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The Liberty swimming & diving team opens its 2013-14 season at the Virginia Tech Swimming Challenge, Friday at Christiansburg Aquatic Center.
The Liberty swimming & diving team opens its 2013-14 schedule on Friday at 5 p.m., competing against a challenging field at the Virginia Tech Swimming Challenge. The meet, held at Christiansburg Aquatic Center, features Liberty, along with strong ACC foes Virginia Tech and North Carolina, CAA power James Madison and CCSA opponent Radford. The Virginia Tech Swimming Challenge, a five-team meet, will be scored in dual-meet fashion. The program includes 13 individual swimming events and four relays. The competition will open with diving, at 3:45 p.m., before the first swimming event starts at 5. The meet will include a few wrinkles, as there will be a 50-yard race at each stroke along with a 100-yard individual medley.
How to Follow the Lady Flames Fans unable to attend Friday's meet can follow the action through live timing, provided by Virginia Tech Liberty swimming & diving begins its fourth year of intercollegiate competition. The team's roster features a strong group of returnees and several impact newcomers. The two-time CCSA runner-up Lady Flames appear poised to once again challenge for the conference title. The Lady Flames return six individual program record holders, and four additional student-athletes who have competed on program-record relay teams. Liberty has added five freshmen this year, in addition to transfers Ginny Grams (Florida State/Daytona State) and Kristin VanDeventer (Virginia). In freshman Courtney Fox, Liberty also has its first diver in program history. Last season, the Lady Flames competed in the Virginia Tech Sprint Classic on Oct. 20, 2012, a similar event to this week's Virginia Tech Swimming Challenge. Liberty went 2-1 at the meet, defeating Gardner-Webb and VMI and falling to Virginia Tech. The Lady Flames took home five event victories at the 2012 Virginia Tech Sprint Challenge, with Emilie Kaufman (50 breaststroke, 100 IM), Brye Ravettine (50 free) and Jess Reinhardt all posting wins. Liberty's 200 free relay edged Virginia Tech by .08 of a second, taking first place. Liberty received its first national ranking last year, finishing the 2012-13 campaign rated No. 37 in the Endless Pools/CollegeSwimming.com Top 25. The Lady Flames went 14-2 last season, including 9-1 in CCSA dual meets. At the 2013 CCSA Championships, Liberty picked up its second-straight runner-up finish. During the meet, Liberty had six total event victories (four individual, two relays) and 20 podium finishes (16 individual, four relays). The Lady Flames set five conference records, five meet records and 13 program records. Liberty had eight NCAA B cuts and U.S. Open cuts by individuals, and one NCAA B cut in a relay. Redshirt senior Brye Ravettine paces a deep, talented stable of sprinters. Ravettine, the 2012 CCSA Swimmer of the Meet and Swimmer of the Year, was also an All-America honorable mention in the 50 free in 2012. She holds Liberty's records in the 50 free (22.19) and 100 free (49.24). Cori Gary and Meghan Babcock both posted NCAA B cut times in the 50 free last season. Ravettine, Gary and Babcock went 2-3-4 in the 2013 CCSA 50 free final, and were joined by Chloe Thomas in the top eight of the 100 free. The mid-distance group should also experience success this season, as the Lady Flames return program record-holders in the 200 free (Gary), 500 free (Emily Duff), 1000 free (Hannah Wakeley) and 1650 free (Wakeley). Newcomer Ginny Grams comes to Liberty after earning NJCAA national titles in the 200, 500 and 1,650 free for Daytona State in 2013. Kristin VanDeventer, a transfer from Virginia, will also bring experience at the 200, 500 and mile as well. Jess Reinhardt, the 2013 CCSA Freshman of the Meet, swam conference-record times in winning the 100 and 200 fly at last year's conference meet. Reinhardt also represented Liberty at the 2013 NCAA Championships. She is joined by Bethany Kennon (formerly Wakeley), who won the 100 fly in 2012 before placing second to Reinhardt in both fly races at the 2013 CCSA Championships. Liberty returns CCSA record-holder Emilie Kaufman in the 100 breaststroke. Kaufman's record 1:01.04 swim in prelims met the NCAA B standard, while she placed second overall in finals. The senior added a conference title in the 200 breast, in an NCAA B cut and program-record time of 2:15.00. Kaufman is also Liberty's top returner in the individual medleys. She placed third at the CCSA Championships in the 200 IM, clocking a program-record time of 2:03.98. Liberty's backstroke group continued its strong performance in the pool last season. Brye Ravettine and Emily Duff took second and third in the 100 back at the conference meet for the second year in a row. Kendall Hough followed in fifth place in both the 100 and 200 backstroke last year. Duff met the NCAA B cut and US Open cut while placing second in the 200 back in a program-record 1:58.30. The Lady Flames are 2-1 in season-opening meets in program history. Liberty fell to Campbell, 111-94, during the program's first meet, Oct. 2, 2010. Since then, Liberty downed Marshall and Campbell, respectively, in its last two season openers.
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech opens its season on Friday. The Hokies placed second at the 2013 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships, before finishing in a tie for 24th place at the NCAA Championships. The Hokies graduated ACC 100 fly record holder and two-time All-American Heather Savage last year. Sophomore Weronika Palusek holds Virginia Tech's record in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and was the 200 breaststroke champion at the 2013 ACC Championships. Katarina Filova, a 2012 Olympian from Slovakia, is the Hokies' record holder in the 200 free.
North Carolina North Carolina placed 12th with 102 points at the 2013 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, after finishing third at the ACC Championships. Senior Cari Blalock earned two ACC titles in 2013 (200 fly, 400 IM), and placed third in the 200 fly and eighth in the 400 IM at the 2013 NCAA Championships. Meredith Hoover, also a senior, finished fourth in the 2013 NCAA 200 fly. Junior Danielle Silverling turned in a seventh-place 500 free finish at the 2013 national meet.
James Madison James Madison, coming off of a second-place finish at the 2013 CAA Swimming & Diving Championships, opened its 2013-14 season with a 166-72 win at Radford, last Friday. Sin Hye Won broke JMU's record in the 100 breaststroke, placing second at the 2013 CAA Championships, and went on to compete at the NCAA national meet. Kelsey Holmgaard won CAA titles in both the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM last season, and added a second-place 400 IM finish, all in program-record time.
Radford Radford placed 10th at the 2013 CCSA Championships, scoring 117 points at the conference meet. The Highlanders opened their 2013-14 season with a 166-72 setback to James Madison at home, last Friday. Sophomore Sarah Fredericksen in Radford's top returner, placing 10th in the 200 fly at the 2013 CCSA Championships while also holding the program record in the 1000 free.
Following Friday's meet, Liberty will next compete in a tri-meet in East Lansing, Mich., Oct. 25, taking on Big Ten programs Michigan State and Illinois.
Schedule of Events 1. 400 Medley Relay 2. 1,000 Freestyle 3. 50 Freestyle 4. 200 Freestyle 5. 50 Backstroke 6. 50 Breaststroke 7. 200 Butterfly 8. 200 Freestyle Relay 15 Minute Break 9. 200 Medley Relay 10. 500 Freestyle 11. 100 Freestyle 12. 200 Backstroke 13. 200 Breaststroke 14. 100 Individual Medley 15 Minute Break 15. 50 Butterfly 16. 400 Individual Medley 17. 400 Freestyle Relay
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In case you missed it, financial planner Allan S. Roth told an interesting—and troubling—story about a CFP Board enforcement case in his Wall Street Journal blog "Total Return" on September 12. The piece was unfortunately titled "Is the Fiduciary Standard a Joke?" which apparently gave some readers (as evidenced by their comments) the impression that Mr. Roth thinks the standard is a joke, when in fact, he clearly was wondering whether the Board takes its own standard seriously, given the example he cites.
It seems that a new client (who had formerly been a client of another financial planner) came to Mr. Roth for a second opinion on his financial affairs. As a CFP, the client's former advisor had held himself out as a "fiduciary." Yet, in the client's portfolio, Mr. Roth found an annuity upon which the other advisor had been "double dipping": that is, charging a commission and an AUM fee, resulting in some 5.29% (yes, that's right: 529 bps) in annual fees.
Once made aware of the situation, according to Roth, both the insurance company and BD involved made a generous settlement to the client. And both the client and Mr. Roth filed complaints with the CFP Board against the former advisor for having breached his fiduciary duty. "What was surprising was that not a word came from the CFP Board," wrote Roth. "In following up with the Board, I was told they had lost the complaint that I had filed, and hadn't yet gotten to the client's complaint. Eventually, the client received a letter that no public action would be taken against this CFP."
When contacted about Roth's allegations, the CFP Board issued a written statement to me from CEO Kevin Keller that reads, in part:
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards certainly doesn't consider the fiduciary standard a joke. We take it very seriously; we believe that 67,000 CFP professionals do as well.
Unfortunately, Allan Roth, CFP, has used incorrect presumptions related to a case that he filed on behalf of a client to call into question CFP Board, our fiduciary standard and our enforcement process.
Mr. Roth is presuming that because there was no public sanction against a CFP professional – against whom he brought a breach of fiduciary duty claim – CFP Board's enforcement process is flawed and we don't uphold the fiduciary standard. What Mr. Roth fails to disclose (or perhaps understand) is that CFP Board did not require our CFP professionals to adhere to a fiduciary standard until July 1, 2008, which is about three years after the time of the alleged misconduct Mr. Roth wrote about. We also didn't receive a complaint from either Mr. Roth or his client until November 2008.
Ah, the complaint, which Mr. Roth claimed the CFP Board lost. Let me remind you, this is the same CFP Board that purports to speak for the financial planning profession on the fiduciary debate—and during the writing of Dodd-Frank was angling to become the regulator for financial planners. Perhaps I'm uninformed, but I don't ever remember hearing of even FINRA having the temerity to claim that they "lost" a client complaint.
According to Roth, he went on to talk to the Board's managing director, Professional Standards & Legal, Michael Shaw, who said he couldn't comment on specific cases, "but did note that while the CFP Board did not revoke or suspend the CFP's license or even issue a public letter of admonition, it was possible that CFP received a private censure." I'll bet that really put his tail between his legs.
Then, according to Roth, Board CEO Kevin Keller invited him to serve as a volunteer panelist on the Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission so he could "write about the process from the inside," as sort of a "peace offering" ("bribe" would certainly be too strong, here). "But then I received an agreement to sign," he wrote, "giving the CFP Board the right to review and approve the article I would write on the process before publication… … [which was] not open to negotiation. This agreement was acceptable to both the Wall Street Journal and me…"
Here's how Mr. Keller responded to this assertion in his letter to me:
What's also disappointing is that CFP Board, in a completely transparent effort to illustrate the strength of our enforcement process, extended an invitation to Mr. Roth to serve as a "panel volunteer" on our Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) and write about it—something which had never been done before.
Consistent with our standard procedures for all our DEC volunteers, we asked him to sign a confidentiality provision and—to ensure that no confidential information was unintentionally included—asked to review a draft of the article in advance. Yet, Mr. Roth declined to sign it and thus our offer was turned down. Contrary to his assertion, we never required "approval" of the author's content.
Keller further responds to Roth's claims and addresses the CFP Board's role on a fiduciary standard for all advice-givers and its own fiduciary standard:
If Mr. Roth's client brought a similar claim today—under our revised standard—the outcome would likely be very different. In fact, under our publicly available sanction guidelines, a breach of CFP Board's fiduciary duty would generally result in a suspension to use the marks for one year and one day.
Contrary to Mr. Roth's suggestions, CFP Board has been a leader in supporting the fiduciary standard. We required it more than two years before Dodd-Frank became the law of the land. Beyond the actions we took requiring it for certification and re-certification, we have been on the leading edge of an effort to create a uniform fiduciary standard of care with more than 10 submissions to the SEC and Capitol Hill advocating this important consumer protection reform.
In retrospect, Roth summed up his version of the case this way: "In my mind, this wasn't a close call. How could it possibly have been determined that the CFP acted in the best interests of the client? The only difference between this case and a broker without fiduciary duty is that at least the broker never claimed to be working in the client's best interests." Which led him to ask the question about the CFP Board's "fiduciary standard": "Is it merely an advertising campaign, or is it real?"
Contrary to some of the comments found on Roth's blog, this is not a story about an "isolated case" or vilifying CFPs: it's about the CFP Board and its seriousness, not just about a fiduciary standard, but about actually regulating financial planners. Sure, this is just one case. But it's a really bad one. Lost complaints, confidential rulings, private censures?
The only really salient point that Mr. Keller raises here is that the infraction in question took place before the Board adopted a fiduciary standard. Fair enough, as far as it goes. But that raises at least as many questions as it answers: Why didn't the Board simply tell that to Roth, who had conversations with both Michael Shaw and Kevin Keller (secrecy is one of the problems here)? I suspect he might have dropped the matter. Also, double dipping is unethical even for brokers, who aren't fiduciaries: so why would it be okay for a financial planner, who still had the duty to "put the client's interest first" even before the fiduciary standard?
The sad truth, as revealed in the Dodd-Frank debates and in cases such as this one, is that the powers that be aren't going to take financial planners seriously until they start taking themselves seriously: which has to start and end with the "self" in their SRO.


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by Monica
Gru and Crew Despicable Me 2 Family Costume Photo 2 of 8
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This homemade costume for families entered our 2013 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Brooke, the 'Gru and Crew' costume creator:
With the recent release of Despicable Me 2, our family decided to have a Minion theme this year. My son wanted to be Gru and my 3 daughters each decided on being Minions. We thought... Read more »
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Wish stories with dads for Father's Day.
Hailey, 4
I wish to be a cowgirl
Hailey celebrated her love for horses by traveling to a dude ranch and learning about a cowgirl's way of life.
Hailey's dad talked about the spring day in 2012 that led to his daughter's diagnosis. "She woke up not feeling well," he recalled. "She became dizzy and was not making a lot of sense."
After rushing to the emergency room, Hailey was airlifted to a hospital 67 miles away. "It was one of the scariest days of my life," her dad said. Hailey was in treatment for almost 10 months. She was limited to family visits and could not go anywhere that could compromise her health.
When her Make-A-Wish® wish-granting team met up with the Hailey, she told them about her wish to be a cowgirl, to ride horses and experience other outdoor dreams.
Hailey had a fun-filled week with her dad. They explored the trails on horseback and spent their evenings around the campfire, enjoying the singing and dancing of cowboys and cowgirls, and sleeping under the stars.
Jason, 6
cardiac condition
I wish to be like my dad
Jason was diagnosed with a cardiac condition at birth and had numerous corrective surgeries before the age of 5. A routine visit to his cardiologist in 2011, two days before Christmas, revealed a complication ‒ a blood clot in Jason's pulmonary artery. Like all kids with a life-threatening medical condition, Jason was eligible for a Make-A-Wish experience.
When Make-A-Wish volunteers visited and asked him to consider a wish, his answer was unexpected. Jason's wish was to be like his dad.
"That's the best compliment of my life," his father said. "It must be a generational thing, as I wanted to be like my father."
Jason's dad frequently traveled to China on business and Jason said he wanted to travel there, too, just like his dad. Jason's wish took his family on an overseas trip to see the sites of the mainland and Hong Kong.
"This experience gave us a chance to forget about our 'new normal' situation, and brought a smile to all of our faces," Jason's mom added. "It brought us closer as a family."
Jason's dad agreed. "Jason's diagnosis and journey have been a life-changing experience for our whole family," he said. "Going through the Make-A-Wish experience makes me want to be a better man and be a better example, not only for my family but for everyone."
Nicolas, 16
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
I wish to have a sidecar for my dad's motorcycle
The day Nicolas was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, his dad remembers how his own life switched immediately to a new focus. "I have to be there for him," Nicolas' dad said.
Nicolas and his family figured out ways to add a wheelchair into their lives, but there was something he missed ‒ the feel of riding a motorcycle. So he wished for a sidecar that could secure his wheelchair.
"I wanted this wish because I thought it could be a big family thing and I could hang out with my father more," Nicolas explains, "All three of us, it'd be like one big happy family."
Life changed for the entire family with the generosity of donors, volunteers and the innovation of a local sidecar shop that built a sidecar to safely carry Nicolas' wheelchair on his father's motorcycle.
With his newly restored freedom to ride, Nicolas is more upbeat than ever. Watch Nicolas ride.
Peter, 16
truncus arteriosis
I wish to visit the village where my father was born
An old Greek proverb says, "Live today, forget the past." Peter understands… but celebration to his past is also important to him. He feels a deep connection to his Greek heritage. And this leads him to Greece – to the village where his father was born – for his wish.
The locals say that Greece is an experience just as much as it's a country. Peter learns what they mean in all the sights and sounds. He visits the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, and other great Greek landmarks. But his wish is more than checking the sites off a list. He wished to go to Greece to connect with the land and the people; he wished to find the spirit of Greece, something that can't be found on any tour bus. He finds it in the people he meets at a three-day Greek wedding, and during a 12-hour snorkeling trip in the warm water.
This is everything he was looking for in his Make-A-Wish experience. Peter will live today, just like in the proverb, and he'll find his future with a heightened awareness of his heritage. Read Peter's wish story page here.
A collection of wish stories with dads for Father's Day.
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This story makes me feel
November 05, 2019
Ray S.
The week of June 2, you arranged for my granddaughter, Laura Grace, her brother and Dad to visit Nashville, Tenn. for the entire week.She has a terminal disease and this was a great gift to her. Thank you very much. I will continue to always support Make-A-Wish.
June 12, 2014 - 3:13 PM
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Fifa has announced the 10 nominees for the 2012 Puskas Award, a list of the top 10 "most beautiful" goals of the year.
The list was compiled by a panel of experts and members of Fifa's Football Committee, though the winner will be determined by a public vote.
The annual celebration of great goals contains the best strikes from around the world, and was won last year by Brazilian superstar Neymar.
The 20-year-old Santos ace is included once again this year, as is Lionel Messi for a sublime effort in Argentina's friendly with Brazil.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Former Chelsea youngster Miroslav Stoch also features, while Radamel Falcao, the in-demand Atletico Madrid striker, has a chance of glory thanks to his goal against America de Cali.
Strangely, Ben Arfa's goal for Newcastle wasn't even voted as the club's best of the previous campaign, with that accolade going to the Premier League goal of the season, Papiss Cisse's wonder-strike against Chelsea.
The award is named after Real Madrid and Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás, who tormented defenders the world over during the 1950s.
Fans are invited to vote for their favourite on the FIFA website, with the eventual winner being announced at the Ballon d'Or 2012 gala in January.


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Ernest J. Henley is the author of 'Separation Process Principles: Chemical and Biochemical Operations', published 2010 under ISBN 9780470481837 and ISBN 0470481838.[read more]
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Picnic Recipe: Raspberry Peach Bars
Makes 12
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2/3 cup raspberry jam
3 cups raspberries
3 cups sliced peaches
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Crumble topping:
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan; line with parchment.
2. Using a stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, salt and vanilla. Add 2 cups flour; mix until well combined.
3. Spread dough into bottom of prepared pan, pressing firmly with your hands.
4. Using an offset spatula, spread jam over dough.
5. In a bowl, combine berries, peaches, sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour and cornstarch. Gently toss, then distribute over crust.
6. Mix crumble ingredients, cutting butter into dry ingredients until the crumble is the consistency of peas. Sprinkle over fruit.
7. Place the pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Cool completely before slicing.
(Recipe courtesy "Heather Christo's Generous Table," Kyle Books, 2013)


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BW1542 6 Piece Sherwood Beauty CostumeRegular price $30.40
6 Piece Sherwood Beauty. Skirt with built in petticoat corset top with laced front and zippered back hat studded gauntlets.
(BW757 pantyhose BW225 bow and arrow sold separately). Poly bag packaging. Packaging dimensions (in): 15x10x2.
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IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain will perform "four or five songs" with his former PAT TRAVERS BAND bandmates Pat Travers and Peter "Mars" Cowling at The Classic Rock & Roll Party on Saturday, March 2 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Proceeds from the event will go to HomeSafe, a non-profit organization helping society's most vulnerable residents — victims of severe child abuse and domestic violence in Palm Beach County and South Florida.
Founded in 1979, HomeSafe provides comprehensive programs preventing new cases of family violence, protecting victims of child abuse and domestic violence, and preparing children and families for safer, more productive lives.
Through results-based programs and highly dedicated and qualified staff, HomeSafe has grown into a leading provider of prevention and intervention services. Each year, HomeSafe serves over fifteen thousand infants, children and families.
Learn more about HomeSafe at HelpHomeSafe.org.
McBrain recorded two albums with PAT TRAVERS BAND: "Makin' Magic" (1976) and "Putting It Straight" (1977).
An interview with Dan Shinder of Drum Talk TV in which McBrain talks about his participation in The Classic Rock & Roll Party can be seen below.


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Goddamnit kitkat, you make me look late
"It's only your virginity, loosen up!"
Martyk is a handsome fish.
This dolphin is delicious.
<Sgore> Martyk, mentally I always picture you as like, our forums bartender.<Neoadept> I've always pictured you trapped in a tuna net
I hope there's a sandbox mode where I can be all like:"BRUCE SPRINGSTEIN VS BOABAB TREE!""NINJA PIRATE VS PIRATE NINJA!""GIANT KITTEN VS MOHATMA GHANDI!"
That quote is actualy very witty, Celdur. I suggest you use that in your signature.
No, Mohatmah, hor however his name is spelt. It's Ghandi's first name silly.
Why don't people ever look things up aaaaaaaaaaaaa~
Yeah so, as I was saying:Quote from: /lurk on July 08, 2009, 03:02:16 pmWhy don't people ever look things up aaaaaaaaaaaaa~
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Just recently it has become "de riguer" to pack up in the UK and Ireland, buy a property in Crete then move to the sunnier Mediterranean climate of Greece and its biggest island, Crete. Inspired and encouraged by some of the dedicated TV programmes such as "No Going Back" and "A Place in the Sun", the British and the Irish have relocated in their thousands to warm and welcoming traditions. Did they all take good buying advice?
You will have noticed on many of the television series devoted to Living Abroad that they focus on those that encountered problems in their move to Greece and elsewhere. Here is also a reality check: for whatever reasons it is true that around the seventh year way from "home" Ex-Pats start to drift back to Britain and Ireland. That is a reality of living in Crete and Greece and elsewhere "abroad". Of course, there are many Britons and Irishmen who do not get the "seven year itch" and have left the British Isles, never to return, except to visit family and friends.
The point here is: Do not come on a holiday and then decide when you get back to the UK or your home country that you're going to sell up and move to Crete right away. Its not that simple. Living in Crete and being on Holiday are not the same thing. When you are on Holiday you don't have to work, your food is served to you and your bed is made, you get to lounge around the pool or the beach all day.
The reality is that life in Crete is pretty much like it is in the UK. Many of us under retirement age have to find work; you have to deal with folks who don't always speak English (although this is becoming more of a rarity now, but should not be expected) and you will also have to deal with the slower pace of life. When you're on holiday that isn't a problem, but when you live here, it can become frustrating!
If you decide that no matter what, Crete is for you, then your decision is to be applauded. What follows are some experiences of others who have already relocated to Crete. It is a kind of check list of important considerations regarding property purchase - the biggest decision you are likely to make. Brits in Crete team lists the experiences here in the hope that you will not make the mistakes that others have done.
The final idiosyncrasy is that for some unknown reason if a property owner has had his property on the market for a say a year or more and no-one has been to look at it, instead of adopting the obvious position and drop the price to glean some interest, he may do just the opposite, citing rising prices as the reason. A bizarre fact - but in keeping with the general local people's temperament.
Of course not all Real Estate Agents are out to sell you just anything. All are licensed. The great majority are law abiding and give good service, but there are a few bad apples and you should be aware of this when dealing with anyone regarding property in Crete. Ask for recommendations in the Brits in Crete Forum under the "Crete Real Estate" section. You'll sure to receive responses from those who have gone before along the same path. In addition, pay a visit to Crete property Uncovered.Com where many of Crete real estate agents are listed with experiences related by buyers - sometimes not the most complimentary comments.
Brits in Crete's own "buying advice" recommends you to purchase a property in Crete through the following agents for providing good customer service at all times.
Cretan Residencies(Agios Nikolaos)
Cretan-Homes (Makrigialos/Makriyialos)
Nikou Real Estate (Sissi/Sisi)
Buy and Sell (Aghios Nikolaos)
New Land Real Estate (Aghios Nikolaos)
Giakoumakis Real Estate and Property Developers (Malia)
(NB: This is not an exhaustive list and other agents have good reputation)
Most Important Advice of All
Based on countless experiences in moving to Greece, our final word of advice for you before you buy your dream property in Crete. Our most fervent advice is simply: RENT FIRST! Don't rush into any decision.
Our website has many useful pages for Brits and Irish ex-pats and anyone else who is seeking advice when buying a property in Greece. Check out, for instance:
The 8 Most Important Questions to Ask when buying a property
These are among many pages with advice on this site when buying a property on Crete including Buying Tips for Property when investing in land or a property in Crete
Have you checked out Crete Property Uncovered - a review and comment site on Crete's developers, builders and property agents?


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This facility is maintained to meet the program's laboratory needs in fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering, ocean engineering and groundwater hydrology. Specialized capabilities include: salinity intrusion measurement, dispersion and thermal plumes, and precise measurement of a complete range of flow parameters. Professor Joseph Cataldo is responsible for the development, direction and operation of this laboratory. This laboratory is used in CE 142, CE 361, CE 369, and by master's students for their research. It contains the following major items of equipment:
- Large flume, moving cradle, and wave-generation system
- Small flume for open channel flow experimentation
- Rotameters for flow measurement
- Venturimeters and weighing tanks
- A model lake, thermistors, specialized photography equipment, and PC's
- Holding tank, jet and velocity meters (hotwire)
- A laser anemometer used to determine velocity flow field patterns
Since the move to the new engineering building at 41 Cooper Square a few years ago, the scope of this laboratory has been enlarged to include green roof experiment, energy generation and improvement of flow pattern studies in both the lake and jet experiments.
A green roof consisting of grass, soil and geotextile layers was studied in the hydraulic laboratory. This roof was 4 x 2 feet with a 4 inch roof covering. A bare control roof with the same dimensions was also studied and compared to the green roof. A rain piping system supplied heated and cold water to the two roofs. Infrared photographs were taken of the roof as the simulated rain ran off both inclined roofs. Temperatures were measured by thermistors placed along the roofs at different positions. The discharge from the green roof showed larger temperature deviations compared to the control roof.
A grid system was devised to photograph the patterns existing from the jet into an ambient wave in the large flume. The jet Reynolds number, wave amplitudes and frequencies were varied to study the water jet interaction. The dyed jet clearly is distored by the wave and lags the waves maximum and minimum amplitudes. These experiments can be used to determine pollution mixing in tidal flow. Entrainment experiments in a buoyant flume were studied in the lake. By placing dye in the ambient receiving water and tracer particles, the movement of the flume and ambient water was photographed. The Densimetric Fraude number (F) of the discharge was varied by changing the temperature of the discharge. There were over 400 experiments conducted at seven different F to study the rate of entrained ambient water into the heated flume. A linear distribution was determined to exist for the value of the entrainment velocity as related to the location and F.
During the past 5 years, a series of experiments to generate energy in a stream/river environment have been conducted in the 27 foot flume. By confining the flow and introducing a downstream sill the flow will drop rapidly from a normal depth to a depth below the critical flow. This conversion from upstream pressure head to kinetic head is captured by a cross axis turbine. The energy was measured at the downstream contracted flow immediately downstream of the sill where the velocity is at a maximum. The energy is measured and recorded. Values as high as 20 watts have been measured in this flume.
The undergraduate Civil Engineering students conduct a series of hydraulic experiments in the hydraulic laboratory as a required element of CE 142 Water Resources Engineering. The students conduct experiments in pipe flow, the venture meter, turbulent/laminar flow, the hydraulic jump and pressure on gates. They determine velocities in the channel by the use of a pitot tube and construct flow nets around the gate. The students also conduct flow measurements in the laboratory jet experiment and trace the movement of a thermal plume in the lake model by the use of hot wire and laser anemometers, thermistors and dye trace photography. The thermal plume characteristics and measured in the new 14 feet long by 12 feet wide tank. This tank is equipped with thermistors to measure water and plume temperatures, hot wire anemometers to measure the water velocities, rotometers to measure inlet flows, an underwater camera to photograph water flow/dye patterns and an overhead camera to photograph streak lines. Over 60 probes can be sampled in less than one second and stored on the laboratory computer. A new laser (fiber optics) is being used to determine velocities in a neutrally buoyant jet. The position is varied in the X, Y, Z directions across the jet to study the jet velocities and re-circulations of ambient water and is recorded and processed in the computer. A hot wire anemometer and dye streak lines are also used to determine the jets dynamic behavior. The location of each data points can also be determined by the use of an X, Y, Z PM-counter (Mitritoyo).


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Mara Hoffman, Pamela Love Bona Drag Bridal Collection
Mara Hoffman, Pamela Love, and More Team With Bona Drag For Bridal Collection
Mara Hoffman, Pamela Love, and More Team With Bona Drag For Bridal Collection
For those who cringe at the very mention of traditional wedding garb, now there's this. Online boutique Bona Drag has partnered with indie favorites Mara Hoffman, Pamela Love, Lindsey Thornburg, Samantha Pleet, Anna Sheffield, Meredith Kahn, and more on what can only be described as the least fussy bridal collection around. Even the name, "Ceremonial Collection," underscores the capsule's unconventional nature.
"I've learned that when buying, a lot of customers take things very literally," Bona Drag founder Heather Wojner explained. "If it doesn't say 'bridal' then they assume it can't be just that. I wanted to help show our customers where they can bend the rules, and that they don't have to be a cookie-cutter bride."
To that end, the collection is filled with exclusive pieces that are pretty, yes, but also tinged with edge. A ring set from Unearthen, for example, comes adorned with raw quartz, while Anna Sheffield's solitaires are punctuated with pitch-black diamonds and onyx. Gowns, too, come in unexpected shapes and hues: there's a dress in gothic black lace from Lover, and Mara Hoffman (who recently designed pal Pamela Love's wedding dress) offers an intricately-beaded chiffon dress with a neckline so daringly low it would probably be considered quite le scandale in any regular church.
"It's only natural for my brand to collaborate with Bona Drag on exclusive ceremony gowns," Lindsey Thornburg — who created two reversible gowns for the collection — explained. "Bona Drag understands what our clientele wants to drape themselves in for all of life's cherished moments."
See the entire lookbook — photographed by Wojner and Mike Goelzer — here.


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Large Hot Rod Garage Thermometer designed to stand up to the outside elements!
We have developed the only four color process thermometer that will stand up to outside elements and look great indoors too! Using an original 1930's thermometer as inspiration, we carefully melded the simple style and imagery of the past with the state of the art production techniques of today to provide you with a truly "top notch" product that far exceeds the quality standards of any metal thermometer on the market today.
The secret is in our materials and coatings. We take extra time and expense of applying the most durable powdercoat finish that exists to provide a product that will stand up to the worst environmental conditions Mother Nature can throw at them. After which, our copyrighted images are carefully hand silk-screened one color at a time with the finest epoxy paints available. No other thermometers on the market can make these claims.
This outdoor thermometer will make a great gift!
Size: 17 in. tall x 4.5 in. wide.
PLEASE NOTE: 95% of orders ship within 3 to 5 business days plus transit time. Although we stock many signs, some signs must wait for production and our inventory changes daily.


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Stumptown Coffee vs. Starbucks, an Overview of 'Third-Wave Coffee'
Writer Josh Ozersky gives a quick primer on "third-wave coffee" in Time magazine, highlighting Stumptown Coffee, which many coffeehounds hold up as the leader in the movement. While it may taste better to beanheads, it's nowhere near becoming the next Starbucks, Ozersky says.
[Stumptown founder Duane] Sorenson, despite being famous for his dismissal of coffee infidels, takes a more diplomatic tack: "Starbucks laid the path. They made people aware. They offered better coffee in their time than was out there. But now there's far more specialty coffee out there today, and there will be even more so five years from now that will give the consumer—Midwest, West Coast, East Coast, wherever—a lot more options than Starbucks."
Stumptown Coffee—Let's Call a Spade A Spade Here »
The Original Starbucks at Pike Place Market and Trying Clover-Brewed Coffee »
The Changing Face of Starbucks—The History of the Logos Through the Years »
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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POPSUGAR Must Have Box For April Subscription
Don't Miss Out on the April POPSUGAR Must Have Box!
It may just be your lucky day — there's still time to order the POPSUGAR Must Have box in time to receive our April shipment! To get an idea of what the next POPSUGAR Must Have box might contain, check out some of our editors' favorite items from the past few months.
Sign up now to get our April box, full of our editors' picks for Spring in the world of fashion, beauty, food, and so much more. Find out more and sign up by checking out POPSUGAR Must Have; treat yourself or someone you love today!


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If you were adopted in Ontario — or if your child was placed for adoption — you can receive information from your birth and adoption records through ServiceOntario.
In the past this information was not available. But in May 2008, the Ontario legislature passed a new adoption information disclosure law called the Access to Adoption Records Act, 2008.
This new law gives adopted adults and birth parents more rights to information and privacy.
Adopted adults and birth parents can apply for information from birth and adoption records, if the adoption was registered in Ontario.
This information is called post-adoption birth information. It may include identifying information, like the original name of an adopted adult or the name of a birth parent.
With post-adoption birth information, adopted adults may be able to find out what their original names were, as well as the names of their birth parents. Birth parents may learn the name their child was given after he or she was adopted.
Adopted adults and birth parents also have the option to protect the privacy of their post-adoption birth information. Adopted adults and birth parents can:
Adopted persons, descendants of an adopted person, birth parents, adoptive parents and members of the birth family may also be eligible for other information and services, like:
Learn more
Five-Year Review of the Operation of Adoption Information Disclosure Provisions in Ontario, 2014
About Ontario's adoption information disclosure law: Access to Adoption Records Act, 2008
How to request information about an adoption you were involved in.


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Nea Funding, Tricky Touring Rules, Postal Rates, Arts Advocacy Day (03/25/08)
Arts Advocacy Day 2008
April 1 is national Arts Advocacy Day! The League is a cosponsor of this event, which unifies arts advocates who gather in Washington, D.C. and sets the stage for advocacy throughout the year. You can participate from home by writing to your member of Congress in support of the arts. On the League's Advocacy and Government web pages, learn about a range of issues that impact orchestras, from Arts Education funding to Cultural Exchange programs and tax policy. Click on any of the topics to find our latest issue briefs and key developments.
Remember, some of the most effective advocacy happens right at home, so be sure to note when your members of Congress are on recess and invite them to a performance or arts event.
Contact Congress On April 1
Congress to Consider NEA Funding
On the heels of last year's $20.3 million increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, Congress is set to consider the next funding level for the agency. NEA funding supports the work of orchestras in communities nationwide through direct grants, state allocations, and national initiatives. On April 1, the U.S. House of Representatives will kick off the NEA appropriations process with a hearing on the nation's largest annual funder of the arts. The League has submitted testimony for the record on behalf of orchestras, calling for an increase in the NEA's funding from $144.7 million to $176 million, which would restore the agency's budget to its 1992 level.
This year will bring a shorter-than-usual work period for Congress as it races to adjourn for the elections. Please stay tuned for League alerts notifying orchestras of targeted NEA advocacy opportunities.
Read League NEA Testimony
Draft Rules are Tricky for Touring
In the post-September 11 atmosphere of heightened security, touring orchestras have faced a number of potentially challenging new travel rules, from limits on carry-on items to restrictions on bows made of rare woods. Yet another rule under consideration could place a burden on orchestras touring internationally. In an effort to improve security at our nation's ports of entry, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing new, potentially cumbersome documentation requirements for all items shipped by cargo. While the draft rule would apply only to cargo shipped by sea-going vessels, DHS aims to eventually extend the rule to cargo shipped by air and ground. The League has submitted comments calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure that new rules will not hamper international cultural exchange.
Read League Comments to DHS
Nonprofit Postage Rates to Increase
The Postal Service has announced an increase in rates beginning May 12, 2008. Standard Mail Nonprofit Regular Flats will actually decrease by an average of 1.2%, which may provide relief to nonprofit organizations that experienced a substantial rate increase for flat mail in May 2007. While Standard Mail overall will increase modestly, the nonprofit subclass of standard mail will see a lower overall increase:
- Standard Mail Nonprofit Regular letters - 0.8% increase
- Standard Mail Nonprofit Regular flats - 1.2% decrease
- Nonprofit Periodicals - 2.7% increase
The League is a member of the American Arts Alliance, a coalition of national performing arts service organizations dedicated to advocating for national policies that recognize, enhance, and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America.


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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Traveling around the globe can make anyone fall ill, but men and women tend to differ in the types of illnesses they suffer, a new study finds.
In a study of almost 59,000 international travelers, researchers found that women were more likely than men to come down with bouts of diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems, colds, urinary tract infections and adverse reactions to medications, such as those taken to prevent malaria.
Men, meanwhile, had higher risks of fever, including from infections transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks or other such "vectors," such as malaria, dengue and rickettsia.
Men were also more likely than women to be treated for mountain sickness, frostbite or sexually transmitted diseases.
The findings offer travelers and travel-medicine specialists a clearer idea of how to prepare for international trips, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Patricia Schlagenhauf of the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
For example, they write, female travelers should be especially sure to bring anti-diarrheal medication. And while all travelers need advice on preventing mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria, the researchers note, men may need to pay particular attention to preventive measures, like frequently reapplying insect repellent.
The findings are based on data from 44 travel-medicine clinics throughout the world, all of which are part of a surveillance network designed to track travel-related ills and injuries. Schlagenhauf and her colleagues looked at records for 58,908 patients who visited those clinics between 1997 and 2007.
Of 29,643 women, one-quarter were treated for acute diarrhea, compared with 22 percent of men. When other factors were considered -- like the length and destination of the trip -- women were still anywhere from 13 percent to 39 percent more likely than men to seek treatment for diarrhea or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, which include diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain.
Just over 3 percent of men were treated for malaria, and roughly the same number sought treatment for dengue, which is also transmitted by mosquito. That compared with rates of 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, among women.
Overall, just over 17 percent of men had some type of fever-inducing illness, versus 11 percent of women.
The exact reasons for the sex difference are not clear. One possibility, according to the researchers, is that men make "more attractive hosts" to mosquitoes because the insects are lured by sweat. Excessive sweating also washes off insect repellent.
As for gastrointestinal ills, women may either be more susceptible to them, or they may be more likely than men to seek treatment for them, according to Schlagenhauf's team.
Just over 1 percent of men visited a travel clinic for a sexually transmitted disease, with men being one-third more likely than women to do so. Past research, Schlagenhauf and her colleagues note, has shown that men are more likely than women to have sex with someone they meet overseas.
"Safe sex advice is a missing component in most pre-travel practices," the researchers write, "and our study suggests that male travelers, in particular, would benefit from greater preventive efforts."
SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, March 15, 2010.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Again, my dogs are not allowed on the furniture.
Okay, they are.
I was afraid he would fall off backwards, so after the photo shoot, I woke Truman up.
iluvk9 wrote:We probably have the same training technique. None.
TheRedQueen wrote:My dogs are allowed on the furniture...and sometimes The Wiener will growl at John when he tries to take the good sleeping spot.
plebayo wrote:Seriously, Truman is a beast!
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While walking his dog, a man was hit by a car. His dog, Borg, who is a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog, barked in order to notify people that something was wrong. He also ran home to let the victim's wife know that Benny was hurt.
Borg's barking made such a scene that others noticed and called 911 once they saw Benny's body left on the street. Benny has an injured face and leg but he will make a full recovery.
Borg, man's best friend and now a hero too. Good boy!
Written by Ivanna Chetty.


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Nocturnal Wonderland Camping
Insomniac at San Manuel Amphitheater & Grounds
San Bernardino, CA
There are no tickets currently available.
Event Details
- A ticket to the concert (or your receipt if you are picking up from will call) is required to enter the campgrounds
- Two kinds of camping opportunities are available: Car camping and RV camping.
- Car camping spots are 20'x30' and have room enough for your car and one tent.
- RV spots can accommodate up to 42' RVs. Hookups are not available.
- Two-day camping pass: $75 (car/truck) and $125 (RV) - for Friday & Saturday night
- One-day camping pass: $50 (car/truck) and $100 (RV) – for Saturday night only
- Campers can check-in starting Friday, September 20 as early as 3pm, and can stay as late as 3PM on Sunday, September 22nd.
- Quiet time will be enforced from 2am - 8am each night.
- Underage use or possession of alcohol will not be tolerated.
- No illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia.
- No firearms or weapons of any kind.
- No fireworks, open fires, or charcoal grills. Propane grills are allowed.
- No large parties, kegs or binge drinking devices.
- Unauthorized vending of food or merchandise, including alcohol, is prohibited.
- Please obey all posted "No Trespassing" signs.
- Violation of any campground rule or policy may also lead to fines.
- Restrooms and showers for men and women will be available in the campground
- Fishing licenses are required to fish and must be purchased in advance via Walmart or Bass Pro Shops or other authorized store.
- Fishing hours are 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM
- There is an $8.00 fee to fish
- Swimming: the pool and waterslide are open from 10 AM to 7 PM
- Proper swimming attire is required.
- Frisbee Golf is available to campers (free of charge, but fans must bring their own golf disk)
- For more information, please call 909.880.6500
Camping Suggestions - What should I bring with me?
- A tent (you'd be surprised!)
- Clothing for all temperatures - the nights can be chilly.
- Sunscreen/sunblock.
- Fans can bring their own food and drink for the campground, although we do have some great food trucks and beverage stations
- Non-amplified (acoustic) musical instruments
- Your happy smiley face ready to have some fun.
Event Location
San Manuel Amphitheater & Grounds
2575 Glen Helen Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA, 92407
View 2575 Glen Helen Pkwy in a larger map


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Ben Fountain 's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (Ecco, 2012) is a brilliantly conceived first novel that takes place over the course of one day. It's the story of 19-year-old Billy Lynn, a member of Bravo Squad, a group of soldiers who, fresh from winning a firefight in Iraq that's made them media darlings, are brought back to the U.S. for two weeks for a "victory tour" that's intended to drum up support for the war. (Dime, their cynical sergeant, points out that they're only being sent to the swing states.) They're spending Thanksgiving Day at the Dallas Cowboys football game, and at halftime Bravo Squad is going to walk to the center of the football field and meet Beyoncé and the rest of Destiny's Child. The irony, sorrow, anger, and examples of cognitive dissonance that suffuse this novel make it one of the most moving and remarkable novels I've ever read.Here are two quotes that I'll never forget:
"…the Bravos speak from the high ground of experience. They are authentic. They are the Real. They have dealt much death and received much death and smelled it and held it and slopped through it in their boots, had it spattered on their clothes and tasted it in their mouths. That is their advantage, and given the masculine standard America has set for itself it is interesting how few actually qualify. Why we fight, yo, who is this we? Here in the chicken-hawk nation of blowhards and bluffers, Bravo always has the ace of blood up its sleeve."
And, when Billy is meeting the crème de la crème of Texas society (and their trophy wives), he thinks
"Special time with Bravo is just one of the multitude of pleasures available to them, and thinking about it makes Billy somewhat bitter. It's not that he's jealous so much as profoundly terrified. Dread of returning to Iraq equals the direst poverty, and that's how he feels right now, poor, like a shabby homeless kid suddenly thrust into the company of millionaires. Mortal fear is the ghetto of the human soul, to be free of it something like the psychic equivalent of inheriting a hundred million dollars. This is what he truly envies of these people, the luxury of terror as a talking point."
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The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes
|Wagner: TANNHƒUSER [Includes RealAudio Selections]
|Band 3
Act I: Shepherd Boy scene excerpt: "[Am hohen Fest der Gnad' und Huld in] Demut s¸hn' ich meine Schuld" ... "Der Wallfahrt wolle g¸n[stig] sein"
Carrie Bridewell (ms), Shepherd
Emil Gerh‰user (t), Tannh‰user
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra--Alfred
January 17, 1903
[Glackens 47; speed matches Band 4.]
At Tannh‰user's invocation of the Virgin Mary, the Venusberg has magically vanished, and he finds himself in a valley near the Wartburg, where a shepherd is piping and singing as pilgrims pass by. (Partway through this cylinder, Mapleson seems to have been fooling around with his apparatus, and the connection between his horn and diaphragm evidently became loose, resulting in a sharp loss of level, which, however, returns towards the end.)
[A Roma nel solenne] dÏ
io vo'implorare il tuo perdon!
Beato l'uom' che ognor gioÏ
di questo eterno eccelso don!
Gl¸ck auf! Gl¸ck auf nach Rom!
Betet fur meine arme Seele!
Allm‰cht'ger, dir sei Preis!
Gross [ dropout begins→ ] sind die Wunder deine Gnade!
Eterno, eccelso Crea[ ←dropout ends ]tor,
ricorre a te lo spirto anel;
sei speme tu del peccator,
deh! volgi un guardo a noi [dal ciel.]
In Rome on the holy day
I wish to implore Thy pardon!
Blessed the man who always enjoys
this eternal sublime gift!
Godspeed! Godspeed to Rome!
Pray for my poor soul!
Almighty, praise be Thine!
Great are the wonders of Thy grace!
Eternal, sublime Creator,
the panting spirit returns to Thee;
Thou art the hope of the sinner,
pray, turn Thy glance on us from heaven.


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Editor's note: CNN Contributor Bob Greene is a bestselling author whose 25 books include "Late Edition: A Love Story" and the novel "All Summer Long." He appears on "CNN Newsroom" Sundays during the 5 p.m. (ET) hour.
(CNN) -- The startling thing, in the long run, is not that the power went out and stayed out in so many parts of the United States during the week just ended.
The startling thing is what we so casually take for granted:
Flip a switch, and the lights in your home instantly blaze to life.
Turn a knob, and clean water comes rushing into your sink or bathtub.
Pick up a telephone, and you're talking with someone halfway across the country or halfway around the world.
News: Cold front expected to bring relief from heat, but also storms
Right now, the most pressing matter is to get the electricity back on in the places that are still without it. People are in despair; people have died. Fierce storms, along with near-record-high temperatures, combined during the final days of June and the first week of July to bring down multiple power systems and leave millions of people sweltering in the dark.
But once all is up and running again, it might be good to pause and think about how fragile all of our assumptions are.
For much of the time that the continental United States has been a part of the planet, few of the life-easing developments we nonchalantly take on faith seemed remotely possible.
Electricity? Running water? Air conditioning?
They were the stuff of science-fiction novels. Ours was a land mass of forests and rivers and deserts and plains, a tangled and disconnected tableau that disappeared from view with the blackness of night.
We -- not you and I, but our ancestors -- figured out how to change all that. By the time recent generations came along, everything seemed so endlessly convenient. The battle for civilization had been won.
Which is why a week like the one just past is such a sobering reminder that we are always just an unanticipated disaster away from a trip into the primitive America that existed before.
Doubt it? Ask your fellow citizens who waited and waited for someone to turn their lights back on last week.
News: Resilient West Virginians brave storms and their aftermath
In the blast-oven heat that stifled much of the nation in recent days, the absence of air conditioning felt anguishing. But that situation was, for most of America's history, so commonplace as to be unremarkable. Summers were for sweating, and for drawing the blinds, and for sleeping on porches. It wasn't until the 1920s that movie theaters featured early versions of air conditioners, which proved to be an enormous draw for the public who yearned to escape their broiling homes. Department stores in the 1930s lured customers by offering them a chilled-air respite from the scorching hours they spent in their houses.
News: Gadgets to help you survive a power outage
According to the Carrier Corp., the pioneering air-conditioning manufacturer, as late as 1960 few college buildings featured air conditioning, and virtually no elementary or high schools had it. Private residences? For the most part, they were the last to convert. Window units were available, but by 1965, according to Carrier, only one out of 10 U.S. homes had central air.
But when our daily lives change for the better, human nature lulls us into all but forgetting what preceded. We don't even question the marvelous advances that once seemed out of reach.
One of the funniest -- yet most perceptive and provocative -- news-conference questions I've ever been aware of was asked in the 1970s by Ron Powers, who was then the brilliant young television critic of the Chicago Sun-Times.
If memory serves, the event was some sort of press gathering organized by CBS to discuss the network's upcoming schedule. After the preliminary announcements, the floor was opened for questions. Many of the reporters in attendance asked about the stars of the new shows, and about ratings trends, and about programming decisions.
News: Use caution if you drive in extreme heat
Then Powers raised his hand, and asked:
"How do you make the pictures go through the air?"
As delightful as his telling of the story was back then, I thought of it again last week, in a much more serious context. How do the essential things in which we place our confidence really get done? And are we right to think we can forever count on them?
The uneasiness and fear when the power went out last week extended beyond the nuts and bolts of engineering; instead, it was almost primal.
It was a reminder of the unthinkable, of scenarios as potentially nightmarish as a sneak attack by foreign enemies.
It was an unwelcome premonition of things we don't even want to consider:
We flick the light switch, and nothing happens.
We twist the knob on the faucet, and nothing emerges.
We punch a number into the telephone, and hear only silence.
We turn on our computers, and are greeted by blankness.
And then, darkness falls.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.


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Vladyslava Torhonska
Designer, visualizer, 3d artist, artist, freelance, interior designer.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine
Welcome to the "CG AWARD UA" Architectural 3D visualization services page. This catalog contains the best specialists of Ukraine. You can order various services related to architectural 3D visualization. Each participant is selected by the administration of the Award and checked for compliance with the high quality standards of archviz industry. We also monitor the reputation of participants from this list, and in addition to the high quality of visualizations, we take into account positive and negative reviews about each of them.The following are the main types of services that you can order by the studios or freelancers presented in our catalog.
3D rendering of the interior
The biggest part of using three-dimensional graphics in combination with interior design. 3D visualization of the interior is an indispensable assistant to the designer and architect during the planning of work on the interior decoration of residential and office premises, repair, planning and redevelopment of any interior space.
3D rendering of the exterior
The use of 3D visualization of the exterior is the most objective and effective way in assessing the future architectural object. If you order visualization of the exterior, you will receive a virtual embodiment of the appearance of any architectural structures and forms.
3D modeling
The scope of this service is very extensive. In addition to using it in architectural visualization, it can be, for example, product modeling for your advertising catalogs, posters, banners, etc. Today, increasingly large global companies prefer 3D modeling to the services of photo or video studios.
3D animation
3D animation is the best way to create the most effective and efficient presentation of your architectural project. It can also help beautifully present your property. 3D animation allows you to effectively introduce your customers to any information in a clear and simple way.


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Italy Court Rejects Berlusconi Bid To Halt Tax Fraud Trial
A Milan court on Friday rejected a request from Silvio Berlusconi's lawyers to suspend a tax fraud trial involving the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset media group until after the February 24-25 election.
The 76-year-old former prime minister is appealing against a previous court ruling over the case on October 26, in which he was sentenced to four years in jail.
Berlusconi's lawyers had argued that his position as leader of a coalition running in the election represented a legitimate impediment to his appearing in court.
His lawyers had also argued that the case would interfere with the electoral campaign. The judges rejected both requests.
The center-right coalition has not yet chosen a candidate for the premiership and Berlusconi, who was prime minister four times, has said he will not stand again.
Berlusconi is also facing a trial on charges of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and a third trial for allegedly leaking a confidential phone call to the media.
Earlier this week Berlusconi's legal team failed to have the "Ruby" sex trial postponed. A final hearing of the closely watched case is scheduled for February 4, with a verdict likely to come before the vote.
The Mediaset tax fraud appeals trial started on Friday, and a verdict is unlikely to come any time soon. The next hearing is scheduled for January 25.
On Friday Berlusconi had the final hearing of the wiretap trial postponed until after the election.
In the parliamentary campaign, Berlusconi is leading a center-right coalition polling 26.3 percent against a center-left coalition on 37.5 percent.


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- Published in Communities in Action
JE T'AIME… MAYBE? A novelized romantic memoir from the Paris-based influential romance writer and Author of Je T'aime Me Neither, April Lily Heise
I love some Romantic Exclusive content. Who else here read the Je T'Aime Me Neither book and fell in love? I certainly did, but of course my first reaction after reading it was "Man, I wish I had this before I moved to Paris."


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Market News
|June 01, 2013
As Venture Capitalists Lose Interest in Clean Tech, Corporations Swoop In
|When the Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture firm The Westly Group raised a $160 million clean-tech fund earlier this spring, one thing stood out.
Pension funds and university endowments, traditionally among the largest investors in clean tech venture funds, were absent. But so-called "strategic investors" _ particularly large, multinational corporations based overseas _ were in. Of the 50 investors in the fund, the three largest were corporations: banking giant Citigroup Inc., the German utility E.ON and the SK Group of South Korea.
"Corporate investors understand how large this market is," Steve Westly, the firm's founder and managing partner, said in an interview.
For Silicon Valley's clean-tech industry, the expanding role played by corporate investors is critical. The venture capital industry is shrinking, and high-profile blowups such as the bankruptcy of solar manufacturer Solyndra and the troubles of electric automaker Fisker Automotive have led some venture capitalists to sour on clean tech. Corporate investors, from leading energy companies to the nation's biggest banks, are filling the void and providing young companies cash, connections and confidence.
Earlier this month, San Mateo, Calif.-based SolarCity, a leading installer of rooftop solar systems, announced that Goldman Sachs was financing $500 million worth of lease agreements, the largest single financing agreement for rooftop solar in the nation.
"As the VC support has wavered, a lot of strategics (corporate investors) have stepped in," said Ben Kallo, a clean-tech analyst with Robert W. Baird. "It always looks good to have a big brand-name company invest in you. A strategic can bring their contacts in the industry to the startup, and those contacts are invaluable."
Global clean technology venture investment plunged 33 percent from 2011 to 2012, from $9.61 billion to $6.46 billion, according to the Cleantech Group, a San Francisco-based research and consulting firm. Its preliminary figures for the first quarter of this year show a nearly 30 percent drop from the $1.5 billion raised in the fourth quarter of 2012.
But corporate investment in clean tech is helping fill the gap: Of the $6.46 billion invested in 2012, $2.7 billion included corporate participation. That's up from $1.7 billion invested in 2006 and $2.55 billion in 2010, according to the Cleantech Group.
Some corporations are investing in traditional venture capital funds. Others, including General Electric, Google and Shell, have created their own venture arms. Several corporations have joined forces to look for new investment opportunities, while others have made direct investments in clean-tech startups with an eye toward acquisition down the road.
Among the dominant players in the field of corporate clean-tech investing are ABB, the Swiss company that helps build the world's power grids; Siemens, the German engineering conglomerate; and Schneider Electric, which specializes in energy management.
BuildingIQ, a San Mateo software company whose mission is to make commercial buildings more energy efficient, raised $9 million in January from three investors: Aster Capital, a leading corporate venture firm sponsored by Alstom, Schneider Electric and Solvay; the venture capital unit of Siemens Financial Services; and Paladin Capital.
"We're much better off than if we'd raised traditional VC money alone," said BuildingIQ CEO Mike Zimmerman, who used to be a venture capitalist. "For clean tech, there's a realization that the corporate investor has a real value-add. For what we do, success is all about customers and distribution."
The trend of corporate investment cuts across several clean tech sectors, from biofuels to batteries. St. Louis-based Monsanto, a leading producer of genetically engineered seeds and chemicals such as the herbicide Roundup, made an equity investment of an undisclosed sum in Sapphire Energy, a San Diego-based maker of algae-based biofuels. General Motors is an investor in Envia Systems, a startup based in Newark, Calif., that's working on batteries for electric cars.
Google Ventures, an independent fund financed by Google, has invested in several clean-energy companies, including Palo Alto, Calif.-based Nest, which makes learning thermostats, and Redwood City, Calif.-based Silver Spring Networks, a leading smart grid company that celebrated its IPO in March.
"As long as the traditional venture firms remain constrained, it's a great time for corporates with cash to do some deals," said Sheeraz Haji of the Cleantech Group. "Corporates are really interested in startups, and startups want corporates to participate. The interest is really high on both sides."
When Oakland, Calif.-based BrightSource Energy raised more than $80 million in October, the leading investor was Alstom, the French power conglomerate. BrightSource and Alstom have now formed a partnership to construct a 121-megawatt solar thermal power plant in Israel.
In January, MidAmerican Solar, a subsidiary of billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, stepped in and bought San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower's solar farm being built on 3,200 acres in Southern California.
ABB, based in Zurich, is one of the world's largest builders of power substations and transformers, key components of the electric grid. The company invested $20 million in Trilliant, a Redwood City-based smart grid startup. It recently announced plans to acquire Power-One, a Southern California company that makes inverters that convert solar energy to electricity, for $1 billion. Earlier this month, ABB agreed to buy Los Gatos Research, a 40-person company that makes gas analyzers used in research and environmental monitoring.
"We don't have the same criteria as a typical Silicon Valley VC," said Allen Burchett, senior vice president of business development for ABB North America. "We're looking at the long-term technology play. It could be an equity investment, an acquisition, a partnership, a licensing agreement."
Burchett said the landscape has changed significantly. Five years ago, clean tech startups tended to shy away from corporate investors.
"In 2007 and 2008, a lot of startups didn't want to align with a corporate because it implied an acquisition," he said. "They just wanted to talk to the VCs. But that's changed. We get earlier calls now and earlier invitations to participate in funding rounds."


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On April 17 at the Boston Museum of Science, 22 teachers from around Massachusetts were recognized in the second annual Mass Insight Education awards for excellence.
The awards are supported in part by Partners in Excellence, a collective of individuals and organizations committed to supporting STEM education. The educators recognized represent AP programs in math, science, and English around the state.
To see the full list of winners and learn more about the awards, please visit:
Mass Insight Education Announces Partners in Excellence Teacher Award Winners
Congratulations to all of these fine educators!
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Hiring is about "Job-Fit". Hiring new staff who don't fit the job is costly and time consuming. More
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Award Winning Post DWI Attorneys
#1 Goal is a DISMISSAL or REDUCTION
Est. 1989
Post DWI Attorneys Dunham & Jones handles DWI, DUI, BWI cases in Garza County and throughout all of Texas. Their #1 Goal is a DISMISSAL or REDUCTION. Call Dunham & Jones today and speak with one of the Post DWI lawyers to find out how they can help you with your DWI/DUI/BWI. Dunham & Jones was Voted Best DWI Lawyers.
You only have 15 days from the date of your arrest for DWI in Garza County, Texas to request an administrative hearing about your driver's license. If you do not, your driver's license will be automatically suspended. For immediate help, contact the Post DWI Attorneys at Dunham & Jones at 888-630-8030.


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Applications are currently being accepted for the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant for projected 2014 funding of the program. The RBEG program provides grants for rural projects that finance and facilitate development of small and emerging rural businesses, help fund distance learning networks, and help fund employment related adult education programs.
To assist with business development, RBEGs may fund a broad array of activities.
The deadline to submit RBEG applications in Georgia has been set for March 10.
Although a notice of funds availability has not been issued for this program at this time, applications are now being accepted due to the need to be prepared for selecting and obligating projects in anticipation of 2014 funding.
In years past, RBEG state allocated funds were due to be obligated by June 30 of the year of application.
Rural public entities (towns, communities, state agencies, and authorities), Indian tribes and rural private non-profit corporations are eligible to apply for funding.
At least 51 percent of the outstanding interest in any project must have membership or be owned by U.S. citizens or resident aliens.
Applicants should contact their USDA Rural Development Area Office for information and to apply.
A contact list of Georgia Rural Development RBEG team members by area office is posted online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/ga-bp-rbeg-teamlist2014.pdf.


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Ultrasonic Sensing for More Accurate and Precise Water Flow Meters
Ultrasonic sensing techniques have been popular in smart water meters because the technology avoids any moving parts which are prone to degrade over the lifetime of the product. The MSP430FR6047 microcontroller (MCU) family takes ultrasonic sensing solutions to next level of performance delivering <25ps of accuracy, detection of low flow rates <1 liter/hour and high precision of <5ps.
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Ultrasonic Sensing with the PGA460-Q1
TI's PGA460-Q1 is the industry's most flexible ultrasonic sensor. It supports wide distance detection range at low power, enabling automotive park assist and industrial applications.


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PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved the company's pending acquisition of the privately held Actavis Group.
"Approval from the EC represents a significant milestone as we work toward the completion of the combination of Watson and Actavis later this year," said Paul Bisaro, Watson's President and CEO.
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval in the United States from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Watson continues to expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2012.
About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an integrated global specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of generic pharmaceuticals and specialized branded pharmaceutical products focused on Urology and Women's Health. The Company is also developing biosimilar products in Women's Health and Oncology. Additionally, Watson distributes generic and branded pharmaceuticals through its Anda, Inc. distribution business. Watson has operations in many of the world's established and growing international markets.
For press release and other company information, visit Watson Pharmaceuticals' Web site at http://www.watson.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Any statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Watson's current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Watson disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Watson's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Watson's business. These factors include, among others, the uncertainty associated with the successful consummation and subsequent integration of the Actavis acquisition and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of the Actavis acquisition; the receipt of required regulatory approvals for the Actavis acquisition transaction, including the approval of the FTC, necessary to complete the acquisition; risks of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Watson's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Watson's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2012 and Watson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2011.
Lisa DeFrancesco
(862) 261-7152
Charlie Mayr
(862) 261-8030
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100121/LA41294LOGO )
SOURCE Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


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William Rider had never seen the young stranger standing in his office doorway. But as a Vietnam veteran who'd spent decades helping himself and other vets struggling with psychological injuries, he knew that face.
"I saw a look in his face like terror. He didn't know what he was going to say or if he was going to be judged," says Mr. Rider, who cofounded American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW), a volunteer group that counsels and advocates for combat vets diagnosed with psychological injuries. "He sat down and started telling us about his combat trauma and he was there for over four hours.... He's been coming back ever since."
Using veterans who have recovered from psychological injuries to help others through the healing process is a novel, even a controversial approach. But there's growing evidence of its effectiveness, and it's now gaining greater acceptance in the US and abroad.
The approach is both simple and profound: Providing a safe, nonjudgmental place where someone who's "been there" can simply listen.
"There is this enormous chasm of understanding between people who have been to war and civilians," says Jonathan Shay, an author and psychiatrist who treated psychological injuries during a 20-year career with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Rider's group is one of many formal and informal government and civilian efforts helping a new and growing generation of veterans recover from psychological injuries that disrupt their lives and, at a growing rate, end them.
ACVOW's 20 volunteers lend an empathetic ear for hours on end; pull veterans on the brink out of bars, jails, or fights at home; and give briefings to groups returning from war. As fellow warriors, ACVOW members believe they can earn the trust of troubled young veterans who are wary of civilian care providers and convince them to get help.
One concern is that without such help, today's combat veterans might experience the difficulties that continue to trouble many Vietnam vets.
Army suicides hit record in 2007
Last year saw the highest rate of suicide among soldiers on record, according to Army data. That year also saw rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosed by the Army jump 50 percent. There have been 172 suicides among all branches of active-duty military while they were assigned to operations in Iraq or Afghanistan as of May 3, according to the Department of Defense.
The Department of Veterans Affairs counted 144 suicides among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars being helped within the VA system. But that count is only through 2005, and there is no nationwide tracking of suicides among all veterans.
More than 35,000 troops who served in those wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, says the Office of the Surgeon General (see chart). But a RAND Corp. report estimates that some 300,000 of them are experiencing PTSD or major depression, both considered factors in suicide. RAND reports that another 320,000 may have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), usually caused by an explosion and associated with memory loss and personality changes.
Repeated and extended deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are driving psychological injuries upward, say military and civilian doctors, despite a spectrum of new government programs aimed at preventing and treating them.
With the advent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army started programs to teach soldiers how to identify signs of PTSD, prepare mentally for combat, and remove the stigma of seeking help.
The VA recently announced the creation of a panel to advise the agency on improving its suicide-prevention effort. Last year it created positions at each VA medical center to oversee suicide prevention and started a suicide hot line.
There is also research involving new treatments. At the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Cmdr. Scott Johnston, director for clinical research, just completed a three-year study using virtual-reality technology to help veterans overcome fear, anxiety, and flashbacks. After five to 10 weeks of treatment, 80 percent of the participants no longer had PTSD symptoms.
But for some vets struggling to overcome psychological injuries, an important element of treatment involves their peers. The Canadian government and the United Kingdom's Royal Marines have both adopted programs based on veterans helping other veterans with psychological injuries. In the US, informal veterans groups are providing similar services.
"It's not that credentialed professionals have no role," says Dr. Shay, who won a MacArthur Foundation grant for his treatment of Vietnam veterans diagnosed with combat trauma. "It's that they don't belong on center stage."
ACVOW's volunteers, who work from a tiny room in the La Jolla VA hospital as well as a facility on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base in San Diego, use their own money and some modest donations along with their credibility as combat veterans to help the new generation address psychological injuries and navigate the VA system. They see firsthand the cost of shortfalls in the mental-health care system.
"What we're seeing is marines committing suicide by motorcycle, or car," or by forcing police to shoot them, says Rider. "They are fed up with the fact they can't get some peace and quiet in their head."
ACVOW formed in 2001. Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many veterans of past wars reported troubling flashbacks.
"They were coming out of the woodwork," says Michael Sloan, a cofounder of the group. These days the La Jolla office is usually bustling with young men dropping by, cautiously looking for help.
How one marine got help
Josh, the Marine reservist who appeared at ACVOW's door at the La Jolla VA hospital and asked that his last name not be used, says he found what he was looking for – people who "get it."
The regular group meetings held by ACVOW got him through the week, he says. The group's office was also a place he could vent his anger. Fellow vets were there for him when he hit bottom in April.
As Josh tells it, he and his wife were arguing again, a new development in their relationship since he returned from Iraq in October 2006, and something snapped. His wife called the police, and he found himself in jail on several charges including domestic violence.
When Rider heard Josh was arrested, he contacted an officer in charge of the jail and explained Josh's injuries. "I guess I made an impression because after that they were all very nice to him and understanding. I do that because I know Josh would not tell them," says Rider. "Josh didn't do this because he's a bad person. He did this because he has combat stress and TBI."
Josh and his wife have separated, but hope for reconciliation is still in the air. Anger, distrust and sadness still course through him, he says, but lately he's been a little more at peace.
"He is 100 times more calm than a month ago," says Tim Jordan, a Gulf War veteran and ACVOW volunteer who started the group meetings that Josh regularly attends.
Last month, Josh and a Marine Corps buddy took the first steps to start a company they hope will be able to employ veterans and use its profits for charitable veterans causes. For now, Josh is living at the VA hospital, but he hopes to become one of ACVOW's volunteers. "It's like I need to find a new mission," he says. Being part of helping other veterans, "That's kept me more sane than anything."
It's a feeling Rider and the other ACVOW volunteers understand well. Rider is a decorated veteran of the infamous 1st Battalion, 9th Marines that suffered many casualties in Vietnam.
Both grateful and tormented for surviving war, he views the work today as a kind of penance and a duty. "It's like a balm that you put on the soul," he says.


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MANCHESTER — The Dover High school boys basketball team won its third straight Division I game, taking down Manchester West on the road Tuesday, 71-53.
The Green Wave (6-3) jumped out to a 17-3 lead after one quarter and led 37-25 at the half. They used a 21-10 run in the third to put the game away.
Billy Carroll led three players in double figures with 18 points, Phil Boyatsis added 17 and Josh Cote tossed in 10.
That sets up Thursday's big rival game with 9-1 Spaulding in Dover. West is 1-8.
Spaulding 76, Concord 65
CONCORD — The Spaulding boys basketball team improved to 9-1 in Division I with Tuesday's 76-65 win at Concord. Dominic Paradis and Nick MacGregor led the Red Raiders with 19 points each, while Seth Fogg fired in 17.
The Red Raider led 51-28 after three quarters, but the Crimson Tide (1-9) exploded for 37 points in the fourth quarter to make it interesting.
Spaulding plays at rival Dover Thursday.
Bishop Brady 62, St. Thomas 40
CONCORD — The St. Thomas Aquinas boys basketball team lost at Bishop Brady Tuesday in D-II action, 62-40.
The Saints (3-6) were led by Schuyler Hedberg with 14 points and Jon Nartiff added 13.
St. Thomas plays at Windham Friday. Brady is 6-2.
Gorham 47, Marshwood 31
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — The Marshwood boys basketball team fell 47-31 to Gorham on Tuesday night in Western Maine Class A. Both teams are 6-9. Danny Veino led Marshwood with 11 points and Brady Innes scored 10.
Marshwood is at Kennebunk on Friday.
York 67, Traip 34
YORK, Maine — The Traip boys fell to 5-10 with Tuesday's 67-34 loss at Class B York (14-1).
Christian Montembeau led the Rangers with 11 points.
St. Thomas 62, Manchester West 19
DOVER — The St. Thomas Aquinas High School girls basketball team was a 62-19 winner over Manchester West (0-11) on Tuesday in Division II action.
Brenna Chrisom led the Saints (5-6) with 12 points while Mariah Desmarais added 10 and Meaghan Flynn nine.
St. Thomas returns to action Friday at home against Windham.
Somersworth 65, Farmington 42
FARMINGTON — The Somersworth girls basketball team rolled past Farmington in Division III on Tuesday night by a score of 65-42.
Rachel Hill led the Hilltoppers (9-3) with 24 points. For Farmington (7-6), Ashley Lambert led the way with 13 points and Shannon Cardinal scored nine points with nine rebounds. Farmington visits Sanborn on Thursday while Somersworth hosts Campbell on Friday.
Gorham 62, Marshwood 35
GORHAM, Maine — The Marshwood girls basketball team fell 62-35 at Gorham (9-6) on Tuesday in Western Maine Class A.
Abby Hyson led the Hawks (6-9), which saw 10 of its 11 players score.
Marshwood is home on Friday against Kennebunk.
Pittsfield 58, Nute 39
MILTON — The Nute girls basketball team fell 58-39 at home against Pittsfield (10-3) in Division IV action on Tuesday.
Abby Flanagan and Erin St. Lawrence each scored eight points for Nute (3-8), which hosts Derryfield tonight.
Marshwood girls take first
BRIDGTON, Maine — The Marshwood girls alpine ski team took first place during a Southern Maine Activities Association/Western Maine Conference crossover giant slalom race Monday night at Shawnee Peak. The girls led with 26 points followed by Yarmouth 33, Kennebunk 45, and Cape Elizabeth 57. Scoring for Marshwood were Sophia Syrene (1st), Riley Wilber (6th), Brittany Bossi (9th), and Maggie Dowd (10th).
The Marshwood boys alpine team came in third place in the giant slalom race with 35 points, finishing behind Cape Elizabeth 20 and Yarmouth 24. Kennebunk finished fourth with 77 points. Scoring for Marshwood were Jason Beland (5th), Dakota Greenblatt (6th), Hayden Pearson (11th), and Kyle Claus (13th).
The Hawk's will compete this Friday evening at Shawnee Peak in a giant slalom race.


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Visitors seeking an over-the-top ultra-luxury wine country experience would best steer clear of idyllic, slow Sonoma Valley. Sure, doublewide tractors grace the two-lane Highway 12, wide-open ranchlands blanket the valley between towns, and wooly sheep keep weeds and grasses minimal in the vineyards. But no doubt you will also find countless award-winning wineries and world-class restaurants throughout all of Sonoma. Living in Sonoma Valley is all about life, about taste and enjoying each day. "Sonomans" are very proud of their heritage and their town. Excellence is what they do … it's just done in blue jeans.
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Flightless birds have long been curiosities, and our fascination with earth-bound avians may stem from their contradictory nature. To most people, birds are synonymous with flight. Their swift, swooping forms inspired everyone from Leonardo da Vinci to the Wright Brothers. Yet, for dozens of avian species, flight is an untenable proposition.
The evolutionary history of flightlessness in ostriches, emus, and their kin—a group called ratites—was thought to be well understood. But a new genetic study released September 1 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has turned this text-book evolutionary lineage upside down. Previous studies that examined bones concluded the ancestors of ostriches, emus, and other ratites lost the ability to fly early on and were carried to their present, broadly scattered homes by drifting continents. But the new study refutes this proposal, instead indicating that ancestral ratites traveled the world on their wings before losing the ability to fly no fewer than three times.
Ratites are a diverse and widely distributed group. Members can be found across Africa, Australia, South America and, until recently, New Zealand and Madagascar. Until now, most scientists thought they shared a common, flightless ancestor. But early theorists could not solve one nagging problem: How could a flightless bird disperse throughout the southern hemisphere? It wasn't until the 20th Century before they found a solution: continental drift. The far-flung landmasses that ratites call home share a common origin––the supercontinent Gondwana. According to the prevailing model, ancestral ostriches, emus, and others were simply unwitting passengers aboard post-Gondwanan continental ocean liners.
The paper's authors were able to sink the accepted model by using an unprecedented amount of genetic information. Researchers whisked over 23,000 letters of genetic code from ten ratites and four control species through advanced statistical programs. The result was a family tree in which ratites have many ancestors, not one as previously suspected.
But that wasn't the only surprise lurking in the new tree. Tinamous, South American ground-dwellers similar to quails, were thought to be distantly related to ratites, despite their ability to fly. The new study obliterates that distant kinship and places tinamous smack in the middle of the family.
Such reshuffling of the taxonomic deck may seem academic, but tinamous' new standing could imply that flight re-evolved in this lineage, a controversial possibility. The authors are quick to point out that it is an unlikely scenario, but raise the prospect nonetheless.
The new PNAS paper grew out of a landmark study of birds published on June 27, 2008, in Science. That study used a superset of the data used in this paper, examining 32,000 bits of genetic information from 169 species. It yielded surprising findings. Falcons are not closely related hawks and eagles, but rather share a genetic bond with parrots. Grebes, a species of diving bird, has more DNA in common with flashy pink flamingoes than their previous kin on the tree, loons. The ratite branch was another curiosity of the first paper, and this new study further dissects the finding.
PNAS, 2008. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803242105