, and even global warming.
See more about oxides of nitrogen:
The potential health impacts of particulate matter (PM) are two-fold. Most PM is in the "ultrafine" range (less than 100nm) which means that it is respirable and may be deposited in the lungs. Additionally, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are well-established as possible carcinogens.
See more about particulate matter and volatile organic compounds:
Particulate Matter
- Basic information about Particulate Matter (PM)
- Health Effects of Particulate Matter (PM) (more info)
- Environmental Impacts of Newly Regulated Nonroad engines, see page 4.
- EPA Factsheet on Toluene
- EPA Factsheet on Benzene
- ATSDR Factsheet on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs)
- ATSDR Factsheet on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Air Pollution and Health (more info) offers a summary of the above compounds.
What do you think? Compare the information you've just read with the graphs below.
Graph taken from Air Quality Analysis of Snowmobile and Snowcoach Emissions.
Which type of engine emits the most toxins?
Inversion over the Grand Canyon. Details
Newer four-stroke engine technology reduces levels of some of these emissions, as well as reducing noise output of the snowmobile. Unfortunately, reducing emission levels does not necessarily reduce the concentrations of those emissions in the air in Yellowstone. The reason is weather. Concentrations may vary depending on wind, temperature, sunlight and inversion.
From Partners In AirA temperature inversion occurs when a layer of cool air is trapped at ground level by an overlying layer of warm air, which can also trap pollutants. Many factors can lead to an inversion layer, such as temperatures that remain below freezing during the day, nighttime temperatures in the low teens to single digits, clear skies at night, and low wind levels - all common conditions during a Yellowstone winter.
What do you think?
- How would an inversion effect the dispersion of snowmobile emissions?
- How would this distribution influence health?
Technical reports:
- Winter Air Quality Study 2004-2005
- Characterization of Snowmobile Particulate Emissions
- Air Quality Concerns Related to Snowmobile Usage in National Parks
- Scientific Assessment of Yellowstone National Park Winter Use March 2011
- Winter Use Plans/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Air Quality Report
- Spatial Variations and Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds Associated with Snowmobile Emissions in Yellowstone National Park
- Air Quality Analysis of Snowmobile and Snowcoach Emissions
- Health and Air Quality Impacts of Bio-based Fuels in Small Engines
Impacts on Snowpack Chemistry and Water Quality
One of the least-studied aspects of the environmental impact of snowmobile emissions is their potential effect on snowpack and localized water quality through snowmelt runoff. Quantitative research is sparse and many questions remain unanswered.
In one study, samples taken from the on-road snowpack near West Yellowstone, the most heavily traveled snowmobile route into the park, contained several varieties of PAHs and VOCs known to be major ingredients in two-stroke engine lubricants. Samples taken in Gallatin Canyon where there is car traffic but no snowmobiles did not contain these compounds.
Table taken from Effects of Snowmobile Use on Snowpack Chemistry in Yellowstone National Park
What do you think?
- According to the first graph, how is the distribution of n-alkanes and n-alkyl acids (an expected oxidation product of n-alkanes) in the snowpack related to proximity to roads used by snowmobiles?
- According to the second graph, how is the concentration of ammonium and sulfates related to proximity to roads used by snowmobiles?
- Based on this research, do you think this distribution can be definitively attributed to snowmobile emissions?
Read about the Impact of Two-Stroke Engines on Aquatic Resources (Acrobat (PDF) 36kB Apr3 06) to learn about the potential impacts of snowmobile emissions on aquatic organisms. (The full report is available below.)
Map of Yellowstone, snowmobile route map. Details
- There are 185 miles of paved roads groomed for snowmobile use in park, most of which are adjacent to rivers, streams and ponds (see snowmobile route map at right). Considering what you have learned about the distribution of pollutants in the snowpack and the effects of toxins on aquatic organisms, do you think there is potential for surface water contamination from snowmelt runoff? Consider factors such as distance of contaminated snowpack from waterbody, contaminant level versus dilution factor (how large is the water body, is it contained or free-flowing?) and so on.
Technical reports:
Impacts on Wildlife
Snowmobiles passing bison in Yellowstone National Park. Details
Many studies have looked at how wintertime stress affects animal health and survival, but measuring the added stress of vehicle proximity and noise emissions is problematic. Aside from observed interactions between snowmobiles and animals, it is difficult to determine what kinds of long-term impacts snowmobiles may have on animal health from sources such as toxins in snow, water, or soil and the bioaccumulation effects of eating plants that may have taken up these toxins. Furthermore, even highly specialized biochemical studies that look for stress levels in animals may not be able to distinguish the sources of that stress.
Review some of the research:
- Effects of Snowmobiling on Wildlife (page 21) gives an overview of various studies examining the effects of snowmobiles on deer, elk, bison and other wildlife.
- The first page of this report on Wildlife Responses to Motorized Winter Recreation in Yellowstone presents a statistical summary of snowmobile/wildlife interactions and responses.
- Snowmobiles, Wolves and Elk: The Straight Poop discusses the results of studies that examined stress hormone levels in wolf and elk droppings.
What do you think?
Fox in Lamar Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. Details
- What is the most common reaction animals have to snowmobiles? Do different animals have different reactions?
- Can stress hormone levels measured in fecal matter be definitively attributed to snowmobile activity? What else may cause elevated stress levels during winter?
- Do these studies indicate that snowmobiles are a danger to wildlife?
Human Landscape Issues
Noise Level Impacts
Sunset in winter over Yellowstone Lake. Details
While hearing impairment and high blood pressure are notable health concerns related to sustained high-level noise pollution, when it comes to snowmobiling in the Park the issue is also about how noise emissions affect the visitor experience.
See what those in the snowmobiling industry have to say:
- Leaked Documents Reveal Lies About Snowmobiles in Parks shows evidence for much higher noise levels than technical reports show.(Original document is not available, accessed through archive.org)
- Do noise emissions from snowmobiles have a negative effect on animals?
- Do snowmobile sound levels cause health problems or are they more just a nuisance?
Economic Impacts
Snowmobiling is a $27 billion industry in the United States, and the average snowmobiler spends $4,000 annually on recreation. Many small towns in the Park's border states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming depend upon revenues earned during the winter season. For example, more than half of the 65,000 snowmobiles that entered Yellowstone in 2001 accessed the Park through the town of West Yellowstone, Montana accounting for 75% of Montana's total revenue from the snowmobile industry that year. Read about how winter use regulations and a Lack of Snowmobiles Affect Montana Town.
Cooke City at Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Details
According to a 1998 report on the Economic Importance of the Winter Season to Park County, Wyoming, 30% of local businesses said that nearly 80% of their total winter revenues came from winter visitors to Yellowstone National Park. This table from the report (Acrobat (PDF) 9kB Apr13 06) shows the economic impact to Park Country of YNP visitors. The Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources reports that a ban on snowmobiles could cost Wyoming as many as 938 jobs, no small layoff considering the total state population is just under 494,000. Read the article Yellowstone Snowmobile Ban Leaves Working Families in the Cold for more details.
However, there are hundreds of miles of National Forest open to snowmobiles directly outside Yellowstone, so a ban on snowmobiles in the Park would not mean and end to the snowmobile-based economy altogether.
Furthermore, some would argue that the relative economic health of border towns should not be considered a priority when determining how best to preserve the ecosystem health of a national park. As Kevin Collins of the National Parks Conservation Association says, "It is also essential to note that the mission of the National Park System is NOT to provide economic benefits to nearby communities and businesses. Having a national park nearby is an economic asset for which any community would be grateful. Nevertheless, this fortunate byproduct of the park's existence must not be allowed to dictate park management policy."
Some locals believe that a ban on snowmobiles may lead to an increase in snow coach travel and overall visitation due to improved conditions. They are adding snowcoach tours to replace lost snowmobile business. Read more about how Yellowstone Guides and Visitors Praise Snowmobile Phaseout's Positive Impact on Park Conditions.
Visit the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce's "White Season" and the Cody, Wyoming Chamber of Commerce's "Outdoor Recreation" to see how the snowmobile industry effects the local economy in these border towns.
What do you think?
- How are small, tourism-dependent towns affected by restrictions on snowmobile use in the Park?
- Are their other options, such as snow coaches or the hundreds of miles of National Forest trails outside the Park, which could mitigate the effects of lost revenue if snowmobiles are banned from the Park?
- Do economic benefits to local communities outweigh conservation concerns?
Public Opinion
Pro-snowmobileAccording to the SEIS, more than 90% of winter visitors in Wyoming would not consider taking a snowcoach instead of riding a snowmobile.
- ISMA Yellowstone information sheet outlines the reasons why snowmobiles should not be banned from national parks.
- The Argument to Keep Yellowstone Open: The Truth About Snowmobiling
- National Park's Overestimated Emission & Sound Levels Set Unjust Standard for Snowmobiling in Yellowstone
The original EIS, the SEIS, the Clinton administration, and an overwhelming number of public comments supported banning snowmobiles from Yellowstone.
- Park Tally Opposes Snowmobiles
- Yellowstone Guides, Visitors Praise Snowmobile Phaseout's Positive Impact on Park; With Pollution Reduced, Snowcoach Visitation Climbs
- Snowmobile Damage in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Will Continue
- Snowmobiles
- Judge Criticizes Administration for Halting Yellowstone Snowmobile Phaseout
Proposed Solutions and Alternatives
In 2004, the National Park Service reviewed five alternatives to current snowmobile regulations ranging from banning snowmobiles entirely to allowing snowmobile use according to daily entrance limits and guided tour requirements. Find out more about snowmobile regulation alternatives:
Snowmobiles led by a guide in Yellowstone National Park. Details
A snowmobile's impact on the environment and the scenery can be significantly reduced by using ethanol-blended fuels and new engine technologies, particularly four-stroke engines. Studies in Europe have found that biomass-based lube oil can reduce CO, PM, and HC emissions. Find out more:
- Emissions From Snowmobile Engines Using Bio-based Fuels And Lubricants
- Clean snowmobile solutions
- Biomass Alternatives for Snowmobiles
In response to the threat of a ban on snowmobiles in national parks, the Society of Automotive Engineers started the Clean Snowmobile Challenge in 2000. This annual competition challenges student designers to modify a stock snowmobile to make it cleaner and quieter, while still maintaining performance standards and cost-effectiveness. Find out more about the Clean Snowmobile Challenge:
Clean snowmobile challenge. Details
Another proposed solution is to increase snowcoach travel in the Park and eventually phase out snowmobiles. Many local retailers are already modifying their businesses to include snowcoach tours as well as snowmobile rentals.
Snowcoach in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone National Park. Details
Yellowstone Expeditions provides a brief overview of the mechanics and benefits of snowcoach travel.


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Mark your calendars
The Buffalo Bisons will open the 124th season of professional baseball in Buffalo at home against the Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston Red Sox) on Thursday, April 9 at Dunn Tire Park. The game will be part of an eight-game homestand with the first four games against the PawSox and the last four (April 13-16) against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
Download the 2009 schedule! CLICK HERE
More details on 2009 schedule: CLICK HERE
2009 Schedule Highlights
Two great Buffalo Bisons traditions will become one on July 3, 2009 against the Rochester Red Wings. On a fridaynightbash!®, the Bisons will host their 15th Annual Independence Eve Concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and the largest fireworks show of the year. In the previous 14 years, the event has drawn over a quarter of a million fans.
The Bisons will begin the home portion of the 2009 Thruway Series when the Syracuse Chiefs come to Dunn Tire Park on Friday, April 24. In its 12th year, the Thruway Series features the three Triple-A teams located in New York state. The team with the best winning percentage in head-to-head competition wins the Thruway Cup.
The Gwinnett Braves, the new Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, will make their first visit to Dunn Tire Park from May 12-15. The Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, will play eight games in Buffalo (April 13-16, July 7-8, September 2-3).


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The Geneva Motor Show has revved into action this week, bringing us all manner of launches from sensible motors to bonkers concept cars.
We've rounded up 12 of the highlights of the show; eye-wateringly desirable supercars, concepts for the future of the self-driving car, and the most interesting production models set to hit our roads in the next few years.
1 VW Golf GTE
This could be the hot hatch of the future – a plug-in hybrid that delivers the same levels of performance as the iconic Golf GTI. On the outside, it looks just like a GTI – bar a couple of subtle styling accents – but inside, there's a 1.4l, 148bhp TSI engine that works in conjunction with a 101bhp electric motor to deliver 201bhp and 350Nm of torque. It'll take you from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, and its emissions are a measly 35g/km. So you can do donuts in the car park responsibly.
2 Rinspeed XchangE
A living room on wheels, this Rinspeed concept looks forward to a future of self-driving cars, when sitting behind the wheel – or even facing forwards – won't be an issue. In the back, there's a 32in 4K screen; in the front, a mobile office complete with tablets, keyboards and even a coffee machine.
3 Jaguar XE
Jaguar hasn't taken the wraps off its new sport sedan at the Geneva Motor Show – beyond a quick glimpse of it – but it does have a name. The XE will sit below the XF in Jaguar's line-up, and is set to take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series. The baby Jag is built on a lightweight aluminium frame, while inside it'll pack Jaguar's new Ingenium four-cylinder engine.
4 Audi TT
Audi's third-generation TT has shed its curves and adopted an angular new look, built atop the VW Group's MQB platform. Inside, you get a swanky digital instrument panel, with a 2.0l, 227bhp engine in the base model; a sportier 306bhp TT S is launching alongside it later this year, with a hardcore TT RS model following in 2015.
5 Maserati Alfieri
Maserati's latest concept car isn't groundbreaking – there's no hybrid powertrain or self-driving cleverness – but it is gorgeous. The 2+2 coupé is designed to take on the likes of the Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911, and it does so in style – it's one of the best-looking cars in the show. And it's not just a looker – under the bonnet there's a 4.7-litre V8 engine delivering 460bhp. We can but hope that it goes into production – not that we'll be able to afford one if it does.
6 Renault Kwid
This concept car comes complete with its own drone. It's not quite as daft as it sounds; the idea is that you can take control of your mini-UAV when you're stuck in a traffic jam, observing the cause of the obstruction on the car's dashboard tablet. Of course, if every car has a drone in future, there'll be traffic jams in the sky too…


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Obama wishes 'Happy Diwali', praises resilience of Sikhs
"To those celebrating Diwali, I wish you, your families and loved ones Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak," Obama said, wishing everybody on the occasion of the festival of lights.
"Earlier this year, we were reminded of the evil that exists in the world when a gunman walked into the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and opened fire," he said.
"In the wake of that horrible tragedy, we saw the resilience of a community that drew strength from their faith and a sense of solidarity with their neighbours, Sikh and non-Sikh alike," Obama said.
"We also saw compassion and love, in the heroic actions of the first responders and the outpouring of support from people across the country. Out of a day of sadness, we were reminded that the beauty of America remains our diversity, and our right to religious freedom," the US President said.
"Today, here at home and across the globe, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will celebrate the holiday of Diwali, the festival of lights. Diwali is a time for gathering with family and friends, often marked with good food and dancing," Obama said in his Diwali message.

Noting that it is also a time for prayer and reflection about those less fortunate, the US President said it is a testament to the compassion of these communities that so many of them have helped those that have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
"Many who observe this holiday will light the Diya, or lamp, which symbolises the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. As that lamp is lit, we should all recommit ourselves to bring light to any place still facing darkness," Obama said.
On Aug 5, a gunman named Michael Wade Page had fired indiscriminately in a Gurdwara in Wisconsin killing six members of the Sikh community.


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