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It's 7 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2011. A thunderstorm is passing through Tallahassee as 350 members of the Florida A&M University Marching 100 assemble for the first time inside the school's cavernous band-rehearsal hall.
The students are seated in a semicircle of padded orange chairs on the green-carpeted floor — all dressed as if attending church. Behind them high on a wall, looking over their shoulders, is the portrait of the legendary William P. Foster, clad in white, who founded and made famous the Marching 100.
It's the first time freshmen and upperclassmen have been together as a band, seated by section, arranged by instruments: clarinets, piccolos, French horns, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, tubas, drums.
The freshmen are coming off one week of drills to teach them the basics of marching band: steps, movements, routines, music. It's their first taste of what the semester will bring: long, exacting practices on the open field they call "the patch" and the initiation ritual of hazing. They've already been scolded and taunted by the upperclass band members, warned never to walk on the patch. Freshmen don't deserve to walk. They have to run across the grass.
Before them are longtime band director Julian E. White; his nine-member staff; and an array of high-profile officials, students and alumni: FAMU President James Ammons, the director of the university police department, the president of the student government and the head of the band-alumni association. Off to one side are the six drum majors, all dressed alike and arranged by height.
The drum majors represent the pinnacle of achievement in the Marching 100: the student field generals of one of the nation's most celebrated marching bands. Among that group, Robert Champion — poised to become the head drum major the following year — is hard to miss.
He's a big guy, 26 years old, a little more than 6 feet tall and 235 pounds. He is remarkable in a number of ways. He's gay and doesn't hide it. He appeared as a teenager in the 2002 movie "Drumline," loosely based on the FAMU band. More importantly, he has managed to move up the ranks, for the most part, without subjecting himself to the semester-long hazing that faces the freshmen seated before him.
Hazing is the reason they are all assembled. Since 1998, the university has held hazing workshops to drill into the heads of the band students that hazing is unacceptable, hazing is against school regulations, hazing is against the law.
The university has good reason to beat the drum. Ivery Luckey, a clarinetist, was hospitalized for two weeks after being paddled more than 300 times in 1998. Trumpeter Marcus Parker went into renal failure following a 2001 hazing. Luckey won a $50,000 settlement. Parker was awarded $1.8 million in his lawsuit against the band members who beat him.
Speaker after speaker — Ammons, White, campus-police Chief Calvin Ross — repeat the same mantra: Participating in hazing, either as a victim or a hazer, can cost you your music scholarship. You can be expelled from school. You can be arrested and charged with a third-degree felony.
In the workshop, band members hear that hazing extends beyond physical abuse. It includes doing chores and running errands for upperclassmen; extorting money from freshmen; and demeaning and abusive language.
Marcus Fabre', seated in the saxophone section, knows from experience the gap between what the adults say and what happens inside the band. He's a 20-year-old sophomore who spent his freshman year refusing to be hazed and paying the price with ostracism. The upperclassmen used him as an example: If you don't submit, you'll end up alone, just like Marcus.
There are others inside the rehearsal hall for whom the anti-hazing warnings are hollow admonishments and empty threats. Some of them belong to small groups within the sections: clarinetists who call themselves the "Clones," trumpet players who go by "Thunder," and a group of students from Georgia called the "Red Dawg Order."
They know hazing is banned but are determined to perpetuate it. Within six months, 26 of them will be suspended from performing at the Florida Classic football game in Orlando for hazing. Seven will be arrested.
In the final act of the hazing workshop, all band members sign a "hazing and harassment agreement" that acknowledges participating "as a hazer or hazee will immediately terminate my membership in the band."
As one band member signs the pledge, he thinks: They're going to do it anyway.
In another row, a freshman signs the document with little thought to the promise he's making. "Nobody took it seriously," he said.
That would become obvious within three short months as the band marched blindly toward tragedy.
Life in the band
In early September, days after the hazing workshop, five "pledges" line up according to height before members of the Clones, the clarinet subgroup. Inside the off-campus home of two Clones, the pledges begin their initiation into the group. They are exercised past the point of exhaustion and made to perform music to the strict satisfaction of upperclassmen. They are punched, slapped, paddled and belittled with profane insults. At least one leaves the hazing with bruises on her buttocks.
One pledge, Shantivia Conley, has had enough. When she doesn't return for the second hazing, the others are "prepped" — slapped hard on the back with two hands — for allowing Conley to quit. One is ordered to prep Conley for not showing up for further hazing.
In subsequent hazings, the four remaining pledges are extorted for money by the Clones, beaten, demeaned and pushed to exhaustion. It's the pain and indignity some FAMU students are willing to endure to win acceptance into the most famous college marching band in the country.
The legend of the Marching 100 draws students from throughout Florida and across the nation to the historically black university in Tallahassee: kids from Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, but also Atlanta, Detroit and Chicago.
This is the band that starred in television commercials, marched in presidential inaugurations, performed at Super Bowl halftimes, played with Kanye West at the Grammy Awards and was featured on "60 Minutes."
Everywhere band members go, from campus to the courthouse to the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Tallahassee, they see pictures of the famous FAMU bands of the past. For some, this is the realization of the dream they had in high school. For others, a band scholarship to FAMU is their only way to attend college. About half the band is on scholarship or receiving financial aid.
Many are music majors, but some are not. They plan to pursue careers in business, pharmacy, law and education, but for now they are willing to sacrifice for the glory of belonging to the "Incomparable Marching 100, World's Best."
They are young men and women, many away from home for the first time, with the need for acceptance and belonging. The most vulnerable are willing to do just about anything — endure pain, risk their scholarships — to make it inside the secret and select subgroups of the Clones, Thunder, Gestapo, Red Dawgs, Screaming Demons, B Tone Express, Whales and The Z.
But this is not the kind of hazing students endured in some high-school bands — silly stuff such as forcing a boy to wear a bra on the outside of his shirt or making a girl wear a "kick me" sign to class.
As in the military, the youngest recruits endure taunts on the practice field meant to break their spirit or force them to work harder. Go kill yourself, freshman. Why are you here? Women are insulted with sexist slurs. Male freshmen are made to feel emasculated, ignored as if they don't exist, when they try to talk to upperclassmen.
Freshmen are forced to remain together at all times. Eat together. Arrive for practice together. Walk your freshman sister to class. When they travel to football games and other events, they're bullied and made to turn over the money they receive to pay for their meals.
In text messages and phone calls, upperclassmen order them to provide everything from candy and sports drinks to liquor and a barbecue grill.
Sometimes, when a student doesn't know his music or plays a wrong note, he's hit with the bell of a horn or punched in the arm.
The long hours of practice in the hot Florida sun — from 3:30 p.m. to as late as 7 p.m. Monday through Friday — make it tough. The hard work, paired with the constant degradation, makes some feel like quitting virtually every day.
"Everything made you want to quit," said a freshman who stuck it out.
Hazing predators and their willful victims were there when Bernie Hendricks was in the band from 1991-97. They were probably there, too, when his father was in the band from 1958 to 1963. Hendricks' father was director of student activities from 1986 until his death in 1992, and one of his duties was to suspend and expel band members caught hazing.
When Bernie joined the band as a drummer, his father warned him against hazing: "If you do something, I'll have to kick you out of school, just like I've had to kick other kids out of school."
But the line is sometimes blurry between what constitutes hazing and what is part of the militarylike drills, discipline and precision that go into becoming the best marching band. A section leader may yell at a trombone player for missing a note, or an upperclassman may belittle a freshman for failing to master a complicated drill step. Are those acts of hazing or expressions of what it takes to make it in the Marching 100?
"It's not for everybody," said Hendricks, 38, the band director at Ocoee High School. "It's a big commitment, and some can't handle it so they quit and use that [hazing] as an excuse."
That gradation of what constitutes hazing leaves it up to every band member to decide what he or she is willing to do, and where to draw the line.
Jason Lawrence, who played clarinet from 2007-09 along with Robert Champion, never considered verbal harassment an act of hazing, but he drew the line at physical contact. Nobody was going to put their hands on him — and nobody did.
"People only go through what they allow someone to do to them," said Lawrence, 22, who graduated in 2011.
The roughest, most physical hazing takes place off campus — often late at night. Students have to find a ride to get there and then find their way home afterward.
Timothy Barber, a former head drum major who graduated in 2002, drew his line at the end of practice. He didn't hang with upperclassmen. He didn't go to their dorms or apartments after hours. He didn't meet them on the practice field after midnight.
But he, too, heard the competing voices. They came from alumni who reminded everyone in the band how easy students had it now. Today's band was not as good, not as accomplished, not as tough as those illustrious bands of the past.
And Barber, 37, heard the voices of upperclassmen saying hazing is the tradition of the band, it's what builds camaraderie, it's the fire in the forge that makes us stronger.
"Who are you going to listen to? You have students coming into the FAMU band and these underground sources saying you have to do it because these people did it," said Barber. "You don't have enough people saying, 'It didn't happen to me, so you shouldn't let it happen to you,' or 'It happened to me, and it was wrong.' "
Not enough voices, speaking loudly enough from within the band itself, saying hazing isn't what makes the band great. It's the marching and the music, nothing else.
Humiliation and assaults are not humbling — they are harmful.
"They call it 'humblizing,' " said Marcus Fabre'. "But humble doesn't mean getting hit and not doing anything about it. It means you are willing to learn, and you don't know everything. Paddling doesn't help you do anything better."
Warning signs
On Oct. 31, inside an off-campus apartment, 18-year-old Bria Hunter is being berated for trying to skip a meeting of the Red Dawg Order. Hunter, a freshman clarinetist, is from the same Atlanta-area high school as Robert Champion. Champion tells Hunter she doesn't need to subject herself to hazing. She ignores him, but after enduring physical abuse during Red Dawg meetings, Hunter has second thoughts.
Inside that apartment with about 11 other pledges, she is punished for telling a lie to skip the initiation meeting. For lying, she is forced to march in place while two of the other Red Dawg members beat her on the legs with their fists.
Hunter is 5-feet-1 and weighs 112 pounds. The two Red Dawgs beating on her legs are 6-feet-3, about 175 pounds, and 5-feet-8, 150 pounds. One is 19, the other 23.
The next day, the Red Dawgs repeat the treatment, this time using a metal ruler across the top of Hunter's thighs. The beatings cause blood clots in her legs, deep bone bruises and a broken femur. On Nov. 7, unable to stand the pain, Bria Hunter is taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Within a few days, Band Director Julian White suspends 26 band members from participating in the Florida Classic for hazing.
As word of Hunter's injuries and the suspensions spread through the band, Fabre' remembers his attempts to convince freshmen members that they didn't need to be hazed.
You can be in the band without submitting to the abuse, he told them.
Yeah, but look at what happened to you, they responded: You're shunned, you're all alone.
But if you all stand up to hazing, you won't be alone. You'll all be together, he replied.
"I tried to get the other freshmen to stand up," Fabre' said. "Nobody wanted to be in my shoes."
The injury to Hunter and the suspensions should have been the warning shot that things have gone too far, the tradition is off the tracks. This is Ivery Luckey and Marcus Parker all over again.
Instead of backing off, the FAMU hazers stand defiant and undeterred.
They would prove true the prophecy by the mother of Fabre'. Earlier in the semester, she met with Julian White about the harassment of her son for refusing to be hazed.
"If you don't do more to stop this, somebody is going to get killed," Felicia Fabre' said.
Aboard Bus C
On the afternoon of Nov. 19, Orlando's Florida Citrus Bowl fills with 60,000 spectators for the 66th meeting of the Florida A&M University Rattlers and the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats.
They are here — dividing the stadium into opposite sides of green and orange, gold and maroon — ostensibly to watch a football game, but really to watch the halftime battle of the bands. The Classic — a "show interrupted by a football game" — is where everybody goes to the bathroom before halftime, not during.
By the time the FAMU band takes the field, led by Robert Champion and the five other drum majors, the sky is turning dark as storm clouds move over the stadium.
For the freshmen in the Marching 100, making it to the Florida Classic is all that matters. It's the last performance of the football season, and band members are treated like celebrities.
Their nine buses are escorted by Orlando Police Department motorcycles from the Rosen Plaza hotel to the Citrus Bowl. Bus A, the lead bus where the band staff and section leaders ride, is the most luxurious ride — complete with a sunroof, wood floors and electrical outlets at every seat. Julian White and the drum majors ride to the game in a black limousine.
After the Classic, win or lose, the band rejoices. A collective relief comes with the end of months of practice, the striving for perfection, the precision necessary to master the 360-steps-per-minute re-enactment of a rattlesnake's strike.
Upperclassmen are hugging and congratulating freshmen. They're exchanging gifts and personal items, including band hats and jackets. Hazers and hazees, tormentors and victims, are now good friends.
One freshman was prepared to confront the upperclassmen who had bullied him, but after the Classic, he was greeted "like when a soldier comes back and the family rushes at you."
"My goal was to not change ... , but you can't help it," he said. "After I thought about it, I was kind of like, 'I was being over-dramatic a lot of the times. It really wasn't that bad.' "
In that one moment, the torment is forgotten and forgiven. And sometimes, in that instant, a hazee begins the transition into a hazer, perpetuating the tradition upon the next class of freshmen.
"Abused children become abusers," Felicia Fabre' said. "That is what happens with the band: Abused band members become abusers."
For many of the freshmen in the Marching 100, the Florida Classic is the end of the abuse. But not for those who ride back to the Rosen Plaza hotel aboard Bus C.
Marcus Fabre' knows all about Bus C. In his freshman year, when he was being ostracized for refusing to be hazed, he found his name listed on Bus C after the Classic. He knew he didn't belong on that bus, which carries mostly members of the percussion section. He knew he was being set up.
"They tried to get me on that bus last year," Fabre' said. "I just didn't ride it."
The percussion subgroup, called The Z, has its own initiation ritual that takes place throughout the semester. It's called "Crossing Bus C." And it would cost Robert Champion his life.
After the game, later that night, the charter buses are escorted back to the hotel. Bus C parks in the back of the hotel, the engine running. About 30 FAMU band members are aboard the bus.
A number of students subject themselves to hazing. Some will walk from the front to the back of the bus while being attacked. Sometimes, the hazing victim sits in the "hot seat" at the back of the bus while being slapped and beaten.
Nobody knows why Robert Champion boarded Bus C. The bus he rode from Tallahassee to Orlando was Bus H. Some students speculate that, after years of resisting hazing and warning others not to participate, Champion decided to submit to earn the respect and loyalty of the band before he became head drum major the following year. The Classic would be his last chance at acceptance. Others suggest he might have been lured inside the bus and beaten as his punishment for his stance against hazing.
Tall, heavy-set, with a shaved head and a short-cropped beard and mustache, Robert Champion moves down the narrow aisle between the rows of seats through a gauntlet of fists.
He is struck in the stomach, arms, chest and back. One purplish-gray bruise extends from the top of his back almost to his waist. Beneath those bruises and abrasions, his body is bleeding.
Immediately after the beating, Champion complains of thirst and exhaustion. His vision blurs, he vomits and collapses inside the bus.
Holding Champion as he is dying, an unidentified person calls 911 at 9:46 p.m.
"He is in my hands, ma'am. He's cold. He's in my hands," the male voice says. "His eyes are open, but he's not responding."
About an hour later, Robert Champion dies in Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. Early the next day, Julian White identifies the body.
The cause of death is listed as hemorrhagic shock caused by blunt-force trauma: killed by hazing.
Here is what else died that day: the shiny-brass reputation of a precision college marching band.
The famous FAMU band is suffering from a self-inflicted wound by a cadre of band members who believed they were untouchable, beyond reproach and superior in their conceit that nothing bad would happen.
Until it did.
firstname.lastname@example.com or 407-420-5392. email@example.com or 407-420-5470. Staff writer Matthew K. Richardson contributed to this report.
Since Robert Champion's death
Four FAMU students, Hakeem Birch, Denise Bailey, Anthony Mingo and Brandon Benson, have been charged with a misdemeanor for the hazing of the five clarinet Clone pledges. Three other students, James Harris, Aaron Golson and Sean Hobson, have been arrested on charges of hazing Bria Hunter. Golson and Hobson were also charged with felony battery.
Champion's death remains under investigation.
On Jan. 11, a yearlong, campuswide trespass warning was issued by FAMU campus police against a band student accused of harassing another student to join the Thunder subgroup.
Two months after the death of Robert Champion, the hazing continues.
It's 7 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2011. A thunderstorm is passing through Tallahassee as 350 members of the Florida A&M University Marching 100 assemble for the first time inside the school's cavernous band-rehearsal hall.


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This is not your father's MKX.
Okay, yeah, that's not a wild assertion, since the MKX has only been a member of Lincoln's model line since 2007, so there's not a whole lot of history. But tweaking that old Oldsmobile ad line to fit this updated crossover—focusing on how it shrugs off the cobwebs of yesteryear—does seem to make some sense here.
For example, unlike the first edition, with its throwback-to-the-'60s grille, the redesigned front end appears to eschew overt retroness. Or at least it puts the retro vibe a couple decades more distant (remember the 1941 Continental?). Anyway, whether there's a hint of design heritage or not, this much is unassailable: This Lincoln's new look isn't going to be confused with anything else, including the Ford Edge, on which the MKX is based.
No More Knobs
Although the sheetmetal has been extensively and eye-catchingly revised and the interior attractively and comfortably upgraded, perhaps the most striking element of this vehicle's freshening is its collection of center-stack secondary controls, an array that is utterly devoid of traditional switches and knobs. It's called MyLincoln Touch. Combining audio, climate, and navigation functions, it's standard and essentially a duplicate of the optional MyFord Touch system in the Ford Edge.
So, there's no volume dial to twirl. No levers or rocker switches. Just a large touchscreen that can double as the display for the voice-activated nav system (optional) and backup camera (ditto), as well as several small, touch-sensitive "buttons"—to select radio stations, for example—and "sliders" to control the HVAC fan speed and stereo volume. Is having no moving parts a good thing? From the perspective of manufacturing simplicity, the answer is probably yes. But from the perspective of the operator, we have to say the jury's out.
Touchscreen controls and electric buttons are fine when you're stationary. But when you're moving, hitting those controls becomes a challenge, especially on gnarly pavement or, worse, dirt roads (the MKX does have some SUV pretensions, you know). It almost goes without saying that the degree of difficulty soars when the operator is wearing gloves. Of course, voice activation will cover for at least some of this.
A bigger hiccup occurred when one member of our test crew, adept at adapting to new automotive infotainment systems, encountered a crescendo of problems. In exploiting the system's multiple capabilities—admittedly vast—he first encountered slow responses from the audio system once he had hooked up his iPod. Mounting electronic resistance finally culminated in what appeared to be a total system crash—all the touchscreen controls stopped responding.
Shutting off the ignition for a minute or two didn't cure the problem, and our man finally resorted to disconnecting the battery to reboot the system. That did the trick, but it's not the sort of thing that engenders affection for the technology. Given Ford's positive experience with the Sync system, we chalk up this episode to an aberration, and we encountered no additional problems. Still, it wouldn't take many similar aberrations to make potential buyers seek technological refuge elsewhere.
The Comfort Quotient
Troubles with MyLincoln Touch aside, the MKX is a very pleasant place to be as the miles roll by. The interior looks like what you'd expect to find inside a luxury vehicle—high-quality plastic graining, good-looking perforated hides on the nicely bolstered and widely adjustable seats, and adult-accommodating room in the rear. You may or may not like all the interior trim—we would have preferred one of the two wood packages rather than the brushed-aluminum look of our test car—and at this price level you might reasonably expect some fore-and-aft adjustability to the rear seats.
The standard equipment list is extensive, including an impressive inventory of entertainment features—an excellent 10-speaker audio system, two USB ports, an iPod audio input, and the Sync infotainment system. The MKX is quiet, making all the audio features that much easier to enjoy. Its new engine does generate more noise than its predecessor (a more than acceptable trade for a substantial power upgrade) at wide-open throttle, but it's quieter at idle, and the interior is quieter than many vehicles'—just 69 decibels—at highway cruising speed.
The Faster Factor
Distinctive good looks are always a plus, but styling becomes even more compelling when it's propelled by more muscle. Sharing its powertrain with the Edge Sport—a 3.7-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission—the MKX significantly picks up the pace versus its predecessor: 6.4 seconds to 60 mph and 15.1 at 94 mph in the quarter-mile compared with 8.1 seconds to 60 and 16.3 at 86 mph for the MKX we tested in 2006.
This is not exactly astonishing. The new V-6 generates 305 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque compared with the previous 3.5-liter's 265 hp and 250 lb-ft. And it's only fair to note that our 2006 test unit was equipped with four-wheel drive, whereas this one is a front-driver, weighing in at almost 300 pounds lighter.
Nevertheless, throttle response is eager, and we expect that an all-wheel-drive version would still scoot to 60 in well under seven seconds. Meanwhile, fuel economy for front-wheel-drive models increases by 1 mpg across the board to 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway. Fuel economy for all-wheel-drive models remains unchanged at 17/23. We averaged 19 mpg in our travels with this test vehicle.
Dynamically Good, Too
The engineering team didn't neglect the MKX's other dynamic elements. Although the spring and damping rates make comfort a priority, there's enough authority in the suspension to keep cornering attitudes reasonably flat, transient responses reasonably brisk, and ride quality reasonably firm. There's also more tactile information in the nicely weighted steering, more grip (0.80 g from a set of optional 245/50 all-season Pirelli Scorpions on 20-inch wheels), and distinctly improved braking performance: 172 feet from 70 to 0 mph, a 25-foot improvement compared with our earlier MKX tester and impressive for a vehicle that weighs 4317 pounds.
The Ford Edge Sport could be perceived as sportier than its Lincoln clone, if for no other reason than it can be equipped with paddle shifters for its six-speed auto, whereas the MKX has only a thumb switch on the shifter for manumatic function. But this distinction is clearly academic. The 2011 MKX is gratifyingly handy for its size, and although "fun to drive" isn't a phrase that leaps to mind, it's certainly more rewarding to maneuver than prime competitors such as the Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX350.
Will the Brand Hold It Back?
Of course, the list of MKX competitors isn't confined to the SRX and RX350. With a price range that starts at just under $40,000 and soars into mid-$50,000 territory, the MKX is in a league that includes the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Infiniti FX, Mercedes M-class, and Volvo XC60. That's a pretty serious roster. Does the Lincoln brand have the cachet to be a player in such company? Maybe not. But leaving that out of the equation for the moment, and considering the MKX on its vehicle merits, does it belong on this exclusive playground? Absolutely.

subset: commoncrawl


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It is with great sadness for us here at LACMA that we learn of Dorothea Tanning's recent passing. Tanning's immeasurable contribution to the arts leaves behind a legacy of innovative forms: paintings, prints, drawings, soft sculptures, collages, poems, and much more. Here in the American Art Department, it was truly a pleasure to become so well acquainted with Tanning's work. Having recently acquired her soft sculpture Xmas (1969) as part of LACMA's Collectors Committee acquisitions in 2010, our senior curator Ilene Susan Fort marveled at the numerous fabric sculptures Tanning made in her career, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, some adorned with teeth, fur, and lace, stating "[these sculptures] clearly involve both the traditional feminine art of sewing and the blatant sexuality brandished by feminists at the time."
With more than a dozen works by Tanning in LACMA's special exhibition In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States, the conversations among co-curators Fort and Tere Arcq, as well as research assistant Terri Geis, revealed fascinating details during the process of deciding which of her numerous pieces would best fit the themes of the show. From these discussions, it was interesting to learn that one of Tanning's avatars (a means of masking identity—a theme popular among surrealists) was a particular dog–in fact, a beloved pet–who appears in several of her works.
While Tanning's work may have been most associated with the surrealist movement, her prolific work ethic in later years pushed her to experiment beyond surrealism, working with abstract forms on paper and even writing. For the time being, the inquisitive and imaginative spirit of her work resides in our galleries as she will be truly missed.
Devi Noor, Curatorial Administrator, American Art


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Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has privately pledged to "fight to his last bullet" in his ancestral hometown of Qardaha, vowing, "If I go, none of Syria remains." The daily pools of blood spilled by his madmen cause hearts to be warmed by signs of Assad's impending fall, but one Syrian Christian opposition activist is loudly warning that light is not waiting at the end of the tunnel. Islamist hordes are. Michel Kilo is no friend of the Assad regime, though most of his Syrian Christian brethren fear what awaits them once it falls. He is a long-time and well-known opposition activist. His joy over Assad's defeat comes with an honest and bleak reality check. The fight against Assad will be followed by a fight against foreign-backed Islamists.
"[A democratic] future that felt certain has now become nothing more than a vague promise—which might not be kept by the Islamist groups known for their lies, lust for power and cooperation with foreign powers," Kilo urgently writes about "our hijacked revolution."
"It is very likely that we will be dragged into a deep pit of chaos, violence and civil war, and that serious efforts will be deployed to prevent any evolution toward democracy by stifling the voices of free, secular forces," he says.
The same disappointment can be heard in the words of Riad al-Assad, the secular defector who originally started the Free Syria Army.
"I talked with America, Europe, and the media that they needed to support the leadership of the FSA [Free Syria Army]…If there is no support for the FSA…new groups would appear and the work will fall apart, because then we wouldn't be able to control what was happening on the ground…And that's where we are now," he said in October.
He indicated that the original assault on Aleppo was launched by fighters who aren't under his command. He said, "It was the wrong decision by the people who took it." On the ground, Islamist militants including Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists are the ones taking the lead. An infantry base in Aleppo has just fallen to the Al-Tawheed Brigade. It is described as an "Islamist faction" even though it fights under the FSA name. It is unclear if the Free Syria Army affiliated with Riad al-Assad incorporated it into its ranks or if the Al-Tawheed Brigade Islamists decided to unilaterally use the popular name.
Jabhat al-Nusra, a branch of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, is also growing. It makes up about nine percent of the rebel forces, and after the U.S. designated it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, 29 rebel groups responded by declaring their allegiance to the Al-Qaeda affiliate. The Telegraph acknowledges that this group is independent of the FSA, but the time available to build the FSA as an alternative force is slipping away. "[M]any FSA leaders now recognize its strength and order their forces to cooperate with it," it reports.
The Islamists are sidelining the secular Free Syria Army on both the military and the political levels. Earlier this month, Islamist rebels left the FSA out of a new joint command established in Turkey. The FSA said the 30-member council is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood and is beholden to "external will." A delegate said that two-thirds of the officials are members of the Brotherhood or are aligned with it. He described the body as a creation of Qatar and Turkey.
The newly formed National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, recognized by the U.S. as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people, is going to bypass the FSA networks in delivering humanitarian aid. Of course, it's willing to use FSA bodies and bullets to make sure it arrives.
The original opposition umbrella body, the Syrian National Council, lacked support on the ground and was widely seen by secularists as a vehicle for the Islamists. When the new National Coalition absorbed the Syrian National Coalition, there was a chance for a credible, secular-led umbrella body. The two vice presidents, Riad Seif and Suhair al-Atassi, are popular secularists. The to-be-determined third vice president will be a Kurd and almost certainly a secularist. The president, Moaz al-Khatib, is a different story.
Al-Khatib is a "moderate Islamist"—"moderate" when compared to Al-Qaeda and incendiary Salafists. He is the former imam of Umayyad Mosque and today speaks with a very soft tone. His first message upon being elected was one against sectarianism, hoping to soothe the anxieties of Alawites terrified of a post-Assad Syria. He praises Muslim Brotherhood cleric Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi as "our great Imam," comparing him to the Tunisian whose suicide sparked the Arab Spring. That alone is enough to discredit Al-Khatib as the type of "moderate" that should lead the opposition.
His attitude towards Jews is what we should expect from a Qaradawi fan. He praises Saddam Hussein for "terrifying the Jews" and his website carries articles that say Jews are "gold worshippers" and "the enemies of God." He preaches that Israel seeks the "collapse" of Egypt in order to redesign the Middle East based on sect, apparently too blinded by anti-Israel fervor to see that the residents of the region are doing a fine job of themselves.
Al-Khatib's reaction to the U.S. designation of Al-Qaeda's Jubhat al-Nusra should be considered a foreshadowing of things to come. He opposes it, saying "The decision to consider a party that is fighting the regime as a terrorist party needs to be reviewed." In other words, the enemy of my enemy isn't a terrorist. So what happens when there's a new enemy like Israel? By this logic, an Al-Khatib-led Syria will continue to harbor Al-Qaeda as long as there's a common enemy.
The U.S. now knows that when it decided to "lead from behind" by letting Qatar act as the gun store for the Libyan rebels, it armed Islamic extremists. Qatar favored the Islamists in its role in Libya to the detriment of secularists. Non-Islamist Libyan rebels warned us then. Non-Islamist Syrian rebels are warning us now.
Michel Kilo writes:
If it is true that the regime is taking its last breaths and will fall before long, we ought to take immediate actions and put an end to the Islamist policies that took over the national council, and introduced non-nationalistic and non-Syrian thrusts into our revolution. These kinds of policies introduced a dangerous, dogmatic ideology into the revolution, one that poses a great threat to Syrian society.
Kilo and other secularist activists in the Middle East and broader Muslim world recognize that the problem is ideology. What will it take for the West to believe them?
This article was sponsored by the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
Ryan Mauro is a fellow with RadicalIslam.org, the founder of WorldThreats.com and a frequent national security analyst for Fox News Channel. He can be contacted at email@example.com.


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- Home
- City Services
- Fire
- Emergency Preparedness
- Power Outages
Power Outages
Sometimes, due to excessive heat or when the National Weather Service predicts strong weather systems, electrical supply difficulties can occur throughout the state. When this happens, Southern California Edison (SCE) takes a number of precautionary steps. Likewise, customers need to do their part preparing for possible service interruptions.
SCE Preparation Steps
SCE takes precautionary steps to prepare for possible customer service interruptions when difficulties are anticipated:
- SCE response personnel are on standby to support service restoration, ensuring that the utility has available inventories of material and equipment for repair work.
- SCE and contract crews mobilize as outages occur and will work around-the-clock to restore power in areas that might be affected.
- Additional SCE customer call center representatives will be activated to help answer customer calls in the event of increased outages.
- Customers can report outages by calling 800-611-1911.
Safety Reminders for Customers
Customers need to be prepared in case of weather-related outages. Here are some practical suggestions:
- Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach such intersections as four-way stops.
- If you see a power line on the ground, stay away. Do not touch or try to remove it. Call SCE or local law enforcement.
- Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.
- If you know someone who is dependent on electrically operated medical equipment, make advance back-up power arrangements in case a power outage affects that equipment.
- Never use equipment designed for outdoor cooking indoors. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
- If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into the generator, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates "backfeed," which is dangerous to repair crews.
Customer Care Programs for Public Safety Power Shutoffs Fact SheetEnglish


text: Moving operations to the cloud has been completely transformative for modern enterprises looking to extend their relevance and gain competitive advantages. GP Bullhound partners with the most innovative SaaS companies to define the next level of intelligence, productivity and collaboration. We have advised and invested in category leaders such as Slack, Signavio, Falcon.io, Rant&Rave and Tradeshift.


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South Dakota's Buffalo Trample Politics
In the flurry up to the November 6th election, most of us missed our country's first National Bison Day. It was commemorated on November 1, five days before Republicans and Democrats slugged it out at the polls.
While it's not clear how one celebrates National Bison Day, I do know pending legislation to designate this stupendous beast that once roamed our country in herds as big as Rhode Island as our official national mammal has proven that elected officials on both sides of the political spectrum can still agree on something
In fact, bills (S. 3248, introduced May 24, and H.R. 6304, introduced August 2) were put forth by Congressmen on both sides of the aisle with co-sponsors from both parties. Yes, an "R" and a "D" on the same bills gives me hope that, just like the bison that rebounded from a straggly herd of 15 at the Bronx Zoo, our cantankerous old Congressmen will eventually come together and do something meaningful.
In the meantime, I went to South Dakota for Governor Dennis Daugaard's annual Buffalo Roundup. Held at Custer State Park for nearly 50 years, this spectacle involves 1,300 snorting, hairy beasts running across the prairie at speeds of up to 50 miles-per-hour, and cowboys on horses with real chaps and spurs trying to corral them into a giant pen. If it's not on your bucket list, get it on there fast. It's truly something to see.
Custer State Park is big (71,000 acres), so you can imagine the task of just finding 1,300 bison — roaming free as they do through the granite spires of Needles Highway, along the park's 18-mile Wildlife Loop and near Sylvan Lake, the mountain lake sitting at the base of Harney Peak, the highest point east of the Rockies — let alone getting the headstrong creatures to cooperate by running into a pen where they will be inoculated, branded (if they're calves), culled and either chosen for November's annual auction that raises some $325,000 for the South Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation or released back into the wild beauty of this park, one of many on the west side of South Dakota.
Between state parks, national parks and national monuments, this part of our country is one big protected Kodak moment after another. There's the Badlands, the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Jewel Cave National Monument (with the second longest cave in the world), Wind Cave National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Spearfish Canyon, Bear Butte State Park where indigenous Northern Plains tribes go for vision quests and, of course, the magnificent Custer State Park that served as the summer White House for Calvin Coolidge.
For anyone who a) longs to get up close and personal to nature (besides the bison, Custer State Park has elk, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, mountain goats, pronghorn and a herd of 50 feral begging burros who practically climb in your mini-van in search of bread and other treats that they know to expect), b) feels inspired by the possibilities of the human spirit (Gutzon Borglum spent 14 years hanging from ropes while he jackhammered and blasted out Mount Rushmore, and he didn't even start until he was 60) or c) cheerleads the greatness of our country (American patriotism is the overriding soundtrack in Western South Dakota), should plan a trip here soon.
As for the bison (that once thundered across the plains to the tune of 30 million head), if those bills pass, it will join the Bald Eagle (our official bird since 1782), the rose (our official flower) and the oak (our official tree).


text: "The fit you won't forget" is the slogan for Dominique designs. For over 60 years the Dominique Intimate Apparel Collection has been giving women of all shapes and sizes the opportunity to find the perfect piece of lingerie that fits their every need. Dominique offers everything from full-figured lingerie to shapewear for brides-to-be. Even the modern woman searching for something sexy will find a perfect match in the Dominique collection. The longline bustier has been a favorite for brides and women attending an elegant celebration. The lightweight and breathable designs help the bustiers feel barely there. Women wanting to feel extravagant and comfortable at the same time opt for Dominique's cozy bras and lingerie. Bras are offered up to size G in both longline and underwire allowing for any sized woman to find the perfect fit. The bras are made with a combination of soft material and strong support. Dominique designers take months perfecting each selection to ensure each piece in the collection is both functional and fashionable. With all of that science going into the beauty and comfort of every woman, the answer to your lingerie needs can be found in the Dominique collection.


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Black Diamond Cyborg Pro
The Cyborg is Black Diamond's teched-out crampon for ice and mixed climbing. Its materials, bindings, finish and adjustments are the same or similar to those used on the Sabretooth, so we'll stick to the details that are different.
The Cyborg is Black Diamond's teched-out crampon for ice and mixed climbing. Its materials, bindings, finish and adjustments are the same or similar to those used on the Sabretooth, so we'll stick to the details that are different.
The Cyborg comes with two replaceable vertical front-points. (The additional framework necessary for the replaceable points makes the Cyborg six ounces heavier per pair than the Sabretooth). For those interested in highly technical ice/mixed climbing, you can convert the Cyborg to a mono-point crampon by cutting/sawing out part of the anti-balling plate, a one-time hassle. In either front-point configuration, an aggressive set of secondary points gives you a stable platform when kicking up a steep column of water ice. The side-points, due to their alignment and length, are great at inside and outside edging, especially when using the combination of the front and secondary point. Having this capability is critical in many mixed-climbing situations, and one that I have found lacking in some crampons I've tested over the years, where the secondary points are too long or short or poorly articulated, making it impossible/awkward to get the side- and front-point on the same hold without cocking your foot or raising your heel too high.
As a technical crampon, the Cyborg is excellent, and you'd be pressed to get better performance outside an integrated bolt-on crampon rig (aka fruitboots). Two thumbs up for ice of any sort, rock, ice and rock (alpine climbing!), and even technical mountaineering when you need the precise performance of vertical front-points and are willing to sacrifice some security on snow slopes.
- Rigid crampon with two vertical front-points (convertible to mono-points). Excels on steep ice, technical mixed routes.
- Stainless-steel construction is light and durable and doesn't rust.
- 2 pounds 8 ounces/pair (with anti-balling plates).
- Choice of Clip or Pro binding will accommodate most boots.
- One size fits all; easily adjustable design.
- Replacement front-points $12.95 each.


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The modern world of work is about BYOD and pervasive mobile connectivity. To help enable the modern networking world, wireless vendor Aruba Networks is now updating its core Aruba OS operating system to further improve the survivability of pervasive mobile connectivity.
Ozer Dondurmacioglu, product manager at Aruba, told EnterpriseNetworkingPlanet that the new ArubaOS 220.127.116.11 is an update to the company's existing set of algorithms. ArubaOS is the Linux powered operating system that runs on Aruba's mobility controllers.
"It is designed to accommodate an even higher density of devices and more demanding network design requirements," Dondurmacioglu said. "Since there are no specific hardware or software components that are attached to this release, and because we have a solid set of differentiators in these two areas, we decided to go to market sooner than our major release cycle."
Dondurmacioglu explained that among the major enhancements in the 126.96.36.199 release is a feature that enables mobile device and application survivability during network outages, after a Mobility Controller failover takes place. Another key feature is the ability to maintain total AP performance and the ability to offer a consistent experience to individual mobile devices as the number of mobile devices associated to the same AP continues to increase.
Unified Communications
The new ArubaOS updates is also certified to deliver the Microsoft Lync unified communications solution. Dondurmacioglu said that Aruba has been working with Microsoft's Lync development team directly as a technology partner.
"Our innovation with regard to identifying and prioritizing Microsoft Lync calls is an Aruba innovation and it is the primary reason for Aruba being the only wireless LAN vendor to date that has received qualification in the Microsoft Lync Server Wi-Fi compliance program," Dondurmacioglu said. "We have learned a lot from the Lync team at Microsoft with regard to how the application performs signaling and starts media streams – and we have implemented deep packet inspection to track Lync flows dynamically, thanks to the stateful firewall on the Aruba Mobility Controllers and the Aruba access points."
While Aruba is certified for Microsoft Lync Server, it can also enable other popular unified communications applications as well including SIP, Polycom SVP, Cisco SCCP, VOCERA, Alcatel NOE, and Apple FaceTime protocols.
"The signaling ports and media streams are automatically identified when necessary, are applied appropriate QoS markings and protected over the air during Wi-Fi congestion," Dondurmacioglu said.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.


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AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The furor over Gov. Paul LePage's comment about "young white" girls being impregnated by out-of-state drug dealers is last week's news. This week could bring an impeachment order calling for an investigation into the Republican's alleged abuse of power.
A group of lawmakers led by Rep. Ben Chipman, a Portland Democrat, submitted the order, and Chipman said it's due to be debated on the House floor on Thursday. But House Democrats are divided, and the situation remains fluid.
"Anything can happen between now and then," said Rep. Sara Gideon, assistant Democratic leader.
Some lawmakers insist the Legislature must take some sort of action, whether it's censure or impeachment, to punish LePage for using his influence to pressure a charter school operator into rescinding a job offer to House Speaker Mark Eves, a Democrat.
Chipman said he has eight co-sponsors for his proposal to create a special committee to investigate that incident and seven others in which the governor allegedly overstepped his authority. The panel would issue its recommendations to lawmakers by April 1.
Chipman said he thinks the investigation will show a pattern of abuse of power, misuse of public assets, official oppression and other violations.
"We're absolutely convinced that holding Gov. LePage accountable puts us the right side of history. We're very comfortable with that," said Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos, an independent from Friendship, who's one of the co-sponsors of the impeachment order.
A spokeswoman for the governor declined to comment, calling the claims "frivolous."
Impeachment would be unprecedented in Maine. A simple majority vote in the Democratic-controlled House would be needed to send it to the Republican-controlled Senate.
Last week, House Democrats delayed any action, saying they wanted to get the legislative session off on a positive note.
But the week ended on a sour note when LePage had to apologize for a racially tinged remark in which he said white girls were being impregnated by out-of-state drug dealers. LePage blamed the media of making too much of a slip of the tongue.
It's not the first time his comments got him in hot water. He once said he'd tell President Barack Obama to "go to hell," and he suggested that the Portland NAACP "kiss my butt." He also described a political opponent as giving it to the people "without providing Vaseline."
The continued talk of an impeachment means a cloud will continue to shadow lawmakers as they return to the Statehouse this week to resume their work.
"It's never great timing to take up something like this, and I wish we didn't have to do it all. But the governor has put us in this position," Chipman said.
A legislative panel already has investigated the governor's actions. The Government Oversight Committee found that LePage exerted pressure on charter school operator Good Will-Hinckley and that his education commissioner withheld a payment after learning that Eves was offered the job as the organization's president. Good Will-Hinckley ultimately rescinded the job offer.
Eves, a Democrat from North Berwick, has said that the governor's actions constituted blackmail, and he's suing the governor in U.S. District Court.
Senate President Mike Thibodeau, a Republican from Winterport, said previously that Mainers are weary of political fights and want lawmakers to move on.
Another Republican senator, Thomas Saviello of Wilton, said he doesn't like the governor's abrasive approach but considers impeachment "an exercise in futility."
"The governor has to decide what his legacy is going to be," he said. "Every day he adds to that legacy, but I just don't see anything that's impeachable."
Follow David Sharp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/David_Sharp_AP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-sharp.


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Money has been fleeing the stock market as fast as the market has been rising, leaving open the fear that, once again, mom-and-pop investors will come back only after missing the best part of the rally.
The trend of retail investors to buy high and sell low is one of the oldest — and most confounding — traits of the stock market.
And true to form over the past four years, and in 2012 in particular, money has been leaving the equity and money markets and pouring into bonds. This has happened even as the Standard & Poor's 500 has gained more than 110 percent off its financial crisis lows.
However, there are some halting signs that investors are ready to put money to work.
Exchange-traded funds have been a substantial beneficiary of the mutual fund exodus. Investors increasingly are choosing ETFs as a way to play the market, and flows there suggest some investors actually are beginning to come back to stocks.
The worry is that by the time the trend accelerates, the rally will be over and it will be too late to benefit from stock gains.
"They're always late to the party," says Nadav Baum, executive vice president at BPU Investment Management in Pittsburgh, Pa. "The reality is we haven't had a real good fundamental stock market with growth and companies buying back stock and splitting and dividends since 1998.
"If in fact we are getting in this period of a true, strong market where the fundamentals are good, the companies are buying back stock and they're increasing dividends, that could keep the market going for 10 years. At some point, retail will be back in."
But whether that will be too late and whether the retail investor will ever come back are two nagging questions.
Examining mutual fund flows as a proxy for investor behavior has become a favorite pastime for Wall Street pros, the media and the blogosphere, and the story from there — albeit only partially true — suggests a caravan out of stocks.
Investors have dumped more than $40 billion from stock-based mutual funds in 2012 alone and about $535 billion since 2008, while bond funds have taken in $950 billion, according to data from the Investment Company Institute.
The good news for investors is they've been rewarded handsomely for diving into fixed income. While the rewards were not quite so gaudy as the stock market's the risks were far less and thus obviously more pleasing.
Changing that behavior, then, won't be easy.
"Typically, the retail investor needs to get burned. When they actually get burned, they will leave an asset," says Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Annuities in Newark, N.J. "As long as they've felt they're doing all right and there's no risk, they've been quite happy in these various assets within fixed income."
The issue, most everyone agrees, is that has been a bit of an oasis in a troubled world filled with debt crises, political stalemates and market malfunctions — the May 6, 2010 Flash Crash and the Facebook debacle to name just a few.
"Mind you, many retail investors are very well diversified, so they have exposure to equities. They've been in high yield, which is very highly correlated to equities," Krosby says. "So they have returns in their portfolio. The issue is, do they start increasing their allocation?"
There's a much under-examined aspect of the fund-flows chatter that tells a somewhat different story about investor behavior.
While it's true that equity mutual funds have been hemorrhaging cash, that money isn't all going to bonds.
Many investors instead are showing preference to exchange-traded funds, which are composed like mutual funds but trade like stocks. The $1.3 trillion ETF industry has seen huge inflows at the same time that mutual funds have been losing investor cash.
Domestic equity ETFs have jumped from holding just $370 billion in assets at the beginning of 2008 to $702 billion now, according to ICI.
That's not quite a 1-for-1 correlation and it doesn't mitigate how much investors have been taking out of money markets and pouring into bonds. But it's certainly an indicator that the retail investor isn't quite so fearful as the mutual fund flows indicate.
But the perception among many pros is that confidence remains lacking, and until that returns in the stock market the retail crowd likely won't, either.
"To some extent, isn't that what it's always about?" says Liz Ann Sonders, chief market strategist at Charles Schwab in San Francisco. "There's muscle memory from the severity of the financial crisis. We had two bubbles in a 10-year period. You had the lost decade. You have the Flash Crashes and all the mini-flash crashes from other stocks."
Sonders has been mostly bullish on the market during its rise from the crisis depths, and believes that despite the various dangers looming the market can keep climbing.
"It's an overused term, but we're continuing to see the green shoots," she says. "They bring out the animal spirits that are just bubbling now."
It's also worth noting that while equity mutual funds have taken a hit in recent years the industry still holds $5.6 trillion in assets, including $4.2 trillion in domestic funds. Those are numbers that suggest plenty of investors have seen benefits even if the trend is moving away from stocks.
"That's why retail investors should have advisors," BPU's Baum says. "They keep buying bonds, and they are going to take a hit with inflation. These interest rates are going to keep going up, and people are going to get hammered in these bond funds."


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Jan. 13, 2005 -- -- Ricky Lannetti was once the picture of health -- a big, strong college football player.
In the fall of 2003, he had led his team to a big victory, catching more passes than anyone and securing a spot in the national semifinals. But sometime after that game he caught something else.
"They didn't know what they had. They were as confused as I was," his mother, Teresa, told ABC News. "They had five different antibiotics in him, but they finally said, 'We can't handle it.'" On Dec. 6, 2003, one week after his last game, Lannetti died.
There's still a lot of mystery surrounding how Lannetti, 21, got sick in the first place and why his illness progressed so quickly. But one thing is clear: He had an infection caused by a bacteria generally found on the skin or in the nose, called MRSA, or methycillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.
MRSA is the kind of germ doctors have worried about for years: some call it a "superbug," a germ the usual antibiotics won't kill.
Worse, it can cause trouble quickly. What starts as a skin infection can become a deadly pneumonia or blood or bone infection in a matter of days if not treated correctly.
Up until recently, doctors hadn't seen MRSA in healthy young people outside the hospital, said Dr. Robert Daum of University of Chicago Hospitals. "MRSA is a denizen of the hospital," he said. "It lives here."
But now, 65 percent of the staphylococcus infections coming into his emergency room in otherwise healthy kids are MRSA, he said. To him, that rate of growth is alarmingly fast -- a cause for concern.
MRSA is resistant to anywhere from 15 to 30 different antibiotics. That means when it's detected, a doctor has only a very small number of compounds at hand that are able to kill it.
Daum said he has seen some patients with MRSA that are worse off for having seen a doctor that could not recognize it. The patients were treated with regular antibiotics -- and that gave the germ more time to do damage in the body.
"We've seen a lot of kids that come in here that needed intensive care and in fact have died that have started off by being out in the community, where they get an old treatment and then come in here having failed it," he said.
Most MRSA infections begin with a cut or a bruise, which is why some of the worst outbreaks have happened to football teams.
"I think you'd be hard-pressed right now to find a college athletic department that has not seen it in some shape or form with some of their athletes," said Ron Courson, the athletic trainer for the University of Georgia football team. Eight players on his team had MRSA infections this season.
A communal locker room, with many people in one area, can help bacteria spread, he said. "You may have athletes sharing equipment such as passing a towel from one person to the next person on the sideline."
Even the NFL has had its share of problems: players such as Kenyatta Walker of the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and Junior Seau and Charles Rodgers of the Miami Dolphins reportedly have been hospitalized with serious MRSA infections.
Daum's biggest concern is that as MRSA continues to evolve, it will become resistant to even more antibiotics.
"Bacteria are unlike us humans. We have a generation time of about 25 years. They have a generation time of 20 minutes," he said. "They can adapt pretty fast."
Daum said he is seeing a strain in the Midwest that is so severe, it has caused deaths even when the right antibiotic is used.
This week, Courson and his fellow athletic trainers held a workshop to discuss ways to keep their own locker rooms as germ-free as possible. Some of their recommendations:


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That's not photoshop; that's an actual cloud hovering inside an actual room. Artist Berndnaut Smilde merges art and science to create small man-made clouds that exist — albeit for just a moment — indoors.
Smilde uses a fog machine to make the actual clouds, but also carefully regulates the humidity and temperature. Even so, these installations exists for a mere moment before dissipating inside the room. If you're not there in the moment, then you only get to experience these brief scientific sculptures as photographs.
Berndnaut Smilde [via Neatorama]
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U.S. Headquarters based in Los Angeles Calif, The Opulent Agency is a luxury real estate brand that represents some of the most affluent and opulent properties both nationally and internationally. The boutique brand is within the largest real estate brand in the world of kw | Keller Williams Luxury Homes Intl.
Tony Giordano (President) and London Howe (Vice President) are Luxury Specialists who have built a national and international team of highly-qualified, experienced and driven Partner Associates, who are Luxury Specialists in their dedicated cities throughout America and the world. This team has allowed them to develop a network of opulent sellers and buyers that span the globe due to a very unique and innovative technique in marketing property and demographically targeting buyers.
"Many agents today will tell the client they know how to market property internationally, yet have nothing to show the client how they do it. We prefer to educate our clients and show them the difference of just 'saying it' vs actually knowing how to 'execute' it."- Tony Giordano and London Howe


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Much thanks to Heather King for providing transportation and companionship, as well as the infamous super dog Roxy, and not least, to Cora Lee, who formed the fourth part of our party.
Lower Brockhampton is a timber-framed manor house dating back to the 14th century. The manor house is surrounded by a moat and entered by a newly-restored gatehouse. The estate includes 1000 acres of farmland and 700 acres of woodland. The ruins of a Norman church are also located on the property.
The manor house was probably built from timber sourced from the estate itself, and the history of the house is intimately connected to the rich wooded landscape that it sits within.
Making good use of the estate's productivity was the secret to the continued wealth of the family that lived here. We know from ancient seeds and pollen found during archaeological excavations that in medieval times cereal crops were grown near the manor house, to the north of the moat.
Over the years the house was adapted by each successive generation that lived here, the original medieval great hall had an upper floor inserted into it by the Barneby family, in order to accommodate their many children.
As society changed it became more important for the owning family to live separately from their servants and estate workers. Eventually in the Georgian period, and under the care of Bartholomew Barneby, the owning family moved out from the ancient timber framed building and into a grander mansion house at the top of the estate.
From the eighteenth century onwards the timber framed manor house was home to estate workers such as Joseph Cureton and his family. Joseph was the estate wagoner in the nineteenth century. He cared for the horses that carried out much of the heavy work on the farms and woodland that makes up Brockhampton estate.
In 2010, the National Trust undertook a major restoration project to the house using traditional wattle and daub building methods.
The site of the medieval village of Studmarsh is thought to be located in the estate. In 2012, an archaeological dig unearthed the foundations of two buildings that may have been part of the village.
Rolling green parklands and ancient woods surround the charming Brockhampton Estate. Situated on 687 hectars (1,700 acres), Brockhampton has been a farming estate for nearly 1,000 years. At the heart of the estate lies the romantic timber-framed manor house dating back to the late 14th century, and the ruined Norman chapel. To arrive here one must first cross the picturesque moat and enterer via the gatehouse, built in 1530-40. Today, Brockhampton Estate is not only a time capsule for visitors, but the grounds also provide an idyllic setting for 40 residential houses and cottages.
The grounds of Brockhampton Estate feature ancient trees, the picturesque Lawn Pool, and numerous sculptures depicting of the history of Brockhampton and the local area. Native wildlife is bountiful on the Estate, and every effort has been made to preserve and enhance habitats. This is particularly apparent in the ancient woods, where less common species can be found by the patient observer, including the scarce lesser spotted woodpecker and noctule bat.
The Estate runs traditional livestock breeds, such as Hereford cattle and Ryeland sheep. However the main point of sustainability lies in the conservation and preservation of the traditional orchards. The Estate boasts some magnificent orchards, some of the most extensive in the National Trust's care. Over 50 hectares (124 acres) is dedicated to trees bearing cherries, apples, pears, damsons and quince. The orchards are rich in bird, mammal and insect life, and provide habitats and forage for many important species. Two rare species have made the orchards their home, the mistletoe weevil and the noble chafer beetle. The orchards are part of an ongoing restoration project, and over the winter of 2011 a further 75 fruit trees were planted.
Keeping true to the history and spirit of Brockhampton Estate, a monthly farmers' market is held on the grounds. All produce sold is produced in the local district. The Estate also hosts an annual "pick your own" event in early September where visitors can bring a bag to fill with treats from the orchard.
More photos on my Pinterest board.


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Draft Day 2 Wrap
I thought it might be worth mentioning that during last night's game, MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo got in touch with me to praise what the Pirates did on Day 2 of the three-day Draft. Mayo's perspective was totally unsolicited and unbiased, even though Jonathan does happen to live in the Pittsburgh area.
Mayo's point — which spoke exactly to the organization's goal — was that the Pirates nabbed some talented high school players who other teams passed on only because of signability. These are players like LHP Zachary Von Rosenberg (sixth round; Zachary (La.) HS); LHP Colton Cain (eighth round; Waxahachie (Tx.) HS); C Joseph Schoenfield (10th round; Santiago (Calif.) HS); and RHP Jordan Cooper (17th round; Shelbyville Central (Ky.) HS). All of these players have already committed to play baseball at big-time college programs.
After Day 2 came to an end, GM Neal Huntington said that 21 of the 30 players that the Pirates drafted have asked for signing bonuses of at least $100,000. That would explain why other teams would be scared away. And it speaks exactly to the point that Huntington has made for weeks now — the organization plans to use it's money to offer those six-figure bonuses and lure players away from college commitments.
Now, though, the key is getting these targeted players signed. If the Pirates can't do that, then their Draft strategy can't be labeled as a success, especially considering the Pirates, by almost every accounts, did not get the best player available with their No. 4 overall selection.
"We may have to stretch to sign and we'll do that when appropriate," Huntington said. "We've given ourselves a large option to sign. If player A doesn't want to sign, we can go aggressively to player B.
"The resources given us will allow us to aggressively pursue every one of these players. We've given ourselves options. We haven't locked in to one or two players. No team ever signs 50 players or goes in with the anticipation of signing 50 players.
"We have the opportunity to sign a higher number of players or sign fewer if we go for the more expensive guys."
Here is the lowdown on all of the Day 2 selections
Here is a story, courtesy of the Shelbyville Times, on 17th-rounder Jordan Cooper and his prospect of signing with the Pirates.


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Campbell University transfers lead the way
CLEMSON, S.C. (Feb. 8, 2013) – The ETSU men's and women's track & field teams kicked off the Tiger Paw Invitational on Friday, led by the performances of senior newcomer Courtney Kinlaw (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) in the 60m dash and long jump.
Kinlaw – transfer from Campbell University – began her day in the 60m dash, qualifying for the finals with a time of 7.66. In the final, Kinlaw shaved off .01 to clock in at 7.65 and take sixth in the event. Later in the day, she competed in the long jump, leaping a season-best distance of 5.73m to earn silver.
On the men's side, ETSU's best performances also came from a pair of Campell transfers. Newcomer Rashad Campbell (Henderson, N.C.) took second place in the 200m, clocking a time of 22.15. Lawrence went after the long jump, marking a season-best distance of 7.27m to earn bronze. Another newcomer to the roster, Tyler Stepp (Dandridge, Tenn.) took silver in the high jump at 2.05m.
A veteran on the men's side, Ifrish Alberg (Paramaribo, Suriname), clocked a good time in the 60m. Alberg ran at a 6.85 clip in the prelims to qualify sixth, but sat out the finals.
Freshman Ashley Kessler (Knoxville, Tenn.) upped her personal best in the women's pole vault. Kessler cleared a height of 3.48m, improving on her previous season-best of 3.40m to inch closer to the top conference mark of 3.70m.
The Bucs get day two underway Saturday at 10 a.m., with the first events being the men's pole vault, shot put and triple jump.Notables MenRashad Campbell – 200m – 22.15 – 2nd PlaceTyler Stepp – High Jump – 2.05m – 2nd PlaceDiego Lawrence – Long Jump – 7.27m – 3rd PlaceIfrish Alberg – 60m dash prelims – 6.85 – Qualifies 6th WomenCourtney Kinlaw – 60m dash prelims – 7.66 – Qualifies 8th; Final – 7.65 – 6th Place- Long Jump – 5.73m (PR) – 2nd PlaceAshley Kessler – Pole Vault – 3.48m (PR) – 3rd PlaceKelly Monteleone – Long Jump – 5.51m – 6th PlaceKristen Chapman – High Jump – 1.60m – 7th Place
ETSU fans wanting Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for "Buc Updates." Click here to sign up today!
For more information on ETSU men's and women's track & field, please visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Lack of time is the one thing most us blame for skipping breakfast in the morning. Between trying to catch those precious few hours of sleep, getting dressed and ready, getting the kids ready for school, there's just not enough time to make breakfast. "I'll get a cup of coffee on the go ", you tell yourself as you dash out the door promising yourself you will do better tomorrow but that tomorrow never comes.
Well it doesn't have to be this way.
I thought it would be a good idea to start the year by launching a series of healthy breakfast ideas. I will be sharing a number of oatmeal recipes (carrot cake oatmeal, chocolate oatmeal, apple cinnamon oatmeal…and more), smoothies, some new twists on homemade granola (chocolate granola, honey almond granola, spicy seed granola..), sandwiches, wraps, a couple of easy cheese recipes to use as dips and spreads and some low carb breakfast ideas. The focus will be on easy to prepare, quick and healthy. I would love to hear from you, what would you like to see on this series? any requests?
If you enjoy the flavors of carrot cake, the sweetness of the carrots and raisins, the depth of flavor from the spices, the crunch of the walnuts. This oatmeal is for you. It hits all those buttons only with a fraction of the calories.I would say it tastes like carrot cake batter but then again I don't want to admit that I taste raw cake batter 😉 Lets just say that having dessert for breakfast with a clear conscience is a win win situation in my book.
What I usually do is make double or triple this recipe on the weekend and simply reheat it in the morning. Add a splash of milk, cook for 3-5 minutes and it is as good as new without grating, measuring or mess.
Carrot cake oatmeal
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 cups milk (coconut milk would work too)
1 tablespoon honey (brown sugar or maple syrup)
1 1/4 cups shredded carrots (1 large carrot)
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
To serve:
shredded carrots
chopped walnuts
In a pot add the oats,milk, carrots, raisins, honey and spices
Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the mix thickens and starts to bubble.
Cook for 2 more minutes while stirring then take off the heat
Serve topped with shredded carrots, walnuts or raisins.
Milk: You can make this with regular milk or with coconut milk. coconut milk adds a nutty flavor that I find pleasant.
Sweetner: you can use honey, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup or you can leave out the sugar altogether and rely on the sweetness of the carrots and raisins. Another option would be to drizzle the sweetnes (honey or maple syrup) on top of the cooked oatmeal
Spices: Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger or a combination of them. Use your favorite combination of spices
Additions: raisins, crushed pineapples, grated apples, shredded coconut. You can use any or all of these to add flavor and texture to your oatmeal
Reheating: I usually make double or triple this recipe on the weekend and then reheat it in the morning. All you need to do is add 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk to the cold oatmeal and then cook the oatmeal for 3-5 minutes. This heats it through and restores the thickness to that of freshly cooked oatmeal . Breakfast is ready in 5 minutes or less.


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2-headed bull shark fetus found near Key West in 2011
Specimen is first recorded bull shark fetus from Gulf of Mexico
A two-headed bull shark fetus discovered in the Florida Keys is the focus of a recent study.
The Journal of Fish Biology was released Monday by researchers at Michigan State University.
This rare discovery was made by a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico near Key West in April 2011. The fetus was removed from a pregnant female bull shark, along with other normal fetuses that were released alive.
It is the first recorded incidence of dicephalia in a bull shark fetus from the Gulf.
Dicephalia, commonly known as "axial bifurcation," is a developmental anomaly that appears in a single fertilized ovum during gastrulation, according to the report.
The specimen was alive at birth but died once the umbilical connection was severed. It was preserved and given to marine biologists at Florida Keys Community College.
Michigan State University researcher Michael Wagner, who co-authored the study, told WPBF.com that this "simple, little natural history study" was conducted so that others can better understand how these deformities arise.
Wagner said the specimen was sent to Michigan State University so researchers could conduct X-rays.


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You'll probably never see a happier DUI stop than this one
A sheriff's deputy in Southern California found a unique way to propose to his girlfriend.
Deputy Kevin Bowes of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Palmdale Station managed to get his then-girlfriend pulled over by two colleagues. While they made her go through a sobriety test, Bowes sneaked behind her and took a knee.
Bowes' future wife was stunned when a deputy asked her to turn around, squealing and wrapping her arms around him. She was crying tears of joy as she laughing with the deputies.
And of course, she said yes.
"Oh my, I can't even function right now!" she said.
The Palmdale Station posted video of the proposal to Facebook with a message for the happy couple:
"She thought she was a suspect DUI driver but it was a traffic stop that changed her life. Watch as Deputy Bowes proposes to his future wife. We are so happy for you brother, and thank you for allowing us to be part of this wonderful moment. Welcome to the Tan & Green family, and may you have a wonderful life together."


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Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Raw Food Monday
But on Monday, I did my first day-long raw food fast. It's going to be a monthly thing, on the first Monday of each month. It was suggested in Skinny Bitch as a way to cleanse the body. And since I'm unable to complete a juice fast (see previous post, "Juice Fast Disaster"), I figure raw fasting is a way for me to eat three solid meals a day, yet still attempt detoxification.
For breakfast, I had a Berry Smoothie from "Raw Food Made Easy" by Jennifer Cornbleet. It's just a banana, a little water, a half cup of frozen strawberries and a half-cup of frozen blueberries.
It was tasty, but I was hungry again about two hours later. I snacked on a few raw cashews and a whole banana before lunchtime. At lunch, I had a salad with spring mix, raw cashews, mushrooms, soaked sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, shredded carrot, and green onion. I used by recipe for "Dreamy Tahini Sauce" (going in the cookbook) for a dressing.
Before my spin class at the gym after work, I had a "Cinnamon Roll" Larabar that I bought at Wild Oats. It's made from dates, raw cashews, and some other raw nuts that I can't remember.
For dinner, I made Garden Wraps from "Raw Food Made Easy." It's mushrooms and red onion marinated in soy sauce with shredded carrot and cucumber rolled up in a collard leaf. They were quite tasty, though I ended up dipping them in more tahini sauce.
By the end of the day, I felt really good about myself. Unfortunately, I came down with a flu-like illness at work on Tuesday. I doubt it's related to my fast though. Memphis has been having some crazy weather lately with temperatures jumping from the 30s to the 70s and back to the 40s today. Ick!
4 comments:
So cool you're trying to raw foods thing. I did it briefly in Hawaii when I was a broke journalism intern. There was a raw foods support group/potluck every week so it was an awesome way to get good, healthy, non-spammy food in my belly.
I followed it up when I moved back home to Memphis, though I tended to keep it pretty simple and allowed myself about 25% non-raw food on most days.
I found that for people who like to eat (IE; me) it's awesome, because you can eat constantly and it's fine. Hard to believe that that is a problem for some people, you really do kind of NEED to eat quite a lot in order to keep your calorie count up to a healthy level and some I've talked to say they just don't have the time.
Anyway, my energy levels sky-rocketed and i did lose weight, but overall I just felt so much healthier. Skin, hair, muscle tone, et cetera (though I didn't really increase my exercising much.)
Damn moving to Alaska where I had to eat out of a cafeteria all the time!
Anyway, just some thoughts. Maybe try it more often, gradually, if you like the results from the weekly thing.
There's even raw foods BBQ!
- February 6, 2008 at 3:44 PM
- ChocolateCoveredVegan said...
Hello from another vegan living in bbq hell (a different bbq hell-- Texas).
- February 7, 2008 at 5:33 PM
The garden wraps look so good I'm drooling all over my laptop, I bet they went well with the tahini sauce. I made some similar to yours with marinated mushrooms and various other vegetables, but for mine I used Kale- it's really good but a little bitter raw...
- February 8, 2008 at 2:00 PM
- Dianna Dalton said...
The crazy range in the weather is driving my sinuses to sneeze fits. Mmm those wraps look good. The cucumber looked like avocado from the side before I read the description. I go straight for the pictures, then read. :)
- February 11, 2008 at 10:22 AM


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The FLOMIC FL5034 ultrasonic flow meter
The FL 5034 ultrasonic water meter solution for detecting water leaks
The battery-powered FLOMIC FL5034 ultrasonic flow meter is intended for operational and invoicing measurements of instantaneous flow rate, pressure and consumption in water piping observing the EN 14154 standard in water works, water distribution systems and other industrial applications.
The features of FLOMIC flow meters make them suitable for water leak detection and tracking and monitoring the general condition of water supply networks.
Design of the FL 50X4 ultrasonic flow meter
These flow meters are of a compact design in the IP 68 protection class. They are characterized by high accuracy measurement and long-term stability over a wide range of measured values. The meters do not need any external power supply, do not include any moving parts and have significantly lower hydraulic losses.
These meters use a single-beam transit-time pulse measurement method based on evaluating the time needed for an ultrasonic signal to cross the distance between two measuring transductors. In the standard version, the meter measures instantaneous flow rate (in m3/hour) and the total volume of water passed through the meter (in m3) in the given flow direction.
The measured data are converted into passive pulse output signals. The meter output signals can be connected via data transfer systems to remote computer control stations. The flow meter electronics also include data storage with various connection possibilities (GSM module, RS232, optical data probe). This feature can be useful for measuring distant points without electricity.
FLOMIC FL 50X4 flow meters can effectively save customers money everywhere water measurements are necessary and it is impossible or too expensive to connect to the power grid.
Technical parameters
|measuring the total volume of water passed, instantaneous flow rate and pressure
|measurement principle
|- one beam (1B)
- compact or remote version
|dimension range
|DN32 to DN300
|measured fluid temperature
|up to 130°C
|up to 4.0 MPa
|flow sampling period
|1 sec
|electrical outputs
|pulse and current
|optical probe, RS 232, GSM module
|data storage
|data archive
|power source
|Li battery 3.6V, 16Ah, lifetime 8 years
|protection class
|Catalogue sheets
|FLOMIC FL 5034 and FLOMIC FL 5054_ENG_K (186.22 kB)


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Deep Cleansing or European Facial
A deep facial cleansing treatment, which is similar and often compared to a European facial, goes well beyond what a traditional facial will do. The deep cleansing facial is well suited for people with acne, or those prone to excessive oil on their face. The European facial focuses more on exfoliation but may also include a deep cleansing component.


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The ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification in the New Construction 2.2 rating system.
The Society's office building, which underwent a major renovation in 2008, is one of only six buildings in Georgia to receive a Platinum rating, the highest certification the program offers. LEED is a program of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit that promotes green building practices.
"While our first objective was to provide a healthy, comfortable and productive environment for our staff, we also wanted to set an example of what can be done to renovate existing buildings," ASHRAE President Gordon Holness said. "Given that 75 to 80 percent of all existing buildings will still be around in 2030, our greatest opportunity for a sustainable future is through the upgrade and retrofit of these buildings. It is extremely gratifying to achieve the USGBC's highest rating and confirm ASHRAE's leadership and commitment to supporting a sustainable built environment."
In order to qualify for the highly sought-after Platinum certification, ASHRAE took into consideration a number of concerns such as energy use, heat island reduction, water efficient landscaping, material reuse and water use reduction, to name just few.
ASHRAE addressed these issues, among others, by installing a cool, white reflective roof membrane to minimize heat island effects; updating the landscaping and eliminating the need for landscaping irrigation; retaining more than 75 percent of the existing building structure as part of this renovation; and reducing its estimated overall annual water consumption per year by almost 50 percent by utilizing low-flow fixtures throughout building. Additionally, the ASHRAE headquarters received bonus points for innovation and design.
A list of all LEED components of the building and photos can be found at www.ashrae.org/ASHRAEHQ.
This free webinar will inform attendees on the most significant updates and modifications in the new standard, known as E1527-21 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.


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Welcome! B&B is now Blades and Bushlore!
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Another nice one, Mario! I really like the look of the handle with the stripes. Very cool!Sheath work is excellent as always also... Thanks for showing another of your knives!
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You are looking at a Black and White Hamburger combo. That's right, the hamburger wizards at McDonald's in China figured out how to make what looks like the hamburger equivalent of the black & white cookie—but needed two burgers to do it.
As website TheBeijinger points out, this isn't just a black and white burger or merely a tribute to Michael Jackson—nor is it a play on the yin-yang sign. The site explains:
...a colleague informed us they're a play on a Chinese phrase: heibai liangdao tongchi (黑白两道通吃), which describes people who are so well-connected with both the government (that's the white side) and organized crime ("black society," as it's called in Chinese) that they can "eat from both sides." In other words, someone who has a foot in both camps.
The black burger is topped with white sesame seeds and has a black pepper sauce with chopped onions. The white burger is topped with black sesame seeds (clever!) and has a sweet and spicy flavor. But how does it taste? Some think it's okay! Website Beijing Cream hates it, though, blogging, "I would sooner eat a century egg bathed in stinky tofu with a chicken-foot garnish than order this again."
This burger set is sold only for a limited time, so eat it—or avoid it—while you can.
New McDonald's Burger Looks – And Tastes – Like Hell [Beijing Cream]
McDonald's Burgers Matter If They're Black or White [TheBeijinger]


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Some of the nation's leading journalists gathered in Key West, Fla., in May 2009 for the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics and public life, reports Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Francis S. Collins, the former director of the Human Genome Project, discussed why he believes religion and science are compatible and why the current conflict over evolution vs. faith, particularly in the evangelical community, is unnecessary. Collins, an evangelical Christian, talked about his path from atheism to Christianity and his belief that science provides evidence of God. He cited the Big Bang theory and the fact that the universe had a beginning out of nothing. He added that the laws of physics have precisely the values needed for life to occur on earth and argued that would seem to point to a creator.
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, the religion correspondent for National Public Radio, discussed how the brain reacts to spiritual experiences. She talked about the current debate over whether transcendent experiences are merely physiological events or whether they reflect encounters with another dimension. Bradley Hagerty said she believes that "God is a choice," that people can look at scientific evidence and conclude that everything is explained by material means or that they can look at the universe and see the hand of God.
To read the event transcript, click here.
Report from the Christian Telegraph