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As police look for the woman who abducted Carlina White from a Harlem Hospital as a baby 23 years ago, they have a profile that explains the majority of baby-snatching cases: mostly women who have a psychological need to "fill a void" in their lives.
The women have no love for babies, nor are they necessarily the empathetic childless victims who often sway the courts to give them lighter sentences, said Kenneth Lanning, a retired FBI agent who was in charge of the infant abduction research project in the agency's Behavioral Science Unit.
And they are not pedophiles who have a sexual interest in their victims.
"In most of these cases, these women need children, not because they love babies, but because they are trying to preserve a relationship with a man and they need the man for their economic survival," Lanning said.
It is a rare crime; only about 100 to 150 cases a year of the hundreds of thousands of missing children cases, most of which are teenage runaways or custody cases between biological parents, experts say.
Infant abductions differ from the kidnapping of older children, who are sometimes molested by a male sociopath and then quickly murdered.
"When you look at the vast universe of child abductions, the first thing to realize is that on average they [the abductors] are white males, 25 to 35, but when you are talking about infants, that profile is worthless," Lanning said.
"In a few occasions we are wrong but, statistically, it is women who do this."
On Aug. 4, 1987, 19-day-old Carlina was taken from her biological parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, when they took her to the hospital with a fever. At the time, the parents accused a mystery woman who had been hanging around the hospital.
"Way I feel when I lost my daughter, oh, my God, that was like a big part of my heart just like, just was ripped apart," Tyson told the New York Post.
A $10,000 reward was offered and the parents never gave up hope for their daughter's eventual return.
Carlina was taken to Bridgeport, Conn., and, later to Atlanta, where she was given a new name, Nejdra Nance. She was raised by the woman for 23 years, unaware that her biological family was from New York City.
Motive for Child Abductions
White later became suspicious when she could find no documentation such as a birth certificate or Social Security card and wondered why there was no family resemblance. She eventually contacted the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Police are looking for a woman called Anne Pettway, who has several aliases as well as a criminal history that includes charges of embezzlement, forgery and theft. She's on parole for embezzlement charges in North Carolina. Pettway, who cannot located, has said she was a good mother, according to reports, but White has alleged she was abused.
In terms of motive, abductions can be divided into six broad categories, according to an Analysis of Infant Abductions published by the missing children's center: nontraditional, ransom, profit, sexual, killing or miscellaneous criminal activity.
White's case would be considered nontraditional, an abduction of a young infant or young child taken usually by a woman "to fill a perceived void in the offender's life," Lanning said.
"Understanding distinctions between types of child abductors and abductions is important in investigating and solving the cases," he said.
"It may, however, have little, if any, legal significance and should not automatically imply that one is a lesser crime or one offender is less dangerous or culpable."
James Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston, agreed with the distinctions.
"Infants are stolen to take possession or also for ransom," he said. "Older children either for sex or also for ransom.
"You see, older children cannot easily be convinced of different parenthood, while infants are not especially appealing to pedophiles."
The age of the child is important in determining how to profile the kidnapper. The missing children's center defines an infant as a child younger than 1.
Although a teenage victim is technically a child, she has more in common physically with a 20-year-old, who is an adult, Lanning said. Prepubescent children -- ages 12 and older -- are more likely to be the victims of a sexual crime.
"Ted Bundy's last victim was a 12-year-old girl, but most people don't think of him as a pedophile," Lanning said. "Technically, she was a girl, but the physical characteristics of a 16-year-old, for example, are more like a 26-year-old."
In the Jaycee Dugard case, for example, Phillip Garrido may have eluded the law for so long because police had discounted him as a sex offender, because they were erroneously looking for a pedophile.
"This guy had a botched abduction of an adult and so he goes for something younger who is easier to control and uses a woman to help him," Lanning said. "He interacts with her for the next 18 years as an adult woman and she becomes the mother of his children."
Unless the kidnapper has a rare and odd proclivity, those who abduct the youngest children are almost always women and usually those from low socio-economic backgrounds who have a dependency on their male partners, according to FBI studies.
"A very high percentage of women who abduct infants, not necessarily all of them, do it to have a baby," Lanning said. "And that doesn't mean every time an infant is abducted we know that 100 percent. A tiny percentage is sexually aroused by babies."
In a case in California, two men kidnapped a baby to raise her as a "breeder" to bear children so that they could later molest them, Lanning said. "You are dealing with an isolated situation. … We know the more common reason people abduct adult children is money, ransom, sex and murder."
Infant abductors can be "very clever," Lanning said.
One woman, whose husband was in jail, abducted a 4-year-old child, ruling out an infant. She reasoned that he would not have been fooled if she had given birth to an infant, because "he wasn't around" to have sex with her and be the biological father.
"She wanted to preserve her relations with her man," Lanning said. "She didn't need a baby; she needed a husband or a boyfriend and convince him it was his baby. It had to be 4.
"The key thing is that doesn't get reported is these women don't adopt or take in foster children because they have to go home and say to the boyfriend or husband, 'Here is your baby,' and that's why many of them fake pregnancies."
Women plan these crimes for months and are "creative and clever and cunning," he said.
They can produce phony sonograms and use pads in their clothing to appear pregnant. When they are convicted, they tell stories about infertility and miscarriage and "engender a lot of sympathy."
Pettway, the woman whom White called mom, reportedly lost a baby before the abduction.
"They don't plan for what to do after the baby goes home and they show it to the boyfriend and live happily ever after," he said. "Most women take care of them and love them, but it's not always true. The guy may hang around for a year or two but not long term."
Cutting Out the Fetuses
The majority of these women are usually caught quickly when a neighbor reports that a woman suddenly showed up at the supermarket with a baby.
Those who are most successful, as in the Carina White case, leave the town or state where the kidnapping happened.
"The further away you go, the better the chance that you get away with the crime," he said.
Sentences can vary depending on the case.
Federal law does not distinguish between kidnapping cases: "It's kidnapping whether it's a birth or death," Lanning said. "There is no major difference in the eyes of the law. It's a gray area to what extent there is consent."
Some cases involve the actual cutting out of the fetus by a crude Caesarian section, according to Jack Levin, professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University in Boston.
"These sociopathic women will literally snatch an unborn child from a mother's abdomen in the ninth month of pregnancy," Levin said. "They are the smallest minority. You really have to be awfully desperate to kill the mother to get the child and to do it hands-on in such a gory manner. Most people are incapable of that."
Most are not intending to hurt the mother, Levin said. "She rationalizes that the biological mother can have another baby and she can't. She has a conscience, but has a complex rationalization that she can use to justify this criminal act."
As for Carlina White, Levin said that because the kidnapper took the girl 23 years ago without being detected, that means police have a wealth of information from the home. White can also identify the woman who claimed to be her mother.
"I am not sure where police will start," he said. "They have already started and I am sure it began with the daughter and the home she was raised in."
Levin said the public will likely be involved as soon as people learn "what the woman looks like and her personal habits."
"They probably know where to look," he said. "There will be a public display of her photo and information about her lifestyle that will ultimately bring her to justice.
"It shouldn't be very difficult. She is clever but she should be easy to apprehend. I'd be shocked if she stayed on the loose very long."


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mrchad9 wrote:MoapaPk wrote:I'm always meeting people who work for the forest service or BLM, but rarely get outside -- the better-paying jobs are largely bureaucratic.
That's a good point. What's the point of doing apparel, tourism, conservation, fundraising, or management if you are right back on the phone or in front of the computer anyway?
Sales on the road or on floor. Interacting with perspective clients and selling stuff you use and know.

subset: commoncrawl


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We made two new Pinball Map T-Shirts!
Check out our podcast! Mappin' Around with Scott & Ryan
Support Pinball Map via Patreon
Welcome to the Pennsylvania, Central Pinball Map!
To begin: Search! Or click here for a random location!
This map is best maintained with the help of YOU. Please "add" and "remove" machines to/from locations to keep things up to date. And if you know of a location with machines that isn't on the map, submit a new location.
Want to help spread the word about the Pennsylvania, Central Pinball Map? Print out this flier!
We are tracking 63 locations and 172 machines.
Message of the Day: Hey pinball fans!! Welcome to the newly developed Central PA PinballMap. Feel free to add machines or request locations to be added to the map. Thanks for keeping pinball alive in our communities!! -Derek, your Central PA admin


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Scaling Web Applications using Cache Farms and Read Pools
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Michael Nygard, author and No Fluff Just Stuff speaker, recently wrote on two alternative approaches to scaling web application performance and scalability: Cache Farms and Read Pools.
The idea behind Cache Farms is that application nodes in a cluster share an external cache instead of each maintaining their own. This eliminates redundancy and gives back heap space to the application server:
By moving the cache out of the app server process, you can access the same cache from multiple instances, reducing duplication. Getting those objects out of the heap, You can make the app server heap smaller, which will also reduce garbage collection pauses. If you make the cache distributed, as well as external, then you can reduce duplication even further.
Read Pools take advantage of the fact that most data driven applications perform many more read operations than writes. By having the reads performed against a dedicated set of read only replicated databases, you can relieve the burden on the write operation databases:
How do you create a read pool? Good news! It uses nothing more than built-in replication features of the database itself. Basically, you just configure the write master to ship its archive logs (or whatever your DB calls them) to the read pool databases.
Michael points out that updating the read hosts may not happen in real time depending on what database you are using, but notes that this might be a perfectly acceptable tradeoff. MySQL users can take advantage of Read/Write Splitting with MySQL-Proxy.
Michael concludes:
The reflexive answer to scaling is, "Scale out at the web and app tiers, scale up in the data tier." I hope this shows that there are other avenues to improving performance and capacity.
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Coherence cache farms
Cameron Purdy
* Dynamic scale-out, i.e. easily adding and removing servers without interruption to the application (and without losing any data).
* Configure any level of redundancy, including no redundancy.
* By using dynamic partitioning, Coherence linearly scales out both cache capacity and throughput.
* Read-through and read-coalescing for database access.
* Write-through and write-behind for database updates, including write-coalescing.
* Ability to layer caches, e.g. small on-heap caches layered on top of a large out-of-VM partitioned cache.
Cameron Purdy
Oracle Coherence: Clustered Caching for Java and .NET
GigaSpaces recommended
Geva Perry
On the commercial side, GigaSpaces provides distributed, external, clustered caching. It adapts to the "hot item" problem dynamically to keep a good distribution of traffic, and it can be configured to move cached items closer to the servers that use them, reducing network hops to the cache.
And in another post he writes:
What can I say about GigaSpaces? Anyone who's heard me speak knows that I adore tuple-spaces. GigaSpaces is a tuple-space in the same way that Tibco is a pub-sub messaging system. That is to say, the foundation is a tuple-space, but they've added high-level capabilities based on their core transport mechanism.
So, they now have a distributed caching system. (They call it an "in-memory data grid". Um, OK.) There's a database gateway, so your front end can put a tuple into memory (fast) while a back-end process takes the tuple and writes it into the database.
Just this week, they announced that their entire stack is free for startups. (Interesting twist: most companies offer the free stuff to open-source projects.)...
I love the technology. I love the architecture.
To check out our free offer to start-ups and individuals go here.
Geva Perry
GigaSpaces: The Scale-Out Application Platform


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Let there be no confusion on the matter. As of Sunday evening the vibes are now legitimately, painstakingly gathered.
It took one very long and very hot four-day weekend to complete a mission that demanded ample peace, music and hula-hoops, regardless the obstacles. But by those standards, by any standards really, the 16th edition of the destination Gathering of the Vibes was an ultimate success.
Bridgeport mayor Bill Finch has the Seaside Park extravaganza's cultural and economic value immeasurable. Founder Ken Hays is quite satisfied with his decade-and-a-half old festival having become a uniquely family-friendly celebration.
But most telling was the gauge of Brian...


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This morning, Facebook shares are enjoying a nice bump, even after another lock-up expiration has set 773 million shares free for trading.
This is a big number, and the new shares eligible to be traded almost doubles Facebook's float. Indeed, in the past, Facebook's stock price has tumbled on lock-up expiration days. This time, however, traders did not make the same volume of bearish bets that they had in the past. According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of Facebook shares being borrowed to short has declined by 40% this month, and is at its lowest level since June. The cost of borrowing Facebook shares has likewise been halved, as demand is no longer there.
In terms of options activity, Facebook puts were very active yesterday, but mostly on the selling side. When the stock was trading at $19.95, one trader sold 12,590 November 19-strike puts for $0.30 each. This was a bullish to neutral bet that Facebook will not decline below $18.70 by expiration this Friday. If Facebook is below $19, the trader will be forced to by the stock at that level. But judging by Facebook's action this morning, this trader must be pretty confident about bringing home the whole premium. (Track Facebook Stock Here)
And that isn't the only options trader cashing in, either. Prior to past lock-up expirations we had seen heavy put buying, but yesterday's options trading was quite different indeed. In total, $1.6 million in put premium was sold yesterday, on over twice the average daily trading volume.
Selling an out-of-the-money put is a bullish to neutral strategy, and by employing it yesterday, traders were saying that they thought Facebook will not decline much more this week. However, before you get too excited about Facebook's prospects, just note the expirations of the puts they were selling. The fact that most traders chose to sell November puts, rather than December or further-dated contracts, tells us that over the long-term, they expect the risk in the stock to remain to the downside.
Brian Stutland is the President of Stutland Equities and a contributor to CNBC's "Options Action."
Watch "Options Action" n CNBC Fridays 5:00 p.m. ET, Saturdays at 6 a.m. ET and on Sundays at 6 a.m. ET
Questions, comments send them to us at: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Car Deals
Truck Deals: September 2012
Pickup trucks are traditionally available with some of the largest incentives in the industry. With the 2012 model year winding down, many automakers are offering generous incentives and deals to clear dealer inventory before 2013 models start arriving. For shoppers who don't need the latest and greatest, that means many truck deals are available, and our latest list highlights some of the top offers on our favorite pickups.
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet is winding down production of its full-size, 4-door Avalanche pickup, which translates into great deals for truck shoppers. According to the automaker, leftover 2012 Avalanche models are available with up to $4,500 cash back for buyers paying in full or, for shoppers looking to finance, 0.9 percent interest for up to 60 months. Unfortunately for buyers interested in the latest and greatest, such deals don't extend to the 2013 Avalanche, which is only offered with $2,000 cash back. But as this year's model is almost exactly the same, we recommend seeking out a remaining 2012 Avalanche to get the best deal possible.
Find a Chevrolet Avalanche for sale
Ford F-150
The full-size Ford F-150 is available with several great offers in September. According to Ford, qualified shoppers interested in financing a remaining 2012 model can get interest rates as low as zero percent for up to 60 months plus up to $1,000 back in Ford's trade-in assistance program. Buyers looking to pay with cash for a 2012 F-150 will also get a deal, with Ford offering up to $5,500 back depending on the body style. Similar deals are also available on Ford's full-size Super Duty pickup, which is available with zero percent interest for up to 60 months plus $1,500 back or a whopping $4,500 cash back for buyers paying in full.
Nissan Frontier
Nissan's midsize Frontier pickup is available with several incentives throughout September. For shoppers looking to finance the truck, Nissan says the Frontier is available with zero percent interest for up to 60 months, or 1.9 percent for 72 months plus up to $500 cash back. Buyers interested in purchasing the truck with cash will also find a good deal, as Nissan is offering up to $2,000 back on 2012 models in September. For buyers interested in something a little larger, Nissan is also offering its full-size Titan pickup with similar interest rates as the Frontier but cash back deals ranging as high as $5,000.
Find a Nissan Frontier for sale
Ram 1500
Chrysler is offering big incentives this month on its full-size Ram pickup, whether shoppers are looking to lease, finance, or buy with cash. According to the automaker, buyers looking to finance a Ram 1500 can get interest rates as low as zero percent for up to 60 months on nearly all versions of the large truck. Shoppers who would rather pay cash can get between $3,000 and $3,500 back, depending on the model. And for customers interested in leasing, Chrysler is offering its Ram 1500 Express Quad Cab with payments of just $289 per month for 39 months after $2,999 at signing--a rare lease deal among full-size trucks that's worth considering for shoppers who plan to keep their pickup in pristine condition.
Toyota Tundra
Several deals are available on Toyota's full-size Tundra pickup during September. According to the automaker, qualified buyers interested in financing the truck can get zero percent interest for up to 60 months--a generous term for Toyota, but common among full-size trucks. For shoppers interested in leasing, Toyota's September deal applies to the popular 2012 Tundra Double Cab with its strong 5.7-liter V8. According to the automaker, that model is available with payments of just $299 per month for 36 months after $2,999 at signing, giving buyers a rare lease deal on a full-size pickup. The Tundra is even offered with a cash-back deal this month, with Toyota touting up to $3,500 back for shoppers interested in paying with cash for their next pickup.
What it means to you: Don't buy a pickup in September without negotiating a great price or taking advantage of one of the truck deals we've listed--or both.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Skip Mazenauer, publisher and CEO of Niagara Frontier Publications, which prints the Lewiston-Porter Sentinel, Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune, Island Dispatch and Grand Island PennySaver, has been named a director at large for the New York Press Association board of directors. Mazenauer's term runs from 2013-15.
Mazenauer has served in the officerships of the Grand Island Rotary and Chamber of Commerce. He has been a director of the New York State Builders Association and president of the Niagara County Builders Association. He was instrumental in the formation of the Lower River Region Chamber of Commerce where he served as chairman for two terms.
Currently, Mazenauer serves on the boards of Old Fort Niagara, the Aquarium of Niagara, Artpark & Company and the Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival committee.
NFP prints four weekly newspapers and special magazines, as well as www.wnypapers.com.
The New York Press Association was founded Sept. 8, 1853, to help publishers of small newspapers meet the needs of their communities more effectively by providing better information for their readers. The 32 publishers and editors from Western and Central New York who founded NYPA hoped that through joint discussion they could effectively set standards of commercial practice and financial management that would help their small newspapers prosper. They hoped that the fellowship engendered by personal acquaintance would minimize the misunderstandings that thrive in its absence.
Today, independently owned publications across the state continue to pass rich community newspaper traditions from one generation to the next, ensuring community newspapers remain vibrant, thriving and historically ever-changing.
NYPA's database of newspapers includes 727 weekly community newspapers, 58 daily newspapers and 147 culturally specific newspapers. Weekly newspaper circulation is 11.6 million; daily circulation is 5.6 million, and culturally specific newspaper circulation is 4.2 million.
The mission of the New York Press Association shall be to promote and encourage higher standards of journalism; to aid and advance the study and teaching of journalism; to encourage and promote the better understanding between the public and the press; to support and defend the First Amendment, including the free press, realizing that only as long as the press is successful will the other rights, privileges and freedoms of New York's citizens be preserved, and to pursue such goals through its legislative efforts, educational services and promotional initiatives.


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Sep 19, 2011
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior goalkeeper Meghan Wright (Devon, Pa.) was chosen as the NEWMAC women's soccer Defensive Player of the Week following a pair of outstanding performances which helped her break an MIT record that stood for 19 years.
Last Tuesday, Wright collected six saves in a 1-0 win over Lesley University. She followed this up with a six-save outing in a 0-0 tie with Clark University. Wright's third straight shutout resulted in the 21st clean sheet of her career and broke the previous mark for career shutouts established by Meg O'Neil '93 in 1992.


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HOUSTON – For the last four years, the Houston Dynamo have rolled out the red carpet for Hondurans.
Three players have featured for the Dynamo in that span who were part of Honduras' recent World Cup squad: Carlo Costly, Boniek Garcia and Luis Garrido. A fourth, Alexander Lopez, was on the preliminary roster.
Why is Houston such a popular spot for some of Los Catrachos' best?
While Costly first came to Houston in 2011 and left after just half a season, since 2012 the Dynamo have had a regular Honduran pied piper, the usually quiet yet always smiling Garcia, who has proved to be a lightning rod for his countrymen.
"Boniek was the gate opener for everybody," said Garrido, who debuted with Houston in Sunday's 1-0 win over D.C. United. "He came in here and started doing things well, and that sort of opened people's eyes toward the talent level we have in Honduras.
"Now it's up to us to come in here, do things right and be able to validate that reasoning why we were brought here and try and make a positive contribution."
Garcia is an elder statesman on the Honduran national team and both Lopez and Garrido say the 29-year-old winger's voice carries value.
"Everything's about relationships," said Dynamo president Chris Canetti. "You know that Oscar's got relationships with his former teammates at Olimpia and fellow national team players, and they talk all the time when they get together.
"And I'm sure he expresses to them the enjoyment he has playing for the Dynamo and the lifestyle he and his family have in Houston. They probably want to share the same thing if they get the opportunity."
It's not just word of mouth, however.
The Honduran national team has been a regular visitor to Houston, drawing strong crowds in the Bayou City during Gold Cup competition. And then there's Olimpia, the Honduran club where Garrido, Lopez and Garcia played prior to coming to the Dynamo, having played Houston in CONCACAF Champions League play.
That's made it easy to go shopping in the blue-and-white section.
"With Boniek, we saw him play a lot, and with Luis, we've played against him and seen him," Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "You try and get whoever you can get, and fortunately for us we have a good relationship with Olimpia and these are the players we're getting."
- Get the latest Dynamo news at HoustonDynamo.com
It's not just about convenience, either.
Honduran teams, club and country, feature systems and players cut from the same cloth as are the Dynamo. Hardworking, physical and with a splash of technique, the country provides Houston with a breeding ground for their type of player.
But it hasn't always worked out. Costly was a touted signing but scored just two goals before leaving after just half a season. Lopez was signed as a young Designated Player and has yet to see meaningful playing time, but Houston still have hope that he will quickly round into form.
In the case of Garcia, who has eight goals and 13 assists in his two-plus seasons in Houston, it's been a success. And Houston are hoping Garrido, signed two weeks ago on loan from Olimpia, pans out, as well.
"It's not a coincidence because we've become familiar with their teams and players having been able to see this so much," Canetti said. "There's a very good natural fit with how they develop their players and the quality of those players and the style they play that fits well in MLS."
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


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New Car Review Video
2014 Mazda6: Real World Review - Video
The 2014 Mazda6 may not be the first car you think of when shopping for a midsize sedan, but maybe it should be. It's a lot like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, but we think the Mazda is a little more stylish inside and out.
A Lot to Like
It's available in three trim levels: the base-level Sport, the nicely equipped Touring and the fully loaded Grand Touring model. The Mazda6 has a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine and comes with a manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. Mazda's i-ELOOP system works like a mild hybrid and helps the Mazda6 get an impressive 38 miles per gallon on the highway.
Aesthetically, the sleek roofline, dramatic grill and deep contours really work on this sedan, and the Grand Touring model comes with optional 19-inch alloy wheels that add to the car's luxury look.
We never thought we'd say driving a family sedan is fun, but it really is with the Mazda6. It definitely has sportier handling and a slightly firmer ride than the competing Honda Accord or Ford Fusion.
Great Interior, (Mostly) Good Tech
The 2-toned, side-bolstered leather seats and substantial steering wheel feel like something you'd find in a German luxury sedan. The Mazda6's dash and center console are elegantly streamlined, and if you drive clients around, then you'll definitely appreciate the roomy, comfortable back seat. We also like that the seat splits and folds down for extra cargo space.
The Mazda6 comes standard with push-button start, an HD Radio with a full-color touchscreen and voice-texting capability. Of course, there's a lot of optional tech available, too, such as a Bose Surround Sound System, Sirius Satellite Radio and navigation. However, we're not crazy about the Mazda's TomTom-powered nav. It's slow and the screen feels too small. But when it comes to safety, Mazda came through with optional features like forward collision alert, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and a rearview camera.
Sure, family sedans aren't usually sexy, but this practical midsize sedan is not only fun to drive, it also looks fantastic inside and out. The fully redesigned 2014 Mazda6 proves that a family car doesn't have to be boring. In fact, it can be downright stylish.


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The Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) and its partners are working toward creating a more colorful local infrastructure.
The Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) and its partners are working toward creating a more colorful local infrastructure.
We know we need gray infrastructure — roads, electric lines, waterlines and sewers, but we also need the green kind — parks, trees and open space.
And then there's the blue infrastructure, our waterways.
Back in 2009, I attended an ECO tour of the Henderson County stretch of the French Broad River, led by award-winning local writer Harrison Metzger. After reading his 2003 feature in the Times-News documenting his kayak trip on the river, I was excited to participate in the water tour.
Because I'm an experiential learner, actually getting on the river with a guide helped me understand its path. The French Broad begins its life with sparkling clean water collecting on a mountainside in Transylvania County. On its way to join the Little Tennessee River, it picks up runoff from the town of Brevard first, then Hendersonville and Asheville.
Thanks to the federal Clean Water Act and related state rules, the river has been transformed in the past 30 years. ECO volunteers and staff have hosted a long-running water quality program, which monitors the river's conditions, and advocates for clean streams.
There is still work to be done, but the French Broad is now clean enough for "full contact" water recreation, such as paddle sports, swimming and fishing.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the second-largest craft brewer in the U.S., now owns 1.25 miles of shoreline on the French Broad. The covenants on its 200-acre property near the airport lists the company's hopeful future uses: restaurant, tours, gardens, beer camp, conference center, special events, walking trails, bike trails, visitors' center, and canoe and kayak docks.
A cleaner French Broad is also becoming more of an asset to the Biltmore Estate. Hendersonville is poised as an upstream neighbor to create economic connections to it. What if the nearly 1 million people who visit America's largest private home every year had the option of staying in Hendersonville and floating down to the brewery, and then on to the estate?
It may be awhile before we see sunset wine-and-cheese cruises, corporate raft races, boat parades and paddle-in restaurants locally, but why not think big?
River camping is already on its way. The French Broad River Paddle Trail has paddle-in campsites located every 12-15 miles on land leased from private landowners and the state of North Carolina. For more information, visit wnca.org.
A 2001 economic impact study of eastern North Carolina indicated the Coastal Plain Water Trail system produces a significant $103.9 million for the local economy. One destination paddler on a multi-day paddle trip will spend about $88 a day in local communities on food, lodging (including camping and cabins), retail sales and recreation services.
So, maybe you're not a watersports person and would rather stroll beside a water feature instead.
Greenways are an appropriate use for our floodplains, which guard us against the damage of more frequent extreme weather events.
ECO initiated a wetland nature trail in Jackson Park in the 1980s and '90s. They encouraged the formation of the Apple Country Greenways Commission in 1999. The commission held public meetings and created a conceptual plan of possible trails.
Its initial project, the Oklawaha Greenway, officially opened in 2004, offering walkers, cyclists and runners a paved trail between Jackson Park and Seventh Avenue. A second phase of the greenway extended it from Seventh Avenue to Patton Park.
The Henderson County Strategic Plan, approved in February 2005, contained a strategic goal to "form a community and regional greenway network." The Apple Country Greenways Commission issued a report on how to fund the greenway strategy from diverse sources, which included a bond referendum, corporate and private donors, DOT enhancement funds, community block grants, sponsorship programs, estate donations, creation of a greenways trust fund, government capital improvement plans and buy-a-foot programs.
In Buncombe County, the commissioners approved a Greenways Plan last September. With the approval came a $50,000 donation announcement from New Belgium Brewing Co., a Colorado-based company that has acquired a site for a future East Coast brewery in Asheville's River Arts District.
We need off-road places for travel as well as play. Native Americans used the river's edge, as well as the river itself, for food and transportation. They floated and walked alongside it, a relatively flat corridor in a steep land. A flat bikepath/greenway along our French Broad River would attract cyclists in droves.
With an aging U.S. population, bicycling has become a "lifetime" activity. Between the 1960s and 1990s participation in bicycling tripled and continues to climb, according to the Bicycle Federation of America.
In Travelers Rest and Greenville, S.C., a 17-mile connecting greenway, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, grew trailside business revenues from 30 percent to as high as 85 percent in two years.
Please support a new generation of river and watershed stewards who are helping make greenways and blueways connect communities, share natural heritage, access outdoor recreation and create sustainable economic development.
ECO's Green Infrastructure Committee meets on the third Thursday of every month at 4 p.m.
ECO's Green Infrastructure Committee meets on the third Thursday of every month at 4 p.m.


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- Prices
- Medicare
- Drug Info
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- Images
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Tri-Legest FE Side Effects
What should I watch for?
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. You will need a regular breast and pelvic exam and Pap smear while on this medicine.
Use an additional method of contraception during the first cycle that you take these tablets.
If you have any reason to think you are pregnant, stop taking this medicine right away and contact your doctor or health care professional.
If you are taking this medicine for hormone related problems, it may take several cycles of use to see improvement in your condition.
Smoking increases the risk of getting a blood clot or having a stroke while you are taking birth control pills, especially if you are more than 35 years old. You are strongly advised not to smoke.
This medicine can make your body retain fluid, making your fingers, hands, or ankles swell. Your blood pressure can go up. Contact your doctor or health care professional if you feel you are retaining fluid.
This medicine can make you more sensitive to the sun. Keep out of the sun. If you cannot avoid being in the sun, wear protective clothing and use sunscreen. Do not use sun lamps or tanning beds/booths.
If you wear contact lenses and notice visual changes, or if the lenses begin to feel uncomfortable, consult your eye care specialist.
In some women, tenderness, swelling, or minor bleeding of the gums may occur. Notify your dentist if this happens. Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly may help limit this. See your dentist regularly and inform your dentist of the medicines you are taking.
If you are going to have elective surgery, you may need to stop taking this medicine before the surgery. Consult your health care professional for advice.
This medicine does not protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted diseases.
Side Effects to watch for
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
- allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
- breast tissue changes or discharge
- changes in vaginal bleeding during your period or between your periods
- changes in vision
- chest pain
- confusion
- coughing up blood
- dizziness
- feeling faint or lightheaded
- headaches or migraines
- leg, arm or groin pain
- loss of balance or coordination
- severe or sudden headaches
- stomach pain (severe)
- sudden shortness of breath
- sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg
- symptoms of vaginal infection like itching, irritation or unusual discharge
- tenderness in the upper abdomen
- trouble speaking or understanding
- vomiting
- yellowing of the eyes or skin
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
- breakthrough bleeding and spotting that continues beyond the 3 initial cycles of pills
- breast tenderness
- mood changes, anxiety, depression, frustration, anger, or emotional outbursts
- increased sensitivity to sun or ultraviolet light
- nausea
- skin rash, acne, or brown spots on the skin
- weight gain (slight)
What may interact with this drug?
Do not take this medicine with the following medication:
This medicine may also interact with the following medications:
- acetaminophen
- antibiotics or medicines for infections, especially rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, and griseofulvin, and possibly penicillins or tetracyclines
- aprepitant
- ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
- atorvastatin
- barbiturate medicines, such as phenobarbital
- bosentan
- carbamazepine
- caffeine
- clofibrate
- cyclosporine
- dantrolene
- doxercalciferol
- felbamate
- grapefruit juice
- hydrocortisone
- medicines for anxiety or sleeping problems, such as diazepam or temazepam
- medicines for diabetes, including pioglitazone
- mineral oil
- modafinil
- mycophenolate
- nefazodone
- oxcarbazepine
- phenytoin
- prednisolone
- ritonavir or other medicines for HIV infection or AIDS
- rosuvastatin
- selegiline
- soy isoflavones supplements
- St. John's wort
- tamoxifen or raloxifene
- theophylline
- thyroid hormones
- topiramate
- warfarin


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James LoMenzo Interview
James LoMenzo has been touring the world with some of the biggest names in metal since the early 80's. Most recently he's become the low end for one of the worlds biggest and most successful thrash metal bands – Megadeth.
Yamaha roundup caught up with James to talk about gear, gigs and what's been dubbed "The best Megadeth album in years".
Starting at the beginning - what got you into playing bass?
I originally started as a guitarist around age 11, love to sing and strum. Around age 12-13 this dude at a summer camp let me try out his bass and I thought it was just cooler. I was so tapped into bass parts, having grown up listening to Motown and the Beatles... melodically; it made more sense to me.
You joined Megadeth in 2006, just in time for the recording of United Abominations. This album has been called "the best Megadeth album in years" – what was it like joining a band with a history like Megadeth's?
Honestly, when Dave asked me to join I wasn't completely sure if I was the right guy for the job but I loved the challenge that was ahead of us, going into that record. ...I thought it would be a more stifling situation but it really wasn't, it was very creative and Dave turned out to be a very generous musician to work with. It's gratifying that the album has been accepted so well, given the bands stunning legacy.
You've been touring with various bands since the early 80's. What is your proudest musical moment?
They're all proud moments, from our first gold album in White Lion, performing at the Great Madison Square Garden, Jamming with Ritchie Blackmore in a small club in Long Island, the festivals at Donnington. I'm hard pressed to find the proudest moment. Musically, I'm very keen on some of the work with Zakk Wylde, Pride & Glory in particular, the latest Megadeth has some great moments for me as does The Hideous Sun Demons.
How did you start working with Yamaha?
Well I've always been a fan of Yamaha quality across the board, from their audio stuff, pianos (in one of my early bands I used to help our keyboard player put together and dismantle a CP 70 nightly), Drums and best of all, Motorcycles ... I've put thousands on miles on my old Seca Turbo and V-Max.
I really took notice of Yamaha's Bass guitars around 1989-90. White Lion were on tour in Europe with Mr. Big. Billy Sheehan had just started using what is now his Signature Attitude bass. Standing side stage, I couldn't believe the "size" and depth of his sound. I'd always catalogued that. Years later when playing with David Lee Roth on a dual tour with Sammy Hagar I had the privilege of seeing and hearing Michael Anthony play. Same thing, as soon as he plugged in his BB model it just opened up, big and wide. Years later I spoke with Mike Tempesta (Yamaha's artist rep here in the US) and he was very receptive to the idea of having Yamaha make me the bass with the sound that I was looking for. So, along with John Gaudesi (head designer in the custom shop) we came up with a plan based on the BB series.
Tell us more about your new BB bass – are there any unique aspects to it?
What I was looking to do was have an "every rock bass", something that would be as great playing motown as it would be playing Megadeth. The main elements are a maple neck, a smaller BB sized body made of alder and three Dimarzio pickups. The first two pickups are similar to the Billy Sheehan set up that is a Dimarzio humbucker right off the neck which is great for those Jack Bruce/Felix Pappalardi sounds. Then, a high output Dimarzio in the standard p-bass position. These are all wired together in series. I've added a reverse p-Bass style pickup by the bridge where Yamaha usually places their single coil pick up on their standard models. This mixed just behind the middle pickup gives the bass a richer harmonic attack and provides better right hand access on the lower strings. There's also a Hipshot D-tuner and a BadAss II bridge which are things that I've just gotten used to over the years. Depending on the mix of the 3 pickups you can really emulate a lot of classic bass tones. The bonus is that it plays so well, it's a hard instrument to put down. If I'm sitting around, I'm always jamming on it.
How does this bass fit in with the rest of your rig? – talk us through your stage setup…
Actually, It took me a bit of tweaking to tune my wireless packs and rig to my new Yamaha, it was just so much louder then the basses I'd been using. I had to back down the input gain on everything to make sure I wasn't crushing the front end of my pre-amps.
As for the rig itself, I use Electrovoice REV wireless systems into my Ashdown rig consisting of an:
- ABM RPM-1 Pre-amp
- 2-ABM ABM 1000 Power Amplifier (1000 watts each).
- 2-custom ABM Cabs with neodymium speakers (top 4x10 in sealed enclosure/bottom 1x15 tuned)
For effects I use my Signature "LoMenzo Hyperdrive" made by Ashdown. This is a unit I designed myself. I generally set this at high attack frequency with a little gain to accentuate my picking attack.
I'll also add an Aphex Compressor and Bass Exciter. Other pedals I'll use are EBS's Octabass and MXR's Chorus and Phaser 100 I also use their white bass wah.
During the recording of United Abominations – did you use any special techniques to get your bass sound?
Both producers, Jeff Balding and Andy Sneap were really keen on using a bass rig which is something I prefer. I find It's really the only way to stamp a "sonic signature" onto a recording, Chris Squire anyone?
So, for United Abominations I set up the best live tone I could from my rig. We had plenty of room in SARM studios in England where we recorded the first 2 thirds of the album. We took advantage of one of the drum booths that weren't being used, locked the speakers in and crank the amp up to performance level. When Andy Sneap took over towards the end we went about it in a slightly different way. Due to the configuration of the studio we were using here in San Diego, there was no space to set up my rig till the drums were finished, so Andy put a direct into Protools with a suitable amp emulation plug-in for me to vibe with. When we had all the drum takes, Andy Re-amp'd the direct through my rig and mic'd it with an E.V. RE-27 on the 10's and a ND/868 on the 15's (I use this live as well).
Through out the recording, I put the usual effects in line and just adjusted them to suit the each song ...didn't change the amp tone very much.
What would you say your number 1 tip would be for budding bass players?
#1 (next to listening to as much music as possible) would be to play with live people as often as you can. Everyone has something different to offer musically, getting good at adapting to their styles is a great shortcut to developing your own.
Other than your current band, if you could play in any line-up, of any band, playing any gig in history – what would it be?
Sly, Jimi or The Who at Woodstock... it really wouldn't matter which, I would have loved to gig in any one of those bands at that event.
For more Megadeth info, visit http://www.megadeth.com.
This page has been updated as part of the Dolphin Music Dedicated to Bass Week. Check out what else we've been talking about here
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Charlie Pahlman Memorial Account
The Charlie Pahlman Memorial Account is named in memory of Charlie Pahlman whose interests in social and environmental aspects of development in the Mekong Region were close to those of the AMRC. The account is managed by the AMRC and is used for university-related activities such as annual lectures and visiting scholars from the Mekong Region. It receives funds by donation from individuals and organisations that wish to further the stated objectives of the Mekong Research Group. Donations are tax deductible.


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(BPT) – Entertaining at home with friends and family can be both exciting and stressful. With big games, awards shows and book clubs filling your early spring social calendar, prepare your home by kicking off your spring cleaning routine a little early. Instead of just cleaning the kitchen counters, tossing a few extra towels in the guest bathroom and ignoring the rest of the house, try taking a few extra steps, which will leave you feeling ready to host at any time.
Knowing where to start is the most important thing. Lifestyle guru Susie Coelho has provided entertaining tips for the home on HGTV, "Oprah," "Today" and "The View" and knows just what to do.
Tip No. 1: Food can make or break a party. Start your preparations by stocking the bar and cleaning the kitchen.
Set the table or buffet before people arrive. There is a good chance some of the seating for your gathering will be located in the kitchen area. Make certain the kitchen is clean and the sink area is cleared of all food prep materials. If your garbage disposal has an odor, your guests will be sure to notice. Before the party starts, drop in a Power Pack of Liquid-Plumr Disposal + Drain Foaming Cleaner and run the disposal. The fresh citrus scent indicates your disposal is cleaned and deodorized, eliminating the chance of an embarrassing lingering smell being sensed by your guests.
"If you decide to host a a party, ask your guests to participate by bringing an appetizer on a decorative platter. This will add different flavors to your party and help encourage conversations about the combination of foods prepared," Coelho says. Also, encourage them to match the theme of the gathering, like chips and salsa for a Mexican-themed party or olives, hummus and pita bread for a Greek-themed party.
Tip No. 2: Once the space is clean and the food is ready, add simple decor to make the space warm and inviting.
When decorating the seating and buffet areas, Coelho suggests going simple with tea lights in glass votive jars and choosing a one or two-tone color palette for dishes, napkins and flowers. "For beautiful ambiance, arrange candles down the center of the table," she says.
In addition to the candles as centerpieces, Coelho also recommends making the food part of the display as well.
"Contrast is a buffet's best friend and you can find it in different heights, sizes, colors of the food, dishes and accessories. I have used everything from fabrics, herbs and pottery to flowers, candles and vases, turned over a dish to get height and used an odd container for display," she says.
Tip No. 3: The more room you have to mingle, the happier everyone will be.
As people start making themselves comfortable, they won't just stay in the kitchen. Having all areas of the house clean and open will invite guests to gather and socialize, keeping the party going longer.
One room your guests will be sure to visit is the bathroom. Make certain you have the room stocked with plenty of paper products as well as soap and hand lotion. Consider also placing a clean scented candle in the room.
Most importantly, be prepared for clogged drains in the bathroom and kitchen sinks, which could disrupt the flow of the party. "A clogged sink drain always comes at the wrong time," says Coelho. "To avoid these inconvenient situations, I recommend keeping two products handy at all times: Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake + Gel System and Liquid-Plumr Urgent Clear. These products work great for both the bathroom and kitchen sinks to keep them running smoothly."
Now that you're ahead of your spring cleaning chores, you can enjoy the company of your friends and family at the comfort of your home.


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Car Review
2012 Land Rover Range Rover: New Car Review
Pros: Great acceleration; fine interior amenities and build quality; strong off-road capability
Cons: Poor fuel economy
The Range Rover has one of the most famous SUVs in the world. Originally released in 1970 in the U.K., the Range Rover wasn't officially sold in the United States until March 16, 1987. Since its inception, the Range Rover model has been through three generations, with the most recent making its debut in 2002.
Within the past few years, Range Rover's parent corporation, Land Rover, has adopted the Range Rover nameplate for other of its more luxurious models. Although once a stand-alone name, the Range Rover Sport, based on the Land Rover LR3, and most recently the Range Rover Evoque, a small three- or five-door hatchback SUV, have taken on the Range Rover brand name.
Although the Land Rover company is respected for its world-class off-road luxury vehicles, it has had difficulty finding a permanent parent corporation. Land Rover has been owned by several larger automakers, including British Leyland, BMW and Ford. Currently Land Rover is owned by Indian automaker Tata.
Comfort and Utility
"Comfort and Utility" is a section included in all AutoTrader vehicle reviews. For Range Rover, it's perfectly suited, since the Range Rover was built with seamlessly blended comfort and utility as its core values.
Some automotive journalists have called the interior of the Range Rover the greatest vehicle interior in the world. Big, spacious and beautifully constructed and finished, the Range Rover is truly at the pinnacle of luxury vehicles of any kind.
The Range Rover is trimmed with luxury-grade European leather from the seats to the headliner to the door pillars. The interior is finished with satin black or natural wood to complete the interior experience. In addition, the front seats are both heated and cooled, and the rear seats recline electronically.
Adding to the luxurious interior are numerous technological features to enhance both utility and driving enjoyment. Among them are the award-winning Terrain Response system, which includes Sand Launch Control, a newly revised Rock Crawl Program and Gradient Release Control. The 2012 Range Rover has two further enhancements, Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control.
Hill Start Assist works by holding the driver-generated brake pressure long enough for the driver to move his or her foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator without having the vehicle roll backward. The system releases the brake after "sufficient time has elapsed" or when the engine supplies enough torque to move the vehicle uphill. Gradient Acceleration Control is designed to activate on severe downhill gradients when the driver does not have Hill Descent Control engaged. Gradient Acceleration Control pressurizes the brake system, slowing the vehicle to a throttle-position-determined speed while the vehicle descends a slope.
Within the past few years, physical gauges and dials on the dash have been replaced by a 12-inch transistor screen made of thin film that displays essential vehicle information on digitally created dials and graphical displays. Not only does this upgrade look strikingly modern, it also allows owners to change the position of certain virtual dials to customize vehicle information.
Beyond its new instrument cluster, the Range Rover is loaded with technological goodies. Among the many are a rear-view camera, heated front and rear window shields, rain-sensing wipers, satellite navigation, a heated steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, push-button ignition and a 720-watt Harmon Kardon digital surround sound system with a six-disc CD changer.
Performance & Fuel Economy
In the U.S. market, the Range Rover is available with two engine configurations. The HSE model has a normally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 producing 375 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque. The supercharged model's 5.0-liter V8 makes 510 hp and 461 lb-ft.of torque. The HSE will make the run from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. The Supercharged model will make the same run in 5.9 seconds. That would be quick for any vehicle; considering that the Range Rover weighs more than 6,000 pounds, it's staggeringly quick.
As for fuel economy, if you have to ask, you don't have the right mind set for Range Rover ownership. But if you must know, the Range Rover is rated at 12 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.
The Range Rover is loaded with safety features. Headlining the equipment list are seven airbags: driver and passenger dual threshold airbags, driver's knee airbag, a side airbag for the front seats and separate side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. The Range Rover also features an inertia switch that unlocks the doors, turns off the fuel pump and turns on interior and hazard lights in the case of an accident. The front seats also include something called an Integrated Whiplash Reduction System.
Driving Impressions
Customers who choose the Range Rover HSE with its normally aspirated V8 engine will find the acceleration astonishing, especially those who have driven Range Rovers in the past, which were not so quick. The supercharged Jaguar 5.0-liter V8, however, is something altogether different. The best way to describe it would be to conjure up images of the space shuttle. Arguably, we've never flown the space shuttle. So we figure the experience of piloting either vehicle is rather similar.
In keeping with the space shuttle analogy, one driving sensation that distinguishes the Range Rover from the rest of the automotive universe is its tall ride height. Not only is the vehicle itself tall, but the passengers sit high in the cabin. This elevated seating position coupled with the height of the vehicle itself gives the passengers the sensation of being above everything else on the road, as if flying at 10,000 feet, rocketing toward Jupiter.
Below, we give recommendations on other vehicles to consider in place of the Range Rover. With 99 percent of the vehicles we review, these side-by-side comparisons are reasonable. Comparing a Mustang with a Camaro is fair; comparing a Range Rover with any other vehicle isn't. There simply is no other 500-some-horsepower luxury SUV on the market that can conquer most any earthly terrain that its driver throws at it. The Range Rover is-like the space shuttle-a standalone masterpiece of engineering.
Other Cars to Consider
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 - The SRT8, the fastest Jeep ever built, starts at a bargain basement MSRP under $60,000. Arguably, it is great off-road, too. But its interior isn't even close to that of the Range Rover.
BMW X5M - Starting at $87,250, the X5M, like the Range Rover, is luxurious and fast. But the BMW X line has never been known for its strong four-wheel-drive systems. If you should ever take one of these off-road, you'd better hope there's a Range Rover nearby to tow you out when you get stuck.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo - The 500-hp Turbo starts at $107,000, which is $13,000 more than the supercharged Range Rover. The Cayenne is much more carlike than the Range Rover. Customers looking for a sports car/luxury SUV will prefer the driving characteristics of the Cayenne over the much more trucklike Range Rover.
AutoTrader Recommendations
Fuel economy actually doesn't decrease too much when upgrading from the standard HSE to the Supercharged model. So drop a couple of extra grand and go for the 510-hp version. If you're even considering a Range Rover, there's no sense in going small.


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Angels roar into break with Texas-sized sweep
ARLINGTON -- A 21st Century version of the Big Red Machine appears to be taking shape about 2,000 miles from Cincinnati, in Southern California.
The red-clad, red-hot Angels continued to mash away on a sweltering Sunday afternoon in the Lone Star State, finishing off a four-game sweep of the reeling Rangers with a 10-7 decision at Globe Life Park.View Full Game Coverage
ARLINGTON -- A 21st Century version of the Big Red Machine appears to be taking shape about 2,000 miles from Cincinnati, in Southern California.
The red-clad, red-hot Angels continued to mash away on a sweltering Sunday afternoon in the Lone Star State, finishing off a four-game sweep of the reeling Rangers with a 10-7 decision at Globe Life Park.View Full Game Coverage
The All-Star break will achieve what 10 teams have been unable to do over the past five weeks: put the brakes on the Angels' runaway machine.
The Angels come to the break having won 26 of their past 35 games, closing to within 1 1/2 games of the A's in the American League West. Oakland is the only team in the Major Leagues with a better record than the 57-37 Angels, who lead the Majors with 478 runs scored.
"It's right there," said cleanup man Josh Hamilton, who muzzled the boo-birds in his old nest all weekend by going 7-for-17 with five runs scored and three RBIs. "It's something where you feed off each other. If you don't get it done, another guy will pick you up.
"It's a good feeling. The clubhouse all year has been fun, picking on each other. We have each other's back. That's what you have to have. Guys are getting on base, knocking each other in. It's fun."
Hitting behind Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, two of the game's most dangerous hitters, takes Hamilton back to the days when Texas' lethal lineup featured the likes of Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre in his midst.
"It's that same kind of feeling," Hamilton said.
Trout, whose two doubles accounted for four RBIs in the finale, was 8-for-18 with two homers and nine RBIs in the series. Pujols, with three hits and a big RBI double in the eighth Sunday, was 8-for-17 with four RBIs.
The Angels' first-ever four-game sweep of the Rangers left Texas with an eight-game losing streak and defeats in 22 of their past 25 games.
While the Big Three drove the offense, Tyler Skaggs -- celebrating his 23rd birthday -- endured the stifling, upper 90s heat to get the 15 outs required to claim the win, moving to 5-5.
"Miserable all around," Skaggs said of the stifling conditions, not needing to be told this wasn't his hometown Santa Monica, by the beach. "I was trying to hydrate all day. Imagine you're playing in an oven. If you've ever had a blow dryer in your face, that's what it's like. My cleats almost melted.
"We persevered. It wasn't the greatest outing for me -- I made some bad pitches in 0-2 counts -- and that's frustrating. But we persevered and won the game, and that's what counts."
Singles by Alex Rios and Beltre resulting in sixth-inning runs left Skaggs with an unimpressive line: six earned runs, seven hits, one walk, three strikeouts. Given the daunting conditions in a hitter-friendly park, the lefty's labors were not without merit.
"I think he had better stuff than the linescore shows," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He let some counts get away from him and didn't put hitters away."
Rangers manager Ron Washington sounded as if he'd been steamrolled, the Angels having scored 33 runs with 51 hits and a .395 average with runners in scoring position in the four games.
"That's a very relentless ballclub over there," Washington said. "Every time you make a mistake, they make you pay."
The Angels' manager is enjoying all the noise.
"The last 20 games have been a tremendous run," Scioscia said. "Hopefully, they're poised well for holding up in a pennant race."
Trout got the Angels rolling with a two-out, three-run double against Scott Baker in the second inning that found open space in left-center. The Rangers had jumped ahead in the first with infield hits by Daniel Robertson and Elvis Andrus and Rios' sacrifice fly.
After Hamilton's double and Erick Aybar's RBI single pushed the lead to 4-1 in the third, the Rangers tied it when Rios sent a two-run double to right on an 0-2 hanging hook, scoring on Beltre's grounder.
The Angels reclaimed the lead when Trout followed Kole Calhoun's double with one of his own, a line drive to the left-center gap. On his way to the All-Star Game, the center fielder has 73 RBIs, 71 coming in the No. 2 spot of the order in 88 starts. The club record for RBIs by a No. 2 hitter is 79 by Jim Edmonds in 1995.
Aybar, whose 50 RBIs are within nine of his career high in 2011, walked to open the fifth, took third on Howie Kendrick's single and scored on David Freese's sacrifice fly. A double by Efren Navarro, handling the roster spot vacated by injured Collin Cowgill, brought home Kendrick. Navarro was 2-for-4 with some slick work at first with the glove.
Trout's walk, Pujols' single and Hamilton's sacrifice fly gave the Angels an 8-4 lead in the sixth. The Rangers sliced the deficit in half on Jake Smolinski's RBI single and Chris Gimenez's double-play grounder as Mike Morin relieved Skaggs.
Rougned Odor's one-out triple and Leonys Martin's groundout made it 8-7 in the seventh, but Pujols' two-out double in the eighth brought home Iannetta, who walked leading off.
Kevin Jepsen handled the eighth, and Joe Smith rolled to his 15th save after Iannetti's RBI single cashed in Kendrick with an insurance run in the ninth.
Since July 1, Smith, the new closer, has been untouchable, putting away 26 of 27 hitters he has faced with one walk. He has not allowed a hit in 10 consecutive appearances.
"Joe makes pitches," Scioscia said.
And this new-model Big Red Machine from the West Coast bangs them.
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com.


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Each time a 20th-century dance giant dies, fear runs through the dance world's collective veins. With another genius gone, where will the new crop of movement masters come from, and can dance survive without such legendary talent? It is a question that has been haunting the dance world for decades.
Friday night at the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek that question hounded Diablo Ballet's opening program of its 2012-13 season. In an evening filled with talented and passionate dancers, the company mounted work that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. Dance has endured, but the issues of legacy and revitalization haven't gone away.
The production of "The Moor's Pavane" threw the problem into sharp relief. The late Jose Limon's almost Kabuki-like depiction of the Othello story is a masterpiece of modern dance from 1949 and Diablo Ballet brought it to life with stunning depth. But the dizzy premieres bookending "Moor" seemed to have been intended for another program or a different company altogether.
In "Moor," two couples, Othello and Desdemona (The Moor and The Moor's Wife), Iago and Emilia (His Friend and His Friend's Wife), perform a taut, elegantly formulated web of decorum, corruption and desire costumed in sumptuous Renaissance garb. Every step, each gesture and every foot of stage space seem sculpted with narrative, holding visual and metaphysical importance and shaped by a fate that is still en route. The stately music by 17th-century composer Henry Purcell only ratchets up dramatic tension.
It was thrilling to watch how Robert Dekkers as the calculating and homoerotic Iago performed with some of the same slithery elegance that dancer Lucas Hoving brought to the role he originated in 1949, and how Derek Sakakura embodied the credulous Othello with power if not quite the willfulness of Jose Limon. Maria Basile was a nuanced Emilia; and Desdemona, Othello's wife, was captured by Heather Cooper with the soft innocence that makes her the prey in a quiet, evil conspiracy. Both women are on loan from sjDANCEco.
Although more than 60 years old, "The Moor's Pavane" is timeless as well as timely in its account of how politics, power and sex lace together to cause tragedy. Its ability to communicate something complex with compressed simplicity is a supreme example of the power of dance.
By contrast, Vicente Nebrada's premiere of "Lento a Tempo e Appassionato," which opened the program, was a demonstration of dance as a series of well-executed athletic tricks meant to denote passion. The program closer, the premiere of "A Swingin' Holiday" by Sean Kelly, with the Diablo Ballet Swing Orchestra in the pit, showed the desperation of an art form that returns to the Lindy, zoot suits and mashups of Christmas music with almost zombielike insistence.
Nebrada made hash of Alexander Scriabin's three piano etudes as the lovely dancers Hiromi Yamazaki and David Fonnegra, with the estimable Roy Bogas on piano, spun and entwined and punched each accent in a histrionic depiction of male-female love worthy of the over-the-top emoting of early silent films. Isadora Duncan performed a dance of simple gravity in 1923 to some of the same Scriabin etudes, but Nebrada seems as in the dark about that past as Kelly seems blind to the fact that Michael Smuin fully captured the '40s Broadway dance shtick decades ago.
For ages, dance commentators have noted that without an effective written scoring system, dance remains dependent on one generation passing down information to the next. But Youtube is quickly giving young choreographers access to dance archives that no other generation has had. Film clips can't replace the transmission between artists, but they put more history at young artists' finger tips. It is in their interest to use them. We will all benefit.
diablo ballet
Presents works by Vicente Nebrada, Jose Limon and Sean Kelly
When: 8 p.m. Nov. 17
Where: Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
Tickets: $36, $52, 925-943-7469, www.leshercenter.org


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Free State, South Africa , is a province of extreme diversity - natural, cultural or historical. This makes Free State tourism particularly attractive, as it provides a plethora of things to see and do. Exploring the province's nature reserves and mountains, museums and monuments and extensive cultural heritage are popular Free State attractions. It's almost as though time itself began in this picturesque province. It is home to the Vredefort Dome, the world's oldest meteorite impact site, ancient San rock art and dinosaur remains and fossils. The National Museum in Bloemfontein has prime examples of the latter
As one of South Africa's agricultural hubs, the Free State largely comprises rolling farmland, although its dominant natural feature is its beautiful sandstone cliffs
Located in the province's north eastern region, at the foot of the Maluti Mountains, is the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Aside from its imposing sandstone peaks, the park boasts a highland habitat sustaining a variety of animals and birds, including the rare bearded vulture. It offers guided walks, hikes, game viewing and horse riding.
Due to its great diversity, the Free State boasts a number of tourism routes. Do the Maloti Route and discover the eastern highlands and Maluti Mountains of neighbouring Lesotho; follow the Goldfields Route and delve into the history of Lejweleputswa's gold mines; or explore the province's battlefields and war museums on the Battlefield Route
Experience the region's cultural and political heritage on the BBT Heritage route or walk in the footsteps of the diamond prospectors of old on the Diamond and Wine Route. This tour also features the Landzicht, Wilreza and Jacobsdal wine estates.
If authentic home-grown hospitality is what you're after, make sure you do the Friendly N6 Route, which covers the area from Bloemfontein to Aliwal North
With its bountiful natural, historical and cultural attractions, there's something to tempt every visitor's fancy in the beautiful Free State.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Free State Tourism
Tel: +27 (0) 51 411 4300
Email: email@example.com
South Africa National Parks
Tel: + 27 (0) 12 428 9111
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Best time to visit
Spring to autumn (September to April). Summer days get very hot, while winter days are mild, with cold evenings. Snow regularly falls on the eastern highlands.
How to get around
Fly direct from any of South Africa's major cities to Bloemfontein Airport. If you're driving; from Johannesburg and Cape Town take the N1 south and north respectively to Bloemfontein. From Durban, take the N3 out of KwaZulu Natal, and pick up the N5 at Harrismith to Bloemfontein.
In order to cover the large stretches of territory required, getting around by car is recommended.
Where to stay
The region offers a full range of accomodation from backpackers and B&B's to hotels and guest houses.
What to eat
Traditional boerekos (farm-style food) and potjiekos (pot stew) in most towns and villages; authentic African cuisine at the many African cultural villages; the Free State's famed corn on the cob and juicy cherries.
What's happening
Philippolis Witblits Festival in June (a festival featuring traditional home-brewed alcoholic spirits); NAMPO Farm Show (agricultural show) at Bothaville in May; the Bloemfontein Show (agricultural and entertainment festival) at Bloemfontein in April; the Free State Food Fair and Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival, both at Bloemfontein in October; the Cherry Festival at Ficksburg in November.
Tour Winnie Mandela House in Majwemasoeu; the region's various wine cellars; the self-drive tourism routes (Battlefields, Friendly N6, Diamond and Wine, BBT Heritage, Maloti and Goldfields); the National Museum in Bloemfontein; the Basotho Cultural Village; the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.


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Kansas St sophomore F Adrian Diaz transferring; hopes to be closer to Miami home
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State says sophomore forward Adrian Diaz has decided to transfer.
Coach Bruce Weber said Monday he was disappointed, but Diaz expressed an interest in playing closer to his home in Miami.
The 6-foot-10 Diaz averaged 2.9 points on 54.8 percent shooting with 1.9 rebounds in 49 career games from 2011-13. He has two years of eligibility remaining.


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Discover the 'Blue Eye' (4 Days)
This tour is great for active, outdoors-loving people who are used to long walks, and for those with a flexible, adventurous attitude. This walking tour shows you the beauty of pristine nature and culture in the Albanian Alps where you will be hosted by local families. Enjoy their hospitality while discovering the stunning beauty of...
The Best of Via Dinarica: An 8-Day Hiking Adventure
One of the best hikes in the Balkans (and in Europe), is this Via Dinarica hike, which takes you through Northern Albania, across the three-border point from Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.
Kayak to the spectacular Kepi Rodonit (Day Trip)
This day trip is for active people who enjoy being on the water. During this trip, we will start paddling from Gjiri I Lalzat along pristine beaches until we reach Kepi Rodonit.
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Self-guided Local Village House Trek (5 Days)
This tour is for adventurous travelers with open minds who like staying in the traditional houses of the native Albanian highlanders, the "malesore".
Self Guided - Majestic Mountain Trek from Valbona to Thethi (3 Days)
We will hike the classic pass of the Albanian Alps that has linked the two most known valleys of the area – Valbona and Thethi – for centuries.
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Rafting in the marvelous Vjosa Valley (Day Trip)
The trip takes place in the Vjosa river, which flows at the foothills of the mighty Nemerçka, the highest mountain of Southern Albania. The trip ends where the river reaches the city of Permet.
Walking Tour authentic Theth and Shkoder (3 Days)
This tour is for active people who like to get to know the local culture of the people in Northern Albania.
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what made you choose Avonex over the other CRABS? My son will have to start one soon, and Im torn between which one we should go with. His Dr. asked me to research them and decide. They both have good and bad sides. Side effects, times etc.
Maybe you all could give me more ideas on which one?
Thank you.


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Car Review
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: New vs. Old
The last model to get Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture design is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe crossover SUV, and with this all-new Santa Fe the automaker is taking its styling ethos to the next level with what it is calling a Storm Edge appearance.
This represents more than just a styling exercise. The 2013 Santa Fe lineup is split into the 5-passenger Santa Fe Sport and the long-wheelbase 7-passenger Santa Fe, and is offered with three different powertrain choices. The new model also adds Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system, and is available with several new handling, comfort, and safety features that were previously unavailable for the 2007-2012 Santa Fe.
Remember, though, that progress doesn't come cheaply. The question, then, is this: Does it make more sense to select a previously owned Santa Fe? That's what we're here to find out.
Before we continue, please note that the 7-passenger Santa Fe is not yet on sale, and its specifications are not yet finalized. Therefore, we'll be comparing the 5-passenger 2013 Santa Fe Sport to the previous-generation 5-passenger Santa Fe.
Fuel Economy
The redesigned 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is offered with a choice between two engines. The standard 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 190 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, while the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine generates 264 and 269 lb-ft of torque. Not only does the turbocharged engine add 74 horsepower, its torque peaks between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm. Translated, the Santa Fe 2.0T feels like you've got a rocket strapped to your right foot.
The 2010-2012 Santa Fe models offered a 175-hp, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 276-hp, 3.5-liter V6. They replaced the 185-hp 2.7-liter V6 and the 242-hp 3.3-liter V6 engines that were offered from 2007 to 2009. None of these engines provide as much torque as the new Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, which also weighs almost 450 pounds less than the old Santa Fe.
While performance is improved with the new Santa Fe Sport, fuel economy is essentially the same as the 2010-2012 Santa Fe, based on the figures on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. Equipped with the standard 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, the new Santa Fe Sport gets between 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, depending on drivetrain choice. The Santa Fe Sport 2.0T is rated to get between 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
Compare those numbers to the 2012 Santa Fe. That SUV was rated to get between 20 mpg and 28 mpg on the highway with the standard 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, while the 3.5-liter V6 delivered 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, regardless of drivetrain choice.
Based on published EPA figures, there is no difference between the previous-generation Santa Fe and the new Santa Fe Sport when it comes to fuel economy. But the new model is definitely more powerful.
The previous-generation Santa Fe came standard with six airbags, a traction and stability control system and 4-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes. In later years, a reversing camera was optional, and in 2012 Hyundai added Downhill Brake Control as a standard feature.
For 2013, Hyundai repeats this list of safety features for the new Santa Fe Sport, adding a knee airbag for the driver, Hillstart Assist Control, and one free year of Blue Link telematics service. Blue Link includes Automatic Collision Notification and Assistance, which activates when the airbags deploy to help speed rescue after a collision. Blue Link also includes SOS Emergency Assistance, and offers the ability to program vehicle speed and curfew alerts so that parents, for example, can be notified if teenagers drive the Santa Fe Sport too fast or too far.
In addition to more standard safety features, the 2013 Santa Fe Sport receives an overall 5-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The previous-generation Hyundai Santa Fe was also named a "Top Safety Pick" by the IIHS in all except for the 2010 model year, when the Institute introduced a new roof crush strength test, in which the 2010 Santa Fe rated "Acceptable" rather than "Good." In NHTSA crash tests, the 2007-2010 Santa Fe models received overall ratings of five stars.
But there is a problem.
In 2011, the NHTSA strengthened its crash test requirements, and when the Santa Fe was subjected to the new assessments, it fared poorly. Its overall crash test rating dropped to three stars, and in the side-impact collision test, the SUV received a 1-star rating for the front seat passenger--the lowest rating possible.
Because the 2011 and 2012 Santa Fe rated poorly in the more difficult NHTSA tests, the new Santa Fe Sport passed with flying colors, and because the new Santa Fe Sport offers Blue Link telematics with Automatic Crash Notification service and other useful safety features, we give the new model the nod when it comes to safety.
Except for transmission problems reported on the 2010 Santa Fe V6 models and trouble with fuel systems and suspensions on the 2007 and 2008 models, the previous-generation Santa Fe is generally reliable. Given this track record, combined with Hyundai's extremely generous new-car warranty, our expectation is that the redesigned Santa Fe Sport will continue to demonstrate better than average dependability over time.
We'll call this one a tie.
As this article is written, a number of certified pre-owned Hyundai Santa Fes are for sale around the country, ranging from $13,990 for a 2008 Santa Fe GLS 2WD with 58,000 miles on the odometer to nearly $30,000 for a 2012 Santa Fe Limited V6 with all-wheel drive and just 3,600 miles.
Compare those prices to a new 2013 Santa Fe Sport, which ranges from $25,275 for a base model with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive and no options to $36,820 for a Santa Fe Sport 2.0T with all-wheel drive and every option.
Hyundai's new-car warranty is an impressive one. It covers the entire vehicle for five years or 60,000 miles, except for the normal wear-and-tear items, the audio components, paint and battery. Free roadside assistance is offered for the first five years of ownership with no mileage limit. The engine, transmission and drivetrain components have a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty that applies only to the Santa Fe Sport's original owner.
Second owners get a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, unless that second owner is taking advantage of Hyundai's certified pre-owned (CPO) program. Because Hyundai's new-car warranty is so generous, the CPO program really needs to go the extra mile in terms of providing value. In addition to a 150-point inspection and a CARFAX vehicle history report, every CPO Hyundai preserves the original 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for the second owner and extends the free roadside assistance offer for 10 years with no mileage limit. Plus, Hyundai pays for the first day of a rental car for any covered repair, and tosses in a 90-day subscription to satellite radio.
If you need to finance a purchase, interest rates are traditionally higher for used cars. In recent months, however, Hyundai has offered deals as good as 0.9 percent to 1.9 percent APR for up to 60 months on its CPO vehicles.
It would appear that there is plenty of value to be found in a CPO Santa Fe.
Modern cars are loaded with new technology, and the redesigned 2013 Santa Fe Sport is no exception. Bluetooth hands-free calling and music streaming is standard, along with one free year of Blue Link telematics service, which includes Automatic Collision Notification and Assistance, SOS Emergency Assistance and programmable speed and curfew alerts.
Inside, the new Santa Fe Sport is available with heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as passive keyless entry with push-button ignition. Active Eco powertrain technology is standard, Active Cornering Control all-wheel drive is optional and the Santa Fe Sport's new Driver Selectable Steering Mode offers Comfort, Normal and Sport settings.
The advantage here goes to the new version of the Santa Fe.
AutoTrader's Recommendation
In terms of safety and technology, the redesigned Santa Fe Sport is a better vehicle than the one it replaces. Plus, the new Santa Fe is appealing in terms of design and performance. However, CPO versions of the old Santa Fe offer plenty of value. Both are expected to prove reliable over time and are backed by exceptional warranties, and the two crossovers are essentially equals in terms of fuel economy.
If not for the 1-star side-impact crash test performance turned in by the 2011-2012 Santa Fe models in NHTSA evaluations, we would likely recommend the older model--even though the new Santa Fe is more modern in terms of its styling and technology. But as a good parent always advises, it is better to be safe than sorry, and the new 2013 Santa Fe Sport is definitely safe.


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With a recent earnings miss and a sharp drop in its share price, technology giant Apple needs to look to emerging countries for growth and shift its focus away from a saturated developed market, analysts told CNBC.
Wednesday saw the biggest one-day fall in Apple's stock since 2008. The stock has already seen a steady decline of around 18 percent since it peaked in September. The company announced quarterly earnings in October that missed forecasts and an outlook that fell short of estimates.
"What people are starting to question now is the growth in the very high-end markets where Apple has absolutely dominated, it's starting to look like it might come to an end," James Gautrey, global equity analyst at Schroders told CNBC Friday.
"The stock has been priced for growth.......we're moving into a different phase now."
(Read More: Apple Becoming Like Microsoft? Fears Grow After Miss )
This week the bad news continued as research firm IDC said Apple's rank in China's smartphone market fell two places to sixth spot as competition from local mobile firms rose. And on Wednesday Nokia stole a march on the firm by announcing a tie-in with China Mobile to release its new Lumia model. Nokia's share price has since surged 9 percent on the Finnish stock market.
Gautrey argued that Apple needed to address this issue and look into markets like China, as well developing new products to ensure a turnaround.
"That's really where the growth opportunity is in smartphones, tablets, it's kind of what will drive the next three to five years," Gautrey said, adding that it's not just high-end that it should be focusing on, and that the real volume is much lower down.
"The problem at the moment is that Apple have nothing for that market. The products, the iPhones are $500-600 products. That's affordable in the developed world, in the emerging world that's not really of interest."
And it's not just Nokia that has seen a resurgence whilst Apple has stalled. Research in Motion and Dell have also seen upticks on the Nasdaq in recent weeks.
"Investors are becoming weary of some of the old stories - the growth that has done incredibly well - then looking now at some of the turnaround plays again," Gautry said.
(Read More: Apple Rebounds After Flirting With Death)
Nancy Curtin, chief investment officer at Close Brothers Asset Management agreed with Gautrey that Apple needed to take measures to find new pockets of growth to drive the company forward.
"I think the real opportunity for Apple is to take its franchise and to move into emerging markets as well as new products," she told CNBC Friday.
"There seems to be a dearth of big new product offerings for next year and maybe that's part of the problem as well."
In an exclusive interview with NBC on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent the rumor mill into overdrive by hinting that the company may be looking to plunge into TV development.
(Read More: At Least One Mac to Be Made in USA)
Cook commented to Anchor Brian Williams that "it's an area of intense interest", however, analyst Gautrey was cool on the idea even if it managed to spark excitement among consumers.
"The margins you'll earn on the television, they're not going to be anything like the iPhone," he said.


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What makes an effective extra-curricular History activity?
As a teacher I, like most of you reading this topic, have my personal opinion about what I would like to achieve from running a History club during lunchtimes. In the two years that I have been teaching I have run three very different extra-curricular activities, each of which included elements of the essential skills that I feel can be developed through extra-curricular activities:
History and ICT Club for Yr. 7 and 8
In my first year of teaching I set up a Lower School club which enabled students in Yr. 7 and Yr. 8 to experiment with History topics using ICT. For example, the lunchtime group (34 students) designed and wrote their own versions of the Who wants to be a millionaire? PPT game and then swapped their game with another student. The group planned, prepared and presented PPT slideshows on a topic of their own choice which was not covered in the KS3 syllabus. These were some of the best researched and presented PPTs that I have ever seen.
English Heritage and History Channel Local History Competition
I encouraged a team of four students, Hip Historians, from Yr. 7 through to Yr. 10 and of different abilities to research the history of the school and then present their findings in a book format. This research spanned almost a year and required the students to hone their analytical skills, writing styles, presentation and historical interpretations. The team were a success, producing a booklet which went on to win first prize in the competition.
Criminal History Master Classes
Never a person to sit still for long I was covering a Yr. 10 lesson for a colleague of mine in the Social Science Department when a student asked me why I enjoyed History. I enthused and gushed about my love of History, particularly Criminal History, and suddenly the class of 26 girls were hanging on my every word. This obvious enthusiasm spurred me to set up a series of 5 Criminal History Master Class lectures to last just 5 weeks. Almost 7 months later the classes were still going strong and the girls enjoy discussing, debating and dissecting the various historical crimes I introduced them to cheerfully examining evidence, historical theory and comparing them to modern day information. The success of this club was evident by the fact that over half of the attendees do not take GCSE History.
These three different activities sum up for me what it is that I feel makes a successful extra-curricular activity. I feel that the extra-curricular activities should have at least some of the following aims:
It should be an activity that students do not take part in during their regular lessons.
It should be a historical topic far removed from those of which they study as part of the History syllabus.
It should take place in a more relaxed environment than that of a classroom.
If possible it should involve students of more than one year group in order to encourage different peer groups to interact.
Students of all abilities should be able to enjoy the same activity without fear of teasing.
If you can give it a competitive edge then do so the students do love this!
It does not have to be strictly educational after all it is their free time as well as yours.
It should encourage the development of new historical skills but do not make it blatantly obvious you may be the teacher but it is not a lesson per say.
These are the 8 rules that I have set myself when running extra-curricular activities. You may have different rules which work well for you. One of the things that struck me though whilst preparing this seminar topic is that a lot of the emphasis today is placed upon us to justify our activities and explain, perhaps to the SEN or G&T co-ordinator, as to what we hope to gain from the activities and thus what the learning outcomes will be for the students taking part. I feel we need to take a step back and examine the most important feature of the extra-curricular activity (the students) and actually ask what they hope to gain from giving up their spare time and what they feel makes an effective extra-curricular activity so I did!
Yr. 10s Opinions on an Effective Extra-Curricular Activity in History!
As regular attendees of Criminal History Master Classes it would appear that this form of extra-curricular activity has all of the features needed to be an effective one. No other clubs or classes like these have been made available before which offer students the chance to explore and investigate, whilst learning, in a fun way.
Some students are not as enthusiastic about sport as other pupils and may feel that they have absolutely no talent in performing arts; however they may have interests in History. The classes are available for students to listen to, observe or actively participate in. They do not require pupils to be good at, or have any historical knowledge yet encourage and stimulate active participation and group discussion.
After discussing the classes with other students in Yr. 10, it was established that many of the attendees enjoy the classes because they are so different and also because they contain a great deal of criminology. This leads to interesting theories and can sometimes include gory details.
The use of PPT presentations and props never fails to intrigue or excite the pupils each week. For many, their style of learning responds well to the use of kinaesthetic teaching thereby helping them to remember a certain topic or story. Students are given the opportunity to learn new stories and skills, such as holding mature debates and analysing historical crime scenes. It also gives students the chance to use their imaginations to conclude the unexplained mysteries.
A teachers approach to extra-curricular activities has a definite influence on whether a pupil returns to an activity or not. It is evident from the popularity of the Criminal History Master Classes that a variety of teaching methods and resources ensures that the students are entertained whilst also learning about Criminal History. A passion and enthusiasm for History from participating teachers certainly helps the pupils to enjoy and discuss their opinions about the cases they study in each master class.
In Conclusion
Based on my own experience and Yr. 10 reactions my advice is very simple. Find a topic that you enjoy, after all you are giving up your spare time. Choose an activity that you would have enjoyed when you were at school e.g. re-enacting the Battle of Hastings, building a table sized trench system, using ICT to make PPTs or even telling gruesome historical stories to Yr. 10. Advertise your activity each week, talk in assembly, always be enthusiastic and most all have fun! Do not worry about learning outcomes leave that for the classroom lessons.
Edited by Nichola Boughey, 09 July 2003 - 10:51 PM.