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The morning show format doesn't lend itself to going in-depth on any one topic. It's a lot of happy chit-chat and local weather. That's what the late night talk show can do -- really drill down into the subjects that most affect our lives. "Today" host Matt Lauer crossed the continent on Tuesday to join Jay Leno in his "Tonight Show" studio in Burbank to take the curious public deep inside one of the most complex issues of our day: Lauer's cross-dressing Pamela Anderson Halloween costume.
Back in October, the "Today" crew dressed up as various TV icons to celebrate Halloween. Al Roker showed up as Mr. T, Carson Daly was a police officer from "CHiPs" and Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales became Laverne and Shirley. But when Willie Geist decided to be David Hasselhoff from "Baywatch," that left only one person to be his Pamela Anderson, Lauer himself.
We saw the cringe-inducing video of the once noble newsman running in fake slow-motion across a little strip of sand in the Rockefeller Center plaza and wondered how the mighty could have fallen so low. Now, Lauer is telling tales.
Ever the hard-hitting interviewer, Leno demanded to know if the costume party had been Lauer's idea.
"Clearly not," Lauer said. "I don't have veto power, which is obvious."
Lauer revealed the hardships the Anderson incident had brought upon his family, with his children telling him, "You're making it hard at school."
He even gave the public a brief peek inside the psychological games he has played with himself to keep things together. When Leno pointed out that Lauer once said he would never dance on the air, but then he danced with former "Baywatch" star Carmen Electra to Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend," Lauer was quick to clarify, "No, Pam Anderson danced with Carmen Electra."
But when we saw the footage, there was no Pam Anderson there. Only Matt Lauer wearing fake cleavage.
Lauer then showed Leno the most difficult part of the whole experience, a flesh-colored bit of clothing designed to make a man appear more feminine. He called it the Concealer and described it as "like Spanx injected with plutonium."
What exactly did the Concealer do? As he delicately told Leno, "It puts them where you can't see them. Then when it comes off, you pray they come back."
Perhaps to put some distance between himself and the pain, Lauer brought the "Concealer" in a little plastic bag for Leno, casting it far away where the white-maned healer of Burbank could keep it safe.
Perhaps little Matt Lauer will sleep in peace now.


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Hospital Faces Lawsuit After Honoring Race-Based Request
(NEW YORK) -- A Michigan hospital is under fire after a lawsuit claims it fulfilled a father's request to have no black nurses look after his baby in the neonatal intensive care unit last fall.
A black nurse sued Hurley Medical Center for discrimination and violation of the state civil rights act after the nurse manager reassigned her because of the man's request, according to the complaint.
The man also pulled up his sleeve to reveal "some type of tattoo which was believed to be a swastika of some kind," the complaint from nurse Tonya Battle, 49, read. The name of the father who made the request was not included in the court papers.
"Please, No African American Nurses to care for [redacted] Baby per Dad's request. Thank you," read a note that was attached to the baby's clipboard and obtained by local media. This followed a staff meeting and a call to the nurse's home to inform her of the decision, according to the complaint.
A hospital lawyer eventually told the staff the request was illegal, but the lawsuit alleges that black nurses were intentionally not assigned to the baby for the remainder of its month-long stay in the hospital.
The hospital CEO spoke at a news conference on Tuesday after the local chapter of Al Sharpton's National Action Network held a press conference at the hospital to demand answers.
"The father was informed that his request could not be granted, and as a result, all nurses remained available to care for his baby," Hurley CEO Melany Gavulic reportedly said Tuesday. "We appreciate the community's concern and involvement today, as we publicly clarify the facts of this case. The medical center looks forward to a quick and amicable resolution."
The nurse had been employed at Hurley for 25 years. She is seeking damages for her distress, harassment and humiliation.
"She's going to win this lawsuit. The real question is what's it worth," local attorney Tom Pabst told local media last week. He is not involved in the lawsuit. "If you grant such a request, you're engaging in unlawful conduct."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

subset: commoncrawl


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Stefan Cooke wins the H&M Design Award 2018
By exploring the everyday wardrobe for men and replicating the garments in woven elastic or plastic chainmail, the Central Saint Martins graduate claims the 2018 Design Award.
Stefan Cooke, a 25-year-old MA graduate of Central Saint Martins, has just been awarded the 2018 H&M Design Award and knows exactly what's he going to do to celebrate. "I'm going to have a bath and relax a bit!" he laughs right after the announcement. "It's been an intense couple of days – it's always nerve-racking to go in front of really acclaimed people and talk about your work, but it's also been so incredible."
For the 2018 H&M Design Award, what started with over 550 applicants of 42 different nationalities from 17 different fashion schools around the world was eventually narrowed down to eight very talented finalists. And while it was a tough decision, Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor to H&M and jury chair, announced Stefan on the evening of 30 November to a packed room of international press.
The jury was particular wowed by Stefan's innovative thinking – in technique, silhouette, material and imagination. Staple menswear pieces, such as jeans, chinos or a cricket jumper, are photographed, digitally manipulated and then printed onto synthetic materials. Elastic is woven together to create jackets and coats, the chainmail-esque jumpers are made of plastic, while long-sleeved tops are shredded polyester or acrylic. Bandage-like body-con trousers are also constructed from elastic, cover-stitched together. The result is a clever subversion of everyday clothes.
"I think there is also a Britishness to what Stefan does. There's an enormous amount of wit coupled with real, painstaking craftsmanship, and I think people see those as real hallmarks of British fashion. When Stefan was talking about the way he creates the elastic pieces, each strip is printed four times to get the necessary images together in order for him to weave them into these garments. There is so much work that goes into each of these pieces, but ultimately, they are very simple, very easy to digest visually and a lot of it is also very easy to wear. And that's really the hallmark of Britishness – something that's incredibly complicated to make, but very easy to wear," says Alex Fury, fashion journalist, author, critic and editor of AnOther magazine.
This year, the jury consisted not only of Ann-Sofie Johansson and Alex Fury, but also Veronika Heilbrunner (stylist and founder of Hey Woman), Luke Day (editor of GQ Style), Michal Pudelka (photographer), Sarah Richardson (fashion stylist and consultant), Richard Quinn (designer and winner of H&M Design Award 2017), Floriane de Saint Pierre (President of Floriane de Saint-Pierre et Associés) and Margareta van den Bosch (creative advisor of H&M).
They are garments that are actually wearable – you can move in them, you can run around in them, there's no restriction to them.
With the award, Stefan, who is from West Sussex and currently based in London, has won a prize of €25,000 as well as a six-month internship at H&M's Head Office in Stockholm to work alongside the design team best suited to his skills and experience. Or, he can exchange the internship for a grant of €25,000, which would bring the total prize sum to €50,000. With the well-deserved bath put on hold for at least another hour or so, H&M Magazine caught up with the newly crowned winner in person.
"The collection was all about making a staple men's wardrobe, but in an entirely new way. Most men are not that adventurous in what they wear. I'm the same, I'm a jeans and jumper kind of guy, but I started exploring how I could still have the elements of what those garments are, but in a new way. Because I was a textiles student, I was trying to find innovative ways to express these garments, so I began photographing clothes and putting them onto other fabrics to get this kind of visual. I just came across elastic, but when you think of labels such as Hervé Léger, it celebrates the body, it's fab and it's one of those one-size-fits-all things. I love working with stretch fabrics (the shredded stuff stretches as well to unbelievable proportions) because there's so much scope with it."
"Growing up, I always loved art. My parents always took me to galleries and things. I wasn't very academic, but I always felt that I could pick up a pencil or brush and really say what I wanted to say. So it's always been there. And ever since I moved to London, the community I've surrounded myself with has really influenced what I do. Like my boyfriend, he's incredible. He's this encyclopaedia of fashion and we both have such a love for fashion. Everyone uses it and everyone expresses themselves through it. It may be a cliché saying, but it's an amazing thing."
"I remember stealing my dad's coat, this fleece I wanted so bad, when I was like 13 or 14. I remember going out with my friends and taking the coat, thinking I was the coolest person ever. But I obviously wasn't because I was in my dad's coat [laughs]. It's so funny, that's what I think this collection is all about – those pieces that are nostalgic. I didn't want it because it was a particularly good coat, but because it was my dad's coat. I felt a connection to it and that's what this collection is about. I'm sure there are earlier memories than that, but they're really embarrassing!"
"Sure, but what I think is amazing about these clothes is that I believe there's already a commercial element to them, and that's what the jury picked up on as well. Because at the end of the day, they are garments that are actually wearable – you can move in them, you can run around in them, there's no restriction to them. And it's not really a bold style choice. If you just wanted a pair of jeans, but they're in elastic and they're still a pair of jeans. There's so much viability in terms of commerciality and for next season, I definitely want to play on that. I want to go to Paris, I want to do sales, I want to be able to make this a sustainable business that actually grows."
"Hopefully in a house with a garden! That's pretty much it [laughs]. And hopefully still doing exactly what I love to do. Honestly, this time a few weeks ago I would never have thought I would be in this position, so you never know what's going to happen. And that what's exciting, because no one ever knows…"
DESIGNERS… "Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons, Jun Takahashi at Undercover and Junya Watanabe."
MODEL… "Lindsey Wixson because she has a gap tooth like me!"
CITIES… "Definitely London and though I've never been to Japan, I think Tokyo would be one."
BOOKS… "I really love reading Stephen King. It's horrible, but it's so good! And I hate horror, I can't deal with horror, but reading it, I love it."
MUSIC… "I'll listen to anything my boyfriend chooses and it'll probably be something like Aphex Twin."
FOOD… "I love a good ramen."
WAYS TO RELAX… "Besides a bath, going out for a walk in nature. And hanging out with my family – I love that."


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The Post-Darwinist: Now back to our regular coverage ...
Yesterday, an astonishing number of people visited the Post-Darwinist, according to the site meter, and I see that this traffic bump continues*, at least for a while. This was the story that attracted their attention.
So I should perhaps say something to new visitors:
The Post-Darwinist was started in May 2005, to update my book, By Design or by Chance?, a 2004 overview of the intelligent design controversy. As I explained in a recent post:
When I first started monitoring the controversy in 1999, I heard that it was dead every six months. Then every three months, then every few weeks ... . I was fascinated by the difference between what pundits said and what I knew was happening. So in 2003, I ducked lucrative education writing contracts and wrote a book (By Design or by Chance?, 2004) exploring the controversy. In 2005, I started a blog, Post-Darwinist, to log its continued development.I feel sorry for the third- and fourth-rate tax burdens who have written me shrill missives, advising that I am completely wrong to have ever doubted the old Brit toff Darwin - who ripped off earlier scientists to create a never-demonstrated creation story for atheism. You have done pretty well in forcing the rest of us to pay taxes to support your religion, but that's where the train stops, I am afraid. And don't get me started on Darwin's virulent racism either.
Just this on that:
Darwin and his fellow Victorian toffs were stuck with the creationist idea that we are all equally human. That's what the Bible said, but they didn't believe the Bible - however, they did not know exactly how to discredit the Bible. Darwin provided the toffs with a "scientific" means of discrediting the Bible, so that the hoped-for break between races of humans
will intervene between man in a more civilized state, as we may hope, than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as at present between the negro or Australian and the gorilla. (The Descent of Man)So there it was at last. A "scientific" excuse for the toffs' existing sense of vast superiority and entitlement over other races. And the rest is, alas, history.
And Darwinists are so sure of their hold over popular culture that, incredibly, they have somehow wanted to link Lincoln and Darwin as liberators. A popular culture that accepts such a patent lie could not be liberated from anything, ever.
Re the Darwin cult: Go here and here for links to ridiculous hagiography of the old Brit toff - along with appropriate antidotes to splitting a gut laughing.
Anyway, the primary purpose of this blog is to log events in the intelligent design controversy, especially those that relate to popular culture, so let me put up ten of them before I get back to editing a manuscript I am supposed to be working on:
1. A friend directs my attention to Turkish creationist Harun Yahya's fossil museum, containing, he says, 1500 reasons for doubting Darwin. Yahya, about whom I have written here and here, is interesting and indefatigable, and has a genius for publishing. Look at this coelacanth entry, for example.
Personally, I have only one reason for doubting Darwin: An essentially conservative process like natural selection does not create anything much. I don't claim that it cannot create anything ever, but only that it cannot create the abundance of intricate life we see around us -and that it is obvious that the universe we live in is designed.
*If you find yourself reading this message months from now, the pattern could be back to the usual, of people looking up stories in the archives, to the tune of several hundred a day only. I am referring to the pattern on January 8, 2009, 8:30 a.m. EST.
And while we are here, look at the orchid mantis. This Malaysian insect arranges itself to look like various flowers (while crunching up their pests).
Of course, in the days when the orchid mantis - supposedly slowly evolving along Darwinian lines - looked only 10% like an orchid - and other insects had well-tested strategies for avoiding appearing on the lunch menu - there was no chance whatever of the orchid mantis starving to death just because it looked like a mantis instead of a flower, right? So … oh, wait. Maybe we better go back to a familiar Darwin legend.
Generous donors to my PayPal button will be rewarded with the knowledge that I will try to acquire an orchid mantis and terrarium, and learn how to care for it in Toronto.
Do you live in Australia? Would you like to be part of a play - Darwin and Lincoln appear on a talk show - the author is Warwick University's controversial sociologist Steve Fuller. Hey - practice your 19th century Brit and American accents, folks - and may the best impersonators win! Learn more about the play here.
[More soon]
Labels: post-Darwinist


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I've always enjoyed a good salad, but ever since I became gluten-free about 4 months ago, I've taken my salad game to a whole new level.
Which is probably for the best, since we signed the Mini up for a "parent & me" swim class and I've had to squeeze my doughy, ghost-white body into a bathing suit two months earlier that I usually would.
It doesn't help that my partner in crime looks adorable in her bathing suit.
Ah the things we do for our children.
In any event, I am a creature of habit and when I find something I like, I stick to it. For example, I have spent countless lunches at Panera Bread with my coworkers over the years, and have only sampled probably 4 different menu items.
Even before I went GF, one of my main go-to meals has been their Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. A-mazing. I don't know who decided apple chips would be a good topping for salad, but I would like to thank this person for changing my life.
However, I am not much into Gorgonzola cheese, so I always ask to substitute with Feta cheese. I also prefer almonds to pecans when I make it at home. So it's totally up you what you put this on, but my recommendation for a salad base is as follows:
-mixed greens/baby lettuce
-grilled chicken strips
-slivered almonds (or pecans)
-crumbled feta cheese (or Gorgonzola)
-red onion
-crispy apple chips (you can find my recipe here, or use store-bought)
Either way, you can't go wrong.
White Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette
- 2 T. canola oil
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/2 C. apple juice (I recommend using a "natural" apple juice)
- 3 T. white balsamic vinegar
- 2 T. apple cider vinegar
- 1 t. lemon juice
- 1 t. sugar
- 2 t. honey
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/8 t. pepper
- 1/4 t. garlic powder
- 1/4 t. xanthan gum (optional - it just makes the dressing a little thicker)
Whisk all ingredients together, or process in a blender to emulsify. Makes about one cup of dressing. Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Original Recipe


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A blog about the art of writing and the writing business. Writing for the soul and writing to be paid.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
It's Like a Concert
Anyway, hubby said we were going out. Where? Well, it's like a concert, he said.
For weeks before I didn't think about it much until the morning of. What does 'like a concert' mean anyways?
Loving surprises, I've been really good though. I haven't checked the visa bill, nor did I even look at events listings around the GTA. I was in the dark. But I couldn't stop myself from thinking now, could I?
My clues:
1) It's like a concert
2) It's pretty casual
3) We'd have to drive there (I had to pick him up early from work).
Before we said our goodbyes in the morning, I couldn't help myself and trying to get more clues, I said, "You know, a talent show is like a concert."
"What?" he said. "You don't want to see a bunch of six-year-olds dancing and singing?" ----Nice!
It was the third clue that started my thought process. I figured we'd have to drive out of town for this. I didn't think any of the theatre festivals started in Niagara on the Lake or in Stratford, but I wasn't sure. Casino Rama has concerts (I've seen what's-his-name from Supertramp there).
Then I combined the second and first clue. My thinking was that it might be a smaller venue, like watching a live band in a pub or something. (The smallest I've ever seen, by the way, was Stone Temple Pilots in a tiny pub in Vancouver in the early 90s, and then Smashing Pumpkins in a big pub in TO in the late 90s. Other than that, it's always been medium-big halls and stadiums.)
It was only when I picked up hubby from work that I found out. Jon Stewart. We fu**ing went to see Jon Stewart in Casino Rama. I mean, I love the man. He was so funny. It was the best show, the best surprise, the best everything. Ever!!!
On a side note, the World Cup, kicked off yesterday, on my birthday. Growing up around football (soccer), I've got a soft spot for it. I'm rooting for France. I like Zidane.
Categories: personal
15 comments:
- Flood said...
Wow. What a great present. Are you in T.O.?
- 10 June, 2006 10:24
- redchurch said...
Happy B-day Mel! I hope you had a good time.
I didn't realize you were a summer baby like me. July 2nd is coming up quick. :)
- 10 June, 2006 12:17
- Anthony J. Rapino said...
Happy b-day. That's a great present. Jon Stewart is damn funny.
Hey, thanks for the link too.
- 10 June, 2006 13:24
- Cavan said...
Holy crap! What a freakin awesome present. And happy birthday, by the way.
- 10 June, 2006 15:41
- Melly said...
I sure am, Flood.
Thanks, Eric, and yeah, I'm such a summer baby. I hate the winter. Give hot hot weather all the time.
Thanks, Anthony, he sure was funny.
Cavan, freakin awesome just about sums it up. Oh, and thanks, by the way ;)
- 10 June, 2006 16:05
- Deborah said...
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a blast. I would have liked to have seen STP when they were still playing, but at least I have their CDs.
- 10 June, 2006 19:20
Happy Birthday!
John Stewart is awesome. Sounds like you had a great time.
- 10 June, 2006 19:29
- Georganna Hancock said...
Happy Birthday today! Sounds like a great present.
- 10 June, 2006 19:49
- Melly said...
Thanks, Deborah. Well, what would we do without CDs?
Fred, I did. I had a great time.
Georganna, indeed it was. A great present!
- 10 June, 2006 23:49
- michaelm said...
Stuart is a comedic genius.
I say Stuart for President.
Sounds like your birthday was 'da bomb.
- 12 June, 2006 08:01
- Jennifer said...
Awesome b-day surprise :D I got taken shopping Saturday. I was totally spoiled! I got 2 new outfits and the cutest shoes! (among a few other things).
- 12 June, 2006 08:26
Jon Stewart is great! I loved the Jon Stewart Show back in the day. :D
- 12 June, 2006 08:52
- Melly said...
Michael, you're not the first I heard saying Stuart for President. Interesting. Well, at least a very high ranking advisor, I'd say...
And yes, my "birthday was 'da bomb!"
Jennifer, you said you had a feeling you wouldn't have to pay. Good stuff!
Sounds like you had a great one too :)
Jason, he did a lot of stuff from, or similar to the stuff of the Jon Stewart show. Not everything was current events. It was great indeed.
- 12 June, 2006 09:28
- rdl said...
Happy Belated Birthday Melly!!!!!
- 12 June, 2006 23:20
- Melly said...
Thanks rdl :)
- 13 June, 2006 08:47


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As player:
John Albert Elway, Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos. He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Elway is widely regarded as one of the finest athletes of his generation to play the quarterback position. Elway recorded the most victories by a starting quarterback at the time of his retirement. He retired as statistically as the second most prolific passer in NFL history in 1999. Elway was one of the 1980s and 1990s most versatile and prominent quarterbacks who led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning his last two. His rugged competitiveness, durability, impromptu play-making and renown to excel in late crucial situations defined his playing career that changed the outcome of many of his team's close games.
Elway set several career records for passing attempts and completions while at Stanford. He also received All-American honors. Elway was drafted #1 overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In 1987, he embarked on what is considered to be one of the most clutch and iconic performances in sports and in NFL historiography, helping engineer the Broncos on a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive in the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns. The moment is known in National Football League lore as "The Drive". Following the AFC Championship Game, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants. It would be the first of a record five Super Bowl starts at quarterback in Elway's career.


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Purified metalloendopeptidase cleaves the Gly33-Leu34 bond of Alzheimer Aß (1-40) peptide producing soluble 1-33 and 34-40 fragments of Aß (1-40) without any neurotoxic effects.


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PC » Action » Shooter » First-Person » Arcade
Brink: Agents of Change
The Ranking
|Overall Rank: n/a
PC Rank: n/a
2011 Games Rank: n/a
2011 PC Rank: n/a
Score based on 1 review
Secrets, lies, and double agents. No one and nothing is at it seems as the arrival of a mysterious ship from the outside world shatters the tentative peace reached between the Resistance and Security factions. The revived battle spreads to two all-new districts of the Ark – the futuristic, underwater Labs facility and Founders' Tower, the iconic spire housing the island's wealthy elite. Unleash fury on your enemies with new lethal abilities as your work your way towards the newly raised level cap of 24 and customize your character with brand-new outfits and additional weapon attachments.
Release Date: August 3, 2011


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I've been thinking about the role of confidence in being able to create the results you want—financial, lifestyle, anything.
There are only about 10,000 books on this topic. But in light of the shifting role of women (read any Hanna Rosin or Liza Mundylately?), I think self-faith—and the momentum it brings—is crucial.
Confidence and power are traits that seem to come naturally to some women. Somehow I had the good fortune of being born confident. Yet too many more women—regardless of experience, skills or gifts—still live inside of "I'm not good enough."
I've learned to appreciate my gifts and my manyflaws. I think that's where true confidence starts: being able to celebrate what makes you special, be able to communicate it and own it, rather than living in a place of self-doubt.
What's "good enough" anyway? We're all a mish-mash of good and bad, skill and quirk, lightness and darkness
If you can't see your own gifts—learn how to quiet your harsh superego—that loud, obnoxious voice in your head that eats away at you. Self deprecation isn't real—it's a learned pattern.
I return regularly to my favorite quote from Marianne Williamson. You've heard it before, butabsorb it now:
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
Sparkle. How do you cultivate confidence and inner-strength? How can we help more women do the same?


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The Crew -- and goalkeeper Steve Clark -- allowed just one goal in regular-season MLS action in the month of June. Following the 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake on June 4, the Crew has held its opponents scoreless for two consecutive matches entering July.
Columbus is 2-5-3 all-time on Independence Day. The last 4th of July win for the Black & Gold was back in 2001 against LA in the Rose Bowl before a crowd of 52,634.
The deadline to vote for eight Crew players are eligible for selection for the 2014 MLS All-Star Game is approaching (July 11). Crew players eligible include: Bernardo Anor, Jairo Arrieta, Steve Clark, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Federico Higuain, Michael Parkhurst, Wil Trapp and Josh Williams ... fans can vote online at MLSsoccer.com for their Fan XI until July 11, selecting one goalkeeper and 10 field players from the ballot ... fans can also utilize the AT&T / EA SPORTS "More than a Vote" Challenge and vote for a favorite forward by scoring goals with them in EA SPORTS FIFA 14 with one goal equaling one vote ... the All-Star Fan XI is set to be revealed during the ESPN2 broadcast of Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls on July 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET ... the gameday roster, chosen by All-Star head coach Caleb Porter, is set to be announced at a later date.


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Italian Justice Ministry investigating Knox judge
MILAN - Italy's justice minister on Monday announced an investigation into comments to the Italian media made by the judge who read the guilty verdicts against Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.
Annamaria Cancellieri said in a one-line statement that she has asked the inspector general to make a "preliminary assessment" of the remarks published by two Italian newspapers over the weekend.
The newspapers quoted Florence judge Alessandro Nencini as saying, among other things, that Sollecito's decision not to testify on the witness stand deprived the defendant of a voice. The judge also commented on the difficulty of reaching a verdict, due to the vast amount of evidence as well as the intense media attention, and acknowledged that assigning a motive for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher was one of the most "controversial" aspects of the case.
A Sollecito attorney, Luca Maori, said earlier Monday that the comments on the defense strategy are "serious" and could form part of their appeal to Italy's highest court on last week's verdict. Maori said the defense team would seek an investigation into the judge's comments with the ministry, as well as the magistrates' oversight body and the high Court of Cassation.
"This is not a vendetta because a judge handed down a verdict other than what we expected," Maori said by telephone on Monday.
Knox defense lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said in an emailed statement that the interviews were "not appropriate," but he reserved comment on any action until the court's reasoning for the verdict is issued, expected within 90 days of the sentence.
Knox's defense also is planning to appeal the verdict. "She feels that it is a mistake and she will continue fighting for her innocence," Dalla Vedova said.
Members of the magistrate's governing body also said they will request an inquiry, saying Nencini had violated the secrecy of deliberations, anticipated arguments in the yet-published reasoning, and made comments on the defense trial strategy that suggest "partiality," the news agency ANSA reported.
Disciplinary measures could include a transfer or monetary penalties.
Nencini was the presiding judge on a panel that deliberated for nearly 12 hours on Thursday before upholding a lower-court's guilty finding against Knox, 26, and Sollecito, 29, in the 2007 murder of 21-year-old Kercher. Kercher, who shared an apartment with Knox in the university town of Perugia, had been sexually assaulted and her throat slit. The case made its way to a second appeal after Italy's highest court vacated a Perugia appellate court's 2011 acquittal, challenging its failure to include some evidence as well as its logic.
Knox remained in the United States for this trial, having been freed on the earlier appeal. In his ruling, Nencini did not issue any precautionary measures against Knox, noting she was legitimately in the United States. He ordered Sollecito's passport to be revoked.
In the comments published on Saturday, Nencini told the Corriere della Sera and il Messaggero newspapers that the judicial reasoning will comment on why the court decided not to separate the positions of Knox and Sollecito in their deliberations and verdict.
Nencini said one clear difference in the Knox and Sollecito defenses is that Sollecito had never been questioned directly, besides during the investigation, even by the prosecution, according to il Messaggero. "The ability not to be heard in a trial is a right, but it deprives the subject of a voice," il Messaggero quoted Nencini as saying.
Sollecito's defense lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, had requested in her closing argument that the jury not consider Sollecito as an extension of Knox, but look at him in his own right. The two defense teams, nonetheless, remained very close in their arguments and maintained a common alibi that the couple had spent the night of the murder together in Sollecito's apartment.
Maori pointed out that the prosecution never requested Sollecito's testimony.
Nencini on Monday denied having made any judgment on the defendants' legal strategy. "If my words generated a misunderstanding about the absolute legitimacy of the choice of a defendant to make voluntary statements, I regret it," the news agency ANSA quoted him as saying.
He said he had spoken "casually" with journalists he ran into in tribunal corridors and who had presented him with "rumors and inferences" about the deliberations.
"My intention was to clear up possible misunderstandings," Nencini was quoted as saying.


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The Arizona Diamondbacks are holding their ninth annual Fantasy Camp this week at their Spring Training complex at Salt River Fields. Steve Gilbert, who covers the D-backs for MLB.com, is taking part in the camp and is sharing his experiences.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As he walked across the field at Miller Park, Robby Hammock realized he was likely taking his final steps on a field as a big league player.
The Brewers had just walked off on the D-backs in Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series to end Arizona's season. Hammock was not on the playoff roster, but he was in uniform catching in the bullpen during the series.
"I remember walking back across the field and watching the streamers and the confetti fall and I was just looking around taking it all in," Hammock said.
Hammock's playing days indeed were over after 2011, but it also served as a beginning for what would become the next chapter in his life.
In 2012, Hammock officially began his coaching career working with D-backs hitters in the Arizona Rookie League.
"It was tough to turn the page, it really was, but the coaching opportunity just outweighed the playing opportunity," Hammock said.
While 2012 might have been his first official coaching job, the truth is Hammock had been preparing for his second act for a while.
Back in 2007, when he was still bouncing between Triple-A and the big leagues, Hammock noticed a change in how he looked at the game. Suddenly he was analyzing strategy and watching games as if he were managing.
"Then I started voicing that I wanted to manage some day and coach," Hammock said. "Catching, of course, I started to really run through things in my head. It got to the point where when I was in the game, I wanted to call everything. I wanted to call throw-overs, slide steps. I wanted it to where the pitching coach never had to worry about it. He didn't need to visit the mound. I would be on it before he even needed to."
After an injury-plagued season in 2010 with the Yankees' organization, Hammock thought his career was finally over. He emailed D-backs farm director Mike Bell and told him he wanted to throw his name out there for a possible coaching position.
Bell, who played with Hammock in Triple-A in 2003, had a different idea. The D-backs were thin at the catching position at the upper levels of the Minors, and Bell offered Hammock the opportunity to almost be a player/coach in 2011.
Hammock would play when needed while also watching closely how Brett Butler managed the Triple-A Reno Aces.
Hammock ended up playing more than expected in Triple-A that year, and the D-backs rewarded him with a September callup.
He only got two at-bats that month, but it gave Hammock an opportunity to take in the big leagues one final time.
"I was soaking up every moment of that September that I could," Hammock said.
Hammock did well enough in his time as hitting coach in Rookie ball that he was promoted last year to manage the D-backs' advanced Rookie team in Missoula, Mont.
"I learned a lot about managing and running games and what to look for," Hammock said. "It's a lot of responsibility. You make every single decision in the game. It was exhausting, but I had a blast. It was a huge learning experience, that's for sure."
This year, Hammock will manage Class A Advanced Visalia in the California League.
"I think you can just see that players that he works with on a daily basis have a tremendous amount of trust in him," Bell said. "Nothing is too big for Robby. They kind of spill their guts to them, and they know he understands because he's been in a lot of different situations in the game and he understands it's a difficult game."
Injuries no doubt kept Hammock from accomplishing more during his playing career, but he is still very much a fan favorite in Arizona.
Hammock was part of a group of young players that were known as the "Baby Backs" after they filled in at the big league level while some of Arizona's bigger-named stars were on the disabled list. Hammock is also remembered for catching Randy Johnson's perfect game in 2004.
"The fans here have always been great to me," Hammock said. "They still want to remind me about those times, and it's great because it brings back all those memories and stuff. I say this is where I grew up, I'm from Georgia, but this is where I grew up as a person. This is definitely home for me."


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text: About the club Video has no narration, no audio description In November 2014, Etihad Airways became New York City's founding partner and remains its principle partner today. New York City FC was founded on May 21, 2013 as Major League Soccer's 20th franchise, and the second in the New York City metropolitan area. Etihad's logo is featured on the NYCFC playing jerseys as well as throughout Yankee Stadium. New York City FC is owned by a partnership between City Football Group and the New York Yankees. The club plays all of its home matches at iconic Yankee Stadium. The partnership with New York City FC was Etihad's first sponsorship of a U.S. professional sports team, and the brand has since added partnerships with the Washington Capitals (NHL), Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Mystics (WNBA). In 2017, Etihad and New York City FC expanded their relationship, providing Etihad with naming rights of the playing surface for all NYCFC home matches. All NYCFC games played at Yankee Stadium feature Etihad Pitch branding throughout the exterior and interior of the stadium, in addition to a new premium seating area titled the Etihad First Class Club. Together, Etihad and NYCFC are committed to connecting people from all over the world through a shared bond around the sport of soccer/football. Major League Soccer Click here to check out our sponsorship with Major League Soccer. Manchester City Football Club Click here to check out our sponsorship with Manchester City Football Club. Melbourne City Football Club Click here to check out our sponsorship with Melbourne City FC.


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Thank you Max and PipI've just noticed there's a ruddy great chunk out of it at the top middle :x Why didn't I notice it before! I still like it though.
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Special thank you to U.K. athlete, photographer and beautiful person Klare Wolf for allowing us to take this journey with her! Klare is writing this story, with much prodding by myself and with great apprehension; always consternation and I dare say moments of dread. You will learn that she is not talking about moments long past, these are not scars well healed by time, she is living the story she tells daily, while she is sharing it will all of us. Personally I think this takes amazing courage and I hope you'll honor her by following her tale as it unfolds. She truly deserves your support. Stumbling Otis– TTS content manager Volume 1- The Fall Overtime… The fourth quarter had been called – overtime added. ...Read More »
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Please join us this First Friday beginning at 6:00 pm to celebrate the opening of studio: an installation---work by lisa dorr and max ascrizzi, on view at chelliswilson. for the month of October. The first incarnation of studio was presented at The Barn on Windy Way, adjacent to New Era Gallery on Vinalhaven Island in August. In conjunction with Lisa's residency at the Quimby Colony here in Portland this month, studio will be recreated in chelliswilson. Dorr's paintings, garments, and striped linen blankets, combined with Ascrizzi's furniture and objects, will become the dominant feature of the shop for the duration of the show.
Here's a taste of the original exhibit. More here.
Hope to see you on Friday!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
take over.....
Posted by chelliswilson. at 2:26 AM
Labels: in their studio...
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Podcast Episode 80 – d20monkeyBy boliver on October 29th, 2012
Posted In: Podcast
Brian of d20monkey joins us on this week's twxxd podcast where we talk accents, gaming, and dinosaurs.
We also talk about Brian's d20monkey First Edition Kickstarter campaign, which is happening now and you should totally check out and support!
Intro by Alien7. Outro by Brandon and Steve.
Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download


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As most of you who read my blog know, I am the mother of two young boys under the age of five and the creator of Little Pim, an educational DVD series that introduces babies, toddlers and preschoolers to a second language. Although I have mixed feelings about the Disney refund that was reported in the NYTimes on October 23rd, I believe the ban-TV-for-tots frenzy that has ensued is misguided. I am the mother of two young boys under the age of five, and for full disclosure, the creator of an educational DVD series for tots, Little Pim, which introduces babies, toddlers and preschoolers to a second language. Although I have mixed feelings about the Disney refund, I believe the ban-TV-for-tots frenzy that has ensued is misguided.
Let us contemplate the following:
1) Studies show that 74% of all kids in the U.S. under two watch SOME videos or DVDs*. So either nearly 3/4 of the parents in this country are bad people, or letting your child watch a show while you make dinner isn't as big a deal as some advocacy groups would have you believe.
2) There is a BIG difference between a baby or toddler watching a few minutes of an educational DVD and the 2-3 hours of viewing per day that the American Academy of Pediatrics found to be potentially unsound for young minds and prompted them to issue a warning against ANY screen time kids under the age of two.
3) We are now living in a digital era of You Tube, 500 cable channels, and videos on our cell phones. Our kids will be surrounded by media from their earliest days, whether we like it or not. The question we should be considering is "what" and "how much" screen time is right for our them? Parents need to make their own decisions about when the right time is to expose their kids to media, and then be encouraged to make thoughtful decisions about what that media is. Media literacy should be the issue of the day, not media abstinence.
4) Most parents engage with their young children in a variety of ways - reading to them, talking, singing, playing, dancing AND allowing them watch a DVD from time to time. Most of us do it all. I have yet to read a study that shows there are negative side effects of limited screen time, when it's part of a verbally rich environment and healthy family interactions.
So even if the secret is "out" that we sometimes use DVDs as a babysitter, we also know that sometimes we watch WITH our children. We share in their delight at making new puppet friends, learning new words in English, Spanish and Chinese, and acquiring social skills by imitating kids or animated characters on screen. These are moments we can celebrate and cherish; the watching may not make them smarter, but it may help them learn about making healthy viewing choices that will carry over when they are old enough to control the clicker.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and keep this conversation going.
* source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/article-faq.html#prevalentTV


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March 10, 2004 - Chicago, Illinois - The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and Club Adventure, Inc. held a leadership conference for swing club owners in Chicago on February 28 and 29, 2004. The conference was attended by over 50 people, representing dozens of swing clubs across the country.
Primarily focused on the rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory communities, NCSF is committed to creating a political, legal, and social environment in the United States that advances equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms of alternative sexual expression. Due to the significant discrimination and persecution that occurs against individuals who engage in swinging practices, it is necessary to create safe places for these people to socialize and receive safer sex education.
The two day conference was punctuated by pertinent issues, including an in-depth discussion of Lawrence v. Texas, presented by Jim Turner, Consumer Interest Attorney, former NCSF Board member and advisor to Woodhull Freedom Foundation; First Amendment Attorney Reed Lee presented his views on the same subject and other 1st Amendment issues. Robyn Friedman, a practicing criminal attorney and Director of NCSF'S Legal Education Outreach Program, presented a workshop focused on interacting with local law enforcement, avoiding legal trouble, and group considerations for swing groups and clubs.
Other topics of presentation were insights into the industry by NASCA International, and International Lifestyle Association, both of whom supported this conference. Lifestyle Financial Services discussed aspects of corporate vs. limited partnerships and tax liabilities and Ron Gould, Club Adventure, Inc. presented marketing strategies. All business owners were invited to a networking dinner sponsored by NCSF and spent the entire time discussing relevant business issues.
"NCSF is thrilled with the outcome of the first Leadership Conference for the swing club owners," said Vivienne Kramer, Chairperson of NCSF. "The willingness of the participants to listen and learn, not only to valuable hands-on- information which helps them increase their business, but about relevant political and social events that affect the lifestyle as a whole, was truly inspiring. The energy to continue this educational/activist effort is quantifiable and I am looking forward to a wonderful, synergistic partnership between NCSF and the Swing Community."


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Supporting Climate-Friendly Food Production
|Report Authors
|Danielle Nierenberg was the director of the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project.
|Laura Reynolds is a Research Associate with the Worldwatch Institute's Food & Agriculture program.
|Related Posts
|Vital Signs: Irrigation at Record Levels, but Expansion Slowing
|Valuing Women's Work in Agriculture
|Desperately Seeking: A Sustainable, Climate-Friendly Food System
|Read More
The mutually adverse relationship between climate change and agriculture can be reversed. (The Gates Foundation)
This summer, record temperatures and limited rainfall parched vast areas of U.S. cropland, and with Earth's surface air temperature projected to rise 0.69 degrees Celsius by 2030, global food production will be even more unpredictable. Although agriculture is a major driver of human-caused climate change, contributing an estimated 25 to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, when done sustainably it can be an important key to mitigating climate change.
At the same time, because of its reliance on healthy soil, adequate water, and a delicate balance of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, farming is the human endeavor most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. But agriculture's strong interrelationships with both climatic and environmental variables also make it a significant player in reducing climate-altering emissions as well as helping the world adapt to the realities of a warming planet.
The good news is that agriculture can hold an important key to mitigating climate change. Practices such as using animal manure rather than artificial fertilizer, planting trees on farms to reduce soil erosion and sequester carbon, and growing food in cities all hold huge potential for reducing agriculture's environmental footprint.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the global agricultural sector could potentially reduce and remove 80 to 88 percent of the carbon dioxide that it currently emits. With alternative approaches, small-scale agriculture in developing countries has the potential to contribute 70 percent of agriculture's global mitigation of climate change. And many of these innovations have the potential to be replicated, adapted, and scaled up for application on larger farms, helping to improve water availability, increase diversity, and improve soil quality, as well as mitigate climate change.
This report, Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Supporting Climate-Friendly Food Production, highlights six sustainable approaches to land and water use in both rural and urban areas that are helping farmers and other food producers mitigate or adapt to climate change—and often both. They are:
Building Soil Fertility: Avoiding heavy chemical use and unnecessary tilling in agriculture can help to organically rebuild dry or lifeless soils. Alternately, raising both crops and livestock on the same land can drastically reduce the total amount of energy expended to produce a crop or animal, thus reducing overall emissions.
Agroforestry: Because trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, keeping them on farms whenever possible can help mitigate climate change. This approach, known as agroforestry, also keeps the soil healthier and more resilient by maximizing the amount of organic matter, microorganisms, and moisture held within it. Agroforestry also provides shade for livestock and certain crops, and creates habitats for animals and insects, such as bees, that pollinate many crops.
Urban Farming: Growing food in cities can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions released from the transport, processing, and storage of food destined for urban populations. Urban agriculture also increases the total area of non-paved land in cities, making urban landscapes more resilient to flooding and other weather shocks, while improving the aesthetic value of these landscapes.
Cover Cropping/Green Manuring: Cover cropping, green manuring, is the practice of strategically planting crops that will deliver a range of benefits to a farming system, and often plowing these crops into the soil instead of harvesting their organic matter. Planting cover crops improves soil fertility and moisture by making soil less vulnerable to drought or heat waves. Cover crops also serve as a critical deterrent against pests and diseases that affect crops or livestock, such as corn root worm or Rift Valley fever, particularly as warmer temperatures enable these organisms to survive in environments that were previously too cold for them.
Improving Water Conservation and Recycling: Innovations in water conservation, including recycling wastewater in cities, using precise watering techniques such as drip irrigation rather than sprinklers, and catching and storing rainwater, all help to reduce the global strain on already-scarce water resources.
Preserving Biodiversity and Indigenous Breeds: Growing diverse and locally adapted indigenous crops, such as yams, quinoa, and cassava, can provide a source of income and improve farmers' chances of withstanding the effects of climate change, such as heat stress, drought, and the expansion of disease and pest populations. Preserving plant and animal biodiversity also reduces farmers' overreliance on a small number of commodity crops that make them vulnerable to shifts in global markets.
By tapping into the multitude of climate-friendly farming practices that already exist, agriculture can continue to provide food for the world's population, as well as be a source of livelihood for the 1.3 billion people who rely on farming for income and sustenance. If agriculture is to play a positive role in the global fight against climate change, however, agricultural practices that mitigate or adapt to climate change will need to receive increased research, attention, and investment in the coming years.
Laura Reynolds | December 4, 2012


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2323 Elm Street
St. Charles 63301
Branch Phone
(636) 723-0232 or (636) 946-6294
Branch Hours
Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday - Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Drive-up Window Hours
Monday - Thursday 8:30 am - 8:30 pm
Friday - Saturday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Free Wi-Fi Available
Free self-service fax/scan services available
Asia Gross, Branch Manager - firstname.lastname@example.com
Jim Rhodes - email@example.com
Local History & Genealogy Information Resource Manager
Julie Jackson, Youth Services Supervisor - firstname.lastname@example.com
We look forward to seeing you at the Kathryn Linnemann Branch, named after Miss Kathryn Linnemann who started library service in St. Charles in 1913. In keeping with our namesake, the Kathryn Linnemann Branch specializes in Local History and Genealogy and provides professional staff to assist with research and a special, indepth collection. The branch opened in its current location in 1982 and was extensively renovated in 2008. The branch is approximately 28,600 square feet and houses a collection of about 200,000 items. We have a beautiful reading area with a fireplace as well as lots of other comfortable lounge seating including booths. We also have the largest collection of Spanish language materials available in the Library District. Our cheerful Children's area features Early Literacy computers and a special program room. We offer many amenities for our customers including a drive up book drop, pick up window, small study rooms, an electric cart and walker, and a beverage/snack area. I hope you will visit the Kathryn Linnemann Branch soon. Plan to stay awhile and enjoy the branch.
The Kathryn Linnemann Branch is pleased to offer the AWE Early Literacy Station, a self contained, educational computer station with carefully selected programs for children aged 2-10. Located in the Children's Department, this touch screen computer contains over 50 top rated fun, educational games. The library offers the literacy station bilingual edition, with programs available in English and Spanish. Click here for more information about the AWE Early Literacy Station, or come into the library with your child to check it out yourself!
(These stations are funded by an Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant.)


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..well, this was before..
Obviously, I cant contain my happiness when I got my NBI Clearance last month. I got it without any hassle, without waking up at 4am, and without any queuing! Thank goodness for this NBI online service.
Because I felt so blessed to have done this, Im sharing with everyone how I easily applied for my NBI E-Clearance.
1. I paid the amount of P115 (standard rate for local employment) thru GCASH. A confirmation text message is sent along with the Reference Number.
2. I browsed NBI Clearance website - https://nbi-online.com/login and filled up the registration (located on the right side). I entered my email address and the GCASH reference number.
NBI E-Clearance application /registration form
3. I was redirected to this page where I entered my information. After confirming that my info was correct, I clicked the PRINT button (near Ref. No.).
all good to go, ready to submit my NBI E-Clearance application
4. After I clicked PRINT, I was redirected to this NBI Clearance QR Code Printout page. I printed it out as instructed. I also made an appointment / booking thru text, but actually it's not necessary. You may skip the booking request part.
NBI Clearance QR Code
Honestly, Im impressed. I never thought we could have a system that's efficient. LOL
5. The next day, I went to NBI Main in UN station, Taft Avenue. I went there at around 2pm, an hour late to the actual booking I made. Haha But it didn't matter. At the entrance, I just flashed my printed QR code and the officers told me to go directly at the 4th floor.
6. I entered a small room on the 4th floor and I handed my printout to the officers. I also presented my passport for valid ID. Yes, that's the only NBI requirement I brought. Anyway, in 2 minutes, the courteous and jolly officers had my biometrics and photo taken. And that's it. Im done!
7. If only my surname is unique, I could get my NBI Clearance right away. Yes, on the same day. Unfortunately, Im a Reyes, one of the most common surnames in the Philippines. For someone like me who has this surname, I had to be back after 3 working days. Well, it's just fine specially I never really had to wake up early and endure the very long line.
8. After 3 working days, I went back to NBI main. In 1 minute, my NBI Clearance was ready. Unbelievable!
the easiest way I got my NBI Clearance
Yihaa, Im so delighted! I have never experienced getting my NBI Clearance this easy and fast. It's very convenient! One of the very few times Im happy that Im paying my taxes right. Charot!
* for the record, pwede ang slippers / sandals sa NBI. merong poster sa labas na bawal daw, pero di naman totoo. buti nalang kasi walang akong shoes! ^_^


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South Africa scored nine tries and flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked 28 points as they crushed Argentina 73-13 on Saturday in a Rugby Championship first-round romp.
The triumph against rivals who had two forwards sin-binned took the Springboks to the top of the table on points difference after world champions New Zealand won 47-29 in Australia earlier in the day.
It also created two Springboks records, with the winning margin bettering the 63-9 triumph in Johannesburg five years ago and the 86 match points eight more than in Springs, South Africa, 11 years ago.
Topping off a great day for South Africa was their first win at Soccer City in Soweto, where they lost twice to the All Blacks in previous appearances.
The Test took a decisive turn on the half-hour mark when Pumas hooker Eusebio Guinazu was yellow-carded and South Africa scored 14 points in four minutes en route to a 26-6 halftime lead.
Demoralized Argentina collapsed in the second half as the hosts scored a further seven tries, before Contepomi claimed a final-minute consolation try.
The match was the highlight of Nelson Mandela Sport Day, an inaugural event in honor of the hospitalized former president that also featured the national soccer team.
Springboks skipper and center Jean de Villiers refused to get carried away after a victory margin far wider than even the most optimistic South Africa fan had predicted.
"We played well at times, but there is plenty to work on. We are evolving as a team and taking more scoring opportunities. I guess it is hard to complain after scoring 73 points. I believe we put a smile on the face of Madiba [Mandela's clan name] today, and we dedicate this triumph to him and all South Africans," De Villiers said.
Argentina center and skipper Felipe Contepomi said: "South Africa were magnificent today and once they got on the front foot it was impossible to stop them."
"We are grateful to be playing the three best rugby nations in this Championship and I hope we can do much better when the Springboks play in Argentina next weekend," he added.
A couple of successful penalty kicks from Steyn inside the first 10 minutes gave the Springboks a six-point lead and soothed the nerves after an error-strewn start.
Argentina were struggling at the lineouts and suffered a major blow when experienced lock Patricio Albacete limped off to be replaced by Julio Farias Cabello.
Contepomi got the Pumas on the scoreboard with a couple of penalties and there was also another from Steyn to leave South Africa 9-6 ahead on 30 minutes.
Guinazu was then yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, which earned the Springboks a penalty try, and center J.J. Engelbrecht ran on to a Willie le Roux chip for another five pointer.
Steyn converted both scores and within four minutes the Springboks were 17 points ahead against opponents forced to play the rest of the opening half a man short.
Argentina were struggling to get out of their half and conceding frequent penalties, one of which Steyn booted over to give the Springboks a 20-point halftime cushion.
It took just six minutes of the second half for South Africa to push further ahead as hooker Adriaan Strauss broke from a driving maul and dotted down for Steyn to convert.
The Pumas, who proved competitive in their maiden Rugby Championship last year, fell apart and the yellow-carding of No. 8 Leonardo Senatore for a tip tackle spelled disaster.


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FY02 Arts on Radio and Television
New York Philharmonic, $60,000
To support the production of live radio broadcasts of performances by the New York Philharmonic in 2002-03. Approximately 5 million listeners per month will hear each two-hour program.
Related Grants
Concert Productions, Inc., $70,000
To support the production of the public radio series From the Top to be broadcast in 2002-03. The hour-long program combines performances by exceptional young classical musicians, ages nine to 18, interviews, guest artists, and a 14-year-old "roving reporter" who profiles the young musicians.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., $150,000
To support national telecasts in 2003-04 of the public television series Live From Lincoln Center. The series is broadcast on approximately 300 PBS stations across the 50 states and U.S. territories and reaches an average of five million viewers per program.
Minnesota Public Radio, $70,000
To support the production and national broadcast of St. Paul Sunday, a weekly, one-hour radio series presenting the vitality, diversity and excellence of chamber music. The program will be heard on more than 215 radio stations throughout the United States in 2002-03.
National Public Radio, $150,000
To support the NPR Classical Music Initiative. The initiative will include the recording, acquisition and national radio broadcast of selected American symphony orchestras on the daily classical music series Performance Today, the weekly program SymphonyCast, and the presentation of American operatic productions for NPR's World of Opera series.
New York Foundation for the Arts (on behalf of Anker Productions), $50,000
To support post-production costs for the two-part television series Music From the Inside Out. Intended for a national PBS broadcast, the series will explore the intangible qualities of music as seen through the eyes of the members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.


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Yeas & Nays
Poll: Infidelity more acceptable among Dems than Republicans
A new survey examining whether the American people view a range of issues as "morally acceptable" has found that infidelity is more acceptable among those identifying as Democrats than Republicans.
[WATCH] Fallon plays Obama's cover of 'Started from the Bottom'
Jimmy Fallon spotlighted the often ignored bottom of the music charts Thursday on "The Tonight Show." Who held the coveted No. 100 spot on the countdown according to the comedian? It was "President Barack Obama" with his cover of Drake's hit "Started from the Bottom."
[WATCH] Fallon honors Mother's Day with Hashtags on 'The Tonight Show'
Jimmy Fallon debuted another segment of Hashtags on Thursday's "The Tonight Show" that honored your mothers for all the hilarious, and sometimes cringeworthy, things they say.
[WATCH] Marines go crazy for 'Frozen'
It looks like "Frozen" has a fan base in this group of Marines.
[WATCH] Navy baseball players belt out song from 'Frozen'
These Naval Academy students may have been better off choosing Broadway over baseball.
[WATCH] Kimmel censors Diane Sawyer and others on his show
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text:
- What other names is Guggul known by?
- What is Guggul?
- How does Guggul work?
- Are there safety concerns?
- Are there any interactions with medications?
- Dosing considerations for Guggul.
Devadhupa, Balsamodendrum wightii, Balsamodendrum mukul, Commiphora mukul, Commiphora wightii, Gomme Guggul, Gomme-Résine de Guggul, Guggal, Guggul Gum Resin, Guggul Lipids, Guggulipid, Guggulipide, Guggulu, Guggulu Suddha, Guggulsterone, Guggulstérone, Guggulsterones, Guggulstérones, Guglipid, Gugulipid, Gum Guggal, Gum Guggulu, Indian Bdellium, Indian Bdellium-Tree, Koushika, Mukul Myrrh Tree, Palankasha, Yogaraj Guggul Gum Resin.
Today guggul gum resin is used for arthritis, lowering high cholesterol, "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis), acne and other skin diseases, and weight loss.
Possibly Effective for...
- Treating some types of acne. Guggul seems to work about as well as the antibiotic tetracycline in the treatment of nodulocystic acne. Both treatments decrease pain, swelling , and redness (inflammation), and the number of acne outbreaks.
Possibly Ineffective for...
- Obesity. Some research suggests that taking a combination of guggul, phosphate, hydroxycitric acid, and L-tyrosine, along with exercise and a reduced-calorie diet, might slightly reduce weight. However, most other research suggests that guggul does not affect body weight in overweight or obese people.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- High cholesterol. There is inconsistent evidence about the effects of guggul on cholesterol. Taking 3000 or 6000 mg of guggul daily does not seem to lower total cholesterol or triglycerides, or raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good') cholesterol in people with high cholesterol who eat a Western diet. However, guggul does seem to reduce cholesterol levels in people following an Indian diet.
- Osteoarthritis. Early research suggests that taking 500 mg of guggul (containing 3.5% guggulsterones) three times daily might improve arthritis pain.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. Early research suggests that taking guggul 3000 mg daily for 4 months can improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
SLIDESHOWSee Slideshow
It can cause side effects such as stomach upset, headaches, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, diarrhea, belching, and hiccups. Guggul can also cause allergic reactions such as rash and itching. Guggul can also cause skin rash and itching that is not related to allergy. These adverse reactions are more common with higher doses, such as 6000 mg per day.
Special Precautions & Warnings:Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Guggul is LIKELY UNSAFE during pregnancy. It seems to encourage menstrual flow and stimulates the uterus, so some researchers worry that it might endanger the pregnancy. Not enough is known about the safety of using guggul during breast-feeding. Do not use guggul if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Bleeding disorders: Guggul can slow blood clotting and might cause bleeding or bruising in people with bleeding disorders.
Hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Guggul might act like estrogen in the body. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, do not use guggul.
Underactive or overactive thyroid (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism): Guggul might interfere with treatment for these conditions. If you have a thyroid condition, don't use guggul without your healthcare provider's supervision.
Surgery: Guggul might increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using guggul at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Interaction Rating: Major Do not take this combination.
Large amounts of guggul might theoretically increase the side effects of estrogen.
Some estrogen pills include conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol, estradiol, and others.
Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Some birth control pills contain estrogen. Guggul might theoretically increase the side effects of birth control pills.
Some birth control pills include ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (Triphasil), ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Ortho-Novum 1/35, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7), and others.
Diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Taking guggul can decrease how much diltiazem (Cardizem) that the body absorbs. Taking guggul along with diltiazem (Cardizem) might decrease the effectiveness of diltiazem (Cardizem).
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Guggul might increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking guggul along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can decrease the effectiveness of some medications. Before taking guggul talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver.
Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.
Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Guggul might slow blood clotting. Taking guggul along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.
Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Propranolol (Inderal)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Guggul might decrease how much propranolol (Inderal) the body absorbs. Taking guggul along with propranolol (Inderal) might decrease the effectiveness of propranolol (Inderal).
Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Some types of cancer are affected by hormones in the body. Estrogen-sensitive cancers are cancers that are affected by estrogen levels in the body. Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) is used to help treat and prevent these types of cancer. Guggul could theoretically affect estrogen levels in the body. By affecting estrogen in the body, guggul might decrease the effectiveness of tamoxifen (Nolvadex). Do not take guggul if you are taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex).
Thyroid hormone
Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Talk with your health provider.
Guggul might increase thyroid hormone in the body. Taking guggul along with thyroid hormone pills might increase the effects and side effects of thyroid hormones.
- For severe (nodulocystic) acne: a twice daily dose of guggul that contains up to 25 mg of the active ingredients called guggulsterones.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).


text:
Maranello, Italy — A man named Roberto drives me in a Lancia Voyager minivan to a deserted parking lot at the bottom of a hill-climb that leads to the village of Samone. After waiting a few minutes, we hear the shriek of a high-revving V-12 engine before we see the car it's powering: a red-and-black LaFerrari pulls up, the winged driver's door rises, and an Italian journalist climbs out. It's now my turn to drive the most anticipated Ferrari since the 2002 Enzo. No explanations, no admonitions. Just get in and go, Joe.
On the road: The ultimate sensory experience
Twist the red key, push the red start button, and the 6.3-liter V-12 instantly ignites. Foot on brake, pull the right-side carbon-fiber shift paddle, foot on gas, and we're off. It's raining, so I dial in wet mode, the most forgiving of the manettino switch's driver settings. This road is a tight, bumpy, badly paved series of switchbacks, sluiced with gravel runoff. There's no sound insulation, so I hear, always, the intoxicating rrrrappp of the V-12, the road debris hitting the underside of the car, the clicking of the shift paddles, the brake calipers on ceramic composite rotors, the rubber on the road. LaFerrari is the ultimate sensory experience.
The steering wheel, flat on both top and bottom, is small and transmits lots of information about the road. The familiar red start button is on the bottom left of the wheel, and the manettino switch used to select driving modes is on the bottom right. The steering is light in effort but precise. The front Pirellis are still cold and are crabbing in corners. When I dial in sport mode, the upshifts are a little quicker and the rear end of the car is a little more lively. The rears warm up, and it's easy to oversteer. I'm hesitant to select race mode in these wet conditions. I last drove on this road in November 2009 in the then-new Ferrari 458 Italia, and I remember marveling at that car's ability to pivot effortlessly into corners, but it's pretty clear that LaFerrari takes that ability to a new level. If only the road were dry.
The sideview mirrors on carbon-fiber struts, a foot long, are equally cool-looking and practical. Speaking of practical, these Brembo brakes. On the short straights, I downshift, mash the accelerator, and hold on tight as the 345/30R-20 P Zeroes try to transmit a level of power and torque to the ground that is almost comical in these adverse conditions. The rear end of the car is having little of it. Damn this weather.
If you must go slow, take some time to appreciate your surroundings
Resigned to the conditions, I take a longer look at the cabin. It's pretty austere, but the four round vents are nice to look at, and everything is obviously high-quality. Virtually everything you see and touch is polished carbon fiber accented with black Alcantara. Thin rubber floor mats provide a bit of traction for your feet, there's a slim map pocket near the passenger's kneecaps, and there's a little rectangular tray for your phone, because if there's one thing Italians will make room for, it's a phone. The door panels are widely scooped out, making for plenty of outboard elbow room, and you're also unlikely to rub elbows much with your passenger. In the center console, a carbon-fiber protrusion that looks like a grab handle has buttons to choose reverse gear, auto mode for the transmission, and launch control.
I abandon the hill-climb and head back to Maranello on meandering two-lane roads, following Roberto in the minivan. I have to say, he really knows how to drive that Voyager. Now there's more spray from the rain, and the big single wiper sweeps efficiently over the huge windshield. The car isn't quiet by any means, but I can carry on a conversation with my passenger. I glance up at the rear-view mirror and see the top of the engine cover, framed by the very sharply angled window, and just a little bit of the road behind. The rear-view camera image in the driver's instrument cluster is crisp and clear. The A-pillars are close and not particularly tall, so the forward visibility is quite good. I can't see the front corners of the car, but I have a very good sense of it.
Time to try automatic mode for the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It's flat-out wonderful and utterly benign; your mother could drive this car in automatic mode while sipping an espresso. Lovely throttle blipping on the automatic downshifts when you brake. It's so easy to thread this car through roundabouts and villages.
We arrive at Pista di Fiorano. You think we had any problem getting the gates to open for us in our LaFerrari? Back in Roberto's minivan for a ride to lunch at Il Cavallino, the famous restaurant adjacent to the Ferrari campus. The engineering team, who gave us a technical briefing last night, is there to finish telling the story of the development of LaFerrari, Ferrari's first-ever hybrid automobile.
Efficiency of performance
LaFerrari is no tree-hugging exercise with a prancing horse badge. This is a real Ferrari, the most powerful roadgoing Ferrari ever built and, surely, one of the most desirable. While the word "efficiency" is in every other sentence that comes out of the mouths of Ferrari engineers, they're talking about efficiency of performance far more than they're talking about fuel efficiency or emissions.
Ferrari began working on hybrid KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) powertrains in 2008 for its Formula 1 Scuderia's racing efforts. A Ferrari 599-based concept car slathered with fluorescent green paint and fitted with a HY-KERS powertrain debuted at the 2010 Geneva motor show, and development of the LaFerrari began shortly thereafter. In addition to its tightly packaged mechanical layout, which encompasses a V-12 hybrid powertrain in the same wheelbase and overall length as the 2002 Ferrari Enzo, LaFerrari's claim to technical fame is its highly advanced use of carbon fiber for the car's chassis-tub structure and body panels, made possible by hand-applied, time-intensive, proprietary techniques that are also a direct trickle-down from Ferrari's racing development.
All carbon fiber is not created equal
Ferrari strongly feels that all carbon fiber is not created equal. Many of the latest carbon-fiber cars, including highly respected machines from the likes of McLaren, Porsche, BMW, and Lamborghini, use RTM (resin-transfer molding) carbon fiber, but Ferrari isn't impressed.
"With RTM, you don't get any better weight reduction than we already achieve with our advanced aluminum technologies," says Franco Cimatti, the Italian-born, American-educated Ferrari veteran engineer who's in charge of vehicle concepts and pre-development.
For LaFerrari's chassis tub and body panels, Ferrari prefers pre-preg carbon fiber, which is pre-impregnated with resin before it's sent into the same huge autoclaves that bake up all the pieces for the F1 race cars. "With pre-preg, we are taking a lot less resin for the ride," quips Cimatti, "because our autoclave techniques allow us to squeeze out excess resin during the baking." A particular type of extra-high-strength carbon fiber referred to as T1000 is used both in the F1 race cars' nose cones and in the structure of the LaFerrari's doors for crash protection. T800 UD refers to a type of unidirectional carbon fiber that Ferrari carefully places in the same direction as principal loads in key sections of the car's structure.
In the end, the LaFerrari's chassis tub and roof, which are bonded together with resins and mechanical fasteners, weigh all of 176 pounds and provide 27 percent more torsional rigidity and 22 percent more bending stiffness than the carbon-fiber structure of the Ferrari Enzo.
A user-friendly supercar
Ah, yes, the Enzo. It's a constant reference point for LaFerrari engineers, so I ask Matteo Lanzavecchia, who's in charge of vehicle performance and who once spent a year working for Newman/Haas Racing's IndyCar program, what an Enzo owner might experience if he or she gets behind the wheel of a LaFerrari.
"If you drive an Enzo and you drive this car, if you are in the same gear, you will have double the level of acceleration," he says without hesitation. "And you will reach it in one-third the time when you go on the throttle. You will also feel how easy and how safe it is to push the car to the limit. LaFerrari also requires 45 percent less steering activity [input] than the Enzo did, which makes it much easier to control coming out of corners."
On a more elemental but perhaps more important level, LaFerrari is easier to climb into and out of than the Enzo was, or than most other supercars are. You see, many of the multimillionaires who can and do buy cars like these are not as petite as, say, Ferrari test driver Raffaele De Simone, a typically compact, trim Italian racer. The path to making the LaFerrari more user-friendly started, like everything else on this car, with its carbon-fiber construction, specifically that of the X-shaped roof, which provides enough rigidity to allow for huge door cutouts.
"The sills swell as they go rearward," Cimatti points out, "our doors are hinged from above, and we have no conventional door posts to get in the way." The result is a surprisingly large aperture into which you can thread your body quite easily. Indeed, I climbed into and out of our LaFerrari test car at least twenty times during our test-drive day, and it was by far the easiest ingress/egress I've ever experienced in a supercar. The doors are easy to open and close from both inside and outside of the car.
Packaging efficiency and a lower center of gravity
Although LaFerrari does not require its occupants to have the size and flexibility of F1 racing drivers, their perches inside the cabin, Cimatti explains, are "inspired by the reclined posture of F1 drivers, which allows for space efficiency." He elaborates: "We wanted to have cabin space that's similar to the Enzo's, but with room for helmets. We experimented with how far we could recline the seating position and eventually arrived at an additional seven degrees of seatback tilt. Anything more than that would create undue pressure on the necks of occupants." Nevertheless, the change in seat position and the lack of a separate seat structure gained Ferrari engineers 2.4 inches of vertical cabin space (for helmets), even while the vehicle's overall height has been reduced by 1.2 inches.
Crucially, the highly efficient use of cabin space also allowed Ferrari to lower the LaFerrari's center of gravity by 1.4 inches as compared with, you guessed it, the Enzo. "This is a massive number," Cimatti boasts. "In F1, we will completely redesign a car just to lower the center of gravity by a few millimeters." LaFerrari's center of gravity, at 14.8 inches above the ground, is also some 2.6 inches lower than the 458 Italia's. Given the lack of a separate seat structure and the thinness of the seat bottom, this means your butt is perched about as low to the ground as it can go. Small, medium, large, and custom-size seats are offered, so a range of girths, if not extreme heights, of buyers can be accommodated. Our test car is equipped with size large perches, but they don't feel overly large.
Lunch is over and we're back at Fiorano, in the pit garage. My LaFerrari has been cleaned and shined, and its doors are soaring toward the ceiling. Noticing the big bulge of carbon fiber between the seatbacks, I ask Cimatti if he couldn't have wedged in a little storage compartment. "That's the fuel tank," he replies with a grin. "It curves behind and between the seats. This is what I meant when I said [the previous evening] that there is a difference between 'interior space' and 'the space needed for driving.' " By the same token, passenger footroom is reduced due to the fact that the air-conditioning unit is mounted just in front of the footwell, which helps keep the dashboard low.
Indeed, every square millimeter has been accounted for, says project manager Michele Giaramita, leaving room for only the tiniest of cargo compartments, some 40 liters in capacity, in front of the firewall and behind the front radiators, whose fans are visible through slots in the hood. This is not a car for road trips, but you could wedge a handbag and a jacket in there.
"Let's go for a ride."
Ferrari test driver Raffaele De Simone climbs into the driver's seat and, pointing to the passenger's seat, says, "Let's go for a ride." The seats are fixed in place, but the steering wheel and pedals are adjustable. Racing harnesses secured, we burst out onto the circuit, De Simone providing a running commentary, which I find impressive not only because English is not his first language, but also because he's driving the balls off this car in a steady rain. Even with his skilled hands and feet, though, the rear tires are sometimes clawing for traction.
"All this technology has a physical output that speaks to the driver in a very natural way. Even in these difficult conditions you feel that you are driving the car, you are managing the power, and the behavior of the car is always giving feedback." Reflecting on the extremely wet track, he continues: "When the mechanical grip is low, the aerodynamics makes a lot of work. So you have to trust a little bit. So even on a day like this, you can drive your LaFerrari." Indeed.
The feedback I'm hearing is the mechanical sound of the big rear wing deploying under hard braking, at the same time as two rear flaps that are integrated into the rear diffuser. There are also three automatically deploying aerodynamic flaps under the front of the car, but they're not visible or audible. There are, of course, all manner of sophisticated aerodynamic manipulations happening with LaFerrari, starting with a frontal area that's ten percent less than the 458 Italia's. The thing is, it's all achieved subtly, without garish wings, in a rather svelte body profile.
Behind the wheel at Fiorano: Always, the V-12.
De Simone pulls back into the garage. "I would say sport and wet today are the best for you," he gently advises, then steps out of the car. I'm on my own. I cautiously enter the circuit and head toward Turn 1, a tight right-hander. The V-12 sounds awesome. It's pouring rain now, so, yeah, wet mode for sure.
With a big burst of speed coming out of third gear, Enzo's house is visible out of the corner of my right eye. I brake hard, downshift to second for the uphill of Turn 4 and the bumpy, tricky approach to the bridge. I often screw this up, because you want to get some speed up to get over it, but then you have the immediate hard right of Turn 5. I'm still contemplating that challenge when another one arises: a big pool of water. I hydroplane into a runoff area on the left but gather it back up (with the able assistance of the electronics) and swivel gently through the tight lefthander that is Turn 6. More standing water, and I can feel the rear tires clawing for traction as the V-12 angrily tries to tell them who's boss. Hard braking for some acceleration toward the gentle swell of Turn 7. This is the moment when you feel like you're aiming right toward the big ceramics factory, smoke billowing from its chimneys, which borders this side of the track. But you're not. At least, I'm not.
At the end of the straight is a tight left toward the last corner, Turn 8, a fairly broad but slow loop, and the apartment building is hard on the right. Every time I'm at Fiorano, I wonder, who in the world lives there, with a bird's-eye view of Fiorano? A blessing for some, a curse for others, I imagine.
Now onto the straight, the paddock on the right, and the V-12 sounds so, so amazing, brapp brapp, brapp. The sound of a Ferrari V-12: nothing like it, and nothing is muffling it here, trust me. Electric motor? I have no clue. I don't hear it.
Now, just the slightest movement of the steering wheel to the left to enter Turn 1 from the correct angle. Braking blipping blipping blipping click clack click of the paddle shifters. Always, the V-12. And the single wiper blade, furiously sweeping.
For more information on the LaFerrari hybrid powertrain, see the sidebar after the spec panel.
Ferrari LaFerrari Specifications
- Base Price: $1.4 million (est.)
- Powertrain
- Engine: 48-valve DOHC V-12/electric hybrid
- Power: 789 hp @ 9000 rpm
- Torque: 517 lb-ft @ 6750 rpm
- Motor: Permanent-magnet AC synchronous
- Electric Output: 120 kw (161 hp)
- Batteries: 2.3-kWh lithium-ion
- Total Output: 950 hp
- Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Chassis
- Brakes: Vented discs
- Tires: Pirelli P Zero
- Tire Sizes F, R: 2265/30R19, 345/30R20
- Measurements
- L x W x H: 185.1 x 78.5 x 44.0 in
- Wheelbase: 104.3 in
- Center Of Gravity: 14.8 in from ground
- Weight Dist. F/R: 41/59%
- Cargo Volume: 40 liters (1.4 cubic feet)
0-60 mph:
- 2.9 sec (per manufacturer)
The HY-KERS Powertrain
The hybrid components add a total of 322 pounds to LaFerrari but also provide an additional 161 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque to the 6.3-liter V-12's 789 hp and 517 lb-ft, for a grand powertrain system total of 950 hp and 716 lb-ft. We'd say that's a fair trade-off. The two battery packs, each consisting of four 15-cell modules, for a total of 160 cells, reside just below and behind the seats, under the fuel tank and ahead of the V-12. The lithium-ion cells are provided by Samsung, but the battery packs, which are protected from road debris by a layer of underbody Kevlar, were designed by Ferrari in-house. A layer of glass electrically insulates the battery pack from the rest of the cabin.
The V-12 resides behind the batteries and fuel tank and is of course followed by the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. A Magneti Marelli electric motor is attached to the back of the gearbox via a gear set, and two electric inverters are mounted on top of the transmission housing. That electric motor is at the very rear of the car, which helps explain why cabin space — and space in general — is at such a premium in this car. Nevertheless, it's all crammed into the same size package as the Enzo.
Lest we give you the impression that Ferrari is unconcerned with emissions, powertrain chief Vittorio Dini points out "our goal was to reduce CO2 but also increase performance, with more power, more torque, and a higher maximum engine speed. You always work to manage maximum power versus maximum torque, and the electric motor allows you to make different compromises and choices."
Vehicle performance chief Lanzavecchia elaborates: "Since we added weight to the car by adding the hybrid system, we always want it to either be boosting or recharging. Otherwise, you are carrying around weight for no reason." LaFerrari takes advantage of the electric boost in a straight line, where the tires can handle the extra power output, but when the car is exiting a corner and the tires, limited by grip and lateral acceleration, can only transmit a limited amount of torque to the ground, the KERS system uses the V-12's excess torque to recharge the battery pack. "Normally, with braking, you are turning energy into heat. Instead, we are turning it into chemical energy for the battery," Lanzavecchia says.