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8 Debate: Pens duo tops C ratings; Z'berg surprisesNHL.com @NHLdotcom
It is an argument that inspires passion in every rink, sports bar and living room where hockey is being played or is on the television. It can incite elevated heart rates in person and long discussion threads on the Internet.
Who is the best?
NHL.com and NHL Network gathered 10 writers and television personalities and asked that very question. Each was asked to rank their top eight in eight categories -- centers, left wings, right wings, defensemen, goalies, coaches, general managers and guys who wore the No. 8 sweater.
The voting, which took place for all eight segments in mid-February, is complete and the points have been tallied. Here is our answer to the simple question, who are the best in the NHL?
Center is the first position this series examines. In terms of star power, it is the deepest position in the League. Like with goaltenders, some teams are constantly scrambling to find their franchise center, while a couple of teams are blessed to have two.
What makes an elite center? Obviously they have to be the facilitator of great offense, but other factors -- two-way play, faceoffs and leadership -- come into play as well. If goalies are often compared to quarterbacks -- if a team doesn't have a great one, it can't win -- then No. 1 centers are like shortstops. They are almost always the best all-around hockey player on the club.
Excellence in the postseason appears to have also been a big factor in the final rankings. Six of our top eight are Stanley Cup champions, and three have won Conn Smythe trophies.
Here are the voting results. NOTE: A player received eight points for a first-place vote, seven for a second and so forth to one point for an eighth-place ranking (number of first-place votes in parenthesis).
1. Sidney Crosby (7) -- 76 points
8 Debate: Top center voting results
- 1. Sidney Crosby - 76 points
- 2. Evgeni Malkin - 65 points
- 3. Steven Stamkos - 55 points
- 4. Jonathan Toews - 40 points
- 5. Pavel Datsyuk - 38 points
- 6. Henrik Sedin - 22 points
- 7. Anze Kopitar - 14 points
- 8. Henrik Zetterberg - 12 points
Others receiving votes: John Tavares (11), Joe Thornton (10), Claude Giroux (9), Eric Staal (6), Patrice Bergeron (1)
Crosby has been a phenomenon in the sport since before he was old enough to drive. His arrival in the National Hockey League was heralded the way Eric Lindros, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky were before him. "The Next One" and later "Sid the Kid" hasn't disappointed.
He became the youngest scoring champion in League history and MVP in 2006-07. Two years later he was the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup. A year later he scored the gold-medal winning goal for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The past two seasons were derailed by a long struggle to return from concussion symptoms after hits in back-to-back games in January 2011. He excelled when healthy enough to play last season, and is rolling again in 2012-13.
"When healthy, as we are seeing now, I think he is by far and away the most complete player in the game, let alone center," NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen said. "He is a threat to score or create a goal every time he is on the ice. He's never a defensive liability. He can play in every area in the offensive zone. He's fearless in front of the net. His stick skills are off the charts. He wins faceoffs, which creates puck possession, and then he makes plays to keep the Penguins on the attack. His vision is outstanding. And, he makes every player he plays with better. There is not another player in the game that combines all of that into their game. Crosby does."
2. Evgeni Malkin (2) -- 65
Among the superstars who have entered the League in the past eight seasons, Malkin has collected the most diverse set of hardware. He was the Calder Trophy winner in 2007, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2009 and in 2012 he was the Hart Trophy winner and tournament MVP at the world championships -- amazing feats after missing the end of the 2010-11 campaign because of torn knee ligaments.Alex Ovechkin and Malkin.
"It is a fine line that separates the top-two centers: Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby," NHL.com Managing Editor Shawn Roarke said. "And, it is fair to say that line moves on a regular, if not nightly, basis. In the end, it basically comes down to what you value in a player. For me, the attraction has always been to power-type players over skill-type players. In no way is this to suggest that Crosby doesn't have a power element to its game; he does and it is underrated. But, Malkin is the prototypical power center when his game is in top gear. At his peak, he is a mixture of transcendent skill and brute power that is a nearly unstoppable."
3. Steven Stamkos (1) -- 55
Stamkos is the best pure goal scorer in this group. He is a two-time Rocket Richard trophy winner, and last season became only the second player in the past 17 years to hit the 60-goal plateau.
The first pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos had a slow start to his rookie season but he's been an elite sniper since and is developing into a complete player. He has 170 goals since the start of his second season -- 42 more than the closest competitor.
Stamkos is the only player on this list to not have played in a Stanley Cup Final, but he did help the Tampa Bay Lightning to within a win of the Final in 2011.
4. Jonathan Toews -- 40
If Crosby has drawn comparisons to Gretzky, and Malkin to Lemieux, then the closest player the NHL has to a modern-day Mark Messier is Toews. The No. 3 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, he and Patrick Kane helped return hockey to prominence in Chicago.
He is considered one of the top captains in the League. He hasn't won the Selke Trophy yet, but he's been a finalist and is a likely winner in the near future. He boasts an impressive international resume (two world junior golds and a world championships gold as well)
"Toews got the nod over Stamkos from me because of his 200-foot game," Rosen said. "This isn't to say that Stamkos doesn't play a 200-foot game, but Toews plays a better 200-foot game. If Toews and Stamkos were on the same team and the same line, there is no question in my mind that Toews would be the center and Stamkos would play on the wing. Toews is fast, elusive, tough and he plays with a great hockey IQ in that he reads plays in both ends of the ice. Stamkos is a pure scorer and undoubtedly one of the best players in the game, but Toews is a better overall center when it comes to handling the responsibilities of the position."
5. Pavel Datsyuk -- 38
One of the reasons Toews doesn't have a Selke Trophy is because this guy has three of them. While players like Crosby, Malkin and Stamkos are always in the discussion of "best player in the NHL," it is likely someone in the past few years would eventually say, "Don't forget about Datsyuk."
He is one of the most skilled players in the sport. When other players make highlight-reel moves, they are compared to him -- a Dastyukian deke is one of the highest forms of flattery bestowed on a hockey play. At the height of his powers, Datsyuk had at least 87 points in four straight seasons and has still been a point-per-game guy the past two seasons but has missed time with injuries.
"Placing Datsyuk that high was among the easier decisions for me," Roarke said. "I believe he is truly among the best centers in the League today. His points total may not rival what he accomplished at his peak, but he can still beat an opponent either through the creation of a goal or, just as likely, scoring it himself. His skill on the puck -- especially in tight places -- is almost unrivaled. And, most importantly, he is an elite two-way player, who may be just as valuable in his own end as he is in the attacking zone. I personally value two-way play perhaps more than any other trait."
6. Henrik Sedin -- 22Art Ross Trophy in 2009-10.
The Sedins dealt with criticism early in their careers that they weren't going to reach superstar levels, and the Canucks couldn't be a Stanley Cup contender with them leading the way. Both of those arguments are long gone, and Vancouver did come within one win of a Cup in 2011.
"It took him a good 4-5 years to develop, but his numbers since 2005-06 are impossible to ignore," NHL.com writer Dave Lozo said. "He's averaged more than a point per game and his vision and passing ability are by far the best in the NHL. He hasn't seen a dip in production in the postseason, either, and I imagine his perception among fans would be different if the Canucks would've won a fourth game against Boston. The fact he's played in 600 straight games speaks to his intelligence and durability."
7. Anze Kopitar -- 14
The first Slovenian to play in the NHL, Kopitar reached new heights in 2011-12. Always considered one of those guys in the next group of top centers below the truly elite ones, Kopitar won over any remaining critics during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He was the best skater in the League during the course of two months as the Los Angeles Kings claimed the Cup for the first time, and Kopitar might have collected a Conn Smythe Trophy had Jonathan Quick not put forth one of the best goaltending runs in the history of the NHL.
8. Henrik Zetterberg -- 12
Zetterberg was selected No. 210 in the 1999 NHL Draft -- in the current draft format he would have been the last guy chosen. Detroit won the Cup in 1998 and followed it up by selecting the eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner a decade later.
"Zetterberg is very much like Toews, only he is a bit older and has a lot more wear on his tires," Rosen said. "I gave him the nod over guys like John Tavares and Eric Staal because his two-way game is more refined than those guys and he's just as lethal in the offensive zone. He's the Red Wings so-called will guy, meaning he wills them to wins on nights when maybe they have no business being in the game. And, he's been doing it for a long time at a consistently high level."
Others receiving votes: John Tavares (11 points), Joe Thornton (10), Claude Giroux (9), Eric Staal (6), Patrice Bergeron (1).
If the voting was done in May instead of March, Tavares might have squeezed into the top eight. Tavares has been really good for the New York Islanders, but he's been a superstar in the early stages of the 2012-13 season.
John Tavares has never experienced the postseason and he hasn't been close in his three seasons," Lozo said. "But he's quietly improved every facet of his game and is on his way to becoming a top-five forward, not just a center, in the NHL. He has one of the best shots in the game, he can be a playmaker, he's strong enough to win puck battles along the wall, and he's doing it all with a very weak supporting cast. There are 100-point seasons in Tavares' future; it's just a matter of if they happen on Long Island or in Brooklyn."
Giroux's coach Peter Laviolette famously called him the best player on the planet at the end of the first round of the playoffs last season, but only three voters see him as a top-eight center. Staal had plenty of support as a top-eight guy, but no one championed him higher than seventh.
It says something about the strength of this list that Bergeron, one of the top two-way guys in the League and the 2011 version of Kopitar, received only one vote. Guys like Ryan Getzlaf, Nicklas Backstrom and Mikko Koivu didn't receive any.
Thornton ended up with one of the most unique voting profiles on any of the eight top-eight lists. While Staal was named by five people, Thornton was ranked in the top eight by only two -- Lozo and NHL Network analyst Barry Melrose.
"You are probably a bitter Bostonian if you don't consider Thornton an elite center," Lozo said. "He's closing in on 1,100 points in 1,100 games, is still just 33, and if you want some insight on how he makes his linemates better, ask Jonathan Cheechoo or Devin Setoguchi about it. He had two poor postseasons in Boston -- one when he was 18 and one when he played with a broken rib in 2004. An unfair narrative about Thornton not being a 'winner' shouldn't distract you from the fact he's been a game-changer for a decade."
|Brian Compton
|Dave Lozo
|John Kreiser
|Corey Masisak
|Dan Rosen
|1. Crosby
|1. Crosby
|1. Stamkos
|1. Crosby
|1. Crosby
|2. Stamkos
|2. Malkin
|2. Crosby
|2. Malkin
|2. Malkin
|3. Toews
|3. Thornton
|3. Malkin
|3. Datsyuk
|3. Toews
|4. Zetterberg
|4. Stamkos
|4. Datsyuk
|4. Toews
|4. Stamkos
|5. Malkin
|5. H. Sedin
|5. Tavares
|5. Stamkos
|5. Kopitar
|6. H. Sedin
|6. Toews
|6. H. Sedin
|6. Kopitar
|6. Zetterberg
|7. Giroux
|7. Tavares
|7. Zetterberg
|7. Giroux
|7. Tavares
|8. Bergeron
|8. Datsyuk
|8. E. Staal
|8. H. Sedin
|8. E. Staal
|Shawn Roarke
|E.J. Hradek
NHL Network
|Mike Johnson
NHL Network
|Barry Melrose
NHL Network
|Kevin Weekes
NHL Network
|1. Malkin
|1. Crosby
|1. Crosby
|1. Crosby
|1. Malkin
|2. Crosby
|2. Malkin
|2. Malkin
|2. Datsyuk
|2. Stamkos
|3. Datsyuk
|3. Toews
|3. Stamkos
|3. Stamkos
|3. Crosby
|4. H. Sedin
|4. Datsyuk
|4. Giroux
|4. Malkin
|4. Datsyuk
|5. Toews
|5. Stamkos
|5. Toews
|5. Thornton
|5. Kopitar
|6. Stamkos
|6. Kopitar
|6. Datsyuk
|6. Toews
|6. Toews
|7. Tavares
|7. H. Sedin
|7. H. Sedin
|7. E. Staal
|7. H. Sedin
|8. Zetterberg
|8. E. Staal
|8. Tavares
|8. Zetterberg
|8. E. Staal


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Question for the Money Doctors
Question submitted on Feb 22, 2013.
I have a question regarding whether or not I would need to pay US taxes while I am working abroad.
I read the article on this site and I would like clarification on one of the rules. It states:
You must reside in a foreign country for an entire tax year or for at least 330 days during a 12-month period
When does this 12 month period begin? Is it a rolling 12 months depending on when you leave the US? Is it a calendar year? I am currrrently waiting for my visa and I am afraid that I will be in the states for longer than 35 days in this calendar year, but I will be abroad working for the next two years.
Please, any information would be helpful.
Thank you,
Assuming you are a US citizen, the first caveat is you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, there are some exclusions available on your US return while working outside of the US. Your US tax liability will be a function of your income, your use of the exclusions, and any foreign tax credits you may be entitled to use depending on what country you will be working in and earning your income.
IRS Publication 554 states the following:
"You meet the physical presence test if you are physically present in a foreign country or countries 330 full days during a period of 12 consecutive months. The 330 days do not have to be consecutive. Any U.S. citizen or resident alien can use the physical presence test to qualify for the exclusion and the deduction."
"The physical presence test is based only on how long you stay in a foreign country or countries. This test does not depend on the kind of residence you establish, your intentions about returning, or the nature and purpose of your stay abroad."
Most people do not have the convenient scheduling for the rule to work out over a calendar year so a few things about the 12 month rule:
1) The 12 month period should be composed of consecutive months that include 330 days in foreign countries or country.
2) The 12 month period can begin from any day of any month and must end before the same calendar day 12 months later.
3) 12 month periods may overlap with each other.
Since you will be working abroad the next 2 years upon receipt of your work visa, you should be able to effectively use the 12 month rule on multiple years' US tax returns. This does not necessarily eliminate the requirement to pay US taxes depending on your situation. I would consult a CPA/PFS (visit www.findacpapfs.org) with experience in tax returns for Americans working outside the US.
For additional information visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/

subset: commoncrawl


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Prinly needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 123 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
I co-founded and recently was President of Conductor.com, a leading provider of SEO measurement and optimization technology.
This project is to create a stationery design for my new venture, prinly.com. A website that aims to streamline and automate the process of designing and ordering business stationery. This is my second project with 99designs and expect to do many more.
We would like to target small businesses with the goal of becoming much larger. We will not be the least expensive but we pride ourselves on the relationships we make and will consistently work with the customer as their business grows.
This should contain a business card single or double sided.
The postcard will be something I am mailing to new businesses that will offer them a coupon for 50% off business cards with coupon code 50off. The postcard should be as slick looking as possible so it does not get ignored in the constant stream of junk mail people get.
The text in the final files will need to be editable in any program, ai, photoshop etc, so I can make changes when needed.
I will also need the fonts used.
I also noticed the final size of our products differ slightly from the print guidelines that 99designs provides. I have attached templates you can use for all products. Please increase the resolution to 600 dpi for the final files unless they are in vector format and resolution is irrelevant.
Lastly I have uploaded the backside of my current cards which I really like a lot. The gray text is where spot gloss is.


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Eileen Fisher Geo Print Scarf
In 1984, Eileen Fisher launched her eponymous line with $350 and a vision of simple, beautiful clothes that make getting dressed easy. Today, Eileen Fisher clothes, shoes and accessories are celebrated worldwide for clean lines, effortless style and luxurious, high-quality materials. Add ethical business practices to the mix and it's easy to see why women love this brand.


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Finished Quilt Size: Approximately 40″ x 40″
Welcome back to the Cabins! I had so much fun with the Down on the Farm quilt on the September 26th Bake Shop, that I just had to return with a couple of "minis" for everyone. The gorgeous Midwinter Reds fabric line from Minick and Simpson is just perfect for building log cabins, so I am going to continue the theme here.The table topper size quilt is going to look amazing for my Christmas decorating and the little mini is a show stopper at any time of the year and will be showcased in a prominent spot in my quilting studio.
Happy quilting!
– Marlene Biles, Sipiweske Quilts
Ingredients for Star Cabins:
1 – "Midwinter Reds" layer cake by Minick and Simpson
First border: 1/4 yard
Second border: 1/4 yard
Third border: 1/2 yard
1/4 yard background fabric for paper-pieced cabin blocks
1/3 yard centre squares and binding fabric
1 1/4 yards of backing fabric (ensure that there is at least 42" of usable width – if not, you will need to purchase extra and piece it together to get the width required.)
44" x 44" batting
Template from Printer Friendly file
Ingredients for Mini Log Cabins:
Scraps from the layer cake
Two copies of the pattern sheet
Scraps of fabric for borders
Frame with a mat opening of 8" x 8"
Template from Printer Friendly file
Double matting to match your mini log cabin;
Barn board frame to finish off your masterpiece.
Line up the left hand edges of your stack as close to perfect as possible. Measure 1 5/8" from the left raw edge and make your first cut.
Continue cutting 1½" strips.
From the light strips cut 4 – 1½" strips from each print and from the dark prints, cut 5 – 1½" strips – all your strips will be 10" long – do not cut into shorter segments at this stage. If you prefer, cut one strip less of each of the prints and then just go back later in the construction process and cut a few of the prints that you feel you want to have a bit more of.
Using the yardage that you have chosen for your centre squares, cut 1 – 1½" x 42" strip and sub-cut into 16 – 1½" squares.Before you start sewing – check your seam allowance. A perfect 1/4" is preferred, but in all cases ensure that whatever seam allowance you start with you continue through the entire quilt construction process. To achieve the 7" finished square blocks for this project, I needed to move my needle setting over to the right by a couple of nudges. Everyone's machine may sew just a bit different and everyone's presser foot might be a bit different, so be prepared to maybe have a 7" x 7" finished block, and maybe not.
Step One: Place a centre square and a light strip right sides together and join with a 1/4" seam, using the machine's presser foot as a guide. Now line up your ruler against the straight edge of Print #1, and using your rotary cutter trim away the excess of Print #2 (refer to the block legend shown earlier for reference). Open squares and press seam allowance away from the centre square.
NOTE: Remember that the last strip you added is always on top under the needle. Sew with the wrong side of the finished work facing you, the new strip will always be underneath so that you can see the seam allowances and guide them away from the centre of the block as you stitch.
Step Two: Lay this unit on top of another light strip – right sides together. Stitch this seam as shown in the photo. Ensure that you push the seam allowance up as you sew over it. Trim off piece #3 evenly with piece #1. Press seam allowance away from the centre square.
Step Three: Turn the unit so that piece #3 is at the top and lay this section over a dark strip (#4). Align the raw edges and stitch, ensuring that the previous seam allowance is pushed upwards. Trim unit evenly with piece #1 and #2. Press seam allowance away from the centre square.
Step Four: Now lay this partial block on top of another dark strip (#5). Stitch and trim strip #5 even with the edge of unit #2 and #3. Open up and press.
Continue adding and trimming strips in this manner, always turning the block counter-clockwise as you add strips, until you have a block 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" square that looks like the block above. Assembly line piecing works very well with this type of block if a planned colour placement is used. As in the samples shown here, the prints are randomly placed which makes it a bit more difficult to use the assembly line method – a modified version does work, but not quite as efficiently.
Give all of your blocks a final pressing and get them stacked and ready to lay out into a quilt. Refer to the photo below or play around with different layouts to find one that appeals to you.
- Measure the four sides of the quilt top, and mark down the most consistent measurement.
- From your first border print cut four (4) 1 1/2" strips of your recorded measurement.
- From your second border print cut four (4) 2" strips of your recorded measurement.
- From your third border print cut four (4) 4" strips of your recorded measurement.
- Sew the first and second border strips together, matching at either end. Press the seam to the darker print. Repeat for the other three sides of the quilt.
- Sew the third border strip to the second border strip, matching at either end. Press the seam to the darker print. Repeat for the other three sides of the quilt.
- Sew a border strip set to two opposite sides of the quilt top, matching at either end (pin at intervals along the entire length). Press seam towards the border.
- Sew a paper pieced cabin block to either end of the remaining two border strip sets.
- Pin this border unit, right sides together and matching seams at borders, sew the final two borders in place to complete the quilt top.
Final pressing: Your quilt top is now done and ready for one final pressing before being layered and basted for quilting.
- Reduce your stitch length to a smaller one than you usually use.
- Trim each seam to less than 1/4" so that it fits into the strip width of the block.
- Be sure to always clip your threads – you don't want to be dealing with those when working with such a tiny project.
- When cutting your blocks apart on the pattern sheet be sure to leave extra paper around the dashed lines – this makes it easier to hang onto and reminds you to make sure that the fabric is wide enough to go past the seam lines on the pattern.5. Pressing as you go is not necessary. The project is small enough that a quick finger press is all that is required. If you do use your iron, remember to PRESS the blocks – do not iron them from side to side. A final press once the blocks are completed is recommended before trimming.


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WTKK to abandon talk radio for music
For an all-talk station, the folks at WTKK aren't saying much. But we're told the rumors are true: News Talk 96.9 FM is ditching its lineup of loudmouths in favor of music. The format change, which will take place right after the new year, means no more Michael Graham, who was sent packing last Friday, or midday host Doug Meehan, who actually left Boston a few weeks ago, or Rick Shaffer, cohost of the weekend "Money Show.'' We're told Jim Braude and Margery Eagan will be on the air as usual Wednesday morning, but that will be their last day at WTKK. Fans of "Jim and Margery'' will be happy to learn, however, that they're very likely to show up elsewhere on your radio dial sometime soon. No word on what sort of music 96.9 will be playing, but let's hope it's more soothing than Graham's rants.


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data wraggling... -- 2
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The past always seems to be gaining on us, which is why the best way to sum up the lessons learned in 2007 comes from the Zen master itself, the rear-view mirror, which always reminds us that objects are closer than they appear.
The big stories in the fitness industry in 2007 will likely continue to make headlines in 2008. From the bankruptcy and re-emergence of Bally Total Fitness, to several states attempting to legislate taxes on health club memberships, to large club companies venturing into new markets, to the growth and demise of other companies, every story will have a profound effect on how this industry will develop in 2008.
The key issue across the board in 2007 was the economy, what path it would take and how that would affect various industries. Whether the economy is just going through a "softening" or is starting to slide into a recession depends on the economists you listen to and the media reports you believe.
In late November, the Federal Reserve lowered its growth target for the economy for 2008. The central bank had forecasted in June that the economy would grow 2.5 percent to 2.75 percent in 2008. Now, the Federal Reserve is predicting growth of only 1.8 percent to 2.5 percent for next year.
Ben Midgley, president of World Gym and Planet Fitness, Dover, NH, says the economy is softening, but it didn't affect his company in 2007. In fact, he expects sales of Planet Fitness' low-cost memberships (sometimes running as low as $10 per month) to actually improve if the economy softens even further.
"Economically, the downturn the country is experiencing is clearly going to segment the industry even further, and those on the high or the low end will prosper. For those in the middle, it will continue to be a struggle," Midgley says.
Other club owners and consultants contacted for this story say that they are seeing more clubs closing.
"In the last nine months, we have seen an unusual number of clubs close," says Stephen P. Roma, owner and chief executive at Workout World, Brick, NJ. "I see and hear that more clubs are struggling than ever before."
Some club owners also say their direct mail pieces and ads pulled in fewer prospects. However, Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, an industry consulting company based out of New York, says the industry doesn't have enough information to say whether the economy had an effect on memberships and retention this year. Club owners who had problems with membership numbers this year might have been grasping at straws when they blamed the economy or layoffs at a local business for their lack of business.
"I think most people don't know if it's an extra competitor or the economy to blame, but they aren't blaming themselves and their marketing [for their business slow down]," he says. "No one is taking personal responsibility."
Doug Ribley, director of wellness and administrative services at Akron General Health and Wellness in Akron, OH, says that his two hospital-based wellness centers and four satellite centers were not affected by the economy this year. All of his projects and the projects at other hospital-based wellness centers that he consulted with this year have met or exceeded their budgets.
"When it comes to the medical fitness market, they attract a different group," Ribley says. "Many have not been a member of a club before, and a high percentage have an identified risk factor that they are trying to eliminate or reduce. These people have a different motivation to be at these centers. My experience is that the shift in the economy hasn't deterred them to stop coming."
Legislatively, several states worked on laws to tax services or memberships in various industries including the fitness business. Some of the states went after all fitness facilities while others left out the nonprofits. One of the biggest hopes for the year was that the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act would be attached to legislation, but that did not happen. The WHIP Act would reaffirm employers' rights to deduct the cost of subsidizing or providing off-site health club benefits to their workers.
So what were the top news items and trends for 2007? We've listed our picks on the following pages. Take a look and let us know what you think we missed.
Top News Events
1. Bally Bankruptcy and Re-emergence
After several years of financial restatements, accounting changes, investigations and shareholder attempts to take over the company, the health club industry anticipated a bankruptcy filing from Chicago-based Bally for more than a year. The company officially ended that anticipation by filing for bankruptcy on July 31 and then re-emerging from Chapter 11 just two months later. However, the industry has yet to see what form the newly private company will take. Bally management has been quiet since the re-emergence. All the questions about how many clubs Bally will close and who the new CEO will be are still unanswered, leaving the industry to await news on Bally's plans for the future.
2. Growth of Large Public and Private Multipurpose Clubs
The five largest multipurpose health club companies in the industry continued to expand in 2007, most of them in old and new markets. LA Fitness, Irvine, CA, which is notoriously quiet about its business, moved into several new states including Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2007.
24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, celebrated its 24th anniversary this year by opening 40 new clubs and making plans to move into New York, Baltimore and Washington, DC, next year. Equinox, New York, also added several clubs this year, moving into new markets such as Florida and Illinois.
Two of the publicly traded companies in the industry, Life Time Fitness, Eden Prairie, MN, and Town Sports International (TSI), New York, continued to expand into new markets in 2007. Most of the year, their stock also climbed, but as of press time, the price correction in the general stock market had taken its toll on the two companies, dropping Life Time Fitness' stock price to $49.72 at close on Nov. 27 (from a high for the year of $65.09) and dropping TSI's to $10.10 at close on Nov. 27 (from a high for the year of $24).
3. Three Private Equity Firms Invest in Club Companies
The October sale of the 17 Alaska Clubs to Lincolnshire Management Inc., a New York-based private equity firm, was one of three instances where private equity money entered the industry in 2007. The other two instances involved the October investment by Collins Neyer Capital in The Rush Fitness Complex, Knoxville, TN, and the investment this summer by Bunker Hill Capital, Boston, in California Family Fitness Centers, Sacramento, CA.
"We see a lot of private equity firms looking at the industry but few are going into it yet," says Caro.
4. Planet Fitness and World Gym Changes
Although Planet Fitness purchased World Gym in October 2006, this year was a year of tough transition for the two groups. After changing the World Gym logo and some of the World Gym franchisee operating procedures, Planet Fitness CEO Mike Grondahl and COO Christopher Rondeau faced some disgruntled World Gym franchisees at a meeting this summer. However, after the open forum, the company offered franchisees the option to go month to month with a flat fee, rather than renewing their agreements on a longer term basis.
In October, some World Gym franchisees caught wind of the company's planned key-card club model, so management rushed a letter to franchisees explaining the model, which could situate the 24/7 clubs, called World Gym 1440 All Axcess, in the territories of some current World Gym franchisees.
5. Gold's Gym Changes
Gold's Gym International said goodbye to its largest franchisee, Royce Pulliam, and his Global Fitness Holdings Co., in an announcement made in November. However, Titan Fitness Holdings, led by Jeff Skeen, already had announced that it would be joining Gold's Gym as possibly its newest and largest franchisee. Speculation was that Skeen could take over all or part of Pulliam's old territory in addition to other territories.
But these changes weren't the full story for Gold's Gym in 2007. The company began growing the number of its company-owned stores, reaching more than 50 this year. These stores now make up the majority of revenue for the Gold's Gym company.
In addition, David Schnabel, appointed as CEO in late 2006, and the rest of Gold's Gym management worked to retain as many existing franchisees as possible despite grumblings from franchisees about the company's royalty-based fee system, a departure from the company's old flat-fee system. The Gold's Gym Franchisee Association met with the Gold's Gym's National Franchise Council, which was formed in late 2006, to resolve the matter, eventually implementing a royalty-based fee system that costs less for existing franchisees but more for new franchisees.
6. Arthur Jones' Death
Jones' passing in August may not have gotten all the publicity it deserved. As Caro points out, Jones basically invented the weight resistance category in 1970 when he introduced Nautilus to the world. Prior to that, people had used free weights. The introduction of this equipment coincided with the growth in the 1970s of the health club industry, partially due to the equipment he introduced. Jones sold Nautilus in 1986, but his mark is still felt on the industry today.
7. Problems with Circuit-Franchise Companies
Contours Express franchisees filed a class action suit against their franchisor, alleging fraud and breach of contract. ShapeXpress franchisees also publicly stated issues with their franchisor. Cuts Fitness bought out all the contracts for its franchisees after admitting that the model wasn't as successful as the company had hoped it would be. Franchisees at other express clubs have voiced discontent with their franchisors on several franchising Web sites, and rumors are rampant about additional class action lawsuits coming for some of these franchisors.
8. Settlement of 24 Hour Dues-Related Class Action Suit
In July, 24 Hour Fitness settled a class action suit in San Francisco that began in 2005. The suit concerned dues charged to members after they asked to cancel their contracts. The plaintiffs alleged that 24 Hour Fitness' cancellation notice provision and collection of nonrefundable last month's dues under the terms of contracts signed before 2006 violated California law. Under the settlement, class members were entitled to choose settlement benefits, depending on their situation, including partial refunds, free personal training or membership upgrades, contract modifications, and transferable 30- and 45-day club access passes.
24 Hour Fitness asserted that it treated its members fairly and that its membership agreements are favorable to members and entirely lawful.
9. Texas Attorney General's Suit Against Life Time Fitness
After announcing in late July his lawsuit against Life Time Fitness, the Texas attorney general, Greg Abbott, has been quiet about the suit, but if it goes forward, it would involve charges that the club
company exposed its members to identity theft. The attorney general stated that his office found member information intact
in easily accessible trash dumpsters out-
side Life Time clubs in the Dallas area. The information allegedly included
Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and credit and debit card information.
At the time of the announcement, Life Time Fitness would not comment on the suit except to say that it was "disappointed and surprised" to learn of the allegations and would work with the attorney general's office on the matter.
10. Exercise Is Medicine Initiative
The American College of Sports Medicine teamed with the American Medical Association (AMA) on the Exercise Is Medicine initiative, which urges doctors to make physical activity a part of every patient visit. The AMA will provide a physician kit to doctors that includes prescription forms, referral forms, basic exercise information with regard to specific health conditions, and information about how to choose a gym and a trainer to help patients get started.
"I believe this is bringing physical activity and fitness closer to being reimbursed by insurance companies," says Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University.
11. Update of Physical Activity Guidelines
Ten years after the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) released their physical activity guidelines, they updated those guidelines this summer. The core recommendations remained the same, but the groups recommended more exercise and added a recommendation of strength and balance training. The guidelines emphasize that physical activity above the recommended minimum amount provides even greater health benefits. The guidelines also clarify what short bouts of exercise are and that doing them is OK.
12. Emphasis of Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS)
The PCI DSS, originally introduced in January 2005, was updated at the beginning of this year. Developed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which was formed by the major credit card companies, the standard is a set of 12 requirements for enhancing payment account data security. Merchants and service providers, including clubs, that do not comply with the payment brand security requirements are subject to penalties or fines.
13. The Fitness Co.'s Bankruptcy
At one time, the Fitness Co. was a well-recognized company on the East Coast. The company owned and managed clubs as well as managed small fitness centers in residential properties. The Fitness Co. club in the World Trade Center was destroyed during the Sept. 11 attack in 2001. Although the bankruptcy filing occurred in July, as of press time, the company had not emerged from bankruptcy.
14. Augie's Quest Fundraising Efforts
In March 2007, the industry came together for the second time to raise money for Augie's Quest to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Augie Nieto, founder of Life Fitness, was diagnosed with ALS in 2005. The second annual Augie's Bash for the Cure, held at the 2007 International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association conference in San Francisco, raised $2.1 million. Several big names in the industry banded together to organize the event and donate money. As of Dec. 2, the campaign had raised almost $12 million of its $18 million goal.
Top Trends in 2007
1. Growth of Franchised Key-Card and Low-Cost Clubs
One of the fastest growing trends in 2007 was the growth of franchised key-card clubs and low-cost clubs. All-access club franchisors Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness are the two main leaders of the key-card club growth. Both were named on Franchise Market Magazine's list of fastest growing franchises (Snap as No. 1 and Anytime as No. 3). Anytime still has the most franchised clubs at 450 open, but Snap Fitness, with about 400 clubs open, is growing faster and could surpass Anytime in 2008. Planet Fitness is the biggest low-cost club company, coming in at more than 170 open clubs.
2. Resurgence of Group Fitness
In 2007, more clubs saw a larger percentage of members using group fitness compared to the past few years. A larger number of clubs are using pre-choreographed routines from the two main group fitness companies, both of which include classes that use free weights, which appeals to men as well as women. These classes, along with sports-related classes such as kickboxing, have resulted in a larger number of men participating in group fitness. In addition, highly publicized classes with tantalizing names such as Strip Tease and Pole Dancing also have drawn in members. The popularity of the TV series "Dancing with the Stars" has drawn members to dance-based classes, which is the fastest growing group exercise activity, up 11 percent over 2006, according to a survey by the IDEA Health & Fitness Association.
3. Lending Took More Time
The ability to borrow money tightened this year, says Roma.
"All the banking ratios and collateralization levels have gotten very onerous in favor of the banks," he says.
However, Caro says that club owners with good track records still received loans, even though it took longer to get those loans. Banks and lending companies scrutinized potential companies more closely because the lending institutions were being scrutinized more closely and were required to do more documentation, says Caro. It took longer and was considerably more difficult for start-up companies to get financing for the same reason.
4. Growth of Functional Training
Functional training continues to grow at clubs, as part of personal training and as individual workouts. The growth has caused some club owners to redesign or re-purpose areas of their clubs to accommodate this type of training.
5. Growth of Sports-Specific Training
As Baby Boomers and teenagers (and everyone in between) continued their love of sports, the population took its cue from athletes and got in on sports-specific training to help improve its game.
6. Growth of Green Efforts
This effort is still nascent as most club owners who say they want to be more green are still focusing on more environmentally friendly laundering services
or recycling office paper. Few club companies have actually ventured into
applying for a Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) certification, which is given by the U.S. Green Building Council.
7. Focus on Corporate Fitness
Corporate fitness isn't new, but this year saw a growing number of corporations announce a focus on corporate wellness programs. Still, the number of businesses investing in corporate fitness is small, says Caro. There is plenty of room to grow this area in the future.
8. Online Lead Generation
More club owners began leaning on the Internet for lead generation, whether through their own Web sites or through online lead-generation companies. At least seven online lead-generation companies are in existence in the industry today. Gold's Gym Corp. has stated that its No. 1 priority for next year is to develop online lead-generation capabilities.
Army Fitness and Sports in 2007
The U.S. military experiences some of the same news and trends that the rest of the fitness industry does, but in some ways it is also set apart with its own news and trends. The Army's fitness installations faced financial uncertainties due to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Funding is cyclical," says Karen White, chief sports, Army fitness and aquatics soldier programs directorate, Family and MWR Command. "We make sacrifices at home to ensure our soldiers in combat areas have the resources they need."
This means some facilities are not updated or replaced as quickly as she would prefer, she says, and staffing shortages can occur. Despite the funding issues, the men and women serving the needs of the active and inactive soldiers made the best of the situation in several ways.
1. Standardized Design Criteria for Fitness Centers
This year, the design of fitness facilities was standardized for all facilities moving forward. "No one design will be perfect for everything," White says.
The standardization included modular components. Installation commanders can now choose the components that suit their population.
2. Standardized Purchases
This year, the Army centralized its equipment purchases to increase buying power. After standardizing cardio equipment purchases in 2005, the Army found it was able to buy a lot more equipment than before through larger, centralized purchases.
"In today's world, that's the smartest approach," White says. "We get more for our money. I'd love to expand on that throughout our facilities—basketball, gym wipes—wherever we can get more product for the money. While the initial process takes a bit longer, it's worth it."
3. Fitness Training Comes to the Bases
In 2007, the Army began holding fitness trainings for fitness professionals on its bases rather than at Army meetings or industry shows. Contracted individuals now come directly to the bases to offer the training, according to Janet MacKinnon, Army fitness and aquatics program manager soldier programs directorate, Family and MWR Command.
4. Standardized Job Descriptions
The Army looked at standardizing the job descriptions at military fitness centers in 2007 and ensuring the job titles were the same for each description at each installation.
"This is critical," says White. "Everyone is calling the same job something else. Soon we'll have the same name for the same position along with the required certifications and experience."
5. Equipment in the Field for Deployed Units
Soldiers in deployed units now receive a fitness deployment kit with a waterproof booklet of exercises in addition to a resistance band for upper- and lower-body exercises.
"It's a neat little something that helps the soldier maintain. We're trying to come up with something that soldiers can do wherever they are," White says.
MacKinnon says that the Army is in the process of getting another product to send to Special Forces.
6. AED Deployment
By the end of the year, 95 percent of Army fitness installations will have automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Staff members are being trained to use the devices.
"Last year, with just a few AEDs in our installations, we saved three lives," White says. "Imagine how many we can save now."
Medical Wellness Trends
Typically, people think of illness and injury when they think of hospitals, but in 2007, hospital-based fitness facilities showcased the wellness aspect of fitness in several ways.
1. Hospitals Embrace Medical Wellness
With the higher cost of liability and medical insurance, it's more apparent that hospitals need to be in the business of prevention rather than just taking care of people after they get sick, says Akron General's Ribley. In 2006, 855 medical fitness and wellness centers operated around the world, an increase from 715 in 2004, according to the Medical Fitness Association's biannual report "Benchmarks for Success." That number is expected to grow to 1,150 by 2010. The growth in the number of centers also corresponds to an increase in the number of individuals being served by medical fitness facilities. The number of members was 1.9 million in 2004, but in 2006, that number grew to 3 million members. By 2010, the association expects members to number more than 4 million.
2. Medical Wellness Adds Revenue
Because of the financial challenges that health care organizations are experiencing, they are looking at a new source of revenue that doesn't include third-party reimbursement, and wellness centers can often provide that revenue, says Ribley. It also helps them meet their mission of helping people.
Because the hospital centers attract the surrounding community, hospitals that have wellness centers find that the familiarity with the hospital through the wellness center often leads members to choose the hospital when they need medical treatment, Ribley says.
3. Focus on Life
More hospital facilities expanded their offerings in their wellness centers to
more than the physical side of life. They offered programs and services that improve people's lives, such as health education, nutrition classes and spa services, Ribley says.
"In the hospital programs I've visited recently, about every project includes a spa component because it represents the relaxation, feel-good aspect of health," he says.
That may explain why mind/body exercise continues its growth at medical wellness centers. In fact, one of the Akron General centers added a mind/body studio in 2007.
University Fitness Trends
Universities often seem like isolated communities for their students, but in 2007, many of the trends seen in the general fitness industry were also reflected at universities.
1. Degree Programs
More two- and four-year colleges and universities looked at creating degree programs focused on personal training and club management, according to Ken Baldwin, assistant professor at State University of New York (SUNY)-Plattsburgh. Baldwin formerly was at Purdue University, which offers a degree program in personal fitness training. He is now developing a degree program at SUNY-Plattsburgh titled Fitness and Wellness Leadership that focuses on fitness management, personal fitness training and medically based fitness programming.
2. Accreditation Available for Degree Programs
An accreditation process for degrees in personal fitness training, exercise science and exercise physiology continued in 2007. The process, which began about a year and a half ago, is conducted through the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences.
3. Green Buildings
The university community has become more environmentally aware, which has led to constructing green buildings, including rec centers. In fact, more than 400 university presidents signed the Climate Commitment, in which they pledged to complete an emissions inventory within two years, set a target date and interim guidelines for becoming climate neutral, take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gases, integrate sustainability into the curriculum, and make the action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available.
4. Wellness Component
Wellness isn't just a word for for-profit and hospital-based fitness facilities. University facilities also got into the act this year, says Baldwin. Many universities offered wellness classes and lectures for faculty, staff and students, whether at the rec center or within departments.
5. Group Exercise on the Rise
Baldwin says that group exercise became hot again at university rec centers, thanks, in large part, to systemized programs that attracted men and women and that were free to participants.
Top Trends in Jewish Community Centers in 2007
These top five trends were provided by Anthony Slayen, Jewish Community Center Association continental health and fitness consultant, and Steve Becker, Jewish Community Center Association continental consultant for sports and wellness.
- Special fitness programs for aging/boomer population
- Teen fitness programming/youth obesity
- Accountability and measurement-focused programming
- Expanded specialized aquatics programming
- Choreographed group exercise
Additional reporting by Stuart Goldman, managing editor, and Jennipher Shaver, senior associate editor.


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Home > History
Washington DC HistorySince 1571, Washington DC has steadily risen to international prominence. Pierre L'Enfant, designer of the city, thought of it as the Capital City. Jefferson referred to it as Federal Town. Washington, however, considered this undignified, and instead used the name Federal City. The initial plot of land authorized by the Constitution for the seat of the US government was a 100-square mile area. The first commissioners appointed to acquire the property for the new capital and construct the first government buildings made the obvious choice and named the city Washington. At the same time, they decided to call the entire 100 square-mile area the District of Columbia. Congress later went along with this decision through legislative references to the area.
The city of Washington as designed by L'Enfant did not, of course, fill the 100 square-mile area authorized by the Constitution for the seat of government. The area also included the cities of Georgetown (1751) and Alexandria (1749), which were already in existence. Congress designated the rest of the 10-mile by 10-mile portion outside the corporate limits of these three cities as the County of Alexandria, in the section given by Virginia, and the County of Washington, in the Maryland-ceded portion. In 1846 Congress voted to give back to Virginia all the land that state had given to the government in 1790 for creation of the District of Columbia. This move returned about 32 square miles of territory to Virginia. Residents of Alexandria and what is now Arlington County, Virginia, thus lost District of Columbia residency and again became Virginia citizens.
View our Virtual Tour of the National Mall and visit Washington DC's famous monuments and memorials from your computer.
Washington DC gifts and souvenirs are a must for anyone visiting our Nation's Capital and are a great way to remember your experience in the city. We have compiled a list of the most popular Washington DC souvenir gift ideas that are currently available throughout the city. Whether you are looking for White House gifts, Smithsonian souvenirs, Washington Monument paperweights, or patriotic decorations our list of Washington DC souvenirs has everything you are looking for.
Washington DC History: 1571 - 1703
Washington History necessarily begins on the Potomac River - known to many Native Americans as the "Co-hon-ho-roo-ta", to the Spanish as the "Espiritu Santo"; to the first English explorers as the "Elizabeth"; and to Lord Calvert's pilgrims as the "St. Gregory." "Europeans were on the Potomac River in the first half of the 16th century," says Catholic historian Shea. But the earliest explorer who is known to have sailed for any considerable distance up the river was the Spanish admiral, Pedro Memendez, founder of Saint Augustine (1565) and governor of Spain's Florida possessions. He ascended, in 1571, as far as Aquia Creek - possibly as far as Occoquan Creek, about 25 miles below Washington. His departure, in the same year, marks the end of Spanish connection with Potomac history. Read More
Washington DC History: 1703 - 1752
Immediately north of Thompson's New Troy tract (which extended far north of what is now called Capitol Hill) was a tract called Scotland Yard, Patented to Captain Robert Troope in 1663, or earlier; and immediately north of Troope's land lay the tract known as Room, or Rome, granted to Francis Pope in 1663, and wrongly supposed by many writers to include the high land upon which our Nation's Capitol now stands. In 1600 James Langworth, of Charles County, Maryland, bequeathed to his son John his rights in 670 acres "yet to be taken up"; this, it is thought, was the 600-acre tract granted to John Langworth in 1664 - the so-called Widow's Mite, lying to the north. It changed hands many times during the next 130 years. A tract known as Vineyard, in what became the Georgetown area, was patented to William Hutchinson in 1696; part of it was owned by Robert Peter in 1791. Read More
Washington DC History (1752 - 1790)
During the Revolutionary period the Continental Congress was a somewhat nomadic body. At different times within a single year, 1777, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Lancaster, and York had the distinction of being the seat of Congress. In 1783 the delegates were comfortably settled in Philadelphia, and might have stayed there indefinitely had not mutinous continental soldiers come upon them suddenly, while in session, demanding their long overdue pay. Affronted and alarmed, Congress removed to Princeton, N.J., a small place soon deplorably overcrowded. The need for a permanent seat of national government, preferably some piece of virgin territory wherein a "Federal town" might be built, became imperative. Read More
Washington DC History (1790 - 1798)
In October 1790, President Washington took up his role of agent. He inspected many Potomac sites--from Conococheague, about 80 miles above the present city, to Oxon Hill, several miles below; and in January 1791 he made his decision, choosing the land in Maryland which is now the District of Colombia, and a smaller section across the Potomac in Virginia territory, including the town of Alexandria. In the same month he appointed Daniel Carroll, Thomas Johnson, and David Stuart as commissioners to superintend the building of the Federal City. Washington was also ready to employ L'Enfant to lay out the city and another surveyor, Andrew Ellicott, to survey the bounds of the Federal tract, 10 miles square. Ellicott came in February and L'Enfant in March. During the latter month Washington met the local landowners at Suter's Tavern in Georgetown, and persuaded them to sell at $66.00 and acre any land the Nation might need as sites or grounds for public buildings, and to permit the remainder of the proposed city area to be divided into lots and sold, the proceeds from every other lot to go to the Government. It was further agreed that no charge should be made for the land needed for highways. Read More
Washington DC History (1752 - 1790)
December 14, 1799, was a sad day for Washington DC and the rest of the world. Our beloved first President, George Washington passed away. Congress was in session at Philadelphia, and had received President Adam's reminded legislators that under the provisions of the Residence Bill of 1799 Congress should convene in the permanent seat of government on the first Monday in December 1800. Washington's dream would come true. On May 15, 1800, Congress having adjourned, Adams directed his Cabinet so to arrange their departmental affairs "that the public offices may be opened in the city of Washington... by the 15th of June." Read More
Washington DC History (1790 - 1798)
In 1809, the British minister Francis Jackson likened the American Capital to the British, yet spoke about Washington's "wild, desolate air from being so scantily and rudely cultivated." All were agreed, however, that Washington was charming during "the season." Mrs. Madison's drawing room would be filled with "gallants immaculated in sheer ruffles and small clothes", exchanging delightful small talk with "dainty belles in frills, flounces, and furbelows." But during the congressional recess even President Madison thought the city was "a solitude." "You cannot imagine", wrote Washington Irving in 1811, how forlorn this desert city appears to me, now that the great tide of casual population has rolled away." Read More
Washington DC Gallery - 2009 Innauguration
January 20, 2009 was a magical, as well as historical day. Although the temperature dropped to the single digits with the wind whipping, that refused to stop two-million people strong from attending the 56th Presidential inauguration. "Yes We Can" was President Barack Obama's rallying cry througout his campaign to be the 44th President and Commander-in-Chief. The crowd that packed the National Mall (from the Capitol Building all the way back to the Washington Monument - over two miles) was an incredible combination of ecstatic jubilation and peaceful celebration. Security was extremely tight and lack of communication between law enforcement agencies made for long lines of supporters trying to ingress and egress The National Mall. However, the people would not be stopped - they wanted to see the first African American Commander-in-Chief get sworn in and would wait in lines as long as they had to to do so. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - 2005 Innauguration
The World watched President George W. Bush second inaugural address President Bush committing the United States to defeating tyranny and expanding freedom. Sworn in by ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the president delivered a 22-minute address that outlined his view of America's role in the world. "At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire." - George W. Bush View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - 2001 Innauguration
The 54th Inauguration of the 43rd President of the United States took place on a freezing cold, rainy Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. on January 20, 2001 on the west front of the US Capitol. President Bush arrived led by Senators and Congressmen and joined former President Clinton and former Vice President Gore on the stage, anticipating his oath of office and the enormous job that lay ahead. The Clinton's looked happy, doing their part to welcome the Bush and Cheney families to their new roles. The Reverend Franklin Graham, standing in for his ailing father, gave the invocation as a light drizzle fell on the bowed heads and shoulders of a massive crowd gathered on the National Mall. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - George W. Bush vs. Albert Gore, Jr
On Tuesday, December 12, 2000, the world paused as the U.S. Supreme Court deleberated the fate of the Presidential Election. The cold affected everyone as we await the decision. Little did we know that the fractured ruling wouldn't come until nearly 11:00 pm. Clever protest signs and people bantering humorous slogans were everywhere. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - 9-11 Commission Final Report
The 54th Inauguration of the 43rd President of the United States took place on a freezing cold, rainy Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. on January 20, 2001 on the west front of the US Capitol. President Bush arrived led by Senators and Congressmen and joined former President Clinton and former Vice President Gore on the stage, anticipating his oath of office and the enormous job that lay ahead. The Clinton's looked happy, doing their part to welcome the Bush and Cheney families to their new roles. The Reverend Franklin Graham, standing in for his ailing father, gave the invocation as a light drizzle fell on the bowed heads and shoulders of a massive crowd gathered on the National Mall. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - Mayor Williams Second Inaugural Address
"One City, One Future". We put our "bodies and souls in motion" for change. We came together, we worked together and we achieved together. More than 11,500 children now have a safe place to go after school in their neighborhood because 90 community organizations opened their doors. More than 10,000 citizens participated in our Citizen Summits and our Neighborhood Action initiative. We resurfaced more than 2,000 blocks in every corner of the District...And on September 11...and during the dark months that followed we showed the world what it means to be the capital of our nation...Standing here today, I see before me the face of Washington. We are a magnificent tapestry made up of many peoples. It is the community we build from that diversity that makes us strong and proud. Today, we have the chance to live up to Dr. King's great dream of inclusiveness, of true democracy, of opportunity for all. Let today be a clarion call that brings together everyone to create a city of learning, a beacon of hope that shines for all the world. One City. One Future. -Mayor Anthony A. Williams View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - Woodrow Wilson Bridge Dedication
At a star-spangled ceremony attended by more than 1,400 dignitaries and guests, the first new Woodrow Wilson Bridge was dedicated. One of the nation's largest public works, the $2.4 billion Woodrow Wilson Bridge dedication signaled a new dawn for congestion-weary commuters and interstate travelers: The beginning of the end of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge corridor's notorious traffic congestion. In addition to serving as a major local commuting route, the Wilson Bridge is the mid-point of Interstate 95, the east coast's busiest highway. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project is jointly sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Maryland State Highway Administration and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
On Friday, December 17, 2004, at the Andrew W. Mellon auditorium President Bush signed legislation that reforms the intelligence community and the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government. The many reforms in this act have a single goal: to ensure that the people in government responsible for defending America have the best possible information to make the best possible decisions. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - March on the Pentagon
On Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, 2007, the anniversary of the start of the United States invasion of Iraq, an estimated at 15,000 to 25,000 demonstrators marched in the bitter cold from the Vietnam War Memorial, down Route 27 to the Pentagon North Parking Lot. A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition organized the event in symbolic tribute to the historic 1967 march to the Pentagon. The march capped a week of anti-war protests in Washington. Prominent speakers at the event included anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.). View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - Queen Elizabeth II Visits Virginia
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, visited Virginia May 3rd and 4th to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent British colony in America. The Queen's first public appearance was in Richmond's Capitol Square, where visited Virginia's recently refurbished statehouse and address a special session of the General Assembly. The Queen toured the reproduction of the fort that english colonists built in 1607, more than a decade before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock. The royals also visited the Jamestown museum and archaeological and conservation sites at Jamestown. Many Virginians were hurriedly studying the rules of royal etiquette so as not to offend the royal couple. The Queen's colorful hats, and clothing captured the hearts of her adoring fans. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - Philip Merrill Memorial Service
Vice President Dick Cheney, dignitaries, friends and family gathered yesterday to remember the life of publisher and former diplomat Philip Merrill, 72, who passed on while sailing alone on the Chesapeake Bay on June 10, 2006. Phil Merrill purchased Capital-Gazette Newspapers in 1968, later adding Baltimore magazine and Washingtonian magazine (1979) to his company. "My husband took great joy in publishing the Capital-Gazette Newspapers and the Washingtonian. He was particularly proud of the fact that he ran the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States." - Eleanor Merrill on the passing of her husband. View Our Gallery
Washington DC Gallery - DC Voting Rights March
"Free DC! Free DC!," was the only sound that could be heard as an estimated 5,000 citizens and civil rights leaders braved the cold, damp, and windy weather to demand voting representation. The DC Voting Rights March was led by Mayor Adrian Fenty, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District City Council, DC Vote and other groups in a civil rights coalition on Emancipation Day. The March commenced at Freedom Plaza (13th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW) and proceeded along Pennsylvania Avenue, then rallying the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool. View Our Gallery
Washington, D.C. was built at the start of the 19th century with more irony than iron. Not only did a Frenchman design the American capital, but a free black man may have secured the construction of the city, which was to take place in the middle of the two largest slave-holding states in the union, Maryland and Virginia. Even before President Washington hired the French artist-architect Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant to plan the physical layout of the city, L'Enfant seemed eager to help build the capital of someone else's country, a country he envisioned would grow from 13 colonies to 50 states and from 3 million inhabitants to 500 million citizens, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Read More
The First Tribe of Washington - Origins of the Piscataway
As we look around, searching for evidence, proof, or nostalgia, there seems to be a problem: not many people have heard of the Native American Tribe of Piscataway. When asked about them, most people scratch their heads, frown their faces, shrug their shoulders and politely say, "Never heard of them." However, with much determination and inquiry, a minute sign of their existence was found. The Piscataway tribe lived along the Piscataway Creek in the Prince George's region of Maryland up to our Nation's Capital. Most of the tribe settled comfortably in small villages and camps along the Chesapeake Bay. They were quite content with domestic affairs: the men building wigwams and "dug-out canoes," while the women made pottery and baskets. Read More
Get to know the District of Columbia
Pierre L'Enfant, designer of the city, thought of it as the Capital City. Jefferson referred to it as Federal Town. Washington, however, considered this undignified, and instead used the name Federal City. The initial plot of land authorized by the Constitution for the seat of the US government was a 100-square mile area. The first commissioners appointed to acquire the property for the new capital and construct the first government buildings made the obvious choice and named the city Washington. At the same time, they decided to call the entire 100 square-mile area the District of Columbia. Congress later went along with this decision through legislative references to the area. Read More
Not too long ago, the streets of Washington, DC were lined with tracks. For a century, streetcars glided along the Capital's streets, transporting residents and commuters. The District's first streetcar arrived in the midst of the Civil War; a century later, this public transportation infrastructure disappeared. Washington, DC's present transportation infrastructure is once again being reevaluated to accommodate both a growing population and constant congestion. One of the technologies being considered is Light Rail Transit (LRT), the modern day streetcar, trolley, or tramway. LRT implementation would return street rails to Washington, DC, first seen during the Civil War in 1862. Read More
Long before the Nationals came to DC the Washington Senators were the District's baseball team. In 1947 Washington Senators Baseball Club was having another tough year. There lineup included such names as Mickey Vernon 1b, Jerry Priddy 2b, Mark Christman ss, Eddie Yost 3b, Buddy Lewis rf, Stan Spence cf, Joe Grace lf, Al Evans c. Starting pictures were Bob Newsom, Walt Masterson, Mickey Haefner, Early Wynn, Ray Scarborough and Sid Hudson. Utility infielders were war hero Cecil Travis who endured the Battle of the Bulge in Europe and Sherry Robertson a son in law of the Senator owner Clark Griffith. They lost 90 games that year 33 games behind the first place Yankees. The Old Griffith Stadium off Florida Avenue had a very high right field wall that was plastered with an advertisement for Lifeboy Soap with a slogan stating that "Use Lifeboy the Senators do". The left field line was over 400 feet and it was a pitcher's ballpark. Read More
Situated on the edge of Georgetown and bordered by Rock Creek Park, a small road called "Lover's Lane", Dunbarton Oaks and Oak Hill Cemetery sits Montrose Park. It's towering oak trees date easily far into the 19th century. In the 1940s and 1950's Montrose was a special place for a variety of activities. Four clay tennis courts allowed players to perform on a surface that was unusual to public tennis courts in Washington. A small concrete road opened the main entrance to the park and about a quarter of a mile away was a small house that was used in the summertime to teach children how to make straw baskets and fashion lariats made out of a new substance called plastic. On one occasion children were shown how to build small wooden sailboats with double sails. Completed boats were then entered into a sailing contest at the Reflecting Pool adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial. Read More
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Academy of American Poets Fellowship
The Academy of American Poets Fellowship is a $25,000 prize awarded to one poet each year to recognize distinguished poetic achievement. Established in 1946 and given in memory of James Ingram Merrill, with generous support from the T. S. Eliot Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Fellowship was the first award of its kind in the United States. Fellows are selected by majority vote of the Academy's Board of Chancellors. Fellows also receive a residency at the T. S. Eliot House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. No applications are accepted.
Any poet who meets one of the below criteria is eligible:
- U.S. Citizen
- resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to January 1 of the prize year, or
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States.
Please note: By law the Academy of American Poets must report cash prizes awarded to individuals to the Internal Revenue Service. If individuals have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the individual will receive a 1099. If the individual does not have an SSN or ITIN, the individual will receive a 1042 and could be subject to a withholding of a percentage of the cash prize.


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Canadian company CMX Renewable Energy Inc has sought a license to build a 150-megawatt solar powerplant in the central province of Ninh Thuan at an estimated cost of $150 million, newswire Thanhniennews.com reported.
CMX is the latest foreign investor to have expressed interest in setting up a solar energyproduction unit in Vietnam after the government said that it is drafting policies to encourage private investment in the sector.
According to one of the plans being considered by the government, state company Electricity of Vietnam and other electricity distributors will be obliged to buy all the output from solar power plants in 10-20 years, the government's website reported.
The country's first solar power plant is expected to start functioning next year. It is a 19.2-megawatt plant being built in the central province of Quang Ngai by Vietnamese investor Thien Tan Group at an estimated VND862 billion ($36.12 million).
Last year South Korea's SolarPark Korea sought to build a 300-megawatt plant in another central province, Ha Tinh, at $650 million.
Another Korean investor, Hanwha, also reportedly plans to invest $200 million in developing a 100-200-megawatt plant in Thua Thien-Hue.
Source: dealstreetasia


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How would you like to spend you first BC Family Day Holiday skating at Rogers Arena with members of your Vancouver Canucks?
On Monday, February 11, 2013, Sun Life Financial is sponsoring "Skate with the Canucks", a chance for you to take the ice with current Canucks players and Canucks alumni. The Vancouver Canucks have generously offered readers of our blog two tickets to this event.
You can enter in three, very easy ways:
- Leave a comment below and tell us which Canucks player you would most like to take to the ice with.
- Tweet the following: "I entered for a chance to Skate with the Canucks via @CanucksCorner @VanCanucks & @BrighterLifeCA: http://ow.ly/huDGs #CCSkate"
- Leave a comment on our Facebook page under the post about this contest.
If you do all three, you have three chances to win!
The deadline to enter is Friday, February 8, 2013 at 6:00 PM. We will randomly choose a winner from the total number of entries using Random.org
Important Information: The skate session starts at 6:00 PM on Monday, February 11. Skate and helmet rentals are not available so you will have to bring your own. You will also be required to sign a waiver before you step on the ice. At least one current member of your 2013 Vancouver Canucks will be on the ice during the event.
Good luck everyone!
Congrats to Samantha Law, her comment on the blog was selected as our random lucky winner that will get two spots to Skate with the Canucks at Rogers arena. Thanks to everyone that entered!


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Non-equilibrium Green's Function Density Functional Theory Simulator
Version 3.0 - published on 09 Jan 2015
doi:10.4231/D3JH3D36M cite this
This tool is closed source.
Published on
Matdcal is a self-consistent ab-initio simulator for modeling the quantum transport properties of atomic and molecular scale nanoelectronic devices under external bias potentials. The technique is based on density functional theory using norm conserving nonlocal pseudopotentials to define the atomic core and nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGF's) to calculate the charge distribution. The modeling of an open device system is reduced to a calculation defined on a finite region of space using a screening approximation. The interaction between the device scattering region and the electrodes is accounted for by self-energies within the NEGF formalism.
The current installation is a serial version, running on a single node, therefore the user should try to keep the number of atoms within the reasonable number provided in the carbon chain and bulk silicon examples. The user is given the option of calculating transmission and density of states plots under an applied voltage within a single-zeta polarized basis set. Spin polarized calculations are not allowed.
Sponsored by
The Network for Computational Nanotechnology
Derek Waldron, Paul Haney, Brian Larade, Allan MacDonald, and Hong Guo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 166804 (2006).
Jeremy Taylor, Hong Guo, and Jian Wang, Phys. Rev. B, 63, 245407 (2001).
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