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Car Reviews Luxury Sedans and Hatchbacks
2018 Volvo S90 D4 Review (With Video)
Not your typical executive luxury sedan choice.
A Safe Bet
Volvo has really been on a roll at the moment. After the release of the Volvo XC90 in 2016, which we found out is a great alternative to the mainstream German competitors, the Volvo S90 was then launched a couple of months later in the grandest way possible. Now that the Volvo S90 is here, and now on sale for the people to experience Swedish contemporary mobility, what's it like to drive and own this midsize executive sedan that rivals the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
The Volvo S90 manages to look even nicer than the Volvo XC90 that we've been already accustomed to. The wide stance of the S90 makes it look menacing. It's perfect for mafia gangs especially in this shade of black, in which the elegant and sophisticated silhouette of this car is nicely highlighted. The all-LED headlamps are just stunning, with the "Thor's Hammer" LED daytime running lights on, you'd feel intimidated when you see it in your rear view mirror. The grille looks slim and wide, and it looks like it would be something from Maserati. Adaptive automatic LED headlights provide safe and bright illumination at night, and can even dim the headlights using its different lenses when left on high beam so that it won't dazzle oncoming drivers. The side profile is taut and upright, contrary to the usual swoopy, coupe-like designs that many of its rivals are adopting. At the back, the typical Volvo LED tail lights that highlight the shoulders of the car make the rear have a wide and taut stance. Everything about this car's exterior design is unlike any of the mainstream German competitor's swoopy and coupe-like designs.
The S90 comes standard with a remote access smart-key shaped like a card. It's elegantly designed, lightweight, detailed in chromed and the nicest thing about it is the key is wrapped in the leather you spec your car interior with, and its a very lovely touch. Moving forward, the interior is just nicely proportioned. Simple, elegant and that smooth perforated leather finish. If the Germans typically have plenty of buttons, the S90's interior is the direct opposite. As a matter of fact, like the XC90, there can be only up to 10 (depending on variant) buttons in the center console, including the hazard switch. The interior is an exercise of Swedish minimalism that is mainly dominated by a horizontal design layout, with the Volvo Sensus infotainment system slightly angled towards the driver. Just like the XC90's, the interior is beautifully made, albeit monotonous due to the black color. Aluminum accents adorn the interior, while the higher end D5 Inscription model has a two-tone beige interior with open pore wood trim.
Space and Practicality
Up front, there's plenty of adjustment for the driver's seat and the steering wheel, ensuring a perfect fit for all body types. Whereas the Germans try to do their best to make an interior the feels like a cockpit that wraps around you, the S90's interior is more straightforward. Everything up front in the center console is within reach by both the front passenger and driver.
The Volvo S90 offers plenty of room for rear passengers, even for the middle seat, though due to the transmission tunnel resulting in a slightly elevated middle seat, headroom is slightly compromised. There's plenty of foot space in the back for all three people though, preventing from any fights for foot space from escalating.
The trunk is spacious too, with 500 liters of space, though not class leading, and with a square opening, it is easy to load things in and out of the trunk. Apart from the trunk, other storage spaces include a generously sized glovebox, trays in the center console with a damped covers, and a large door bins on all 4 doors. The rear seats can also be folded down for more space, and there is also a ski hatch in the middle seat, if you are a fool to do skiing here in our country.
Features, Safety, and Infotainment
As ever, the Volvo S90 is packed with safety features to the brim, such as Volvo City Safety, which includes pedestrian detection, collision mitigation, and a host of other safety features designed to make our drivers in the chaotic city of Manila more bearable. Traffic is made relaxing thanks to the Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, which like Subaru EyeSight, makes the car drive semi-autonomously. Making driving even a lot more bearable, especially for those who are challenged in parking, is the automatic parking feature of the S90, which can be used for parallel and reverse parking.
Despite being the base variant, the S90 is packed with features, especially for its price. The S90 D4 even includes an electric trunk, opening and closing on its own with a push of a button. Additionally, all rear facing mirrors are heated, meaning should a sudden downpour or moist morning air impair your mirror's reflectivity, these mirrors can heat themselves up to remove unnecessary moisture.
Volvo Sensus, which includes a 9-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display, and a 12-inch TFT LCD instrument panel, which is able to display a host of information in a legible and easy to read manner. The main touch screen unit, like in the XC90, is easy to use and feels natural to those of us who are accustomed to using an iPad. It uses swipe, pinch to zoom, and scroll functions just like you would do in iOS or Android, and speaking of mobile operating systems, Volvo Sensus in the S90 comes with both Android Auto and Apple Carplay, so whether you have a Galaxy S7 or an iPhone 7, your smartphone will be well integrated into the vehicle, and while doing so, you will be able to play your Spotify tunes into the car's Harman Kardon sound system, which already sounds excellent to begin with.
With this being the S90 D4 variant, it is powered by a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder common rail direct-injected diesel engine that produces 181 hp @ 4,250 rpm and 400 Nm of torque @ 1,750-2,500 rpm. Power is sent through the front wheels via an 8-Speed Automatic Transmission.
How It Drives
Entering and starting the car is as easy as keeping the awesome keycard in your pocket from using the smart entry and twisting the elegant knob behind the gear lever. Driving the Volvo S90 around the streets, and immediately noticeable is how the car feels stable and planted in pothole ridden streets. The S90 does not feel unsettled, and is able to absorb the bumps really well without being floaty. If you are looking for a canyon carver, look elsewhere, as the Volvo S90 has been made primarily for comfort in mind. As with the Volvo XC90, we felt refreshed and relaxed, as we've been accustomed to driving cars with firm suspensions or cars that don't ride as well as this S90. Without pretentions of being sporty, the Volvo S90 lunges forward with less immediacy of a BMW 5 Series, and most people will find that completely fine.
Further aiding its comfort oriented nature is its relaxed steering, because while it is accurate and responsive, provides little in terms of feedback. Refinement is also top notch, with the engine barely producing any noise when treated sensibly. The thick insulation around the body and the sound deadening glass will easily put every passengers into a sleep.
The 2.0 liter diesel engine and 8-Speed Automatic is a great match in city and relaxed cruising, as the gearbox is perfectly refined and shifts are imperceptible, and driving through corners keeps this sedan unfazed despite its comfortable nature. There are no hints of the S90 being boat-like when driven hard. However, there's some lag when mashing the throttle to overtake. It takes a second or two before the gearbox responds to your inputs, but once it does, it provides plenty of torque for overtaking, blistering through highways at a brisk pace.
Treat the car sensibly, and you shall be rewarded with great fuel economy numbers. At this primarily city drive, the S90 D4 netted a fuel economy figure of 10.7 km/l in our hands, which is great for a car of this size and power.
The Volvo S90, as we've mainly established from the beginning, diverges away from the mainstream. Whereas the Germans focus on swoopy designs, often button-filled interiors, driver-focused cabins, and sporty driving dynamics, the Swedes look back to their core competency. Like the XC90, the Volvo S90 does not try to outdo the Germans by being like the Germans. Instead, it focuses on being Swedish to the core, from the car's philosophy, to the way the car drives, looks, and works. Too many companies nowadays try to focus on beating the Germans by trying their best to being just like them, and just as countless people have told us, just be yourself, or rather, be a better version of yourself.
Interior Quality: ★★★★★
Practicality: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Price: P4,195,000
TagsDrive and Review • Viking Cars Incorporated • Volvo S90
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wonderful! The Lord's at the helm, isn't He! I was just reading Elder Callister's talk and struck by the power of the three principles he shares.
It seems to me that all thoughtful people must admit that organizations which have a long-term agenda to push seek to influence the minds of the young. To me, the biggest problem with the common-core is that it provides for curriculum to be created at a single place. By allowing a national curriculum to be set by the US Department of Education, we are allowing a single point of failure in the battle to protect the minds of the youth of this nation. Secular humanists, Communists, Socialists, and other groups who seek to build an America that is fundamentally different from the one envisioned by Jefferson, Adams, and Washington actively seek to influence young minds by controlling public education. Regardless of the current quality of the common-core standard, establishing a single point of influence for the minds of America's youth is a supremely short-sighted idea.


Beck, the ultimate epic genius freak, dropped in for a show on the downlow at Yahoo!'s campus in Sunnyvale on Friday to kick off Yahoo Hack Day. Check out this video of Beck puppet haxx0ring into Yahoo. Freaking hilarious.


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See Comet ISON Slingshot Around Sun: Live SOHO Spacecraft Views
Geoff Gaherty Starry Night Education
Editor's Update: Comet ISON may have survived its fiery trip around the sun. For the latest news on the comet, read: Comet ISON Gets Roasted by Sun and Vanishes, But Did It Survive?
Astronomers all over the world are training their eyes and telescopes on Comet ISON as it approaches its closest distance to the sun on Thursday (Nov. 28), with several unblinking space telescopes offering live views of the comet's solar encounter.
Comet ISON's closest approach to the sun, called perihelion, will occur Thursday at 1:44 p.m. EST (1844 GMT), just in time for the Thanksgiving Day in the United States. But rather than the traditional football game, we'd suggest you watch ISON's progress around the sun instead.
While some predictions suggest that the comet may be visible in daylight, we'd rather you didn't risk your vision by staring at the sun. It might be possible to block the sun from view with a well-placed chimney or lamp post, but there is a better way, and it's 100-percent safe: watch live views from space. [Comet ISON's Sun Encounter: Complete Coverage]
There are several satellites in orbit around the sun which are trained on the sun all the time. One the oldest and still one of the best is SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
You can see the latest video of Comet ISON from SOHO here.
The sun-watching SOHO spacecraft is a joint mission by NASA and the European Space Agency. It launched in 1995 and carries an array of cameras pointed at the sun. You can see live views from the SOHO spacecraft here: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/home.html
For purposes of seeing Comet ISON, the most interesting SOHO instrument is the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph #3, or LASCO C3 for short. This shows a field of view about 32 degrees wide. The sun itself is blocked by a disk at the end of a stalk, its diameter marked by a small white circle.
Because SOHO is in space, there is no atmosphere to scatter the sun's light, so viewers can see the stars surrounding the sun, just as if we were watching a totalsolar eclipse. Actually, the view is much better than at a total eclipse, with stars down to about 7th magnitude visible — slightly better than what the human eye can see.
Very early in SOHO's history, astronomers realized that they could observe comets passing very close to the sun, called "sungrazers." To date, more than 2,400 comets have been discovered by careful skywatchers scanning SOHO's LASCO C3 images. The images from LASCO are refreshed regularly and can be seen here.
Whenever you check this page, you will see the most recent image from space, usually not more than an hour or two old. Go there right now, and you will see the sun's current coronal activity and, in the background, the stars on the far side of the sun.
Over the next few days, if all goes well, you will see Comet ISON's progress around the sun. It should enter LASCO C3's field of view at the right side on Tuesday November 26.
Comet ISON will pass just below the sun on Thursday and then move upwards, leaving the field on Saturday afternoon. In our graphic, the yellow circle shows the LASCO C3 field of view, the gray parabola is ISON's path, and the stars of Scorpius are in the background. ISON is shown in its position on Wednesday November 27.
It's impossible to say in advance exactly what we will see in the next few days. By watching the comet's progress in the LASCO camera, you will participate in a great astronomical adventure.
Will the comet break up? Will it continue on to be one of the brightest comets in history? As of this writing, no one knows, but by watching it on LASCO, you will know as soon as anyone.
NASA will hold a live Google Hangout from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST (1800 to 2030 GMT) to stream views of the comet during its closest approach to the sun. You can watch the Comet ISON hangout live on SPACE.com here.
Editor's note: If you snap an amazing picture of Comet ISON or any other night sky view that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.
You can follow the latest Comet ISON news, photos and video on SPACE.com.
This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.
Still Intact Comet ISON Enters SOHO's Field Of View | Video
Photos of Comet ISON: A Potentially Great Comet
Best Telescopes for Beginners | Reviews and Comparisons
Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts
Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
UK to give airports aid after COVID rules tightened
Britain's government said on Saturday it would give financial aid to airports before the end of March, after the industry called for urgent support as tighter COVID-19 rules for international travellers start on Monday. Aviation minister Robert Courts said the government would launch a new support program this month. "The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme will help airports reduce their costs and we will be aiming to provide grants before the end of this financial year," he announced on social media, adding that more details would follow soon.
In taking charge of a Pentagon battered by leadership churn, the Biden administration will look to one holdover as a source of military continuity: Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. President-elect Joe Biden will inherit Milley as his senior military adviser, and although Biden could replace Milley, he likely won't. A Princeton-educated history buff with the gift of gab, Milley has been a staunch defender of the military's apolitical tradition even as President Donald Trump packed the Pentagon with political loyalists.


Both A-League semi-final ties are set up nicely for the second leg...and they're very hard to call.
Sydney FC produced perhaps their best performance of the season in the first half at Aussie Stadium, Terry McFlynn man-marking Nick Carle out of the game cleanly and cleverly, and Alex Brosque and Steve Corica providing the enterprise and invention in attack.
The second half from Butcher's side was predictably disappointing, as the home team ran out of puff towards the close for the umpteenth time this season. McFlynn's departure with a groin strain was significant: Mark Milligan, as Nick Carle hinted afterwards, did not quite have the Newcastle playmaker's measure. Still, it needed a tremendous individual goal from Milton Rodriguez to put the visitors on the scoresheet, and keep them in the reckoning.
So who's the favourite now? Probably Sydney, by a whisker. Newcastle have failed to keep a clean sheet against the champions so far this season, and if Sydney can find the net again on Friday, Newcastle will have their work cut out. Having said that, extra time is surely a very strong possibility.
Difficult, too, to pick a favourite in the other semi-final. Ernie Merrick would probably be happy to have left Hindmarsh with a draw (and his team selection indicated that he harboured few genuine attacking ambitions in the match), but Melbourne's record at Telstra Dome of late has not been good. An early away goal for Adelaide, and they will probably get through, in my opinion.
Adelaide suffered from a lack of penetration down the left at Hindmarsh, with Bobby Petta succumbing to injury and Jason Spagnuolo not quite match-fit. With an extra week to recover, Spagnuolo may still play a key role in the return leg. Travis Dodd, on the opposite flank, had a superb game; it was a pity that some of his lead-up play was not rewarded with finishing of similar quality.
Time to put my head on the block.
Every time I've picked against Sydney they have proved me wrong, so in the interests of a Sydney FC win, I'll pick Newcastle in the minor semi. And I'll stick to my guns and predict a grand final at Hindmarsh, probably after a score draw in Melbourne.
It's fitting, in many ways, to have the major semi-final contested between the two teams who gave us the finest match of the season. We can surely expect some more excellent football over the course of this tie.
Adelaide would have to be heavy favourites for the first leg. Following a late win over the champions and a comfortable cruise into second place against the Mariners, John Kosmina's men will be full of confidence. On the other hand, Melbourne have lost the final two games of the regular season, the second in quite ignominious fashion, and the team shape has been altered considerably.
A couple of fellow tragics have commented to me that they were surprised to see Ernie Merrick making so many changes in the run-up to the finals, given that the season was a short one, and tiredness would not be a significant factor. It's worth remembering, though, that Melbourne completed a very long pre-season schedule, which included an invitational tournament in Queensland, and several warm-up matches.
With Daniel Piorkowski out for the season, Melbourne's chief problem is the left side of defence. Travis Dodd is in good form, and is surely likely to cause the premiers some concern on the right wing. Alessandro's defensive capacities are doubtful, and Adrian Caceres is far more effective in the final third; the choice should probably fall on the trusty jack-of-all-trades Steve Pantelidis.
On the other side of defence, Simon Storey will surely reclaim the right-back spot from Vince Lia, whose deficiencies were brutally exploited by the Newcastle attack.
Otherwise, it should be a familiar Melbourne line-up.
Adelaide face something of a dilemma in attack, with Carl Veart returning. Diego Walsh has been lively and influential, and Kosmina will surely be tempted to start him in the attacking midfield role, perhaps pairing Veart, rather than Fernando Rech, with Nathan Burns in attack. Burns' partnership with his flatmate Bruce Djite up front looked highly promising last week, however; is it possible that Kosmina will pull an even bigger surprise, and start Djite?
It should be a beauty. I'm tipping 2-0 to the home side this afternoon.
For the second year in succession, the Newcastle Jets feature in the minor semi-final. However, this is a very different Newcastle side from the one that surrendered limply to the Mariners in 2005/06.
They go into the tie on the back of a 4-0 thrashing of the premiers, in which Mark Bridge and Nick Carle were magnificent, and Tim Brown proved an able replacement for Paul Kohler in midfield.
Gary van Egmond is unlikely to change his formation. As for his personnel, it's possible that Andrew Durante will be restored to defence, but given Paul Okon's confident display against Melbourne, it would be hard to drop the club captain. Restore Jade North to the right, then? Difficult to justify, with Steve Eagleton in such excellent form.
A dilemma for van Egmond, but not a particularly unpleasant one.
Sydney FC, on the other hand, have perhaps their key midfielder suspended, and Alvin Ceccoli still on the treatment table.
Terry Butcher's unexpected switch to 3-5-2 against Queensland did the trick in the end, but Sydney were often badly exposed on the left side of defence, particularly in the first half. With Newcastle, unlike Queensland, fielding a true right-winger in Joel Griffiths, it's hard to see Butcher repeating the experiment.
This leaves Nikolai Topor-Stanley on the left of a back four to face Griffiths, and a difficult assignment it is for a player as essentially one-paced as "the Hyphen". Robbie Middleby will have to work hard to limit the upfield excursions of the quick Eagleton, who often provides such vital support to Griffiths.
As for Sydney's midfield, will Terry McFlynn, buoyed by the faith the club has shown in him, be asked to hold the fort on his own in the centre? A fine tackler he may be, but his passing game often disappoints, and rapid turnover of possession is not advisable against a side as fluent as Newcastle.
A more likely scenario, in my view, is the addition of Mark Milligan to the midfield alongside McFlynn. A second body in central midfield would allow McFlynn to dog the steps of Nick Carle again, as he did so effectively in the previous game between the two sides. Iain Fyfe had an outstanding game in central defence against Queensland, and he is likely to stay there, with Ruben Zadkovich continuing in his newfound role of right-back.
This would leave room for only one striker, of course. That is, unless Butcher were to take the unprecedented step of dropping either Carney or Corica, both of whom have been regulars since returning to the starting eleven against Adelaide in Round 13.
Brosque alone up front again? It's not a particularly edifying prospect, but given that such a formation proved ultimately successful against Newcastle on New Year's Day, I think it might end up being Butcher's choice.
The pitch is likely to be uneven once more, thanks to some egg-ball exertions yesterday evening, but it's hard to see this favouring Sydney as it arguably did at Energy Australia Stadium a month ago.
It will be an intriguing contest. I'm picking a 1-1 draw.
Some more trite favourites to add to the list.
Of course, when you're 3-0 down with ten minutes to play and you manage to get one into the back of the net, it could be described as consolation. Unfortunately, it never gets described as anything else.
Words such as "encouragement", "relief", "pride", "respectability" and "dignity" are all equally applicable to getting on the scoresheet in a long-lost match. But all we ever get is consolation.
Far too prosaic, these days, to merely talk about "an excellent chance", "an easy chance", or "a chance that should have been taken". Far more appropriate, apparently, to reach straight for a metaphor that has been done to death.
One of the problems with this phrase is that it tends to obviate any discussion of why the chance may have been missed. On a player's weaker foot? At a slightly difficult height (such as Reinaldo's 69th-minute free header against Sydney on Saturday)? Or was the player caught in two minds, with another option available?
I'm still waiting for some witty caller to refer to a platinum-edged chance one of these days.
Simon Hill has proved himself an excellent caller over the last few years, but he does tend to rely a little heavily on the comment above. It can refer to teams or individual players, although it tends to be applied more commonly to the former.
Team down 2-1. Striker on for a defender. The phrase above appears with monotonous regularity.
Some more musings on the contrasts between Sydney's first season and their second.
That's right, down by an average of about 1,700 per game.
Terry Butcher's "drab, defensive and cautious" style, then?
Well…there were some other factors.
Dwight Yorke was the face of the A-League in Season 1, without question. His glinting smile was to be seen accompanying any number of newspaper stories and colour supplement puff pieces, and he was featured prominently in Sydney FC publicity.
When he departed, the champions lost their major drawcard.
Then there was the World Cup Factor.
After reaching a lull towards the middle of the season, Sydney FC's crowds in Season 1 were boosted in the weeks surrounding the unforgettable 16th of November. The mid-season game against Perth, immediately following the triumph at Homebush, attracted a crowd of over 16,000, who witnessed a dismal 0-0 draw.
In the same round, a year later to the day, a crucial top-of-the-table encounter attracted 2,000 fewer patrons.
The dire football Sydney FC produced early in Season 2 had its effect on attendances, no doubt. But to pretend that this was the only factor – as some have done – is disingenuous.
And that's not all. The sequence of nine games within easy reach of Parklea this season was followed by a game in Melbourne, an hour's flight away, and then…three more games in NSW.
And, not surprisingly, Sydney's nine-game unbeaten run occurred during that period.
Defensive firmness, and the return to fitness of certain key players, certainly contributed to that impressive series of results. But would Butcher's men have achieved the same with the rigours of travel thrown in?
The five-game NSW-only sequence in 2005/06 produced a similar unbeaten run (three wins and two draws, for the record). The three NSW clubs are obviously going to encounter these travel-free periods from time to time, but Sydney's extraordinary "home run" through October and November was something of a one-off…and a considerable blessing.
Now that my nerves have subsided and I can look forward to at least one more trip to Aussie Stadium this season, it's perhaps a good time to make some comparisons between Sydney FC's 2005/06 performance and the current team's efforts, over the 21 games of the regular season.
There are some other in-and-out discrepancies one could mention (involving Zadkovich, Brockie, Bingley, Timpano, the unlamented Alex Salazar and the short-term specials Kazu and Carbone), but the major changes were as above.
There is no doubt that Yorke was a great loss, and not just in a marketing sense. Although he certainly slacked off in the immediate aftermath of his country's World Cup qualification, for much of the season he was the most assured Sydney FC player.
Even in his sole appearance under Terry Butcher, we could see why he was so valuable. No-one in the league was as good at holding the ball up despite the close attention of a number of defenders, and in the second half on August 28, he gave a commanding display in midfield.
Andrew Packer tended to escape notice in Sydney FC's opening season, but he was one of Littbarski's most consistent, reliable performers, and in the grand final his contribution was outstanding – he was easily Sydney's best on field.
Alex Brosque, after an uncertain start, has ultimately added a very useful option up front for the club; it's worth remembering that all of the strikers at Littbarski's disposal were on the "elderly" side, and not blessed with much pace. After deploying him in an unsuitable lone striker role for so many games, Butcher seems to have finally found a niche for Brosque, who has shown a steady improvement through the season.
Nikolai Topor-Stanley attracted plenty of praise for his early performances, but it quickly became clear that his passing was, at times, desperately poor. Last night, in his first appearance in sky blue for some time, the old problem resurfaced.
As, however, did his unquestionable strength in the air, which he used to good effect many times, particularly against Reinaldo.
The simple conclusion – already commented on by many – is that Sydney are stronger defensively this season, but weaker in attack.
The truth is slightly more complicated than that, however.
In the early part of this season, Sydney were conceding a fair few; in the first nine games, Clint Bolton was beaten thirteen times. The golden period for Sydney FC defensively was its nine-game unbeaten run towards the end; in one particular sequence of eight games, from rounds 13 to 20, Butcher's men conceded only three goals.
Why have I chosen this sequence, in particular?
Because, significantly, it coincided with Mark Milligan's run in central defence. My opinion on Milligan's optimal use has not changed.
Hearty congratulations to Gary van Egmond, and to the Newcastle Jets for becoming the third team to make the A-League finals.
They have certainly deserved it, given their performances throughout the season. Arguably the best side in the competition to watch, they brushed the premiers aside last night in an energetic display, aided by some woeful Melbourne defending.
I felt that van Egmond was taking something of a risk in restoring Paul Okon to central defence in such a crucial game, given his propensity for sudden brain-fades at times this season. Jade North, too, continues to look somewhat uncomfortable in the middle; Archie Thompson made a monkey of him in the first half, after he'd given the ball away. Luckily for van Egmond, Thomspon could only hit the outside of the post.
Yet despite their obvious deficiencies in defence (to which one can add Ante Covic's often dreadful positioning), Newcastle can be devastating in attack – especially when Nick Carle gets into the groove.
Carle attracts plenty of breathless plaudits, but the hard truth is that he does not always "turn it on". On difficult surfaces (v. Sydney in Round 18) or in stifling conditions (v. Perth in Round 20) he can struggle. Yet he has looked a re-invigorated player this season, after being deployed wastefully on the wing for much of last season by Richard Money.
Mark Bridge has been one of the season's great success stories. When I've harked back to his indifferent recent spell at Sydney Olympic, my Well-Informed Covite friend (who always keeps me on my toes) has reminded me that Bridge did in fact score a fair few goals for Olympic, and that he had perhaps not the most congenial strike partner in Nick Bosevski, who had an abysmal state league season.
At Newcastle, Bridge has developed into a fine opportunist, a striker of both poise and power. His finish for the first goal last night was far more difficult than it looked, with Roddy Vargas still snapping at his heels and Michael Theoklitos advancing. The fact that Bridge made it look so easy says much about his progress this season.
So, can Newcastle go all the way? Much will depend on other Round 21 results, I feel. If Newcastle can indeed beat the odds and sneak into second place, they would be favourites for the title, in my view. But should they be forced to play off with a side other than the one they have recently humiliated, things won't be so easy. For the record, I rate them as capable of beating either Sydney or Queensland over two legs…but not Adelaide.
On the matter of the other Round 21 fixtures, Gary van Egmond has become the latest of many to criticize the staggering of the final round of matches. He (and the others) certainly have a point.
Surely the A-League can strike some sort of compromise with Foxtel on this matter. It is absolutely standard practice to have final round games commencing at the same time; even the World Cup, which lives and dies by its TV revenue, follows the accepted procedure.
The whole question of fixtures is one for Matt Carroll to have a very close look at before next season. The demands of Foxtel (and of the other football codes, on shared grounds) are pressing, but surely there can be some improvement on the messy, unbalanced fixture list many clubs were forced to deal with this term.
The limitations of Terry Butcher's conservative 4-2-3-1 formation have been glaringly apparent in recent weeks.
For a start, Alex Brosque is completely unsuited to a lone striker role. Playing with back to goal is inimical to him, and without the strength to hold the ball up in the face of powerful defenders, he is often forced to drift wide in search of meaningful action.
With David Carney still on the wrong wing and Steve Corica's age starting to show, Sydney FC have been toothless in the final third. Ufuk Talay, too, has drifted out of form, failing to produce the sort of incisive passes which caused so much damage during Sydney's impressive mid-season run.
Now, with two regular first-teamers suspended against Queensland, Butcher must find the courage to take some risks.
It's time for a second striker. Queensland's defence is eminently fallible, especially with Ognenovski only just returned to the first eleven and McCloughan suspended. With Petrovski still struggling for fitness, the choice should probably fall on David Zdrilic; Brosque would then be given the opportunity to fulfil a supporting role, in which he has looked quite effective at times.
The loss of Mark Milligan for the Suncorp game is a crushing blow, but the suspension to Terry McFlynn may just be a blessing in disguise.
Matt McKay's absence is likely to draw much of the sting out of Queensland's midfield. Although most Sydney FC fans have (with good reason, I feel) doubted the ability of Ufuk Talay to play alone in defensive midfield, given his mediocre tackling ability, this is surely the time to try it. A second body up front would also help to relieve Steve Corica of some of his creative responsibilities, allowing him to contribute in a defensive capacity.
A small point to add: there have been some grumbles about the lackadaisical approach to training supposedly adopted by Butcher, and in the last couple of games Sydney have indeed run out of puff in the final half-hour (as, in fact, they have on many occasions this season). Whatever his tactical eccentricities, Littbarski certainly had his men fitter.
If Newcastle prevail against the premiers on Friday, Sydney FC cannot afford to be underdone at Suncorp.
In his latest dispatch from the States, World Soccer's American scribe Paul Gardner has welcomed the Beckham Rule. Not so much on the grounds of increased exposure, but because, he believes, an influx of foreign stars will give the quality of the league a fillip. He cites the recent MLS Cup final between eventual champions Houston Dynamo and the New England Revolution, which he describes as a lousy, vapid and boring game.
I'm not sure he will be proved right. The A-League's experience with marquee signings has been decidedly equivocal, and the previous spells in the MLS of foreign luminaries such as Lothar Matthäus and Luis Hernández – a star for Mexico at the 1998 World Cup – have been largely disappointing.
David Beckham's lack of first-team action at Madrid, his disputes over image rights, and his wife's desire to mingle with the Hollywood crowd have surely been the salient factors behind his decision to cross the Atlantic in August. He will generate interest, for sure; but in the long term, will it be worth it?
Gavin Hamilton, WS's editor, has poured some cold water on his colleague's enthusiasm, suggesting (not without reason) that the LA Galaxy's relative lack of "brand" could militate against the generation of sufficient income to cover the significant, erm, expenses of Beckham's stay in the US.
- After ten years of existence, only now is the MLS putting a youth system into place at club level. The clubs have refrained from venturing into youth development in the past partly because of the bizarre draft system, which ensures that clubs would not be able to hold on to young players they have developed. But there is a financial angle as well, and the fact that, as mentioned in Part 1, younger players are receiving only subsistence wages should give Australia's youth league blatherers something of a reality check.
- The MLS has yet to put in place any promotion/relegation system, and is not likely to do so in the foreseeable future. Although I believe that such a system can be workable in Australia, and may even be a necessity once the league expands, there are serious obstacles.
Well, well. The short-term Topor-Stanley deal has been blocked by the FFA after all.
Not good news for Sydney FC, but from a consistency point of view, the FFA have made the right decision.
They should, however, seriously consider scrapping this extremely subjective like-for-like rule for the 2007/08 season.
So it has come to this, as Ned Kelly said. Four A-League teams still have a chance of clinching second place going into the final round, although Newcastle's chances of doing so are remote.
Although the Roar's achievement in clawing their way back into the top four has to be saluted, the truth is that they were outplayed for long periods against both Adelaide and Melbourne. Damian Mori, belatedly returning to form, has been crucial to their impressive run.
I feel that Frank Farina has yet to find a truly effective combination. Spase Dilevski continues to drift here, there and everywhere, and Dario Vidosic, in and out of touch, has been similarly maltreated. Andrew Packer continues to be employed, bizarrely, on the left side of defence. Of the strikers, Mori is the only ever-present.
At least Farina has had the sense to make Hyuk-Su Seo a fixture in the holding midfield role, where he has gone about his business quietly and most efficiently. The suspension to Matt McKay, a driving force in midfield all season, will hurt, but the recovered Massimo Murdocca should slot relatively neatly into McKay's shoes against Sydney FC.
Josh McCloughan is also suspended for the final regular season game. It will be a tough choice for Farina between Remo Buess and Stuart McLaren in central defence; given the deficiencies Buess has occasionally shown in the role, I would plump for McLaren. But I suspect Farina might go the other way.
As for the goalkeeping position, despite Tando Velaphi's outstanding debut effort against Melbourne, Liam Reddy must surely return. For one thing, Reddy was magnificent against Sydney in the Round 14 game.
With Mark Milligan out for Sydney, there is a need for pace in the Queensland attack; Mark Rudan and Jacob Timpano will be able to deal with strength and height, but Alen Marcina's efforts for New Zealand at Aussie Stadium showed quite clearly where Sydney's deficiencies in defence lay.
For that reason, Farina might be best advised to bite the bullet and play Vidosic as a supporting striker. Although Reinaldo too possesses considerable pace, his main attribute is his physical power, and he is likely to be matched in that department.
In the next instalment, my suggestions for Sydney FC's embattled manager.
An in-depth (ahem!) preview of the final A-League round to come later in the week when I can get my thoughts together, but for now I'll limit myself to the following brief piece on the recent Beckham circus.
David Beckham's recent, sensational decision to join the Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the current European season has shifted much attention in the football world towards the United States. In the last few days we've heard that Edgar Davids, the out-of-favour Spurs midfielder, is being courted by another MLS club, FC Dallas.
All thanks to the passing of the Designated Player Rule, now known as the Beckham Rule, in the US.
It might be salutary to take a closer look at the changes occurring in US football, and at the structure of the MLS itself, which has many parallels with the fledgling A-League.
The MLS has been struggling financially since its inception. Teams have folded, attendances have been middling to poor, and salaries, particularly for the "roster" players, are often abysmal.
Yet recently there have been a number of changes for the better. One is the introduction of soccer-specific stadiums, a long-term goal for the league which finally seems to be bearing fruit. Another is the signing of a recent TV deal, similar to last year's windfall agreement in Australia, which guarantees significant revenue (and exposure) in the years to come.
Then there's the Beckham rule.
Basically, the new Beckham Rule permits the signing of what we would call marquee players. In the US, it is the league itself, rather than the individual clubs, that negotiates contracts and pays player salaries. Until now, a salary cap of approximately US$2 million has been enforced for each club, although extra money from sponsorships and the like has sometimes not been taken into account.
A set amount of money from the income of the new marquee players will still fall under the cap (unlike in Australia), with pay cuts inevitably resulting. However, the initial signs are that the league will increase its revenue significantly with Beckham's arrival; although he is not to appear until halfway through the 2007 MLS season, LA Galaxy season tickets have been selling like hotcakes (it's worth noting, however, that their stadium holds only 27,000). This should eventually trickle down to the players, one hopes.
Mike Cockerill's thoughtful piece on Rob Baan, Australia's new technical director, has probably dispelled a few misconceptions in some quarters.
Pleasingly, Baan has confirmed that he's not simply here to "import" a Dutch style, and he has readily admitted that the much-lauded Dutch approach is not without its problems, especially in terms of the value (or lack thereof) placed on individuality.
In my opinion, the importance of unorganized street football in producing players capable of pulling tricks at crucial moments cannot be underestimated. Elsewhere in the article, Baan hints at the desirability of fostering this further in Australia.
Of course, such football only tends to be truly widespread in countries with third world conditions in some areas of the big cities. Significantly, though, it still flourishes even in some affluent parts of Europe – such as France.
Baan's comments rather put into perspective the current craze for futsal as a means of developing technical excellence, which seems largely predicated on the fact that "Brazilians do it".
One of the great strengths of Australian football, in my view, is that it has the capacity and the willingness to absorb many different influences, while maintaining a healthy scepticism. Already, along with the vastly overstated British influence, successive waves of migration have meant that we have had a taste of other styles, mainly from continental Europe.
It's a unique position in world football, in some ways. And worth exploiting.
Last night's disappointing draw against a dreadful New Zealand Knights – who showed that despite their improvement against Queensland and Sydney, they have some way to go yet – has probably ended the Mariners' title hopes this season.
The injury curse, already covered in some detail here, has hit them once again…with a vengeance. They have badly missed the creativity of Tom Pondeljak in midfield lately, not to mention the experience of Tony Vidmar at the back; however, the most serious loss has been the chronically absent Nik Mrdja.
Some rumblings emanating from Gosford have suggested that there is an element of malingering involved in Mrdja's continued spell on the sidelines, but whatever the cause, he has been irreplaceable up front (now that Damian Mori has gone on his way).
Not least because Lawrie McKinna's side has relied largely on Adam Kwasnik for goals. And the bustling young attacker has been woefully off-beam recently.
Watching Kwasnik's progress through this season has been enormously frustrating. With his driving runs, intelligent off-the-ball movement and fine close control, he looks one of the most accomplished young forwards in Australian football. Until he gets the chance to shoot, that is.
Not only did he send an embarrassing number of shots several feet wide of goal against the Kiwis, but in at least two cases he had far better options available. On one upfield run, Kwasnik could have quite easily played in Andre Gumprecht, who had taken up a perfect position on the left as the defence backed off. And the German would have been a very good bet to score.
Instead, Kwasnik scuffed another one wide of the mark.
Genuine, dependable finishers are quite rare in Australian football. Damian Mori is still the best of the bunch, even at his advanced age. But is Kwasnik merely suffering from stage fright, in his first season as a genuine first-teamer in a genuinely professional (pace Northern Spirit) side?
In this year's pre-season, he was scoring regularly; against Perth in the first pre-season cup game, I saw him combine smoothly and effectively with Stewart Petrie up front, and he scored a fine goal. The occasion, however, was decidedly pressure-free.
I still believe that he has much to offer, whether as a winger or a central striker. But how exactly does he get his confidence, and composure, back?
With Ricki Herbert overseeing a rapid improvement in the New Zealand Knights, and Walter Smith, Scotland's manager, apparently in line for the vacant Glasgow Rangers gig, now is perhaps a good time to examine the phenomenon of the part-time international manager.
International football itself continues to be marginalized in the post-Bosman era, and the Abdelmajid Oulmers case, if we are to believe some of the more alarmist predictions, threatens its very existence.
Does national team management really need to be a full-time position?
A national coach's genuine "on-task" time would probably average out at only two or three months per year. The general assumption seems to be that in the meantime, he will be scouting new international hopefuls, checking on the progress of his existing roster, devouring DVDs of performances by his future international opponents, devising schedules for the training camps, etc.
Nine months' worth of work? Hardly.
We have heard in recent days that Guus Hiddink is not entirely happy with his job in Russia, and is preparing to move elsewhere.
Maybe he is disappointed with the talent at his disposal and the facilities available to him, or perhaps he finds the climate and culture uncongenial. Perhaps the job was always intended as merely a springboard to Chelsea. But is it possible that Hiddink is simply suffering from ennui?
He managed to combine the Australian job with coaching duties at PSV most successfully. With Korea in the lead-up to the 2002 World Cup, Hiddink prevailed upon the local authorities to release the players from club duties several months out from the tournament, and he was able to work with them on virtually a day-to-day basis. They were not short of match practice, either, getting through a solid schedule of friendlies prior to the event, in which they performed so well.
In other words, it was about as close as you could get to club management.
Ricki Herbert could surely combine his international duties with the New Zealand Knights job in the longer term. The A-League, after all, is still an extremely brief league competition by world standards, and New Zealand's opportunities for serious international matches are circumscribed by their continued presence in the ridiculous Oceania confederation.
Conflicts of interest may crop up at times, and this is perhaps the reason why the part-time phenomenon is not all that widespread in the football world. But Herbert would surely find more convergences than conflicts of interest as the coach of the A-League's only New Zealand side.
How things have changed since I penned this piece.
Not only have the New Zealand Knights bagged two wins on the trot, but they are playing some good football, and seem to have recovered their confidence.
New coach Ricki Herbert certainly appears to have hit upon a good formation. Neil Emblen and Alen Marcina complement each other superbly well up front, and their contributions deserve an extended mention.
Emblen, one of the Knights' most consistent players over their two-year existence, has been the utility player par excellence, the Knights' version of Philippe Cocu. Contributing manfully in defence towards the beginning of the season, he has looked the part up front in the last couple of games; scoring an impressive goal against Queensland, he also proved surprisingly adept at holding the ball up despite the attentions of a number of defenders.
Of all the Knights' British imports, Emblen has been far and away the best.
Alen Marcina has been a revelation in his brief stint in the A-League. The 27-year-old journeyman has shown ample pace, good positioning, and a pleasing willingness to run at the defence. Tonight, he ruthlessly exploited Jacob Timpano's lack of match fitness in the first half, dealing similarly with an out-of-sorts Iain Fyfe at times.
The other palpable success story of the Knights' season has been their excellent goalkeeper, Mark Paston. The hero of the home win over Queensland in November, Paston made a number of crucial saves against Sydney FC in this evening's game, and his positioning was consistently good.
Whether the New Zealand side can, or even should, remain in the A-League beyond 2006/07 is still far from certain. But under Ricki Herbert, they are making a very good case - on the field, at least.
There have been some disparaging murmurs about the "convenient" yellow cards picked up by Adrian Leijer and Archie Thompson against the Mariners on New Year's Eve.
Personally I have no problem at all with their actions. Melbourne have earned the right to position themselves as strongly as possible for the finals series, and, most importantly, the acts through which Thompson and Leijer received their cautions were not physically dangerous.
Contrast this with Luis Figo in the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League, whose repeated (and ultimately successful) attempts to get himself booked in Real Madrid's dead rubber against Leeds United were both blatant and dangerous.
The real issue here is that the rules of the competition are flawed. Finals games, with their disproportionate significance, should not have their results influenced by events (and possibly questionable decisions) far back in the regular season. They constitute virtually a separate competition, and should be treated as such.
Surely the sensible thing to do would be to make all disciplinary records from the regular season redundant come the finals.
Only if a player attracts a red card in the final game of the regular season would I advocate a suspension - if the decision was correct (see here).
For the first fifteen minutes of the second half last night, Sydney FC produced easily the best football we've seen from them this season.
It was quite reminiscent of their play during the pre-season win over Perth, now a distant but fond memory for fans of the club. And there were some striking tactical similarities.
In both cases, David Carney deserted his right-wing role and shifted infield, leaving the right-back (Ruben Zadkovich in last night's game) to essentially cover the flank in its entirety. Once Carney was properly able to take part in the midfield interplay, rather than hugging the right touchline as he has been wont to do over the last couple of years, he was considerably more effective.
He faded badly as the match wore on, spraying aimless balls forward and contributing little. But for those fifteen minutes, we finally saw Carney exercise the sort of influence he did last season.
The whole episode again cast doubt on his deployment on the right wing, where he is forced to cut inside into traffic with monotonous regularity.
My Well-Informed Covite friend expressed his surprise to me last season that a player as accomplished as Carney had reached a decent professional level despite being so palpably one-footed. I'm not quite so surprised at this; there have been plenty of great players of the past who heavily favoured one foot over the other (the late Ferenc Puskas, for one), but what has lessened Carney's effectiveness even further this season is that he has shown little evidence of the pace that troubled opposition defences in 2005/06.
In this piece, dealing with that Perth game, I suggested that Carney may eventually find a central role more suitable. In that pre-season outing he was involved in both goals, and of course he was the architect of Sydney's opening goal in Newcastle, sliding that beautifully-weighted pass through to Corica on the right.
Plenty of Sydney fans, myself included, have been baying for Carney to be moved to the left wing since his return from injury. Yet Terry Butcher has resisted the move, and although Carney could surely provide better service from his "proper" side, you would have to question whether he could get past his man all that often.
It would be interesting to see him play in the centre for a full game. Until such time it's difficult to tell whether it suits him, but it must be worth a try.


The most important thing in a sales letter is the headline, it can't be emphasized more. Use a red headline to grab attention. Make sure the headline is catchy, in bigger font, and preferably in the font Tahoma.
You need to start your sales copy by getting the prospects' attention. After the headline does its job, you'll need to get your prospects' attention by telling them what they are seeing here. Tell them right away what they are getting in the sales letter they are reading now.
You've got your visitors' attention, what you need to do next is start telling them a story and have them interested in what you have to offer. Interest them by mentioning what You have for Them – them, them, them, you're always thinking of the benefit on Their side!
When they are ready to know what you want to offer them, then it is a good time to make them want it more. Mention how your product is able to change their lives, tell them how bad things can turn to good after getting your product – always remember that it's about them, not you!
Already have them thirst for your product deeply now? Great – you are now going to sell them the product. Urge them to buy your product, tell them that they must have this product of yours.
It is proven more than enough that direct sales letter with a long copy of a single page works the best to sell a product. This way you can list out everything your prospects need to know and wouldn't let them have a moment to be confused at all. You get their attention, interest them, explain everything, get their desires out and Bam – sell them the product.
Nothing is better than a proof from people who have their lives changed because they purchased your product. By providing testimonials, you get a third party to support you and that urges your prospects into buying more easily. We rather purchase something people recommend, don't we?
You don't want to clutter your sales copy with fancy colors, graphics and so on. It is important that your prospects focus more on your words, the texts rather than the design of your sales letter, color of the background etc.
A good sales letter will need to hook its readers without fail. We are used to finishing a single task – in this case, a story since young. Ever watched an exciting movie and stopped in the middle because you need to accomplish some other things? It feels voided if you do so, right?
This is the same case, people will try and finish every story they read, especially an interesting one. If you can write a good story and keep your prospects hooked right down until the order button, you succeeded.


Rajon Rondo has been a strong support of the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse, and Nike has done him well with several Boston Celtic inspired PEs. Above we have the "Away" version of his PE decorate with his number, "9", on the ankle. Black plays the major role on the upper and almost completely hides the internal workings of the sneaker. Celtic green takes of occupancy on the branding, as well as the insole, and outsole. Look for these on the Rondo's feet when the Celtics come to your town.


Retouching for Moen Faucets •Many elements were isolated, retouched, and moved •The man was silhouetted and put in, towel and legs were from separate image •Several images were used for the faucet, water, razor, his hand, and parts of sink •Towel on sink, brush and bowl on sink were moved and reflection and sink surface was re-created •Walls were extended, smoothed, and light panels on wall were retouched. •Tile backsplash was enlarged, and a second faucet created. •A second faucet was created, retouched and color corrected.


text:
Hand-Drawn Plot Diagram of "Inception"
By Chris Higgins
I liked Inception, the Christopher Nolan movie about dreams-within-dreams. Not only was it a wild ride as an action movie, but it presented a little puzzle for viewers at the very end, in the final shot. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that the end puzzle is solvable by viewing the movie in detail and following the logic of what's happening. Or you may choose your answer based on emotion -- as I'm sure most viewers do. Or you can do what I did: go with your gut, then check your work using math and a careful second viewing.
Without spoiling the movie, let's just say it contains a series of layered plots. There's a lot going on -- and it is explained onscreen, although the details may fly past you during the action. It's the kind of movie that made me want to take out a piece of paper and try to figure out what actually happened. (And yeah, I consider that a good thing.) Well, guess what? Director Christopher Nolan already did that, and has published his work -- below is his hand-drawn diagram of the movie, showing the various layers of plots. The details of each plot are not shown, but the architecture of the film is.
If you haven't seen the movie, examining this image in detail is a huge spoiler. If you HAVE seen the movie, it's a remarkable document -- an infographic that shows the director's thinking behind the movie's complex structure, as well as revealing some changes along the way (note the Arthur/Eames change). This image comes from the book Inception: The Shooting Script, which includes some extra material on the movie including an interview (read an excerpt here). Unfortunately, the scan is slightly cut off on the left, so we're missing a few bits of Nolan's scrawled notes. I guess you'll have to buy the book for the whole thing. Anyway, here's the plot diagram:
Click here for a much larger version -- SPOILERS ABOUND!
If you're into this sort of thing, check out J.K. Rowling's Plot Spreadsheet.
(Via In Contention.)


We headed up to Mt. Hood for some Valentine's Day snowshoeing and were the first ones to arrive at the White River Junction Sno-park even though it was late morning.
Dramatic clouds formed all around us, with patches of blue sky. The snow was un-tracked with two inches of fresh powder as we followed the river up basin a few miles up towards Timberline.
At the end of the track, as we contemplated crossing the very deep snow over the river channel, a very kind woman RAN up to us (not out of alarm, she was running the whole time) and let us know that it wasn't a safe thing to do and suggested back-tracking a bit and taking a higher trail (good advice). We passed her again on the way down (she was doing a second lap!).
Windy, but warmer than expected. The mountain was mostly hidden the whole time.
Stopped at Timberline Lodge and had a beer and hot chocolate in the Rams Head Bar. Dinner at the Skyway Bar and Grill in ZigZag. Epic bout of food poisoning followed.


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msafi ri 56 n December 2006, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle met with a handful of advisors to discuss whether he was going to vie for America's highest offi ce. A decision had to be reached quickly. The elections were less than two years away and as a relative newcomer to the US national scene, Obama had a lot of ground to make up to have a fi ghting chance of becoming the 44th president. Michelle Obama asked her husband: Why do you want to run? " This I know; when I raise my hand and take that oath of offi ce, I think the world will look at us differently. And millions of kids across this country will look at themselves differently." In February 2007, on a cold windy day in Springfi eld, Illinois, Obama launched his bid, pledging to " build a more hopeful America". This was a huge step for a man with a relatively thin resumé, having served only one Senate term and with little executive experience. Obama, arguably the greatest orator of his generation, skillfully turned it to his advantage. " I recognise that there is a certain presumptuousness in this, a certain audacity to this announcement," he said as he launched his bid. " I know that I have not spent a long time learning the ways of Washington, but I have been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington have to change." REVOLUTIONARY CAMPAIGN His fi rst real test was to win the Democratic Party ticket, and he did so convincingly to become the fi rst black candidate of a major political party. Obama's campaign scored a number of fi rsts. He raised more money than any other candidate in US history. He built an impressive campaign from the ground up, a truly grassroots campaign. He revolutionised the use of new age technologies such as the internet, and even became the fi rst candidate to run adverts inside video games – how über cool! Obama was determined to make his supporters the pillar of his campaign. " This is about you," he told his supporters time and again. " Yes We Can" became the rallying call of a generation, galvanizing a nation searching for a new identity. He sold himself as an agent for the change America desperately needed, urged the country to overcome political polarisation and long- standing divisions, and gave millions hope that the dream was within reach. Obama knew it would not be an easy victory. During one of his campaign's darker moments, he reminded his supporters that, " No change is simple. Change is hard." LONG TIME COMING The 2008 presidential campaign was the longest and most expensive in US history, a thrilling, hard fought race to the White House. In an exhilarating fi nish, the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman became the fi rst black president of the United States of America. It was an extraordinary triumph as Obama rode " a righteous wind" to defy history. During his victory speech to a roaring crowd in Grant Park in his hometown of Chicago, Obama celebrated the American dream. " If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible… tonight is your answer," he told an emotional and overjoyed crowd. " It has been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defi ning moment, change has come to America." On 20 January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of offi ce to become the 44th president of the United States of America. His journey has come full circle, from a young man who struggled to fi nd his identity in a complex nation, to the president of a country desperate to craft a new destiny and image for itself. Obama's success is certainly a universal symbol of hope. Millions of kids around America will look at themselves differently, just as he hoped they would. But his triumph belongs not just to America. It also, rightly, belongs to the world. OBAMAMANIA Obama's exotic background and diverse heritage endeared him to a global audience early in the race. After eight years of disastrous foreign policies that had left America's moral stature in tatters, he offered a compelling opportunity for America to redeem itself , and his victory would be the reason many needed to begin to respect and admire America again. In Berlin, Germany, Obama drew a crowd of almost 200,000 people, confi rming that Obamamania really was a global phenomenon. As 4 November 2008 – election day – grew closer, the world held its breath. Would Americans elect Barack Obama? In the end, yes, they did! His victory sparked raucous celebrations around the globe. People of all races, religions and ages wept and laughed and whooped with joy over his victory. From the town of Obama in Japan, to the fi nancial capitals of Europe, to remote villages in Africa, his historic achievement heralded a new day, not just for America, but for the world. In Africa, where many feel a strong connection with Obama, and claim him as one of their own, one would have been forgiven for thinking that Obama had been elected the president of Africa. " I was happy to see Obama winning. He's young, fresh, good looking, and full of ideas. It's nice to fi nally see someone that the common man can identify with," says Blessing Obasohan, a 24- year- old accountant based in Lagos. Nana Awere Damoah, a Ghanaian writer, says Obama taught the world to " stop limiting ourselves to the box when we can go beyond the perimeters and reach the pinnacle." KENYAN SON But nowhere was this sense of pride greater than in Kenya, his father's homeland. Obama had been a local hero in Kenya since he became Barack to Michelle I THINK THE WORLD WILL LOOK AT US DIFFERENTLY. AND MILLIONS OF KIDS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WILL LOOK AT THEMSELVES DIFFERENTLY Obama special
msafiri 57 4 November 2008, a night to remember, Obama becomes the new President- elect of the USA timothy a. clary/ afp/ getty


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Travelscape, LLC v. Isaac Goldstein
Complainant is Travelscape, LLC of Bellevue, Washington, United States of America ("United States" or "U.S."), represented by Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, United States.
Respondent is Isaac Goldstein of Hong Kong, China.
2. The Domain Name and Registrar
The disputed domain name <traveosity.com> (the "Disputed Domain Name") is registered with DropCatch.com 573 LLC (the "Registrar").
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") on February 24, 2016. On February 25, 2016, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Disputed Domain Name. On the same date, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing Respondent's contact details.
The Center verified that the Complaint satisfied the formal requirements of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy" or "UDRP"), the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules"), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Supplemental Rules").
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2 and 4, the Center formally notified Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on March 1, 2016. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was March 21, 2016. Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified Respondent's default on March 22, 2016.
The Center appointed Isabel Davies as the sole panelist in this matter on April 6, 2016. The Panel finds that it was properly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as required by the Center to ensure compliance with the Rules, paragraph 7.
In 2015 Complainant changed its name to Travelscape, LLC. Complainant's predecessors in title include, among others, Travelocity, Inc.
Complainant, together with its predecessors-in-interest, are referred to collectively as "Complainant". Complainant has used the mark TRAVELOCITY since 1996 and has an extensive range of registrations for the mark TRAVELOCITY around the world dating back to 1999.
Complainant is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world's largest travel companies.
The Disputed Domain Name was registered on January 24, 2016.
5. Parties' Contentions
A Complainant
i. The Disputed Domain Name Is Confusingly Similar To Complainant's Marks
Complainant states that it is the record owner, itself or by assignment from its predecessors-in-interest, of the TRAVELOCITY marks that are central to this proceeding, including U.S. trademark registrations. It states that its predecessors-in-interest include, among others, Travelocity, Inc.; Travelocity.com LP; Terrapin, Inc.; and TSGL Holding, Inc. In 2015, the corporate name of Complainant was changed to Travelscape, LLC. Complainant states that, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term "Travelocity" is used to refer collectively to Complainant; Travelocity, Inc.; Travelocity.com LP; Terrapin, Inc.; TSGL Holding, Inc.; and Complainant's other predecessors-in-interest; and/or Complainant's corporate affiliates who use the TRAVELOCITY trademarks under authority from Complainant.
Complainant states that it bases its Complaint on its (1) use, registration, and ownership of the trademark TRAVELOCITY as well as TRAVELOCITY-formative marks; and (2) ownership and use of the domain name <travelocity.com>.
Complainant states that Travelocity, founded in 1996, is a leading provider of consumer-direct travel services for the leisure and business traveler. Complainant markets and distributes travel-related products and services directly to individuals using its mark TRAVELOCITY and its various brand websites and contact centers and is one of the most recognized online travel brands, offering thousands of travel destinations to more than 20 million travelers per month.
Complainant states that it is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world's largest travel companies and that Travelocity's main website,"www.travelocity.com", was launched in 1996. Through the site, travelers can take control of their bookings and reservations and research information about potential destinations. It is one of the most powerful one-stop travel sites on the Internet, providing secure online reservation capabilities for air, car, hotel, and vacation reservations, plus access to a database of destination and other travel information. The site provides reservation information for more than 700 airlines, more than 50,000 hotels, and more than 50 car rental companies.
Complainant states that it has been using the trademark TRAVELOCITY, either standing alone or in combination with other word and/or design elements, for its travel-related services since 1996. For nearly twenty years, Complainant has continuously advertised and offered services and products under the TRAVELOCITY name and mark. Complainant claims that it accordingly has developed strong rights in the TRAVELOCITY marks.
Complainant has, for years, extensively promoted its TRAVELOCITY services and "www.travelocity.com"
website throughout the world through online, print, and television advertising campaigns, and email communications, and used its TRAVELOCITY mark for its various social media platforms and mobile applications, including the TRAVELOCITY apps.
The promotion and exploitation of the TRAVELOCITY marks and all related sales, advertising, and promotional activities, Complainant states, have generated, and continue to generate, significant sales of
Complainant's services and products around the world.
Complainant states that it owns trademark and service mark registrations on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its TRAVELOCITY marks, including TRAVELOCITY, TRAVELOCITY BUSINESS, and TRAVELOCITY PARTNER NETWORK for use in connection with the following services, among others:
- providing airline, car rental, tour package, and general travel information via a global computer network;
- providing hotel information and reservation services via a global computer network;
- making hotel reservations for others via a global computer network;
- providing information about vacation destinations via a global computer network; and
- travel agency services, namely, making reservations and bookings for temporary lodging, and for entertainment events, facilities and services.
Complainant states that it also owns numerous registrations for the TRAVELOCITY marks in countries around the world, including, but not limited to, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and countries of the European Community.
Complainant and the "www.travelocity.com" website have received several awards over the years, including the "World's Leading Travel Internet Site" for nine consecutive years; the 2006 Best in Business Travel Award: Best Website for Booking Travel; the 2007 Stevie Award for Best Marketing Campaign; and the 2008 Atlas Best Overall Branding Award.
Complainant states that its "www.travelocity.com" website received an estimated 3,511,418 unique visits in November 2015, and is ranked #620 in terms of websites visited in the U.S.
In addition, Complainant states, Travelocity also owns the country-specific domain name <travelocity.ca> to direct Internet users to its site regarding Canada.
Complainant contends that, as a result of its longstanding use and promotion of the TRAVELOCITY marks, the consuming public and the trade recognize and associate the TRAVELOCITY marks with Complainant. Accordingly, the TRAVELOCITY marks have acquired a high degree of public recognition and distinctiveness as a symbol of the source of high quality services and products offered by Complainant, and embody valuable reputation and goodwill belonging exclusively to Complainant.
Complainant contends that Respondent is a known cybersquatter with a pattern of registering as domain names the trade names and marks, or variations thereof, of third parties and that Respondent has been found to have registered and used domain names in bad faith by numerous panels and refers to eleven cases including Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG v. Isaac Goldstein, WIPO Case No. D2015-2168; Comerica Bank v. Isaac Goldstein, WIPO Case No. D2015-1997; and Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin v. Isaac Goldstein, Hulmiho Ukolen, Poste restante/Domain Admin, Whois Protection, this company does not own this domain name s.r.o., WIPO Case No. D2015-1787.
It states that a number of the UDRP decisions involving Respondent have specifically discussed Respondent's bad faith registration of domain names, including typos into domain names, based on the trademarks and trade names of third parties, or variations thereof, and Respondent's use of such domain names to direct web traffic to websites from which Respondent derives a financial benefit.
It refers to Comerica Bank v. Isaac Goldstein, WIPO Case No. D2015-1997 and Softronic AB v. Privacy Protect / Frank Lancaster / Isaac Goldstein, WIPO Case No. D2013-0637. Complainant contends that Respondent's operation of domain names plundering the reputation of well-known marks and trade names and exploiting the reputations of Complainant and others is an abuse of their rights and equates to bad faith and refers to HBH, Limited Partnership v. Michele Dinoia/ SZK.com, WIPO Case No. D2005-1159 and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu v. Henry Chan, WIPO Case No. D2003-0584.
Complainant states that Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name on or around January 24, 2016, well after the TRAVELOCITY mark and "www.travelocity.com" website became well-known in the U.S. and other countries and that, since registering the Disputed Domain Name, Respondent has used it to redirect Internet traffic to a click-through revenue portal featuring a number of links that offer travel related products and services such as, by way of example, "Cheapest Flights," "Great Vacation Deals," "Luxury Beach Vacations," and "Last Minute Vacation Deals." Complainant contends that these links generate revenue for Respondent through a monetization service offered by Trellian Pty and its affiliate Above.com.
Complainant contends that the Disputed Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant's well-known TRAVELOCITY mark, as it is nothing more than a misspelling of the TRAVELOCITY mark by deleting the letter "l" and replacing the letter "c" with the letter "s".
Complainant states that such misspelling of the TRAVELOCITY mark is a classic example of typosquatting and refers to Tumblr, Inc. v. Jingsheng Feng, WIPO Case No. D2013-0454 (finding that "[i]n light of the distinctiveness of the . . . mark and of its renown this apparent misspelling . . . of a single letter that could easily be mis-typed appears to the Panel to be more than just a co-incidence and amounts to a classic example of typo-squatting").
UDRP panels have consistently ruled that domain names which misspell a well-known mark are deemed confusingly similar to that mark.
Given the renown of Complainant's TRAVELOCITY marks, including Complainant's well-known "www.travelocity.com" website, plus Respondent's documented history of typosquatting and targeting trademarks owned by others and the fact that the Disputed Domain Name is an intentional misspelling of the TRAVELOCITY mark, Complainant submits that the only conclusion should be that the Disputed Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant's TRAVELOCITY marks.
ii. Respondent Has No Rights or Legitimate Interests in respect of the Disputed Domain Name
Complainant submits that, since Complainant's adoption and extensive use of the TRAVELOCITY marks predate Respondent's first use of the Disputed Domain Name, the burden is on Respondent to establish rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name and that where, as here, a complainant's marks are so well-known and recognized, there can be no rights or legitimate use by Respondent.
Complainant contends that the Disputed Domain Name is not, nor could it be contended to be, a legitimate name or nickname of Respondent, nor is it in any other way identified with or related to any rights or legitimate interest of Respondent. Respondent is not known by the name "traveosity" or "traveosity.com" or any variation thereof.
Complainant states that Respondent cannot demonstrate or establish rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name. There is no relationship between Complainant and Respondent giving rise to any license, permission, or other right by which Respondent could own or use any domain name incorporating or imitating the TRAVELOCITY mark. Complainant refers to Telstra Corporation Limited v. Nuclear Marshmallows, WIPO Case No. D2000-0003.
Complainant states that Respondent has never been given any permission by Complainant to register or use the Disputed Domain Name, or any other domain name incorporating or imitating Complainant's TRAVELOCITY name and mark. Respondent is not an authorized affiliate of Complainant and there has never been any business relationship between Complainant and Respondent.
Complainant submits that Respondent is neither using the Disputed Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services nor making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the Disputed Domain Name and that Respondent has used the Disputed Domain Name, without permission or authorization from Complainant, to capitalize on the TRAVELOCITY marks and <travelocity.com> domain name and to redirect web traffic to a click-through portal with links offering travel related services unrelated to Complainant. Such use, it submits, is not a legitimate purpose but is an example of typosquatting. It submits that numerous panels have previously found that typosquatting does not constitute a legitimate use of a mark, and is "the obverse of a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of a domain name." Edmunds.com, Inc. v. Digi Real Estate Foundation, WIPO Case No. D2006-1043.
Complainant submits that, in view of its extensive use of its unique TRAVELOCITY marks for years, and the fact that Respondent has no rights in the TRAVELOCITY marks, Complainant reasonably believes that Respondent has registered and is using the Disputed Domain Name not for any legitimate noncommercial or fair use purpose, but rather to profit from the traffic generated through the Disputed Domain Name.
iii. The Disputed Domain Name was registered and is being used in Bad Faith
Complainant contends that Respondent has registered and is using the Disputed Domain Name in bad faith for commercial gain and to benefit from the goodwill and notoriety associated with Complainant's TRAVELOCITY marks. It contends that Respondent has acted in bad faith by leveraging the notoriety of the TRAVELOCITY marks to monetize and profit from the web traffic that flows through the Disputed Domain Name.
Complainant submits that Respondent's bad faith is also exhibited by the fact that Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name years after Complainant's TRAVELOCITY mark became well-known, and has used the Disputed Domain Name to profit via a click-through revenue portal and that Respondent was and is fully aware of Complainant's rights in its TRAVELOCITY marks when Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name and used such to offer links to competing travel related services. Complainant contends that Respondent is using, without authorization, the goodwill and reputation built by Complainant in its TRAVELOCITY marks.
Complainant also contends that Respondent's bad faith registration and use of the Disputed Domain Name are also established as this is an example of typosquatting, as "traveosity" is simply a misspelling of Complainant's TRAVELOCITY mark. A "finding of 'typosquatting' is sufficient to establish use and registration in bad faith." FragranceX.com, Inc v. Argosweb Corp a/k/a Oleg Technio in this name and under various aliases, WuWeb Pty Ltd, Alichec Inc., Belroots Pty Ltd, Crystal Image Pty Ltd, Elarson & Associates Pty Ltd, Lidnick Webcorp, Liquid SEO Limited, Loshedina Inc, Luchichang Pty Ltd, Netmilo Pty Ltd, Orel Hlasek LLC, Volchar Pty Ltd, Web Pescados LLC, Webatopia Marketing Limited, ZincFusion Limited, Chin-Hui Wu, Domain Administrator, Denholm Borg, Denesh Kumar, Marcelos Vainez, Alex Ovechkin, Vlad Obchikov, WIPO Case No. D2010-1237.
Finally, Complainant submits, Respondent's bad faith registration and use is further established by the fact that Respondent has an established pattern of bad faith cybersquatting. Respondent has been found in over thirty prior proceedings as having registered and used in bad faith domain names based on the marks of others. Such history and pattern of bad faith registration and use of domain names is, in itself, an indication that Respondent's action in registering and using a typo in a domain name based on the TRAVELOCITY mark is in bad faith. Toyota Motor Credit Corporation v. Digi Real Estate, WIPO Case No. D2005-1111 ("Respondent's bad faith is established already by the fact that Respondent was involved in several domain name dispute resolution proceedings as a respondent").
Based on all of the above, Complainant contends that it has met the requirements of the Policy by demonstrating not only Complainant's own legitimate interest in its TRAVELOCITY marks, as evidenced by its extensive use of the marks for years, but also that Respondent has no legitimate interest in the Disputed Domain Name. Respondent's registration and use of the Disputed Domain Name to divert Internet traffic for commercial gain shows Respondent's bad faith. Accordingly, Complainant contends that it is entitled to the transfer of the Disputed Domain Name.
Respondent did not reply to Complainant's contentions.
The Policy establishes three elements, specified in paragraph 4(a) that must be established by Complainant to obtain relief. These elements are:
(i) The Disputed Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark or service mark in which Complainant has rights;
(ii) Respondent has no rights or legitimate interest in respect of the Disputed Domain Name;
(iii) The Disputed Domain Name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
Each of these elements will be addressed below.
Complainant must establish these elements even if the Respondent does not reply (see The Vanguard Group, Inc. v. Lorna Kang, WIPO Case No. D2002-1064). However, under paragraph 14(b) of the Rules, the Panel is entitled to draw such inferences as it considers appropriate from a party's failure to comply with any provision of or requirement under, the Rules, including Respondent's failure to file a Response.
In the absence of a Response, the Panel may also accept as true the reasonable factual allegations in the Complaint (see ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. v. Richard Giardini, WIPO Case No. D2001-1425 (citing Talk City, Inc. v. Michael Robertson, WIPO Case No. D2000-0009)).
Paragraph 15 of the Rules provides that the Panel is to decide the Complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted. As the proceeding is an administrative one, Complainant bears the onus of proving its case on the balance of probabilities. Complainant must therefore establish all three of the elements specified in paragraph 4(a) of the Policy on the balance of probabilities before a decision can be made to cancel or transfer the Disputed Domain Name.
The Panel accepts that Complainant is the record owner, itself or by assignment from its predecessors-in-interest, of the TRAVELOCITY marks referred to above and that its predecessors-in-interest include, among others, Travelocity, Inc.; Travelocity.com LP; Terrapin, Inc.; and TSGL Holding, Inc.
The Panel accepts that Complainant, founded in 1996, is a leading provider of consumer-direct travel services for the leisure and business traveler and is a well recognized online travel brands, offering thousands of travel destinations to more than 20 million travelers per month.
The Panel notes that Complainant is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world's largest travel companies and that Complainant's main website, "www.travelocity.com", was launched in 1996.
The Panel accepts that Complainant has been using the trademark TRAVELOCITY, either standing alone or in combination with other word and/or design elements, for its travel-related services since 1996 and has advertised and offered services and products under the TRAVELOCITY name and mark thereby developing strong rights in the TRAVELOCITY marks.
The Panel accepts that Complainant owns relevant trademark and service mark registrations in many countries for a variety of travel goods and services, together with domain names.
The Panel accepts that, as a result of Complainant's longstanding use and promotion of the TRAVELOCITY marks, the consuming public and the trade recognize and associate the TRAVELOCITY marks with Complainant and that the TRAVELOCITY marks have acquired a high degree of public recognition and distinctiveness.
The Panel accepts that the Disputed Domain Name is a misspelling of the TRAVELOCITY mark as the letter "l" has been deleted and the letter "c" has been replaced with the letter "s".
The Panel therefore finds that the Disputed Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant's TRAVELOCITY mark.
The Panel accepts that the Disputed Domain Name is not a legitimate name or nickname of Respondent, nor is it in any other way identified with or related to any rights or legitimate interest of Respondent who is not known by the name "traveosity" or "traveosity.com" or any variation thereof.
The Panel accepts that Respondent cannot demonstrate or establish rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name and that there is no relationship between Complainant and Respondent giving rise to any license, permission, or other right by which Respondent could own or use any domain name incorporating or imitating the TRAVELOCITY mark.
The Panel accepts that Respondent has never been given any permission by Complainant to register or use the Disputed Domain Name, or any other domain name incorporating or imitating Complainant's TRAVELOCITY name and mark and that Respondent is not an authorized affiliate of Complainant and there has never been any business relationship between Complainant and Respondent.
The Panel accepts that Respondent is neither using the Disputed Domain Name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services nor making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the Disputed Domain Name, but is typosquatting which does not constitute a legitimate use of a mark.
The Panel therefore finds that Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the Disputed Domain Name.
The Panel accepts that Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name years after Complainant's TRAVELOCITY mark became well-known and that Respondent was fully aware of Complainant's rights in its TRAVELOCITY marks when it registered the Disputed Domain Name.
The Panel accepts that Respondent used this registration which constitutes typosquatting, to offer links to competing travel related services using, without authorization, the goodwill and reputation built by Complainant in its TRAVELOCITY marks.
The Panel also accepts that Respondent's history and pattern of bad faith registration and use of domain names is in itself an indication that Respondent's action in registering and using a typo in a domain name based on the TRAVELOCITY mark is in bad faith.
The Panel accepts that Respondent has registered and is using the Disputed Domain Name not for any legitimate noncommercial or fair use purpose, but rather to profit from the traffic generated through it. The Panel therefore finds that Respondent has registered and used the Disputed Domain Name in bad faith.
For the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the Disputed Domain Name <traveosity.com> be transferred to Complainant.
Isabel Davies


Laser Wart,Mole and Skin Tag removal.
1) How are Warts and moles removed?
We use a laser to remove the warts,moles and skin tags.
2) Is the procedure pain free?
The procedure is of just 10 minutes and is completely pain free.
3) Will there be any scar marks left after the skin heals?
There will be no scar or marks which will remain after wart/mole removal.
4) Will they come back?
A skin tag will never come back,however if it is a viral wart it might recur after sometime from some neighboring region.
5) Which all areas the warts/skin tags can be removed?
We at FACE KRAFT specialize in areas around neck and face and these are the areas we remove the skin tags and warts from.


Cameron, Kenneth M.* and Chengxin Fu.
CAMERON, KENNETH M.* AND CHENGXIN FU. The Lewis B. & Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458 USA; Laboratory of Plant Systematics, Department of Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China. - Untangling the catbriers: phylogenetic studies in Smilacaceae.
Smilacaceae are a family of monocotyledons typically characterized by climbing habit, reticulate leaf venation, paired tendrils on the petioles, unisexual flowers with six stamens, and superior ovaries found throughout the world. Deviations from this generalized description of growth form and floral morphology have led to the division of Smilacaceae into at least two different families, two subfamilies, seven different genera, and five sections within the largest genus, Smilax. In particular, taxa with either fused perianth, more than six stamens, or herbaceous habit have been difficult to classify. Moreover, the affinity of the family among monocots has been a matter of debate. Current treatments of Smilacaceae based partly on molecular evidence recognize three genera: Smilax, Heterosmilax, and Rhipogonum positioned near Philesiaceae and Liliaceae. Our cladistic analyses of 61 taxa using 51 morphological characters show that Heterosmilax, Pseudosmilax, Oligosmilax, Pleiosmilax, and Nemexia are monophyletic clades embedded within Smilax itself and that Rhipogonum is a monophyletic sister genus. Within Smilax, the erect woody habit has evolved from climbers on several occasions, but herbaceous species are monophyletic and those with inflorescence of more than one umbel also share a common ancestor. Preliminary DNA sequence data derived from the trnL-F intergenic spacer conflict with the morphological trees and support the view that Heterosmilax is sister to Smilax with Rhipogonum sister to this pair. These molecular data are limited and weakly supported, however, and continued sampling with more variable gene regions is required before the catbriers can be fully untangled.


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« Paperwork Seen to Hit Struggling Schools Hardest | Main | "And the Winner is...": AERA Awards »
Teenage Researchers Probe Flaws in Their Schools
By Debra Viadero on May 5, 2010 3:25 PM
When was the last time you heard a high school student spouting quotes from Paulo Freire and W.E.B. DuBois?
That's what I heard over the weekend at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. This year, for the first time, the association invited high school researchers from around the country to come and share findings from their own "action research" projects.
The researcher "mini-me's" came from inner-city high schools in Chicago; Los Angeles; Oakland, Calif.; Tucson; and other cities. They've been working over the last few years with university-based researchers and their own teachers on projects aimed at improving educational circumstances in their own communities.
I sat in on a presentation by an impressive group of kids from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. The kids—Maurice McCoy, Richard McClain, Jaqui Herrera, Rebecca Torres, and Gabriela Dominguez—have been working since 2008, after school and over the summers, with researchers at UCLA's Institute for Democracy. They have learned how state and local budget cuts have affected their communities and identified barriers to college access in their own school.
The high school researchers surveyed fellow students, read the writings of social-justice theorists, collected information on state spending on educational and social services, and eventually developed a list of "educational demands."
In their AERA presentation on Sunday, the group shared videotapes of some of their student interviews and photos of empty library shelves. They also noted that Manual Arts has just two college counselors for 3,500 students and observed that the only colleges showing up at their college fairs are community colleges.
"I didn't even know we had AP courses until 11th grade," said Ms. Dominguez, a senior.
Back home, the group has also been sharing its findings with teachers and district school officials. In response, they said, the school has adjusted its counseling schedules to make college guidance more available to students.
"When you do stuff like that it kind of changes the way teachers view you," said Mr. McCoy, who is also a senior. "It's just a matter of being empowered." I say more power to them.


This past weekend, two Nike Air Force 1 models were release – one mid and one hi. Both releases are extremely simple two-toned models – something that has kept the Air Force 1 popular for so long.
The Air Force 1 Mid release is a white and dark obsidian model. Dark Obsidian accents appear on the heel, Nike Swoosh, inner lining and outsole. The laces are also dark obsidian. As with all Air Force 1 Mids, the ankle strap is not removable. This release can currently be found at House of Hoops, Foot Locker, and online at Footlocker.com for $95. See below for a link to buy online.
The Hi release is a white and vivid orange model. Vivid orange has become the unofficial color of May and, after the success the LeBron 9 Low Floridian had, why not? This Air Force 1 Hi has an all white upper with vivid orange accents on the Nike swoosh, outsole, tongue logo, and removable ankle strap. The Air Force 1 Hi Vivid Orange release is available in House of Hoops and Foot Locker locations now for $100.


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Roadways staff on 24-hr fast today; buses to run
FARIDABAD: The Haryana Roadways Workers' Union has announced to observe a 24-hour hunger strike from 11 am on Thursday in protest against the imposition of ESMA and hiring of private buses.
Faridabad, September 19
The Haryana Roadways Workers' Union has announced to observe a 24-hour hunger strike from 11 am on Thursday in protest against the imposition of ESMA and hiring of private buses.
Ramashray Singh, secretary of the union, said here on Wednesday that the hunger strike would be observed in response to a call given by the Joint Action Committee of the union. He said the decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the committee which resolved to condemn the move of the government to bring the transport services under ESMA. Moreover, the workers' union was upset with the decision of the state government to hire around 510 buses from private operators to enhance the capacity of the roadways fleet.
Alleging that the state government was bent upon implementing the policy of privatisation and outsourcing, he said that it would only result in winding up of the state Transport Department in a phased manner, which he said was not acceptable.
He said the hunger strike would begin at 11am at respective bus depots throughout the state and would continue till 11am on Friday. The strike would not affect the plying of buses as the committee was not in favour of causing any inconvenience to the commuters, he added.
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