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Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere.
A disaster may be in the form of a hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a fire or a hazardous spill - it can be act of nature or an act of man, including terrorism.
At the local level, all Americans are familiar with the first-line of emergency preparedness and response: the local police, fire departments, and medical emergency responders.
Less well-known are other "behind-the-scenes" emergency planners and coordinating agencies - local, regional, and state.
At the federal level, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - is the lead emergency preparedness and response organization. In addition to its own staff of more than 2,600 full-time employees located throughout the country, FEMA has another 4,000 employees available for deployment after disasters.
FEMA often works in partnership to coordinate the activities of other organizations that make-up the nation's emergency management system. These partners include state and local emergency management agencies, 27 other federal agencies, as well as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and more than 50 other volunteer organizations that are members or affiliates of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).
When you begin to investigate all the career opportunities within America's extensive emergency preparedness and response network, you will find many, varied, interesting, and important opportunities.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).
More information on federal agency involvement in Emergency Preparedness and Response is available on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Web site.
Additional information on to the various national voluntary organizations that partner in providing disaster planning and relief is available on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) Web site.
Further information on careers and employment with the various agencies under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - including FEMA - is available on the DHS Web site.
For information on career opportunities in local, regional, or state law enforcement, firefighting, or medical first response, contact local or state chapters of these organizations. In addition, the following national organizations contain some useful background information and further links for these local, regional, and state first responders:
Careers in Homeland Security Report


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More posts
- When in doubt, go with Banfi. Always good. This is the Riserva Chianti Classico. Tart fruit, let it open up- love it
- Banfi Chianti Classico 2010 Italy dry flavorful fruity very good not better than Placido but much more expensive
- Chianti Classico Riserva Banfi Campo de Fiori Vail Sept 14
- Good chianti not sure if it's better than ones less $ though
- Smelled a little licorice, leather and berry fruit. Tasted good. $14.99


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SAN FRANCISCO — As the families of the two girls killed in the Asiana Airlines crash went through the heartbreaking task of formally identifying their children, new details emerged about cockpit confusion along with the astounding revelation that two flight attendants survived after also being ejected from the disintegrating aircraft.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman on Tuesday described the chaos of the final seconds before and after Saturday"s crash of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday morning.
Among the details she revealed were that two flight attendants who were seated in the back of the plane were thrown onto the tarmac in the crash.
"They were found down the runway and off to the side of the runway," Hersman told reporters. "Those flight attendants survived, but they obviously have gone through a serious event."
Additionally, it was learned that the pilots controlling the plane at the time of the crash had never flown together before, and, owing to a transnational policy quirk, none of the flight crewmen were screened for drug or alcohol use afterward, which would have been standard for American pilots.
Hersman told reporters that three of the four pilots have given interviews to investigators and are cooperating. The fourth, "a relief captain" was sitting in the cabin during the crash and was being interviewed on Tuesday, Hersman said.
The pilot sitting in the left seat during the crash, Lee Kang-kuk, was making his maiden landing at SFO in a Boeing 777 and has 9,700 miles of flight time, including about 5,000 hours as "pilot in command," Hersman said. His "instructor pilot," Lee Jung-min, was sitting in the right seat.
In another development, reporters asked Hersman about reports that one of the two 16-year-old girls who were killed had taken off her seat belt just before the crash.
Hersman said investigators still need to review the flight manifest and seat configurations to determine where everyone was sitting during the crash — and will look to see whether any of the original seat belts had been modified.
She also addressed criticisms from pilot union representatives objecting to her revealing information that strongly hinted at pilot error. She said pilots are entitled to advocates, but so are flyers.
"We work for the traveling public," Hersman said. "We are the advocate for the traveling public."
At the same time, she cautioned anyone against drawing conclusions about pilot error before the investigation is completed.
"We will not determine probable cause while we"re here on scene, only after we"ve collected all the information and analyzed it," Hersman said.
Earlier in the day, Asiana Airlines Chief Executive Yoon Young-doo arrived in San Francisco to meet with U.S. investigators and survivors of the Saturday plane crash that killed two people and injured more than 180.
Yoon was approached by a group of about 50 reporters, but he quickly moved away without making comment.
When Hersman talked to reporters Tuesday morning, she said her team is working to arrange the removal and relocation of the Boeing 777 jetliner"s fuselage and surrounding debris in the span of week"s time, though that was an admittedly optimistic estimate.
At at news conference later that day, Hersman said pilot interviews revealed that the pilot who was flying the plane and the pilot was training him were flying together for the first time on Flight 214.
The lead pilot had completed only half the training he needed to be "rated" to fly the Boeing 777. She said the pilots were all cooperative, but that interviews were slowed by the need for translators.
She also said the pilots were not tested to see if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash because such testing is not required under South Korean policies. U.S.-based crews are required to test for drugs or and alcohol after crashes. However, federal authorities defer to a carrier"s home country.
Meanwhile, the parents of Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, who killed in the crash and were part of a youth group visiting colleges including Stanford and attending a Southern California church summer camp, arrived in San Francisco overnight. Parents of other students also arrived. They were quickly whisked away to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Burlingame, where they were shielded from the media by people with umbrellas.
Because the parents are being housed there, the hotel area has been declared a "federal zone" and ID checks were being conducted on anyone trying to get inside. Media assembled a short distance away and were not allowed to enter.
A security detail consisting of Burlingame police, the San Mateo County Sheriff"s Office and federal authorities — including the NTSB — watched all entry points of the hotel.
Throughout the morning, people, some of whom appear to have been involved in the crash, were deftly whisked away from the compound in cars with the windows tinted.
Both authorities and the hotel management went to great lengths to shield their faces from news cameras peering across a chain-link fence separating the property from an adjacent public park. In one instance, staff again opened a volley of large umbrellas to obscure people leaving the hotel. In another, buses were used to obscure the sight lines to the entrance.
Every once in a while, someone would peer out and dart back in, but for the most part the contingent was effective in protecting the privacy of those inside.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 19 people from Flight 214 remain in Bay Area hospitals.
Five people are still at Stanford Hospital, one in critical but stable condition, two in fair condition and two in good condition, according to the hospital.
Three patients were discharged from hospital Monday night.
Stanford Hospital saw 55 patients from the flight on Saturday, 11 adults were admitted to the hospital and seven minors were admitted to Lucile Packard Children"s Hospital. The seven juveniles were released Sunday night.
Twelve people remain hospitalized Tuesday morning at San Francisco General Hospital, five in critical condition — four adults and one child, according to the hospital. A sixth patient who had been listed in critical condition was upgraded to fair condition.
In all, San Francisco General treated 62 people from the crash. Of the 12 who are still at the hospital, three are children and nine are adults.
Two other people from Flight 214 were in other Bay Area hospitals as of Tuesday afternoon, one in stable condition at St. Francis Hospital and the other in stable condition at St. Mary"s Hospital, according to a spokeswoman for Dignity Health Hospitals.
Pilot Lee Kang-kuk was attempting his first landing at SFO in a Boeing 777. He had 43 hours of experience flying a plane that pilots call "The Triple 7," and reportedly had more than 10,000 hours flying another large plane, the Boeing 747.
The senior pilot, Lee Jung-min, had just received his training certificate in June, Asiana Airlines officials told reporters Monday, allowing him to supervise other pilots in training.
Witnesses along the Peninsula shoreline watched in horror as the jetliner"s tail slammed into the sea wall that abuts SFO"s Runway 28L on a crystal-clear Saturday morning, sending the plane careening down the runway before it burst into flames.
Of the 307 people on the Asiana flight, 182 were taken to hospitals by rescue workers. Authorities are investigating whether one of the 16-year-old girls who died was run over by an emergency vehicle responding to the crash, subsequent fire and mass casualty evacuation.
According to preliminary findings from the NTSB, the plane was traveling too low and was below its targeted landing speed of 137 knots, or 157 mph. Seven seconds before impact, the crew called for an increase in speed, cockpit alerts soon warned of an impending stall, and 1.5 seconds before impact, they tried to abort the landing and try again, but it was tragically too late.
Aviation experts told this newspaper that the timeline outlined by authorities indicates the pilot may have turned off a system that automatically controls the airplane"s thrust — called "auto thrust" or "auto throttle" — that would have maintained the plane"s target landing speed without the pilot having to do anything more.
Tuesday Hersman elaborated, saying the training pilot recognized that auto throttles were not maintaining the target landing speed and he decided to to pull back up and redo the landing.
Experts said that with the auto thrust off, the engines would have been idling.
It takes 5 to 7 seconds or more for the massive Pratt & Whitney engines to power up from the idle mode, experts said. When a crew member called for more speed, it was far too late to recover.
Despite the preponderance of preliminary findings strongly suggesting pilot error, Hersman said the investigation — conducted by the NTSB, FBI and Korean transportation officials — would not draw any conclusions in the short term.
Hersman said the auto throttles were armed, which meant they were available to be engaged, but that investigators "need to understand how they were used."
As the plane crashed, the aircraft, Hersman said, turned counter-clockwise and did a full spin before coming to rest on the tarmac.
Sections of the cabin were scattered on the field where the plane rested, along with newspapers, magazines and flooring.
Passengers raced to get out of plane and away from a fire started in part after an oil tank ruptured and leaked fuel onto the hot engine.
In an incident that caused a scare in light of the deadly crash, Japan Airlines reported that one of its Boeing 777s returned to Tokyo after a hydraulic warning light flashed about four hours into a trip to SFO. The 236 passengers boarded another plane and arrived at SFO early Tuesday morning.
Staff writers Natalie Neysa Alund, Dan Nakaso and Pete Carey contributed to this report.


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05-02-2012 10:49 PM - edited 05-04-2012 09:34 AM
Great job, Josh! Users have been asking for this for a very long time. I encourage everyone who finds Josh's work in this thread to be worthwhile, to "nominate" the thread's solution for inclusion into Lenovo's Knowledge Base. You can do so by logging into the forum, and then re-opening this thread within your browser. Then select "Nominate to Knowledge Base" from the "Topic Options" menu, which is just above the first message in the thread. Also, I've asked Lenovo to flag the engineering team on this issue, to try to find a way to incorporate Josh's fix within future software updates.
Josh, it's very interesting that you found dispcalGUI to provide better results with your Spyder3 calibrator, than the ColorEyes Display Pro software. Were you also able to try the workaround I mentioned previously to run dispcalGUI with the W520's internal calibrator? If so, how did those results compare? (Maybe you've mentioned it somewhere in these recent threads, and I've missed it.)
Is this solution limited to the W520 only?
05-03-2012 10:28 AM - edited 05-03-2012 10:30 AM
Thanks for sharing this profiles.
I just want to add two information:
- This profile is actually not for the W520, but for all laptops using the AUO B156HW01 V.4 panel. This is the FHD panel in the W510, W520, T510, T520 and in various Sager/Clevo notebooks. If you have this panel, you can use these profiles, you don't need to have a W520 for it. To check which monitor do you have, use MonInfo
- We made some progress making dispcalGUI with the built-in calibrator here:
Short version: the built in calibrator isn't as bad as it's software is. Using the built-in calibrator with dispcalGUI makes quite nice profiles!
Recommendation for Lenovo: consider working together with the developer of dispcalGUI, as it is the most professional calibration solution on the market, and is actually open source! It provides much higher calibration results from the same calibrator device then the bundled software! The bundled software with the built-in calibrators is so bad that there is absolutely no point including the calibrator device in the high-end Thinkpads! No color professional would ever use this device, because of the software.
Josh, could you provide a description of how you think it would be best for engineering to include the new profiles with future software releases for these machines?
@qwerty42 wrote:
-In the box under "Profiles associated with this device," you may or may not see the profiles I gave you (they start with "dispcalGUI Thinkpad Display ...") If they are not listed, click "Add..." and select them from the list, click Ok.
-Now, find the one you want to use (for most I'd recommend "dispcalGUI ThinkPad... HQ 3xCurve+MTX"), click on it to highlight it, then click "Set as Default Profile"
What if this portion of the instructions isn't working? The profile installs into the correct area. I can select it using the Add button, but it never shows up after that so I can't actually use it.
That works pretty good with my L520 HD+ screen too. Thank you very much.
qwerty, I just wanted to report that thanks for this exteremly high quality profile! It is the first professional profile I was able to find for the AUO B156HW01 V.4 screen! Thanks for the quality work!
Wow, I didn't expect such a response! If I'd known so many people were interested in this I would've offered some profiles sooner. To everyone that said thanks, you're very welcome! It's great to have a display with true colors, even if you're not a pro photographer or graphic designer.
Jimbo - I haven't tested it with the internal calibrator yet, but I will when I get time, because I am very interested to see how it compares to the Spyder. I don't expect it to be quite as good, considering the Spyder's sensor is orders of magnitude larger than the built-in one (which is actually a Huey Pro, I've read), but dispcalGUI/Argyll is very effective and may be able to get good results regardless. Regarding dispcalGUI vs. ColorEyes--In all fairness, I think ColorEyes could be made to work as well if I spent some time with it to increase the number of sample points in the dark grays. The very darkest grays/blacks are usually the hardest for color calibration, because (a) LCD screens have a hard time making things almost black without a color cast and (b) the signal-to-noise ratio on dark colors is the worst for the calibration device, because a dark color doesn't provide much luminance for the sensor to "read." dispcalGUI makes it very easy to set up multiple iterations in dark colors, including correcting for drift of the measurement device itself, which appears to make a big difference. The drawback is, to make a profile of this accuracy with dispcalGUI takes a couple of hours, but ColorEyes produces almost-as-good profiles in just a matter of minutes. This is kind of a moot point though, because dispcalGUI can also make just-as-good profiles to ColorEyes in a matter of minutes as well.
Regarding engineering including the new profiles--well, really, that's all they'd have to do. Just simply include them, and set up a script that adds them to Windows color management automatically and enables the Windows profile loader. They kind of already do this, with the various pre-installed ThinkPad profiles that come on the machines, but as we all know those supplied profiles are quite unimpressive.
ThorsHammer -- that is really strange! I don't know what would cause that to happen. As soon as I click "Add" to any profile in that list, it immediately shows up in the main list for the display. I'm sure you're probably doing everything right, but I put together this picture tutorial for everyone to make my instructions easier to follow:
PS... if anyone wants custom profiles, with specific gammas or white points, I'll be happy to make them for you as soon as I have some time in the next week.
|Kudos Count


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Aug. 29, 2008
Head coach Jerry Smith, on the game: "Tonight's game was a gritty hard fought performance," said Smith. "As a coach you want to go through the season and see different scenarios; tonight we were able to come back from behind and win in overtime. We accomplished a lot as a team against a talented West Virginia team."
Smith, on Perry's game winning goal: "She played over 100 minutes on Notre Dame's very wide field. She fought through her body telling her to rest and made the run to make the game-winning goal. Tonight she also scored her first collegiate goal in the second half, too."
Smith, on Bosio seeing limited action: "Kiki made an impact in her limited time in the game. She was only able to play select minutes as she is battling strep throat."
Smith, on playing No. 5 Notre Dame Sunday: "Notre Dame is a perennial powerhouse, who has depth. Going into Sunday we know that we will be facing a very talented home team in front of their home crowd. We know it will be an uphill battle, but it is an opportunity to challenge ourselves."


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Paros Tennis Club in the 3rd National tournament
It is just the beginning!
For the second time in its history Paros Tennis Club participated in the 3rd National Junior Tournament. The head coach escorted 5 athletes in all age categories from our academies to Heraklion Crete to compete among the other tennis athletes all around Greece. In the category 10-12 Stelios Barbaris passed the first round of qualifying with a 5-3, 4-1 and became the first athlete of our group that passed a round in a National Championship. Stavroula Sarri played with a 2 years older athlete from the club of Chalkida and could manage to win. In the 14-16 category, our club had 2 entries. Katerina Maouni passed with a Walk Over on the qualifyings and lost in the first round of main draw. On the other hand, athlete Koutra Marissa wanted to make our heart break and after a three hour race lostin the final 3rd set with 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in a match with two Tie brakes. Only positive thinkings we can have from this game as we see that the effort we give to our academies is in the correct path and they can compete with far more experienced athletes. Finally the big category of the 16-18 female athlete of our group Alipranti Rafaela gave us a very nice game but failed to get the win in the first round of main draw.
The Paros Tennis Club team wants to thank all the athletes of our group for the character and the seriousness shown in Crete and the representation of our club at the 3rd National championship. We also want to thank the parents of athletes for their confidence in the coach of the group to accompany their children to the group of Heraklion.


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Oscar-nominated actor Brad Pitt made an appearance on the "Daily Show" last night, and during his interview with Jon Stewart he revealed his strategy for snagging a golden statue.
And it may involve negative campaigning.
"Why don't they go negative on other movies? The Oscar race is always 'For Your Consideration -- Moneyball,'" offered Stewart. "But why not like, 'The Artist -- Go F*** Yourself!'"
Pitt laughed, but gave the idea some consideration.
"I thought about it," said Pitt. "Clooney took Iowa, New Hampshire. Jean took South Carolina. Florida will probably go to Oldman. I'm gonna be hanging out with Ron Paul so I gotta get in there and mix it up a bit I think."
"You know what I think they should do? I think we should just put a trophy on the table and like one of those card contests, and we should all just put our hands on it and see who can hold it the longest," joked Pitt.
Pitt is nominated for Best Actor for his role as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's who instituted a revolutionary math-based system for selecting players (co-star Jonah Hill snagged a Best Supporting Actor nod as well)."Moneyball" is also up for Best Picture, and will compete against "Tree of Life," in which Pitt also stars.


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LONDON (Reuters) - Japan's Astellas Pharma and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline are competing to develop a new kind of medicine that boosts production of red blood cells by making the body think it is at high altitude.
Their experimental drugs - both given as pills - could create a major new market in treating anemia and other serious conditions, including circulatory problems and wound damage.
They may also attract unscrupulous athletes seeking a handy oral alternative to injections of EPO, or erythropoietin, the blood enhancer that has become a byword for doping in cases involving cyclist Lance Armstrong and others.
So far, the rival pills are not generally on investors' radar, but they could become significant challengers in an anemia therapy market that is currently dominated by EPO products with combined sales of close to $8 billion a year.
GSK Chief Executive Andrew Witty recently highlighted his company's pill, dubbed GSK 1278863, as one of the two most exciting and innovative products in the development pipeline alongside a promising cancer vaccine called MAGE-A3.
"It is a tablet which makes the body think it is at 5,000 feet. When you go and exercise at altitude you produce a lot of red blood cells, so it has all sorts of potential applications in terms of helping people with blood disorders," he told a National Health Service meeting last month.
GSK is testing its drug in Phase II clinical trials. That puts it behind Astellas and its partner FibroGen, which launched final-stage Phase III tests in December of their drug, known as FG-4592 or ASP1517, as an anemia treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Mike Allen, head of urology and nephrology at Astellas, said the new drug marked a major advance compared to EPO, since it did not raise blood pressure - a concern with EPO. And since it can be given orally at home, it should be particularly suitable for kidney patients who are not on hospital dialysis.
"We are very excited about this product and its potential. It is a priority in our portfolio and we do think that as a novel mechanism for this medical need it is very creative and shows great promise," Allen said in an interview.
Astellas placed a big bet on the new approach in 2006 when it licensed the European and Japanese rights to FG-4592 from private U.S. firm FibroGen in a deal potentially worth more than $2 billion. FibroGen retains rights to the drug in the United States and other markets, and for uses other than anemia.
Another private U.S. company, Akebia Therapeutics, also has a similar HIF-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor in Phase II tests.
Peter Ratcliffe of the University of Oxford, whose team discovered the prolyl hydroxylase enzymes targeted by the new drugs in 2001, sees a role for them in multiple areas.
In addition to treating anemia, they might help with major circulatory problems such as angina or bad circulation in the legs, aid repair to the body after tissue is damaged, and reduce inflammatory problems such as colitis in the gut.
The new drugs mimic the body's response to hypoxia, or low oxygen levels, by increasing the natural production of EPO in the kidneys.
"The potential advantage over EPO is that these drugs are pills and they also do other things that support the action of EPO, including facilitating the absorption of iron," Ratcliffe said. "It could be an important new area of medicine, which is exciting to explore."
Ratcliffe, who is Nuffield Professor of Clinical Medicine at Oxford, also works as a consultant to GSK.
Current injectable EPO stimulating agents have been under a cloud for some years due to cardiovascular safety concerns. As a result, the global market has shrunk from a peak of $12 billion in 2006, although products like Amgen's Epogen and Aranesp remain multibillion-dollar sellers.
Doctors will be keeping a close watch on potential safety issues with the new pills, too, as they advance through large-scale clinical testing. So far, there are no signs of cardiovascular problems. But there is a potential for unwanted side effects given the generalized way in which the drugs work.
The challenge will be to balance the local and general effects of medicines that, depending on dose, mimic the effects of being at between 5,000 and 15,000 feet, Ratcliffe said.
Side effects may be less of a concern for sport cheats.
Allen said Astellas would do whatever was necessary to ensure its new drug was not abused, although it is has not yet held talks with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
GSK, meanwhile, told WADA last year that it had an unnamed experimental drug that could boost red blood cell production - the first such notification under a new agreement designed to clamp down on illicit drug use in sport.
A company spokesman said it was GSK's policy not to identify individual compounds under the deal with WADA.
Editing by Tom Pfeiffer


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Deputy Probation Officer 2 Angel Gonzalez put his hand on his gun as the rest of his team prepared to knock on the door of an East Los Angeles gang member recently released from state prison.
The gang member's rap sheet includes two assaults with a firearm, rape, sexual battery, terrorist threats and an arrest – though no conviction – for murder. He is on probation, not parole, because of the state's public safety realignment, also known as AB 109.
"They don't scare me," Gonzalez – a military reservist who recently returned from Afghanistan – said of the increasingly dangerous men and women that his team monitors.
Of course, he's armed. Most of his colleagues in the Probation Department who have to do similar checks on felons are not. And that's what worries county probation officials, now that the department has increased responsibility for monitoring dangerous ex-cons.
Since Gov. Jerry Brown began enforcing a U.S. Supreme Court mandate to ease unconstitutional overcrowding at state prisons in October, the county Probation Department has found itself watching over more violent criminals than ever before – 499 "very high risk" and 7,197 "high risk" AB 109 offenders as of March 29, according to Supervisor Michael Antonovich.
In response, Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers is making the unprecedented move to more than triple the number of his armed probation officers, from 30 to 100.
"It is a natural response to an ever increasing number of higher threat individuals and the operations that go along with supervising them," Powers said in an interview.
Recruitment is underway for Probation's elite Special Enforcement Operations Unit, and training should be completed by the end of the year.
The department also embedded 25 probation officers with local police and sheriff's deputies so they can conduct compliance checks together.
Mack Jenkins, the president of Chief Probation Officers of California and probation chief in San Diego said L.A., is not alone in planning to put weapons in the hands of probation officers. Those officers in the past generally acted more like social workers, making sure former inmates are receiving mental health treatment, drug counseling, and other services intended to rehabilitate them.
"Since realignment, five probation departments across the state that did not previously have an armed officer have made definitive steps to arm them," he said.
Realignment did not result in any early releases of inmates. Rather, it diverted offenders convicted since October 2011 of a non-violent, non-serious and non-sex (N3) crime to county jails instead of state prisons; and made probation officers, instead of parole officers, supervise them.
That closed a revolving door at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation because violating probation puts offenders in county jails, whereas violating parole would have put them back in state prisons.
L.A. County Assistant Chief Probation Officer Margarita Perez said risk assessments of the estimated 15,000 offenders who have been placed on probation under AB 109 to date showed 61 percent were "very high or high risk."
"This includes offenders with serious, violent and/or sex offenses in their backgrounds, gang members, offenders with serious mental health issues, and offenders who have served prison terms in addition to the ones for which they were released under realignment," she said.
"Many have very lengthy criminal histories and multiple convictions and/or arrests," Perez added.
Almost 12,000 of them have been rearrested for various probation violations and new crimes, according to Antonovich.
"Violent crimes by these high-risk offenders include the quadruple murder in Northridge (in January) and the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 10-year-old Northridge girl (last month)," Antonovich said.
Of the rest, Perez noted Probation saw less than 2 percent of the AB 109 probationers as low risk. The remaining 38 percent were considered medium risk.
The numbers of very high and high risk offenders are higher than the county had projected after discussions with the state prior to realignment but CDCR spokesman Jeffrey Callison explained, "How criminals behave is ultimately unpredictable."
"We had to project based on our best assumptions on what was going to happen, but we can't project in a fail-safe way who is going to commit which crimes in the future," he added.
Callison stressed the state is providing counties with "a lot of money" – $273 million for L.A. this fiscal year, and $323 million next fiscal year – to help deal with the situation.
The heinous crimes committed by some AB 109 probationers have created alarming headlines, but Powers said 40 percent of those who have been on probation for 12 consecutive months did not commit any new crimes or violations and no longer have to be supervised.
He conceded that "isn't a satisfactory statistic," but explained his department did not have sufficient personnel when realignment was thrust upon it.
Until their ranks were increased, some probation officers had to cope with double or even triple their normal caseloads to handle the influx of former inmates from state prison under AB 109.
"(Probation's implementation of) the program has taken the better part of the last 18 months to ramp up," Powers said. "This means that treatment sometimes was delayed, supervision was less than ideal, etc."
With the department now adequately staffed and equipped, Powers hopes as many as 60 percent of the AB 109 population will finish a year of probation without incident, for a significantly better recidivism rate than that of the CDCR.
Perez stressed the decision to arm more probation officers does not mean the department is turning away from its traditional role of making sure former inmates stay on the straight and narrow.
"Ideally, arming is a precautionary and defensive tool for our officers – particularly given that our officers are expected to work with a dangerous population and, in some circumstances, in areas of L.A. that may not be the safest," she said.
A recent survey of 500 crime victims by the nonprofit Californians for Safety and Justice showed 50 percent of them support realignment, which not only emphasized probation but also funded community-based organizations that provide housing, job training, education, counseling and treatment programs for mental illness, substance abuse and other problems.
Only 23 percent of those polled want the state to concentrate on sending offenders to jail or prison.
"Survivors of crime often understand that our justice system doesn't work," said Dionne Wilson, whose San Leandro police officer husband was killed in the line of duty.
"This poll shows that most victims want public policies that focus more on things like supervised probation and rehabilitation, not more prisons or jails, as ways to hold people accountable," she said. "That way, we can invest more resources in victim recovery and preventing future crimes."
During last week's operation in East L.A., the team of five armed probation officers did not encounter any violence. The gang member was not home during their unannounced compliance check, but they did search his apartment and belongings for contraband items.
The team planned to follow up on other probationers, including a former boxer notorious with the Glendale police – "They said he likes to fight," DPO2 Jim Shrout said – and another imprisoned at various times for robbery, assaulting a corrections officer, battery, arson, resisting arrest, drunk driving, forgery and a sex offense.
Both had given Probation false addresses, frustrating the compliance check.
"The social work approach helps with the lightweight offenders and juveniles, but some people need armed supervision," Tatley said.
"Some of them, like the hard-core gang members, are going to do what they want to do – no matter what – and you can't use the social work approach with people like that."
When asked whether the team should call for reinforcements before tackling those particular offenders, DPO2 John Perico shrugged and said, "If we could. If we had them."


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The long-delayed Mahindra diesel pickup got U.S. fuel-economy ratings today: 19 city/21 highway. U.S. dealers had hyped 30 mpg; given their legal fights with Mahindra, the EPA probably had to run the tests with a pickup bed full of lawyers.
UPDATE: Global Vehicle USA, Mahindra's dealer gave PickupTrucks.com a statement on the fuel economy ruling. Here it is.


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Kim Kardashian stepped out in Paris this week to do some clothes shopping with Kanye West (God help us!). Kim was showing off her high fashion in this long sleeved Balmain dress that looked more suited to fall or winter. Not to mention it had to be a task to take it on and off for trying on clothes. Assuming she does it like the rest of us peasants.
Kim is a little behind the times because Kristen Stewart wore this first – only in a different incarnation of the same dress. Kristen wore her crop top version (surprised Kim didn't jump at this one!) to the Snow White & the Huntsman premiere back in June of 2012.
Who do you think wore the dress best? Kim or Kristen? Vote Below!
Photo Credit: Getty


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volumex wrote:...The End is near fellow builders.
ted @ndes wrote:Sending PM's to the people who need to retake the photo with ONLY their bounty hunter (and no background/sidekicks) must be a full-time job for the staff .
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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain set out a 5-year plan on Tuesday to unlock the solar and biomass investment needed to achieve the country's 2020 green energy targets.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) sought to give investors the certainty they need to build new solar and biomass power plants by deciding subsidy levels over the 2013-2017 period.
Support levels for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, while higher than initial proposals made by the government in September, will be cut by 20 percent from current levels starting in April 2013, when the new scheme takes effect.
The government won praise from developers of biomass projects who welcomed its decision to relax its original plan to cap subsidies once dedicated capacity exceeded 400 megawatts (MW).
The government expects the move to mobilize at least 600 million pounds ($975 million) in biomass projects - burning material like straw and sawdust to generate power - while one developer said it could unlock billions of pounds of new investment
Britain's subsidies are aimed at helping it meet targets to derive 15 percent of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2020 and reduce carbon output.
Economic difficulties have however put pressure on renewable support schemes as government departments rein in spending, while falling costs of technology mean that less support is required to encourage take-up.
Solar installations mounted on buildings will more support than panels at ground level, according to the subsidy scheme set out by DECC.
"This will encourage the installation of solar projects at large factory or warehouse buildings," it said.
The rate of reductions to solar subsidies will mostly be slower than previously indicated, although the government remains committed to reducing subsidies over time.
The Solar Trade Association, while welcoming aspects of the plan, said that the subsidies for ground-level solar in 2013 were inadequate and this may constrain future deployment.
The decision by DECC to loosen a cap on biomass subsidies was welcomed by industry bodies and developers.
"The government has gone from what was a hard, firm legal cap to a softer, non-legislative cap," said Peter Dickson, technical director at BNP Paribas Clean Energy, which plans to build a 38-MW straw-fired plant in Sleaford, England.
Dickson said the initial cap proposal had been "draconian, unduly restrictive and short-sighted," and looked set to discourage biomass investment beyond what was already in the works.
"This country needs to attract billions of pounds of investment to ensure Britain's power generating infrastructure is fit for purpose and declaring biomass alive and well is a valuable first step," he said.
The government will provide the subsidies in the form of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC), which renewable energy producers can use to claim back money at a buy-out value of 40.71 pounds ($66.14) per ROC for the 2012-13 period, for example.
DECC will guarantee support for new biomass plants at 1.5 ROCs per megawatt-hour produced until overall dedicated capacity hits the 400 MW cap, and will review procedures thereafter.
That drops to 1.4 ROCs per megawatt-hour after March 31 2016, it said, in case the cap is not breached by then.
Support for biomass projects under this Renewable Obligation scheme could unlock 600 million pounds ($972 million) worth of investment and create 1,000 construction jobs, DECC said.
"Biomass will make a significant contribution as we seek to increase the amount of cost-effective, low carbon renewable power in our energy mix," Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said in a statement.
"The support we are setting out today will bring new investment into the economy and create new jobs," Davey said. ($1 = 0.6173 British pounds)($1 = 0.6155 British pounds)
Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; Editing by Anthony Barker


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The 57th Annual Detroit Autorama
Although right now might not be the best time economically for the city of Detroit and its struggling automakers, Detroit will always be known as the Motor City. No matter how bad things get, Detroit is the place where the newest technologies, cutting edge design, and forward thinking thrive. For almost a century now, the whole country, and even the world, have looked to Detroit for a glimpse at what the future would hold.
Regardless of how things may currently look for Detroit, it is still the place that we look to for new and cutting-edge ideas. The inspiration for cutting-edge ideas and a glimpse at the future of cars and trucks isn't just found within the Big Three, for it is also found within other places at Detroit. We as truck customizers, hot rodders, and all-around gearheads still look to Detroit every March to see what the countries finest custom car and truck builders are debuting at the Autorama as many of them are vying for the prestigious Ridler Award.
This year marked the 57th annual for the Detroit Autorama and much like the years that preceded it, it was a huge success. Held in downtown Detroit at the overwhelming 700,000 square-foot hall known as Cobo Center, some of the countries finest custom cars and trucks came out to shine. This year saw almost 1,000 vehicles on the show floor along with the extreme area in the basement of Cobo, where bomber-style hot rods and tuner cars were on display.
As with every year at Detroit, the big hubbub was the Great 8 and the cars competing for the Ridler Award. Even though there wasn't a single classic truck in the Great 8 this year, that is the first time since 2002 that this has occurred. Luckily though, it is only a rare occurrence that a finely crafted truck doesn't make the "Eight." Nevertheless, just because a classic tuck was not in contention for the Ridler Award this doesn't mean that there wasn't a ton of nice trucks there. In fact, we came across a ton of cool custom pickups, panels, and restored classics.
In addition to the fabulous show field filled with a variety of trucks done in various styles, there was the ever-popular Pinstriper's Jamboree and charity auction for Leader Dogs for the Blind. A few of the other attractions included a number of the industries leading parts vendors, a scale auto area, as well as an automotive fine arts gallery. So as one would imagine there was no shortage of things to see.
The Detroit Autorama has been for a long time and continues to be a must attend for any gearhead. Although it tends to be an event that is filled with more street rods and customs than trucks, there is always a nice selection of trucks to see at the event. If you have never been to the Autorama this is definitely an event you should try to attend. So start making plans for next year to take part in one of the greatest shows in the country.
Pinstripers Jamboree
This year marked the fifth time that some of the countries best pinstripers converged at Cobo Hall for the annual Pinstripers Jamboree and Charity Auction. The Pinstripers Jamboree is an area of the event where any pinstriper can come and stripe panels over the three-day event. The best part about the jamboree is that throughout the event the panels that the pinstripers create are auctioned off with 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Leader Dogs for the Blind program.
Leader Dogs is a Michigan-based nonprofit organiztion whose focus is providing well-trained dog guides for individuals who are visually impaired, at least 16 years of age, and physically/mentally capable to care for and use the dog in the manner intended.
All pinstripers are welcome to participate in the jamboree and those who participate are provided with two weekend passes, panels to paint, and all the paint they need for striping. The Pinstripers Jamboree and Charity Auction is a great addition to the event and we hope it continues to be a part of the Autorama for years to come.


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Stiegel type glass is listed here. It is almost impossible to be sure a piece was actually made by Stiegel, so the knowing collector refers to this glass as "Stiegel type." Henry William Stiegel, a colorful immigrant to the colonies, started his first factory in Pennsylvania in 1763. He remained in business until 1774. Stiegel was one of the most famous makers of early-period American glass. It resembled German thin-walled glass. Glassware was made in a style popular in Europe at that time and was similar to the glass of many other makers. It was made of clear or colored glass and was decorated with enamel colors, mold blown designs, or etching.
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Thinking about how your company can do some good in the world—and boost your bottom line?
Sarah Durham, founder and principal of Big Duck, a communications firm that works with nonprofits, shows you how to get started with cause marketing, i.e., linking your brand to a specific cause so that both sides benefit.
Be authentic
"The most successful examples of cause marketing are the ones that emerge organically—where the values and agendas are aligned," Durham says. (Think Sprint's campaign with DoSomething.org to keep teens from texting while driving.)
Think small
For a small biz, a massive nonprofit might not give much in a relationship. "Honestly, a big organization just wants your money," Durham says. "But you can have a profound impact on a small nonprofit. Why not be their champion?" Hook up with a local charity or one that operates in your (digital) space.
Grow the love
You don't need tons of money or spare time to get moving. "Small, discrete campaigns are often effective," Durham says. Start with a micro-campaign surrounding a one-day event or a short-term effort. Then build a deep relationship over time.


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Hi There!
It's my turn to inspire you on the new Sizzix UK blog.
Before that I would love to share another exclusive giveaway.
The prize is a Big Shot Plus Machine!
Closing date: Friday 27th November 2015 at 10 am GMT.
Want to own one of your own? Follow this----> LINK
I am sharing one of my handmade Christmas 2015 cards.
Check out the Sizzix products I used -------> HERE


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McCardell Bicentennial Hall
Completed 2000
Design Philosophy
The payback from environmental enhancements to the building were considered across a 10-15 year period, rather than the more typical 5 year period. This allowed for more unique design strategies.
The building was intended, through flexible and modular design, to be just as useful to the college's future needs as its current needs. This means less future construction, less future waste, and less future environmental impact.
In addition to utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, the design minimizes maintenance and repair costs. When a surface doesn't need to be repainted or a tree fertilized, considerably less pollution is put into the environment.
Design Features
Landscape & Design
- Views to surrounding area were enhanced by making them a focal point of the design.
- Daylight penetrates the vast majority of spaces.
- Location near largest residential structures encourages pedestrian campus.
- Ample bicycle racks and bus stop encourage use of alternative transportation.
- Plants and landscaping were chosen to minimize care and chemical application.
- Night sky light pollution minimized through use of automatic shades on windows at dusk and directional lighting in parking area.
- Classroom spaces and work spaces built "generically" so their uses can adapt to the school's changing needs with minimal or no reconfiguration.
Building Materials
- Finished woodwork grown and harvested sustainably through local Vermont Family Forests program (Smart Wood certified).
- Recycled plastic lumber used on the flat roof.
- Slate roof provides reduced maintenance, as compared with any other roof type. Additionally, slate is a local material, reducing transportation.
- Loading docks are made of recycled materials.
- Insulation containing CFC's were not used in the building and HCFC's were minimized.
- Exterior structural wall made of pre-cast concrete, built locally. Minimized transportation costs and eliminated need for temporary enclosure and heating.
- Exterior shell stone walls provide near-zero maintenance and a long life span.
- Six inch air/insulation space between shell and structural exterior walls provides good insulation and effective drainage. Carefully detailed air barrier provides long lasting ( designed for at least 100 years) and efficient wall structure.
- Insulation and mortar screen made from recycled materials
- Linoleum floors used instead of vinyl floors, and some flooring was kept as sealed concrete.
- Used natural cork display boards.
- Used porous paving where appropriate.
- Most construction waste was recycled.
- All excavated rock was crushed and re-used on site.
Energy Efficiency
- Re-use of "contaminated" air as make-up air. This strategy allows the use of air from clean spaces like the Great Hall to be used in labs that have larger fresh air demands.
- Glycol heat exchangers in laboratory venting reduces substantial heating and cooling losses.
- Labs are cooled using a process cooling system rather than once-through water cooling.
- Triple glazing in thermally broken windows, with R-value of 6-8, provide 2-3 times the insulating value of typical thermal windows.
- Combination of effective frame and high R-level eliminates condensation tendency while eliminating standard perimeter (below window) heating in 90% of the building, which reduces capital costs, operational costs, and maximizes space.
- Size of the building mechanical equipment was reduced by about 50% from what a run-of-the-mill design process would provide.
- Solar-powered lights illuminate the Bicentennial Hall parking lot.
- Roof design combines substantial insulation with continuous air/vapor system and ventilated "cold roof" for energy efficiency and durability.
Waste & Recycling
- Recycling bins designed for easy access and aesthetics.
- Construction waste was separated on site, monitored, and recycled.


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Click-Window 3D is the perfect tool to create 100% customizable windows and french doors. From hung, sliding, french, panoramic to crank windows, all of these 3D windows are available in PVC, wood and aluminium.


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NEW YORK — Wes Welker. Robert Mathis. Aldon Smith. Josh Gordon.
A solid quartet to put on any NFL field. Except that they are among 29 players suspended by the league heading into the 2014 season.
Among those big names, Cleveland's Gordon got the longest ban, sidelined for the entire season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. His absence might be the most damaging, too, and not only for its length. A Pro Bowl wide receiver, Gordon was the only established target on the Browns, who figured to be an also-ran even with him in the lineup.
That Gordon's case lingered for weeks while appeals were heard, and was not decided until just before the season, didn't help the Browns, either.
"How it played out was not ideal circumstances for us, obviously, but that's behind us," coach Mike Pettine said. "You can't worry about guys you don't have. ... I've said this all along, you don't replace a Josh Gordon, a top-five NFL receiver, with just one player."
Hurting Broncos
Welker's four-game suspension, announced Tuesday, shouldn't hurt the Broncos nearly so much considering the other receiving talent on hand. And having Peyton Manning throwing to them.
More harmful: Matt Prater's four-gamer, which takes away a significant weapon. Prater made 25 of 26 field goals in 2013, including a record 64-yarder. Denver is going with a rookie, Brandon McManus.
Prater has been in the NFL's drug program, which includes alcohol, since a DUI arrest in 2011. He said he realized one more strike meant he'd face sitting out an entire season when he decided to have some beers "right after the season."
"Why did I risk it?" Prater said. "I made a mistake. I don't have an excuse for it. I screwed up and now I'm paying the price for it."
For Indianapolis and San Francisco, the loss of key defenders could have a huge impact.
Missing defenders
Mathis, gone for four games, led the league with 19 1-2 sacks in a career year. The Colts will face high-powered Denver and Philadelphia in the first two weeks without their best player on that side of the ball.
"We've got a soldier down," Colts DE Cory Redding said of Mathis. "We're going to wait for him to come back, but until then, we're going to hold down the fort."
Smith's absence means San Francisco is without two playmakers at linebacker, because All-Pro NaVorro Bowman is recovering from a gruesome knee injury sustained in the NFC title game loss to Seattle. Smith is gone for nine games for violating the drug and personal conduct policies, which means both he and Bowman might not be in the lineup before mid-November.
Plus, defensive tackle Ray McDonald was arrested last week on a domestic abuse charge, something NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he will clamp down on. Goodell announced stiffer penalties for such incidents last week, with six games for a first offense.
Ravens standout Ray Rice is suspended for two games for a domestic abuse issue, a penalty that Goodell later referenced as not being strong enough. Baltimore opens with defending AFC North champion Cincinnati, and Rice's backup, Bernard Pierce, was hobbled in the preseason.
Two players are suspended indefinitely: Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon and Redskins safety Tanard Jackson. Neither's loss should be too significant.
Other familiar names whose suspensions likely will hurt their teams are Patriots CB Brandon Browner (four games), Eagles tackle Lane Johnson (four), Cowboys DB Orlando Scandrick (four), and Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather (two).
"I think you have to get creative with what you do, and roll some different guys in there, maybe change some personnel groupings and get some different matchups," Cleveland's Pettine said, speaking directly about Gordon's absence, but representative of how many teams must react. "That's the challenge that we face."


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Six Episode Series Set To Premiere March 2013 Focuses on Raymond and Her Hollywood Store, Vintage Fashion Mecca, The Way We Wore(R)
NEW YORK - November 20, 2012 - Smithsonian Channel has greenlit the original series L.A. FROCK STARS, a window into the world of high-end vintage fashion. The six-episode unscripted series, a first for Smithsonian Channel, which is set to premiere Thursday, March 7 at 8.pm., focuses on the doyenne of Hollywood vintage, Doris Raymond, and her Los Angeles store The Way We Wore(R).
Raymond is prized for her tenacity in finding hidden gems and for her encyclopedic knowledge of designer fashion. The Way We Wore(R) is a destination for Hollywood's modern-day glitterati as well as high-profile stylists such as George Kotsiopoulis and celebrity stylist Jennifer Rade. Raymond has also supplied wardrobe for numerous film and television productions including Titanic, Boardwalk Empire, Casino and W.E.
L.A. FROCK STARS will offer an inside look at the quest for the perfect dress. Raymond and her colorful staff assist an endless stream of clients, all with unique needs, from Mel Ottenberg, Rihanna's stylist on the hunt for a Grammy's outfit to Lou Eyrich, the costume designer of Glee in search of fashions for an episode featuring songs from Phantom of the Opera.
Raymond has been buying and selling vintage clothing for over thirty years. Her boutique sells women's fashions from the 1900's to the '80's, ranging from high profile designers to the world's most iconic fashion figures such as Halston, Dior and more.
"Doris Raymond is an American original. Her eye for vintage fashion is respected by some of the biggest names in fashion and show business," said David Royle, Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, Smithsonian Channel. "She not only knows how to help a star make a splash on the red carpet, she also has a gift for identifying some of the world's most exciting and intriguing historical artifacts. The Smithsonian Institution has long maintained a collection of historical fashions, most notably the First Lady dresses. We are delighted to bring L.A. FROCK STARS to our viewers."
"It was such a pleasure working with the truly authentic and inspirational Doris Raymond and her engaging team who give such an original perspective on how relevant vintage clothing is in today's fashion trends," added NHNZ Executive Producer Judith Curran.
NHNZ is co-producing L.A. Frock Stars with Smithsonian Channel and BBC Worldwide. NHNZ Executive Producer is Judith Curran. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle and Charles Poe.
Smithsonian Channel is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, formed to create a network featuring programs largely inspired by the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.
NHNZ is a major global producer of factual television creating original content for National Geographic Channels, Discovery Channels, Smithsonian Channel, A&E Television Networks, 3net and NHK. Highly regarded for its 30-year plus natural history heritage, more recently NHNZ has branched out to other factual genres with hit shows like I Survived... for A&E's Bio Channel. The company's storytelling prowess has been recognized with more than 250 international awards including Emmy awards and the prestigious Wildscreen Panda. In addition to its base in Dunedin, New Zealand, NHNZ has offices in Beijing and Washington DC, and a majority stake in Singapore production company Beach House Pictures.


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|A screenshot of the "Streets of Salem" homepage
With a little help from Google I was able to find that Donna Seger is a member of the faculty of Salem State University, teaching history. She is a graduate of Goucher College and holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University. Since Salem is a city with almost 400 years of history, she has done a wonderful job of showing the world the story of the changing architecture of the city with her posts and photographs. Occasionally she will write about other locations in New England, but with all the great blog fodder in her home city, she has (and will have) plenty of Salem stories.
Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo


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Flower lamps light the way on Seattle streets
What's the best way to brighten up a city like Seattle at night? Street lamps, of course, but not just any kind. According to Design Boom, the city recently installed local artist Dan Corson's "Sonic Blooms," which are enormous solar-powered flowers with glowing petals that were commissioned by The Pacific Science Center. The project had added funding from the Seattle City Light's "Green Up" program, which allows citizens to pay slightly higher bills to promote more renewable energy systems.
Towering at 40 feet high, these lamps have photo voltaic cells on the top that collect energy from the sun and then reflect it back out at night with patterned LED lighting. These astounding installations are not just lighting the way along citizens' walks. Passersby trigger sensors inside each flower to set off a cacophony of harmonic sounds for a unique and dynamic experience. This interactive feature works both day and night, and the choir of tones differs between every bloom. In an email interview with The Atlantic Cities, Corson noted that the tones range several octaves from the key of D minor to D major, and some of these looped samples have more vibrato than others. Already, people have been inspired by the potential of the auditory component. Corson revealed that he's had people approach him with ideas for a dance in the space that would correspond with the music.
Photo credit: Dan Corson – solar powered flower installation: sonic bloom
This isn't the first highly unique botany-inspired project from Corson, either – The Atlantic Cities reported that his previous work has included a lawn full of green lasers in Florida to street lamps in Portland that look like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. According to the news source, Corson originally wanted to name the piece "Humming Heliotrope" in reference to its auditory feature.
"Sonic Blooms," which are enormous solar-powered flowers with glowing petals hold a secret message
There's more to the alternating green and orange stripes on the stalks than meets the eye. These stripes contain a coded message, but Corson won't reveal what's hidden. Corson explained to The Atlantic Cities that he researched Morse code for inspiration when designing the stripes on the blooms' stalks, and eventually decided on barcode-like stripes that would add an air of mystery to the project.
"I liked being able to make a puzzle that did not look like a puzzle and also encourage kids of all ages to explore different layers of the project," he told the news outlet. "It will not be easy but with a bit of sleuthing, it should work.
He initially wanted one flower lamp to be the "lead singer" for the other four flowers, which would self-activate and hum to provide backup sounds. After determining that this wasn't the best idea from both a sight and sound perspective, he collaborated with a local sound and electronics engineer to design a better system. He told The Atlantic Cities that while he didn't select one specific flower as the inspiration for his project, he did base their form on a particular stage of the Australian Firewheel Tree's development. As Seattle is notorious for overcast weather, the tips along the lamps' acrylic petals were specially designed to provide a boost of luminosity on gloomy days.
Despite the fact that "Sonic Bloom" cost a considerable $300,000, the art piece may be able to garner further support for solar energy, which is something that Corson is committed to spreading.
"There's a myth that solar power won't work in Seattle," he said, according to The Seattle Times. "But even on the cloudy days we get a lot of, solar does work."
Photo credit: Dan Corson – solar powered flower installation: sonic bloom
This article is brought to you by Michelle Farrell and
published by Teleflora.


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Candidate Preference by Religious Group, June Update
Polling conducted in May and early June by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that Mitt Romney continues to hold a commanding lead over Barack Obama among white evangelical voters. But Obama leads Romney by large margins among black Protestants and religiously unaffiliated voters.
General Election Preferences by Religious Group
The latest Pew Research Center polling shows that Obama has strong support from black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, while Romney holds a lead among white evangelicals and white Catholics. The complete report includes general election preferences by religion and by gender within religious groups as well as voters' views on which issues are very important in deciding who to vote for this fall
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Maryland and Wisconsin
In the Maryland and Wisconsin primaries, Romney and Santorum ran neck and neck among white born-again/evangelical voters, while Romney was the clear favorite of non-evangelical voters. Romney was also victorious among Wisconsin voters who attend religious services only occasionally and those who attach little importance to having a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
Religion and the 2012 Louisiana Republican Primary
Rick Santorum got his first clear victory among Catholics in Saturday's Louisiana primary in addition to winning among white evangelical Christians, people who attend worship services weekly and voters who say it is at least somewhat important to have a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
Religion and the 2012 Illinois Republican Primary
Exit polling from the Illinois Republican primary shows that Romney continues to draw less support from white born-again/evangelical voters than from non-evangelicals, while Santorum has yet to secure an outright victory among Catholic voters in any state for which data are available.
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Alabama and Mississippi
Santorum won narrow victories in both the Alabama and Mississippi Republican primaries, but exit polling shows there was no clear winner among white born-again/evangelical voters in either state.
Religion in the Super Tuesday Primaries
Exit polls from Super Tuesday primaries show that Mitt Romney continues to struggle among evangelicals, and Rick Santorum is yet to win among Catholics in any state where exit polling was conducted.
Synopsis of Religion in the Early Republican Primaries
Data from exit or entrance polling in the seven states where it has been conducted for GOP primaries and caucuses show that Mitt Romney's fortunes among white born-again/evangelical voters have fluctuated from state to state. He has received less support from evangelicals than from non-evangelicals in every contest for which data are available.
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Arizona and Michigan
Mitt Romney won the Arizona primary by a large margin and secured a narrow victory in the Michigan primary. In both states, his support among born-again/evangelical voters was weaker than among non-evangelicals, continuing the pattern from previous primaries and caucuses in other states.
Religion in the News: Islam and Politics Dominate Religion Coverage in 2011
The biggest religion stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news.


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Danica Patrick will be on the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500, the first woman to win the top spot in the sport's prestigious Opening Day event. It's a milestone for a woman in a sport almost entirely comprised of men. Beyond that, what it means is unclear. To win the pole, you have to drive faster than anyone without crashing. You aren't driving in traffic, against competition and tire wear and fatigue. You're just facing the clock. Racing is much more than that. Rubbin' is racin', as Robert Duvall taught us, but so is grudges and taps and drafting and the occasional display of pugilism in pit road. We may find Patrick has arrived if, after a race, a fellow driver unhooks his netting, climbs out the window, flings off his helmet and punches her. I have a feeling she'll punch back. Patrick is on the cusp of being the complete sports star: talent, good looks and a knack for self-promotion. That one she has in spades, and she's smart -- that one matters a lot in the digital age. What she's missing, however, is crucial: victories. Victories on big stages, dramatic victories, comeback victories. Patrick can be a star based on her looks -- the Anna Kournikova of racing -- but if she wants to be a true star, she has to win. She has an IndyCar win under her belt, but IndyCar does not have the fan base of NASCAR. Poles on big stages are a step, but pole-winners aren't stars. NASCAR, of course, no longer has the fan base of NASCAR just a few years ago. When the sport was at its peak -- remember "NASCAR dads" as a political label? -- a new breed of fan hopped into the passenger seat, metaphorically (there are no passenger seats in the cars). That was supposed to create a young fan base that would spawn the next generation of fans. But NASCAR is no longer the flavor of the month, which is probably more a result of the economy than lack of interest. Fred Thompson -- sorry, I know he's an actor, but I always picture him when I think of NASCAR officialdom -- knows the sport needs more female fans and a more diverse audience. It's hard to say how the news that Patrick is dating fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who qualified 12th for Sunday's race, will affect her Q rating. What will draw an audience is the race after they break up. Broken-hearted young lovers, facing each other at high speeds in metal caged death bombs. Woo-whee. That's "The Bachelor" without all those pesky roses. It's interesting to hear Patrick paint herself as a draw to families, which has long been NASCAR's mission statement. (Speaking of painting herself, Patrick never has, to our knowledge; she did paint clothes on a model's body in a 2012 commercial. It's hard to figure out how that translates to NASCAR's vision: "Paint clothes on each other -- fun for the entire family!") The sport has always lacked an ethnically diverse audience, but contrary to popular opinion, it's always had female fans. "NASCAR dads" became a political buzzword a few years ago, much like "soccer moms," but can Patrick create "NASCAR moms"? Or rather, more of them? I can see pubescent teenage boys as a fan base, because hergodaddy.com
commercials definitely skew that way, but girls of the same age? Jeff Gordon's five-year-old daughter wanted her photo taken with the woman who'll start just ahead of daddy Sunday, but then I'm guessing Ella hasn't seen those commercials. Yet. And there is nothing wrong with Patrick using all the weapons in her arsenal to promote herself. It's her face and her body and she can do what she wants with them. I have no problem with that. Gordon said his daughter hadn't realized girls could grow up to be race car drivers, and that's what Patrick brings to the table. "Groundbreaker" looks great on a resume, and she is definitely that. What more she can be remains to be seen. To win the Daytona 500 would be an amazing feat, although the pole is far from a guarantee of victory. The last Daytona winner to start on the pole was Dale Jarrett in 2000. It's a long race -- they don't call it "500" for nothing -- and a lot can go wrong. But while that would be an historic victory, the real groundbreaking comes when Patrick is in the Cup chase at the end of the season, and for several seasons. When she's a regular top finisher and she no longer creates a media hullabaloo when she arrives in Florida in February to start a new season, then Patrick will truly be a sports star. Until then, she's a groundbreaker. There's nothing wrong with that, but eventually the public -- and Patrick herself -- will want more.


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This Day In History: Land Rover's 65th Anniversary
Celebrating 65 years of British four-wheel-drive heritage.
Since the beginning of 2013, Land Rover has proudly boasted that this year marks its 65th anniversary - but technically, today marks exactly 65 years since the off-road icon made its public debut at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show.
Initially, the Land Rover was something of a pet project of Maurice Wilks, Rover's chief designer, who used a surplus military Jeep on his own estate. Although the Land Rover was originally viewed as a stop-gap product for Rover immediately after World War II, its future quickly grew promising as Rover recognized the British Army's interest in such a four-wheel drive vehicle, along with its extensive export potential.
The earliest prototypes, built in 1947, were little more than aluminum bodywork draped over a salvaged Jeep chassis, albeit with a Rover engine in place. The idea evolved slightly before the first two pre-production Series 1 Land Rovers were built in March 1948. Although their 80-inch wheelbase, aluminum bodywork, and a Rover-sourced engine (a 1.6-liter I-4 borrowed from the P3 sedan), these Land Rovers were built upon a boxed ladder frame designed and built in house.
The reception after the Land Rover's launch at the Amsterdam show took Rover by surprise. By July of 1948, Rover had 8000 orders for the Land Rover. Early internal estimates suggested Rover would be building 50 units a week, but the company soon found itself scrambling to build ten times that figure. To meet this demand, Rover quickly abandoned its early hand assembly methods and established a permanent production line in Solihull, England.
A Tickford-bodied station wagon joined the lineup in 1949, as did a cut-down pickup designed for use as a mobile welding station. Left-hand-drive export models were added to the lineup in 1950, and 1951, the 1.6-liter I-4 was replaced with a larger 2.0-liter I-4. The 80-inch wheelbase was stretched to 86 inches in late 1953 per the request of the British Army; that model's strengthened frame also allowed Land Rover to create a long, 107-inch wheelbase model, which was offered as a pickup and four-door station wagon. Those dimensions were cranked up to 88- and 109 inches, respectively, in 1956 to make room for a diesel engine option.
The basic Land Rover design was updated slightly in 1958 to become the Series II, which got a larger 2.3-liter I-4. By 1959, the 250,000th Land Rover rolled off the line in Solihull. Similar milestones would occur again in 1971 and 1976, when the 750,000th and 1 millionth Land Rovers were assembled. Series III models, which launched in 1971, boasted a more car-like dashboard, but were again mild evolutions of the late Series IIa models.
With the exception of forward-control and lightweight models designed primarily for military use, Land Rover didn't branch out into other model fields or stray far from its original design principles. That all changed in 1970 with the introduction of the Range Rover. Although Rover toyed with a car-like Land Rover variant in the mid 50s, it never reached fruition until the early 1970s. Designed as a country/ farm vehicle that was stylish and comfortable enough to be occasionally used in town, the stylish Range Rover essentially took a 100-inch wheelbase variant of the Land Rover frame, wrapped it in stylish bodywork, and stuffed a V-8 into its engine compartment. The model ultimately spawned a second pair of doors in 1981, was made over into a luxury-oriented vehicle in 1984, and was launched in North America in 1987, where it quickly became a hallmark of yuppie suburbandom. It also helped Land Rover re-enter the U.S. market, where it had been absent since 1974.
The next step in bolstering a civilian-friendly product range was the Discovery. Designed to counter large Japanese off-roaders like the Toyota Land Cruiser, Isuzu Trooper, and Mitsubishi Montero, the Discovery shared its underpinnings and powertrain with the Range Rover, but was designed to be a lower-cost, high-volume model. Launched in Europe in 1989, the Discovery debuted in North America in 1994, making it one of the first Land Rover models to be sold in America in nearly twenty years. (The updated Defender was technically the first.) The Discovery was updated slightly in late 1998 and replaced with an all-new model in 2004, which was in turn updated in 2011 to become the LR4.
Many thought the Freelander, which launched in 1997, was also in response to Japanese competitors, but since the early 1990s, Land Rover was contemplating a car-based "entry-level" model for buyers aspiring to step into the Land Rover brand. The Freelander's successor - today's LR2 - looks much like the original, but rides upon a platform developed when Ford's still owned the Land Rover brand. That same platform is also used by the Range Rover Evoque, which launched in 2012 to both critical and commercial acclaim.
Despite some rocky years under the stewardship of both BMW (1994-2000) and Ford, Land Rover continued to grow in the 2000s. The 3 millionth Land Rover was built in 2001, while the 500,000th Range Rover rolled off the assembly line in 2002 and the 500,000th Freelander/LR2 was built in 2005. The 4 millionth Land Rover was built in 2007, a year before Ford sold both Land Rover and Jaguar to Indian automaker Tata Motors. An all-new 2013 Range Rover is launching this summer, a new 2014 Range Rover Sport debuted earlier this year, and Land Rover itself continues to mull exactly how to replace its venerable Defender - a vehicle whose shape, structure, and purpose have changed very little since the original Series I debuted 65 years ago today. The DC100 concept - shown above alongside an original Series I - is one potential direction, but only time will tell exactly how the "purest" Land Rover model takes a bold step forward for the 2015 model year.


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2nd Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion
From start to finish, this year's Reunion was a huge success.
It began with a glorious Thursday evening parade of 150 colorful rods and muscle cars cruising through historic Bowling Green, Ky., and ended on a blue-sky Sunday at Beech Bend Raceway Park with a young top fueler hoisting a trophy triumphantly. In between, the 2nd annual National Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes, brought joy, nostalgia and good old family fun to the tens of thousands of folks who attended.
Based on the wildly successful NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion - now in its 13th year in Bakersfield - the National Reunion struck a major chord during its inaugural run last year. The positive buzz resonated the entire year, and the show's producers, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif., had a strong feeling the second National event would surpass the first.
They were right...and then some.
According to Sam Jackson, executive director of the Parks Motorsports Museum, the National Reunion was bigger and better in all areas. "The Reunion almost doubled in size across the board," Jackson said. "The crowds, the racers, the street rods, the vendors - everything was way up, and best of all, everyone went away thrilled with the event."
And the talk and planning for next year's event, set for June 17-19, 2005, has already begun.
Here's a brief daily recap of the highlights of the 2004 Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes:
Thurs., June 17: A nice crowd watched as Bowling Green Mayor Sandy Jones and Gary West, director of the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau, kick things off with Reunion Event Director Bob Daniels at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the parking lot of the convention center at the Holiday Inn University Plaza. Mayor Jones and West also judged the 150 hot rods, street rods, muscle cars and classics that were part of the "early-bird" cruise night festivities that went from the convention center through historic downtown to party-time at Beech Bend Park. Jones tabbed a red 1966 Chevelle convertible owned by Gary Miller of Fairfield, Ohio, while West picked Ron Hassel's yellow '37 Ford Roadster. Hassel was the "Best of the Best" winner at the 2003 Reunion.
Daniels called Bowling Green "the perfect place for the Reunion."
No one would ever argue with that.
Fri., June 18:
The Reunion officially opened at Beech Bend...and the crowds poured in. Roddin' and racin' at the track, then a grand nighttime awards reception capped a perfect Reunion day. At Beech Bend, Charlie Meyers and his group of judges began the difficult task of choosing the eventual winners of the SoffSeal Show 'N Shine competition. On the racing side, Steve Gibbs had to figure out how to squeeze in 400 racers when only 300 were expected. Later in the evening, Jackson told the reception crowd that Gibbs "may have to do a Blackie Gejeian-type of event and run six cars together side by side."
At the reception, which was packed, Bowling Green's finest showed up, including Mayor Jones, West, Sheriff Peanuts Gaines and prominent businessman David Garvin. Garvin, whose dad founded Beech Bend Park, was given a Wally award for his contributions to sport and National Hot Rod Reunion.
Mayor Jones not only read a proclamation making June 18-20 "National Hot Rod Reunion Days," but jumped in dragster afterwards and fired it up to the delight of a cheering crowd. It's no wonder Mayor Jones called the Reunion "one of the most fun, colorful events in Bowling Green."
Master of Ceremonies Dave McClelland charmed the audience throughout the evening with his anecdotes on this year's Heritage Award Honorees: Al Bergler, Bob Larivee Sr., Jim and Alison Lee, Art Malone and Bill Smith, plus Linda Vaughn, the Justice Brothers Spotlight Award winner.
One by one the Honorees came up on stage to applause and appreciation from the crowd. McClelland wove his magic with each introduction, sprinkling history with insightful personal stories.
First up was Al Bergler, who began his career building aluminum dragster bodies and racing in Top Fuel. In competition, he drove cars such as "More Aggravation," a competition coupe and the "Motown Shaker," one of the earliest Funny Cars. A master craftsman at bodybuilding, with aluminum interior work his specialty, Bergler won the first Don Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama in 1964.
"I'm glad us old guys can come out and have fun drag racing," he said to the crowd. "I'm honored to be a part of drag racing history."
Next up was Bob Larivee Sr., best known as the creator of the International Show Car Association (ISCA), the International Auto Show Producers Association (IASPA), and Promotions Inc., the promoter of the Detroit Autorama. Larivee, who said he was "bitten by the hot rod bug as a young boy," was one of the organizers of the Michigan Hot Rod Association (MHRA).
McClelland introduced Jim and Alison Lee as one word: "JimandAlisonLee." He told the crowd "Every time they were mentioned, I thought it was one word. People said it together because they were always together." The Lees were veteran dragster owners who epitomize the best in class and style. The Virginians began racing sportsman dragsters in the early 1960s with a '32 Ford that ran in A/Altered. Jim then moved up to Top Gas with a Blown Olds clocked at 170 mph in the 8.90 second range. Alison Lee became one of the top female mechanics in drag racing. At the end of 1966, Jim retired from driving, but the couple continued as an owner/mechanic team in Top Fuel.
Honoree Art Malone was referred to by McClelland as "a renaissance man," and it was easy to see why. He raced for "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in 1959 at Carlisle, Ark., - the first drag race announced by McClelland - and also drove for Lee Petty (Richard's dad) and Andy Granatelli, among others. He partnered with Garlits beginning at the 1984 U.S. Nationals. Malone's support allowed Garlits to turn a 5.52 in the finals gaving him the Indy win and arguably re-created the Top Fuel category. He was one of the few drag racers who also drove in the Indy 500. Malone's best finish at the Brickyard was 11th in the 1964 race, driving the famous Novi-powered Kurtis Kraft. Malone operated the Sunshine Dragstrip and DeSoto Memorial Dragway. In 1962, he drove the "Osecki-Malone Special," powered by a nitro-fueled, supercharged Dodge hemi to World's Closed Course Speed Record at Daytona International Speedway.
"Fifty-one years of racing...and it seems like yesterday," Malone said. "I'm very appreciative of the award. Thanks for the memories."
"No, thank you for the memories," McClelland immediately told the crowd.
Bill Smith joked with McClelland when he got on stage, telling him that he should have amended his statement that the National Hot Rod Reunion was his favorite event. "Dave should have added '...with his clothes on. "' Smith is famous for Speedway Motors, the self-proclaimed Oldest Speed Shop in America. It's the largest supplier of auto racing and street rod parts, and provides products for enthusiasts around the world. Smith opened his shop in Lincoln, Neb., in 1952. It now houses one of the great automotive museums around. He built his own cars and helped others as well. His cars have won in sprint car racing, NASCAR, modifieds, super modifieds, drag racing, in Land Speed Record runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats and rallying at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
Last up, and certainly not least was the crowd favorite, Linda Vaughn. Referred to as "the first lady of motorsports," Vaughn won the title of "Miss Atlanta International Raceway" in 1961 at age 18. She earned a ride in the pace car for the Daytona 500 the following year, as "Miss Pontiac." In 1963, she was named "Miss Firebird" and was featured in Esquire magazine.
She's best known as "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter," which she got after winning a national contest coordinated by Hot Rod Magazine. Vaughn has represented Hurst ever since. Hurst promoted Linda to Vice President, Public Relations in 1983 and she was honored with a special citation during a SEMA Salute to the American Automotive Performance and Motorsports Industry.
During a very emotional speech, Vaughn thanked many folks for helping her, including Garlits, Buster Couch and Dick Wells. "I grew up with all of you. I've had so much fun, I just want to thank y'all."
The evening ended with all the honorees being swamped with autograph requests and a big party in the parking lot.
Sat., June 19:
Hard to top Friday, but Day Two was just as good. With the mix of rods and vintage dragsters, along with Linda Vaughn on the Hurst Shifter car, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in the Swamp Rat, a concert by the Diamonds and the fabled "Cacklefest," it seemed like everyone was transported back in time about 35 years.
And everyone went along for the ride because that's what makes the Reunion so special and for many, sentimental. That's especially true during Cacklefest, the Reunion's ultimate blast-from-the-past event.
For the uninitiated, Cacklefest is where vintage dragsters return to the track for a special run. Since some of the cars haven't been seen in 30 or more years, the memories they evoke are priceless. This year, 23 dragsters, some push started, went down Beech Bend's strip, and then parked with engines still on, still bellowing flames, still cackling.
How fitting to have Linda Vaughn lead the charge in the Hurst car and Garlits finish the hit parade in famous Swamp Rat drasgster.
That's a crowd-pleaser in any decade, and always will be.
Sun., June 20:
And on Father's Day Sunday, they raced.
Before the drag racing action took center stage, the SoffSeal Show 'N Shine winners, who were announced before the Diamonds' concert the night before, not only received their awards, but they got to blast down Beech Bend's legendary strip.
Fifty Top Class awards were handed out, as were six Best of the Best awards. They went to: Tom O'Brien, Pittsburgh, Pa., '40 Chevy Coupe; Dan Button, Glasgow, Ky., '55 Chevrolet Bel Air; Larry Frederick, Petersburg, Ind., '62 Chevrolet Bel Air; Rick Gregorski, Largo, Fla., '41 Willys Coupe; Bill Wellman, Largo, Fla., '32 Ford Pickup; and Donna Russell, Horse Cave, Ky., '67 Chevrolet Chevelle.
Class winners included the father and son duo of Keith and Bill Hallett. Bill Hallett, the son, entered a '35 Ford Coupe, while his father entered a '55 Chevrolet station wagon. Two entrants each won with two different cars. Troy Fellers had two different '69 Chevrolet Camaros in the top 50, while Steve
Honnell had a '64 Ford Thunderbird and a '72 Merc Spoiler II.
The rest of the day was dedicated to racing. Sam Jackson personally thanked each of the competitors as he or she was eliminated and congratulated the winners. "We're glad you're here," said Jackson to each in turn. "You are the show."
Competitors were unanimous in their praise for the event. Scott Parks, who drives the fastest Jr. Fuel car in the world, said, "it's a blast. I can't thank these guys enough for putting on this race."
Tony Feil, who won the Nostalgia Gas class, said "it's been a great day for me. I've been racing seven days in the last two weeks. Ending up winning the second Hot Rod Reunion at Bowling Green is great."
Top Fuel champion Sean Bellemeur of Camarillo, Calif., brought a new car to this event. He had high praise for his Plaza Hotel and Casino crew. "Hats off to all these guys," said Bellemeur. "They got the job done on Tuesday night. This car first saw asphalt at Bowling Green. It proves the heart this team has."
Mary Ann Cooke of Ocala, Fla., was ecstatic after her win in the Oldies class. "I beat the boys," said the driver of a '50 Slingshot dragster as she raised her trophy high in the air. She beat Terry Stewart of Tampa, Fla. in the final round when Stewart red-lighted, leaving before the starting light turned green.
Jim Swedberg, who won the Open Fuel class, was emotional about his victory. "It's been so long, I didn't know how to act," he said in Victory Circle.
An exhibition match race that really defines the Hot Rod Reunion, saw 70-year-old Joe Jacono get back into his old ride, a funny car called "Rollin' Stoned," 30 years after he last raced it. He roared to victory over long-time rival Lou Sgro's "Black Magic."
After the match race, Jacono said, "I'm here and the car's all in one piece. I didn't hit the wall."
Neither did the National Hot Rod Reunion, which looks like it has lots of victories runs in it for years to come.


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Blugold Soccer Narrowly Falls to UW-Whitewater
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – In a close battle at Bollinger Field on Saturday, the UW-Eau Claire women's soccer team narrowly fell to UW-Whitewater 2-1.
The Blugolds got down midway through the first half at 27:03 with a goal by Whitewater's Kelsey Finn. The first half ended with Whitewater outshooting the Blugolds 6-2, none of which were on-goal for Eau Claire.
In the second half, the Blugolds took more shots and finished outshooting the Warhawks 9-5 in the half. For the game, the teams were even with 11 shots each, though Whitewater had six shots on goal to three for Eau Claire.
Less than five minutes into the second half, Whitewater scored an additional goal to take a 2-0 lead but the Blugolds answered eight minutes later at 57:36 with a goal by Gina Williams (Sr.-Madison, Wis./Verona Area), assisted by Paige LeGate (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port) to cut Whitewater's lead to just one. But neither team scored any more goals and Whitewater finished with the 2-1 win.
Nina Behrenbrinker (Jr.-St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) played the entire game in-goal for Eau Claire and finished with four saves. Whitewater goalkeeper Jordan Myers finished with 90 minutes played and two saves.
Eau Claire is now 1-4-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference play while Whitewater improves to 2-3 on the season and 1-0 in the WIAC.
Wednesday, the Blugolds will be at home again for a game against Wheaton College (Ill.) beginning at 4 p.m.


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What do you think of this outfit that Kristina Dolinskaya is wearing?
If you love Kristina's style you can find more of her looks via her blog at http://kristinadolinskaya.blogspot.com/.
Are black stiltetto pumps good to wear with a white dress?
Sure. Black is always a good color choice to go with just about anything. Black pumps will always work with a white dress. They don't have to be stiletto pumps though. With this look stiletto pumps look sexier but you could go for a lower heel. Some ladies can even make a look like this work with flats like ballerinas or gladiator style flat sandals. probably the tall gladiators would give this a more interesting look if you were going to try with gladiator style flat sandals.
Can any girl with any body type wear a peplum style dress?
A peplum style dress probably looks best on women with some curves. You don't have to be have an hourglass figure like Kim Kardashian; but if you're sort of straight, a peplum style dress might not be the best choice. Some will disagree but I think your size doesn't matter so much as your shape.


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Public Comment
War is Not Over When It's Over
On the tenth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, my thoughts are with all of the veterans of the Iraq War, but especially for the Iraqi veterans - by which I mean, every person living in Iraq during the invasion and occupation. I deployed twice to Iraq. I've been home for almost five years and I still think about it every day. I think about it every day, and I'm not even physically there.
This war continues to traumatize millions of Iraqi civilians in addition to the thousands of military casualties from around the globe. It's time for our government to be held accountable for ten years (and counting) of human rights violations in Iraq. It's time for our government to take responsibility for the physical and psychological trauma it has been inflicting on every Iraqi and on its own troops for ten years - and counting - because even though the war might have been declared over, for millions it will never be over.