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I've gotten a series of e-mails from Kim Dotcom these past few days. That's not as unusual as you might expect: despite being the defendant in an international criminal copyright case and founder of the infamous new file-sharing site Mega, Dotcom takes plenty of time to reach out to us press people.
But these latest e-mails weren't from the real Dotcom. As the larger-than-life businessman launched his new venture, someone impersonating Dotcom was trying to trick the press into writing about a supposed New Zealand government plan to shut Mega down.
The idea of a government taking over Mega's domain is plausible enough. After all, it happened to Megaupload one year ago, and the government of the African country Gabon pulled the plug on Mega's original domain ("Me.ga") before Dotcom shifted over to using Mega.co.nz.
Right after Gabon suspended Dotcom's use of the Me.ga domain name, a group calling itself "Omega" took that website over. As we reported in November, Omega claimed that Dotcom offered it 1 percent of his new company in exchange for the domain, but that it instead planned to sell to Dotcom's "enemies" for a purchase price of millions of dollars—or bitcoins.
This Omega group is back and still looking for money in exchange for a domain name, which they claim will go toward the legal defense of people like Bradley Manning, Jeremy Hammond, Barrett Brown, and Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer. They want $1 million for Mega.co, perhaps thinking either Dotcom or a rival might buy it from them.
But the impersonation part of this scheme seems more like a clumsy prank than a serious scamming operation.
The e-mails
The first e-mail I got from this imaginary version of "Kim Dotcom" came Saturday afternoon:
Hi Jon,
I was told by a source in the NZ governement [sic] that they were seriously envisaging pulling the plug on Mega.co.nz. We don't want another Me.ga fiasco. Good news is we have a better and safer domain name which we will be revealing when the countdown is over and that's Mega.co.
Please do not leak this information until the very end of the countdown, we are still shifting from Mega.co.nz to Mega.co.
The e-mail came with a long legal disclaimer, amusingly claiming copyright over its contents:
This email and all rights associated with it are the property of Kim Dotcom. It contains material for which legal professional privilege is claimed. The contents of this email may not be examined, removed or reproduced without my express written permission by Kim Dotcom. The information contained in this e-mail message and any accompanying files is or may be confidential. It is intended only for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, reliance, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail or any attached files is unauthorised. This e-mail is subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or communicated without the written consent of the copyright owner. If you have received this e-mail in error please advise the sender immediately by return e-mail or telephone and delete all copies. Kim Dotcom does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this e-mail or attached files. Internet communications are not secure, therefore Kim Dotcom does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message or attached files.
The e-mail itself came from "email@example.com," which happens to be one letter off Dotcom's real e-mail address of "firstname.lastname@example.com." We don't know who sent this e-mail, but it was clear whoever did wanted us to navigate to Mega.co. There I found a webpage devoted to Omega, along with a message saying, "We will soon be auctionning [sic] Mega.co at Flippa.com to fund The Omega Project and the WWW.TF."
Www.tf describes itself as "a fund for those heroes of the Internet in the net of justice." The goal is apparently raising money for WikiLeaks leaker Bradley Manning, former Anonymous spokesperson Barrett Brown, alleged Stratfor hacker Jeremy Hammond, and convicted hacker Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer.
That e-mail from "Kim Dotcom" was likely a ploy to gain attention for this effort to sell off Mega.co. Omega's auction asks for a starting bid of $1 million. While there are zero bids thus far, Omega touts the attractiveness of the domain name, saying "Are you a 500 company, an advertising company, a lobby with a grief or a file hosting service with a terrible domain name? Mega.co is for you!"
Omega also talks up .co, a top-level Internet domain assigned to Colombia, noting that .co addresses are used by Twitter, Google, and Amazon for short URLs. Its owners are keen on the idea that Mega.co will catch a lot of traffic from people intending to go to Kim Dotcom's real Mega service. Their auction page claims that one of Dotcom's associates told them, "I think that mega.co is not such a bad idea at all, maybe not as the primary domain, but surely to catch type-in traffic that omits .nz."
Mega.co most recently changed owners in December 2012, but the ownership information is private.
Dotcom's Mega.co.nz went online without a hitch, at least without any visible government interference. Dotcom himself has expressed confidence that his new site is bulletproof. But the shadow effort to impersonate Dotcom and convince reporters that the new site was under attack continued. A Twitter account called @Megadotco representing the Mega.co website sprung up, which I followed yesterday, not initially realizing the connection between this Twitter account and the e-mail I received.
This morning, the account sent me an urgent direct message on Twitter: "Hi Jon, Kim wants to speak you regarding a certain delicate matter, [Jon's e-mail address] is your email right?"
I wrote back: "Yes it is," and soon got another message in my inbox from firstname.lastname@example.com:
Hi Jon,
So here's a thing: We fear that Mega.co.nz is going to be suspended thus very soon, it was confirmed by a source of ours in the NZ gov.
To avoid another Me.ga fiasco we were planning on unveiling our new domain name Mega.co on the day of the launch — a shorter, better and safer choice, but the domain was hacked by none other than the same people who hacked into Me.ga. They redirected it to their website where they say they plan on selling the domain via Flippa.com.
We need to stop these people and we believe you could help us.
"How can I help?" I replied, playing along. "Tell the story!" the response came back.
The exchange with a Kim Dotcom impersonator was too strange not to write about, even if we are playing into their hands to some extent by telling the story. I wrote one final message this afternoon to "Kim," asking for information about the fundraising effort and why they decided to impersonate Dotcom in order to get the word out. I haven't heard back yet.
I also sent the real Dotcom messages via e-mail and Twitter. One of his colleagues replied that the messages were "not from Kim, I can assure you." I didn't hear from Kim himself—it turns out the real Dotcom is occasionally too busy to talk to reporters.


text: If you are on the staff or Board of a local United Way in Texas and have an update for your United Way that you would like to tell UWT about (ex. new phone number, address, staff contact information, news item, etc.), please enter it below. Thank you for helping keep us up to date!

subset: commoncrawl


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Near the star Rho Ophiuchi, there are thick cosmic dust clouds from which new suns are born. While the vast majority of particles in the clouds are hydrogen, a newly discovered molecule could explain where water came from.
Specifically, astronomers at the European Southern Observatory have found evidence for hydrogen peroxide in those cosmic clouds. Using the APEX telescope, the astronomers detected light signatures that could only originate from trace amounts of this compound, which on Earth is used as a disinfectant and as a hair bleach.
This particular compound is important because its chemical formula is H2O2, which means it's just one water molecule combined with an extra oxygen atom. In fact, this discovery may help explain why we seldom find lone oxygen atoms in places like these space clouds. Moreover, the formation of hydrogen peroxide almost always involves the presence of those two, so its discovery in the dust clouds suggests a possible cosmic origin for the water we drink and the oxygen we breathe today.
Astronomer Per Bergman explains:
"We were really excited to discover the signatures of hydrogen peroxide with APEX. We knew from laboratory experiments which wavelengths to look for, but the amount of hydrogen peroxide in the cloud is just one molecule for every ten billion hydrogen molecules, so the detection required very careful observations. We don't understand yet how some of the most important molecules here on Earth are made in space. But our discovery of hydrogen peroxide with APEX seems to be showing us that cosmic dust is the missing ingredient in the process.
There's still a lot we don't know about water and oxygen's origins - but its definitely looking like we wouldn't even exist without a whole heap of cosmic dust clouds.
Via Astronomy and Astrophysics.


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Queens Of The Stone Age | 13/01/11
The big news today is that Domino has joined forces with Queens of the Stone Age front-man, Joshua Homme's Rekords Rekords label, marketing, promoting and distributing select titles from their impressive catalogue. The first title will be the seminal eponymous debut album from Queens of the Stone Age, which we will be reissuing on March 7th 2011. Excited is not really the word to describe how we feel about this newly forged working relationship.
As well as releasing the debut Queens of the Stone Age record, Domino will also be releasing some very special Rekords Rekords albums from Mini Mansions and Alain Johannes in May, which we're absolutely dying to tell you about, but which will have to wait for the time being.
Anyway, let's go back to the beginning. Queens of the Stone Age's debut self titled album was the one that really set things in motion for the band who would go on to be recognized for rejuvenating rock music at the turn of the new millennium. Having cut his teeth as the guitarist in the criminally overlooked, highly influential Kyuss, a group who specialized in creating sludgy low-end epics, Josh Homme upped and left the California Desert for the Pacific Northwest. It was here he formed Gamma Ray, later to be known as Queens of the Stone Age, where hooks and tighter song structure took precedent in his creative output.
On returning to his old stomping grounds Homme hooked up with Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez to record as a fake trio (bass player "Carlo Von Sexron" is a nom-de-boom for Homme) and Queens of the Stone Age effectively came into full bloom. Without slipping into total hyperbole, which in this instance we're finding is very hard not to do, this reissue documents the beginnings of something truly special, with Homme introducing the world to his smooth, totally unique vocal stylings, as well as his killer way with a melody. One of the most incredible things about this record is how overlooked it was by radio at the time of it's release, especially taking into consideration the abundance of 'honest to God' catchy songs featured on it, "How To Handle A Rope" being a prime example. What Queens of the Stone Age created was a record that was both experimental and forward thinking as well as truly timeless, evoking so many eras of rock in such a seemingly effortless and sincere way. If important records truly exist, we feel confident in stating, this really is one of them.
This Rekords Records re-issue, in conjunction with Domino, has been fully remastered from the original tapes and has been expanded by three tracks. "The Bronze" & "These Aren't the Droids Your Looking For" (from the split EP from '98) and "Spiders and Vinegaroons" which was part of the posthumous Kyuss/QOTSA split EP. 'Queens Of The Stone Age' will be available on CD (REK001CD), double vinyl LP (REK001LP) and via digital download (REK001D).
The album is available to pre-order and you can listen to album opener, Regular John, here:
Pre-order 'Queens Of The Stone Age'
The tracklisting is as follows:
1 - Regular John
2 – Avon
3 - If Only
4 - Walkin On The Sidewalks
5 - You Would Know
6 - The Bronze
7 - How to Handle a Rope
8 - Mexicola
9 - Hispanic Impressions
10 - You Cant Quit Me Baby
11 - These Arent the Droids You're Looking For
12 - Give the Mule What he Wants
13 - Spiders and Vinegaroons
14 - I Was A Teenage Hand Model


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IACE Updates, March 19th
The First Peoples House is closed, and we have transitioned services for Indigenous students, including emergency bursaries, to alternative forms of communication and support. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or (250) 853-3730, or visit our News page for more details.
What we do
The Office of Indigenous Academic and Community Engagement (IACE) is here to support the success of Indigenous students attending UVic. Before, during and after your time at UVic, we're here to connect you with the educational, financial and cultural resources available on campus and in local communities. We encourage you to explore the many programs and services that we offer to Indigenous students. Don't forget to check out the student section of our website to learn about the services offered to all UVic students.
IACE's main responsibility is supporting Indigenous students, but the office has taken on many other roles as well. Current roles include managing the First Peoples House, building and supporting Indigenous partnerships, and ensuring that Indigenous content and ways of knowing are included in UVic curriculum and events.
We acknowledge with respect the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. We are grateful to be working for an institution that is committed to the ongoing work of decolonizing and Indigenizing the campus community both inside and outside the classroom. The recent Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have highlighted the importance of ongoing work and has acted as a catalyst for bringing a broader community together to reflect on our collective responsibility in the ongoing process of reconciliation. In this spirit, we reflect on the teachings of Songhees Elder, Dr. Skip Dick, and we are reminded that by honouring the stories and histories of our ancestors, we honour the paths of those yet to come.
Robina Thomas, Executive Director, Indigenous Academic and Community Engagement
Territory and acknowledgements
The university sits on the site of an old Lekwungen village. If you look around, you will see the remnants of an old Garry Oak Ecosystem indicating the presence of camas fields on this land.
Welcome to the ancestral land of the Lekwungen Checkonien family group, and to Sungayka village ('snow patches'). This area was known for camas harvesting, trading and cultural and spiritual practices. It was home to the Checkonien family group including Chee-al-thuc whose longhouse was in what is now known as Cadboro Bay. The beach at low tide was one place the ancestors played qoqwialls ('lacrosse').
Cheryl Bryce
Songhees Nation


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CFO Moves this week include:
|Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
|Ominto, Inc.
|The Crosby Group
|Oconee Federal Financial Corp
|Clune Construction
|Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.
|PHH Corporation
|Intermolecular, Inc.
|World Finer Foods
|InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp.
|Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc.
|HomeStreet, Inc.
|Jernigan Capital, Inc.
|Compass Minerals
|Asana Partners
|Itron, Inc.
|USA Technologies, Inc.
|Spok Holdings, Inc.
|Kansas City Life Insurance Company
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Bridgevine Inc.
|Edison Interactive
|Ballantyne Strong, Inc.
|USA Compression Partners, LP
|Westmoreland Coal Company
|National Instruments Corporation
|Calix, Inc.
|EPAM Systems, Inc.
|Glen Burnie Bancorp
Would you like to receive our weekly CFO Moves directly in your email? Click the SIGN ME UP! button on the right of the blog page.
Should you have any CFO Moves to report, please email us.
NOTE: CFO Search Report available monthly to CFOs only. Read more here.
CFO Moves is published by Samuel Dergel (Executive Search Consultant and CFO & Financial Executive Search Specialist with Dergel Executive Search). Samuel can be reached by email at email@example.com or by phone at +1 (415) 738-2070.
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Silver Spring Networks, Inc. [SAN JOSE, Calif.] (NYSE: SSNI) announced that Catriona Fallon has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Fallon joins Silver Spring from Marin Software, where she was Executive Vice President and CFO. Prior to Marin Software, Fallon held strategic financial roles for Cognizant and Hewlett-Packard Company. Previously, Fallon was a research analyst for Citigroup Investment Research and Piper Jaffray & Company.
Ominto, Inc. [BOCA RATON, Fla.] (NASDAQ: OMNT) announced that Raoul Quijada has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer from Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Quijada joined the company in June 2016. Immediately prior to joining the company, Mr. Quijada worked at Afligo Marketing Services, Inc., where he served as Senior VP of Finance and Operations. From 2005 through 2007, Mr. Quijada was the Senior Director of Finance at Newell Rubbermaid, the Director of Strategic Planning & Analysis from 2003 to 2005, and the Director of Finance-LAC Division from 1998 to 2003. Mr. Quijada started his career at Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP.
The Crosby Group [TULSA, Okla.] announced the hiring of Laura Murphy-Wolf as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Murphy-Wolf was most recently the CFO of Faro Technologies. Prior to that, she spent six years in a variety of increasingly senior financial positions at Stericycle, Inc., serving ultimately as the Vice President Finance / CFO of Healthcare Compliance Solutions. Prior to her time at Stericycle, Ms. Murphy-Wolf was the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Philips Lighting Electronics, North America. Early in her career, Laura spent 15 years in a variety of senior financial roles at Ford Motor Company in the United States and internationally.
Oconee Federal Financial Corp. [SENECA, S.C.] (NASDAQ: OFED) announced that John W. Hobbs has been appointed to the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Oconee and Oconee Federal. Mr. Hobbs previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Greer Bancshares, where he worked beginning in 2011. Mr. Hobbs has served as the Chief Financial Officer for multiple financial institutions and their holding companies located in South Carolina as part of a career that has included nearly 30 years in the banking industry.
Clune Construction [CHICAGO] announced that Tom Nickele has been named as Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer. Nickele has more than 20 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer and oversees the Accounting/Finance, Human Resources and IT areas for the Company.
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. [NEW YORK] (NYSE: MMC) announced that Keith Walsh has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Company's Risk and Insurance Services (RIS) segment, which includes Marsh and Guy Carpenter. In this role, Mr. Walsh will also serve as Chief Financial Officer of Marsh. Mr. Walsh succeeds Courtney Leimkuhler, who is leaving the Company to pursue an opportunity outside the industry. Ms. Leimkuhler joined MMC in 2013. Since 2012, Mr. Walsh has been MMC's Global Head of Investor Relations. Prior to joining MMC, Mr. Walsh spent 13 years as an equity research analyst at Citi. He began his career as a research associate at Smith Barney, then a unit of Citigroup.
Intermedix [NASHVILLE, TENN.] announced the appointment of Kyle Wailes as chief financial officer. Wailes started his tenure at Intermedix in 2012 as vice president of strategy, business development and analytics. Prior to his appointment as CFO, Wailes was an executive vice president at Intermedix. Wailes has more than 10 years of experience in the health care industry working at many noteworthy private and public companies such as Thomas Weisel Partners, Altaris Capital Partners and Citigroup. Before joining Intermedix, Wailes was a key member in the health care investment banking division at Citigroup.
PHH Corporation [MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.] (NYSE: PHH) announced that Michael Bogansky, who previously served as Senior Vice President, Controller, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. He replaces Robert Crowl, who has served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer since 2012, and has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Michael Bogansky has served as Senior Vice President and Principal Accounting Officer of PHH since 2014. Mr. Bogansky joined PHH in 2003 as Manager of Financial Reporting and has held roles of increasing responsibility in the accounting and finance functions, including serving as Vice President, Financial Reporting of PHH Mortgage from 2009 to 2010 and serving as the Company's Vice President and Assistant Controller from 2010 to 2012 and as the Company's Vice President and Controller since 2012. Prior to joining PHH in 2003, he served as a Senior Auditor with Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Intermolecular, Inc. [SAN JOSE, Calif.] (NASDAQ: IMI) announced that Bill Roeschlein, currently Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller, has been named Chief Financial Officer following the retirement of Rick Neely. Bill Roeschlein has served as IMI Vice President of Finance since August 2015. Prior to joining IMI, he was CFO at Aurora Algae, Power Integrations and Determine Software, Inc. He also held senior financial management positions at Ultra Clean Technology, Asyst Technologies and Hewlett Packard.
Progress [BEDFORD, Mass.] (NASDAQ: PRGS) announced that Paul Jalbert, chief accounting officer, has been named chief financial officer. Jalbert replaces Kurt Abkemeier, who will leave the company. Jalbert has been chief accounting officer since joining the company in August 2012. Jalbert has experience from companies, including UnitedHealth Group, Picis, Keane, Genuity and Verizon.
World Finer Foods [BLOOMFIELD, N.J.] has chosen William Flynn as its Chief Financial Officer. Flynn joins World Finer Foods after 12 years at Sharp Americas, first as vice president and controller, and for the last seven years as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to Sharp, Flynn was international controller at AT&T.
InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. [CAMBRIDGE, Mass.] announced the appointment of Christopher McNulty as Chief Financial Officer. He will be taking over for the interim CFO, Melanie Morel-Ferris, who will remain as the company's Senior Director, Finance and Controller. Prior to being appointed Chief Financial Officer, Mr. McNulty served at InVivo as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Investor Relations. Prior to joining InVivo, Mr. McNulty served as Senior Director, Business Development of Repligen Corporation. Previously, he served as Director, Corporate Development at Seventh Sense Biosystems.
Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. [WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA] announced the hire of Maureen Burke as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Before joining ACT Holdings, Burke held CFO and major financial project management positions at large global companies, including Tatum (a Randstad company), Wilsonart, LLC, Gap, Inc., Sears Holdings Corporation, and Renessen LLC. She also served as Vice President of Finance for Monsanto/NutraSweet. Burke has also worked within Merrill Lynch.
BECU [SEATTLE] announced that Melba Bartels will join the company as chief financial officer. Bartels currently serves as CFO and senior executive vice president at HomeStreet Bank. Before HomeStreet Bank, Bartels spent six years at JPMorgan Chase, serving as CFO of the Auto Finance and Student Lending Division, and senior vice president and finance director for the Auto Finance Division. She held numerous financial leadership positions during 20 years of service at Washington Mutual Bank. Additionally, she spent two years at Ragen Mackenzie Group, Inc., where she served as a sell side equity analyst.
HomeStreet, Inc. [SEATTLE] (NASDAQ: HMST) announced that Melba Bartels, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has given notice that she will be leaving the Company to pursue another opportunity in the industry.
Jernigan Capital, Inc. [MEMPHIS, Tenn.] (NYSE: JCAP) announced the promotion of Kelly P. Luttrell to Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Ms. Luttrell will also serve as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company's advisor. Ms. Luttrell succeeds William C. Drummond, who will retire from the Company. Ms. Luttrell served as the Company's Corporate Controller since September 2015 and added the title Vice President of Financial Reporting in July 2016. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Luttrell served as Controller and Finance Director of MicroPort Orthopedics, Inc. Prior to joining MicroPort, Ms. Luttrell was in the audit practice at Ernst & Young for 11 years.
Compass Minerals [OVERLAND PARK, Kan.] (NYSE: CMP) announced the appointment of Patrick "Doug" Linehan as the company's chief financial officer. Linehan joins Compass Minerals having spent the last 17 years at ConAgra Foods, Inc. where he held a variety of finance and accounting leadership positions of increasing responsibility. He most recently served as senior vice president, finance of ConAgra's consumer brands business. Prior to this role, he served as senior vice president, corporate controller. Linehan began his career at Deloitte LLP in the firm's accounting and auditing practice.
Asana Partners [CHARLOTTE, N.C.] announced Micah Holton has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Holton previously was Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of MAA. Holton previously worked with Ernst & Young LLP.
Itron, Inc. [LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.] (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced that Mark Schmitz, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) since September 2014, will be stepping down from the position. The company has engaged a firm to conduct an external search for qualified candidates to fill the position. During the transition, Robert Farrow, Itron's current vice president, strategic planning and treasury, will serve as interim CFO of the company until the search for a permanent replacement is complete. Schmitz will remain available for one month to ensure a smooth transition during the first quarter accounting close. Farrow joined Itron in October 2015 with 35 years of finance and treasury experience. Before joining the company, he served as vice president, financial services and treasury and as corporate treasurer for Alghanim Industries, which he joined in June 2009. From 1994 to 2009, Farrow held positions of increasing responsibility in finance and treasury at General Electric, including CFO of GE Hydro.
USA Technologies, Inc. [MALVERN, Pa.] (NASDAQ: USAT) announced that Priyanka Singh has been appointed as the company's new Chief Financial Officer. She replaces interim CFO, Leland P. Maxwell, who will continue with USAT in a senior finance role. Ms. Singh joins the company from Global Payments Inc. Following the acquisition by Global Payments of Heartland Payment Systems in 2016, Ms. Singh was Vice President, Product Strategy and Innovation and Division CFO for Heartland Commerce. Prior to the acquisition, she spent five years at Heartland Payment Systems, most recently as the Divisional CFO of the Heartland Commerce units and prior thereto as Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis. Previous to that, she spent several years with General Electric in various leadership roles at both GE Capital and GE Healthcare.
Spok Holdings, Inc. [SPRINGFIELD, Va.] (NASDAQ: SPOK) announced that Michael W. Wallace has joined the Company as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will succeed Shawn E. Endsley in that position, who will assume the role of Chief Accounting Officer. Wallace joins Spok from Intermedix, where he was Executive Vice President and CFO since August 2013. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President and CFO of Radiology Corporation of America. Wallace has also served as an Assistant Chief Accountant in the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Enforcement and was a member of the Commission's Financial Fraud Task Force in Washington, D.C. Prior to being at the SEC, Wallace served as CFO at Inktel Direct, Corp., CELLIT Technologies, Inc., and Kellstrom Industries, Inc. Before joining Kellstrom, Wallace worked at KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP in Miami for more than seven years.
Kansas City Life Insurance Company [KANSAS CITY, Mo.] announced that Tracy W. Knapp, Senior Vice President, Finance and a member of the Board of Directors, has notified the Chairman of his intent to leave the Company and resign from the Board. Mr. Knapp joined Kansas City Life in 1998. He was elected President and CEO of Generations Bank when it was chartered in July 2000 and served in that capacity until its sale in 2006. Mr. Knapp became Senior Vice President, Finance, and the Chief Financial Officer of Kansas City Life in 2002. He was elected to the Board of Directors that same year and has served on the Executive Committee.
Federal Signal Corporation [OAK BROOK, Ill.] (NYSE: FSS) announced that it has promoted Ian A. Hudson to the position of Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Hudson succeeds Brian S. Cooper, CFO since May 2013, who has left the Company to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Cooper has entered into a consulting agreement with the Company and will work with Mr. Hudson to facilitate an orderly transition. Mr. Hudson has served as Vice President and Corporate Controller for the Company since August 2013, and will continue to serve in these capacities. From June 2012 to August 2013, Mr. Hudson served as Groupon Inc.'s Director of Accounting for Latin America and Asia Pacific and prior to that role, he worked at Ernst & Young LLP for 14 years. For several years there, he served as the Senior Audit Manager on the Company's account.
Bridgevine Inc. [ATLANTA] announced John Pumpelly as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Pumpelly joins Bridgevine from Stratix Corporation, where he served as their CFO. Throughout his career, Pumpelly held positions at key companies that gave him both a strategic and financial lens, including BellSouth, Cbeyond and the home security company, Protection One.
Edison Interactive [DENVER, CO] announced that Ron Singh will join as CFO. Prior to joining Edison Interactive, he served as Managing Director of Silicon Valley Bank.
Ballantyne Strong, Inc. [Omaha, Nebraska] appointed Lance V. Schulz as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company. He replaces Ryan M. Burke, who will continue as Corporate Controller for the company. Mr. Schulz served as Managing Director, Accounting for TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, where he managed accounting, corporate tax and external reporting functions, from 2007 to 2016. Prior to that, he served as Director, External Reporting, for TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation from 2000 to 2007. Mr. Schulz has served as a consultant for publicly-traded and privately-held companies on finance, technical accounting and SEC financial reporting matters since 2016. Prior to TD Ameritrade, he held positions with Werner Enterprises, Inc., including Director of Accounting from 1996 to 2000 and Manager of Financial Reporting from 1994 to 1996. From 1990 to 1994, he was a Senior Associate at Coopers & Lybrand (now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers).
USA Compression Partners, LP [Austin, TX] has appointed G. Tracy Owens as the Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer of the General Partner and designated Mr. Owens as the principal accounting officer of the Partnership. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Owens, served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Southcross Energy Partners GP, LLC, the general partner of Southcross Energy Partners, L.P. ("Southcross") from August 2015 until December 2016. Before joining Southcross, Mr. Owens served as Controller for Alon USA Energy, Inc., since 2006. Prior to joining Alon, Mr. Owens served as Controller for Hunt Refining Company from 1996 until 2006 and as Senior Manager at KPMG LLP from 1986 until 1996.
Westmoreland Coal Company [Englewood, CO] (NASDAQ: WLB) announced that Gary Kohn has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Kohn has been serving as interim Chief Financial Officer since November 2016. Kohn joined Westmoreland in April 2016 and served as Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasurer until his promotion to Interim Chief Financial Officer in November 2016. Prior to joining Westmoreland, Kohn served in leadership roles in investor relations, treasury and finance at companies including First Data, Western Union, Ciber, and Intrepid Potash.
National Instruments Corporation [Austin, Texas] announced the appointment of Karen Rapp to serve as the Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Rapp joins NI from NXP Semiconductors N.V., where she served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development since NXP's acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor ("Freescale") in December 2015. Ms. Rapp previously served in several positions at Freescale, including Vice President and Chief Information Officer from April 2013 to December 2015 and Director of Operations and Finance, Global Sales and Marketing from April 2010 to April 2013.
Calix, Inc. [PETALUMA, Calif.] (NYSE: CALX) announced that William Atkins, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has given notice that he will be leaving the Company to pursue another opportunity in the industry.
EPAM Systems, Inc. [NEWTOWN, Pa.] (NYSE: EPAM) announced that Jason Peterson will join EPAM, and will succeed Anthony Conte as CFO. In his most recent role, Peterson was Vice President of Finance, M&A and Due Diligence. Prior to that, he was CFO of the Emerging Business Accelerator and led the Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis function at Cognizant. Prior to joining Cognizant, Peterson was the CFO for E&C Medical Intelligence, and before that, he served as Vice President of ATI Technologies. He previously held financial roles at Philips Semiconductors and Hewlett-Packard.
Glen Burnie Bancorp [GLEN BURNIE, Md.] (NASDAQ: GLBZ) announced the appointment of Jeffrey D. Harris as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Bank; and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Bancorp.


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Workshop participants gathered to assess the marine biodiversity of the tropical realm and identify opportunities to expand World Heritage coverage of areas of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The primary objectives of the workshop were to:
- Reach expert consensus on tropical coastal, marine, and small island ecosystems for potential nomination as World Heritage sites.
- Identify innovative opportunities for applying a multi-site approach (clusters and trans-border nomination) to pilot one or more World Heritage site nominations.
During the workshop, internationally and regionally recognized experts worked together to develop a scientifically-based consensus global list of areas of outstanding universal value for marine biodiversity for further consideration by State Parties to the World Heritage Convention and other interested entities for nominations on the World Heritage List.


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Real Madrid and Manchester United will take to the field in one of the premier UEFA Champions League matches of the season Wednesday. The star power will be all over the field and the stakes will be unbelievably high for two teams with cup-hoisting aspirations.
In mainstream America, though, the individual drawing eyes to the television won't necessarily be Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Mesut Ozil, Javier Hernandez, Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho. It will be the man handling the play-by-play at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Gus Johnson.
When Sports Illustrated reported last week that Johnson would potentially be in line to become Fox Soccer's lead voice at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup -- with part of that grooming process including Johnson calling Champions League action starting with Wednesday's clash -- it sparked an unprecedented buzz for a soccer announcer in the U.S. sports community. Not just the soccer community, but all across the board.
Johnson's reputation precedes itself. He has emerged from his status as a cult hero to a place of reverence among sports spectators. It all stemmed from his ability to elevate the broadcast of NCAA men's basketball tournament games, and the uncanny phenomenon of those games going down to the wire more often than not.
There's a Gus Johnson Soundboard website dedicated to his catchphrases. There are moments in NCAA basketball lore synonymous with his call of the shot, miss or steal. A creative YouTube artist spliced his and Bill Raftery's call of a Gonzaga-Oklahoma State basketball finish with Landon Donovan's game-winning goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup. He might not have the spontaneous lyrical creativity of a Ray Hudson, but his unbridled emotion sure shines through like it does for the popular beIN Sport color commentator.
Now that passion is being brought to soccer, with Fox Soccer's bold, multi-year experiment set to begin. Will there be missteps along the way? Surely there won't be a seamless transition into calling the biggest games on the planet with little prior experience. It is not exactly Johnson's first foray into the sport, though.
He called a handful of San Jose Earthquakes matches on the radio last season, which, as it turned out, fused the most exciting late-game team in Major League Soccer with the ideal announcer for the occasion. No, not every call was perfect and faultless, but calling soccer on the radio is a much different beast than narrating a video broadcast. Radio calls require more imagination and attention to detail to illustrate the picture to the listener. Johnson won't be faced with that challenge with his television broadcasts.
Instead, Johnson's biggest challenge will be winning over the harsh skeptics who don't buy into his shtick. Many soccer die-hards will be looking past his over-the-top tendencies and instead be on the lookout to dissect every mispronunciation, every wrong usage of terminology, and every slight inclination that he is not fully understanding of a rule or situation, no matter if the perception is correct or not.
A number of questions need to be answered over the next few years before Johnson can win over both the die-hard spectators and casual fans and be entrusted with the hallowed spot of lead announcer for a World Cup. On a game-by-game basis, will he be able to spot formation changes and other game subtleties on the fly? Will he know the offside rule enough to know when to tone down the GusMeter and recognize a waved-off goal or halted play? The producers in his ear and color commentators to his side should be able to lend a helping hand if need be, but it's not going to be hard to tell how prepared and knowledgeable Johnson is for the difficult situations that may arise.
What happens if he is dragged into a 0-0 snoozefest along the lines of the USA-Canada friendly from a couple of weeks ago? Will he have enough soccer savvy to overcome the dearth of exciting plays and legitimate chances? Will his ability to make a stoppage-time equalizer or game-winner into something spectacular overshadow how he handles the regular slow periods and motions of a match?
Regardless of the answers to those questions, in the bigger picture and over time, Johnson will appeal to those who might not necessarily tune in even if it were the iconic Martin Tyler calling the match. While that may be blasphemy in soccer circles, Johnson going behind the mic for Fox Soccer isn't about putting the best soccer voice in the world in the booth. It is about venturing into a new spectrum for soccer on American TV and maximizing mainstream interest for potential viewers while taking a serious risk in the event that things don't pan out.
"I'm looking forward to the total experience," Johnson told Fox Soccer Report Monday night. "It's the beginning of a great adventure, and I'm looking forward to seeing this thing out."
So should American soccer fans. Will it be a success? Only time will tell, starting with 90 high-profile minutes in Madrid on Wednesday. The announcer who brings fans to the edge of their seats with his ability to elevate a moment with his passion is going to be calling the beautiful game, though, and that alone is something to be excited about.


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Red Bull / KTM Team to Reunite at Seattle Supercross
OutdoorHub 04.23.12
The Red Bull/KTM Team is excited to announce that all three riders will reunite at the Seattle Supercross this weekend as team rider Marvin Musquin returns to the West Supercross Lites Series joined by Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey in the Supercross class.
The French rider, Marvin Musquin will continue his campaign toward a top three position in the overall point standings in the West Supercross Lites class while East Supercross Lites rider Ken Roczen will step up to the Supercross class aboard the KTM 350 SX-F.
In one of the most anticipated returns of the season, both riders will be joined by Ryan Dungey who will make his return to the Supercross class after sitting out the past six weeks healing from a broken collarbone. Dungey has been riding Motocross in preparation for his return to racing and after easing his way back has built up the confidence to make his return to the series this weekend.
"It will be great to have the whole team together in Seattle," says Red Bull/KTM Team Manager Roger DeCoster. "There is always a great atmosphere amongst the team and sponsors when all three riders are together and we look forward to producing solid results this weekend."
Look for all three riders under the Red Bull/KTM tent on Saturday, April 21st at Qwest Field.


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Carolina Hurricanes agree to terms for a 1-year, 2-way deal with forward Brett Sutter
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with forward Brett Sutter.
The deal announced Tuesday will pay Sutter $600,000 at the NHL level or $150,000 at the American Hockey League level with a guarantee of at least $250,000.
The 26-year-old Sutter was team captain for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL last season with 19 goals and 29 assists in 70 games. The goals, assists and 48 points were Sutter's best totals in the AHL.
Sutter also played three games with the Hurricanes last season.
Sutter was a sixth-round pick in the 2007 draft with one goal and four assists in 37 NHL games with the Hurricanes and Calgary Flames. Carolina first acquired Sutter in a 2010 trade.


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This site helps you to learn the fundamentals of the Python programming language.
The goals of this site are:
- Fast Site
- Bug Free
- Foundational Knowledge
If you notice any mistakes in the answers please send an email to the address shown at the bottom of the page. Or feel free to contact us with any other comments or sugestions about the site.


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RAMALLAH, Palestinian territories - UN officials on Monday slammed the decision by the Israeli army to demolish a number of homes in the occupied Palestinian community of Sur Baher.
Three officials said the move was "not compatible" with Israel's "obligations under international humanitarian law".
Israel's Supreme Court has reportedly ruled that the houses were built too close to the separation barrier in the occupied West Bank, violating a construction ban.
"Among other things, the destruction of private property in occupied territory is only permissible where rendered absolutely necessary for military operations, which is not applicable", Jamie McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Gwyn Lewis, Director of West Bank Operations for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and James Heenan, Head of the UN Human Rights Office in the area said Monday.
"Furthermore", the statement continued, "it results in forced evictions, and contributes to the risk of forcible transfer facing many Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem".
The statement said Israeli forces entered the community early on Monday morning, while it was still dark. The large-scale operation forced families out of their homes and demolished a number of residential buildings on the East Jerusalem side of the Barrier.
"Among those forcibly displaced or otherwise impacted are Palestine refugees, some of whom today are facing the reality of a second displacement in living memory", the UN officials flagged.
They said that while humanitarian partners are poised to provide emergency response to those displaced or otherwise affected by the destruction of their private property, "no amount of humanitarian assistance can replace a home or cover the massive financial losses sustained today by the owners".
Several of the affected people report having invested their life savings in the properties, after securing the required building permits from the Palestinian Authority.
"What happened today in Sur Baher is of even greater significance, as many other homes and structures now risk the same fate" said the senior UN officials.
In 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ruled against constructing the Israeli Barrier and found that the parts running inside the West Bank, including East Jerusalem – including the Sur Baher homes – "cannot be justified by military exigencies and thus violates Israel's obligations under international law", said the statement.
Moreover, in a resolution of 20 July 2004, the UN General Assembly, demanded that Israel comply with its legal obligations as stated in the ICJ's advisory opinion.
"Had there been concrete action to ensure respect for these principles, and for international humanitarian and human rights law, generally, the people of Sur Baher would not be experiencing the trauma they are today, and violations of their rights", the statement concluded.
(Photo credit: Wisam Hashlamoun | Anadolu Agency).


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House of the Day: Europe
From author Oscar Wilde's family home in the U.K to the home of the scientist who invented the radio telescope - here's a look at some luxury homes with a bit of a celebrity touch featured in Europe's house of the day.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... is you I ... it's been ... I ... Oscar Wilde family home in the UK the home of scientists invented the radio telescope ... here's a look at some luxury homes in ... the celebrity touch featured in Europe's house that day ... this one bedroom London apartment is where Oscar Wilde because pointing to children between eighteen eighty four in eighteen ninety five ... E and where he works and is best known works including the picture of Dorian Gray ... six hundred square foot property is on embrace ground pool on the open plan kitchen in reception room ... as well as on suite bedroom ... with his every trained elaborate what Mr. what worked ... it can be yours for one point eight one million dollars ... is it that some form of Reykjavik the home of whatever it was in my tests to Bernard the bow ... and chair of the radio telescope ... with it there until he died in August ... on the ground pool at the library ... period than any kitchen breakfast ... at has an internal area of almost seven thousand square feet with about two point eight acres of gardens ... the house is listed for two point four million dollars ... this six bedroom converted lingering at Tudor England only in home studio renowned collector can to keep it will ... include the self-contained tube economics ... at five thousand five hundred square foot property is forecasting two parts a round of large central courtyard ... there is an independent two bedroom cottage called its vehicles ... with its own kitchen breakfast room in sitting around ... it also has about a tour of gardens the property is listed for two million dollars ... this five bedroom apartment occupies the West wing of the historic English lady Manchin and proper and that was damaged by fire in nineteen oh wait what Winston Churchill was against ... since restored the home is not divided into six apartments ... the seven thousand two hundred square foot West wing includes two bedrooms IGN in an elevator ... a roof terrace overlooks the sixty seven acre communal garden and Rutland water ... one of the largest artificial lake senior of ... this property could be yours for two point nine million dollars ... the Wall Street


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The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI are fast and fun to drive, yet reasonably practical for everyday use. Loosely based on the Impreza compact, the WRX versions are economical to operate in light of their performance and, more than ever, make excellent cars for commuters who like a little spice in their daily drive.
The 2011 Subaru WRX lineup has expanded. The 2011 WRX gets the widebody treatment of the STI for both sedans and hatchbacks, and three trim levels for each. The 2011 STI adds a four-door sedan in two trim levels to the existing five-door hatchback and considerable running gear upgrades. All of them add iPod control and Bluetooth, and some four-doors have the option of leather upholstery heretofore unavailable.
WRX models are very good and seem to get better every year. Following a complete redesign in 2008 the WRX got a power increase and suspension retune in 2009 and aero upgrades for 2010. The 2010 Special Edition STI took the handling to the next step with suspension uprates based on the home-market spec C cars, and the 2011 WRX STI goes even further.
Despite their racy appearance and serious performance, the WRX is reasonably refined. The current WRX models are smoother and more comfortable than pre-2008 versions, and easy to live with during the typical commute. Their cabins are roomier than previous versions, with an overall improvement in appointments and finish quality. They're offered with high-grade audio and an optional navigation system.
The WRX and STI achieved cult status among driving enthusiasts and boy racers, but more than ever that image is too narrow and confining. These cars have decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity. Their all-wheel-drive system can legitimately be considered a safety and foul-weather advantage, even if, with the powerful, turbocharged engines in the WRX, it's marketed as a performance enhancement, a role it also fills.
These are drivers' cars: no automatic transmission is offered. Yet buyers seeking a smaller car with lots of safety features should like the WRX. All models come with all-wheel drive, electronic stability control, a sophisticated anti-lock brake system and good crash-test performance; a good set of winter tires make them near unstoppable in bad weather.
From about $26,000, the WRX models come well equipped, with nice seats, automatic climate control, a good stereo and more horsepower than all but a couple cars in this size/price class. Both are powered by a 2.5-liter, 265-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, arranged in Subaru's familiar horizontally opposed, or flat-four, configuration. The WRX offers a bang for the buck that surpasses many more expensive sports sedans.
The STI version is essentially its own car. STI stands for Subaru Technica International, the high-performance division that made the WRX famous through considerable success in the World Rally Championship. Nearly every major mechanical system is unique to the STI: six-speed manual transmission, special suspension and brakes, unique interior appointments and a high-tech, manually adjustable all-wheel-drive system. Yet the STI's centerpiece is a higher-tech version of the 2.5-liter four, generating 305 horsepower. Its quarter-mile acceleration times match those delivered by some muscle and exotic sports cars.
While the STI offers increased performance and driver involvement relative the WRX, few feel shortchanged in the WRX. Subaru's claim that buyers like both and the choice frequently comes down to price...the STI is about $9000 more than the WRX and offers more performance, and more potential, for the extra coin.
To be sure, the WRX costs more than your typical front-wheel-drive compact, and the performance and all-wheel-drive come with a mileage penalty. Still, we think the WRX models are a good deal, offering lots of performance for the dollar in a car that's easy to live with every day. Primary competitors for the WRX and WRX/STI are the front-drive Mazdaspeed 3 and Volkswagen GTI, and all-wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart and Evolution.
The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX ($25,495) comes in sedan and a 5-Door versions powered by a 265-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 5-speed manual transmission. The WRX comes with fabric upholstery (checkered carbon black with red stitching), automatic climate control, power windows/locks/mirrors, AM/FM/Sirius/MP3/iPod audio with Bluetooth and auxiliary input jack, cruise control, electroluminescent gauges, quad tailpipes, 17-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires. The hatchback also adds a rear wiper, spoiler, clear-lens taillights and cover, light and tie-downs for the cargo area.
WRX Premium ($27,995) sedan and hatchback add heated front seats, heated mirrors, wiper de-icer, power moonroof, trunk spoiler and fog lights. The Navigation Package ($2,000) features a GPS system with seven-inch screen, satellite radio, auxiliary audio/video jacks, CD/DVD drive and Bluetooth telephony. WRX Limited ($28,995) adds leather upholstery and HID low-beam headlamps, also available with Navigation ($30,995).
The WRX STI sedan ($33,995) and 5-Door ($35,995) is equipped similarly to WRX Premium grade. The extra money adds mainly high-performance mechanicals, starting with the 305-hp 2.5-liter engine, 6-speed manual, more sophisticated all-wheel drive system and upgraded chassis components. The 5-Door includes cargo cover, tie-downs, cargo light, rear wiper, and BBS wheels; navigation is optional. STI Limited sedan ($37,345) adds the BBS wheels, fog lights, moonroof, and comes with leather upholstery.
Dealer-installed accessories are numerous, ranging from wild spoilers and footwell illumination to more practical short-throw shifters, gauge packages, brake pads and performance exhaust systems. Many dealer-installed parts feature full factory warranty coverage.
Safety features include dual-stage front airbags, front passenger side-impact airbags and curtain-style head airbags. The WRX has achieved five stars for front impacts, five stars for front passengers in side impacts, and four stars in rollover tests from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Active safety features include Vehicle Dynamics Control stability electronics and four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).
There's no mistaking that the 2011 WRX and STI mean business, with flared nostrils, flared wheel arches and generally more flair than any other Subaru. The bodywork may look as busy as a racecar's without the decals, but all those scoops, vents, curves and spoilers are there for engineering reasons, not cosmetics.
The WRX now wears essentially the same clothes as the STI: puffed-up fenders covering fatter tires and wheels set wider apart. In return, the STI gets a four-door sedan derivative previously reserved for the WRX.
Distinguishing WRX and STI is easiest from the rear. The WRX sedan has a lip spoiler along the trailing edge of the trunk, and the hatchback a spoiler atop the rear window. In contrast the STI sedan's rear spoiler is a wing standing well off the trunk's surface and the hatchback has a larger spoiler atop the rear window. Sedans use conventional taillights while hatchbacks get clear-lens arrangements with some LED elements that help it stand out, and the STI's quad tailpipes are polished stainless 3 outlets.
A wider, lower front end treatment, a bit deeper on the STI, sets off both cars, and some have HID low-beam headlamps but bi-xenon units are not available; perhaps Subaru expects owners to add their own bank of driving lights. The fender badge reads WRX or STI as appropriate. The WRX has 235/45R17 tires versus the STI's 245/40R18 rubber. BBS forged wheels come on the STI hatchback and STI Limited sedan. Spotters may also notice the STI brake calipers.
The current-generation, launched as a 2008 model, is the largest WRX generation ever, which translates to more room inside the car. The four-door sedan, developed specifically for the United States, is more than six inches longer than the five-door hatchback. The four-door has the edge in covered trunk space and about 3 mph higher top speed, the hatchback a minor advantage in rear-seat headroom comfort and is slightly lighter in STI guise.
In side view, the most prominent bit of design is a sharp crease that extends from the front wheel arch and runs just above the door handles all the way to the rear. It helps create the impression of a wedge, and emphasizes the aggressive attitude of the whole car. We appreciate the flared fenders employed more to cover wide tires than as the retro styling exercise of the Mercedes' E-Class pontoon rear fenders.
American buyers overwhelmingly prefer sedans to hatchbacks but the latter are making a comeback. In the case of the WRX and STI, we will take the hatch, however, and not just for its practical benefits like a rear wiper, better visibility, easier parking and the ability to carry awkward loads. We'd say it's the more handsome car. Its roofline runs in a single, elegant nearly-French curve from the base of the windshield to that spoiler at the top of the rear glass. Also, its rear overhang is considerably shorter than the sedan's and the STI sedan's wing is downright invitational to law enforcement. Shorter overhangs are generally better for handling, in addition to other benefits.
WRX and STI have an aluminum hood, which reduces weight in front and helps distribute the car's mass more evenly over the front and rear wheels. Both cars feature the latest evolution of what Subaru calls its Ring Frame Reinforced body design. Think of RFR as a safety cell in roughly a cube shape around the passenger compartment, made of stronger, hydro-formed steel sections. The idea is more strength and rigidity without an undue increase in weight, and it may help explain the excellent ratings in NHTSA crash tests. The first objective of RFR is better occupant protection, but the structural improvements pay dividends in many respects, from more responsive handling to improved smoothness in just about every aspect of the car's operation.
When the WRX and STI were redesigned for 2008, their interiors were more understated, or subdued, than they'd been in years. Since then, however, Subaru has re-introduced details such as aluminum alloy covers for the foot pedals, red stitching on the seats and steering wheel for 2009, and embroidered WRX logos to remind occupants of what they're sitting in, in case the howl of the free-revving turbocharged engine isn't enough. For 2010, the line-topping STI model got new black Alcantara upholstery with red stitching, instead of gray Alcantara with silver stitching, for a bolder presentation.
For 2011, WRX changes are evolutionary. The new gauge cluster looks instantly familiar to us and conveys the same data in the same manner; the central tachometer dominates everything. The stereo system has been revised, now capable for satellite radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, iPod control and USB and auxiliary inputs.
The major change is the option of leather upholstery and a moonroof in Limited-level sedans. This choice may find favor with owners seeking some luxury with their performance, though we prefer our rally cars as is: a moonroof adds weight at the highest point on the car, to a small extent working against the low center of gravity that aids handling, and the cloth seats grip better for keeping you in place and don't have the surface temperature extremes of leather.
Based on the Impreza's cabin, the WRX and STI benefit from lots of glass and low window sills, giving a light and airy feeling that belies the compact label. Head and legroom in front are generous and the sporty front seats leave more rear seat legroom than the numbers imply. Four six-footers won't tax it, and most enthusiasts will have plenty of headroom for a helmet.
The front bucket seats in the WRX are upholstered with a soft, black-checkered fabric, double stitched in the fashion of a luxury car, and they provide a good compromise between support and comfort. There's enough side bolstering top and bottom to keep occupants snug during fairly aggressive driving, but there's also plenty of give in the cushions.
The seats in the STI are more like aftermarket performance seats, which means harder and more heavily bolstered. They're even better for hard driving, but the snugger fit leaves less squirm room during longer, more relaxed travel, and they demand more energy to climb in and out of. The seats come in black Alcantara with red stitching. The integral headrests may require a helmeted driver to have their head further forward, or backrest more reclined, than they are accustomed to.
Overall, the WRX driving position is excellent. Seat adjustments are simple, but they allow people of various sizes to get properly situated. Most drivers will be able to reach all controls, including those for adjusting side mirrors, without lifting head or shoulders from the seatback. A suitably contoured tilt/telescoping steering wheel does the same for gauge vision and stalk controls, while the adjacent shifter and handbrake are right where you want them. One minor gripe regarding the armrests: They're positioned such that each elbow rests at a slightly different height. Then again, you'll seldom use both simultaneously.
Gauges are easy to read and illuminated in dark amber. The trim is a metallic silver plastic. You'll find more attractively grained plastics and maybe richer looking trim materials and carpet in this price range, but nothing in the WRX looks cheap enough to kill the deal. That's at least partly because the dashboard layout is so straightforward, effective and easy to clean the dust off of.
The size and shape of the dash is roughly symmetrical on both the driver and passenger sides, with a big, outreaching center stack of controls and displays in the middle. The four dash vents are fully adjustable and large enough to move plenty of air.
An LCD sits under its own hood at the top of the center stack, with temperature indicator, time and other information. At the bottom sit three big climate-control knobs: one each for temperature, airflow direction and fan speed, easy to grab with barely a peripheral glance, operating with a nice tactile sensation that conveys the amount of adjustment. In between are the standard audio controls or the optional navigation screen. Both are good sized and easy to manipulate. While the audio knobs aren't as big as those for the air conditioning, volume, source and tuning can also be adjusted with buttons on the steering wheel spokes.
The expanse of glass combines with narrow windshield pillars to provide excellent outward visibility in virtually any direction. Wiper coverage and strength is up to muddy rally standards, well beyond daily driving, and on most models the area where the wipers park is electrically heated so you needn't wait for the defrost to thaw them before sweeping the snow off.
Cargo capacity in the sedan is fairly good. With 11.3 cubic feet of trunk space, it falls toward the lower end of its size class, a bit less than what's found in the less-expensive Honda Civic Si sedan or the more expensive BMW 328i. Still, the WRX does have all-wheel drive and the rear seatback splits and folds forward. With the 60-percent portion laid flat, there's enough room to slide two golf bags in through the trunk, and still leave room for a third passenger.
Cargo space in the five-door hatch is much better. With 19 cubic feet, rear seat up, there's a lot more space than what's available in the typical small sedan's trunk if you don't need the rear window view. The hatchback also allows taller objects to be contained within the car. When the rear seat is folded cargo capacity expands to 44.4 cubic feet, with easy access from the rear side doors to help push things in and out.
Cubby storage is average. The glove box is deep, holding more stuff than most, and there's a lined bin in front of the gearshift for phones, openers or glasses. There's a pair of cupholders in the center console, just right of the handbrake that are up to the car's handling abilities. Another cupholder in each front door pocket is large enough for a 24-ounce bottle. The box in the center console has jacks for MP3 players and a power point. Models with the navigation system come with a video jack. This allows video games or DVD players to project on the navi screen, but only when the car is parked.
While the WRX delivers inviting, balanced driving performance it's also relatively refined and easy to live with on a daily basis. All-wheel drive built-in from the start long ago made it a favorite where the road is white a good portion of the year, and the performance aspects are making it popular in climes where all-wheel drive is unneeded.
The widebody treatment has made the WRX look more substantial and threatening but it added less than 30 pounds so straight-line performance is essentially unchanged: Only added traction from the wider tires may require a change to your start-line launch technique. It can be driven moderately with ease and really comes on steam as the rev counter nears 3000. With 265 hp and 244 lb-ft of torque the 2.5-liter engine is plenty potent, and the all-wheel drive allows you to fully exploit it; a front-wheel drive Mazdaspeed 3 has more power and notably more torque but can't use it all until third gear.
Subaru engines are all horizontally opposed; as in a Porsche or original Volkswagen Beetle the cylinders lay flat 180 degrees apart rather than the conventional four cylinders lined up in a row. This makes the engine low, compact and light, all aids to vehicle dynamics. It also means a slightly lumpy idle sound, little power right off idle (you need to slip the clutch a little), a droning exhaust around 1500 rpm you'll notice only ion creeping traffic, and it's hard to sometimes imagine a $35,000 car still sounds a bit like a 40-year-old Bug.
The WRX uses a five-speed manual transmission exclusively. It has nicely spaced gear ratios and a short-throw shifter, but it's a gear short of much of the competition and the shifter is a bit rubbery causing us to not get a gear we wanted occasionally; fortunately we never got the wrong gear either. Subaru's performance division offers plenty of shifting upgrades that would add precision and effort for crisper, more precise gearchanges. A Hill-Holder feature keeps the car from rolling backward when the brake pedal is released to engage the gas on incline starts.
Suspension was already dialed in nicely on the WRX, with nicely weighted, accurate steering crisply pointing the car, good grip, and compliant ride quality that lets you know the road surface but doesn't beat it into you; it's a relatively easy car in which to approach its limits and aids driver confidence. For 2011 there are very minor changes to the tuning, but wider wheels and tires carefully chosen to not add weight to rotating mass, ensure even more grip. All WRX and STI come with three-season tires and even all-wheel drive won't overcome their uselessness them in the snow.
Although grip is commendable what makes the WRX such a nice driver is balance. The weight is better split front/rear than most cars in this class, but the steering, brakes, handling and engine are ideally mated to the others. It's never a case where there's too much power for the brakes or steering, or so much grip it feels underpowered. And the mechanical noises it makes...turbocharger whistle, gear whine and so on all add to the fun or fade into the background when you're just cruising from A to B.
On another level is the STI. Think of this as a purpose-built, class-spec rally car with air conditioning and a radio but lacking a roll-cage and five-point seatbelts the government says you can't have in a street car.
Although the same size engine has slightly lower compression and only one-half-psi (14.7 vs 14.2) more peak turbocharger boost pressure than the WRX it employs more sophisticated components to add 40 hp and 46 lb-ft of torque. Combine that with a six-speed manual that has shorter gearing than the WRX, and the 165-pound heavier STI is substantially quicker. Imagine first gear, three second gears in a row, and a couple for cruising along the highway or pushing top speed. (Although the STI sedan is 11 pounds heavier than the hatch, top speed is higher because of less aero drag. With few opportunities for 150+mph in North America, we'll stick with the lighter hatch.)
An STI is a quick car. Perhaps not as fast from 125 mph like a big V8 muscle car or V12 GT car but for the twist-and-punch of a mountain pass, autocross course, off-highway rally or urban commute it's plenty potent. And the STI's six-speed manual shifter felt much more accurate than the WRX's five-speed. Again, upgrades are available.
Beneath the STI are few parts shared with the WRX: transmission, all-wheel drive, suspension arms and antiroll bars, brakes, and even the wheel bolt pattern are upgraded. The springs in the 2011 are stiffer even than those of the 2010 special edition but still deliver the compliance needed for bashing along dirt roads or surviving commutes. Likewise the 18-inch wheels are new, and lighter than the previous versions. But it's a pair of relatively inexpensive rod-end bushings in the front suspension that pay the biggest dividends because they keep the front wheels more stable, translating to easier shock and spring tuning and less steering correction mid-corner.
Like the WRX the STI is also fairly easy to drive quickly. At its handling limits, the STI has a slight inclination to understeer, or to keep going in a straighter line. Yet that tendency is less than in the typical front-drive car, and the all-wheel-drive system allows the driver to get the front end to tuck into a curve by adding a little (not a lot) more gas. The STI stays planted under rough, abrupt or heavy-handed inputs on its controls but get the speed and steering angle right and you can keep it there while powering out of the bend. Whether braking hard into a curve, or panic-braking with a sudden twist of the steering to avoid an accident, the anti-skid electronics work to keep the car's weight balanced and the tires on that fine line between maximum grip and slide. The STI's multi-setting stability control helps take care of the beginner at a club track day without strangling the pace, and it allows exceptionally skilled drivers to turn all the electronic aids off.
On both paved and unpaved closed courses, we found we could overdrive corners in a big way and easily maintain control (if not the briskest pace). Enter a corner a bit too fast and the worse thing to come of it is a poor entry to the next corner. But if you know the course, the STI's controls let you adjust for it. The center differential that apportions output front and rear has a choice of automatic modes ideal for most drivers and most conditions...those where you don't know what weather, road, or traffic have in store for you. The manual setting allows you to vary the amount of front/rear lock and displays it as bar-graph in the instrument panel. Fewer bars equal less lock, for good turn in but understeer if you apply too much power in the corner; more bars for more lock and the front wheels go where you point them and with this acceleration you want to make sure they're pointed where you want to go.
SI-Drive is the other console control that sets accelerator response. Push down for Intelligent to maximize economy and make the smoothest drive (like rain or snow) because the pedal has to travel more to get the same power output.. Sport is the happy medium for response and drivability, or rotate the knob to Sport# (sharp) for the quickest reaction to your right foot. This is best reserved for open roads or tracks where you'll ask for lots of power at any given moment. Regardless of how you get going, the big Brembo brakes, with ventilated iron discs that stand up to off-pavement abuse, merely shave off speed or stop immediately with equal aplomb. The antilock system is also very good, probably a direct result of Subaru's rally experience finding traction where little exists.
The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STi are fun, fast and solid, with standard all-wheel drive and overall performance that's rare in their class. They're also practical, with decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity, and they've achieve excellent scores in NHTSA crash tests. Ongoing refinements haven't significantly diluted the character and enthusiasm that have made the WRX so appealing over the years, but they have raised the bar on comfort and quality. The WRX and STI cost more than many cars of comparable size, and they give up some fuel economy for the performance, but those who appreciate this car's strengths probably won't mind.
J.P. Vettraino filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Detroit; with Mitch McCullough reporting from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and G.R. Whale reporting from the Colorado Rockies


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The University of North Florida Police Department is responsible for maintaining the peace and enforcing laws within the campus of the University of North Florida. The UPD may recommend the cancellation of an event if adequate preparations are not made for the safety and security of the attendees and our students, faculty, and staff.
UPD Philosophy – The UPD is dedicated to providing the highest level of professional law enforcement and public safety services to our community. We are committed to the community's needs and we strive to meet or exceed them. We do that through consultation, supervision, education, and enforcement. We seek and encourage a cooperative effort with our community.
Authority – All events on the campus are governed by State Law, Florida Administrative Codes, Municipal Ordinance, University Regulations and Residence Life Policies. The UPD's Police Officers are fully sworn law enforcement officers under Florida Law. They are responsible for enforcement of all laws and ordinances of the jurisdiction. They will also assist in the enforcement of University Regulations and rules to the extent allowable under Florida Law.
Arranging Security – Any group, club, individual or entity requiring security services may contact Lieutenant Kathleen Halstead at (904) 620-2382 to arrange an appointment. A Special Event Request Form should be completed before the meeting. If a meeting is not arranged the forms will come to Lieutenant Halstead who will make recommendations concerning appropriate security staffing. The recommendations are based on several criteria including: expected attendance, advertising off campus, the location of the event, presence of alcohol, history of the event, other campus events during the same time frame and the time/duration of the event.
An officer working a special event will be designated as the Officer in Charge (OIC). They are responsible for assigning and supervising all officers and safety rangers working an event, maintaining a liaison with the sponsor or site leader, and ensuring the safety of all event attendees and the campus community. The OIC is responsible to on-duty supervisors of a higher rank. If an Event Leader disagrees with the decisions or actions of the OIC they are able to resolve the matter by direct consultation with the on-duty supervisor or watch commander either by requesting them through the OIC or calling UPD at (904) 620-2800.
Police Officer Duties – Officers are responsible for maintaining peace and security for the event. The OIC will assign specific areas of responsibility and will supervise the attention to their duties. In general, officers will remain mobile without interfering with the normal safe operation of the event. If disturbances occur officers will take the action necessary to resolve the conflict. The UPD has a zero tolerance policy for underage drinking and drug use on campus.
Safety Ranger Duties – Safety Rangers are non-sworn members of the UPD and are responsible for site security and traffic direction that does not require law enforcement action. They are specifically forbidden from becoming physically involved in an incident unless they are doing so for the protection of themselves or another or they are directed to do so by a police officer in distress. The rangers are not armed and therefore will not be assigned to any duty that requires the security of valuables or currency.
Event Leader – The event sponsor must identify a single person to be in charge of the group's responsibilities and act as the sponsor group supervisor. This person will be the point of contact for the senior officer and must supervise all event activities.
Student/T-Shirt Security – These are personnel supplied by the sponsoring group to assist with security of the event. To be recognized as a security asset they must wear some form of uniform or identification that makes them easily recognizable as security.
Sponsor Group Assistance/Intervention – Experience has shown that minor issues during events can be better handled by a minimum response by student/T-Shirt security. They should take initial action on minor incidents, disputes, disagreements and violations of event rules. If a police officer feels that the issue exceeds the abilities of the student/T-Shirt security he will take the appropriate action to resolve the problem.
Site Supervisor – Building managers or University Representatives responsible for a facility will assist in maintaining security and safety and protecting the assets of the University. The OIC will consult with and assist the site supervisor concerning the building and building rules during the event.
Charges – Personnel assigned to work security by UPD will usually be experienced police officers working on overtime status. Safety Rangers are non-sworn trained security and safety assistants. The cost for a police officer varies as they are compensated at 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for University sponsored/affiliated events and 2 times their regular rate of pay for non-University sponsored/affiliated events (actual costs may vary by seniority of officers). The cost for safety rangers is $9.00 per hour. There is a minimum charge of four hours for each person requested.
Attendance – The estimated attendance listed on the Special Events Form is used to determine the level of staffing that will be provided for the event. It is important that due consideration be given this prediction because the senior officer may limit attendance if the actual response exceeds a safe number of people for the location.
Advertising – Sponsors are required to notify UPD in advance of the event of the extent and method of advertising. Advertising may greatly affect the nature of the attendees and the level of attendance. Any false representation by the sponsor will result in increased security levels at future events or denial of permission to hold events.
Alcohol – Alcoholic beverages will only be allowed at events when properly licensed, dispensed, and controlled in accordance with Florida Law and University Regulations. Failure to properly check identification of drinkers or violations of licensing requirements may result in the issuance of a Notice to Appear, arrest of violators and/or closure of the event.
Event History – The UPD will review the history of any event for which security is requested. Events or groups with a history of violent or disruptive incidents will be required to have higher levels of security than those with no history.
Staffing Levels – Required staffing levels will be set by the Special Operations Lieutenant with input from the sponsoring group supervisor, information on the Special Events Form, prior similar events, and any other available information source. While it is recognized that security costs can be very expensive; costs will not be a consideration when assigning staffing levels. The greater responsibility is in maintaining public safety, protecting attendees, and the University Community.
Timelines – The times listed for the event are used for staffing decisions and are expected to be accurate. Additional time may be charged before and beyond the actual times to allow for pre-event briefing and post-event activities, time expended investigating crimes/incidents and writing reports associated with the event. Any extension of the end time will be contingent on the capability of maintaining an acceptable level of public safety during the extended period. An event will not be considered closed or ended until any crowds have been disbursed from the area. The OIC will consult with the Event Leader on how to disburse the crowd and at what point it is completed.
General Staffing Guidelines (Rules of Thumb):


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Casey Veggies releases a new track titled "3AM In Cape Town," recorded while he was in South Africa. This freebie won't appear on his upcoming debut album.
Casey Veggies – 3AM In Cape Town
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Here is Katy Perry channeling a little American Horror Story:Coven meets Striptease. God, that sounds like it would be absolutely fucking awesome, doesn't it?
I do believe that this is the first ever instance of broom pole dancing seen on national television. Which, in this day and age is kind of a surprise. You'd think we'd have a lot more of that by now.