Use science to improve game

In a year when the NHL has shut itself down, people have kept looking up. The Space Shuttle has flown over American cities to celebrate its retirement from service, NASA has landed the Curiosity probe on Mars, and Felix Baumgartner has broken the sound barrier while jumping out of a balloon 24 miles above New Mexico.

While launching Gary Bettman into space or dropping Donald Fehr from the stratosphere might be appealing ideas to hockey fans right now, there is more for hockey to take from humanity’s latest explorative exploits than cartoonish revenge for lost NHL games or Ilya Bryzgalov jokes. When top-flight pro hockey does return to North America, it's time to start taking better advantage of the gifts that science has given the world.Western Canadian distributor of ceramic and ceramic tile, Technology will not end the lockout, but it can take the game forward.

Everything starts with the puck. It may be hard to believe, but it has been 16 years since Fox introduced the much-reviled glow puck, a disc implanted with more circuitry than you would find in a phone today. While demand for a puck that glows on television is no higher now than it was in 1996, especially with the advent of HDTV,Find detailed product information for Low price howo tipper truck and other products. the fact that pucks can be crafted around electronic transmitters should inspire a change that can act as a technological springboard.

While the FoxTrax system required a motherboard with flashy spokes, all that the puck would need now is an implanted RFID (radio frequency identification) chip.Purelink's real time location system protect healthcare workers in their daily practices and OMEGA interventions. While the glow puck was designed to be viewed on television, the RFID puck would change the game forever.

RFID technology already is part of the NHL. Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning gave jerseys to season ticket holders that had RFID chips implanted in the sleeves. By scanning their sleeves at team stores and concession stands, the Lightning’s biggest fans can get discounts on merchandise and food.

The technology is not limited to close-range applications at a cash register or an electronic toll reader on the highway. In San Antonio, Texas, there are schools that use RFID-embedded identification cards to track students. Controversial though this may be, the ability to pinpoint the location of an RFID chip can be a boon to the NHL.

Even with one of the best video-review systems in sports, there are limitations to what the NHL can do with instant replay. If there is a pileup of bodies in the crease on a disputed goal, it is borderline impossible for officials to tell whether the puck crossed the line. All the overhead and in-the-net cameras in the world are useless if the puck is in the glove of a goaltender with his hand straddling the goal line, or under someone’s leg. The preponderance of teams who wear black equipment make sorting out tricky scoring plays even more of a challenge.

With RFID-implanted pucks, the NHL would be the first major professional sports league to use technology to ensure correct scoring decisions. While soccer, the global game and the top challenger to hockey’s Big Four status in North America, wrestles with the decision of whether to even use cameras on the goal line, hockey could move well ahead and begin to stake its own claim as the “Sport of the Future.”

Combining RFID pucks with tags on each player’s skates, the NHL could also use technology to make infallible decisions on offside and icing plays, and end controversy once and for all on too many men on the ice penalties.The TagMaster Long Range hands free access System is truly built for any parking facility. By programming a rules violation to automatically trigger a sound or a notification to a referee to blow his whistle, the NHL could theoretically take its linesmen off the ice, freeing valuable real estate on an ice surface that stays the same size as players get larger through the years.

In addition to taking factual decisions out of the hands of mistake-prone humans, RFID-equipped pucks and skates have another application that can turn into another great leap forward for the NHL, and that's in the load of data that they can record.

Thanks to the tireless work of the NHL’s Real Time Stats crews at all 30 arenas, we know that Florida Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell played 2,205 minutes and 31 seconds last season, the most ice time in the NHL. But which skater put in the most mileage on ice? The holy grail of hockey statistics, passing numbers, could be within reach with further application of technology. Using location data to create heat maps for teams and individuals would help forward-thinking teams to plot their strategy based on players’ actual tendencies rather than observations on scouting reports and video.

For diehard fans, answers to questions like “who’s the best player in the league at scoring top shelf?” would have factual answers. Analysts who track scoring chances would be able to rely on RFID data instead of guessing at whether a shot was attempted from within the scoring-chance area—this human variance is one of the greatest obstacles to scoring-chance data being applicable on a more widespread basis.One of the most durable and attractive styles of flooring that you can purchase is ceramic or porcelain tiles. The possibilities for RFID applications from a hockey data standpoint are endless.

The uses for technology do not stop with tracking pucks and players. Using sensors in helmets has allowed football teams, including at Virginia Tech to better monitor head injuries. The sooner that such sensors come to the NHL, the better. Technology also does not have to mean transmitting anything electronically—some of the greatest uses for scientific advances in hockey are in the evolving protective equipment that players wear, with new materials that provide a higher level of safety for hitter and hittee while preserving the wearer’s flexibility to move on the ice.

The 5th Ever Warkworth Gallery Hop

On Saturday and Sunday October 13th and 14th hundreds travelled to the 5th annual WARKWORTH Gallery Hop. The creativity in Warkworth is palpable in the paintings, sculpture,The TagMaster Long Range hands free access System is truly built for any parking facility. folk art, glass, wood, jewelry, textiles and photography.Manufactures flexible plastic and synthetic rubber hose tubing, Featured artists have been busy making or painting new work for the holiday season.

At Frantic Farms Glass blower Paulus Tjiang and Potter Monica Johnston have been very busy. This year Paulus has spent more time in the glass studio and less time on construction projects for their building in Warkworth. Practical is the "IN" for this year.The stone mosaic comes in shiny polished and matte. He developed an exciting new line of stem ware, fun, elegant, and functional. Better than any commercially made drink ware on this planet.

Monica was showing a new selection of wood fired pottery. This very traditional and dynamic method of firing pots yields deep earthy colours. Monica has focused on making a large selection of mugs and bowls of varying sizes.

Our guest artist this year was our long time friend and wonderful sculptor Paul Portelli. He was showing his Terra Cotta masks, animal sculptures figurative work and other whimsies as well he was featuring his new all weather outdoor pieces for the garden.

Monica was demonstrating on the wheel and let some volunteers try their hand at making a pot on the wheel.

The home fires were burnin' as Paulus’ glass studio on Old Wooler Road was open this year and he was demonstrating his glass blowing technique. He had a selection of glass work,The TagMaster Long Range hands free access System is truly built for any parking facility. and education displays, available there as well.

Kim McNeil at Eclectic Mix was featuring work by over 65 regional artists. She also welcomed back guest jewelry artist Elaine Wigle. Elaine's designs continue to captivate her faithful client base and attract new ones.

Gundi Viviani–Finch’s studio is nestled on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding fields, forest, marsh,Western Canadian distributor of ceramic and ceramic tile, and creek. It therefore comes as no surprise that the nature scene outside her studio window provides much of the inspiration for her brilliant and flowing sculptures, in particular the intense cold, bright light, snow and ice formations of the Canadian winter. Her pieces are painstakingly created. Plate glass is cut into small pieces, then tumbled to remove sharp edges, and bonded with an ultra-strong UV-activated adhesive into a multifaceted sculpture. Such pieces glint beautifully in the sunlight during the day, and form spectacular table centre-pieces at night, especially when illuminated from below or with spot lighting from above.

Cheeky Bee has been making 100% beeswax candles for 10 years. Now with the opening of their gallery on Main they feature many whimsical crafts and art. During the Hop the featured artist was painter Jilleen Jones. Her exotic handcrafted jewelry is both nature and vintage-inspired. The jewelry is made using semi-precious stones, glass, shells and other natural materials an array of brass findings in style ranging from simple filigree settings to detailed clusters. Each is an elegant and unique piece of wearable art made in the countryside of Hastings County.

At Pine Grove Studio, Sheree Rasmussen and Clive Russell invited visitors to take a short Hop south of the village. Sheree is a textile artist, and Clive a painter and architect – together they are award-winning landscape designers. Sheree’s abstract wall hangings represent a complex play of colour and pattern, both spontaneous and bold. Clive draws and paints in humble appreciation of the power and brilliance of the landscape. His drawings, acrylics, oil pastels and 3D constructions of situations small and large, both local and afar are greatly influenced by his architectural training. They are featuring as well guest Artists Lenni Workman from Warkworth and Simon Schneiderman from Grafton.

Will 'Consumerization of UC' Drive Contact Center Change?

Now that mobile health care applications are starting to come out of the smartphones woodwork, as reflected in the article “Calling Dr. Smartphone” in the Los Angeles Times,Quickparts builds injection molds using aluminum or steel to meet your program. I think it is time to discuss the impact that universal mobile health care apps will have on two-way consumer interactions with their health care providers, and, ultimately, with other business services as well.

What I was originally going to write about is the fact that when it comes to certain types of consumer services, the providers of such services may proactively require customers, who have personal smartphones and tablets, to use specific types of mobile apps. While health care and financial services may initially dominate such consumer activity, government, education, etc., will also jump on the mobile consumer bandwagon to facilitate their service responsibilities. This trend will impact the role of traditional contact center responsibilities as I described in a recent white paper of a contact center “cloud” service provider Echopass.

I know I keep harping on this point,We specialize in howo concrete mixer, because, for too long, mobile communications meant primarily real-time voice (telephony) connections. Today, with smartphones and tablets, not only are the connections multi-modal and multi-media, but also require user interface flexibility for both initiating and responding to contacts between people and/or with online automated applications.

UC is not just for contacting and socializing with people, although one can obviously do that too, using email,If you want to read about buy mosaic in a non superficial way that's the perfect book. IM chat and SMS messaging. Because people are more accessible, and can communicate more flexibly with mobile devices, there has been a tremendous increase in person-to-person text messaging rather than phone call attempts for voice conversations. However, what we are really talking about is for people to interact with ANY kind of important operational process that they are involved with, without necessarily going through other people to do so.If you want to read about buy mosaic in a non superficial way that's the perfect book. It’s really about where mobility is taking consumers in the new world of cloud-based, self-service applications.Selecting the best rtls solution is a challenging task as there is no global solution like GPS.

When we talk about self-service applications, we mean an informational function that an end user can perform selectively and directly by accessing online portals. Whether it is inputting transactional data with voice or text or retrieving information from a database, the automated application will be cost-efficient and easy-to-use and can satisfy the users need for on-demand access from anywhere, any time.

Mobile self–service apps for consumers will increasingly replace or supplement tasks that only customer-facing staff could perform in the past because there was little or no direct access to such functions without authorized and knowledgeable use of desktop or laptop computers. Now that smartphones and tablets make access to such applications more flexible, simpler and location independent, there should be no question in anyone’s mind that UC enablement can help maximize effective usage of inbound and outbound mobile self-service applications, along with the options for contextual live assistance in various forms.

Time for a Business Security System?

Business owners are often the first ones in and the last ones out, so locking the doors is second nature. But it takes more than a key to protect your small business from theft and other breaches that can wipe out everything you've worked to build.

Many small business owners turn to business alarm systems, which can be helpful in securing valuable assets, including people, equipment, customer records and intellectual property.

For business owners, installing a business alarm system is one way to stay a step ahead of the criminals.

"The FBI says there is a burglary every 15 seconds," said Robert Siciliano, a security consultant. The statistics do not favor businesses that have been victimized, he said. "Police only catch one out of 10 burglars. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics show about 16 million property crimes annually. Burglaries result in over $4.5 billion in losses annually resulting in over $2,000 in losses to the victims. The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association determined property crime averages above 75 percent of all crime."

"One of the biggest indicators for security system requirement is compliance," said Steve Surfaro,Gecko could kickstart an indoor tracking mobile app explosion. channel manager for Axis Communications, a provider of video surveillance equipment. "Should you maintain or process personal identifiable information, such as credit card transactions or maintain patient health records, you already have a requirement to secure this information or access to the servers that might maintain this information. High-value assets of many types, from cash to jewelry, are drivers for protecting the containers or areas containing negotiable or transferrable assets."

Surfaro said identifying, distributing and securing assets throughout your facility will reduce risk.

The actual location of your business will itself be a driver for securing your office or facility, security experts said.

"One measurement is the time it would take a thief to breach your facility's perimeter and gain control of assets,China plastic moulds manufacturers directory." Surfaro said. "Many crimes occur as a result of a thief's ability to commit the crime and leave within a very short period of time. Therefore, if you are close by locations of criminal behavior,The stone mosaic comes in shiny polished and matte. or if your store or office is easily breached within a short duration, you need to consider methods of making your facility less appealing to the criminal. Simple measures like surveillance notices, backed up by an actual surveillance system, together with an intrusion detection system with exterior notification will go a long way toward discouraging criminal behavior."

Small businesses that lease office space in buildings that are not already protected by security alarms should make the investment in a scalable security system.

"If office windows are on street level,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. then attention should also be paid to what can be seen through the windows," said Annie Searle, principal,The stone mosaic comes in shiny polished and matte. Annie Searle & Associates, a risk consulting firm.

She said employees should be trained to re-lock internal doors that lead to common space shared with other businesses. Employees should also be trained to be alert to persons wandering into the office with no apparent business except perhaps to scope out the facilities for a robbery.

Security experts said small business owners need to ask themselves how a security incident could disrupt their ability to conduct business and serve their customers. Or, worse, could it potentially put employees' safety at risk?

"It is always important to protect a facility after hours or protect certain areas during business hours," said David Gottlieb, director of marketing communications for Honeywell Security Group, a security equipment provider. "The idea behind installing a security system is reducing the risk of loss, as well as saving money that might potentially be lost due to a security breach. With no security system in place, a small business owner is risking anything they have inside the business, both hard assets and soft assets, like digital information regarding employees or financials."

Wendy's pigtails get a tweak for first time

For the first time since 1983, the Dublin, Ohio-based fast food company is updating its logo in a move intended to signal its ongoing transformation into a higher-end hamburger chain.

Instead of the boxy, old-fashioned lettering against a red-and-yellow backdrop, the pared down new look features the chain's name in a casual red font against a clean white backdrop. An image of the smiling, cartoon girl in red pigtails floats above — though this girl looks more vivid and not quite as childlike.

In an interview with The Associated Press, CEO Emil Brolick said the current logo had served the company well for the past three decades, but that it was time for an update. Still, Brolick said he was encouraged by consumer feedback in testing dozens of new logo variations over the past several months.

"When we pushed things too far, they very much reeled us back,HOWO trucks are widely used and howo spare parts for sale are also welcomed ." he said, noting that it showed just how attached people are to the brand.

It's only the fifth logo update since founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's in 1969, and perhaps the most significant. The makeover comes as the chain known for its square burgers and chocolate Frosty shakes struggles to redefine itself in the face of intensifying competition from the likes of Panera Bread Co. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., which are seen as a step up from traditional fast food.

Wendy's push has intensified since Brolick came on as CEO about a year ago. In addition to raising perceptions about its food, Brolick is focusing on renovating outdated restaurants with a look that features natural lighting, flat-screen TVs and a variety of seating options, including cushy chairs in nooks.

The idea is to create a more inviting atmosphere where consumers feel they can relax. Starting in March, Wendy's says the updated logo will start appearing on newly built and renovated restaurants.

It's still far from clear whether Wendy's broader reinvention will succeed. But sales at its restaurants open at least a year have edged up for the last five quarters.Argo Mold limited specialize in Plastic injection mould manufacture, Craig Bahner,Find detailed product information for Sinotruk howo truck. the company's chief marketing officer, notes that all brands need to evolve.

"It's a tangible signal of change," Bahner said.

The Wendy's name and original logo were inspired by founder Dave Thomas' daughter, whose real name is Melinda Lou (her siblings couldn't pronounce her name when they were younger, so they called her "Wenda," which turned into "Wendy").

Thomas thought the name conjured the image of the wholesome hamburger restaurant he dreamed of opening.

In his book "Dave's Way," Thomas recalls how the family dressed up Wendy,If you want to read about buy mosaic in a non superficial way that's the perfect book. then 8 years old, in a blue-and-white striped dress for the opening of the first location. To make her pigtails stick out, they put pipe cleaners in her hair. That's roughly the image of the little freckle-faced girl in the logo.

In undertaking the redesign, the company realized there were three key elements that had to be preserved; the image of the little girl,Our vinyl floor tiles is more stylish than ever! the colour red and the way the "Wendy's" font swerves up — what executives call "the wave."

In the new logo, Bahner notes that Wendy's pigtails peek out from the oval frame, bringing her forward and making her more dynamic. The logo will be part of the new restaurant design that Wendy's is looking to expand to its roughly 6,000 locations in North America.

Brolick has noted that the revamps "enhance all dimensions of the Wendy's experience" and that renovated locations see a 25 per cent bump in sales. By 2015, Wendy's plans to have half its 1,425 company-owned locations updated.

Ultimately, Brolick wants the company to be seen as a "top-end" fast-food chain — better quality than McDonald's, but perhaps not at the same level as Panera.

"Our goal is to be a five-star restaurant at a three-star price," he said.

Building on the introduction of its sweet baked potato and Bacon Portabella Melt cheeseburger this year, the company is looking at introducing whole wheat buns and flatbreads. Brolick says those type of small adjustments can have a big impact on perceptions about the healthfulness and quality of the chain's food.

The changes are even extending to employee uniforms, which will be updated next year to have a more tailored look.

The early feedback is positive and Brolick says workers like them — so much so that they even feel comfortable wearing them outside the restaurant.

'Argo' is a Hollywood story with a real-world outcome

"Argo" takes you back. Not just to the dark days of the 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis but to a brighter, earlier time, when Hollywood regularly turned out smart and engaging films that crackled with energy and purpose.

Very much like Clint Eastwood before him, actor turned actor-director Ben Affleck not only has a passion for those kinds of throwback entertainments, he knows that the only way to get them on the screen effectively is to do the work himself.

After a hesitant start with "Gone Baby Gone," Affleck found his footing with the crackling crime drama "The Town" and now takes things one step further with this breakneck tale of how an ace CIA agent rescued six Americans from the jaws of the Iranian Revolution with a little help from,Find detailed product information for Sinotruk howo truck. hard as it may be to believe, the good folks of Hollywood. It's all based on a true story persuasively conveyed — and amplified — in the best classic movie tradition.

Convincingly scripted by debuting screenwriter Chris Terrio from the real-life exploits of retired agent Tony Mendez (played by Affleck), "Argo" is most impressive in the number of moods its director has casually mastered. Affleck easily orchestrates this complex film with 120 speaking parts as it moves from inside-the-Beltway espionage thriller to inside Hollywood dark comedy to gripping international hostage drama, all without missing a step.

Affleck's abilities start with an instinct for storytelling, for always moving the action forward while never losing track of the need to keep events convincingly realistic. The beautifully textured shots by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and the brisk,Allows you to securely organize any group of cable ties or wires. propulsive editing of William Goldenberg combine to relentlessly advance the plot, with not an ounce of narrative fat getting in the way.

Affleck has made sure that "Argo's" acting is reined in — and that starts with him. He and casting director Lora Kennedy have wisely given the six American hostages roles to talented actors (Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishe) with not necessarily familiar names or faces.

Even when the film calls for performers with bigger, more recognizable names — Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman, all in top comic form — Affleck's seen to it that their irresistible wise-cracking stays focused and low-key.Klaus Multiparking is an industry leader in innovative parking system technology.

Before Affleck's character, Tony Mendez,The TagMaster Long Range hands free access System is truly built for any parking facility. enters the picture, "Argo" brings us up to speed two times over. First we see a brisk history of Iran, artfully designed by Kyle Cooper of Prologue Pictures with a combination of comic strip imagery and newsreel footage, that fills us in on the 1953 CIA-backed Iranian coup against the Mohammad Mosaddegh regime and the bringing of the Shah to power.

Then we see a compelling,We specialize in howo concrete mixer, expertly done re-creation of the Nov. 4, 1979, storming of the American Embassy in Tehran and how it was that six Americans were able to escape the building. Collectively known as "the houseguests," they take refuge in the residence of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).

Cactus Removal to Begin in Joshua Tree National Park

On October 15, a contractor's crew will begin removing as many as 800 teddybear cholla cactus from the vicinity of the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park as part of a road upgrade project. The park plans to transplant the moved cacti to nearby areas once the project is completed, with a 75-80% survival rate. And at least some of those cacti will be moved so that visitors can more easily park their cars at the Cholla Cactus Garden.

The cacti will be transplanted as part of repairs and upgrades to the Pinto Basin Road, a major artery traversing the central section of the Park. In the works for some years, the repairs became even more urgent after violent storms in September 2011 washed out the road in several places, closing motorized access to the Park for more than a month. Overall the upgrades will widen the road by about two feet, and make the pavement a bit more resistant to wear.

At issue in the vicinity of the Cholla Cactus Garden are several sharp curves just west of the Garden's visitor parking area, which reduce drivers' sight distance and contribute to the possibility of accidents. The curves are perfectly safe in most conditions if you drive at around 35 miles per hour, but that's apparently asking too much of many travelers -- especially given the miles of more or less straight road on either side that seem to beg for acceleration. People unaccustomed to driving on desert two-lanes can often misjudge the abruptness with which alluvial fans and washes force curves in the road. According to the project's Environmental Assessment, road conditions at the Cholla Cactus Garden and down the road at Porcupine Wash have caused 19 auto accidents, including two fatalities, as well as 33 "personal property accidents.Huge range of polished tiles including polished tiles,"

Driving from the west end of Pinto Basin Road south of 29 Palms to the Cottonwood entrance of the National Park takes you over 35 miles of two-lane road that winds through canyons, rolls into and out of sandy washes, and follows the occasionally unpredictable contours of the desert landscape. Though a few people do use the road as a shortcut between the eastern Coachella Valley and 29 Palms, the majority of travelers on the road are there to see the park. You might think that slowing down would be the way to do that.

There's an odd behavioral quirk that many national park visitors exhibit, though, which will be familiar to some. It's especially true in desert parks, though you can see it in more verdant parks like Yosemite as well.Sinotruck Hongkong International is special for howo truck. People stop at "sanctioned" places such as scenic overlooks and visitor centers, and spend as little time as possible getting from one such sanctioned spot to another. I first really noticed this about 15 years ago at Arches National Park. I'd hiked to a spot about a mile uphill from a roadside viewpoint,It is intended for use by ventilation system designers, and I sat there for an hour watching people pull in fast, jump out of their cars and snap a few photos for 45 seconds or so,Check out the collection crystal mosaic of Marazzi. and then zoom off to the next spot in violation of the park's generous speed limit.

Never mind that the location of Arches' pullouts is somewhat arbitrary, and that miles of gorgeous, strollable slickrock accessible from the road's wide shoulders separated any two given official pullouts. It seemed people were more interested in looking at what they were told they ought to look at than getting a feel for the landscape as a whole. I know that no one came by the place where I was sitting for the hour I spent there, despite its being essentially wheelchair accessible and gorgeous.

My first visit to Pinto Basin Road, in 1996, was on a cold September day when hardly anyone was in the park. Somewhere in the vicinity of the Cholla Cactus Garden I came upon a male tarantula crossing the road: I stopped my pickup in mid-lane with flashers on, got out with my camera, and gawked at the spider for something like ten minutes. No one passed from either direction. If the road had been conducive to faster driving, I might have missed the tarantula, or run it over. As it was the slow road, and the leisurely pace it forced on me, gave me an experience that ensured I'd remember that first visit.

And that wasn't even leaving the road. Ed Abbey said it best, in his book "Desert Solitaire," in a rumination about the National Park Service's desire to pave roads through what was then Arches National Monument:

"A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles."

That's still true, though the gender-specificity of Ed's pronouns could use some updating.

It's hard to argue with the need to make to road safer. It's even hard to argue with the need to make it wider,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. unless the Park Service were to ban vehicles above a certain size from the road, a move that would likely be criticized as unfair to Winnebago drivers. Soft shoulders on narrow desert roads almost guarantee accidents, as inattentive or bored drivers wander off onto the gravel and lose control of their vehicles.

The Park Service could make the road safer by figuring out ways to sharply reduce speeds for a half mile on either side of the dangerous spots, by adding little speed bumps or parking cop cars along the side of the road or by some other means, but those solutions would no doubt prove unpopular. Banning private cars from the road and instituting frequent free shuttles would work even better and be even more politically disastrous. Unpaving the road completely might work, though it would create other problems.

The Park Service says in the road project's Environmental Assessment that difficult driving conditions detract from the driver's ability to appreciate the desert landscape, and that surveys of visitor's perceptions of the Park's safety mention fast drivers on narrow roads. I'm not persuaded that making the road better will address either of those two problems, but I'm going against a hundred years of road-building mythos by saying so. It's pretty much received wisdom among engineers: you address unsafe drivers by making the road capable of allowing them to drive even faster. Few people heed Abbey as he says, elsewhere in "Desert Solitaire,"

Industrial tourism is a threat to the national parks. But the chief victims of the system are the motorized tourists. They are being robbed and robbing themselves. So long as they are unwilling to crawl out of their cars they will not discover the treasures of the national parks and will never escape the stress and turmoil of the urban-suburban complexes which they had hoped, presumably, to leave behind for a while.

And so straightening the road west of Cholla Cactus Garden makes a certain kind of sense. And moving the cacti out of the way of the road has a certain inevitability to it. The chollas that survive the transplanting process will be used to revegetate the old road alignment, so that's at least something.

What doesn't make as much sense to me is the parking lot part of the project. As part of the road upgrade, the Park Service plans to pave the parking lot at the Cholla Cactus Garden, in the process expanding it to the south by 20 or 30 feet. This will provide a few more parking spaces, including a few for the large recreational vehicles in whose interest the road is being widened.