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With the imminent release of Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham franchise coming sometime next year, Warner Bros. decided to keep fans occupied with Batman: Assault on Arkham, the series' first venture into feature length film. Don't let the title fool you though; this animated heist flick may be based in the Arkhamverse, but follows the story of the Suicide Squad, a band of supervillains contracted by the government to carry out deadly missions in order to lessen their prison sentences.
The team, consisting of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang, Killer Frost and Black Spider, are tasked with breaking into Arkham Asylum in order to retrieve a hard drive from The Riddler, who has stolen top secret information about the Squad and is threatening to leak it online. Things aren't going to be easy though, as the Batman is alerted of the break in, and the team must avoid being caught, lest they face certain death from their leader, Amanda Waller. To make matters worse, the Joker breaks free and plans to detonate a bomb that will kill half of Gotham, meaning the Dark Knight has his hands full, and the Squad's loyalties are put to the test.
As is typical of a Suicide Squad story, there's danger, deception and certain death at every corner, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the plot interesting. The story itself becomes very complex further down the line, with multiple subplots coming into play, but all thankfully tying together nicely for the film's climax. There's rarely a dull moment, as the action sequences showcase the film's stellar animation and are a joy to watch, not to mention it was great to see slightly more adult violence in 2D animation, but done in such a manner that it isn't over the top or too grotesque. Humour is also used effectively throughout, making the film highly enjoyable to watch. The jokes hit bullseye the majority of the time, and some moments are so unexpected that they instantly make you laugh out loud. Despite featuring very little, the film successfully uses both Batman and the Joker in bitesize doses, stealing the show each time one is on screen, satisfying die-hard fans of the two nemeses whilst also keeping the main focus on 'Task Force X'. Ultimately though, the film's focus on the character interactions of the Squad is it's highlight, with sharp dialogue and a constant uncertainty of how trustworthy the team-mates are that makes the characters much more interesting to watch interact with one another.
It's a shame then, that the film predominantly focuses on just Deadshot and Harley Quinn rather than each team member individually; though the latter's portrayal by Hynden Walch is the surprise stand-out performance of the film (although her over-the-top characterisation feels out of tune with the Clown Princess of Crime's usual mannerisms), Deadshot is portrayed too sympathetically in an attempt to make a personal connection to the audience, contrasting to his over-confident personality we see in the Batman: Arkham games and other media. Though this depiction is true to the character's comic backstory, the film overuses this trait to make him seem a more empathetic protagonist to the viewer, but ultimately makes the character seem a tad cliché. Black Spider and Killer Frost get the short end of the stick, having the least amount of screen time, with Frost in particular having a disappointing portrayal in which she's forcibly written as a love interest for King Shark.
Both characters have their moments though, and nevertheless the film's outstanding voice work manages to give each individual so much personality, even when the script restricts them. Veteran voice actors Kevin Conroy (Batman: Arkham series), Troy Baker (The Last of Us), John DiMaggio (Futurama) and Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect) amongst many more lend their talents to the film, achieving pure perfection with each line delivery and giving each character a memorable portrayal through just their vocal chords. The only let down is CCH Pounder as Squad leader Amanda Waller, who although performs fantastically as always as the no-nonsense government official, is given very little to do throughout the film and is written too naively in the third act to be taken seriously.
Perhaps the biggest flaw in the film is that many elements felt out of place. Though the majority of the adult content is done effectively and in-character (we never thought we'd see the day where the Joker proclaims, "I'm here bitches!" and still be funny), there was a large amount of sexual content that was either deliberate fan service or forcefully written-in events that served to tie the film in to New 52 lore. Though the latter plot device comes into better light as the film progresses, the fan service depicts the female Squad members as sex pests, and although modern DC comics are no stranger to exploring sexual themes, these elements felt like they were put in the film "just because" and didn't serve to drive the plot forward.
In addition, having the film based in Rocksteady's Arkhamverse feels extremely out of place. The Tarantino-inspired violence and comedy completely juxtaposes to the gothic and mature setting of the video games, making you wonder at times why the film-makers even bothered to make the film canon in Arkhamverse lore in the first place. Of course the simple answer to that question is brand recognition, in an attempts to get more sales from avid video game fans, and it's a pity that Warner Bros. felt a Suicide Squad film wouldn't get mainstream attention of its own accord.
However, the film takes many liberties in remaining faithful to Rocksteady's depiction of the Dark Knight, having many easter eggs scattered throughout for keen-eyed Arkham fans to spot, and certain character interactions that hint to this universe's rich history as a whole. In particular, many of Batman: Arkham Asylum's set pieces are beautifully recreated for the film, and although these picturesque backgrounds contrast to the film's main art style, they still stand out as one of the film's highlights, and make it worth a second viewing to see what you missed out first time around.
Overall, Batman: Assault on Arkham stands out as one of DC's best direct-to-DVD line-up, relying upon it's thrilling action sequences and vibrant character dynamics to carry it forward. Having the villains take centre stage allows for a refreshing viewing experience, and will certainly make you want to see more of the Suicide Squad as soon as possible. But despite having stand out moments of dark comedy and character interactions, many elements feel too forced or clichéd in order to appeal to a wider audience, which takes away some enjoyment of the film. As an experimental adult animated flick though, it's definitely worth a shot. Yahtzee!
Score: 7/10
Taken from my blog here.


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Renewables Portfolio Standard (California)
Last modified on February 12, 2015.
Rules Regulations Policies Program
California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) was originally established by legislation enacted in 2002. Subsequent amendments to the law have resulted in a requirement for California's electric utilities to have 33% of their retail sales derived from eligible renewable energy resources in 2020 and all subsequent years. The law established interim targets for the utilities as shown below. By January 1, 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) must establish specific electricity sales targets for electric retail sellers based on the interim targets:
- 20% of retail sales by December 31, 2013
- 25% of retails sales by December 31, 2016
- 33% of retails sales by December 31, 2020
AB 327 (2013) allows the CPUC to establish procurement requirements in excess of the percentages stated above. Publicly owned municipal utilities (POUs) are not regulated by the CPUC but are affected by the law nonetheless, and their governing boards are charged with establishing procurement requirements based on the interim goals above.
Regulatory Roles
The Energy Commission's roles are to:
- Certify eligible renewable resources procured by retail sellers (investor-owned utilities, electricity service providers, and community choice aggregators) that meet statutory requirements
- Design and implement a tracking and verification system to ensure that renewable energy output is counted only once for the purpose of the RPS and for verifying retail product claims in California or other states
- Adopt regulations specifying procedures for enforcement of the RPS for POUs
- Certify and verify eligible renewable energy resources procured by POUs and to monitor their compliance with the RPS
- Refer the compliance failure of a POU to the Air Resources Board, which may impose penalties.
The Energy Commission has two adopted Guidebooks available describing its RPS program requirements:
- The Renewables Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook describes the eligibility requirements and process for certifying renewable resources as eligible for California's RPS and describes the Energy Commission's implementation of a tracking system to verify compliance with the RPS.
- The Overall Program Guidebook describes how the Energy Commission's Renewable Energy Program is administered.
The CPUC is charged with:
- Determining procurement targets and enforcing compliance
- Reviewing investor owned utilities' contracts for RPS-eligible energy for rate recovery
- Calculating and administering a cost limitation on renewable procurement for investor-owned utilities
- Establishing the standard terms and conditions to be used by all IOUs in contracting for eligible renewable energy resources.
- Implementing compliance rules with RPS procurement quantity requirements
- Reviewing and approving each IOU's procurement plan and its process for selecting the least cost bidders of renewable energy that best fit that utility's resource needs. IOUs use these processes to select winning bidders from their solicitations to procure renewable electricity. The CPUC decision conditionally approving the IOUs' 2009 procurement plans is available here.
For more information about the CPUC's role and data on RPS progress, see http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Renewables/
Eligible Technologies
Technologies eligible for the RPS include photovoltaics; solar thermal electric; wind; certain biomass resources; geothermal electric; certain hydroelectric facilities*; ocean wave, thermal and tidal energy; fuel cells using renewable fuels; landfill gas; and municipal solid waste conversion, not the direct combustion of municipal solid waste.The CEC voted in March 2012 to suspend the eligibility of biomethane. As several contracts for biomethane had been executed prior to the CEC's vote, AB 2196 of 2012 provides that biomethane contracts signed before March 29, 2012 will be eligible for compliance if certain conditions are met.
Energy Storage Requirement
Legislation (AB 2514) enacted in September 2010 allows for the adoption of requirements for utilities to procure energy storage systems. The legislation instructs the CPUC to open a proceeding by March 1, 2012, to consider the adoption of these requirements which would have to be met by the investor-owned utilities. The CPUC was given broad authority for considering these requirements, and approved a proposed decision in October 2013, officially adopting procurement targets for each of the three IOUs. The decision requires the utilities to collectively procure 1,325 MW of energy storage by 2020, which will be installed and delivering to the grid no later than the end of 2024. Each utility was assigned a share of the 1,325 MW total, to be procured in phases starting in 2014. Additionally, each utility's share must include a certain amount of storage at the transmission and distribution levels, and a certain amount must be customer-sited. Click here to read more about the CPUC's energy storage goals.
Renewable Energy Credits
To meet California's RPS reporting requirements and the renewable energy tracking needs of 14 states and two Canadian provinces in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), the Energy Commission and the Western Governors' Association have jointly developed the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS), which began operation in June 2007. WREGIS tracks renewable energy generation and creates WREGIS certificates for every renewable energy credit (REC) generated, which are used to demonstrate compliance with state RPS policies. One REC represents one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated from a renewable resource.
The California Public Utilities Commission issued a decision on January 13, 2011, to authorize the use of tradable renewable energy credits (TRECS) for RPS compliance. From the 2010 compliance year through December 31, 2013, the use of TRECS was capped at 25% of a utility's RPS requirement, and the price of a TREC was capped at $50. SBX1-2 of 2011 appears to have put new restrictions on the use of TRECs which the CPUC will implement. According to the law, the use of TREC transactions signed after June 10, 2010 will be capped at 25% for the compliance period ending December 31, 2013, and will shrink to 10% of the requirement by 2017.
Prior to the passage of SBX1-2 in April 2011, the RPS approved by the California Legislature stopped at 20% required in 2010 and all future years. Legislation that would have expanded the RPS beyond 20% failed to become law in 2009. In the absence of legislation, California's Governor signed Executive Order S-21-09 in September 2009, which required the California Air Resources Board to adopt a renewable energy program requiring 33% renewable energy by 2020. With SBX1-2 of 2011, the legislature has codified the 33% requirement in state law, requiring the CPUC and the CEC to implement the 33% RPS. SBX1-2 imparts some powers to the Air Resources Board to enforce the requirements on publicly-owned utilities, but the CPUC will be serving as the primary rule-making authority for carrying out the RPS.
- Refer to the current Energy Commission Renewables Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook at www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/documents/index.html#rps for information on eligible renewable energy resources and fuels. SBX1-2 expanded the criteria for hydro facilities to qualify for the RPS. The bill also charged the Energy Commission with advising the legislature about whether or not run-of-river hydroelectric generating facilities in British Columbia should qualify for the RPS. See SBX1-2 for full details about the treatment of hydro power under the RPS.
Incentive Contact
|Contact Name
|Kate Zocchetti
|California Energy Commission
|Renewable Energy Program
|1516 Ninth Street, MS-45
|Sacramento, California
|Zip/Postal Code
| (916) 653-4710
|Contact Name
|Cheryl Lee
|California Public Utilities Commission
|505 Van Ness Avenue
|San Francisco, California
|Zip/Postal Code
| (415) 703-2167
Authorities (Please contact the if there are any file problems.)
|Authority 1:
|CA Public Utilities Code § 399.11 et seq.
|Date Effective
|Date Enacted
| 2002 (amended 2003, 2006)
|Authority 2:
| CA Public Resources Code § 25740 et seq.
|Authority 3:
|Date Enacted
| 2012-10-05
- Incentive and policy data are reviewed and approved by the N.C. Solar Center's DSIRE project staff.[1]

subset: commoncrawl


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Nuclear Medicine Technology/Technologists
Certification of nuclear medicine technologists is performed by the California Department of Health Services. Requirements include successful completion of college level courses specific to nuclear medical technology and laboratory training. Responsibilities of a technologist include administering radioactive material to humans for diagnostic purposes.
Department of Health Services
Radiologic Health Branch
1500 Capitol Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95814-5006
Mailing Address:
Sacramento, CA 95899-7414
(916) 327-5106
To obtain a certificate, the applicant must pass the state-administered exam or submit documentary evidence of having passed an exam equivalent to that administered by the California Department of Health Services and offered by one of the following:
Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, or the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.
Consumer Resource & Referral Guide
Directory of State Agencies
Directory of Federal Agencies
Return to DCA Home Page


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The Lifters San Diego Summer Shindig
Held at Barona Dragstrip on the Barona Reservation just east of San Diego, this was the ninth year that The Lifters Car Club has hosted the King of Clubs event. To say it just gets better each year would be cliché, if it weren't so true! The track's in a great location, the drive there and back is cool (depending on your route, it takes in much of the same scenery we enjoyed on the Hot Rod Roundabout Reliability Run a few months ago), the atmosphere is friendly, and camping is permitted. We've hauled our trusty canvas accommodation to this event in the past and have been in the minority, but this year all the good spots were gone by Friday night!
While there's action on the track on Friday, the event itself doesn't start until Saturday, but then it's non-stop until way after dark, with the chance to put your car up the strip, actual organized classes later in the afternoon for club to race against club (hence the King of Clubs moniker), vendors, oddball trophies, bands, and burlesque girls. Those last two are outside under the stars alongside the track, by the way. The Lifters put on a great event that's as good as it sounds, and it should be. So get to the 10th in 2014 if you can!


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teacher training
teacher training, professional preparation of teachers, usually through formal course work and practice teaching. Although the concept of teaching as a profession is fairly new, most teachers in industrialized nations today are college or university educated. The amount of preparatory training, however, varies greatly worldwide.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Education: Terms and Concepts


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Evolution is important in order for a video game franchise to succeed.
Whether it's flashier graphics, smoother gameplay, new mechanics or just new characters and levels. Vicarious Visions and Activision have took the super popular Skylanders franchise and done something nobody seen coming, they included vehicles. Not just cars but planes and boats too. Sticking with the toys-to-life premise, we are now able to purchase vehicles with their own respective drivers although any Skylander can drive any vehicle which is pretty cool.
Following on from last year's Trap Team, returning villain, Kaos has imprisoned everyone who helped the Portal Master (you) in the last game. Flynn, Cali and Hugo manage to make a communication device to speak to you from their cell thankfully and revitalise your link with the Skylanders to firstly rescue your friends and Master Eon and to take down Kaos once and for all. It's a light hearted yet gripping story for the young 'uns but me being an adult felt compelled to help Flynn and co using my now extensive collection of Skylander toys now including my new vehicles.
I got the Wii-U version which is identical to the PS4 and Xbox One versions in terms of content apart from the new additions of Bowser and Donkey Kong, the latter of which came in the starter pack along with his Barrel Blaster vehicle. For the other versions, different vehicles and characters are in the box. I also got sent by the cool guys at Activision, the Bowser character and his Clown Cruiser which is an aeroplane. Instantly noticeable from opening was the superb craftsmanship put into the characters and the vehicles. These are true collectables and can be switched to Amiibo mode which can be used across certain compatible games. Another thing I noticed was the lack of a podium for the vehicles, the Barrel Blasters wheels actually turn meaning it could be played with like a proper toy and placing it on the new Portal of Power quickly transports it to the game.
Skylanders Superchargers has grew since Trap Team. Vehicles handle brilliantly. Land vehicles handle Mario Kart style, air vehicles and sea vehicles all handle as you would expect with or without inverted controls for the pilots out there and boats handle just as great such as the Dive Bomber which can explore underwater sections. Levels are huge in Superchargers with the inclusion of these vehicle sections although they are scripted sadly so no Grand Theft Auto style "oh im gunna get my Barrel Blaster and rip em a new one!" joyriding here. They are everywhere though and land, sea or air routes are available all the way through the adventure encouraging more exploration and of course parting with green for more characters and vehicles. Combat hasn't changed much and neither has the platforming and plenty of collectables like hats, vehicle bits and upgrades encourage every nook and cranny of the levels to be explored and using them unlocks more moves and upgrades for your currently used Skylander. My favourite of the collectables was the red chests which contain vehicle upgrades. It wasn't long before my Barrel Blaster was kitted out kicking more ass than before and matching the driver with their respected vehicles adds more power by it being supercharged which boosts stats massively and makes it look more badass.
The vehicles fit into the game perfectly.
The new mechanics are executed fantastically.
The old ones are great too.
Upgrades and collectables everywhere.
Cool story and characters.
The cost!
Skylanders Superchargers is a lot of fun! On foot sections have loads of combat and exploration with the new vehicle parts being a breath-taking rollercoaster ride whether Land Sea or air takes your fancy. All your older Skylanders all work with Superchargers so if you want your favourite Trigger Happy to ride the Dive Bomber for some underwater traversal, then you can! Although it takes a lot of dollar to collect them all, Vicarious Visions shows us why Skylanders is the master of the Toys-to-life genre.


text: The NSR-9512Y rechargeable glass-filled nylon polymer LED flashlight, offers 3 microprocessor-controlled brightness modes as well as a strobe function. Utilizing an LED, the 9512Y has an impressive run-time of 4.25 hours in full-brightness mode. The 350 lumen output in combination with the high efficiency deep parabolic reflector design throws a usable beam of light 313 meters, that's over 1,026 feet. The 9512Y has a single button design, located on the waterproof body of the light.


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Information about this data:
Source: Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH)
Creator: Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH)
Estimated lifetime prevalence of a carer-reported sight problem that required treatment (that is, a carer responding yes to: Has [child] ever had any problem(s) with his/her eyesight or his/her eyes and yes to: Has [child] had, or is [child] due to have, any treatment for this problem?).
The estimates are based on Sweep 4 data from the Millennium Cohort Study and census population data for Northern Ireland 2011. See http://chronicconditions.thehealthwell.info/ for more details.
Using this data:
Interpret these data cautiously. As a general rule, this website does not include confidence limits in its charts and maps. It aims to provide visual tools that allow you to explore an underling table or dataset. If you find something that you think is important, we strongly urge you to explore it more rigorously – consulting an experienced data analyst if appropriate – before taking any action based on that finding.
1. Statistical precision
Indicator values are prone to statistical error (the difference between an estimated value and the true value). The statistical error associated with an indicator depends on the population subgroup (e.g. the population of a county or LGD) that it refers to. Such differences in levels of statistical error can distort what we see in maps and charts. They can make some relationships involving indicators and attributes appear "real" (practically meaningful or statistically significant) when they are in fact spurious; other relationships that are "real" can be masked. These differences in statistical error can even distort the shape of plots or the colour patterns we see in maps.
For example,
2. Scales and legends
The scales used on chart axes and in can also distort our perceptions:
ATTRIBUTES are characteristics of a population such as age, gender or social class. They can be used to select particular sub-groups for analysis or comparison.
Please modify your selections below: Select:
INDICATORS are numeric values such as counts, rates, ratios, percentages. They can be clustered under groups such as cause of death, and come in several types reflecting the nature of the data.
Please modify your selections below:
Sight problem: Number of cases
Sight problem: Prevalence %


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RUSH Semi Custom Husqvarna Graphic Kit
RUSH Semi Custom Husqvarna Graphic Kit
from 120.00
How to Order:
Select your bike size and quantity
Click Add to Cart
Complete the pop-up Semi Custom Kit Requirements form to fill out your order details. Note: for multiple orders of the same product, you will do this process twice.
When you're finished shopping, go to the Cart at the top right of the page and complete your purchase.
Graphic Details
21mil thick material
Kit includes:
Number Plates with an Airbox graphic
Fork Guards
Fender Arches
Bike Size:


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Cardinals have yet to click on all cylinders
ST. PETERSBURG -- For two glorious weekend days in Toronto, the Cardinals' juggernaut which their manager and fans have been searching for showed up.
Then, they came to Florida and, although they split two games with the slumping Rays, once again sputtered.
ST. PETERSBURG -- For two glorious weekend days in Toronto, the Cardinals' juggernaut which their manager and fans have been searching for showed up.
Then, they came to Florida and, although they split two games with the slumping Rays, once again sputtered.
This is almost like the old TV show. Will the real Cards please stand up?
During an American League interlude to their rugged National League schedule, the Cardinals shut out the AL East-leading Blue Jays on Saturday and Sunday by identical 5-0 scores.
The weekend should have been a defining moment for the 2013 NL pennant winners. The Blue Jays pitch well and have an offense that hits the ball out of sight.
Power, timely hitting and strong pitching were ingredients of the two shutouts.
But against the disappointing, skidding Rays, the Cards managed just two singles and a Matt Holliday homer on Tuesday night in a less-than-impressive 1-0 win.
To say their offense has been anemic is an understatement.
The next night, the Rays, with the worst record in the AL, ended a team-record 31 scoreless innings streak during a 6-3 win. It was just the Rays' second victory in their past 16 games. They'd gone 21 hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position before Matt Joyce's single drove home a fourth-inning run.
Needless to say, St. Louis' clubhouse was gloomy and quiet.
The Cardinals jetted back to St. Louis late Wednesday night with a 4-3 record from the road trip. They trail the NL Central-leading Brewers by five games.
Manager Mike Matheny, who adroitly guided the Cards to the postseason in each of his first two seasons after taking over for Hall of Fame skipper Tony La Russa, remains puzzled.
Several weeks ago, Matheny speculated it might take some type of launching point for the Cardinals to show their potential for 2014. Now, he's not so sure.
"I think we need to get our eyes off that," he said after the loss to Tampa Bay. "Maybe even defining our team is going to be one of those things we look back at instead of thinking, 'Now we've figured it out.' "
Waiting for a key hit or a key victory obviously isn't the answer to trigger this team. If that were the case, the two shutouts in Toronto would have done it.
With a third of the season behind, the Cards are still searching for their identity.
"We saw some good days in Toronto where we saw almost every aspect we've been looking for," Matheny said. "Those were a couple of days of well-rounded baseball. Those are good days to have. We must see how many we can stack in a row.
"It's just about fighting now. We're just going to have to be the grinding team. We're just going to have to grind."
After Thursday's day off, the Nationals, who've moved into first place in the NL East, arrive at Busch Stadium. The Nats have been on a tear lately, as they've moved to the top of their division.
If the Cardinals are to reach their potential, their hitting must improve. They've left 74 runners on base this month.
Add to that concern over the health of their ace, Adam Wainwright (9-3, 2.15 ERA), who's suffering from what has been described as a "tennis elbow."
Holliday, a career .309 hitter with a .525 slugging average, is batting .265 this season and his slugging percentage is down to .378. He has just four homers and 30 RBIs.
"It's been frustrating for me from the standpoint that I haven't been able to drive as many balls as I would like," Holliday told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I've been rattling my brain for hours trying to figure out exactly what it is.
"I'm just trying to figure out where the problem is and what's causing it and remedy it. I have done a good job of getting on base. The slugging percentage is not something I'm happy with. It's pretty poor."
With just 36 homers in 66 games, the Cards rank last among the 15 NL teams.
"These guys are fighting through a tough spell," said Matheny. "We as a club, even though we're putting up a couple of wins here and there, it's still not the kind of season we anticipated for ourselves. It's difficult when you have a level of expectation of what you want to do and you don't quite meet it."
Building on success, or for returning to the World Series for the Cardinals, becomes more and more difficult.
Matheny agrees.
"It's difficult all the time," he said. "The years when it doesn't quite come as easy make you realize how special it was when everything fell into place. Just look at the parity in baseball right now. There are a lot of good clubs. We have high expectations -- not from the people on the outside, but from ourselves."
I mentioned that Sparky Anderson once told me players often forget what it took to accomplish great things the year before. And you have to keep reminding them.
"That was a wise statement," said the Cards' skipper. "The little things need to happen. It's discipline to do the little things right that make the big things happen in the long run."
Even the best teams struggle at some point during the 162-game season. The Cardinals are a good team. Matheny is convinced that any day now, the contender everyone expected will show up and stay for the remainder of the season.
Hal Bodley is the senior correspondent for MLB.com.


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New York City can once again claim to be home to the tallest building in the country, and the Western Hemisphere for that matter.
On Friday, workers topped off the new One World Trade Center building with a spire making the structure 1,776 feet tall, symbolizing the year the United States was born.
The finishing touch, performed by New York construction company Tishman, involved workers securing the final two portions of the spire with 60 bolts at 1,701 feet, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site.
PHOTOS: Spire installed on WTC tower
Loud applause and shouts erupted from construction workers assembled below as the huge, silver spire was gently lowered and secured into place. The building stands at the site where the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks destroyed both the 110-story twin towers.
"It's a pretty awesome feeling," Juan Estevez told The Associated Press from a temporary platform on the roof of the tower where he and other workers watched the milestone.
"It's a culmination of a tremendous amount of team work … rebuilding the New York City skyline once again," said Estevez, a project manager for Tishman Construction.
He said the workers around him were "utterly overjoyed."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo echoed those emotions.
"Today is a proud moment for our city and state as we crown the top of One World Trade Center," Cuomo said in a statement. "This milestone at the World Trade Center site symbolizes the resurgence and resilience of our state and our nation. I want to personally thank the men and women who have worked tirelessly over the years to make today a reality and remember those who lost their lives nearly 12 years ago when the World Trade Center towers fell."
Ground was broken on the site on July 4, 2004, but construction got bogged down in disputes between owners, business interests and politicians.
There were also concerns that such a conspicuous building at "Ground Zero," might make for a tempting terrorist target.
"We are not going to just build low in the face of a war against terror," then-Gov. George Pataki said in 2006.
On Friday, Lee Ielpi, whose firefighter son died after responding to the attacks, watched from his office at the nearby 9/11 Tribute Center, which he co-founded, as workers secured th spire.
"The building looks spectacular .… I'm looking forward to the day when the cranes come down and they light the spire at night," he told the Associated Press. "It's supposed to be a very moving experience."
The Port Authority said the LED-powered light would be activated in the next few months.
The tower is scheduled to open next year.
Ohio officials: Ariel Castro fathered baby born in captivity
Paramedic arrested in West, Texas for having a destructive device
Minnesota House OKs same-sex marriage; Senate expected to concur


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Beautiful and comfortable holiday home in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca, Spain with communal pool for 4 persons. The holiday home is situated in a coastal and residential area, close to restaurants and bars and at 500 m from Cala Basetes beach. The holiday home has 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The accommodation offers privacy and a beautiful view of the sea. Its comfort and the vicinity of the beach, places to shop, sports activities, entertainment facilities and places to go out make this a fine holiday home to celebrate your holidays with family or friends.
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In the low season this holiday home in Calpe can also be let to less tenants than the total capacity of 4 persons. The chimney can not be used.
Please note that for this accommodation a security deposit of € 500,00 is required. For more information please see our Rental Conditions.
Official accommodation identification number: AT-450002-A
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Other optional services on request of the client to be paid upon arrival:
-. Extra change of bed linen and towels for 5 € per person per day. -. Extra cooking service 30 € per hour.
-. In the rental properties that allow pets, you have to pay a supplement of 50 € per booking per anima admitted.
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-. Upon arrival we will ask you a photocopy of your id or Passport of every adult.
-. a safety deposit depending on the accommodation you booked, varying between 150 € and 1.000 €, this amount must be paid by credit card. Cheques are not accepted. The deposit will be returned to the credit card, after we have found the accommodation to be in good state.
-. There is a special safety deposit for groups of young people and special events. The amount varies between 100 and 300 euros per person, according to the quality of the accommodation in order to guarantee the perfect condition of the holiday accommodation.


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Special Reports
Boilermakers union leaders receive lofty pay, benefits
A prime suite at Kansas Speedway. First-class travel. Six-figure salaries for half the staffers. Plenty of plum jobs for family members.
Life is good at the top of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers.
The union, with its headquarters in Kansas City, Kan., represents about 59,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada who make and repair boilers, fit pipes and work on ships and power plants. The recession has hit their trade hard, reducing union membership.
At the same time, the president's salary has surged 67 percent in the past six years, not counting a recent raise. Add in travel and some other expenses, and Newton B. Jones totaled more than $600,000 last year, putting him at the absolute top of the presidents of the dozen biggest unions in the country.
The Boilermakers value families — of officers, certainly. Many relatives ride the payroll.
The union defends executive salaries and hiring of relatives. But totaling the pay to just the families of Jones and two other executives, the union and its affiliates paid them more than $2 million in annual salary, according to the most recent financial reports filed by the organizations.
Those findings are part of a wide-ranging examination of the Boilermakers over the past year by The Kansas City Star, which reviewed thousands of pages of labor union reports and tax documents.
Pay isn't the only reason to aspire to an office at headquarters, the newspaper found:
• While few other unions still own planes, the Boilermakers partially own two, paying a half million dollars last year for maintenance and fees. When they travel on commercial flights, officers can go first-class.
• Once they arrive, officers may enjoy memorable experiences — exclusive pheasant hunting expeditions, fly-fishing adventures in Alaska, stays in Paris and on Marco Island, Fla.
• Some officers can supplement their union salaries with pay from the union's own bank. At least two have made as much as an additional quarter million dollars a year.
• And once their careers are over, retiring officers drive away in gift cars.
"This is one of the more egregious examples of money flowing like crazy that I've ever seen," said Nathan Mehrens, a former U.S. Labor Department lawyer and now general counsel for Americans for Limited Government, a conservative watchdog group.
"It's really remarkable, and I say that having spent 10 years looking at these issues."
As a nonprofit, the union and its key employees are prohibited under federal tax law from improperly benefiting from their organization.
In an interview, two union spokesmen defended the spending and hiring practices before requesting other questions in writing. Although they did not respond to every specific question, Michael Stapp, the union's general counsel, provided a written response that included praise for the Boilermakers.
"The Boilermaker family of organizations, together valued at over $10 billion, has proudly represented the interests of hundreds of thousands of working men and women for over 130 years," Stapp wrote.
"The history of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers clearly demonstrates that they operate in strict accordance with all applicable laws and governing documents. They operate in much the same manner as most other labor organizations. And the impact of the Boilermaker contribution to North American society since the development of the steam engine is nothing short of remarkable."
In the interview, James Pressley, one of the union's seven international vice presidents, said the union is cutting expenses.
"Some of that has been scaled back because of the economy," he said.
Attempts to reach rank-and-file union members for comment were unsuccessful. But rumbles of discontent are sometimes felt.
A recent Facebook page created apparently by an East Coast boilermaker was entitled "Lord Newton B. Jones" and criticized Jones' salary and family ties. The page was taken down in April.
Also last month, an anonymous letter, mailed purportedly by Boilermakers members and obtained by The Star, sharply criticized union leaders.
"While members and their families struggle to make it through this recession, our IBB (International Brotherhood of Boilermakers) leaders have been living high off the hog at members' expense," the letter said.
"We regret that we have to be anonymous at this time because we fear retribution from a leadership that regrettably values its own personal and financial interests above the rank and file's."Lofty salaries
In membership, the Boilermakers are a mere 5 percent the size of the Teamsters union. Yet which president received more in total disbursements from their unions last year — Teamsters President James P. Hoffa or the lesser-known Newton B. Jones?
Jones by more than $200,000.
Jones received $607,022 in total disbursements, compared with $372,489 for Hoffa.
Total disbursements include salary and business expenses, especially travel, which a union spokesman said made up most of Jones' expenses. The figures should not include benefits, a U.S. Department of Labor spokesman said.
Jones' salary in the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2011, was $307,134 — also more than Hoffa. The figures come from annual reports the unions file with the Labor Department.
Jones' total disbursements also are more than double those of Richard Trumka, head of the powerful AFL-CIO, a federation of national and international unions with 11.6 million members. Trumka received total disbursements of $293,750.
Assuming that most of Jones' expenses are travel-related, as the union says, those figures are far beyond the travel costs of other union presidents, said J. Justin Wilson, managing director of the Center for Union Facts, a watchdog group that's critical of labor unions.
"I just don't understand how he can spend that much on travel," Wilson said. "You just don't see that in labor union leaders."
Jones' disbursements also dwarf those of presidents of two similar-sized unions, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers with 68,526 members and the 54,122-member Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
Total disbursements to the Boilermakers' other eight international officers range from $340,387 to $494,298. And 71 of the union headquarters' other 123 employees have six-figure total disbursements ranging from $109,192 to $352,107.
All together, the total disbursements last year to the top nine Boilermakers officers — $4.1 million — were $182,000 more than the total disbursements to the 29 executives at the national headquarters of the Teamsters union.
Although the Boilermakers' general counsel did not compare total disbursements, he did say that Jones' salary is not out of line.
Jones' "salary falls somewhere in the middle of comparable union presidents and extraordinarily less than a comparatively valued corporation whose typical compensation packages are in the multi-millions of dollars," Stapp wrote.
Indeed, in salary only, some presidents in one union alliance that includes the Boilermakers earn more than Jones.
As for Jones' expenses, Stapp said the union's travel policy is in strict accordance with its constitution and is approved by union delegates.
Jones "spends the majority of his time traveling to represent the various interests of the Boilermakers' family of organizations and the members they serve. With the advent of modern electronic communication capabilities, all officers and staff are freed from the limitation of office landline telephone communication allowing for increased mobility and personal representation of our members."
Like most of the Boilermakers' top officials, Jones doesn't live near the headquarters in the Kansas City area. He resides in North Carolina.
One labor expert who is familiar with the Boilermakers said union leaders work very hard for their salaries and need to travel.
"Top union officers, they work," said Judy Ancel, director of The Institute for Labor Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. "And to do that, they have to travel. They're traveling all over the country."
Ancel noted that times have changed for union headquarters.
"As a general rule, union staff, including officers, are working harder than they ever have," she said. "Because of the decline of membership, unions have also downsized, which means that their staff still has to represent the members, still has to negotiate the contracts, handle the grievances, administer the unions."Spirited debate
Indeed, Boilermaker leaders acknowledged last year at a convention in Las Vegas that the union faces a struggling economy.
International Secretary-Treasurer William Creeden told the conference that the union continued to face challenges because of plant closures, off-shoring and the recession. Another major concern, he said, was that membership had declined 7.6 percent since 2006.
"Membership loss not only reduces our strength, bargaining power, and political power, but also greatly affects our revenue over time," he said, according to a union report of the meeting.
Convention delegates were so concerned about making ends meet that a debate broke out over a plan to assess a $1-a-month fee for a new division. Some said the monthly fee would create financial hardships for members.
Yet the conference voted Jones and the other officers a pay raise — although not without debate.
The nine officers ran unopposed for re-election on a slate called the Proven Leadership Team.
"We are fortunate to have candidates of such high caliber," said the delegate who nominated them.
Then came the proposal for raising their pay.
"Some delegates were against giving the (International president) a raise at a time when many Boilermakers are having trouble negotiating raises because of the recession," said an article in The Boilermaker Reporter, an in-house publication. Others argued, however, that Jones not only deserved a raise but needed one to bring his salary more in line with salaries of other presidents of unions in the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.
That wasn't necessarily true. An examination of leaders' salaries in the Building and Construction Trades Department — an alliance of 13 skilled-trade unions including the Boilermakers — shows Jones was smack in the middle last year. And when it comes to the total disbursements received from their unions, Jones is the highest. (See the graphic on page A15.)
The Boilermaker Reporter called the debate over Jones' salary increase "spirited but cordial."
Delegates agreed to give Jones a raise but to make it smaller.
So how much will his pay be going up? The union did not respond, but the union's constitution approved last summer sets his new salary at $6,538 per week, or almost $340,000, with 5 percent increases in following years.
Stapp said delegates overwhelmingly voted to adjust the salaries of Jones and other officers.
"President Jones was recently unanimously re-elected by approximately 600 delegates in an open democratic election process, clearly demonstrating membership support for him," Stapp said.
Stapp added that union leadership has reduced annual expenses by more than $10 million over the past nine years, including the elimination of three officers. Shortly after the 2011 convention, Jones and other officers made an additional $3 million in cuts, with more being considered, he said.
But the compensation and perks in the Boilermakers headquarters stunned Marcus Owens, a Washington, D.C., attorney who once headed the division of the IRS that oversees nonprofit organizations.
"Those kinds of benefits seem extraordinarily high," Owens said. "That's just over the top."
At the same time, when it comes to representing its members in collective bargaining and enforcement of contracts, the Boilermakers appear to spend a smaller portion than some other unions.
Last year, the union spent $9.7 million, or 14 percent of its total expenditures, on negotiations and enforcement, according to its annual report. In comparison, the Teamsters spent 29.5 percent, the United Auto Workers spent 40.9 percent and the Machinists 28.9 percent.
Boilermaker members pay dues to the international headquarters of $23.15 a month.
Taxpayers, too, have a stake in the Boilermakers' spending.
The union, like most, is structured as a nonprofit organization, which means it qualifies for exemption from federal income tax. But the law prohibits union officials or key employees from benefiting from the tax-free money they raise — something called "private inurement." The most common kind of private inurement is excessive compensation paid to insiders.
"I think there are real tax issues and probably Department of Labor issues as well," Owens said of the Boilermakers. "And the IRS would question whether the income is being used for the benefit of the union members or not."
An IRS spokesman said the agency could not comment, citing disclosure laws.
The Boilermakers' spending practices should raise concerns among all tax-paying citizens, Owens said.
"They're not paying income tax," he said. "So in a sense, we're all supporting themI don't mind tax-exempts that are doing what they're supposed to do, but if they aren't, I'd kind of like them to pull on the oars, too."Bankability
While their union pay may seem comfortable, some officers get a second hefty paycheck, thanks to a bank the union controls.
The union is principal shareholder of Brotherhood Bank Trust, which has seven branches in the metro area. The main bank is at the union's headquarters.
Three of the bank's 11 board members are union officers, and one is a retired union officer.
The bank's chairman? Boilermakers President Newton Jones.
In calendar year 2010, Jones received $52,945 as chairman of the bank's board of directors in addition to his union pay, according to the most recent report he filed with the Labor Department. The previous year, Jones received $79,775 as bank chairman and $260,000 as the bank's chief executive officer and interim president. In 2008, he received $230,000 from the bank.
"Those both sound like full-time jobs," Owens said of Jones' union and bank positions in 2008 and 2009. "It's certainly full-time compensation."
Stapp said that Jones played a key role at the bank.
"Chairman Jones's leadership contribution to this institution is evident in the board's continuing demonstration of confidence in him, his vision and his labor business outreach initiative," Stapp wrote.
Other union executives on the bank board received compensation as well.
Creeden, the union's secretary-treasurer, reported receiving $258,650 from the bank in 2009, the last year he filed. He also received $252,098 in salary from the Boilermakers union in fiscal 2010.
(It's difficult to calculate the total Creeden or other officers received in a single year because union pay is reported on a July-June fiscal year while bank pay is reported on a calendar year.)
Warren Fairley, an international vice president, received $42,232 from the bank in calendar year 2010. His union salary was $281,517 in fiscal 2010.
At a convention last summer, union delegates voted to require all "Boilermaker subordinate bodies" to bank with Brotherhood when possible — a measure that upset some union members.Going-away gifts
Officers who retire from the Boilermakers union get more than a watch.
Each gets to keep his company car, and some become consultants for the union, with at least one continuing to earn six-figure pay.
For example, in 2010 the union "gifted" a vehicle to retiring international vice president Sammy May. The vehicle originally cost $73,998 with a book value of $51,388 when the union gave it to him, the union's annual report said.
May wasn't alone. According to its annual reports, the union has a long-standing policy of giving vehicles "as gifts to retiring officers."
International vice president George Rogers retired in 2008, taking with him his company car that cost $53,380. That same year, the union gave a vehicle that cost $58,959 to the widow of an officer who had died.
Some retiring officers continue to receive union pay by working as consultants. Rogers made $600,000 over two years, annual reports indicate.
Along with the $300,000 in consulting fees he received in fiscal year 2008, the year he retired, Rogers earned $400,871 in salary as a vice president, Department of Labor documents show.
In fiscal year 2009, records show Rogers received another $300,000 in consulting fees.
Rogers said he couldn't comment on pay.
"I'm not supposed to talk about anything," Rogers said.
In 2007, the year he retired, vice president Joseph Stinger was paid $263,910 in salary as international vice president plus $56,406 in consulting fees. He continued to be paid as a consultant, with a total of about $100,000 over 2010 and 2011.
"Those seem extraordinary," Owens said of Rogers' consulting fees. "Frankly, I've never seen consulting compensation to a retired officer at that level."
Stinger declined comment and May could not be reached.All in the family
Being a boilermaker executive can be a family business — especially if your last name is Jones.
Newton Jones and his family members alone make more than $870,000 in salary, according to the most recent filings.
Jones, 58, himself comes from Boilermaker lineage.
He took over the president's office when his father, Charles W. Jones, retired in 2003 after 20 years. The elder Jones died in 2010.
Among Newton Jones' family members:
• His brother, Charles, is director of the Boilermakers' History Preservation Department and assistant to Newton. His salary in 2011 was $150,091, with total disbursements of $187,641.
• His sister, Donna, earns $98,802 as an executive secretary.
• His relative, Michael Peterson, is an aide to Jones and until last year worked for the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program, earning $132,746 in 2010, according to the program's most recent tax document, and $127,252 from the union, according to its annual report for fiscal 2011. He told The Star he is now an international representative for the union as well as an aide to Jones.
• Jones' son, Cullen, is a video communications technician who lives in North Carolina, earning $68,482 salary with total disbursements of $173,288 last year. He is 23, according to a court filing.
The union in 2009 paid $43,000 to send Cullen to the Vancouver Film School in British Columbia. The school describes itself as "Canada's premier entertainment arts institution and one of the most distinguished worldwide."
That seems an extravagant expense to Mehrens, the former Labor Department lawyer.
"What kind of other entities are out there where you could get forty-something thousand dollars for film school paid by your employer?" Mehrens said. "And that begs the question of whether that should have been counted as compensation for him rather than an official business expense."
But the Boilermakers periodically train staff, as do other unions and businesses, Stapp said. Program locations have included Harvard University and National Labor College, "as well as technical training venues for IT services and communications media so vital to the effective operation of any organization or business," he said.
Several members of the Creeden family also make a good living working for the Boilermakers, totaling $624,000 in salary.
William Creeden earned $255,836 salary and received $392,117 total disbursements in 2011 as the international secretary-treasurer.
As director of information technology, Creeden's son, Ryan, received $155,487 salary. Another family member, Brian, made $70,036 as an engineer.
And for his work as assistant director of the history preservation department, nephew Kyle made $142,767.
The wife of vice president Tom Baca is on the payroll as a secretary, and Stinger has two daughters with jobs at union headquarters.
Vice president Lawrence J. McManamon — whose salary in 2011 was $255,844 and total disbursements were $469,058 — has two children of his own working for union affiliates.
His son, Lawrence Jr., is a coordinator of the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program, earning $270,622 in salary and benefits, according to 2010 tax records. Daughter Bridget Connors is a representative for the Boilermakers' Mobilization, Optimization, Stabilization and Training Trust, receiving $172,797 in total compensation, according to 2010 tax records. McManamon Sr. is a trustee for both organizations.
That is only a sampling of the family ties involving union officers.
Besides Peterson, other family members either could not be reached or declined comment.
In his written response, Stapp said he could not comment on individual workers or consultants:
"All Boilermaker employees are hired based on their respective skills and experience as well as their desire to serve the best interests of the Boilermaker organization. The policy of the Boilermakers is to not publicly comment on specific employees or organizational consultants."
But employing family members is common in large corporations, Stapp said in an interview.
"You'll find the Hunts working for the Hunt family and the Kempers working for Commerce and United Missouri Bankwe could go on and on," Stapp said.
Watchdogs, however, pointed out that there's a big difference between family-owned corporations and nonprofits such as the Boilermakers that don't pay income tax.
They also called the Boilermaker jobs a classic case of nepotism.
"Especially for some of these young employees who are relatives of officers, it raises all kinds of alarm bells," Mehrens said. "It begs the question, did that person get the job based upon skills or qualifications, or did they get it based on who their father was?"Traveling in style
The Boilermakers' headquarters itself in downtown Kansas City, Kan., is hardly extravagant.
The union moved into the original Old Brotherhood Building in 1921 and an adjoining 11-story New Brotherhood Building was constructed in 1948.
Nearly a decade ago, the union announced it would move its headquarters and main bank office to the Cedar Creek development in Olathe, where it had bought property.
The buildings were to be located on a 23-acre site overlooking the Shadow Glen Golf Course at Cedar Creek. The project was expected to cost about $25 million.
Construction is on hold, though, said Pressley, a union vice president. "Nothing's been done," he said.
But when the union's officers get away from headquarters, they do it in style.
The union has an 18.75 percent ownership in a Piaggio airplane, which holds up to nine passengers. Today, a new one sells for about $6 million.
The Boilermakers also have a 6.25 percent share in a second airplane, according to the union's Labor Department filing. The report says the union has "fractional ownership" in the two airplanes to "facilitate air travel by the international executive council and international employees throughout the United States and Canada."
Family members of some Boilermakers executives also fly on the private planes.
In 2011, the Boilermakers paid $521,160 to Avantair, its aviation service provider, for maintenance and other fees associated with the planes.
Union watchdog groups say few unions have ownership in planes. The Machinists union has a Learjet, but the Teamsters union — which used to own several private jets — sold them years ago because of criticism.
"It's not a common thing," Mehrens said of the planes.
The planes haven't gone unnoticed by some of the rank-and-file members.
"Jones uses our dues money to pay for a time share on a private jet," the anonymous letter alleged, adding that Jones uses the jet "for his own convenience to attend all expenses paid conferences at warm locations in winter months"
Union officers and their relatives also are allowed to fly first-class on commercial airlines, the union's tax documents show. Neither the first-class travel nor the charter travel by the union officers is considered taxable compensation, but travel by their family members is.
As for their destination, the union looks for inviting locales when it schedules conventions. In fiscal 2011 alone, Boilermaker officials traveled to:
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa, which one event planner describes as an "island paradise" on the Gulf of Mexico, for the Boilermakers Annual Construction Division Conference. Cost: $254,125. Marco Island is an annual destination for that meeting, which includes contractors.
• Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for an annual meeting of Boilermaker leaders, contractors and owners. Cost: $71,405.
• The Fairmont Tremblant in Quebec for a conference. Cost: $91,097.
Several of the conferences are required by the union's constitution and designed mainly for training of staff and local lodge officials, Pressley said in the interview.
Stapp said the Boilermakers are no different from other unions and businesses that conduct training and business meetings throughout the country.
"Business meetings conducted in countries other than the United States and Canada are in conjunction with world labor organizations whose important work is critical to the representation of Boilermaker members in a global economy with multinational employers," he said.Pheasants and fish
Once they're on the ground, officers make sure their stays are memorable.
About a year ago, members of the union's International Executive Council treated themselves to at least one gathering at a renowned hunting lodge in Gettysburg, S.D. The council — the president and eight other officers — listed the trip as a council meeting.
The lodge, called Paul Nelson Farm, is a favorite hunting spot of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.
It's a luxurious resort that "attracts 700 hunters a year who are prepared to pay for the very best," according to a 2009 review in the magazine Business Jet Traveler.
The Paul Nelson Farm website offers a package that includes three days of hunting with guides and dogs, pheasant cleaning, and meals and beverages. For a group of six or more, a three-day package runs $4,595 per person.
The Boilermakers paid a total of $163,000, according to Labor Department reports they filed.
The union also paid $12,854 in 2010 to Alaska Fly Fishing Adventures in Sterling, Alaska, but it is unclear who enjoyed the service, described as an "outfitter and tour guide."
That year, the union held an Alaska conference at which union officials met with contractors and owners.
In France, where officers have traveled to negotiate contracts, the union paid $5,232 to Yachts de Paris, a "dinner cruise service provider."
But union officials also have fun much closer to their headquarters, especially at sporting events.
For example, the union has held a suite for several years at Kansas Speedway. The cost last year: $40,210.
Stapp defended spending for recreational events.
"As most successful organizations recognize, sporting and entertainment activities and venues are important tools for relationship building with business partners and fellow organizations and are used in this organization's efforts to insure and expand the work opportunities of its members," he wrote.
But watchdog groups find the perks and benefits enjoyed by union officials to be unusual and profligate.
"This is a pork fest," said Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center in Falls Church, Va., a conservative union watchdog group.
"These things sound way out of line. They're not even in the same ZIP code as the line."


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How to Use
the Readings
Inquiry Question
Reading 2: A Short Course on Dam Building
In 1938, a New York publisher put out an illustrated "cartoon guide" for tourists visiting Hoover Dam, then known as Boulder Dam. The guide included the instructions excerpted below:
15 Minute Course in Engineering
And you will need to build some roads and erect a power line. At Boulder Dam they had to get the electricity from Los Angeles to build the dam which now sends electricity back to Los Angeles.
When you've got 'em ready, dump a bunch of rock and dirt in the river, just below the upper end of the tunnels to block off the river. Make this "cofferdam" about a hundred feet high, two blocks thick at the base and 70 feet thick on top.
At the other end of the tunnels build another cofferdam to keep the water from backing up, pump the puddles out from between, and there you have it—a dry spot in the river, with the stream running right around it, through the tunnels. Simple?
Concrete has a nasty habit of cracking. The lime in cement causes it to get hot when it is mixed with water. As it dries and cools, it shrinks and that's what causes the cracks. Obviously you must not allow this to happen when you are building a dam. If cracks were to appear in your dam it might cause severe criticism from people living below the dam—or from their heirs.
It would take 150 years for all that concrete in the dam to cool under normal conditions. To hurry it up, string two or three miles of water pipe around through each five-foot layer of concrete as you pour it. From your ice plant, run ice cold brine through the pipes. This will cause the mass to cool and shrink quickly. You can then pump a very thin cement "soup" into cracks and spaces that have opened up. Your dam will be sealed tighter than a drum—and wedged between the canyon walls.
This completes our engineering course.
Questions for Reading 2
1. This guide contains many large numbers. Can you think of ways to translate those numbers into comparisons with more familiar things, so that it would be easier to get a sense of how big the project was?
2. The diversion tunnels were among the longest in the world when they were built. Six Companies thought that building them was the most critical part of the project. Under their contract with Reclamation, they would have to pay $3,000 for every day they exceeded the deadline for finishing this part of the work. Why do you think both Reclamation and Six Companies thought the diversion tunnels were so important? Do you agree? Explain your answer.
3. Why was it important to speed up the cooling process? How long would it take for the concrete in the dam to cool by itself? (The pipes are still there, buried in the concrete.)
4. The spillways at Hoover Dam are only used when the water in the reservoir is so high that it would otherwise overflow the top of the dam. Why do you think the engineers thought they had to keep this from happening?
5. In Lesson 1, the guide suggests, possibly not quite seriously, that you could take any canyon on the Colorado you wanted—"no one will miss it, maybe." There are many canyons on the river, some almost as dramatic as the Grand Canyon, located just upstream from Hoover Dam's reservoir. What might people "miss" about these canyons if they were filled with water? Do you think anybody today would suggest that no one might notice if you flooded one of them? Why or why not?


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New Dream's Edna Rienzi spoke with Sasha Dichter, founder of Generosity Day, about his proposed alternative to Valentine's Day commercialism and his own experiences with generosity. Sasha is Chief Innovation Officer with the Acumen Fund and also has a personal blog.
Generosity is…
Opening your heart, being courageous, creating connection, living a life of service.
What is something you know now about generosity that you didn't know before your generosity experiment?
A lot. Honestly I'd never given any proper thought to generosity before my generosity experiment and I never thought of it being particularly important. That is, I always admired generous action but I never understood how foundational generosity could be in our relationships, how it is the foundation of all philanthropy and social change work, how all the major religious traditions have generosity as a core foundational pillar, etc.
I find that we walk through the world deciding what to notice. So before I had kids, I never really noticed kids. And once I became a father I saw strollers everywhere! It's been the same with generosity. Once I started paying attention to generosity, I started seeing it everywhere.
Did your generosity experiment change your behavior in any lasting ways?
It did, but it really was the first steps down the path. I'd love to say that I'm radically altered, but I think change takes time. I'm naturally a highly analytical person, and I think that mindset can create separation. I see people who don't have to overcome this like I do and I really admire them. That said, like everything in life it is a practice, and by creating a different intention and by creating space for a new orientation, I have seen changes big and small. I'm keeping at it.
In your blog, you wrote that you believed that Generosity Day struck a chord with people because everyone is hungering for more connection and more meaning. What do you think makes connection and meaning more difficult to attain in today's society?
At least in the West right now, we're all so hyper-connected, hyper-busy. We're running around with our heads buried in our devices and our inboxes overflowing. So on one hand we're more in touch than ever, but it also feels to me like we've created so much separation. It's so easy to tune out the world around us these days, and in some sense I feel like in doing so we're denying our basic humanity.
How do you respond to critics who say that it is irrational to give just because someone asks? Some, for example, would argue that it's a more effective use of your money to donate to a homeless shelter than to give to someone begging on the street.
Of course it's irrational to give just because someone asks! I don't think giving starts with rationality, I think it starts with expressing a purpose, acknowledging abundance, and confronting the terrifying notion that you (the giver) and the person who receives your gift are not so different from one another.
What I think confused some people about my generosity experiment was that they might have understood me to be saying that everyone should give to everyone always. I don't believe that. But I also believe that if you never pick up your head when someone asks for help, if you never actually see the person right in front of you with their hand out…well then you've lost a tiny piece of your humanity.
I see a lot of parallels between my generosity experiment and my yoga practice (which was pretty regular up until last year when my third child was born!) So much of yoga is about teaching yourself, through repetition, to unlearn patters of thought and reaction that you've taught yourself over decades. So while it's not actually important to be able to contort your body into some strange position and not panic, it's really important to learn how to be in stressful situations and stay grounded. The yoga poses are practice for real life. Similarly, I wanted to create a new pattern, to cut directly against the grain of saying "No" every time someone asked for a handout—just to see what a habit of "yes" would feel like and how it might change me. So far I've been happy with the results.
Are there any requests for help that you would refuse even on Generosity Day?
Sure—ones that seemed ugly or self-serving or intentionally against the spirit of the day.
Does romance fit into your vision of Generosity Day or does that get lost in the "reboot"? (One of my daughters, by the way, accused me of being the Valentine Grinch when I explained Generosity Day to her!)
My wife and I still celebrate Valentine's Day—in fact, if anything, I've been more comfortable with Valentine's Day than she has over the years! I finally understood what she was saying when we had one of our most romantic dinners early on a Saturday afternoon right before she drove me to JFK airport for a trip to Kenya. I'm a real romantic, but I do agree with my wife that saying, "OK, tonight we're going to have a special memorable evening!!" can raise the stakes too much, and that the most romantic moments are often the unexpected ones.
What do you hope Generosity Day accomplishes this year? And in the next 10 years?
I've had this dream that we could actually shift Valentine's Day and create broader traditions of love and giving on this day. There's no reason that can't happen—I think it would be a relief to people (well, maybe not to Hallmark and Godiva, but to lots of folks).
This year, we're really focusing on people engaging in generous action—in addition to spreading the word. Because the day won't really stick with you if you don't behave differently.
I promise, if you engage in just one act of radical generosity this February 14th, you'll remember it for years to come!


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100 Words on James Welling, Glass HousePosted Dec 10, 2010
Nicole Soukup is an intern at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In 2009, She received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Florida. New Pictures 3: James Welling, Glass House goes through March 6th, 2011.
When I first saw James Welling, Glass House, one word came to mind – fluorescent. These photographs are bold, bright, and dynamic. By using reflection and collapsing space, Welling went beyond the static nature of architectural photography. He captured the essential dynamism of light and space in the building.
The abstraction in the photographs puts pressure on our preconceptions of what it means to take a digital photograph. Welling used analog methods to obtain the desired effects for these digital photographs. This undermining of the digital with the analog however falls second to the visual play in the images.
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Setting up multiplayer in backward-compatible Xbox games
When you're playing an Xbox 360 game on Xbox One, it's like you're on Xbox 360. Xbox One apps like Friends and Party don't interact with your game.
In an Xbox 360 game, send game invites and start parties the way you would on Xbox 360: using the Xbox Guide. Open the guide by pressing the View button and Menu button at the same time, then choose Friends or Party and follow the instructions.
In Original Xbox games, online features such as multiplayer and leaderboards don't work on Xbox One. However, you can still use Xbox One parties to chat while playing alongside others, in whatever game they're playing.
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Claremont, Calif. - The Athenas set the tone for their fast paced offense early on as junior Hilary Slauson and sophmore Izzy Laterzo both scored inside the first two minutes of game play. The Southwestern University Pirates (TX) fought back with a 2-1 run of their own as freshman Kaitlyn Campbell and sophmore Allison Scmitt both scored for the Pirates. However, their run quickly came to an end as the Athenas went on a 13-1 run to finish out the first half.
The second half was dominated by the Athenas as they did not allow the Pirates to score another goal and added seven more goals of their own to win the game 23-3.
CMS was led by sophomore Christina Coffin as she scored five goals and assisted on four. The Pirates team was led by Emma Albin, Allison Schmitt, and Kaitlyn Campbell who all scored one goal.
CMS next takes the field on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 PM at Home on Parents field against Pomona-Pitzer. This game will be their Senior Day
Box score: http://www.cmsathletics.com/sports/wlax/2013-14/boxscores/20140329_59br.xml
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Indaba Pinotage 2000
Winemaker Notes
Critical AcclaimAll Vintages
The Indaba brand was first launched in the US in 1996, shortly after South Africa transitioned to a democratic republic. "Indaba" is the Zulu word for "a meeting of the minds," or a traditional gathering of tribal leaders for sharing ideas. The brand was created as a celebration of the democratization process in South Africa, and from its inception the wines have conveyed the spirit of South Africa to American consumers.
The Indaba range is carefully selected from emerging regions of the Cape winelands such as Robertson, Wellington, and the Breede River Valley. Production is overseen by Bruwer Raats, celebrated winemaker of Raats Family Wines and long-term consultant for Indaba. All are bottled under user-friendly screwcap closures with environmentally friendly packaging. In addition to garnering regular "Best Buy" nods from Wine Enthusiast, Indaba has earned extensive praise in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, which described the wines as "truly mind-boggling values" for the past two consecutive vintages.
A commitment to social responsibility has always been a key part of the Indaba philosophy. A portion of the proceeds from the brand's global sales funds a scholarship program that supports wine-related studies for students from formerly disenfranchised communities in South Africa. Through growth of the brand and via the affiliated scholarship, Indaba is proud to be a part of the positive changes that are altering the face of South Africa's wine industry.


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How to Use the Images
Photo 1
Photo 1
Questions for Photos 4 and 5
1. Compare Photos 4 and 5. Does Jensen's artificial lagoon look natural? Explain.
2. Refer back to Map 2 to note the size of the lagoon. What kind of work would have been necessary to create a water feature of this size?
3. What major world event took place around this time? Would that have impacted Jensen's desire to create an "American" park with "democratic" features? Explain.
* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 4 and Photo 5, but be aware that each file will take as much as 32 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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MACON, Ga. – Two Lipscomb University women's cross country runners were named to the Atlantic Sun Academic All-Conference team, Wednesday, including Scholar Athlete of the Year Tessa Hoefle.
Hoefle led Lipscomb in four races this season, including a team-best fifth-place finish at the 2011 A-Sun Championships that made her a first-team All-Conference honoree. That finish was the catalyst for the Lady Bisons first A-Sun cross country championship.
Off the course, the sophomore carries a 4.0 grade point average in English. She is a two-time Provost's List (4.0 GPA/semester) and two-time Lipscomb Honor Roll (3.5 GPA/semester) honoree. She is Lipscomb's first-ever Scholar Athlete of the Year, in any sport.
Hoefle is one of the leaders in the classroom on a standout women's team that boasts a 3.46 GPA.
Joining her on the Academic All-Conference team is senior Ashley Lehman. She also earned first-team All-Conference honors at the A-Sun Championships, finishing just behind Hoefle in sixth.
Lehman has a 3.97 GPA in Elementary Education. She is a five-time Provost's List and six-time Lipscomb Honor Roll member, as well as a three-time Atlantic Sun All-Academic team honoree.
The duo will lead Lipscomb into the NCAA South Regional, Saturday, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The race is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m.
Check LipscombSports.com for all the Lipscomb cross country and track and field news.