The prime time wild card

It’s a massive office with 20-foot-high ceiling. The mahogany desk on one side adds to the sombre atmosphere of hushed silences and austere power. An archway leads to an office meant only for secretarial staff much smaller in comparison, but big enough for several captains of industry. Walls adorned with large oil paintings of famous parliamentarians look down benignly. Behind the mahogany desk on a large green leather chair sits only the second woman to occupy that seat since Independence. It’s the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, generally perceived to be the second most significant post after the Prime Minister. When Parliament is in session, Sushma Swaraj is seen more at the main gate with her fellow boycotting other members, but that does not mean she has not done her homework. On the great FDI debate in December, her research on the subject and eloquence nearly took the day. She kept it focused, talking to the country through Parliament. “Will Wal-Mart care about the poor farmer’s sister’s wedding? Will Wal-Mart send his children to school? Will Wal-Mart notice his tears and hunger?” Her speech stirred the Lohiaites and was more convincing than the Left. In the end, 14 parties stood behind her. The vote was lost by a whisker, but an evolving reputation was clad in iron.

At the investors’ meet that took place in November 2012 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, her home state now, she arrived a little late as her flight had been delayed. Speeches by industrial leaders and politicians were immediately put on hold and a small wooden stool pushed behind the lectern for her to stand on. There were smiles all around. A stool is kept handy when Swaraj must make a speech. Most people are surprised when they first see Swaraj. She is petite—less than five feet—but her school headmistress demeanour makes everyone else appear a nursery kid, looking up at her. She loves to make small talk in informal settings with people around her and never forgets to ask the well-being of family members if she happens to have met them. At smaller,I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china-mosaics. cosier ladies’ sangeet-type family functions she is unafraid of shaking a leg, though it dusted up a little wind at Raj Ghat when she danced to a patriotic number.

The Shiv Sena is convinced of her ability to connect,We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. and lead the NDA alliance. There are others who believe Narendra Modi could be that person. The party itself does not want a debate on the issue right now. An exasperated Rajnath Singh recently said: “This is the last time I am asking BJP leaders to desist from making any comments on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.” But the issue will come up sooner rather than later with May 2014 not very far away and it will all come down to the ability to keep alliance partners happy.

The Jaipur conclave of the Congress, meanwhile, has made it clear that it is looking around for partners and tie-ups. Some of the current parties in the UPA fold may leave, like the TMC. It may have to look around for newer ones, preferably those currently aligned with the NDA, on the possibility of shared secular agendas. “The Congress would be most happy to take on Modi as it may lead to fissure in the NDA with the JD(U) opting out a distinct possibility. The SP and BSP may also be forced to junk their neutral outside-support stance,” says a Congress veteran. The mood at 24 Akbar Road is that Swaraj would be a tougher opponent with her appeal cutting across sections and communities.

That drama will unfold in coming months, but the Swaraj story looks set to get bigger,Laser engravers and laser engraving machine systems and supplies to start your own lasering cutting engraving marking etching business. and within the BJP first. Not since Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia have there been so many woman leaders of substance in the party—Uma Bharti, Vasundhara Raje and Sushma Swaraj. They have all taken different stairwells to the top. Bharti was the maverick firebrand who led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement till her first brush with serious power destabilised her and she stumbled. Raje, the Maharani, took her time but came into her own about 10 years ago when she led the BJP to power in Rajasthan, and though she missed a step later, she is back in saddle and ready to propel the party to power in her state. Swaraj’s of course has been the most significant success so far.

In the hype and hoopla and downslide games that have engaged the BJP and its leaders lately, Swaraj appears to have survived in the best shape. She’s fine-tuned her knack for saying the right thing at the right time in the right place, be it the FDI debate, an election in Gujarat, or politely refusing to become BJP president.

It first emerged in the media that L K Advani had floated her name as possible BJP president to replace Nitin Gadkari when it became clear that corruption allegations would sink his boat. “Advaniji had only said that there are suitable replacements. Two options are Sushma and Rajnath, and if the former is accepted then Leaders of Opposition in both Houses will have to be changed,” says a senior BJP party office-bearer. Sensing this was not be the right time to accept the job, Swaraj quietly told Advani of her reluctance, and later conveyed it to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as well.

She has consciously played on the right side of the RSS on all issues, sending a consistent message to Nagpur which is sometimes considered overly gender-sensitive in assigning roles. Throughout the past six months when the Sarsanghchalak was insistent that his nominee Nitin Gadkari be given a second term, she kept a calculated middle-of-the-road stance: never a word against the RSS line and still never seen to be against those opposed to Gadkari. It’s marvellous political posturing when everyone considers you “safe” including man of the moment Modi. At an election rally in Vadodara, she announced unequivocally: “Modiji mein woh sab qualities hain jo ek Prime Minister mein honi chahiye” (Modiji has those qualities which a prime minister should have). Others in the party are at the moment ambivalent on the subject, in accordance with a keep mum policy. “She is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and that in itself should be a pointer towards what the party expects from her,” says Prabhat Jha who has worked closely with Vajpayee and was till recently the BJP president of the Madhya Pradesh unit.

Raje, presently locked in a fierce intra-party struggle for supremacy within Rajasthan, may emerge with her stature enhanced by December if she delivers. She has the backing of Rajnath which saw her back in saddle as the state unit chief. That makes the equation interesting. Her appeal is quite unlike Swaraj’s though the base is as wide. Having won four Lok Sabha elections and been a Union minister, at 50 she acquired a common touch to lead a BJP resurgence in Rajasthan as she tirelessly travelled the dusty roads to annex the Jaipur crown. Her regal persona, the expensive sarees and jewellery only enhance her appeal in a curious inversion of what makes Swaraj tick. Outside the state and at BJP national executives, she is perhaps the only one signing autographs!

Most opinion polls over the past six months show her several points ahead of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. She will, of course, have to battle expectations as well. The BJP not only expects her to topple Gehlot with a clear majority but also deliver 20 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats. If that happens it could make her one of the most powerful sub-group leaders within the BJP, almost at par with Modi.

Swaraj’s breakthrough moment had come when she was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1990 and moved out of state politics. BJP was riding the Ram Mandir wave. Bharti and Advani were on its crest but the think-tank was also planning for the long term. As education minister in Haryana, she had impressed the RSS and Advani. Her stock went further up with the advent of 24-hour television.

Some politicians like to contest this but the coming of 24-hour television in 1992 shaped and reshaped the careers of many. Swaraj was a natural and almost made for TV. Her bindi-sindoor clicked with the viewing class with its new-found love for the saas-bahu shows.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. Judgments based on appearance, likeability and intelligent sound bites started pouring in fast. “She was the best bahu on view though sometimes overshadowed by the aggression of Bharti,” says a long-time associate. Nevertheless it helped her leapfrog over her contemporaries and shed the confines of state politics. She was sent to the affluent South Delhi constituency with arguably the most cable homes in the country in 1996 and 1998 before she briefly became Delhi chief minister in 1998. In 1999 she took up the legendary Bellary challenge against the Congress’s Sonia Gandhi. All along she knew that her stature would be enhanced even in loss.

Television, in fact, might have thrown up some more interesting names among women leaders in the wake of Swaraj becoming the most serious candidate for the top job since Indira Gandhi. These women are expected to evolve over the next few years and none seems to be more promising than Smriti Irani, 36. The other is Nirmala Sitharaman.

Irani rode the Tulsi avatar to land in the party of her choice, but Advani sees in her the same potential that he once saw in Bharti and Swaraj in their younger days. Advani’s ability to pick winner is proven. The mere mention of Irani’s name in his book My Country My Life served as a red carpet rolled out for her right into top echelons of 11 Ashoka Road. She now heads the Mahila Morcha and is a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. Former journalist Sitharaman, 54, of course is now better known than when she was as a member of National Women’s Commission. Her combative stance on issues on national television are significant signs of a developing thought leader within the party.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, which Sonia’s own partymen are believed to be buttonholing from behind the curtains,How cheaply can I build a solar power systems? if passed may lead to a flood of more women leaders emerging from the grassroots. It is also believed that the BJP might be better prepared if the Bill indeed becomes a reality. It has actively built a cadre of women leaders both at the national and the state levels. Some states have even held taluka-level meetings of Mahila Morcha regularly in an attempt to not only multiply the voter base but find leaders from the grassroots. In comparison Congress is still dependent on family heiresses, widows and wives.

Andrew Patterson meets an MBO

Very few New Zealand companies still in business today are able to lay claim to having been founded in the 19th century. Auckland based bathroom fittings manufacturer Methven is one who can and it remains a source of immense pride for its 230 staff.

Established in Dunedin by one George Methven in 1886 as an iron and brass foundry, the business has been operating continuously for more than 125 years supplying a variety of tap wares and fittings to the plumbing trade as well as undertaking a range of contract manufacturing.

Originally listed on the NZ Stock Exchange in 1930 and then delisted in 1936, it returned to life as a public company in 2004 following a management buyout three years earlier when Methven was acquired from MCK Group.

Today the company bears little resemblance to those early days having switched its focus exclusively to manufacturing innovative shower and tap fittings reflecting a growing focus on luxury bathroom fit outs by DIYers and home renovators.

Long-time CEO Rick Fala, who was part of the team that led the management buyout in 2001, says Methven has been forced to adapt to a market place that has changed significantly in recent decades.

“Previously we used to undertake a lot of contract manufacturing in the 70s and 80s including yacht winches,Basics, technical terms and advantages and disadvantages of Laser engraver. plumbing supplies and even golf heads. Following the management buyout, we moved out of all those areas and decided to focus solely on our core business which was tapware and bathroom fittings."

“We actually discovered at that time that we had some technologies that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the world so we decided to use that to our advantage."

“One thing we’ve learned to do very efficiently as a company is to move water within households, so in many ways we’re also a fluid dynamic company that can work in low flow environments.”

These days Methven refers to bathrooms on its website as sanctuaries; a trend that has become increasingly reflected in the design and fit out of bathrooms over the last decade. It’s a far cry from the days when bathrooms were all about functionality and much less about design.

“Our research and consumer testing has found women in particular now regard the bathroom as a form of sanctuary. It’s a place where they can get away from screaming kids and the multitude of other pressures they face on a daily basis."

“Our competitors worldwide would literally number in the thousands. Originally for us the main competitors came from Italy and Germany but increasingly that competition has now moved to China."

“Of course, we also source many of our components from China ourselves,Which Air purifier is right for you? while retaining our key product development and R&D capability in Auckland. We also supplement our range with some contract manufacturing out of China which enables us to remain competitive."

“So what we do is mix and match the premium aspects of our products here in NZ while having our economy range that we can offer the DIY sector produced in China.”

As an exporter, the high dollar has taken its toll on Methven, though not as badly as might be the case with other businesses selling offshore.

“Dealing with the high dollar has had its challenges and we’re no different to other exporters in that regard,Are you looking for Optical frame, glasses and eye exams? but on the other side of the coin we do buy components from China in US dollars so there is actually a natural hedge there as well."

“The other aspect of our business is that bathrooms are very experiential and people are prepared to pay for quality so, as a result, our margins are actually higher than a lot of other industry sectors.”

If dealing with the high NZ dollar wasn’t enough, the company has also had to battle a significant down turn in the building and construction sector post the global financial crisis (GFC). Rick Fala says that’s resulted in a distinct switching in consumer preferences.

“Since the onset of the GFC we’ve seen a definite switch to the more value end of the market and you’ve seen that reflected in the rise of the DIY offering. In fact, in the UK we’ve seen the emergence of the plumbing e-tailer so that’s a trend we think will ultimately sweep through the rest of the world as part of this changing face in retail that is currently taking place."

“In both NZ and Australia the size of the DIY sector also continues to expand and to an extent it’s been offsetting the decline in the merchant side of the business that has resulted from the fall off in construction activity."

“However, the customer we are really trying to appeal to the most is the renovation sector.Like most of you, I'd seen the broken buy mosaic decorated pieces. The sort of person who wants to really look into all the options available and isn’t afraid to spend a bit extra for quality – that’s our customer.”

Weathering the downtown has come at a cost for Methven with the company reporting flat revenues in the second half of last year and a rapid decline in the profitability of its UK operation.

“Our proprietary brands have stood up quite well because we have a point of difference but our UK business, which we brought in 2007, just prior to the start of the GFC, was still dominated at the time by a low price high volume product range and so our margins just got hammered because there was no real point of difference. So we had a business that went from being very profitable to break even in the space of just two years. As a result, we’ve had to try and reposition that business at the more premium end of the market."

“Here in New Zealand we are the market leader in bathroom fittings with a 50% plus market share so there was no way we could avoid the downturn particularly after a 50% decline in housing starts."

“Our shining light though, until recently,Buy discount Mens Sports glasses online. has been Australia. While the other parts of the business suffered we still had Australia growing strongly and adding to the bottom line. However, in the last year we’ve seen our revenues there drop by 7% and yet profits were up by 20% and that’s because we could the sense the downturn coming so we improved the quality of our earnings. Interestingly, what Methven learned was that it’s during tough times that you actually expand your product range."

Treaty process needs a new look

For the past three-and-one-half years I have been involved in negotiations for the Gitxsan Treaty Society. One of my Gitxsan colleagues has been at that table for 20 years, during which time he has seen 30 government negotiators come and go. I marvel at the patience of my friends.

For the governments in this process, another year is another year, ho hum.the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. For the Indian side of the table in B.C., while it varies by region, it is in general another year of poverty, unemployment, inadequate education, widespread substance abuse and even suicide. I have not the slightest doubt that the major blame for this lies with the mainstream society and you can get as many details as required in my book, A New Look at Canadian Indian Policy. And the guilt is not merely historic; it is current.When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction,

The Gitxsan are a nation 13,000 strong with 33,000 sq. km of traditional territory in northwestern B.C. We have watched helplessly as literally billions of dollars of timber and minerals have been trucked out of our territory in the past 50 years. This has not yielded a dime for us and we have been frozen out of our traditional ability to harvest our own timber.

We desperately want a reconciliation agreement and economic development. The leading legal victory in this field known as Delgamuukw was our case. We are highly motivated and have a great team, but with all of that, after 20 years we cannot make any progress at all. There is a total lack of urgency — total — on the government side.

As says commissioner Pierre, the treaty process must be dramatically improved. That will take time and a new dedication on all sides, and it should begin now.

In the meantime, there is something else that can be done, right now.

Treaties are very good,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. and required eventually for legal certainty. But in the meantime what is really needed in Indian country is jobs. Work brings dignity, fosters education and underpins the family. But work requires solid, sustainable economic development.

There is no lack of opportunity. Just in our own territory, we have two large projects (a resource toll road and a hydro facility) that are obvious profitable investments, no pie-in-the-sky. We have solid, smaller projects being considered by our just-created Gitxsan Development Corporation. We also have no money. This also is the case across Indian country — opportunity rich, cash poor.

What to do? Consider first that a part of every treaty settlement is a federal payment known as a capital transfer. Governments think of it as for economic development, though it is also richly justified as compensation for the past. Based on precedent, these transfers will easily total many billions of dollars in B.C. But they aren’t available until a treaty is signed — and that moves at a glacial pace while first nation kids grow old in poverty. We need an interim solution, a jump start.

That solution could be the creation of an Interim Treaty Investment Authority (ITIA), initially funded by say $1 billion. The purpose of the authority would be to grant loans — not gifts — to first nations for approved projects. For approval, a project would have to be demonstrably feasible to a third-party, independent board of business people.

This rigorous vetting is essential. Across Canada and under the auspices of the Department of Indian Affairs, so-called “economic development” projects have a richly deserved reputation as local boondoggles,By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts. too often enriching only consultants and chiefs and councils.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

St. Andrew's Church group makes quilts, care packages for relief program

Boxes of handmade, colorful quilts, school kits and personal care kits were packed on a truck outside St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on Saturday morning.

They will be sent to St. Louis, then to Baltimore and then to people in need all around the world.

St. Andrew’s took part in Lutheran World Relief, a program that aims to end poverty, injustice and human suffering, by preparing and collecting the items. The church serves as a gathering site for the other 13 churches in mid-Missouri collecting donations.The additions focus on key tag and impact socket combinations,

Last year the program was able to send $11.8 million worth of quilts and kits to 24 different countries. This year the kits and quilts sent out from St. Andrew’s might end up at a Philippines warehouse to be distributed in that part of the world.

“These items that Lutheran World Relief makes and collects across the United States just really make a difference to the people in need because they know it’s not like somebody just giving them money,” said Karon Speckman, the organizer of the church program. “They are getting something that somebody is putting together with love and concern.”

A quilting group with about six members met twice a month during the past year to prepare the quilt donations. This year they made 40 quilts.

“We tried to make 50 (quilts),When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction, but we had a couple of months when the weather was so bad that we didn’t meet,” said June Hughes, the founder of the group who started the program at St. Andrew's four years ago.Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

On the second and fourth Friday morning every month, June Hughes and Pat Luedders designed and made the quilt tops from all the material that people had donated. Other women tied the tops, bedding and back part together, and Hughes sewed the outside edging on it.

The twice monthly quilting gathering was like a social hour for the women. They sat together in the room and talked while doing the needlework.

“All the people I quilt with know my children and grandchildren by their first name,” Hughes said.Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year.

They shared a lot when they were together and affirmed their evangelical faith by “giving” of themselves.

“We are solving world problems as well as our family problems when we are quilting,” Annette Molitor said with a laugh.

They also discussed what kind of quilts they wanted to sew. This year they said they were trying to make more masculine quilts because they realized that most of the quilts they have sewn in the past were feminine colors or had flowers on them.

Although they do not know who will receive their work, they are often inspired by the stories the national Lutheran World Relief organizations tell them about these people.

Hughes told a story about a widow in Africa who received one of their quilts.the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. One night when the woman's house caught on fire, she only had time to save one quilt. She cut the quilt in half and made a dress with one half and kept the other part to cover herself for the rest of the night.

Rogue salesmen overestimate savings green panels provide for households

They are in danger of becoming the modern-day equivalent of the double-glazing salesman.

Rogue traders are jumping on the green bandwagon to make a killing out of solar panels.

Disturbing evidence of mis-selling of the energy-generating systems has been uncovered by the consumer group Which?


While parallels are drawn with the way double-glazing salesmen wreaked havoc through the suburbs in the 1970s and 1980s, the latest scam risks bringing the entire solar panel industry - which could offer genuine benefits for families - into disrepute.

The Government is pushing the idea that millions of families should turn their homes into mini-power stations. Any excess energy they generate can be sold back to the National Grid through a so-called 'feed-in tariff' for other uses.

A typical combination of savings and income works out at around 1,170 a year,Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource! according to the Energy Savings Trust.

Which? asked undercover investigators to examine sales tactics by inquiring about the costs and benefits of installing solar photovoltaic(PV) panels.

Posing as customers, they let 12 certified companies survey a house in the South and quote for installation.

Three quarters of the salesmen overestimated how much energy the panels would produce by failing to take account of the location of the property and the likely number of cloudy days, Which? found.
'Perhaps we should have suspected something when they put the solar panels up'

The main selling point for the panels is a claim that they will effectively pay for themselves over a relatively short period.

However, Which? found that most companies suggested the pay-back period would be much quicker than the reality.

In theory, a PV system should last for at least 25 years. One firm overestimated the potential profit over that time by 4,275.

And it underestimated the payback time by three years.

Which? also found that a Government formula used by the industry to work out energy output does not take into account factors such as where people live ¨C and typical sunshine levels.

Seven of the salesmen even recommended installing solar PV panels on a shaded part of the roof.

Eight companies did not question customers about how much energy they used, which would be necessary to estimate their ability to sell power back into the National Grid.

The watchdog also found that companies are flouting the solar panel industry sales code, which bans pressure selling and tactics such as offering large discounts for quick decisions.

One firm, Green Sun, gave the customer 24 hours to decide, and another, Skyline, offered a 'first come first served' discount.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: 'Companies just need to make sure they send people who are qualified to ask the right questions, do the right checks and give customers better advice.The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model,'

The group is talking to the Government and the industry's trade bodies about improving the sales regime by introducing a policing system to drive out rogues.

Howard Johns,uy sculpture direct from us at low prices of the Solar Trade Association, said the number of companies in the industry has ballooned from just a few hundred two years ago to 2,400.
'There are always going to be a small number of companies who don't stick by the rules ...A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. but that should not divert attention from the benefits of solar energy.'

He described the Which? report as 'a little alarmist', adding: 'My reading of their research is that things are improving. For example, there was relatively little evidence of pressure selling involving discounting.

'There is a code of practice covering our members, however we cover only 450 of the companies involved. There are always going to be a small number of companies who don't stick by the rules ... but that should not divert attention from the benefits of solar energy.'

Skyline, based in Braintree, Essex, said Which? had misunderstood its pricing policy and there was no discount for signing up early. The company is not involved in pressure selling, a spokesman added.

David Ramsay, of Green Sun in Farnborough,Largest Collection of billabong boardshorts, Hampshire, also rejected the criticism. 'We work entirely within industry guidelines,' he said. 'We leave written quotes and it is not normal to offer a discount to sign up within 24 hours.'

Strasser dominates RAAM as chasers battle for second

1. Christoph Strasser (Austria): 2,432 miles, 6 days, 11 hours, 3 minutes, average speed 15.65 mph.

Twenty-nine year old Christoph Strasser is on track to not only take his first Race Across America victory, but to also break the long-standing completed RAAM record of 15.4mph set by Pete Penseyres way back in 1986. The Austrian has dominated this 30th annual RAAM, having dropped 2nd place Marko Baloh back in Utah. Strasser currently has roughly 150+ miles on Baloh. While there's still a lot of America left to race across, barring a sudden problem, it could be said that Strasser is no longer racing against Strasser; essentially he's racing against Pete Penseyres.

Strasser's current average is 15.65. But today he'll face some of the toughest miles in RAAM as he reaches the Appalachian Mountains. Unlike the sustained climbs of the western states where a racer can develop a rhythm and where there are long descents where a rider can recover, the hills of West Virginia and into Maryland are one climb after another¡ªhill repeats for 200 miles.

Strasser's average will almost certainly drop in that stretch.Our Polymax RUBBER SHEET range includes all commercial and specialist But the following miles are relatively flat where if he has anything left in the tank, he may be able to kick up the pace and bring that average back up.

Yesterday when Strasser was spotted on the course before time station 39 in Bloomington, Indiana, he looked like someone out on weekend ride. His cadence was high; he sat solidly in the saddle and was not drooping over the bike as many RAAM riders are by this point. And it was evident that he was doing everything that he could to trim crucial seconds; he stood and powered over the tops of the climbs, he tucked in on the descents, and he shifted up and pedaled hard on those descents. In a rolling interview conducted out of the window of a media van, when asked if he felt as good as he looked, he replied, "Ah yes.Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals Good, good.We processes for both low-risk and high risk merchant account. I feel good. Everything is good."

This isn't to say that he's not feeling the affects of RAAM.

"A little bit sore, yeah," he admitted, "Some saddle-sores, the legs, the knees of course, the feet. But not too much. Everything is within the normal range for such an event."

2. Marko Baloh (Slovenia): 2,263.20 miles, 6 days, 12 hours, 37 minutes, average speed 14.45 mph.

There's a race going on behind Strasser.What to consider before you buy oil painting supplies. Baloh has been consistent throughout RAAM 2011. The 44 year old has essentially been riding alone since Utah, with no other riders getting near him. However, that may change in the miles ahead as two riders have been chipping away at his position. Fourth place Gerhard Gulewicz (Austria) is only about an hour behind, and third place Alberto Blanco (USA) is less than an hour back. If they continue to close on him we'll have one of the most interesting battles in recent RAAM history.

3. Alberto Blanco (USA): 2,263.20 miles, 6 days, 12 hours, 53 minutes, average speed 14.43 mph.

That he's managed to stay in the race despite a case of Shermer's Neck (severe fatigue of the neck muscles) is impressive, That he's usefully challenged and ridden away from 4th place Gerhard Gulewicz is amazing.

"He started having neck issues on Wolf Creek Pass," his crew chief, Dr. Robert Hernandez revealed, "He started feeling it on the descent. We switched to a lighter helmet and that helped. The following day from La Veta to Trinidad we started having some issues there."

Hernandez commented on the cause, "He was probably too aggressive on the position," referring to Blanco's standard road racer handlebar height¡ªmost RAAM racers put their bars a bit higher. "And for him this kind of mileage is uncharted territory.Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids, This is the first time he's ever gone over 48 hours. In training we've ridden 24 hours. But really consistently like this? No."

His support device is a real Rube Goldberg affair, made up of a back-pack frame and other bits that the crew had at hand. "Yeah, it's funny," Dr. Hernandez said. "The metal thing that is supporting his head on the top, that's actually one of our wheel holders from the top of our car that we bent into that shape." According to Dr. Hernandez Shermer's Neck is resistant to traditional means of relief, "Ice, massage, anti-inflammatories¡ªShermer's Neck doesn't respond to any of that. Theses muscles have just given out. Give him 7 to 10 days of rest after the race and the muscles will recover."

Brace or not, keeping this kind of pace for the remaining miles is going to hurt. But Dr. Hernandez is confident in Blanco, "Mentally, he's a bull. He's just as strong mentally as anyone in the race. And his mental outlook is good. He's cracking jokes, being himself. He'll be fine."

Big up a small space

Even if your garden is tiny, it can still look stunning with the right design and a clever choice of planting.

Minimal plots, however, can cause a problem since they are so limited in terms of space. So, what do you do?

Bright displays of colourful bedding suit some people, and the tradition of planting fuchsia, geraniums, lobelia, salvias,Save on hydraulic hose and fittings, alyssum and marigolds in crammed borders is fantastic.
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Often there will be a rug – a circular, square or rectangular green lawn – as a foil to the colour, which works very well. But some people nowadays fancy a more modern take on their outdoor space.

And if that small garden is the only outside area available to you and a young child or two, what do you do? How do you manage? Don't worry, it's not as terrifying a prospect as you might think.

What have you got?

If your garden, like the one shown here which I was asked to make over, is bordered by low walls of dour grey stone with a few slabs of natural stone laid directly onto the soil and meandering their way to the door, it may not look very promising.

And that's not to mention the weeds,Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives. of which there will undoubtedly be many. What, you ask, can possibly be achieved in such a plot? Lots!

Requirements

First and foremost, a garden like this will have one purpose,Not to be confused with RUBBER MATS available at your local hardware store to act as a pathway and entrance to the front door (or the back, if you're creating a patio at the rear of the house).

If you've got young children, it's important to make sure that whatever surface you put down is safe for toddlers to crawl on and pedal their little plastic tractors over.

Of course, in these days of outdoor living, your garden, no matter how big or small, should act as another living room. If it has enough space for a basic patio set of a table and chairs allowing the family to eat and perhaps entertain outside, it's doing its job.

The plan

You need to keep a space like this very simple and pave it using just one material. Bright shades will work wonders against the dullness of something like this oppressive grey stone, but it should also be natural. It would be a shame to introduce concrete into a cut-stone environment.

Adding some plant pots also creates the opportunity to grow selected herbs, fruit or vegetables. All the paving should be laid on a single level.

Often, we over-complicate gardens with line and shape but simplicity always work best. Circles, or a succession of sections of circles, always looks great.

In this garden, one large circle covers most of the available floor space and two sections of circles create access points from the street, and then into the house.

Make it happen

The dominant patio feature is the paving so the choice of materials is hugely important.

My favourite material is a very simple baked clay paving cube. They come attached as blocks of eight, much as hot cross buns arrive. They are cheap to buy but labour intensive to firstly break up and then lay.

The trick is to use experienced paving contractors or to develop the skill yourself slowly and methodically.

The usual hardcore needs to be laid so a certain amount of excavation and removal of rubbish in a skip is required.

Once that base has been whacked down, begin to lay the outside rings as illustrated in the photographs into some wet mortar, keeping a strict eye on your levels as you go.

Once the outer rim of mortar-set cobbles are down, the inner circles can be set on a bed of sand. Once this is completed (which, I know, is skipping swiftly over several days of back-breaking work!), a dry mix of sand and cement is brushed into the openings.

The soil around the beds must be well-prepared by digging in plenty of organic humus compost.Choose from one of the major categories of Bedding,

Planting

A mixture of shrubs will make the garden come alive. Try perovskia with its purple flowering spikes, nice pink hydrangeas, a drift of astelias with their silvery, sword-like foliage, cloudy grey santolinas and purple cistus.

As installed in this garden, a few columns of bay in four circular terracotta pots picked to match the paving sets off the new style perfectly and creates some much-needed height.

Planting a herb collection – say, lemon balm, variegated sage and creeping thyme – will also bring colour and fresh scents.Polycore zentai are manufactured as a single sheet,

Add a pot of strawberries, with perhaps parsley and mint in some others and one crammed with evergreen ferns. Then sit back on that patio set, relax and enjoy!