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Missouri lawmakers were seeking additional information as they started work Monday on an incentives package aimed at winning production of Boeing's new 777X commercial airplane.
Missouri lawmakers were seeking additional information as they started work Monday on an incentives package aimed at winning production of Boeing's new 777X commercial airplane.
A special legislative session called by Gov. Jay Nixon convened at the Capitol with introduction of legislation in the House and Senate. Nixon called the session Friday to approve a package of up to $150 million annually for "large scale aerospace projects" offered through four existing state programs that help finance job training and infrastructure improvements and reward companies for expanding their payrolls.
Lawmakers need to act quickly because the state faces a Dec. 10 deadline to submit a proposal to the Boeing Co., Nixon said. The company said it sent requests for proposals to more than a dozen places and that it will look at them all when they come back in mid-December. The governor's office said the request Missouri received from Boeing is subject to a non-disclosure agreement.
Nixon met with the House and Senate Republican caucuses before the start of the special session and said the discussion was thoughtful and productive.
"I would not have called them back into session if I didn't think this was important to do," Nixon said. "I think providing us the option to put our best foot forward to compete for (these) transformational jobs is important. And I think we have put forward a plan using existing Missouri plans that will do that in a way that is very taxpayer-friendly."
Legislative leaders generally have indicated support for the governor's Boeing project but said more information will be needed.
House Speaker Tim Jones said there are unanswered questions about the total cost and about the state's expected return. He noted no taxpayer funds would be spent if Missouri does not land it.
"If we can increase manufacturing jobs and production here in the state of Missouri, that is an extremely positive thing," said Jones, R-Eureka. "It has to be balanced, though, against what is fiscally responsible for the taxpayers as well. So I would say we're cautious at this time. We're excited about the opportunity that we're even being considered, but we're cautious until we have all the facts."
Hearings are scheduled Tuesday evening. Rep. Anne Zerr, R-St. Charles, sponsored the House legislation, and the Senate measure is sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-St. Louis County. He said Missouri has a chance to bid on a project involving thousands of jobs.
Senate Pro Tem Tom Dempsey said Monday that lawmakers are being brought up to speed quickly and want to feel comfortable with the measure. At least one lawmaker last week objected following Nixon's special session call.
"We have a caucus that wants more information from the governor, which he said would be forthcoming, to make sure that taxpayers are being protected," said Dempsey, R-St. Charles.
Boeing started talks with several locations about production of the 777X after union machinists in Washington state rejected a proposed contract that sought concessions. Nixon met with Boeing executives in St. Louis, and officials in Alabama, California, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are among those who have discussed trying to entice the company. Washington state approved a package of tax breaks valued at $9 billion through 2040 during a November special session.
Boeing employs about 15,000 people in Missouri, including thousands of machinists in the St. Louis region.
Missouri's special session comes about a month before the Legislature starts its regular session Jan. 8. A special session permits the governor to limit what can be considered — in this case the airplane incentives. Missouri previously has approved large state incentives packages aimed at specific industries.
In 2008, lawmakers authorized $240 million in tax credits for Bombardier Aerospace to build passenger jets near Kansas City International Airport, but the company chose to manufacture them near its Montreal headquarters. In 2010, the state Legislature passed up to $150 million in incentives over a decade for the automotive industry during a special session. That has been used by Ford and General Motors to expand production in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.


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Utah Congressman-elect Chris Stewart to write Smart memoir
The memoir of Elizabeth Smart -- who became a Mormon missionary after being kidnapped for nine months -- is being written by a Utah Republican recently elected to Congress.
The author will be Congressman-elect Chris Stewart, who has written other religious and patriotic-themed books including a New York Times best seller.
The 25-year-old Smart was kidnapped in 2002 by homeless street preacher Brian David Mitchell. She is now a senior at Brigham Young University and is married to fellow Mormon missionary, Matthew Gilmour.
Stewart said Smart has made a surprising recovery from the brutal experience at the hands of her captor.
"She has taken a professional outlook on this and is able to talk in an impressive way about these things frankly," he said, adding that parts of the book will receive "appropriate" but not "salacious" treatment.
The 52-year-old Stewart, raised on a dairy farm, was an Air Force pilot for 14 years, before retiring to start a consulting firm, then enter politics.
He and his wife, Evie, have six children. Stewart's most recent book, "The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World," was on the Times' bestseller list.
Stewart on Election Day won the open seat in the state's 2nd Congressional district by defeating Democratic opponent Jay Seegmiller by roughly 60 percent of the vote.
The book also purportedly will include how Smart started the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and how she has brought more attention and law enforcement techniques to the cases of missing and abused children, said her publicist Christopher Thomas.
Smart waited for Mitchell's sentencing last year to begin collaborating on her story, on which she has been working for nearly a year.
Mitchell was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault and is now serving two life sentences at a federal prison in Arizona.
Authorities say he snatched the then-14-year-old Smart from her bedroom at knifepoint.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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Black Settlers in Indiana - Bibliography
A Note Regarding Resources: Items are listed on this page that enhance work with the topic discussed. Some older items, especially, may include dated practices and ideas that are no longer generally accepted. Resources reflecting current practices are noted whenever possible
Student Reading
Felton, Harold W. Mumbet: The Story Of Elizabeth Freeman. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1970.
This is a true story of how a slave won her freedom in the courts of the state of Massachusetts in 1781. Although the story does not take place in Indiana, it is a very readable story about free blacks. Recommended for intermediate readers.
Winter, Jeanette. Follow The Drinking Gourd. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
All ages will enjoy this beautifully illustrated work about blacks escaping slavery by traveling north and following the stars.
Advanced Reading
Crenshaw, Gwendolyn J. "Bury Me in a Free Land": The Abolitionist Movement in Indiana, 1816-1865. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Bureau, 1986.
This is an excellent source for information concerning the abolitionist movement in Indiana. The work is balanced and readable. Chapters include: the colonization movement, underground railroad, relevant slave laws and the Emancipation Proclamation. This well-annotated work is suitable for secondary and adult readers. Also see Of Special Interest on this page. The full publication appears on the Historical Bureau Web site.
Hamilton County Interim Report. Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. Ann C. Davis, Survey Coordinator. Indianapolis: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 1992.
This interim report is one of many produced by Historic Landmarks, which has surveyed approximately two thirds of the state. These interim reports locate historic sites and structures geographically and provide historic context. Available at state headquarters of Historic Landmarks, 317-639-4534.
Thornbrough, Emma Lou. Since Emancipation: A Short History of Indiana Negroes, 1863-1963. Indiana Division American Negro Emancipation Centennial Authority, [1963].
This excellent 98 page book is available from the Indiana Historical Bureau and is suitable for secondary and adult readers. Thornbrough presents some background for the abolitionist movement.
Thornbrough, Emma Lou. The Negro in Indiana: A Study of a Minority. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Bureau, 1957.
Thornbrough is one of the leading experts in Indiana black history. An excellent general source for the period up to 1900. Suitable for secondary and adult readers.
Vincent, Stephen A. "African-Americans in the Rural Midwest: The Origins and Evolution of Beech and Roberts Settlements, ca. 1760-1900." Ph.D. diss., Brown University, 1991.
This dissertation traces the growth of the Roberts family and its property holdings, from North Carolina to Indiana, and provides information on legal, civil, and economic conditions. It is an important addition to the history of blacks in Indiana.
Of Special Interest
The following exhibits concerning black Hoosier history may be borrowed at no cost (return shipping required) from the Indiana Humanities Council, 317-638-1500. Each exhibit includes written materials.
"Bury Me in a Free Land ": The Abolitionist Movement in Indiana, 1816-1865 . An exhibit that illustrates the conflict over blacks and slavery, defines the options considered, and shows the results of decisions made in Indiana through the end of the Civil War.
This Far By Faith: Black Hoosier Heritage. A photographic exhibit including over 50 photographs of events, people, and places of importance in Indiana history. A booklet by Emma Lou Thornbrough accompanies the exhibit.
The Indiana Historical Society has an extensive collection of black history resources. Black History News & Notes is published quarterly by the Society and contains a wealth of information on blacks in Indiana. Special thanks to Wilma Gibbs, editor and program archivist, for her assistance and cooperation.
The Roberts Settlement Collection, located in the Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library, contains photocopies of papers, deeds, letters, and other papers of the Roberts family in North Carolina and Indiana. The original documents are located in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
County histories and special local publications may contain a wealth of relevant information. There are too many works to list here, but seek help from libraries and historical organizations regarding specific local resources, including specialized collections or museums.
Black Genealogy Resources
Linder, Bill R. Black Genealogy: Basic Steps to Research. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, Technical Leaflet 135, issued as part of History News, Vol. 36, no. 2 (February 1981).
The following citations are from Black History News & Notes: Harris, William O. "Black Ancestral Research in the Indiana State Library." May 1985; "Researching Your Family History." November 1992; Robbins, Coy D. "Digging for Black Roots in Indiana." August 1981; Scott, Jean Sampson. "The Hurdles of Afro-American Genealogical Research." May 1985.


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Home Topics Malek al-Sharif
Malek al-Sharif
Libya strongman's chief of staff survives car bombing
Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar's chief of staff on Wednesday survived a car bombing in the eastern city of Benghazi, according to his self-styled Libyan National Army.
Recent Stories
2019: CAN urged to stop acting like PDP's PR firm
The Concerned Christian Forum has urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to stop ridiculing the Christian faith with its political utterances.
Rauf Aregbesola: I'll proceed on leave after my tenure
The outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has disclosed that he would prefer to proceed on leave in order to rest after the expiration of his administration.
Victims mourned as toll hits 77 in California wildfire
The toll from the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history rose further on Sunday to 77, the sheriff's office said, after a vigil to honour the victims.
Cambodian premier says no China naval base being built
Cambodia will not allow foreign military bases on its soil, strongman premier Hun Sen said Monday, swatting away US concerns about a possible Chinese naval site near hotly contested seas.
NYSC Club donates food, clothes, cash to orphanage
The Charity and Tourism Club, a Community Development Service (CDS) group of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), has donated assorted food items, clothes and an undisclosed amount of money to the Sokoto Orphanage.
Most Popular
Firm tasks government on cyber security
Mr Bello Adedayo, the President of branch of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on Saturday tasked Federal Government to establish cyber security firm that would check cyber crime and data theft in the country.
Pro-Buhari, Atiku groups appoint Mike Okiro as chairman of campaign boards
Former Inspector-General of Police, and immediate past Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, has been appointed Chairman, Board of Trustees, Progressives Network For Atiku a.k.a Atiku Must Win Congress.
Hundreds of schools shut in Burkina Faso over jihadi attacks
In Burkina Faso, a country struggling to contain jihadist violence, education is one of the victims of the insurgency, with hundreds of schools closed, teachers in hiding and pupils kept indoors over the fear of attacks.
Diego Maradona: Jose Mourinho better than Pep Guardiola
Diego Maradona believes Jose Mourinho is a better coach than Pep Guardiola, saying the Manchester City boss can "choose any player he wants".
APC Primaries: Osita Izunaso, others ask court to disqualify Rochas Okorocha
A former National Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Izunaso, has approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, seeking an order stopping Governor Rochas Okorocha from parading himself as the party's candidate for the 2019 general elections for Imo West Senatorial District.


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5862 Peachtree Blvd
Directions Atlanta, GA 30341
Exterior Color: Onyx Black
Interior Color: Cocoa/Shale
Vin Number: 1GKS1CKJ4JR279807
Stock: GY1090
View this 2018 GMC Yukon SUV Denali for sale at Jim Ellis Buick GMC in Atlanta, GA
Estimated Monthly Payment will depend on vehicle make and model and will be determined upon actual vehicle inspection. All payments are estimates. Tax, title and any other fees are extra.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The silver anniversary Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day conference is Thursday, May 23. It will feature Western New York professionals and businesses that specialize in services for people with developmental disabilities. The full-day event will be held at The Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St.
The convention runs from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Professionals from many different area agencies who specialize in services for people with developmental disabilities and similar health-related industries will be on hand to provide guidance, literature and general information about services that their organizations or businesses provide. In all, 21 one-hour workshops are planned.
The convention, also commonly known as DDDAY!!, has long been a staple of the local developmentally disabled community, bringing together local and regional agencies, industry-connected vendors and suppliers, direct support professionals and the individuals these groups support. The conference is the largest one of its kind in the U.S., and has been growing bigger and more sophisticated.
Each year, awards are presented to professionals, organizations and individuals with developmental disabilities. This year's award winners are:
The awards luncheon will again be emceed by the "Voice of the Bills," radio personality John Murphy.
Rounding out the day's attractions and festivities will be an art show featuring artwork from local artists with disabilities and live entertainment.
Walk-in tickets for the event will be available at the door for $15. More information is available at www.ddday.org.


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Last modified: August 28 1999 23:11:02.
|Sponsored by:
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Monash University in Victoria hosted CALU-99, the Conference of Australian Linux Users for three days: 9-11 July, 1999. Attendees ranged from young to not so young; from the far flung reaches of western Australia to those living minute from campus; from those who are new to Linux to those who've made significant contributions to it already.
The speakers and their papersCALU-99 had an excellent range of speakers and papers presented. Those that attended CALU-99 received a copy of the papers on CDROM. Never fear, if you don't have a copy, we've published the contents of the CALU CDROM.
John "maddog" Hall tests the audio system prior to addressing the crowd. He then delivers his keynote address available here embodied by Keynote Address part 1, then Keynote Address part 2. There is a small section of a few seconds missing in the middle. oops. That's our fault, not maddog's.
The "Something Warm and Fuzzy" talk, also by maddog, part 1 and part 2
Final comments from various people on the conference.
Fellows of the Organising Committee: Paul "Rusty" Russell (LinuxSA)
Nathan Bailey (Linux Users of Victoria)
Terry Dawson (Linux Australia)
Speakers: Sirtaj Singh Kang (KDE project)
Federico Quintero (Gnome project)
Andrew Tridgell (Samba/rsync)
raster (Enlightenment)
Sponsors: Cyclades/TPC
Tique Bennett of NetCraft
Oracle, our last sponsor, dissappeared and our reporter-on-the-scene had to go before he could extract a snippet.
Streaming AudioAll of the audio segments listed are available in a big loop via streaming mp3 at http://www.linux.org.au:9000/ if you're using the IceCast streaming client.
Linux Users of Victoria had a digital camera roving and you can find their collection of annotated photographs at their web site.


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NEW YORK — Thousands of fans roared as New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning hoisted the team's Super Bowl trophy from a glittering blue-and-white float Tuesday during a victory parade through New York City, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg quipped should now be nicknamed the "Big Blue Apple."
The parade set off from the southern tip of Manhattan and moved slowly north to City Hall as fans stood dressed head to toe in Giants gear and confetti wafted slowly down from the high-rises that line the street.
The MVP Manning, joined by coach Tom Coughlin, Bloomberg, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other teammates, waved and grinned from the float as a deep roar rose from the crowds.
Defensive end Justin Tuck, who led the team's defense and sacked rival quarterback Tom Brady twice during the 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots, said he was glad to be part of the team.
"We made it here by believing in each other. We believe in every guy on this team," he said. "Honestly, we wouldn't be here today without your support."
The team was introduced at a City Hall Plaza ceremony with thunderous applause from the thousands of fans outside. A lucky 250 fans received tickets to the fete, where the Giants were honored with symbolic keys to the city.
The crowd went wild for running back Ahmed Bradshaw, who plopped down in the end zone to score the winning touchdown. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz did his trademark salsa moves as he accepted his key.
Manning joked about the team's record of fourth-quarter comebacks. "Make it tough but make it possible," he said, laughing about how the team blew an early lead to come back and win. The Giants had eight fourth-quarter comebacks to win games during the season.
"Finish games, finish fourth quarters and finish the season strong. That's what we did," Manning said.
Coughlin said the Giants were successful because they never gave up.
"The key thing was to remember this: All things are possible for those who believe," Coughlin said. "We always believed."
Some fans had waited since 6 a.m. to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. About half of a Long Island high school class skipped school to see "a whole nation coming together in one place — this parade," said Mike King, 16, of Wantagh, N.Y.
King and seven school friends got up at dawn, arriving by subway in lower Manhattan to join the crowds packed behind police barricades lining Broadway. He attributed the win to Manning's stellar performance and the hold-your-breath catch by Mario Manningham that led to the game-winning drive.
Frank Capogrosso, 11, from Staten Island, leaned against a barricade at the beginning of the parade route with his dad and best friend.
"This is better than TV. I love the cop cars, the toilet paper and the ecstatic fans," he said. "I love the Giants. I love their style. They play, they don't talk."
The parade for the Super Bowl champions will have an estimated economic impact of up to $38 million for the city, depending on the number of spectators, Bloomberg said. As many as 1 million were expected — about a third of them from outside New York.
After the parade, the team traveled to New Jersey for an afternoon rally at MetLife Stadium.
It's the second Super Bowl championship parade for the Giants in four years. They beat the Patriots in the NFL title game in 2008.
Bloomberg asked: "Are you feeling deja blue all over again?" referring to the team's 2008 win. The crowd cheered.
Workers in high-rises tossed confetti — and later entire pieces of papers — from their windows.
Jun Kim, 28, a Korean linguist at the law firm Kenyon & Kenyon, reserved his biggest batch for Manning. "You are a star!" he yelled as the quarterback passed by. "People thought he would crumble under pressure, but he didn't. He's the best."
Just moments after the parade passed by, a lineup of sanitation plows scraped their way up Broadway, pushing mounds of confetti — some as high as 5 feet.
As the parade wound up around noon, fans stood on sidewalks ankle deep in the paper that was later sucked up by sanitation workers armed with hand-held vacuums.
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said he expected that about 40 tons of paper would be thrown. That's a lot but not one for the record books: The city threw 5,438 tons of ticker tape on returning veterans at the end of World War II in 1945.
The actual ticker tape from those days has been replaced by recycled paper that's shredded into confetti. About 34 tons of paper were cleaned up after the Giants' 2008 parade.
The streets in lower Manhattan on Tuesday were a mass of metal police barricades, and security was tight with helicopters flying overhead and police command centers parked nearby.
Mindy Forman, 53, of Yorktown, N.Y., was one of the lucky few who scored a ticket to the festivities at City Hall. She said the win was a much-needed victory at a time when many could use some cheering up. She counted herself among that group: She was laid off two weeks ago from her job as a college administrator.
"It celebrates New York," she said. "It celebrates the city. It celebrates the state. And it gives people something to believe in in very hard times."
New York has feted its public heroes since 1919, with the first parade for World War I General John Pershing and his victorious troops.
They were followed by more than 200 parades honoring such people as aviator Charles Lindbergh, scientist Albert Einstein, Pope John Paul, South African leader Nelson Mandela and pianist Van Cliburn. Their names are chiseled into the Broadway sidewalks.
Associated Press writer Samantha Gross contributed to this report. She can be reached at www.twitter.com/samanthagross.


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A day after learning that the HTC One Developer Edition would be skipping the Android 4.2 update and go straight to Android 4.3, HTC's president of global sales has now revealed that the company is working to release the same update for the HTC Droid DNA and all HTC One variants in the US and Canada before the end of September. It seems the only thing standing in the way of your HTC One or Droid DNA from receiving the news software is carrier certification.
Lots of questions re 4.3 release for One. We r wrking hard (needs cert) to release 4.3 across all US, Canada skus by end Sept. DNA as well.
– Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) August 19, 2013
While HTC has gotten a lot of bad press for not updating its phones in a timely manner, a jump from Android 4.1 to 4.3 only two months after the update was released from Google should help HTC regain some favor among the more devout Android enthusiasts.


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US Scrum Gathering 2010 Kicks Off With a Day of "Deep Dives"
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The 2010 US Scrum Gathering kicked off Monday in Orlando with a great day of "deep dive" learning, collaboration, and healthy debate.
On the day prior to the official Monday conference commencement, 30 or so Certified Scrum Trainers and Coaches met at the Orlando conference location for a retreat led by Mike Vizdos and Jean Tabaka to develop ideas on how to improve what they do. Conference co-organizer Tobias Mayer posted some of his cursory thoughts on the day on his blog, also where he's recently been talking about the changing nature of the CST program overall.
Monday morning then saw the start of the official 2010 Scrum Gathering, spearheaded by a quick but lively commencement ceremony by the Scrum Alliance's personable new president and chairman Tom Mellor. Following that, Scrum co-founder Jeff Sutherland joined CMMI authority Kent Johnson for a well-received keynote showing how Scrum and CMMI are not necessarily in opposition, highlighting how Systematic successfully adopted Scrum while maintaining CMMI Maturity Level 5.
From there the day moved into it's "deep dive" sessions, an interesting approach for a conference format where each session lasted the entire day (rather than the more typical 60-90 min structure). "Inspecting and Adapting" previous years drove conference organizers to give this a try and day end buzz around the conference showed positive response. More on what went on:
- "Coaching the Coaches" led by Lyssa Adkins, a well-received dive into some of the skills that distinguish a "coach" from an "expert" or "mentor". Chatter indicated people were finding real inspiration discussing and practicing ideas and tools presented by Lyssa like "journaling your value" and mastering the "coaching conversation", as well as a memorable catalogue of "coaching failure modes" (like "The Hub", "The Butterfly", and "The Nag") and "coaching success modes" (like "The Magician", "The Wise Fool", and "The Creeping Vine").
- "The Kanban Exploration" led by Karl Scotland, where one definition of a Kanban System was used to trigger discussion around what ways Kanban and Scrum are alike, and what ways they differ. Post session chatter gave interesting insight about how one might say that Scrum and Kanban differ in their detailed methods but not in higher level intent of those methods. Take for example the question of whether Kanban's practice of "Value Stream Mapping" fits with Scrum - people would agree Scrum does not explictly do value-stream mapping, but Scrum does do "retrospective" which ultimately has the same purpose. Similar debate around the big question of whether Scrum is really a "push system", or whether it can be viewed as "pull system" like Kanban. Interesting thoughts by Jurgen Appelo about the session here, and related info here.
- "Coaching Self-Organized Teams" led by Joseph Pelrine, a thought-provoking and interactive session focused around social complexity science and team dynamics research to get traction on what might really be behind the mysterious "self-organizing team". The repeated "key take-away" buzzing around: "change the environment and the team will change themselves". Also floating around are some interesting (and entertaining) footage of participants operating like bird flocks, and of participants experiencing how simple rules can drastically change behavior.
- "Software Craftsmanship Workshop" led by Micah Martin, where participants spent the day discovering "code katas" and "randori" as a way to hone their programming skill.
- "Artful Making Workshop" led by Lee Devin, an interesting exploration into how software teams can take a cue from the things that those in theatre do to effectively run adaptive projects.
- "Specify Critical Product Quality Requirements" led by Tom Gilb and Kai Gilb, focusing on a toolset for Product Owners to identify "Product Qualities" to effective prioritize.
- "Improv: The Mechanics of Collaboration" led by Matt Smith, relating the ideas and techniques of "improvisation" to software collaboration in another session related to the, un-official but observed, recurring day theme of "honing and leveraging 'Individuals & Interactions'".
- "Innovation Games® for Scrum Teams" led by Luke Hohmann, where participants experimented with games like "Product Box", "Speed Boat", "Buy a Feature", "Remember the Future", and "Prune the Product Tree" to learn useful and fun ways of collaborating with functional stakeholders.
Day 2 kicks off with diverse buffet of more traditionally timed sessions across the conference's five themes of "The Edge of Chaos", "Huge Scrum!", "Good Practice","Scrum in Context", and "When worlds collide". For more info, visit the official conference website, or follow along at the live blog and with the twitter hashtag #sgus.
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Kanban has more of a value stream focus when a new effort is initiated
David Bulkin
Per our discussion over dinner last night, I think you and I ascribe to the philosophy that in the end there are practices that are appropriate given a context, and practices that are not appropriate for a given context. As such, we don't generally don't get hung up on Scrum vs. XP vs. kanban etc.
But, with the being said, I think that a kanban practitioner will likely examine an existing software development process, make it visible on a board, and then start to change it after understanding the value stream and how it fits into the larger organizational context.
Many Scrum implementations have, on the other hand, been more radical with new roles, new terminology, new process, all at once. This approach presumes a solution without understanding the uniqueness of the situation.
I do believe that Scrum is a desirable goal for many teams, but I think a Kanban Change Management approach as advocated by David Andersen is a better, for many, than the radical Scrum implementations which have often been attempted.
So, from the perspective of an initial implementation I do think there is a sharp difference between Scrum and kanban, but I do admit that this distinction is less significant once a project is underway, as, per your point, the Scrum Retrospective is a way to modify the processes of the team on an ongoing basis.
Re: Kanban has more of a value stream focus when a new effort is initiated
Mike Bria
Yes, you're right, we do agree that context is everything. It's one of the reasons I'm beginning to favor Kanban, as it bring that fact to the highlight - as a core element of not only its values & principles, but also explicitly in its practices.
This is a discussion/debate I get into with many who try to claim how PMBOK is at its heart saying many of the same things as "agile", or that Scrum (or XP or Lean or..) does or does not specify this or that - I'm not nearly as concerned with what any of these methodologies do or don't say or say, I care much more about what evidence shows people hear.
In my book, names go a long long way - how something is packaged is just as important as what it truly contains.
Anyway, I digress.
More concretely - yes, in the practices these two schools (Scrum & Kanban) differ. And yes, in principle, the differ far less, and (I'd hope) that in values they barely differ at all.
To say Kanban is better for the noob, hm, not sure I agree. Again I think, as the consultant would say, "it depends". In many places the management formality and named structure offered more by Scrum is more palatable to the average bear. But as you note, Kanban's elevated attention to "retroflect on what's right for you, iteratively" might also present a greater benefit to the noob.
Sheesh, such a tangled web. ;-)


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Karting Public Rentals- OPEN 3-6pm
September 20 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
These are not your ordinary go-karts. Pitt Race offers open rentals to the public on our .82 mile Wilson Circuit. A GX 270cc Honda 4-stroke Engine that makes 9.5 horsepower powers the karts. Our rental karts can reach speeds up to 45 mph. For safety reasons the driver must be able to comfortably reach both pedals. To drive an adult rental kart one must be at least 5 feet. We also have junior karts available with a height requirement of 4 feet. Our junior karts are smaller and have a top speed of 35 mph. Each session will last for 10 minutes. Ten minutes in one of our karts is a lot! It's a workout! Drivers must have closed toed shoes and pants or shorts (no skirts or dresses) to enter the track. All other equipment that you need will be provided. This includes the required helmet, neck brace, and jacket. Gloves are optional.
$22.50 for a single session
$42.75 for a two (2) pack of sessions
$60.75 for a three (3) pack of sessions
Sessions are 10 minutes long
All prices include balaklava
RESTRICTIONS: must be 13 years and older, between 5 feet and 6.5 feet tall, under 280 lbs.
Available by appointment only
Monday – Thursday restriction
Maximum 3 junior karts per group
RESTRICTIONS: must be taller than 4 feet and 10 years of age or older


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By George! After 15 years, hospital drama ER is finally coming to an end
When a young, unknown Harvard medical student called Michael Crichton wrote a screenplay set amid the frenzy of a hospital Emergency Room, it was rejected by just about every major studio.
But 20 years on, when Crichton - by this time a novelist with books such as Jurassic Park and Disclosure to his name - revisited the idea, suddenly that strange hospital drama didn't look so bad at all.
He and long-time friend Steven Spielberg thought of bringing the script to the big screen in 1990, only to get side-tracked by the making of Jurassic Park.
George Clooney played Dr Doug Ross from 1994 through to 2000
However, they returned to the premise three years later, deciding instead to transform it into a TV series. And the phenomenon that was ER was born.
After 15 years (making it the longest-running primetime medi-drama of all time, in the U.S.) the show is finally coming to an end, with the last series starting here next week.
Now, looking back, it's easy to forget how it was like nothing we had seen before - all snappy dialogue, zippy camera cuts and about a dozen different storylines juggled masterfully over each hour-long episode.
Spielberg, who had seen the potential of the original script, believed they could make a TV series with moviestyle production values. However, when the show began, each episode cost about £1million to make.
In the UK, we already had our rival hospital series Casualty, which in comparison looked like it cost about twopence halfpenny to put together. But, like so many things in life, whatever we did, the Americans went and did it bigger, better and sexier.
While ER had George Clooney squeezing the soft bits of his female conquests, we had Casualty's Charlie Fairhead squeezing one of his seemingly interminable supply of teabags.
But while Casualty was real, political (at first) and occasionally gritty, so too was ER.
Set in a run- down part of Chicago, ER dealt with all sorts of medical dramas involving crack cocaine and gunshot wounds, as well as tackling subjects such as homophobia and Aids with storylines which always intersected with the doctors' own dilemmas.
Still, it was hard to concentrate on the grit when their hair was just so damned glossy.
The level of acting and writing on the show has earned ER 22 Emmy awards and 123 Emmy nominations - making it the most-nominated TV series in history.
And over the years it has attracted guest stars of the calibre of Oscar-winners Forest Whitaker and Sally Field, Steve Buscemi, High School Musical hour-long heart-throb Zac Efron and Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett, who will make an appearance in this final series.
It has also sparked a new vogue for medical dramas such as House (featuring Britain's own Hugh Laurie) and Greys Anatomy with Katherine Heigl.
In action: The team get to grips with another emergency
Before ER, most of us wouldn't have known a pulmonary edema from Adam, but now, thanks to the non-stop barrage of medical jargon emanating from the mouths of the resident ER doctors, we're happy to listen as characters witter on nonsensically about infarctions and intubations.
At its height, ER was pulling in around six million viewers a week in the UK (and, on average, a staggering 45 million in the U.S.) and many will tune in to watch a great show come to an end.
Everyone is keen to discover whether ER's most famous alumnus, George Clooney, will return to make a final appearance, though the programme makers remain tight-lipped.
But let's face it - over the past 14 series we've seen 180 gallons of fake blood flow through the doors of County General Hospital, so one final appearance from ER's consummate breaker of hearts won't exactly kill us.
An appointment with Dr Hunky
Many bodies have passed through the doors of Chicago's fictional County General Hospital, but none has been as fit as those belonging to the men in white coats. . .
Dr Doug Ross
George Clooney
The first and best. As a paediatrician with big hands and shiny hair, Dr Ross was as perfect as any male doctoral specimen could conceivably be. Many a heart in his presence needed immediate defibrillation and he tended the sick children in his care with the same diligence he applied to working his way through the female staff.
Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and a handful of glamorous doctor types were just some of the lucky women who let Ross feel their pulse. Clooney, now a successful movie star, may return for a brief but thrilling appearance in the final series
Dr Mark Greene
Anthony Edwards
For many, the real sex symbol of the show, if one happens to like one's men sensitive, kind and slightly balding. As Dr Greene, Edwards oozed compassion even while making a cheese sandwich.
A swordsman on the sly, he was dumped by beautiful blonde Dr Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), but found love with Dr Elizabeth Corday (played by Alex Kingston).
Julianna Margulies once claimed that it was Edwards and not Clooney who was 'the sexy one in the cast', but then Clooney's character had dumped hers, so that could have been sour grapes. Dr Greene (pictured, above) died in season eight, but fans will be in for a treat this final series as he makes a return. He is seen in a flashback sequence.
Dr John Carter
Noah Wyle
Cute but error-prone, Dr Carter's clumsiness frequently incurred the wrath of the permanently shouty Dr Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), while engaging the mothering instincts of millions of female viewers who took to Dr Carter's fresh-faced charms.
Wyle (pictured), who could hold his own with Clooney in a drinkfest, received more fanmail in his eight-year tenure on the show than even the great George. He, too, makes a return in the final series.
Dr Luka Kovac
Goran Visnjic
When Clooney left the show in 2000, executives feared that no one would be able to wear hair gel in quite the same way until Visnjic made his entrance in season six.
Dubbed the Tom Cruise of Croatia, the 6ft 4in ex-soldier was voted People magazine's Sexiest Import and his instant popularity apparently caused Wyle and La Salle to get their jockstraps in a twist - the former complaining of being treated like a mere 'glorified extra' after Visnjic's arrival.
Madonna, who hand-picked Visnjic to star in the video for her song The Power Of Goodbye, declared him 'the sexiest male working today', but even that didn't put us off him. Dr Kovac even made a play for nurse Carol Hathaway - Dr Ross's ex - once Ross (Clooney) had left. How lucky can one girl get, exactly?
Dr Tony Gates
John Stamos
A Gulf War veteran with more than a passing eye for the ladies, Dr Gates in the beauteous form of John Stamos grabbed the reins from Clooney and Visnjic.
Even Dr Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra) couldn't help but succumb to Dr Gates's advances, but his reputation with the laydees is surpassed only by that of Stamos himself. The actor was linked to Demi Moore and Paula Abdul, and married X-Men star Rebecca Romijn.
The Brits are coming
Today we can't move for Brits on U.S. TV shows (Hugh Laurie in House; Anna Friel in Pushing Daisies), but when Alex Kingston starred in ER, 11 years ago, it was big news. But she hasn't been the only Brit to grace the show. . .
Parminder Nagra
After the success of her role in the film Bend It Like Beckham, Parminder (pictured) has become a fixture of ER as intense and serious-minded intern Neela Rasgotra.
The show has raised her profile in the U.S. and led to her starring in the film Ella Enchanted, opposite Anne Hathaway.
At the launch of ER's final series, she tearily admitted that moving to LA for the show 'has changed my life so much on so many levels'. But, the tears could be hormonal - she is expecting a child by James Stenson, a British photographer.
Ewan McGregor
Although Alex Kingston was the first Brit to appear regularly, Scot Ewan McGregor was the first Brit to appear on the show, making a guest appearance in the third series as armed robber Duncan Stewart, after the show's producers saw him play Renton in the film Trainspotting, in 1997. His character was shot and ended up being tended to by the doctors at County General Hospital.
Thandie Newton
Played the Congolese girlfriend of Dr Carter. The couple met while Dr Carter was in Africa doing volunteer work, leading him to announce he was relocating to African soil to be with her.
Alex Kingston
When Alex Kingston's marriage to Ralph Fiennes came to a bitter end in 1995 after he confessed to being in love with actress Francesca Annis (some 20 years Kingston's senior), Alex admitted she felt suicidal.
But after spotting her feisty performance in the ITV drama Moll Flanders, ER producers snapped her up and Kingston moved to the U.S. to enjoy a highly successful run on the show as surgeon Dr Elizabeth Corday. Her role was ground-breaking as her character and Dr Benton (La Salle) had one of American TV's first interracial romances.
But she was dropped from the show after seven years apparently being deemed 'too old' for ER at 41.
What did that jargon mean?
The incomprehensible medical jargon between the characters has become one of the show's delights. So what does it all mean?
Acute MI: Acute Monetary Insufficiency, ie, not enough to pay gargantuan medical expenses.
Bite: Not as exciting as it sounds; a surgical stitch. 'Take a bigger bite' roughly translates to: 'Make the stitch longer.'
Blue bloater: Sounds like a type of fish, but in fact is a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, particularly someone with chronic bronchitis who has trouble breathing.
Bought the farm: Died. Just like ER is about to.
CBC: A Complete Blood Chemistry. Even more complicated than a CHEM
Chem 7: Tests for levels of glucose, oxygen, sodium, etc, in the blood supply.
Circling the drain: Like water in a basin, if a patient does this it means he's rapidly going down the plughole.
Clear! Roughly means: 'You'd better get out of the way while I give this patient a jolt of electricity to get his heart working again, or you'll be sorry.'
Crike him: An order issued when the patient is cyanotic. A hole is punched into the cricoid - a part of the windpipe - to get oxygen into the lungs.
Crispy critter: It sounds like something you'd eat at KFC, but, in fact, is a person who has burned to death.
Cyanotic: Not good. The patient has been deprived of oxygen, generally because of an obstruction, and his lungs are now empty.
Dead shovel: Person who has a heart attack while shovelling snow. Apparently, there are many.
Death bundle: The sheets, toe tag and head bag for a patient who has BOUGHT THE FARM.
DNR: Do Not Resuscitate.
EKG: An electrocardiogram, which records the electrical activity of the heart. Not to be confused with KGB, the Soviet secret service, which is what one extra who hadn't learned his lines properly once ordered for his patient.
Fertile myrtle: A woman who gets pregnant repeatedly.
FLK: A funny-looking kid.
GOK: Short for 'God only knows'. Not to be confused with Gok Wan.
GSW: Gun Shot Wound.
HBD: Had Been Drinking.
HIT: Not as violent as it sounds - simply an admission of a patient.
Myocardial infarction: Heart attack. Possibly brought on by an Acute MI
Road rash: Abrasions from contact with concrete.
Stat: 'Do this with enormous urgency, please!'
Tox screen: Test carried out to search for drugs and other toxins in the blood.
WDAO: Weak And Dizzy All Over. The effect upon meeting Dr Doug Ross.
• The final series of ER starts next Thursday, on More4, at 9pm.
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Legal case brought by Mandela daughters delayed
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A legal case brought by members of Nelson Mandela's family against several of his longtime associates has been delayed.
A law firm representing human rights advocate George Bizos, an associate of the former South African president, said Monday that a court will not hear the case this week as originally scheduled.
The Norton Rose Fulbright firm says in a statement that the court instructed daughters of Mandela to appoint new attorneys following the withdrawal of their lawyers from the case.
The daughters, Makaziwe Mandela and Zenani Dlamini, say Bizos and associates should not remain directors of two companies whose proceeds are supposed to benefit the Mandela family.
Nelson Mandela, 95, has been hospitalized since June 8. The government says his health has improved but he remains in critical condition.


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Madelyn's Vintage Meets Modern Nursery
Name: Madelyn
Location: Bothell, WA
When we found out that Madelyn was a girl, nursery preparation started right away. We knew we were working with a budget so DIY projects were going to take some time to work themselves out.
The first thing we tackled was the wall painting (or should I say, the first thing my husband tackled was the painting). We picked out a nice cream and gray and started going for it. One coat in and we realized that the cream was more of a yellow and had to start over. However, the end result was worth his efforts (a huge round of applause to my husband). The stripes only go across two walls and the other two are cream.
Th next big project was the dresser/changing table that we found on Craigslist. My husband and his ever so talented Aunt sanded it down, painted a coat of coral on it, then dry brushed in some orange for the texture. We then added the knobs from World Market. LOVE it!
We also custom made the sign with her name going across it for above her crib. This is a piece of plexiglass that we had done at a local sign store. We then drilled holes through it and weaved some chain through so it could hang from the ceiling.
The room was very much a joint effort of DIYers. The painting was done by a family friend, window valance by our aunt, bedding custom made by my mother in law and decorating done by me.
All in all, I think it's a great blend of modern and vintage that I am so excited to welcome Madelyn to in a few short weeks!
We agree! Thanks Melissa and Kyle! Readers, find Melissa at Tiny Toes.
(Images: Tiny Toes)


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SPOILER ALERT: This recap reveals the results for the Season 16 finale of "Dancing With the Stars."
It's a wrap! The 16th season of "Dancing With the Stars" is one for the record books, and what a season it was. After 10 weeks of grueling (yes, really!) competition, Kellie Pickler was crowned the newest mirrorball champ on Tuesday night's live show.
Kellie was so ecstatic — and clearly shocked — she could barely speak after host Tom Bergeron announced she had won. "This is amazing! Oh my God!" the 26-year-old country singer squealed as she leaped into Derek Hough's arms. The pro dancer, whose mirrorball tally is now up to four, gave his own shout out: "Grandpa Ken, we got you the trophy, buddy!"
Check out the winning couple's freestyle dance from Monday night:
The confetti swirled as third place finisher Jacoby Jones lifted the "American Idol" alum and newest "Dancing" winner on to his shoulders. Kellie seemed at a loss for words as she gazed around the ballroom with her trophy in hand.
Second place runner up, Zendaya Coleman, looked momentarily stunned when the results were announced. Of her time on the show, she said, "I'm very proud. I'm very happy and I get to leave here with an amazing experience." The 16-year old also told her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, "Thank you for being a part of me growing up."
The two-part finale extravaganza kicked off on Monday and featured the final four couples — Jacoby and Karina Smirnoff, Kellie and Derek, Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas, and Zendaya Coleman and Val Chmerkovskiy — dancing freestyle, a judges' pick, and a cha-cha relay. After Tuesday night's final finale dance — an instant dance in which the couples were given their musical selection just minutes before their performance — the generous judges doled out the final scores of the competition, which ended up all being perfect 30s. Because who can be a grumpy judge on finale night?
[Related: See 'Dancing With the Stars' Judge Bruno Tonioli as Geisha In Rolling Stones Music Vid]
But before that took place, an elimination was in order. Aly was the first to go, and even the judges — who've seen it all — looked shocked by Tom's announcement that she wouldn't be competing in the Insta-dance.
"My whole life all I've ever known is gymnastics, so to try something new has just been amazing and just one of the best experiences of my life," the Olympic gymnast said of her stint on the show.
[Related: Kellie Pickler's 10 Most Wow Looks on 'DWTS']
Widely regarded as the most important dances of the competition, this season's freestyle dances didn't disappoint. Zendaya, Kellie, and Aly all received perfect scores for their freestyles, with Kellie's emotional, stripped-down dance causing a teary-eyed Carrie Ann Inaba to tell the country singer, "You just bared your soul on the dance floor, and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." Even more memorable, Len Goodman gave the dance a 10 and added, "It should be an 11!"
After the performance, Kellie told People, "I just feel like I let all of my walls down and I just got out there and just did my little dance. I just let myself go. There was a freedom, in a sense, that I felt. I really don't even know how to put it into words. Regardless of what happens ... I feel like I've accomplished so much being here."
[Related: The 9 Most Questionable Moves on 'Dancing With the Stars']
The star-studded "Dancing With the Stars" finale also welcomed the return of this season's entire celebrity cast, including Dorothy Hamill, Andy Dick, Victor Ortiz, Wynonna Judd, D.L. Hughley, Ingo Rademacher, and reality stars Lisa Vanderpump and Sean Lowe. Rap superstar Pitbull and singer Jessica Sanchez were also in the house, as was Psy, who performed a song that wasn't "Gangnam Style."
Newly-crowned champ Kellie joins 15 past "Dancing With the Stars" title holders, including Drew Lachey, Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Ohno, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Donny Osmond, Jennifer Grey, and Donald Driver, as well as last season's winner, Melissa Rycroft.


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This is a very popular style of music for any ad, played by a pizzicato cello, glockenspiel and bassoon.
Simple and uplifting!
Update: Now five versions are included:
-Happy commercial 0:31 (with Bell Melody)
-Happy commercial Piano 0:31 (with Piano instead Bell Melody) in preview after 0:31
-Happy commercial Pizz 0:31 (with Pizzicato Violin instead Bell Melody) in preview after 1:02
-Happy commercial no Bell 0:31 (without the bell melody) in preview after 1:33
-Happy commercial long version 1:23 (long version with Piano melody) in preview after 2:04
Like always all versions are included as wav & mp3 Files.
Check out this similar tracks:
It Takes Not Much to be Happy • Cheerful Piano Commercial • My Happy Corp Song
Don't hesitate to contact me for further alternative versions!
If you purchase this track for your project, please send me a link through my Profile page or Twitter, and I'll help you promote it. Thank you very much!
I hope you enjoy it, thank you very much for buying this song! And please don't forget to rate
VideoHive Authors: You are very welcome to use my songs in your projects, just drop me a line so i can link back to you!
Check my Bestsellers: Lifting Motivational Piano • The Happy Clappy Ukulele Song • Rockin' da House
Please check out my other files here:


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Friday, April 10, 2009
Pets for Fun and Profit
5 comments:
- Occeleta said...
it may just be a recent bug. I saw the tickbird hatchling in pets tab one a month or two ago. Picked it up for 3g.
But yah I saw her with her new stinker. And talked to her a bit about her new goal for 75 and the fawn pet reward. All she seemed to want though is her mechanopeep, of course.
- April 10, 2009 at 7:28 AM
- Darraxus said...
Lol yeah, her and her damn mechanostriders. I am sure we will be doing all of the Childrens day quests as well. I previously bought a cobra hatchling off of the pet tab, but that is the only one i ever saw show up.
- April 10, 2009 at 7:33 AM
- Arioch said...
They don't show on the pets tab?
All this time I thought my realm just sucked for Oracle pets.
Of course, what are the chances that I'll find the proto-drake whelp on the AH anyway?
- April 10, 2009 at 9:51 AM
- Darraxus said...
There were like 4 proto drake whelps up yesterday when i checked.
- April 10, 2009 at 9:57 AM
- Arioch said...
Great, now I need to make an Alliance toon on your server, farm some cash, get the drake, transfer it to a Horde toon made on the same server via the neutral AH (need to get a friend in on this), transfer the character to my server, and trade it over.
Or I could finish the quests and start doing the dailies.
I'm not sure which is easier...
- April 10, 2009 at 11:59 AM


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Streaking Wild try to extend Coyotes' 6-game slide
The hottest team in the Western Conference will take on the club with the NHL's longest current losing streak, as the streaking Minnesota Wild host the ice-cold Phoenix Coyotes in Wednesday's tilt at Xcel Energy Center.
The Wild have won six straight games, giving Minnesota the NHL's second- longest current winning streak behind Pittsburgh's 13-game run. It's also the team's longest run since a seven-game winning streak from Nov. 28-Dec. 10 of last season.
The hot streak has helped Minnesota make a run at the Northwest Division title, which has been won by the Vancouver Canucks in each of the past four seasons. The Wild enter Wednesday trailing the idle Canucks by two points.
Minnesota picked up its sixth straight victory in Dallas on Monday and the 7-4 decision was the Wild's eighth win in nine games.
Kyle Brodziak's short-handed goal in the third period proved to be the winner for the Wild. Minnesota led 4-3 heading into the final 20 minutes before letting Dallas tie the contest at the 7:02 mark. However, Brodziak gave Minnesota the lead for good five minutes later, while Dany Heatley and Pierre- Marc Bouchard also scored to account for the final margin.
Zach Parise scored twice and added an assist while Matt Cullen, Mikko Koivu, Brodziak and Bouchard each posted a goal and an assist for the Wild. Niklas Backstrom stopped 22 shots in the win.
"We've been playing some good hockey," Backstrom said of the streak. "It's a lot of hard work."
Just two of Minnesota's win on its current streak have come on home ice, where the club is 11-3-1 this season. Beginning with Wednesday's tilt, the Wild are playing three of their next four on home ice.
While Minnesota is on its longest winning streak of the season, the Coyotes have lost six straight for the first time since an 0-6-0 run from Jan. 27-Feb. 7, 2009.
Phoenix is 0-5-1 during its current slide and the last four setbacks have come in regulation, including Monday's close loss to visiting Detroit. The Coyotes led 2-1 after the first period, but the Red Wings scored a goal in each of the last two periods to earn a 3-2 victory.
Martin Hanzal and Rob Klinkhammer each scored for the Coyotes, who last won on March 12 against Los Angeles. Jason LaBarbera gave up all three goals on 35 shots in the loss.
"All I can say is that we're finding ways to lose games right now," said Klinkhammer. "We're working hard, but that can only get you so far in this league. Not getting bounces, taking penalties at the wrong time ... it's just not going our way right now."
Phoenix has fallen to 13th in the Western Conference and is four points out of a playoff spot.
The Coyotes also have dropped five straight on the road and are beginning a three-game swing on Wednesday. They are just 3-8-3 as the visiting team this season.
The Wild and Coyotes have split a pair of meetings in Phoenix this season and this marks the first encounter in St. Paul. The Coyotes have won nine of the last 14 matchups in this series overall and five of the last six in Minnesota.


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Historical records matching Victoria California Woodhull
Immediate Family
ex-husband's child
ex-husband's daughter
About Victoria California Woodhull
Victoria Claflin Woodhull, later Victoria Woodhull Martin, (September 23, 1838 – June 9, 1927) was an American leader of the woman's suffrage movement.
Woodhull was an advocate of free love. She and her sister were the first women to operate a brokerage in Wall Street. She was the first woman to start a weekly newspaper; an activist for women's rights and labor reforms. In 1872, she was the first woman candidate for President of the United States.
Woodhull went from rags to riches twice, her first fortune being made on the road as a highly successful magnetic healer before she joined the spiritualist movement in the 1870s. While authorship of many of her articles is disputed (many of her speeches on these topics were collaborations between Woodhull, her backers and her second husband Colonel James Blood), her role as a representative of these movements was powerful. Together with her sister, she was the first woman to operate a brokerage firm in Wall Street, and they were the first women to found a newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly.
At her peak of political activity in the early 1870s, Woodhull is best known as the first woman candidate for the United States presidency, which she ran for in 1872 from the Equal Rights Party, supporting women's suffrage and equal rights. Her arrest on obscenity charges a few days before the election, for publishing an account of the alleged adulterous affair between the prominent minister, Henry Ward Beecher, and Elizabeth Tilton, added to the sensational coverage of her candidacy. She did not receive any electoral votes, and there is conflicting evidence about popular votes.
Many of the reforms and ideals which Woodhull espoused for the working class, against what she saw as the corrupt capitalist elite, were extremely controversial in her time. Generations later many of these reforms have been implemented and are now taken for granted. Other of her ideas and suggested reforms are still debated today.
Early life and education
Woodhull was born Victoria California Claflin, the seventh of ten children, in the rural frontier town of Homer, Licking County, Ohio. Her mother Roxanna Hummel Claflin was illiterate and had been born illegitimate[citation needed]. She had become a follower of the Austrian mystic Franz Mesmer and the new spiritualist movement[citation needed]. Her father Reuben Buckman Claflin[1][2] was a con man and snake oil salesman. He came from an impoverished branch of the Massachusetts-based Scots-American Claflin family, semi-distant cousins to Governor William Claflin. Victoria became close to her sister Tennessee Celeste Claflin (called Tennie), seven years her junior and the last child born to the family. They worked together as adults.
Victoria wrote later that she was "a child without a childhood," as her parents hired her out as a menial. Her own connection to spiritualism began at an early age; Woodhull recounted that when the work was overwhelming, heavy objects seemed to be lifted by unseen hands and "...when walking it seemed my feet did not touch the ground." By age 11, she had only three years of formal education, but her teachers found her to be extremely intelligent. She was forced to leave school and Homer with her family after her father burned the family's rotting gristmill. When he tried to get compensated by insurance, his arson and fraud were discovered; and he was run off by a group of town vigilantes. The town paid for the rest of the family to follow him to Pennsylvania.
First marriage and family
When she was 14, Victoria met 28-year-old Canning Woodhull (listed as "Channing" in some records), a doctor from a town outside Rochester, New York. Her family had consulted him to treat the girl for a chronic illness. Woodhull practiced medicine in Ohio at a time when the state did not require formal medical education and licensing. By some accounts, Woodhull claimed to be the nephew of Caleb Smith Woodhull, mayor of New York City from 1849 to 1851; in fact he was a distant cousin.
Their marriage certificate was recorded in Cleveland on November 23, 1853, when Victoria was two months past her 15th birthday. She soon learned that her new husband was an alcoholic and a womanizer. She often had to work outside the home to support the family. She and Canning had two children, Byron and Zulu (later Zula) Maude. According to one account, Byron was born with an intellectual disability in 1854, a condition Victoria believed was caused by her husband's alcoholism. Another version said his disability resulted from a fall from a window. Woodhull divorced her husband.
Second marriage
About 1865 she married Colonel James Harvey Blood, who also was marrying for a second time. He had served in the Union Army in Missouri during the American Civil War, and had been elected as city auditor of St. Louis, Missouri. They divorced in October 1876.
In 1872 Victoria Woodhull had started a relationship with the anarchist Benjamin Tucker, which lasted for three years.
Free love
Woodhull's support of free love probably originated as she discovered the failings of her first husband. Women who married in the United States during the 19th century were bound into the unions, whether loveless or not, with few options to escape. Divorce, where possible, was scandalous, and women who divorced were stigmatized and often ostracized by society. Victoria Woodhull concluded women should have the choice to leave unbearable marriages. She railed against the hypocrisy of society's tolerating married men who had mistresses and engaged in other sexual dalliances. Woodhull believed in monogamous relationships, although she did state she had the right also to love someone else "exclusively" if she desired. She said:
"To woman, by nature, belongs the right of sexual determination. When the instinct is aroused in her, then and then only should commerce follow. When woman rises from sexual slavery to sexual freedom, into the ownership and control of her sexual organs, and man is obliged to respect this freedom, then will this instinct become pure and holy; then will woman be raised from the iniquity and morbidness in which she now wallows for existence, and the intensity and glory of her creative functions be increased a hundred-fold . . ."
After moving to England in 1877, Woodhull met John Biddulph Martin, a banker, at one of her first public lectures in 1877 in London. They married in 1883. He died in 1901.
Female stockbroker
Woodhull and her sister Tennessee (Tennie) Claflin became the first women brokers and in 1870 opened a brokerage firm on Wall Street. She made a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange. Woodhull, Claflin & Company opened in 1870 with the assistance of the wealthy Cornelius Vanderbilt, an admirer of Woodhull's skills as a medium and rumored to have been her sister Tennie's lover. Newspapers such as the New York Herald hailed Woodhull and Claflin as "the Queens of Finance" and "the Bewitching Brokers."[ Many contemporary men's journals (e.g., The Days' Doings) published sexualized images of the pair running their firm (although they did not participate in the day-to-day business of the firm), linking the concept of publicly minded, un-chaperoned women with ideas of "sexual immorality" and prostitution.
Newspaper editor
On May 14, 1870, Woodhull and Claflin used the money they had made from their brokerage to found a paper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly, which published for the next six years. It became notorious for publishing controversial opinions on taboo topics, advocating among other things sex education, free love, women's suffrage, short skirts, spiritualism, vegetarianism, and licensed prostitution. Histories often state the paper advocated birth control, but some historians disagree. The paper is now known primarily for printing the first English version of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto in its December 30, 1871 edition.
In 1872 the Weekly published a story that set off a national scandal and preoccupied the public for months. Henry Ward Beecher, a renowned preacher of Brooklyn's Plymouth Church, had condemned Woodhull's free love philosophy in his sermons. But a member of his church, Theodore Tilton, disclosed to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a colleague of Woodhull, that his wife had confessed Beecher was committing adultery with her. Provoked by such hypocrisy, Woodhull decided to expose Beecher. He ended up standing trial in 1875 for adultery in a proceeding that proved to be one of the most sensational legal episodes of the era, holding the attention of hundreds of thousands of Americans. The trial ended with a hung jury.
George Francis Train once defended her. Other feminists of her time, including Susan B. Anthony, disagreed with her tactics in pushing for women's equality. Some characterized her as opportunistic and unpredictable; in one notable incident, she had a run-in with Anthony during a meeting of the National Women's Suffrage Association (NWSA). (The radical NWSA later merged with the conservative American Women's Suffrage Association (AWSA) to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association).
Women's rights advocate
Woodhull learned how to penetrate the all-male domain of national politics. A year into earning substantial income on Wall Street, she arranged to testify on women's suffrage before the House Judiciary Committee. Woodhull argued that women already had the right to vote — all they had to do was use it — since the 14th and 15th Amendments granted that right to all citizens. The simple but powerful logic of her argument impressed some committee members. Learning of Woodhull's planned address, suffrage leaders postponed the opening of the 1871 National Woman Suffrage Association's third annual convention in Washington in order to attend the committee hearing. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Isabella Beecher Hooker, saw Woodhull as the newest champion of their cause. They applauded her statement: "[W]omen are the equals of men before the law, and are equal in all their rights."
With the power of her first public appearance as a woman's rights advocate, Woodhull moved to the leadership circle of the suffrage movement. Although her Constitutional argument was not original, she focused unprecedented public attention on suffrage. Following Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Woodhull was the second woman ever to petition Congress in person. Numerous newspapers reported her appearance before Congress. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper printed a full-page engraving of Woodhull, surrounded by prominent suffragists, delivering her argument.
First International
Woodhull joined the International Workingmen's Association, also known as the First International. She supported its goals by articles in her newspaper. In the United States, many Yankee radicals: former abolitionists and other progressive activists, became involved in the organization, which had been founded in England. German-American and ethnic Irish nearly lost control of the organization, and feared its goals were going to be lost in the broad-based, democratic egalitarianism promoted by the Americans. In 1871 the Germans expelled most of the English-speaking members of the First International's U.S. sections, leading to the quick decline of the organization, as it failed to attract the ethnic working class in America.[8] Karl Marx commented disparagingly on Woodhull in 1872, and expressed approval of the expulsions.
Presidential candidate
Woodhull was nominated for President of the United States by the newly formed Equal Rights Party on May 10, 1872, at Apollo Hall, New York City. A year earlier, she had announced her intention to run. Also in 1871, she spoke publicly against the government being composed only of men; she proposed developing a new constitution and a new government a year thence. Her nomination was ratified at the convention on June 6, 1872. They nominated the former slave and abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass for Vice President. He did not attend the convention and never acknowledged the nomination. He served as a presidential elector in the United States Electoral College for the State of New York.
While many historians and authors agree that Woodhull was the first woman to run for President of the United States, some have questioned that priority given issues with the legality of her run. They disagree with classifying it as a true candidacy for the following reasons:
The government declined to print her name on the ballot.
At the time, political parties rather than the federal government were responsible for printing ballots. This practice changed in the United States between the years 1888-1892 with the adoption of the Australian ballot. About 50 years after the election, The Washington Post claimed that the Equal Rights Party published ballots bearing Woodhull's name and that they were handed out at the polls.[citation needed] Because no Equal Rights Party ballot for 1872 has been preserved, this claim cannot be confirmed. The first woman to appear on a presidential ballot printed by the federal government was Charlene Mitchell in 1968.
She was younger than the constitutionally mandated age of 35.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, this is the most cited criticism by political analysts, but election coverage by newspapers does not suggest it was a significant issue in the 19th century. The presidential inauguration was in March 1873. Woodhull's 35th birthday was in September 1873. Some contend attorney Belva Lockwood was the first woman to run for President, because she was the legal age at the time of candidacy, but other critiques were similarly posed against the legality of her candidacy. No primary documentation supports Woodhull's birth in 1838. Ohio did not require the registration of births until 1867. The probate court in Licking County, Ohio, burned down in 1875 and destroyed all previously recorded records except land records.
She did not receive any electoral and/or popular votes.
There is evidence that Woodhull received popular votes that were not counted.[citation needed] Official election returns also show about 2,000 "scattering votes." It is unknown whether any of those scattering votes were cast for her. Supporters contend that her popular votes were not counted because of gender discrimination and prejudice; critics contend the votes were not counted because they had other legal defects besides gender. The first woman to receive an electoral vote was Libertarian Tonie Nathan, who received a vote for Vice President in 1972.
Women could not legally vote until August 1920.
Some women legally voted in state, territorial or local elections, and held public office prior to 1920. The Wyoming Territory granted women the vote in 1869. Susanna M. Salter was elected Mayor of Argonia, Kansas, in 1887, and Jeannette Rankin of Montana was elected to Congress in 1916. In New York, Woodhull's state of residence, propertied women had the right to vote until 1777, when it was withdrawn. In 1871, Woodhull went to the polls for a local election in New York and was allowed to register, but when she returned to vote, her ballot was refused by election officials.
Some scholars say that it was not until passage of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, that women implicitly had the right to run for President. For that reason, they contend Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman presidential candidate; she was nominated at the 1964 Republican National Convention. Smith is often identified as the first woman to be nominated for President by a major party. But, Laura Clay and Cora Wilson Stewart of Kentucky were nominated as candidates for the presidency at the 1920 Democratic National Convention and received "the first vote cast for a woman in the convention of either of the two great parties."
She was a woman.
In the 19th century, this was the most cited legal restriction to her candidacy. Some of Woodhull's contemporaries believed that as a woman, she was not a full citizen, as she was not entitled to vote. Since the Constitution required that the President be a citizen, she was excluded from holding the office. Others believed women were citizens, but that the states had the right to limit the franchise to males only. Some Woodhull supporters believed that although Woodhull could not vote legally, other could vote for her. United States law has its roots in English common law, and it had an established precedent of women holding public office.
Woodhull's campaign was also notable for the nomination of Frederick Douglass, although he did not take part in it. His nomination stirred up controversy about the mixing of whites and blacks in public life and fears of miscegenation (especially as he had married a much younger white woman after his first wife died.) The Equal Rights Party hoped to use the nominations to reunite suffragists with African-American civil rights activists, as the exclusion of female suffrage from the Fifteenth Amendment two years earlier had caused a substantial rift between the groups.
The circumstances leading up to Woodhull's nomination had created a rift between Woodhull and her former supporter Susan B. Anthony, and almost ended the collaboration of Anthony with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton, who had unsuccessfully run for Congress in New York in 1868, was more sympathetic to Woodhull. Anthony voted for the Republican candidate, Ulysses S. Grant in the presidential election. Like many of Woodhull's protests, her nomination for the presidency was first and foremost a media performance, designed to shake up the prejudices of the day.
Having been vilified in the media for her support of free love, Woodhull devoted an issue of Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly (November 2, 1872) to an alleged adulterous affair between Elizabeth Tilton and Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, a prominent Protestant minister in New York (he supported female suffrage but had lectured against free love in his sermons). Woodhull published the article to highlight what she saw as a sexual double-standard between men and women.
That same day, a few days before the presidential election, U.S. Federal Marshals arrested Woodhull, her second husband Colonel James Blood, and her sister Tennie C. Claflin on charges of "publishing an obscene newspaper" because of the content of this issue. The sisters were held in the Ludlow Street Jail for the next month, a place normally reserved for civil offenses, but which contained more hardened criminals as well. The arrest was arranged by Anthony Comstock, the self-appointed moral defender of the nation at the time. Opponents raised questions about censorship and government persecution. The three were acquitted on a technicality six months later, but the arrest prevented Woodhull from attempting to vote during the 1872 presidential election. With the publication of the scandal, Theodore Tilton, the husband of Elizabeth, sued Beecher for "alienation of affection." The trial in 1875 was sensationalized across the nation, and eventually resulted in a hung jury.
Woodhull tried to gain nominations for the presidency again in 1884 and 1892. The newspapers in 1892 reported that she was nominated by the "National Woman Suffragists' Nominating Convention" on September 21 at Willard's Hotel in Boonville, New York, presided over by Anna M. Parker, President of the convention. Mary L. Stowe of California was nominated as the vice presidential candidate, but some woman's suffrage organizations repudiated the nominations, saying that the nominating committee was not authorized. In 1892 Woodhull was quoted as saying she was "destined" by "prophecy" to be elected President of the United States in 1892.
Life in England
In October 1876, Woodhull divorced her second husband, Colonel Blood. Less than a year later, exhausted and possibly depressed, she left for England to start a new life. She made her first public appearance as a lecturer at St. James's Hall in London on December 4, 1877. Her lecture was called "The Human Body, the Temple of God," a lecture which she had previously presented in the United States. Present at one of her lectures was the banker John Biddulph Martin. They began to see each other and married on October 31, 1883. (His family disapproved of his marriage.)
From then on, she was known as Victoria Woodhull Martin. Under that name, she published the magazine, The Humanitarian, from 1892 to 1901, with help from her daughter Zula Woodhull. After her husband died in 1901, Woodhull Martin gave up publishing and retired to the country, establishing residence at Bredon's Norton.
She died on June 9, 1927 at Norton Park in Bredon's Norton, Worcestershire, England near Tewkesbury, England, United Kingdom.
Legacy and honors
A cenotaph of Victoria Woodhull-Martin is located at Tewkesbury Abbey.
The Woodhull Freedom Foundation & Federation, is a sexual freedom advocacy organization named in honor of Victoria Woodhull.
She was honored by the Office of the Manhattan Borough President in March 2008 and was included in a map of historical sites related or dedicated to important women.
Victoria Woodhull was a passionate campaigner for social justice who combined deep belief in Spiritualism, radical views on achieving equal rights for women, advocacy of divorce law changes, birth control, working people's rights, and tax reform as her platform for change. She was the first American woman to address Congress and the first to run for the office of President of the United States.
Overcoming childhood poverty, abuse and exploitation, Woodhull supported her family by working as a medium and fortuneteller. Her success as a clairvoyant connected her with Cornelius Vanderbilt. His backing made it possible for Mrs. Woodhull and her sister Tennessee Claflin to own and operate a brokerage firm and publish the highly successful Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly.
Woodhull's charisma, sense of mission, incisiveness, wealth, and independence made it possible for her to briefly reinvigorate the women's movement. Many of Woodhull's views and themes were prophetic of issues and debates of the twentieth century. Stanton and Anthony at first embraced Woodhull but drew back as her extreme critiques of marriage and America's class disparities, involvement in flamboyant scandals, and "free love" doctrines made her increasingly controversial.
After years of speeches before packed houses, the adulation of thousands, and acceptance in the wealthiest circles of the nation, Woodhull lost support because of her embroilment in scandal and manipulation, her scathing critiques and unveiling of hypocrisies. She and her sister moved to England in 1877, married wealthy men and lived comfortable, conventional lives.
http://www.snopes.com/victoria-woodhull-hillary-clinton/ Suffragist, Social Reformer. One of the best known women in America in her day, she was the first woman stockbroker on Wall Street, a leader in the woman's suffrage movement, one of the first two women to speak before a Congressional committee, and the first woman to run for the office of President. She and her younger sister, Tennessee, told fortunes, conducted faith healings and sold patent medicines to as young women; and their interests grew to eventual involvement with the spiritualism movement. It was through their activities in fortune telling and faith healing that she and her sister became acquainted with Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was interested in spiritualism. Commodore Vanderbilt is purported to have funded Victoria Woodhull's brokerage venture as a silent partner and in February 1870, the sisters became the first women to have a bank and brokerage on Wall Street. The economic freedom and independence opened the door to further groundbreaking activities. The May 13, 1870 issue of the Brooklyn "Eagle" carried a lengthy letter to the editor written by "A Woman." The letter, entitled "Woman's Right to Work and Vote and to be Our Next President," concluded with the words, "We will have a Sixteenth [woman's suffrage] Amendment and Victoria C. Woodhull may fill the Presidential chair." In the same issue of the Brooklyn "Eagle", an article appeared which announced her candidacy for President of the United States. The Equal Rights Party nominated and confirmed the ticket of Victoria Woodhull as the first female Presidential candidate, with Vice Presidential running mate, former slave and orator Frederick Douglass (who did not accept the nomination.) Soon after she announced her candidacy, she and her launched a newspaper, "Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly", which espoused socialism, woman suffrage, the Free Love Movement, and Victoria's Presidential bid. The newspaper carried the first English translation of Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto" and featured exposes on stock swindles and insurance frauds. A national furor erupted when the journal carried a detailed account of a scandalous affair between Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and the wife of his friend, Theodore Tilton. Ironically, the first female Presidential candidate spent Election Day 1872 in jail. Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin were arrested for using the United States mail to "utter obscene publication" in an article reporting explicit details of debauchery by a stockbroker named Challis. After several arrests, more than a month in custody, and thousands of dollars of bail, they were acquitted two years later. In 1871, her compelling argument of the women's rights position before the House Judiciary Committee prompted the era's newspapers to proclaim her a leader of the suffrage movement. She and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were the first two women to address Congress. Although she received early encouragement from Susan B. Anthony and other suffragists, Anthony withdrew her support because she was too outspoken and radical even for them. Her disdain for convention was evident in her personal life. First married at age 15 to Dr. Canning Woodhull (who was an alcoholic), she divorced him 9 years later. She married and divorced Colonel James H. Blood at least once, probably twice. After the divorce, Victoria moved with Tennessee to England and eventually married John Biddulph Martin, a wealthy English banker. Their later years were spent in quiet philanthropy and comfort in England. They lectured occasionally, continued to publish, and even returned to the United States briefly in an attempt to refute the negative rumors that continued to circulate about them. A cenotaph at Tewkesbury Abby commemorates the woman who "devoted herself unsparingly to all that could promote the great cause of Anglo-American friendship". (bio by: [fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=46539565" target="_blank Shiver)]
- Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 3 2018, 8:20:53 UTC
Victoria California Woodhull's Timeline
September 23, 1838
Licking County, Ohio, United States
June 9, 1927
Age 88
Wychavon District, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom
June 9, 1927
Age 88
Newhaven, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom


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Used 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Review
Edmunds expert review
Classy and refined, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class rises above the competition with its confident road manners and excellent build quality. It is quite pricey, however.
What's new for 2011
Vehicle overview
As prevalent as it might be in these days of downsizing and budget cuts to dismiss full-size SUVs as relics of the past, they exist for very good reasons, most of which are clearly demonstrated by the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class. Despite the considerable price of ownership, the GL presents a perfectly logical argument for the existence of the seven-seat luxury vehicle, most particularly for large families who prefer to travel in style and a high level of safety through all types of weather.
Mercedes' three-row SUV is more egalitarian than any other model in the brand's lineup, sharing its wealth of space, comfort and safety features among all seven travelers. Every seat is a good fit, and even the two passengers relegated to the third row will have little reason to complain. Despite its plus-sized heft and girth, the GL is surprisingly light on its tires and carves through urban congestion like a wood nymph slipping quietly through the forest. And when the road starts to bend, the standard air suspension and all-wheel drive keep this Mercedes luxury liner on a smooth and even keel.
As a vehicle type, the GL is a crossover, which means it's built like a car and thus is better able to deliver superior road manners and interior packaging than truck-based SUVs. There are three GL models, two featuring V8 engines and one with a turbocharged clean-diesel V6. A diesel engine makes a lot of sense in a big and heavy SUV because of its muscular torque and superior fuel economy. In comparison, the GL diesel is just about as economical to operate as the Escalade Hybrid, which is slower, more cumbersome to drive and more expensive.
In fact, few other luxury SUV can deliver the same balance of driving refinement and interior space as the 2011 Mercedes GL-Class. The 2011 Lexus LX 570 has an edge when going off-road, but it's typically more expensive and not as roomy on the inside. Models like the 2011 Cadillac Escalade and 2011 Lincoln Navigator have the space but can't match the Mercedes' overall refinement. The new 2011 Infiniti QX56 and 2011 Land Rover LR4 are interesting comparisons as they provide similar space and power as the GL550 for considerably less money. But overall, we're pretty fond of the GL and find it a perfectly logical choice for those who need a full-size luxury SUV.
Trim levels & features
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a full-size luxury crossover that seats seven people. It is available in GL350 Bluetec, GL450 and GL550 trim levels, which correspond to the engine choice. All GLs have standard all-wheel drive.
The GL350 Bluetec and GL450 are similarly equipped with an adaptive air suspension, a sunroof, automatic headlights, roof rails, automatic wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air-conditioning controls, heated eight-way power front seats, MB-Tex premium vinyl upholstery, burl walnut trim, third-row power split-folding seatbacks, the COMAND electronics interface, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker sound system with an in-dash six-CD changer and an auxiliary audio jack. The GL350 gets 20-inch wheels while the GL450 has 19s.
Selecting the Premium I package adds a power liftgate, power-folding mirrors, a rearview camera with integrated compass, upgraded front seats with memory functions, auto-dimming driver-side and interior mirrors, a hard-drive-based navigation system, voice controls, digital music storage, HD radio, an iPod interface and satellite radio. The Premium II package includes all the previous items plus keyless ignition/entry and a Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system.
The Full Leather Seating package adds leather upholstery, "comfort headrests" and ambient interior lighting. The Lighting package adds LED daytime running lights and adaptive bi-xenon headlights with washers. Parking sensors, running boards, ventilated and massaging front seats, and tri-zone climate control are also optional.
All of the above equipment comes standard on the GL550. To those items the 550 adds 21-inch wheels, performance tires and a more aggressive-looking front fascia. Stand-alone options available on all GL-Class models include a blind-spot warning system, a trailer hitch, roof crossbars, a wood-and-leather steering wheel, a heated steering wheel, a rear-seat entertainment system and heated rear seats.
Performance & mpg
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec features a 3.0-liter diesel-powered turbocharged V6 with 50-state-legal clean diesel technology. This engine produces 210 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Like all GL-Class models, the V6 sends its power through a seven-speed automatic transmission and "4Matic" all-wheel drive. Though we haven't tested the latest GL diesel, we estimate it will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 9 seconds. Fuel economy for the Bluetec is 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.
The Mercedes GL450's 4.7-liter gasoline-powered V8 is good for 335 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque. Tests show zero to 60 mph in a swift 6.7 seconds, and the estimated fuel economy is 13/17/14.
A jump up to the GL550 brings with it a 5.5-liter V8 delivering 382 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, and the estimated fuel economy is 12/17/14. When properly equipped, each of the GL-Class models can tow up to 7,500 pounds.
Standard safety features on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class include stability control, antilock brakes, a driver knee airbag, first- and second-row side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing head restraints fitted to all seven seats. Hill start assist, hill descent control and the mbrace emergency system are also standard. A rearview camera, parking sensors and a blind-spot warning system are also standard or optional depending on the trim level. In Edmunds brake testing, we've measured an average stopping distance from 60 mph of about 124 feet -- excellent performance for a large luxury SUV.
There's no lack of power with either of the two V8s, and both are capable of smoking their competition. If getting off the line doesn't mean all that much to your driving pleasure, the GL350's V6 diesel is more economical but delivers plenty of low-speed punch around town and is so quiet only the badging gives it away. Quietness, in fact, is the GL's most endearing trait. The GL's handling is a bit soft for those who like to carve precise lines through the corners, but it's generally better than the handling from the truck-based behemoths. And though the 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL's steering might be a bit slow for sporty drivers, it's nicely weighted and provides excellent straight-line tracking.
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL's cabin is comfortable and luxuriously appointed. Fit and finish are superb, the seats are exceptionally supportive and headroom and legroom are ample in nearly every position. The COMAND electronics interface is finicky to use, employing awkward push-buttons on a center-stack-mounted circular control pad instead of the preferred console-mounted control wheel used in more recently introduced Mercedes-Benz models.
The GL is one of the most spacious luxury crossovers on the market, as its third row is big enough to seat two average-sized adults in comfort -- something the Audi Q7 can't claim. The second row could use a sliding adjustment, however, to allow for more legroom in both the second and third rows. The GL provides 83 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume, which falls below competing SUVs like the Infiniti QX56 and Land Rover LR4.
Edmunds expert review process
This review was written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.
We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.
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