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Freakbikes, choppers, funnybikes, clownbikes, kustoms, tallbikes, swingbikes, lead sleds, chunkbikes, trashbikes, mutant bikes, tallbike jousting, cargo bikes, tallchoppers, and frankenbikes. This is a record of human-powered creativity in Chicago.
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Freakbike.lv's pedal-powered Lada
The cool thing about this car is that is has more power and goes faster than a regular Lada
Check out these great bikes from the folks at freakbike.lv. I love the log bike! I like that you have to steer it with another log.
Great job folks! Spread that dream into the under-served Baltics!
See more at Freakbike.lv
It was 10 years ago this Halloween when, on a dark and stormy night, my creation first came to life from the parts of dead bikes from which it was stitched. It bit my hand that very eve and my blood has been upon it repeatedly since then. Count Chopula is a vampire chopper, he chops other bikes in the night, and I am his Renfield. I have traveled thousands of miles on this bike, from New York to the deserts of Nevada, and it has been my primary transportation for a decade.
I have always loved sidecars, they are the peg-legged pirate of the bike world, with their wonky steering and drastically different handling when loaded versus unloaded. Ride one and you're stuck in traffic with the rest of the shmoes, yet, I once moved in 6" of snow using a sidecar bike and trailer whose five tires had all been slashed by an angry landlord and it didn't seem to matter. The upper weight limit of a standard two-wheeled bike is somewhere around 300 lbs in cargo, but a sidecar bike with good wheels can carry astonishing loads- I brought home a pulpit once, and saw a tandem sidecar in Minneapolis that had been loaded down with so much weight that the teeth were snapping off the chain rings when the riders bore down.
I coveted the WWII era Harley and BMW edition sidecar motorcycles and their burly cousin the Ural. But I could never afford one. So I adapted the design, taking what I liked from each bike, imagining the sort of sidecar bike that would be cobbled together from Axis and Allied parts after a daring escape from a Nazi prison camp in North Africa during WWII. My inspiration was the Long Range Desert Group, a rag-tag bunch of desert commandoes who antagonized Rommel with their fast, light vehicles and "nip and scurry" attack style. They were the inspiration for the TV show Rat Patrol, which was not actually the inspiration for my bike club The Rat Patrol (instead it was our patrolling of the alleys for rats), and so this is the "Rat Patrol" edition of the bike.
I am trying to breach the limits of human power by developing a "human capacitor" along three paths: Mechanical (spring powered), compressed air, and flywheel. You can watch my Quick 'n' Dirty Pedal Powered Air Compressor video to see how I used a small compressor to develop regenerative braking for the bike. Eventually I hope to have a compressed-air motor for motivation, but for now the air system can be used to pump up flats, run air tools, and operate the semi horn. There's a small tank that can sit where the gas tank usually goes, but the trailer allows you to carry more compressed air.
The sidecar is suspended on a trunion and two motorcycle shocks. This is for the comfort of the passenger but also takes a lot of strain off the frame. The body of the car can be removed for flatbed hauling. The LRDG would kit out for the mission, carrying more fuel, ammo, or water depending on their needs. The ammo can tool box is a classic look and lockable but I'd prefer to have a water can there.
To make a sidecar body, the secret is to make the skin and then fit the frame inside it to the skin. Otherwise you'll never make it fit. Build one out of cardboard so you can sit in it and get the size right. Then use the four pieces of cardboard as a template for your sheet metal.
Why do I need a pump if I have an onboard air tank? To pump up the tank stupid!
The springer fork was neccessary because I feared that ten years of banging into things would lead to failure if the bike was ever motorized. You can see how I made it in my Quick 'n' Dirty Springer Fork video. After a few months the bridge started to bend so I had to add some gussets. If you look at the old pictures the scabbard for the "turkey duster" was a little more upright, but I'm going to have to add an armature or something to mount it that way.
The sidecar is removeable using a technique I learned from the C.H.V.N.K.s. I did this mainly in case I ever had to load it into a van or get it through a doorway. It attaches at four places: The chain stay, the seat post, the head tube, and another bar that goes from the head tube across to the outer side of the car- this is to keep it stiff. The couplers are just little pieces of angle iron with bolts and some rubber plumbing washers between the two frames to dampen vibration.
The dash currently has the power light and ammeter for the battery... I'd like to move the air pressure gauge from the trailer to the dash, there's plenty of room for future upgrades. Need a cigarette lighter, too, for accessories.
The Old Colony Beverages crate (one-time bottler of Orange Crush, Ballantine's, and Miller High Life, from their bottling plant in Chicago's West Town neighborhood) is handy for hauling soda pop when I read bible passages to AIDS orphans, or for hauling the soda pop bottles to the recycler! Just call ROCKWELL-5010!
I would have preferred some sleeker, bobber-style handlebars, but these twisted apes are from my grandpa's junkyard, so they're heirloom apehangers.
Communications and searchlight kit.
The only other tips I have for sidecar makers are:
1) Center the passenger between the two rear wheels, which should be aligned as if there was an invisible axle between them. This will put the ass end of the car behind the bike, but that's what you want, for better balance. Otherwise the bike will tip towards the invisible fourth wheel. The wheels handle best if they are arranged in a right triangle, however, any acute triangle will do, and any obtuse one will fail (for obvious reasons if you think about it).
2) Don't do what I did and use a 26" wheel, a 24" wheel, and a 20" wheel. This leaves you needing three spare wheels, three spare tires, and three inner tube sizes. If you're building for cargo I would recommend going with 20s all around- they're stronger than larger wheels, and have better acceleration, but a lower top end, which you don't need anyway on a cargo bike.
3) The wheels must be aligned along the X, Y, and Z axis. You don't want the bike to be pigeon-toed, or splay-footed, or it will chatter… the wheels should all touch the ground at the same place or the bike will lean to one side, AND you don't want them to lean in or out like a racing wheelchair, although this is the least crucial dimension.
The 80s were full of gimmicky bikes that were for fun and not for transportation. The LeRun, the rowbike, the Good Times bike with its awful rim brake and plastic expanding chainring, the Cycle Chariot with the front of a bike and the back of a skateboard, the Super Trick Cycle, and hundreds more. None of them were very successful. The reason is obvious: If you're going to spend anything on a bike at all, you want a bike you can ride. Having a second $1000 to spend on a bike that is less useful is rare.
Not that I think they're banking on this thing being a breakaway product. I've seen the ones they've made for fun, and no doubt this is just something they did because they're bike geeks and nobody has done it. However, they don't seem to realize what bike clubs have already figured out the hard way: Giving someone a tallbike when they don't have the motivation or ability to make it themselves is just a bad idea. It's a bad idea mainly because those people hurt themselves, bad. The building of the bike is a nice filter to screen out the bozos, do-nothings, wannabes, and dumbshits. It doesn't require a ton of competence but it does require you to be able to fog a mirror, and that's just about the skill level it takes to ride a tallbike without killing yourself.
This phenomenon can be observed in the automotive world, where any chotchmo with enough money can buy himself a racing-quality sportscar. What do those guys do? Usually they wreck the thing, quick. Not that I have a deep philisophical objection to letting idiots kill themselves.
I can't help but notice that, while the componentry is all fancy, it's not a very good tallbike. It seems to have been designed by someone who has not made very many tallbikes, for these reasons:
-Foremost, the seat is over the rear axle. This is how tallbikes end up when they are made from two bikes, because the seat tube is not vertical. However, there's no reason a tallbike should be this way, and in fact, if you're making it from scratch you can easily make a bike that is well balanced with a longer wheelbase. You get a nice big cargo area down at the bottom when you do it that way.
-The frame design is the shape you get when you stack two frames, and then run a pipe from the seat to the rear dropouts. This is the way many tallbikes end up. However, there's no reason to make them this way from scratch. If you look at early tallbikes from the 1900s they had more of a traditional diamond frame, just taller.
-Aluminum is not an acceptable metal for making bicycles. Is this a racing tallbike? Is the intention for the rider to retain the muffin-tops they would otherwise sweat off with a metal frame? The reason aluminum forks are illegal is that unlike steel, which tempers under stress, aluminum cracks. Those cracks can only grow, and when the wear reaches a certain point- SNAP- your frame snaps. Steel, when it fails, tends to bend. Once I had a pennyfakething's spine break, and I kept pedaling as the bike slowly got closer and closer to the ground. I wouldn't ride a bike made of aluminum, any more than I'd ride one made of carbon fiber, which splinters into a thousand daggers in a wreck. Add to this the fact that on this bike you're going to be up in the air when that catastrophic failure occurs.
I could make some crack about the bike having a brake, but at least they didn't put a rear one on it.
I wonder if they'll sell you a tallbike fork to use in a frame of your own construction. Not many people have the ability to thread their own steer tubes.
If Fietsfabriek ships me a demo model I'll give the bike a more thorough review. ;)
UPDATE: The bikes were made in a single run, and so they will not sell you a fork because there aren't any to sell, they're in the bikes.
#1 Contributor & CFB archival researcher Ray found this picture in the February 1940 issue of Popular Science. Page 119.
This is interesting to me because there's a half-century gap in my collection of vintage tallbike pictures between 1915 and the 1964 article, which Ray has recently filled with these photos from '40 and '52. Surely there were tallbikes about in those times. There were two world wars and a depression to keep people busy. I have, however, seen a few freaky bikes that may have come from that era
You can read the issue here.
The front-wheel-drive, rear-steer bicycle is widely considered to be impossible to ride and has been tried and abandoned by just about every freakbiker I know.
The perceived impossibility has to do with the physics of what makes abike ride. Contrary to popular belief, gyroscopic forces play no role in a bike'sstaying upright. The secret is in the "trail" of the fork, or thedifference between a line through the headtube and the placement of theaxle. A wheel with no trail drives like a bus. A wheel with negativetrail is a smart caster. Rake causes trail, along with the curve in thefork.Because of the trail, a moving bicycle that falls slightly to one side hasits center of gravity shifted slightly to the other side, and all on itsown the bike falls back to upright. This is why you can ride no-handed.Rear-wheel steering is precarious on any vehicle, deadly at high speeds, and itreverses this relationship. As the bike makes a turn, in theory, thecenter of gravity is shifted *outside* the line between the wheels and thebike falls over. That is exactly my experience with every one I've everseen.
From wikipedia's "bicycle dynamics"article:
"Rear-wheel steeringBecause of the theoretical benefits, especially a simplified front-wheeldrive mechanism, attempts have been made to construct a ridable rear-wheelsteering bike. The Bendix Company built a rear-wheel steering bicycle, andthe U.S. Department of Transportation commissioned the construction of arear-wheel steering motorcycle: both proved to be unrideable. RainbowTrainers, Inc. in Alton, IL, offered US$5,000 to the first person "who cansuccessfully ride the rear-steered bicycle, Rear Steered Bicycle I".[29]Examination of the eigenvalues [studies of the physics of bike riding]shows that the rear-wheel steering configuration is inherently unstable."
I had the pleasure of riding this bike at Burning Man. I don't know the builder's name or where he lives, although it's probably San Francisco.
Bikes have been around so long and so many designs have been tried that it's not often I come across one with a unique riding experience, that is a challenge to ride. It took years of freakbiking to be able to hop on this one and go on the first try, which I think astonished the owner a bit. I don't think many people can ride it well.
On a normal bike, you don't steer by pointing a lever in the direction you want to go. I found it easier to use one hand, twist my body to the side a little, and lean forward. It was like riding a pony. I bet it would kill your back on long rides, but as an amusement, this thing was a blast. I hope he doesn't mind if I make one for myself.
Kimric Smythe is one of the crazy mad scientists who stuff The Shipyard where I work. He whipped this little duesy up in a week or two to have something to toodle around Burning Man with.


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April 10th: Food Congress
Slow Food Cinicnnati will be attending the 2nd Annual Food Congress which will gather stakeholders active in local food related issues to assess the current condition and problems of our metropolitan food system. They also hope to design and implement strategies to address those issues through policy and action. For more information about the project, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
April 11th: Wendell Berry Speech
Join us as we enjoy "An Informal Conversation" featuring Wendell Berry, a Kentucky author and essayist. For more information, please visit http://www.xavier.edu/ers/Lecture-Series.cfm. Possible meet-up before the speech - more details to come.
CANCELED- April 15th: Slow Food + Wine in Porkopolis
April 17th: Bigg's Organic Fair
Slow Food will be representing at the Bigg's organic fair, which will feature organic food, beer, and wine tastings (in addition to face painting and petting zoo for the kids) from 10AM to 4PM at the Skytop Biggs.
April 22nd: Celebrate Earth Day with Good, Clean, and Fair food!
May 1st (Changed Date): Mushroom Foraging
If you are up for a drive to the Columbus area, join us at Flying J Farm to hunt for the elusive morel mushroom. We will coordinate carpools for those interested. More detail about the farm can be found at http://www.flyingjfarm.com/organic_farm_events.html
Contact us if you want to coordinate a possible carpool up to the farm.
For event related questions, please contact email@example.com. We hope to see you soon!

subset: commoncrawl


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Like Jake Gyllenhaal and Shia LaBeouf before him, you can now add Hayden Christensen to the list of young Hollywood actors trying to butch up their boyish looks with grizzly beards.
The barely recognizable 31-year-old "Star Wars" hunk has turned to the hipster dark side and showed off his long scraggly face whiskers while grabbing some juice in L.A. on Tuesday.
Attack of the clones.
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Fun With Santa Claus Stencils
by Dover
Here are six fun-filled stencil images of jolly old St. Nick that will bring a touch of Christmas cheer to a host of flat surfaces. Everyone's favorite yuletide figure is shown in his sleigh, descending a chimney with a bag full of toys, filling stockings by a fire, listening to a youngster's holiday request, and in two more scenes--sure to delight youngsters and craft workers alike. Use these open stencils to illustrate holiday greeting cards, design gift wrap papers, create signs and posters, and much more. Paperback book measures 4 3/16 in. x 5 3/4 in., 6 pages with 6 pre-cut stencils. Dover Publications. ISBN 048640241X
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Each and every time that I have perused the beer aisle or strolled into a bottle shop over the past few weeks I have noticed more and more winter beers on the shelves. I guess it's officially that time of the year. The days are getting shorter, the trees are shedding, there is a nip in the air… we will soon be required to warm ourselves with thicker clothing, crackling fires, and most importantly, robust beers.
Yeah it's true, the pumpkin and fresh hop beers will soon be gone for the year. As quickly as they come, they go, but let's relish in it…enough with those hoity-toity additives…lets soak in the depths of the true beer ingredients, namely, malt, lots and lots of malt.
Winter beers are all about fending off the cold. It's like a thick chowder that coats the inside of your belly, warms the innards, adds fat, and preps you for a lengthy hibernation. The booze levels often push boundaries, the sugar levels pose similar inner quarrels as that far to common holiday season overindulgence on cookies. It's hearty through and through. Santa's belly, not excluded.
And there exists not that boisterous Ho, Ho and inevitable Ho in the Seattle area without the annual Winter Beer Fest at Hale's Ales. This year, the indulgence falls on the weekend of December 10th and 11th. One can only hope that WA's finest will be in attendance. If you, personally, are not amongst the present, it's quite clear that you care not about sustenance and suspension through the cold months, and you should, sooner than later, except your fate as a fallen entity…one existing only as a human icicle. Say your good-byes now.
Whether you prep for hibernation or not, attend winter beer fest or not, any beer drinker with pride for the local and the slightest holiday spirit should do their very best to seek out Washington's finest Winter Beers.
Here is a list of some of the Washington brewed Winter Ales to keep an eye out for (note: all descriptions presented are commercial unless not supplied. Those not supplied are notated with a "*" and are provided by beerblotter):
Boundary Bay Cabin Fever — A strong ale or "Winter Warmer" with dark red-brown color and a very rich malty flavor. Dry-hopped lightly with Cascades for a pleasant aroma and slightly spicy hop finish. This big beer is deceptively strong, yet tastes very smooth thanks to extra long cold conditioning. Original Gravity: 1.072.
Fremont Abominable Winter Ale — tasty winter ale, limited release. Dark, roasty, chocolaty, malt flavors balanced by Noble hop aroma and subtle hoppy spice. Warm up to it. Don't be Scared to be Abominable.
Lazy Boy Mistletoe Bliss — A new brown ale on steroids! Stock up now to warm those cold winter nights. ABV 7.5%, Grains: Pale, crystal, Munich, brown, Vienna, chocolate. Hops: Ahtanum.
Maritime Pacific Jolly Roger Christmas Ale — * This rich malt bomb has a dark red hue and flavors of dried fruits.
Diamond Knot Ho! Ho! Winter Ale — A robust, 'Winter Warmer' ale, ruby brown in color with a slightly sweet, fruity nose. Very hoppy, yet balanced with a residual sweetness.
Elysian Bifrost — Style: Winter ale, Body: Medium to Sturdy, TASTING NOTES: Pours golden with orange highlights. Smells alluringly sweet like caramel apples with a little spice and orange zest. Taste is bold and balanced with a good amount of citrus and earthy hop bitters to offset the bready, sweet malt character. Finishes dry with a bit of fruit. MALTS: Pale with small amounts of Munich and Crystal, HOPS: Bittered with Centennial, finished with Amarillo and Styrian Golding, ABV: 7.5%, IBU: 55.
Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale — A winter treat (Wassail) dating from pre-Christian times. Celebrates the winter solstice. Festive and flavorful with delicious hints of orange peel, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Pyramid Snow Cap — Deep mahogany in color, our full-bodied winter warmer is brewed in the spirit of British winter ales. Crafted with a flurry of roasted chocolate and caramel malts, and generously hopped, it delivers a smooth finish that makes this beer the perfect cold weather companion. Original Gravity: 17.3, Alcohol by Volume: 7.0, IBU: 47, Malts: 2-Row Barley, Caramel 80L, Chocolate Malt, Hops: Nugget, Willamette, East Kent Goldings.
Redhook Winterhook Winter Ale — The 2010/2011 Winterhook Winter Ale is a rich, full-bodied beer with a red chestnut color. It combines imported and local Caramel, Vienna, Pils, Chocolate and NW 2-Row Malts for a complex profile balanced by four hop varieties added in the brewing to emphasize the end hop character (flavor and aroma). Beautifully balanced, the flavors meld to create an overall complex profile with no single ingredient out of harmony. ABV: 6%, Malts: Caramel, Pils, Chocolate, Vienna and NW 2-Row, Hops: Cascade, Willamette, Northern Brewer and Centennial, Bitterness Units: 42 IBU, Original Gravity: 15 degrees plato.
Schooner Exact Hoppy the Woodsman — Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Ale. Need you say more? A big brother to Hoppy Holidays, this winter ale has gained a level of complexity and intrigue during those months luxuriating in its bourbon barrel haven. Chocolate malt and a healthy dose of hops help maintain balance.
Scuttlebutt 10 Below — Style: imperial dunkelweiss, Aroma: crisp citrus, Taste: medium body with a rich chocolate finish, Hops: mt. hood & american saaz, 22 ibu's, 7.4% alcohol by volume.
Silver City Old Scrooge — If Old Scrooge can't get you in the Holiday spirit nothing can. A rich amber ale, ripe with fruit and spice, Old Scrooge's character will fully develop as it warms. Intriguing notes of apple, cherry and apricot occur naturally as a result of its unique fermentation and extended aging — 9% ABV.
Hale's Ales Wee Heavy — * This style is Scottish and piles on thick like a marching calvary of bagpipers. There's malty ales of the old world, and then there's wee heavys.
Port Townsend Winter Ale — Our winter ale is made from a blend of pale and crystal malts, roasted barley and Belgian aromatic malts. Cooler fermentation and a longer aging time adds further complexity to this Old Ale style. Original Gravity:1.072 Alcohol by Volume: 7.4%.
Two Beers Winter Hop — Winter Hop — The sun doesn't shine much in winter around here. It's darker, more subdued and subtle. If you enjoy this about winter, then there is a pretty good chance Winter Hop will find comfort with you. It's darker, its slightly chocolate-y and dry-hopped with Amarillos. Cheers! IBU's: 67, OG: 1.068, Hops Used: Amarillo, Galena, Magnum.
Ram Sleigher — * Brew pub chain…don't make exciting beers…? You're wrong folks, this is one of the best winter beers I have ever had.
Dick's Double Diamond Winter Ale — Northwest style seasonal with massive amount of grain and several healthy additions of hops.
Fish Tale Winter Fish — Here is the full-bodied seasonal ale that brings meaning to "Winter Warmer". With a snappy hop character, this isn't just another brown beer masquerading as a seasonal. This is hearty fare brewed for the season of celebrations. Enjoyed at ease with friends and food, Winterfish will put a glow in the cheeks and warmth in the veins. Pale and honey malts provide an abundantly deep foundation. Then, for bittering, flavor, and aroma, we use 100% Yakima Chinook hops in the kettle. For additional flavor and aroma, it's more Yakima Chinooks in the hop-back. Perfect for festive feast, this is the hoppiest winter ale we know of! Savor a pint and you'll know why Northwesterners agree: An ice-cold Winter never sounded better! 7.5% alc/vol 1.071 O.G. 70 IBUs.
Filed under: The Regional Flavor, WA Tagged: Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Diamond Knot Brewing, Dick's Brewing, Elysian Brewing Company, Fish Brewing Co, Fremont Brewing, Hale's Ales Brewery, Lazy Boy Brewing Co., Maritime Pacific Brewing, Pike Brewing, Port Townsend Brewing Company, Pyramid Breweries, Redhook Ale Brewery, Schooner Exact Brewing, Scuttlebutt Brewing, Silver City Brewing Co., The Ram Restaurant and Brewery, two beers, WA Beers, WA Winter Beers, washington beer, Winter Beer Fest, Winter Beers, Winter Warmers


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Cubes has been known to, from time to time, talk: sometimes about sports journalism, sometimes about WiFi capacity, and sometimes he just lets the pictures talk.
But, as Howard Beck notes in the New York Times, Cubes hasn't talked in a long while.
There might not be a more accessible, candid, extensively quoted owner anywhere.
Yet on the eve of the Mavericks' finals rematch with the Miami Heat, Cuban had gone silent. No blog posts, no boastful messages on Twitter, no provocative sound bites. He has not spoken on the record since early May. Dallas reporters have been greeted by an empty StairMaster.
Late last week, Cuban declined a reporter's request with a Twitter-length e-mail: "not doing any interviews."
The 2006 Heat-Mavericks finals were dominated by Dwyane Wade, officiating controversy and Cuban. This series, it seems, will be different.
"I think this time around, it's more about us," said Mavericks guard Jason Terry, one of two holdovers from the 2006 team. "I think he's tried to stay away from being a distraction, and it's working out for us."
This is, according to those who cover Cuban, the longest he has gone without speaking publicly since he took over the franchise in 2000.
The story goes on to note that Cuban may be tainted by the memory of the 2006 Finals, during which his response to the dubious officiating—and David Stern's ensuing $250,000 fine—may have overshadowed the officiating itself.
But we'd imagine it's mostly about superstition, and the perpetuation of the seeming good luck that brought the Mavs from good first-round upset candidates to the Finals. Which means, of course, that soon enough, he'll have no more reason to be superstitious. Cubes will crow again.
Still in Spotlight, Mark Cuban Steps Away From Microphone [NYT]


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Excellent detail with HD sources. Comprehensive picture controls. Attractive design. Swivel-base stand.
THX picture preset could be better optimized. Weak picture contrast compared with similar models.
Bottom Line
The LG 50PG60's 1080p plasma HDTV delivers a detailed high-definition picture, but its color and contrast lag behind the competition.
Plasma HDTVs may be losing to LCD sets in the consumer popularity contest, but a recent increase in sales of 50-inch and larger plasmas highlights the solid values these big-screen panels offer. LG's 50-inch 50PG60 ($2,699.95 list) 1080p plasma delivers a detailed HD picture, but its picture contrast and overall color quality aren't on a par with the best TVs we've seen this year.
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Unlike other flat-panel TVs that merely frame the screen with a glossy bezel, the face of this set is covered by a seamless glass sheet that extends to the edges of the frameincluding its black bezelgiving it an attractive, modern, streamlined look. The factory-attached swivel stand simplifies the setup and placement of the 96.4-pound television. The baton-style remote is identical to the capable remote control included with the LG 47LG60 LCD TV. Integrated bottom-firing stereo speakers (2 x 10W) produce clean audio capable of filling a mid- to large-size room easily.
HD-compatible video inputs include four HDMI ports (one side-mounted) and two component video inputs. Video signal compatibility with these ports includes the standard 1080p60 format, as well as the 1080p24 format that is becoming an increasingly common output option with many Blu-ray disc players. A side-mounted USB port is convenient for impromptu slideshows with background music using files stored on a connected mass storage device.
We tested the 50-inch 1080p screen (the set is also available with a 60-inch screen) using HDMI input and video signals sourced from a variety of professional and consumer video gearfor more details, check out "How We Test HDTVs." The set offers a "just scan" picture size option, which allows it to display every video pixel with 720p and 1080i/p material using HDMI or component input. Other 1080p plasmas we've seen, including the Samsung PN50A650 and the Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD sacrifice a portion of 720p video when using component video input. The average contrast ratio of 696:1, while good, is nowhere near as impressive as that of the aforementioned Samsung (1035:1) or Pioneer (8808:1) models, which achieve their remarkable results by producing a measurably darker depiction of video black. Also, the uniquely dark colored and antireflective screen material featured in Pioneer plasmas also makes them better suited for well-lit viewing environments.
Primary and secondary color accuracy was practically perfect, although the set's factory-calibrated "THX Cinema" picture preset produced a grayscale that exhibited too much green, tainting lighter colors. Also, the THX mode exaggerated some video artifacts such as posterization (banding) that are common with compressed video sources such as cable and satellite TV. Custom calibration improved the colors, and the set's picture controls, which are easily accessible in the regular user menus, are among the most comprehensive I've seen on any HDTV.
The THX mode does deliver superb HD video processing: The 50PG60 achieved a perfect score on the HD HQV Benchmark test DVD. Primetime TV shows in 1080i appear as detailed as possible. It's worth noting, however, that the aforementioned Pioneer and Samsung 50-inch plasma sets also delivered a perfect result on the same benchmark test.
The 50PG60's average power consumption using default picture settings (379 watts) was almost identical to that of the similarly sized Samsung PN50A650 (375W), resulting in an estimated monthly operating cost of $7.54 (based on 5 hours of daily operation at $0.13/kWh, a local average). Using the THX picture mode reduces the monthly estimate to $5.54 (273W).The most energy-efficient 50-inch plasma we've measured to date is the Pioneer PDP-5020FD using its movie picture preset, which resulted in an estimated monthly cost of $4.88 (246W).
Plasma TVs are superior to LCDs in terms of providing wider viewing angles and greater picture clarity (especially with motion-heavy video). And this plasma is certainly a capable 1080p television, but its out-of-the-box picture performance lags behind similarly sized (and priced) panels from Samsung and Pioneer. These days, you can buy the superior Editors' Choicewinning Pioneer KURO PDP-5020FD online for about the same price as the LG 50PG60. The choice is clear.
Image Quality:
Ease of Use:
Benchmark Test Results:
Factory default display settings
HDMI video input @ 1080p24/1080p60
Objective Testing (higher is better):
VESA Bright Uniformity 89.0%
VESA Dark Uniformity 80.9%
HQV Benchmark score: 71/130
Average Contrast Ratio: 696:1
Average Power Consumption (default settings): 379W; $7.54/month @ $0.13/kWh (a local average)
Compare the LG 50PG60 with several other HDTVs side by side.
More HDTV Reviews:
Samsung UN65RU8000FXZA


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"Labor Day" PG-13 � This drama and its big emotions are fine for most teens, though some might execute an eye-roll at the lonely-middle-aged-woman-finds-love saga.
But others will appreciate the heartachingly good acting in "Labor Day," and be able to overlook the too-somber tone.
Adapted from Joyce Maynard's 2009 novel, the film, while peppered with muddled flashbacks, mainly unfolds in the summer of 1987. Thirteen-year-old Henry (Gattlin Griffith) lives with his reclusive mother Adele (Kate Winslet).
His father (Clark Gregg) divorced her and remarried years ago. Adele barely leaves the house. (The adult Henry, voiced by Tobey Maguire, narrates the story.) On a rare mother-son grocery trip, a big man bleeding from a gut wound forces them (not with a weapon) to drive him to their house.
Frank (Josh Brolin) tells them he is a convict and that he jumped from a hospital window after being taken there for an appendectomy. From news reports, they learn he's a convicted murderer, and he seems quite menacing at first, briefly tying Adele up. But Frank soon drops his tough-guy act. He cooks, makes repairs, teaches Henry baseball. He and Adele fall in love, which gets complicated.
THE BOTTOM LINE: In several flashbacks, a woman's dead body lies on the floor, eyes open. The angry shove that killed her is shown. One semi-explicit sexual situation repeats a few times in quick flashbacks. The steamy sexual tension between Frank and Adele grows, and eventually Henry hears muted sounds of them having sex. Adele and a girl Henry's age both talk to him about the nature of desire and he starts dreaming about the girl, but chastely. In another flashback, we see Adele cradle a stillborn child. Her depression, anxiety and agoraphobia are clearly depicted. A neighbor slaps her disabled son in an upsetting scene.
"I, Frankenstein" PG-13 � If teens can suspend their disbelief a bit more than is usually required for a supernatural 3-D thriller, they might like the high-gothic silliness of "I, Frankenstein."
Based on a graphic novel, the story is more ridiculous than most, but kind of a hoot at non-3-D/matinee prices.
The violence is mild enough for middle-schoolers. A prologue narrated by Frankenstein's fictional (the book came out in 1818) monster (Aaron Eckhart) explains that after killing his creator's young wife, he ran away, pursued by Dr. Frankenstein, who died of Arctic exposure. The monster has roamed the Earth for nearly 200 years, immortal, angry and alone. In an unnamed city, he is set upon by demons.
He dispatches several back to hell, and is ultimately rescued by � wait for it � sacred gargoyle warriors who come to life from a cathedral's carvings. The gargoyles' queen (Miranda Otto) explains that their holy mission is to fight demons and protect humankind. She renames the monster Adam, and begs him to join them. Adam refuses. Then he learns that a bioengineering magnate (Bill Nighy) with demonic connections aims to steal Dr. Frankenstein's journal from him and have his head scientist, Terra (Yvonne Strahovski), use it to reanimate corpses into demons.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Little blood flows amid the supernatural mayhem, except when Terra sews up a bloody gash on Adam's back. Demons and sacred gargoyles slash and run one another through with medieval blades, but their wounds merely cause them to disintegrate into sparkly columns of light that either descend into hell or ascend to heaven. Only the semi-yet-superhuman Adam suffers bodily injuries. One nongraphic scene depicts a huge chamber full of wrapped corpses hanging from hooks. There is mild sexual innuendo and almost no profanity.
"GIMME SHELTER � Clich�s and melodrama gum up the works at times, but this harrowing tale of a teenage mother could engage high-schoolers. It's a gritty drama � too gritty for middle-schoolers � and laced with Christian themes. High-schoolers will be impressed by Vanessa Hudgens' strong acting. Hudgens plays Agnes "Apple" Bailey. A sullen, pierced, and tattooed 16-year-old, Apple escapes from her addict/prostitute mom (Rosario Dawson) and runs to the father (Brendan Fraser) she's never met � now a wealthy Wall Streeter. Married with two kids, he and his wife (Stephanie Szostak) try to help Apple. They realize she's pregnant and take her to have an abortion. Apple runs from the clinic, has an encounter with her (or her mother's � it's not clear) drug dealer/pimp, then carjacks and crashes his SUV.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The film includes violent but nongraphic outbursts. Apple's mother goes after her with a razor blade. Apple gives a strong but nonexplicit account of being sexually molested as a child. Characters use restrained profanity, including the B-word.


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TV news reporter Jenny Rizzo '01 covers Hurricane Charley up close and personal.
by Jenny Rizzo '01
From Introduction to Journalism through Television Journalism Workshop, Ithaca College professors taught me about broadcast writing, interviewing, and how to deal with a deadline. But there never was a class on how to cover a disaster. Little did I realize how important it would be to learn the virtues of carrying a manual can opener in your purse, zipping up your underwear in tiny plastic bags, and slipping a nonlubricated condom over a shotgun microphone so your $35,000 digital camera doesn't become waterlogged.
Hurricane Charley was the biggest story I've ever covered in my three-year local television news reporting career. The last time a large hurricane came through the southwestern part of Florida was Donna in 1960. In 2004 no one in the Fort Myers-Naples area was truly prepared for what would come. There was a pervasive "Hurricanes always miss us" mentality.
The storm track was forecast for Tampa the morning of Friday, August 13. Our station's hurricane game plan was to start early-morning coverage the day the storm hit, and then stay on as long as our people-power would allow. Since the bad weather was supposed to start late on Thursday, I decided to sleep overnight at the Fox 4 station because I didn't want to have to cross the bridge to work during hurricane-force wind. I brought my dog, Bailey, since no kennel would accept a dog during the county's declared state of emergency.
On the morning of the hurricane I awoke from two hours of sleep on the floor of an edit bay to rush to Lee County's emergency operations center. Every county has an EOC, and all the vital people from local, state, and federal government are represented there to guide emergency planning during and after the storm. It's built like a bunker to withstand a category five hurricane (winds over 155 mph, storm surge of 18+ feet), so it was the safest place in the county for me to be.
I began the day there at 5:00 a.m. doing live reports from indoors and outside. By late morning the storm was still tracking north to Tampa, and only at category two strength (winds 96-110 mph). This is an important point to note, because our station, located in Cape Coral, can withstand up to a one, maybe a two -- nothing more. (There was a backup plan in place, but it involved evacuating everyone and moving to a studio across town with few broadcast facilities. Everyone wanted to stay in the Fox 4 building.)
Around 2:00 p.m. my world blew apart, literally. I was watching a bank of local TV sets in the hallway of the EOC. All four local meteorologists were on air, as they'd just been handed the 2:00 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. There was a moment of silence, where no one uttered a word as mental calculations set in and the looks of disbelief morphed into amazement and fear. Suddenly everything appeared like slow-motion movements, as the folks in the EOC started running screaming for each other, fists full of printouts. (It's never a comforting sight, when the trained people who are supposed to rebuild your community are running around screaming.)
The meteorologists started explaining the latest update. All I heard was: "Category four hurricane . . . storm surge of 15 to 18 feet . . . headed right for us." Bull's-eye: Lee County.
I thought I was shaking until I realized my cell phone was vibrating. On the other end, my news director abruptly explained that everyone was evacuating the station and they were tossing the live show out to me. They expected me to stay reporting live nonstop until they could get set up at the backup studio. They were sending the main anchor and a meteorologist to EOC to cohost with me what was now "the show."
I went from dazed to crazed, as I realized my dog was still at the station and my news director had hung up on me. I frantically tried to reach him and anyone else on their cell phones, but at this point the winds were over 80 mph and the cell towers were down. Bailey was stuck in Cape Coral, and I was stuck at EOC until it was over.


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Project Management Business & Industry Trainer Pool - Adjunct (Part-time)
Job description
Posting # 2016-1051
Location US-WI-Eau Claire
US-WI-Chippewa Falls
US-WI-River Falls
Category Adjunct Faculty - Business, Finance, & Marketing
Type Part-Time
FLSA Status Exempt
Hourly Pay Rate/Salary $30 per instructional hour (includes a built-in preparation time factor)
Hours per Week Varies
Work Schedule Varies
Overview and Responsibilities
Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) is establishing a pool of qualified candidates to be considered when Business & Industry Trainers are needed in the Project Management area.
A Business & Industry Trainer collaborates with businesses to develop and administer customized training or professional development seminars for employees in a particular field, as needed. CVTC works with businesses throughout its 11-county district to provide valuable training designed to enhance employee skills and productivity. These training sessions are held either at one of CVTC's campuses, or at the company's location. Business & Industry training assignments offer a great deal of flexibility.
Upon successful submission of your application, resume, and transcripts, you will be considered for future Business & Industry trainer opportunities. CVTC will keep your application on file as a prospective candidate who could potentially fill a position when a need arises. If the need shall arise and review of your application materials result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted via the contact information provided on your application.
For more information about CVTC's continuing education offerings, please visit www.cvtc.edu/continuing-education.aspx
Collaborate with businesses to develop customized training or professional development seminars for employees in a particular field.
- Provide valuable training designed to enhance employee skills and productivity.
- Collaborate with business to determine dates and times of training sessions.
- Demonstrate commitment to customer service.
- Participate in college activities and pursue ongoing professional development.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Ability to plan for and deliver quality instruction.
Ability to facilitate and assess student learning.
Ability to manage the classroom effectively.
Ability to work collaboratively with the internal community.
Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with external community.
Ability to model integrity through self-awareness, personal accountability, ethical behavior, quality standards, and sustainable practices.
Ability to think critically by applying problem solving practices, acquiring relevant information, using technology and other resources appropriately, and evaluating alternatives.
Ability to communicate effectively by speaking and writing clearly, concisely, and professionally; practicing active listening; reading critically and adapting communication for audience.
Ability to value diversity and demonstrate commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally respectful interactions with persons of diverse ethnic, cultural, social-economic, or educational backgrounds.
Basic to intermediate knowledge of and skills with technology used for communication and teaching; including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Bachelor's degree in related field preferred.
- Project Management Institute certification or equivalent training and/or experience
- Minimum of two years relevant and current occupational experience.
- Prior teaching or training experience preferred.
Benefits Summary
This position is not eligible for benefits.
About CVTC
Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and serves an eleven-county area in west central Wisconsin. The largest campus is located in Eau Claire and includes a Business Education Center and Health Education Center, plus a Manufacturing Education Center at the Gateway Campus and an Emergency Service Education Center and Energy Education Center at the West Campus. CVTC has regional centers in Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls. The College is one of 16 WTCS colleges located throughout the state.
CVTC offers 66 programs, over 25 certificates, and customized training to an average of 140 businesses annually. CVTC has an outstanding placement rate, with 91% of CVTC graduates are employed within six months of graduation, with 88% in a related field.
CVTC has a nationally recognized faculty and state-of-the art facilities and equipment. Business and industry leaders serve on advisory committees and help CVTC match its curriculum to the needs of today's workplace. Courses are offered at numerous locations in traditional classroom settings, as well as online and in a variety of blended and hybrid formats.
Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Educator
Non-Discrimination Notice
Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its employment, admissions, programs, or activities.
View Complete Equal Opportunity/Access Employer & Educator Statement at https://www.cvtc.edu/about-cvtc/equal-opportunity-college


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Of the 729 homes flipped in Volusia County through June 30, an average gross profit of $51,657 was made; in Flagler, where 528 homes flipped, it was $43,721.
Volusia County is the nation's most profitable place to flip a house and Flagler County is No. 3, according to a new national report.
Of the 729 homes flipped in Volusia County so far this year, through June 30, an average gross profit of $51,657 was made from the sales, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac.
The average gross profit earned from the 528 homes flipped in Flagler County in the first half of the year was $43,721, according to the report, which defines flipping as homes that are bought and resold within six months.
Some area Realtors expressed surprise at the high ranking for Volusia and Flagler counties, but not at the amount of properties being flipped locally.
"Anytime we see the kind of activity we have had and with the drop of inventory, prices are going to go up and there are always investors looking to take advantage of that," said John Adams, general manager of Adams Cameron & Co. Realtors in Daytona Beach. "If someone bought a home late last year, put some money into it and sold it the first half of this year, it makes sense they might make some money."
That's not to say that the profits reported by RealtyTrac all went into flippers' pockets.
The gross profit, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, does not account for money spent on improvements to the property.
"A lot of work and money go into these homes and someone can get really stung by what they don't see in due diligence," said Sheriff Guindi, broker/owner of Prudential Transact Realty in Ormond Beach.
Guindi has a client who recently flipped two houses in Ormond-by-the-Sea with gross profits in the $80,000 range, but the client spent tens of thousands of dollars on improvements and repairs, which ate into the net profit.
"These kinds of homes almost always need something, a roof, air conditioner or a remake in the kitchen," said Bill Navarra, broker/owner of Realty Pros Assured in Ormond Beach. "We are definitely seeing flipping in some areas like Ormond-by-the-Sea. Of all the areas within a quarter mile of the ocean in Florida, we are probably the most undervalued and so we are seeing a lot of investors who are also buying and renting out the property rather than flipping."
RealtyTrac analyzed deed records in metro areas throughout the country that had at least 500 flips during the first half of the year and where flipping had increased 10 percent or more and gross profit was at least 10 percent.
Volusia County, at 82 percent, had the highest average gross profit for flips of any metro area in the nation, according to RealtyTrac's calculations, Blomquist said. Flagler County's average gross profit was estimated at 34 percent.
"It's a necessary piece of the market with a benefit of moving homes from distressed to nondistressed," Blomquist said. "The ideal market is one where values had overcorrected downward and are bouncing back up. The investors are relying on low prices, rehabbing costs and the boost in appreciation."
That describes what's been happening locally, said Doris Dolamore, broker/owner of Atlantic Homes Realty in Palm Coast, who flipped two Palm Coast homes in recent months, making a net profit of about $22,000 on each.
"At the peak of the boom, Flagler was the fastest-growing county in the country and there was so much building going on," she said. "That's why we crashed so hard and values went down 60 to 70 percent. With prices going up again, flipping works."
Flipping may slow locally in the coming months as home prices continue to rise and profit margins become thinner, area Realtors said.
"I see more people buying homes and renting them out, looking for the 10 to 12 percent return while they wait for the homes to appreciate more," said Anthony Viscomi of Viscomi Realty in Ormond Beach. Viscomi is also a builder who co-owns Viscomi Homes.
Top U.S. home-flipping markets
Rank; location; average gross profit; gross profit percentage
1; Volusia County; $51,657; 82%
2; Omaha, Neb.-Council Bluffs, Iowa; $85,537; 56%
3; Flagler County; $43,721; 34%
3; Pittsburgh; $35,537; 32%
5; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater; $23,446; 23%
SOURCE: RealtyTrac


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5.11 Tactical Station Grip Gloves
A little more 'hands on'
- Durable and breathable gloves
- Protect your fleshy paws
- Perfect for fighting robot bears
Whether you're wrestling robot bears, wielding the biggest claymore sword, or climbing the fabled Jagged Peak Mountain, the 5.11s will be there. Providing natural dexterity, second-skin like couture fit, and unparalleled durability, the Tactical Station Grip Gloves are perfect for everyday wear. In the hopes that your everyday includes the aforementioned activities, you can be sure your soft, spongy hands won't be torn to shreds by ravenous mechanical grizzlies or the obsidian edges of legendary, long lost mountain peaks.
The beauty of the Tactical Station Grip Gloves is their fit and structure. Almost all protective hand wear comes with some tradeoff: they're either bulky, too rigid, or so dense that you can't interact with the elements in fear that they might become warped or lose effectiveness. For the 5.11s, they pride themselves on being different. They're thin and form fitting, but reinforced with durable stitching and material to provide the protection of medieval gauntlets. They're flexible, but structurally stitched to allow movement, not to be confused with flimsy fabric. And, most importantly, they interact with the elements better than any gloves out there. When wet, they dry quickly, maintaining form and effectiveness. Whatever the task, the 5.11 is there to ensure your health and safety.
Product Specifications
- Perfect for everyday wear
- Four-way stretch back panel
- Reinforced palm and fingers
- Padded knuckles
- Dries fast and retains shape
- Elastic wrist closure
- ID tag on pull-tab
- Incredible grip
- Beyond durable
- Form fitting
- Breathable
- Great insulation
- Sizing - Measure the circumference of your hand above your thumb and below your knuckles
- Pro Tip - Measure without fancy tools! Wrap a piece of string around your hand, mark where it intersects, and check the results with a regular old ruler
- Small: 7"
- Medium: 8"
- Large: 9"
- X-Large: 10"


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These masterful climbers are critically endangered in the wild.
When Visiting...
- Look for Tonka (Sept. 1979). He's the biggest and has large cheek pads.
- Say "hi" to Memala (Oct. 1969). She's small, but still the dominant female.
- Wave to Rubi (Nov. 1993). She is very smart and has dark hair.
- Look for Sarah (May 1983). Offspring Reese and Pixel are always near.
- Catch young Reese (Oct. 2008), swinging on her jungle gym.
- Spot baby Pixel (Apr. 2013).
Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) live on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The name orangutan means "person of the forest." They share almost 97 percent of their DNA with humans and are extremely intelligent. Orangutans are great tool users and teach each other.
Our Actions Matter
Orangutan populations have declined by 80% due to habitat destruction. Millions of acres of rainforest are cut down each year to produce palm oil, the most produced edible oil in the world.
Make small changes to save orangutan habitat:
- Choose candies, cosmetics and other sustainable products with the help of our orangutan-safe product guide.
- Learn more at the Zoo's Orangutan Care Day.
- Support the New Mexico BioPark Society.
- Access the Palm Oil Toolkit.
"Pixel" the Baby Orangutan
- August 8, 2013: Whoops, she is a HE! The baby orangutan had its first physical, and vets discovered the baby is actually male. The little guy's new name is 'Pixel.'
- May 20, 2013: BioPark Facebook fans voted and chose 'Pixi' as their favorite name for the baby.
- May 12, 2013: People magazine shared an article about Sarah and her baby for Mother's Day.
- May 11, 2013: At the Orangutan Baby Shower and gender reveal party, the BioPark announced the baby is a girl. Guests started voting for their favorite name (Pixi, Sian, Indie or Betty).
- April 26, 2013: Happy birthday, baby! Keepers arrived at the Zoo this morning to find Sarah and her healthy newborn. The baby's name and gender will be determined at a later date.
- Nov. 2012: Sarah the orangutan surprised zookeepers by showing signs of pregnancy. A pregnancy test and an ultrasound confirm that a baby is on the way.
Resource and Links


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28 October 2013 at 5.56pm | 9 Comments
The role of Hélène will now be sung by Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian for all remaining performances of Les Vêpres siciliennes.
Unfortunately the illness that prevented Marina Poplavskaya from singing the role of Hélène in the premiere of our new production of Les Vêpres siciliennes has persisted longer than expected, and has made it impossible for her to sing the remaining performances. We look forward to welcoming her back to The Royal Opera for further engagements.
The rest of the cast remains the same.


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I am excited to announce the launch of Deep Sea ID, an app for the iPhone and iPad that provides taxonomic information on over 20,000 species, over 350 beautiful high resolution images of deep-sea specimens as well as links to online taxonomic tools, sources and important references. The app is completely free and I encourage interested users to download it here.
The deep sea is the largest yet least-explored ecosystem on the planet. Despite low temperatures, the absence of light and limited food availability, it is home to a remarkable diversity of marine life. Deep Sea ID is designed to enable faster access to important taxonomic information on these deep-sea animals and by including high quality specimen photos we are creating a field guide that can be used to identify specimens from collected samples or from video survey.
The app uses the species database at the World Register of Deep Sea Species (WoRDSS) which is itself a thematic database of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the most up-to-date source of taxonomic information on marine life. When we update Deep Sea ID, changes from the WoRDSS and WoRMS websites will be automatically included.
The images in the app have been individually sourced and include many beautiful specimen photographs from both researchers and professional photographers. All copyright images are used with permission from the authors, and contact details for the photographers are provided with all images.
One of the most important features of the app is that all the data and images are available offline, and at high speed. This allows it to be used by deep-sea researchers during their long voyages at sea where internet access is limited. We plan to regularly update the app with more images as they become available, and we welcome any potential contributors to contact the team at the WoRDSS, the database that the app is built around.
The creation of this app would not have been possible without our partner organisations, including the WoRMS, and the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. Funding has come from the International Network for Scientific Investigation of Deep-Sea Ecosystems (INDEEP). We are also extremely grateful to all those who have contributed images so far.
The taxonomic information held in the WoRDSS is sourced directly from the WoRMS, which is managed by an international Steering Committee, a Board of Editors and the IT team at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Belgium. Both the WoRMS and WoRDSS websites are hosted at VLIZ.
The species lists and images that are used to create Deep Sea ID are currently maintained at the Museum by me, Dr Adrian Glover, and at the University of Plymouth, by Dr Nicholas Higgs. At the National Oceanography Centre, Dr Tammy Horton is contributing to the species lists and co-ordinating the collation of taxonomic identification resources.
This is an ongoing project, and we plan regular updates to the app. We welcome corrections and contributions for the next version and if you are able to help, please get in touch.


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Message Board
Nick Webb Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Webb has written!
Author Webb's Book Reviews
Wish You Were Here: The Official Biography of Douglas Adams
Ballantine, Mar 2005, 25.95, 384 pp. ISBN: 0345476506 �Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun"; there on a inconsequential rock revolving around this insignificant star, Douglas Adams used humor to place the importance of earthlings in the Einstein Universe. Nick Webb in turn provides insight into the life of Mr. Adams, the brain behind such classic ...


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Paleocene sedimentation in the northern Santa Lucia range
Dept. of Geology, Stanford University, 1976 - Science - 208 pages
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Yeah, she'd have to be open to brainwashing and willing to totally surrender her own identity to stand next to him at premieres.
CHI FLAT IRONS!!Seriously! THIS IS MY THIRD damn one in a YEAR!and itjust wentKAPUT.And it's not even like I'm all xHARDxCOREx with it either, dammit. I use the thing for maybe 5 minutes every day.That's it. I'm going to Sally's and buying a cheap one. Chi has forever lost a customer.
Laneswerver because he's mean and cruel.
Quote from: Law_Woman on October 05, 2005, 07:22:51 AMLaneswerver because he's mean and cruel.How's the weather in Arcata these days?


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These are, without a word of a lie, my favorite cookies ever! Buttery, chocolatey, and a double hit of coffee flavour makes this shortbread recipe a must have in any baker's repertoire. Every time I share these cookies, someone asks for the recipe. I wish I could take credit for the idea but Dorie Greenspan is the original baker and Smitten Kitchen thankfully featured it for my eyes and taste buds to discover.
I've made them with just chocolate chips, a combo of chocolate chips and skor bits and now this version with cappuccino chips and mini chocolate chips. All of them will make your taste buds stand up and cheer!
I also like the use of a Ziploc bake to roll out the dough - it makes kitchen life super easy.
Let me know what you think of these little pieces of caffeine heaven!
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes about 35 cookies
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' or powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c cappuccino flavoured chips, chopped or whirred in a food processor a few times (I use Guittard brand chips)
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
What to do
- Dissolve the espresso powder in very hot water, let cool to room temperature.
- Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 4 minutes. You want the mixture to be light in colour and completely smooth.
- Add the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low.
- On your lowest setting, add the flour. To prevent your cookies from being to brittle and dry mix in the flour just until it is combined. Don't over do it!
- Gently stir in the chips.
- Spoon the dough into a large Ziploc bag .
- Gently roll the dough so it becomes the size of the bag and is about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thick.
- Close the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a large cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Cut or slice the bag open so that the top side of the bag is removed.
- Using a knife or a pizza cutter cut the dough into 1-1/2 - 2 inch squares.
- 13. Move the cookies onto the sheet. They don't spread much so you don't need too much space between them.
- Bake for 15- 20 minutes (depends on your oven - Mine take 18 minutes.)
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- I recommend baking them 24 hours ahead of time - their flavour improves.


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Wordless Wednesday – Mayfield, Kansas' Blacksmith Shop & Otto Breneman
by Sherry Stocking Kline
7 May 2010
The Mayfield Blacksmith Shop…
This is a photograph of Otto Breneman and his father, Constantine Breneman, standing in front of Otto's blacksmith shop. The blacksmith shop was located in Mayfield, Kansas (about 10 miles west of Wellington, Kansas) till at least sometime in the 1930's when Otto passed away.
Otto's mother was Salinda Breneman, and he was married to Nancy Virginia Hoyt, daughter of Joseph and Wilhemina (Dewein) Hoyt, and they had a daughter, Bernice Breneman.
According to information in the book "Mayfield: Then & Now", Otto served as mayor of Mayfield from 1927 to 1929.
Otto was my great uncle, and he passed away before I was born, (his Tombstone photo can be found here). If the shop or the home was there when I was small I don't recall it. I wish I had taken an "after" photograph so you could see what it looks like today, but there is a nice white ranch style home there, with a large grassy area in front of it.
This photograph comes from Otto's daughter, Bernice Breneman Thomas' collection of photographs, now in her son's, Orlan Thomas' collection, and can also be found on Page 71 of the "Mayfield: Then & Now" book. Orlan and his wife recently came to visit and loaned me his genealogy and photograph collection to scan, and nearly 200 scans later, I have many more photographs that he is allowing me to share digitally with other family members.
Ask a Lot of Different Questions…
Looking at this photograph reminds me that until I began working with a friend on the book "Mayfield: Then & Now" and began asking questions of everyone, including my mom and other family members I had no idea that some of our Breneman family lived in the Mayfield area, let alone owned a blacksmith shop.
According to a cousin that I visited with recently, her father told her that Constantine served as a blacksmith in the Union Army when he was a soldier in the Civil War. So, if there is a moral to this story, ask your older generation (as many as possible) and even your siblings and your cousins, a lot of different questions a lot of different ways…
Other Related Posts:
Tombstone Tuesday: Otto and Nancy Breneman
Constantine Breneman and His Buggy Horse Photograph of Ott's father, Constantine driving a buggy with his beautiful buggy horse.
Constantine Breneman's Buggy Horse – Photograph of Constantine's Buggy Horse
Salinda E. (Rose) Breneman – Photograph of Ott's mother, Salinda, and her tombstone. Ott's parent's, Salinda and Constantine, divorced in later life.
Too Young to Die – Photo of Ott Breneman and his siblings, and a photograph of Albert's tombstone. Albert was killed in a Motorcycle Accident.
Photograph of May Breneman Jones Willey – Sister of Ott Breneman.
4 Responses to "Wordless Wednesday – Mayfield, Kansas' Blacksmith Shop & Otto Breneman"
Great picture — and post. oh, how I yearn for the pictures I dinna take, and the conversations I dinna take time to have with the old folks — well, older than me.
looking for info or pictures of the old school in mayfeild. my great grandfather was fred b. ford. i believe he was a plumber of sorts. my grandmother was mary alice fisher(ford). i have an old school bell from mayfeild thats been handed down. i would like to get some history on it, and maybe pictures of it and the school. if anyone can help, please contact me.
thank you


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Tire Size: 265/40ZR17
Serv. Desc: 96Y
Sidewall: BW
Max Load: 1565 lbs
Warranty (mi.) 20,000
5 out of 5Submitted by Mike in Ontario on 8/18/2014(2010 Audi S4 Premium Plus)
Great tire on and off the track, highly recommended.
4.85 out of 5Submitted by Glenn in Idaho on 3/26/2014(2007 Chevrolet Trucks Suburban 1500 LT 4x4)
Best tires I have put on any vehicle. Thanks guys!!!
4.3 out of 5Submitted by seth in Massachusetts on 3/16/2014(2002 Audi TT Quattro 225 HP)
Great summer tire. Deep wide straight center grooves to handle moderate water on roads at speed. Wear is not great, but that's expected for high grip. Tracked car once at Loudon (road track, not Nascar track) and they were great at higher pressure (guess 45 psi).
4.65 out of 5Submitted by Nick in Hawaii on 12/2/2013(2002 BMW M3 (19 Inch Option) Front)
Absolutely amazing tire on my M3. Will definitely buy again. Have a lot of traction both wet and dry and stick to the ground when cornering. Only downside is tread life is not very good, but considering how soft and tacky the tires are, it isn't too bad. Best tires for the money.
3.45 out of 5Submitted by Paul in Alaska on 10/31/2013(1993 Dodge Viper Base Rear)
Im sure these tires handle well under normal conditions but traction is hard to come by on a high torque vehicle.
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Signature Design by Ashley Ana Sofia Collection
One of three divisions of Ashley Furniture, Signature Design offers a great selection of some of the finest bedroom furniture, living room furniture, home office furniture, kids furniture, casual dining and bar furniture anywhere on the market today. Already one of the most recognized brands in home furnishing, Signature Design has become widely regarded as a world class label denoting quality, reliability, and style. Ashley Furniture, the owner and source of Signature Design, was founded in 1945...Read More
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- Width: 35.75"
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- ColorAntique Gray
- SeriesAna Sofia
- Height35.75"
- Width35.75"
- Depth3"
- Weight14 lbs.


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Mono Professional Drawing Pencils
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The Mono Professional Drawing Pencil is the ultimate instrument for drawing and drafting. Superior extra-refined, high-density graphite, with high point strength and break-resistance. Graphite lead provides smear proof lines for crisp, clean drawings and slow wear for smooth, dense writing.
Sold individually, order 12 for a full box.
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Humboldt Nutrients Grow, Micro, Bloom was created in Humboldt County to be a complete nutrient system for hydroponics and all growing mediums. Through extensive research and testing we have formulated an easy to use, highly effective fertilizing program.
Our three part nutrients can be utilized for all types of vegetables, flowers and herbs. In conjunction with our high-powered additives, Humboldt Nutrients gives growers maximum flower and fruit production.
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* Special Order Item: made to order by the manufacturer, can take 2-6 weeks to ship, and cannot be canceled, returned or exchanged once ordered.


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2011 Nautilus Book Award — Gold Medal in Personal Growth/Self-Help/Psychology
2011 Nautilus Book Award — Silver Medal in Memoir/Personal Journey
This life-affirming, instructive, and thoroughly inspiring book is a must-read for anyone who is—or who might one day be—sick. It can also be the perfect gift of guidance, encouragement, and uplifting inspiration to family, friends, and loved ones struggling with the many terrifying or disheartening life changes that come so close on the heels of a diagnosis of a chronic condition or life-threatening illness. Authentic and graceful, How to be Sick reminds us of our endless inner freedom, even under high degrees of suffering and pain.
The author—who became ill while a university law professor in the prime of her career—tells the reader how she got sick and, to her and her partner's bewilderment, stayed that way. Toni had been a longtime meditator, going on long meditation retreats and spending many hours rigorously practicing, but soon discovered that she simply could no longer engage in those difficult and taxing forms. She had to learn ways to make "being sick" the heart of her spiritual practice—and through truly learning how to be sick, she learned how, even with many physical and energetic limitations, to live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy. And whether we ourselves are ill or not, we can learn these vital arts from Bernhard's generous wisdom in How to Be Sick.


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Daley College's Tutoring Center offers free tutoring and academic support services to assist students in achieving personal and academic success. Tutors are available in a wide variety of subjects to assist students through one-on-one and group tutoring sessions. We encourage any student to seek tutoring to gain a deeper comprehension of course content and to enhance learning development.
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The goal of the CASH to ROI program is to ensure student success in remedial education and to promote success in college level courses. The CASH to ROI program aims to help students (1) relearn prior instruction, (2) reinforce basic skill concepts, (3) achieve level and knowledge gains and, (4) increase student retention and student success.
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I work a lot with advisers who focus on clients nearing retirement who are creating their retirement plans and portfolios. In that regard I often hear how routinely these clients have misplaced expectations about what they can and should do, particularly in two crucial areas.
The first relates to retirement budgeting.
Aon Consulting teamed with the Georgia State University's Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research to support the RETIRE Project. This research, the latest of which was published in 2008, includes desired replacement ratios. The desired replacement ratios envisioned by this research assume no changes in lifestyle upon retirement and are derived primarily from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey.
For people with incomes below $40,000, these replacement ratios are generally in the 80%-94% range. For retirees with incomes in the $40,000-$100,000 range, their replacement ratios are in the 77%-78% range. Upper income retirees have replacement rations of 84%-88%.
Advisors tell me that when near-retirees provide proposed retirement budgets for financial planning purposes, they frequently see projected spending lower — often substantially lower — than that envisioned by the above research. It is of course possible that one's actual spending can go down a lot in retirement. But based upon what these advisers tell me, that doesn't happen often and doesn't happen nearly as often as the proposed budgets purport. Even so, perhaps on account of behavioral biases and a strong desire to retire, near-retirees are often convinced that they are different, that they can and will limit their lifestyle a lot in retirement.
Suppose a couple earning a combined $100,000 per year wishes to retire. They prepare their budget and conclude that they can live on $60,000 in retirement (note that whether their assets can sustain that level of spending is a separate and crucial question, one I will cover in my next article). The replacement research suggests that this couple will likely need around $80,000 to replicate their pre-retirement lifestyle. Can they really expect to live on 25% less than that?
The problem for advisers and retirees alike becomes one of ascertaining whether the lower lifestyle expectation is reasonable or not. This past weekend, Carolyn Geer of The Wall Street Journal suggested that there is a simple yet powerful way for near-retirees to check their work in this regard. The idea is to simulate the plan before implementing it.
Accordingly, before they retire, near-retirees should demonstrate that they can live on the proposed budget amount and save the difference between their earnings and their would-be spending level for at least six months or so. If they are successful, they can retire with more confidence. If not, they will need to reassess their situation.
This exercise isn't perfect, of course. Some expenditures that will "go away" in retirement (commuting expenses, for example) will still be around during the simulation. On the other hand, some retirement expenditures (more trips to see the grandchildren, for example) won't have hit yet. Moreover, some looking to retire may be able to live more frugally during the test phase (perhaps in an effort to prove that they can) than they will be willing and able to live when they actually do retire. That said, every financial planning assumption ought to be tested to the extent possible.
This sort of simulation is the best test I know of to examine whether a proposed retirement budget is reasonable or not. It's an excellent idea for all near-retirees expecting to retire into a much-reduced lifestyle and a pretty good one even for those who aren't.


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Deploy your mobile web app to SAP Cloud Platform
You will learn
After creating your app in SAP WEB IDE, you will now deploy it to your SAP Cloud Platform trial account and be able to see it on a mobile device.
Since any project that is created initially in the SAP Web IDE contains a
neo-app.json file, it is ready to be deployed to SAP Cloud Platform. During the deployment process, Web IDE creates the HTML5 application in SAP Cloud Platform and also the related Git repository (which will track code changes) for your app automatically.
Open the SAP Web IDE. In SAP Web IDE, select the northwind project folder and open the context menu by right-clicking on it. Choose Deploy > Deploy to SAP Cloud Platform.
If this is your first time deploying an app to the SAP Cloud Platform, you may see a dialog box requesting information to configure your Git repository. Enter your email and username and click OK.
You will be prompted for your SAP Cloud Platform Password and click on Login.
Because all HTML application names on SAP Cloud Platform are lower case, the application name will be converted (if required) to lower-case letters. Check the Connect to the SAP Cloud Platform Git repository… checkbox, verify the version number is 1.0.0 and the Activate check box is marked. Click on Deploy.
The deployment process will take a few seconds, and after it has finished, you will see a success message.
Click on Open the active version of the application link to see your app running on SAP Cloud Platform. Your app should look like this:
You can now enter the application URL in your mobile device browser to see it running there.


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BEIRUT (AP) — From Israel's perspective, its airstrikes near Damascus were more about Iran than Syria: Tehran's shipment of guided missiles destroyed in the weekend attacks would have posed a potent threat had the weapons reached Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
While Israel says it has no interest getting involved in the Syrian civil war, it could find itself drawn into the conflict if Syrian leader Bashar Assad's Iranian patrons continue to use his territory to ship arms to Hezbollah.
Repeated Israeli strikes would almost certainly prompt Syrian retaliation, yielding a nightmare scenario in which Israel finds itself in a Syrian morass teeming with jihadi rebels, sectarian hatred and chemical weapons.
For the West, it offers another compelling argument that the Syrian war must somehow be brought to an end.
Since the uprising in Syria began in March 2011, Israel has carefully avoided taking sides.
At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly declared a series of red lines that could trigger Israeli military intervention, including the delivery of "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah.
The first test of this policy came in January when an Israeli airstrike in Syria destroyed a shipment of advanced anti-aircraft missiles bound for Hezbollah, according to U.S. officials.
Israel and Hezbollah fought an inconclusive monthlong war in 2006 and are bitter enemies.
When Israeli intelligence determined last week that sophisticated Iranian-made Fateh-110 missiles had entered Syria, the military prepared to strike again.
Although Israel has not officially confirmed the operation, a senior official said a first airstrike at a Damascus airport early Friday destroyed most of the shipment, while a series of subsequent airstrikes on nearby locations Sunday took out the remnants of the missiles. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss a covert military mission.
Residents in Damascus said they felt and heard several huge blasts before dawn Sunday. Radwan Midani, a 25-year-old office assistant, said he "saw the sky light up."
Midani and others in the Syrian capital said they were more concerned about random mortar attacks by the rebels on their areas than Israeli strikes.
The rebels' weapons are less accurate than Israeli missiles, said Fadi, a 29-year-old businessman who would not give his last name for fear of repercussions for talking to the foreign media.
While also less concerned about the Israeli strikes, "it's very disgusting to have the Israeli mess around with our country's sovereignty," he said in a phone interview.
Assad's regime has tried to portray the rebels as traitors engaged in a foreign-led conspiracy. Syrian officials stepped up those claims after Sunday's strikes, alleging the opposition is cooperating with Israel.
The Israeli attacks pose a problem for those trying to topple Assad because ordinary Syrians might be convinced that there is something to the regime claims, said Elizabeth O'Bagy of the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.
"The idea of the conspiracy of Israel working with the opposition becomes that more real," she said.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-regime group, said at least 42 Syrian soldiers were killed in Sunday's strike, citing information from military hospitals.
The Syrian government has not released a death toll, but Syrian state media have reported casualties in Sunday's strike, Israel's third into Syria this year.
Syria and Iran have hinted at retaliation, though they took no action Monday and the official rhetoric has been relatively mild. There also were no new reports of Israeli airstrikes in Syria.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi warned that Israel was "playing with fire" because of the weekend attacks, suggesting that its proxies such as Hezbollah could launch attacks in retaliation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced concern Monday, speaking by telephone with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moallem. Russia's Foreign Ministry said Lavrov called for restraint and emphasized the need to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity
In launching the strikes, Israel took a gamble that Assad and his allies Iran and Hezbollah do not want to open a new front while preoccupied with the survival of his regime.
Israel moved quickly to reduce tensions. In a sign of "business as usual," Netanyahu traveled Monday to China for a previously scheduled trip.
Tzachi Hanegbi, a lawmaker in Netanyahu's Likud Party who is close to the prime minister, said Israel is trying to avoid "escalating tension with Syria."
"If there is activity, then it is only against Hezbollah, and not against the Syrian regime," he told Israel Radio.
During the 2006 war, sparked by a deadly Hezbollah cross-border raid, the militant group fired some 4,000 rockets into Israel.
Israel believes Hezbollah has restocked its arsenal with tens of thousands of rockets — albeit unguided, but some putting Tel Aviv within range.
The rockets destroyed over the weekend could have posed a greater threat, Israeli officials say.
The Fateh-110s have advanced guidance systems that allow them to travel up to 300 kilometers (200 miles) with great precision. Their solid-fuel propellant allows them to be launched at short notice, making them hard to detect and neutralize.
Israel has identified several other weapons systems as game changers that it cannot allow to reach Hezbollah, including chemical weapons, Russian-made Yakhont missiles that can be fired from land and destroy ships at sea, and Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. Israel's January airstrike is believed to have destroyed a shipment of the SA-17s.
Syria already possesses the SA-17s, and it is not clear whether Israel broke through Syria's air defenses in its recent airstrikes or fired missiles from Lebanese or Israeli airspace.
While Israel has tried to narrow the recent days' events to its conflict with Hezbollah, the airstrikes have shaken Israel's larger rivalry with arch-enemy Iran.
Alon Liel, a former Israeli diplomat involved in past back-channel talks with Syria, said the Israeli airstrikes were a message to Iran, not Syria. "We don't want to see Iran controlling the area," he said.
Yet all sides have strong reasons not to escalate.
Israel is already preoccupied with trying to halt Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program, while containing Hamas militants in Gaza, jihadists in Egypt's Sinai and Hezbollah to the north.
The Syrian army, while far weaker than Israel's, still possesses advanced missiles, an air force and chemical weapons. Various militant groups battling Assad, including al-Qaida-backed jihadists, might also enter the fray and turn their weapons toward Israel.
Aram Nerguizian, an analyst at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he believes Hezbollah does not want to get involved in a war with Israel because that would undermine the militia's efforts to try to save the Syrian regime.
Assad's continued rule is seen as vital for Hezbollah's own survival, in part because Syria has been the conduit for Iranian weapons to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is increasingly involved in the Syrian civil war, sending forces to fight Syrian rebels. However, if Hezbollah were to retaliate for the Israeli airstrike, it would have to divert some of its forces from Syria.
Israel "took a calculated risk that Iran and Hezbollah are committed in Syria," Nerguizian said. Hezbollah has not commented on Israel's weekend airstrikes, another indication that the militia might be holding back.
The latest tension come as Washington considers how to respond to indications the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons in its civil war. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options.
The White House asserted Monday that it's highly likely the regime, not the rebel opposition, was behind any chemical weapons use in Syria.
White House spokesman Jay Carney spoke after a member of a U.N. panel investigating alleged war crimes and other abuses in Syria said there were indications the rebels, not the regime, used the nerve agent sarin.
The panel later distanced itself from the claims by Carla Del Ponte, saying it has no conclusive evidence about the alleged use of sarin.
The White House has not commented directly on Israel's airstrikes, but Carney said Israel has the right to defend itself.
Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran
BEIRUT (AP) — From Israel's perspective, its airstrikes near Damascus were more about Iran than Syria: Tehran's shipment of guided missiles destroyed in the weekend attacks would have posed a potent threat had the weapons reached Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.


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This report summarizes what we have learned about homicides occurring in DC over the last decade, with a particular focus on the three years from 1998 through 2000. The information in this report was developed by a Homicide Review Team, which has been working diligently to code homicide information into ViCAP booklets. The result is a rich source of information from which our Department will be able to develop more effective investigative, intervention and prevention strategies. The findings of this analysis are already being used to guide some immediate changes in the organization and management of homicide investigations, as well as other enforcement, prevention and research initiatives. I am confident these and other changes in the future will improve our Department's ability to solve homicides, bring offenders to justice and make our communities safer.
[PDF] This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). A PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF Reader or learn more about PDFs.


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Dane Cook and the Jonas Brothers Auditioned for Captain America Roles?
Posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 by Peter Sciretta
A couple weeks ago a short list was leaked, containing the actors that Joe Johnston was considering for Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in The First Avenger: Captain America. The list included John Krasinski (The Office), Scott Porter (Speed Racer, Friday Night Lights, Caprica), Mike Vogel (She's Out of My League, Cloverfield) Michael Cassidy (Smallville) and Patrick Flueger (Brothers, The 4400), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) and Garret Hedlund (Tron Legacy), most of which had agreed to do a screen test for Marvel.
Last week Smallville/The O.C./Privileged star Michael Cassidy confirmed that he is out of the running for the role. Today has been full of outrageous Captain America casting rumors and speculation which includes the Jonas Brothers and Dane Cook. More information after the jump.


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Peter Brown has a simple goal when he and the rest of the Havelock Force under 18 soccer team go up to Washington to play a D.C. United academy team.
Peter Brown has a simple goal when he and the rest of the Havelock Force under 18 soccer team go up to Washington to play a D.C. United academy team.
"Don�t look like fools," he joked.
The Havelock team recently won the ACC Hall of Champions Showcase in Greensboro, and part of the reward was the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. to play the Major League Soccer D.C. United academy team. The academy team features the top players in Maryland and Virginia and is designed to prepare them for college scholarships or play in professional leagues.
The team Havelock will face has two players from the junior national team.
"I�ve heard things about them," Brown said. "It�s going to be a hard game."
Brown is one of the captains of the Havelock Force, along with Ryan Fox.
"The team�s going to be really good, but I don�t have any expectations," Fox said. "I just hope we go up there and play hard and give it our all."
The match is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Saturday at RFK Stadium in Washington. After the match, the team will get a chance to watch D.C. United play Toronto.
Brown said Havelock was in the championship match against Powhatan (Va.) in Greensboro, knowing that a victory would mean a trip to Washington to play in the exhibition.
"We fell behind 1-0, then scored and fell behind again but evened it up," he said. "In the last 10 seconds, we scored to win it."
The victory set off quite a celebration.
"When we won, I was stoked," Fox said.
Danny Verduzco, who coaches the team with his brother Pablo, said the goal of the trip is to show the players another level of competition.
"There�s no trophy. There�s no reward other than having a good time and having the experience," he said. "Not a lot of people when you�re 16 or 17 years old can say they played a D.C. United team, even if it�s an academy team.
"A lot of big-city teams, Raleigh or Wilmington, they don�t get offers to do this. It�s a pretty big deal. We�re pretty excited, and the boys are pretty excited as well."
He said he hoped the players learn from the experience.
"I think it�s going to open their eyes to elite soccer," he said. "They�ll see what they can improve. It will open their eyes and make them see that if they want to play on a college level or professional level that it�s a whole different game."
Pablo Verduzco said he hoped the match continues to build the reputation of Havelock and the Havelock Youth Soccer Association as a quality place for soccer. So far this spring, the Fury is 6-0-1, having also won the Wrangler/McDonald tournament.
"Hopefully, we can develop a relationship between Havelock soccer and D.C. United," he said. "And who knows, maybe they�ll see one of these players and like one of these players and invite them up there. They can get some exposure in different places and different teams and show they can play soccer."
Members of the team are Fox, Brown, Zach Martin, Tucker Mentink, Sean Gorman, Nicolaus Seegel, Roy "R.J." Howard, Justin Temple, Tyler Gares, Drew Hardison, Lamberto "Beto" Gomez, Justin Kilgore, Ricardo "Ricky" Garcia, Dylan Baker, Joe Andrews, Adrian Young, Noah Kemble and Kevin Quinn.


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A former Serb college basketball player serving a two-year prison sentence for beating an
American into a coma in New York state was freed Monday about two months early.
Miladin Kovacevic was sentenced by a Serb court for his barroom attack on fellow Binghamton University student Bryan Steinhauer of Brooklyn in 2008.
His early release was part of a government amnesty affecting over 1,000 prisoners with lesser crimes. After the brawl, Kovacevic jumped bail in the U.S. and fled to Serbia, which refused to extradite him, angering Washington.
The Serb government eventually paid $900,000 to Steinhauer's family as part of an agreement that also included putting Kovacevic on trial in Belgrade. The Obama administration and Steinhauer's family both called Kovacevic's sentence too lenient and New York prosecutors said they are still seeking his extradition.
The assault left Steinhauer with skull fractures and a severe brain injury. Kovacevic managed to flee the U.S. thanks to fake Serbian travel documents from Serbian diplomats in New York.
Serbia's pro-Western opposition, which lost power to nationalists in May, said Kovacevic's early release sent a bad message to the U.S. and to other Serbian citizens. "Because of his actions,
the government had to pay nearly a million dollars instead of giving
it to the poor," said Democratic Party official Jelena Trivan.
Former Serb college basketball player convicted of beating an American into a coma is freed early after serving two year sentence
A former Serb college basketball player serving a two-year prison sentence for beating an