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Dry Lake Bed | KCET
Dry Lake Bed
Huell visits a dry lake bed in the Mojave desert that is so gigantic that it is the site of Edwards Air Force Base and a landing strip for the Space Shuttle. In the 1920s and 30s it was also used by hot-rodders from all over southern California as a speed trails course for their fast cars. Muroc Dry Lake has remained off limits since WWII, until recently when the Air Force re-opened the dry lake bed, inviting back all the old-timers for a weekend of racing. Thousands of car enthusiasts showed up for this historic event.
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Clips & Segments
Huell takes a hike to the elusive bridge that could have led to somewhere but got beaten out by Mother Nature by way of heavy rain and floods.1
Owner William Gore Sr. and his wife, Lena Gore explain why their honey-baked cobblers are some of the best around town. Warning: Not for the calorie-wary.1
In this classic Videolog, Huell visits the Farmers' Market.1
In this classic Videolog, Huell visits a cat litter mine and factory.1
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California's Gold with Huell Howser
Ever been to a real-life ghost town? Well, this episode explores one of the last remnants of the Wild West. Now a state historic park, Bodie is regarded as one of the largest and best preserved examples of an authentic ghost town.
California's Golden Parks
Doheny State Beach
Huell visits Doheny State Beach in Orange County to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the park. Doheny is famous for its surfing and laid back California atmosphere. We'll visit with families who have multiple generations that have grown up on the great waves of Doheny. We'll also learn about camping throughout years at this idyllic spot.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
The seaside community of Laguna is one our states most beautiful destinations. On this adventure, Huell gets to see the Laguna that the locals know and love. Huell starts the day with a famous date shake at the Orange Inn and then it's off to the Laguna Art Museum to learn about why so many artists have flocked to Laguna since the very beginning. We'll visit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see how they rescue and return sea mammals to the wild. Huell enjoyed a drink at Las Brisas Mexican Restaurant and explored the tide pools as well.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Slab City
The California desert has always been a place filled with mystery ... and surprises! When you travel through our desert you're never sure what you're gonna see, who you're gonna meet, or what strange and wonderful experiences you're gonna have. Huell Howser discovered that first hand on a recent trip to the Salton Sea community of Niland.
California's Golden Parks
Salmon Festival
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Huell Discovers Bits and Pieces of California
What do a brilliant field of marigolds, an ostrich farm, thousands of cacti and a two-story outhouse have in common? The answer is that they are all accidental discoveries made by producer/host Huell Howser as he traveled the state in search of California's Gold. "As we drive down the highways of our state we're always seeing things that surprise and amaze us," says Huell. "This entire episode is made up of people, places and things we came across quite by accident as we were heading for a planned shooting location."
California's Golden Parks
Underground Old Sacramento
Sacramento has a unique feature that many residents are unaware of: a city underneath a city. Huell Howser goes below the city of Sacramento to explore the remaining historic sidewalks, doorways and building relics that were all part of the original downtown area before flooding moved the entire city upstairs one level. Huell gets a special tour of this restricted and mysterious area.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
It's a California's Gold Classic. Huell celebrates the beginning of the California gold rush at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.
California's Golden Parks
Huell learns about another success story in conservation when he tours the Audubon Center at Debs Park, an urban oasis in Los Angeles. A cutting-edge environmental education center and ecological monitoring program is housed within nearly 300 acres of city park, which contains walnut-oak woodland, grassland and coastal sage scrub, a remnant of the native habitats that once rimmed the Los Angeles Basin.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Our Golden State is full of many of unique things, and those of you who have been to San Francisco have noticed huge ponds filled with water that ranges in color from deep red to light pink. We decided that we just had to get to the bottom of this California mystery. When we finally arrived at the "ponds" we found one of California's most unique agricultures. Salt and brine shrimp are what are responsible for our crimson ponds. 300,000 tons of salt a year to be exact. Salt has been harvested from these ponds since the Gold Rush and has been a very important part of our states history.
California's Golden Parks
Carpinteria State Beach
Carpinteria State Beach is just twelve miles south of Santa Barbara and is a great family destination that offers a mile of beach for swimming, surfing, fishing, tidepool exploring and camping. Huell learns about all of this, plus how Carpinteria got its name and the role that naturally-occurring tar played in its history.
California's Golden Parks
Hetch Hetchy
Before it was dammed in the early 1900s, John Muir called it more beautiful than Yosemite Valley itself. And now, in a one-hour special, Huell travels to this historic and spectacular place to document its past and talk about its future.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Point Sur Lighthouse
Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean from the spectacular Big Sur Coast, the Point Sur Lightstation stands as a silent sentinel to a bygone era. Point Sur, a National Historic Landmark, is the only complete turn-of-the-century lightstation open the public in California. From 1889 until 1974, families lived and worked in the buildings atop Pt. Sur. The families are gone but the unique stone lighthouse still guides ships with its light. Many ships perished on the rocks off Pt.
California's Golden Parks
Wrigley Botanical Gardens
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Hot Creek
Huell travels to the Eastern Sierra's in search of a good place to have a soak. Hot Creek Geological Site is nestled in the Inyo National Forest close to the town of Mammoth Lakes. We take a ride out to the site with Debbie Nelson who is a Recreation Specialist for the forest. Huell gets a first hand look at this beautiful spot with water boiling up from the ground which mixes with the cool water of Hot Creek and makes for some very nice swimming. We'll even meet some die-hard soakers who come from all over California to enjoy the therapeutic water.
California's Golden Parks
Fort Humboldt
Huell travels to Eureka and the Civil War military post, Fort Humboldt. Ulysses S. Grant served there briefly in 1854. The details of his tenure, along with other important historical facts can be experienced at this state historic park set on a grassy bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Historic Chickens
A 1916 brochure called the town of Petaluma "The largest poultry center in the world" and up until the sixties, Petaluma was a major player in the world of chickens. In 1915, Petaluma shipped 11,681,134 dozen eggs. Huell travels to Petaluma to attend the annual Butter and Egg Days celebration, which ran from 1916 to 1928 and was brought back in the early eighties. Petaluma pulls out all the stops in this wonderful small town gathering.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Clear Lake
Clear Lake is located at the base of fabled Mt. Konocti and is California's largest natural lake. Much of the terrain around the 4,200 foot Mt. Konocti was formed by lava flows and folding of the earth's crust. The lake has a rich history; evidence of human habitation dates back at least ten thousand years. More than 120,000 visitors each year enjoy picnicking, boating, camping and nature walks.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Farallon Islands
Huell spends the day with biologists who live on the Farallon Islands — known as California's Galapagos — found 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco. These wild and remote islands are rich with not only flora and fauna, but human history as well.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
State Library Treasures
Founded along with the State of California itself, the California State Library houses precious artifacts from California's infancy. Huell gets a private tour of this rare collection which includes California's first newspaper, mirror images of the gold country from the 1850s, a 17th Century map of California and John Marshall's own hand-drawn map and sketch of gold discovery.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Would you believe the Zamboni was invented right here in sunny Southern California? Huell learns about the machines that clean the ice at ice rinks and professional hockey events around the world. Huell joins up with the son of the inventor, and visits the factory where it all started. Then he tops off the day with a trip to the Anaheim Pond, home of the Mighty Ducks to see the Zamboni in action.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Egyptian Museum
Join Huell on this ancient adventure as he explores The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose. Architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak, it houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States -- including objects from pre-dynastic times through Egypt's early Christian era. Fascinated by the ancient culture, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, began collecting Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian artifacts over 65 years ago.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Modjeska House
Huell visits renowned actress Helena Modjeska's historic house and gardens. Modjeska, who's still considered Poland's most famous actress, created the beautiful Orange County residence in 1876. Named for the grounds' resemblance to the Forest of Arden in the Shakespearean play "As You Like It," Arden is designated a National Historic Landmark. Coincidentally, Modjeska specialized in Shakespearean roles.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
FDR's Boat
Huell takes an inspirational voyage upon Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidential Yacht, the U.S.S. Potomac. Now stationed at Jack London Square in Oakland, the ship is operated by a staff of volunteers and is now open for public tours.
Visiting with Huell Howser
Bunny Museum
Join Huell as he hops over to the Pasadena home of Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski, who have turned their house into The Bunny Museum. The space is filled with over 21,000 rabbit collectibles: furniture, light fixtures, kitchenware, toiletries, books, and games. The icing on the cake? There are seven real (litter box-trained) bunnies lounging around their house.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Mt. Wilson
Founded in December of 1904 by George Ellery Hale, Mount Wilson Observatory quickly rose to dominate astronomy worldwide. The Observatory hosts several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world and is home to the 100-inch Hooker telescope. In this one-hour special, Huell spends the day at this magnificent location that's not only historic, but plays an important role in California's scientific research.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
The Two Anns
Huell revisits The French Garden in downtown Los Angeles, but this time, he brings along two very special lunch dates: Hollywood legends Ann Rutherford and Anne Jeffreys.
UPDATE: After 15 years in business, the restaurant closed its doors on May 24, 2013.
Ann Rutherford passed away on June 11, 2012. KCET re-aired "The Two Anns" on June 27 with a newly recorded introduction in which Huell remembers his late friend.
Visiting with Huell Howser
Huell watches two California carpenters at work.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Getty Villa
In 1945, J. Paul Getty acquired his Malibu retreat which now includes a Romanesque gallery full of priceless art. Huell also tours the propety's historically-accurate Ancient Roman crop garden.
Visiting with Huell Howser
Huell visits the Mission Tiki Drive-In movie theater and learns about its unique history.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Snow Goose Festival
Huell travels to Chico to join the celebration of the arrival of thousands of waterfowl that come from the north to spend their winters in the temperate North Valley climate. Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, Pintail Ducks and many more, fill the rice fields and wildlife refuges throughout the area. The Snow Goose Festival has grown to be one of the major Birding and Wildlife events in the state of California and you'll be amazed at the shear beauty of this spectacle.
Visiting with Huell Howser
Short Fuse Tour
Join Huell as he gets a special tour from Bill Mann, a.k.a. "Short Fuse" and learns about the Lucerne Valley's rich mining history.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Catalina Casino
Huell gets a special tour of a California icon: the Catalina Casino. It has been the focal point of Santa Catalina since it opened over eighty years ago on May 29, 1929. Completely restored just a few years ago, the ballroom retains its original romantic style -- with beautiful rose-hued walls, an arching, fifty-foot ceiling and five Tiffany chandeliers.
Visiting with Huell Howser
Huell heads to Whittier and comes across company that specializes in Polynesian decor. Carved wood tikis, thatch umbrellas, and bamboo fencing, which look as though they've come straight from the South Pacific, are just a few of the items they have on hand.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Reagan Ranch
Huell gets a tour of the Santa Barbara ranch home of President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, who named it Rancho del Cielo. Huell hears stories about the historic events that took place there, as well as more personal stories from a former secret service agent assigned to President Reagan.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Golden Knights
Huell has the adventure of a lifetime, skydiving with the world-famous U.S. Army Golden Knights.
California's Golden Parks
Yosemite Falls Trail
Huell's off to Yosemite National Park where he walks the newly rehabilitated trails to the base of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America.
California's Gold with Huell Howser
Upper Newport Bay
Huell visits the Upper Newport Bay to see what is being done to keep this area green for everyone to enjoy.
California's Golden Parks
American River Parkway
Huell sets off from where the Sacramento and American River meet on a bike ride along the beautiful 23-mile American River Parkway.
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Next Friday, March 11, marks the opening of Teem, a collaborative installation by Mary Babcock and Christopher Curtin. A first for Textile Arts Center!
Teem superimposes metaphors of water (movement/potentiality), and the sea (the infinite, comfort, danger, aloneness) to evoke a sense of dreamspace — the space of possibility. Using textiles, Teem creates an environment where viewers find themselves under the surface of the water at the powerful juncture where river currents meet the ocean tides, where the individual meets the collective.
(Previously installed as "Deluge"- see below)
Chris will be joining us for the Opening Reception, giving a talk that night on concept and installation. Unfortunately, Mary, the fiber artist of the two, is located in Hawaii and will be unable to join us… However, in preparation for the installation that will begin tomorrow I've been looking at Mary's work a ton.
Through performance, installation, and textile media, Mary focuses on many familiar issues to us (war, revolution, natural and manmade disaster), through the idea of "mending" — something we've been talking about a lot lately around here.
Epitaph – Created in response to the US invasion on Iraq. TheWedge Gallery, Asheville, NC, 2003
Dirty Laundry – Performance/installation created in response to the US invasion on Iraq. TheWedge Gallery, Asheville, NC, 2003
In Mary's words: "My work explores 'mending' and its implications for cultural change. Although I work across traditionally defined media and conceptual boundaries, the grounding point for my work is in the metaphors derived from fiber processes (e.g. stitching, binding, weaving, piecing) and the overarching concept of mending. I am interested in how precise application of fiber metaphors may heighten our understanding of both peace-building and of fractures in the foundations for social justice. Tattering might be inherent. It is part of the wear and tear – some necessary, some not so necessary. But we seem to fall short on the art of mending.
I am deeply interested in the profundity of listening and of silence – of listening to the conversation between materials, thoughts and processes and of experiencing the rich silence of open space. I investigate 'making' as a form of contemplative action – as a tool for illuminating implicit knowledge of our potential for compassion and our proclivities for grief, confusion and complicity with structural and personal violence."
Departire – Site specific installation at Ueno Town Art Museum, formerly Sakamoto Elementary School, for Threshold: Sustainable Art Project, Ueno/Tokyo, Japan, 2009. A response to Tokyo's changing age demographics that leave elementary schools vacant and shift cultural mores. Pieced from over 50 nagajugan, mostly of vintage silk from obsolete Japanese textile mills, handsewn by students and volunteers in workshop settings.
Circumspect – Created in response to the US invasion on Iraq. The Jones House, Boone, NC. Materials: Wall Street Journal and NY Times, stained; tapestries of black walnut dyed silk, kozo and book binders thread; typewriter erasure ribbons, post post mortem surgical needles. Chronicles deaths of the "coalition forces". The names of those who died between the March 21st invasion and April 1, 2004 (the show's opening) were deleted from the ribbons as they silently vanished from our lives.
While we find no shortage of political art in general, and specifically in the fiber and textile world, I find Mary's approach to be unique. Instead of speculating the problem, it focuses on a solution, forcing us to think about what comes next.
Looking at her work, even through image, does invoke the feeling of silence. It makes me stop — at first at it's beauty, and after reading her Artist Statement — to contemplate my own ability to pay attention to relationships between people, materials, concepts, places. Our ability, as humans, to withstand pain and hardship (including the ways we provoke it) and then our ability to focus on how to fix it. What new solutions can we come up with, and what can we learn from older ideas?
Unnatural Acts – Prickly pear fiber, silver solder, wire. 2003 Addresses the unnaturalness of imposed boundaries and forced militarism.
Deluge – Created in collaboration with Christopher Curtin for The Netshed at Alderbrook Station, Astoria, OR, 2010. Once the site of a thriving, albeit contested, salmon fishing industry, the Netshed – where fishermen would repair their gillnets – is an historical structure that serves as an icon for the interplay of migration, economy, ecology, dispossession and reclamation. Using hand-dyed cloth, the metaphor of water and reclaimed gillnets – the material that originally necessitated the site – we sought to re-engage the building's history as a site of restoration and repair, creating a poetic context in which viewers might dream new possibilities for dialogue and negotiation. Gillnets provided by the Columbia River Fisherman's Protective Union's gillnet recycling project. Photo credit: http://www.donfrankphotography.com
I cannot wait to see Teem installed in our space. Other programming through March and April will be yoga and mediation, shibori, and Abigail Doan's Earth Day workshop.
Hope to see you next Friday, March 11 for the Opening from 8-11PM! The show will be up through April. And you can check out the video of "Deluge" to get an idea of what will be up here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jonathan Toews registered the winning goal early in the third period and Corey Crawford stopped 27 shots, as the Chicago Blackhawks edged the Minnesota Wild, 2-1, in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals from United Center. Bryan Bickell also scored and Patrick Sharp contributed a pair of assists for the Blackhawks, who re-established the series edge after dropping two in a row in the Twin Cities. "The whole game, the whole series has been very tight," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "I thought we showed more determination in the puck area tonight." Erik Haula picked up the lone tally for the Wild, who can stay alive in Game 6 scheduled for Tuesday in St. Paul. Ilya Bryzgalov made 26 saves in defeat. "We had a pretty good start, first period, but then I thought we got soft in our game," Wild head coach Mike Yeo said. Chicago took a 2-1 lead with 4:33 played in the third. Marian Hossa kept control of the puck behind the Minnesota cage and drifted from the right side back to the left before dishing into the circle for Sharp. His try to the net was furthered by Hossa, then Toews fended off a Wild checker at the right post and backhanded the rebound home. Crawford, whose unsteadiness led to a pair of Wild goals in Friday's loss in Game 4, backed up the tally by stopping all 14 Minnesota shots in the final 20 minutes. Bryzgalov was called to the bench with 1:47 on the clock, and Crawford endured some close calls on crease rushes by the visitors before the buzzer. Haula provided the only goal of the first period with 3:27 remaining. Skating through the middle of the ice from his own zone, he faked out a Chicago defender and flipped a shot towards Crawford. The puck rebounded into the slot, where the former Golden Gopher was allowed to tap it into the air and over the goal line. The hosts drew even on a power play near the midway point of regulation, as Patrick Kane's offering from the right circle changed direction off Bickell in front and bled by Bryzgalov. It was the only shot which slipped by the Russian netminder during the second period, but the Wild ended up allowing a series-high 15 shots on goal to the Blackhawks in the middle frame. Game Notes Chicago improved to 6-0 on home ice in these playoffs ... Toews' tally gave the Blackhawks their first lead since the late stages of Game 2 ... Minnesota dressed defenseman Skip Prosser in place of Keith Ballard, who departed Game 4 with an upper-body injury after being checked from behind by Blackhawks forward Brandon Bollig. Bollig sat out the first of his two-game suspension levied on Saturday.
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text: The bold pole pewter rod collection makes a grand statement when hanging decorative curtains. Can be used to hang any curtains - rod pocket, tab tops or grommet styles. The rod has a balanced design with one center rod and two adjustable end rods that provide a symmetrical custom look. Rods are made of steel finials of iron. The included brackets can project 3.5" to 5" from the wall. All mounting hardware is included. The hold back and clip rings are sold separately. You can also create a double or triple rod with the addition of the Add-A-Rod, also sold separately.


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Relationships and emotional health
For many women, pregnancy is a happy time. It's also an anxious, exhausting, stressful, and unpredictable time. Think about it: Your body is changing, hormones are racing, and you're growing a baby — on top of all the things you did before you were pregnant. Ups and downs are inevitable, so it's important to know how to deal with them and ask for support when you need it.
Creating your support network
A strong support network can help make your pregnancy less stressful and more fun. To get started, look around you and think about the people you really want to be involved with your pregnancy. Everyone needs support, but you call the shots. Who will you count on over the next 9 months?
Your partner
If you're in a relationship, pregnancy can be an opportunity to grow closer to your partner. Make time to talk — and listen — to each other. You're the one with the baby bump, but you're in this journey together!
- Talk about fears, excitements, and anxieties.
- Encourage your partner to come to prenatal visits.
- Prepare for childbirth as a team by taking a class.*
- Ask for help and support when you need it.
Your family and friends
Many women look to their moms, sisters, and other close female relatives as their main source of support during pregnancy. If you're close with your family, get them on board from the beginning and let them know you're open to hearing their words of wisdom. If your friends are more like family, reach out to the ones you want to add to your "mom squad" and let them know. They'll probably be flattered you asked!
Your fellow moms-to-be
There's no substitute for mom wisdom. Try to spend time with other women who are pregnant or have small children. Sharing similar experiences can help you relieve common worries, feel more connected, and get an inside look at what to expect.
We offer group care, workshops, and prenatal support groups* for Kaiser Permanente members at many of our facilities. They're a great way to meet other people who share the same joys and challenges. See what's available in your area here, or ask us about opportunities to connect with other moms-to-be at your next visit.
Managing stress
Pregnancy is a big deal — and a lot to deal with. To be honest, it would be strange if you weren't a little stressed during your pregnancy. It's normal to worry and wonder about how your body is changing, how your baby is doing, and what delivery day will be like. But too much stress isn't good for you or your baby. To manage your stress:
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Try to relax for a few minutes each day. Read a book, listen to music, or write in a journal.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Talk about what's making you stressed.
Depression during pregnancy
It's normal to feel a bit down as your pregnancy hormones fluctuate. But if you feel sad, angry, or hopeless more days than not, you may be suffering from perinatal depression. Symptoms of depression include:
- Having no energy
- Sleeping and eating too little or too much
- Withdrawing from friends and family
If you think you might be depressed, let us know. Depression is common during all stages of pregnancy, as well as postpartum, and we can help you deal with it in healthy ways. Talk to us about what you're experiencing — we're here to help you through.
Sex and pregnancy
Sex during a healthy pregnancy is perfectly safe, as long as you're comfortable with it. If you're not up to it, explore other ways to be intimate with your partner. Either way, try to spend time together before your new baby arrives. It can help you stay connected and keep your relationship strong.
If you do choose to have sex while you're pregnant, here are some practical things to keep in mind:
- Don't worry that having sex will hurt the baby. Your cervix and amniotic sac keep your baby safe.
- Speak up if you want to take things slow. For some women, sex is more intense during pregnancy.
- As your due date approaches, you'll need to get creative to find a comfortable position. Take advantage of the chance to try something new!
- Don't panic if you have a slight bloody discharge or mild contractions after having sex. This is normal as long as they don't continue for more than an hour. Call us if they do — we're here for you 24/7.
Love the body you're in
Some people say there's nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman. But it can be hard to see your baby bump growing so fast that it looks like you swallowed a watermelon. Gaining weight in pregnancy is healthy for both you and your baby. Try to keep your eye on the prize — that amazing bundle of joy you're growing.
If you're feeling insecure, here are some things you can do for a pick-me-up:
- Spend time with other pregnant women — you can support each other during this time of change.
- Treat yourself to a trip to the salon or spa. You're creating a new life — you deserve a little pampering.
- Believe the people who tell you that you never looked more beautiful. They're right!
*Some classes may require a fee.


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Nike subsidiary Cole Haan has agreed to eliminate exotic skins like lizard, snake and alligator from its product lines.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Thursday that Cole Haan is the first maker of high-end accessories and shoes to ban exotic skins. Cole Haan, which is based in New York and Yarmouth, Maine, defines exotic as including alligator, crocodile, lizard, snake and ostrich.
Nike spokesman Nate Tobecksen says products using those materials will be eliminated across the entire Nike line after the summer retail season.PETA has successfully lobbied Nike and Cole Haan in the past. Cole Haan announced in 2008 that it would stop using fur in its product lines.


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Tonight's gubernatorial debate on NBC affiliates around the state starts at 6:30 p.m. Tom Brokaw is moderating. He doesn't live in California, so here are a few California specific questions he might ask -- with the goal of forcing the candidates to do more than just attack each other.
One potential strategy for Brokaw. Ask the two candidates about areas upon which they agree. There are many such subjects -- and on many of them the shared Brown-Whitman position is a cautious stance that allows the candidates to avoid hard choices. Why not press them?
Here are five such questions:
U.S. & World
1. Each of you says that the legislature should pay some kind of penalty for not passing a budget on time. If your pay as governor -- or in your case, Meg -- in the private sector -- was tied to doing something on time, would it cause you to agree to a budget or particular bill even if you felt that budget or bill was wrong? And if you're answer is no, why do you think this would work with legislators?
2. Gov. Brown, your pension plan by all accounts doesn't go very far and relies on the markets coming back. Ms. Whitman, your pension plan exempts the public safety employees engaged in some of the worst pension abuses. Why are both of you such wimps on this issue? Isn't it purely a lack of political courage?
3. You each say you want to spend more money on education, but you each say it's more important to make cuts. Why isn't education, given its importance to the state, your highest priority?
4. You each have opposed broad constitutional reform, despite bipartisan agreement that the state's system doesn't work. Are each of you closing that door entirely? Or are you open to pursuing such reforms if, after you've spent some time in office, you find that the state's governing system is too limiting?
5. Each of you is married to a very smart, successful professional -- the surgeon Griff Harsh in your case Meg; the attorney Anne Gust in your case Jerry Brown. And if reports are true that Anne Gust was the person who called Whitman a "whore" in a private conversation, then it's clear that each of your spouses has said things that have caused trouble for you in this campaign (Griff, you'll remember, indicated that you had no notice of a problem with your housekeeper's Social Security number, when in fact you got a letter).
Neither of you has done very well at protecting them in these controversies. Which begs the questions: having any problems at home lately?


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Disability Assessor
- Salary - £32,000 - £41,000
- Location – Various, nationwide
- Contract - Full and part time
Are you a highly motivated Nurse, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Paramedic looking for a rewarding new challenge?
If so, Independent Assessment Services has an excellent opportunity for you to develop your existing skills and qualify as a Disability Analyst. You will be rewarded with a fantastic benefit package, with no weekend work required.
The role
Your primary role will be to conduct assessments in line with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidelines for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – a benefit designed to help support people who are living with long-term health conditions or disabilities.
Given the wide range of conditions and disabilities, the role will vary each day and will contribute to your expanding clinical knowledge. It will involve a mixture of home consultations, assessment centre-based appointments and producing paper-based reviews.
You will receive comprehensive training as part of a 20 week induction and receive ongoing peer support from a range of health professionals.
Person specification
- Nurses (RGNs, RMNs, RNLDs)
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Paramedics
- Valid driver's licence (required for roles outside the M25)
- 2 years post-qualification experience
- 25 days' annual leave, with the option to buy 10 and sell up to 5 days
- Employer-matched pension scheme, up to 10%
- Life assurance, private medical insurance and medical indemnity insurance
- Reimbursement of your annual NMC/HCPC registration fee
- Health screening every 2 years after 1 year's service
- Thorough in-house and professional training and development, well over the required CPD hours to revalidate and maintain your professional registration
- Flexible benefits tailored to your needs - travel or dental insurance, child care vouchers, cycle to work scheme and more.
£32,000 - £41,000


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Welcome to our Video Page. Here you will find our latest video and we'll be bringing you many more topics in the future. You can also visit our youtube channel at www.youtube.com/brunswickvetclinic
Video topics
About Brunswick Central Vet Clinic
Caring for an ageing pet
Giving your dog a tablet
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Your pet's dental procedure
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About Brunswick Central Vet Clinic
Your ageing pet
Looking for more information about caring for an ageing pet? Visit our library of senior pet related articles below:- Cats: Caring for senior cats Dogs: Caring for senior dogs
How to give your dog a tablet
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How to apply a spot on treatment
This video provides instructions on how to use a spot on treatment such as Frontline Plus, Advantix, Advantage or Profender. Spot on products generally treat or prevent fleas and a number of other parasites such as heartworm and intestinal worms.
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Cats: Dental
Dogs: Dental
Your pet is having an anaesthetic for surgery or a procedure
Visit this link for more detailed information - www.brunswickcentral.com.au/general-anaesthetics


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(UPDATE: IT IS NOW NOVEMBER 15, 2016, AND DONALD TRUMP HAS JUST BEEN ELECTED THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I again repeat that I stand by everything I wrote in this post seven years ago, before Trump ever existed. The dark forces, which include Sara Jane Boyers and my former landlords, Paola Bortoluzzi, Gianni Benetta and Roberto Benetta, existed even before Obama was elected president, and exist until this day.)
(Venice, Italy) Yesterday, to celebrate John Lennon's birthday and my second novel, Harley's Ninth -- which takes place on a single day, October 9th -- I tried to get into my apartment so I could put my new Venetian flag back on my balcony. My flag you see there in the photo (which was shot without my knowledge or permission for the Hotel Rialto's publicity brochure) has been stolen. I made three attempts to enter:
1. By changing the lock. This did not work because The Opposition has replaced the lock with a Devil Lock, an evil contraption which, probably, has double bolts, plus a steel bar that runs floor-to-ceiling, plus must be opened on the inside with a key.
2. In Venice, when you are locked out without a key, the official way to get back inside is by calling the Fire Department. I already tried this back in June. The Fire Department came, but because the illegal eviction has been signed by a judge, they had to obey the court order, not me.
Since then, I have built a strong case about the illegality of the eviction with shocking results, all leading back to one place: the American military presence in Vicenza. It has been like ripping up crab grass -- the tentacles are everywhere.
Press the Pause Button, take a deep breath and use reason.
The situation is too serious and broad-reaching to make hasty decisions. If my rights as an American citizen and a long-time Venetian resident have been stripped away, the world is in immediate, profound danger. YOU ARE INTERRUPTING MY BLOG. It is like the old days when the television would interrupt regular programming to broadcast an emergency situation.
2. (cont'd) On September 29th, I went in person to the Fire Department in Dorsoduro. I rang the bell and walked into the office. In front of three firemen, I began my story:
Cat: I am Catherine Bauer, and I live at San Polo --
Fireman Behind the Desk: We know who you are. Look.
He indicated a large handwritten sign dated September 11th, hanging in plain view on the wall, that basically said:
Cat: (gasping) It cannot get more illegal! Out of everyone in Venice, if I, Cat Bauer, call, you are not to respond? What if there is a fire?
Fireman: The Carabinieri at San Zaccaria told us not to respond. You have to talk to them.
Cat: I have tried to talk to them. In fact, on September 11th I tried to denounce my landlady, Paola Bortoluzzi, for physically assaulting me on September 2nd in front of three Carabinieri, but after waiting for an hour and a half, they said they could not do it. So, I went to the Carabinieri in Padua and denounced her there. I think I should go back to Padua.
(NOTE: in Italy there is something called arresto in flagranza, which states that an arrest is mandatory when a law enforcement officer witnesses the commission of a crime.)
(NOTE: if you have read my eviction documents catbauereviction.blogspot.com/ you will see the Carabinieri tried to force me into the hospital back on August 7, 2008 and I reported immediately)
So, off I trotted to Padua, and the Carabinieri there did, indeed, write up the denunciation. All of Venice is sick of this story, including the Fire Department, and including most of the Carabinieri at San Zaccaria. Also, Meran (a town up in the Alps, where this story sometimes moves) is sick of it. In fact, I think all of Northeast Italy is getting tired of this story, in which I play but a tiny part, the size of an ant. They are only following orders.
Judging by the way the Americans are treating me, I can only conclude they are at the head of this monster -- or at least they have the power to change its direction. Nice way to treat your own citizen, huh? Many times I've thought that my life is in danger, and I am not the only one. Well, they will either kill me or they won't. I'm a great believer in Quantum Theory, so I am not that worried about dying, especially if it is the spark that is needed to light the raging fire.
With that background, yesterday the Venetians (you have to understand that 90% of Venice knows this story) said to call and tell the Fire Department that I was cooking and left the gas on and thought I smelled smoke. Now, in Venetian terms, this is not considered lying because everyone in the entire city knows it is not true. So, I called 115 and told the Fire Department: "This is Catherine Bauer, San Polo 622. I am so stupid that I was cooking and I ran outside without my key, and I think I left the gas on, and I think I smell a fire inside my apartment."
They said they were coming. Yay!
I waited on Riva del Vin. I waited and waited. And they did come, quietly, one light blinking, but they could not stop. Then they came again, sirens screaming, wailing, causing all sorts of waves and gondolas bouncing and water splashing all over the tourists. THANKS, GUYS!
3. Did this stop Cat Bauer? No way, Jose. Next, I decided I needed a really tall ladder because when they changed the locks they cracked open a window on the Grand Canal side of my apartment. The only way you can enter is in front The Entire City of Venice -- there is no sneaking in that window. Since I am convinced there is no legal reason for me to be out of my apartment, I had no fear about walking up a very tall ladder.
By this time, the atmosphere at Rialto was sort of like Carnival, and this is something the Americans, French and British will never understand. Everyone was grabbing ladders out of magazzinos, getting in the spirit. But none were tall enough. Finally I found some construction guys with a really tall ladder. In broad daylight, they carried the ladder right down Riva del Vin and up to my window. Yay! But then, at the last minute, while I ran to get the pole for my Venetian flag, they were warned not to do it and they left. I was so close!
Then some police passed by and I stopped them. I said, can you please explain to me why I cannot go inside my apartment when I have done everything legally and Paola Bortoluzzi and Gianni Benetta, the landlords, have done nothing legally? We were joined by three more polizia and I passed around my documents. They said, "It is a matter for the judge." I said, "Well, I am out on the street now for four months. How long do you think it will take to see the judge? To me, it is an emergency situation."
To finally arrive at the topic of this blog, "Gone Taliban" is my way of explaining to Europeans the meaning of "Going Postal," which means nothing over here because postal workers don't get guns and start blowing everyone's heads off. Seriously, it takes all my willpower everyday to restrain myself from doing something illegal simply to go to jail, get a lawyer and tell my story officially.
Example of a conversation I had recently at a sophisticated event:
Cat: I think they even deliberately infected my foot at the hospital.
Very Intelligent Woman: Oh, yes. I heard they were doing that now.
Cat: (sipping prosecco) Yeah, and then a woman named Martina shoved a piece of glass into the festering wound during a pedicure.
In the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Hugh Gusterson writes "Why the War in Afghanistan Cannot be Won" (September 21, 2009):
"...This all may sound good in the airtight world of White House briefings but, in the real world, the very phenomena the counterinsurgency gurus see leading to success--more troops and more development--will make the U.S. effort fail. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan contains within itself the seeds of its own ineluctable failure.
This is so for three reasons--(1) Newton's Third Law, (2) the development dilemma, and (3) the prohibitionist paradox."Hauntingly, Gusterson explains exactly what is happening in Venice, even though he is writing about Afghanistan.
...more U.S. soldiers, dressed like armadillos in sunglasses, will intrude into Afghan daily life with their alien clothes, speech, and body language.
To read his entire article, click below, which I strongly suggest you do, and strongly suggest that you follow his links:
The Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists
UPDATE: AUGUST 23, 2016 - I have not read this post in a very long time, but it keeps popping up in my analytics. I am now checking the links, which -- to no surprise -- some of which no longer function. As of this day, August 23, 2016, I stand by everything I wrote back on October 9, 2009, nearly seven years ago.
One link will lead you to Nicholas D. Kristoff at the New York Times (August 23, 2016 - this link is ok -- you should read it to remember what Obama was up against):
"President Obama has already dispatched an additional 21,000 American troops to Afghanistan and soon will decide whether to send thousands more. That would be a fateful decision for his presidency, and a group of former intelligence officials and other experts is now reluctantly going public to warn that more troops would be a historic mistake."
Click to read the entire article: New York Times
Gusteron also quotes Jean MacKenzie:
"More importantly, every time the United States increases its development budget in Afghanistan, it also increases the Taliban's budget. This is because a major source of Taliban funding consists of taxes it levies on Western development projects. The more schools, bridges, and clinics Washington builds, the more money the Taliban will have to blow them up and to attack U.S. soldiers. This dynamic is illuminated in a fascinating article (UPDATE AUGUST 23, 2016 - PAGE NOT FOUND) by Jean MacKenzie, writing for GlobalPost. (And why aren't the mainstream media writing about this?) MacKenzie tells her readers about "the manager of an Afghan firm with lucrative construction contracts with the U.S. government" who has to negotiate not only with development bureaucrats but also with the Taliban contracts officer. He "builds in a minimum of 20 percent for the Taliban in his cost estimates. The manager, who will not speak openly, has told friends privately that he makes in the neighborhood of $1 million per month. Out of this, $200,000 is siphoned off for the insurgents." She mentioned another Afghan contractor who told her, "I was building a bridge. . . . The local Taliban commander called and said, 'Don't build a bridge there, we'll have to blow it up.' I asked him to let me finish the bridge, collect the money--then they could blow it up whenever they wanted. We agreed, and I completed my project."
In case that link doesn't work, here it is again:
Funding the Afghan Taliban (UPDATE: AUGUST 23, 2016 -- ALSO THAT PAGE IS NOT FOUND)
I decided to win the battle and not the war, so I placed my new Venetian flag on the magazzino and wrote "PROPERTY OF CAT BAUER" all over it. The police told me I could make a protest, and that is my protest. If anyone steals my flag, I am going to call the police.
My cellphone was stolen late last night, so in case anyone is trying to call me, that is why I am not answering. And, remember, too, that my American passport has been stolen and the United States Consul in Milano has hung up the phone on me.
All prayers welcome,
Catherine Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - Venice Blog


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And I did.Joel Lee @ MUO wrote:The new feature in Windows 10, called Game Bar, makes it very easy to record your gameplay for use in YouTube videos and what not. This feature is provided by the native Xbox App that comes installed on Windows 10 (which some consider to be bloatware).
The problem is that Game DVR, also called Xbox DVR at times, can have a serious impact on gaming performance — even when you aren't recording!
You can disable Game DVR with a simple registry tweak.
Done! Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Now the Game DVR feature of Windows 10 will be disabled and you should hopefully have much better FPS performance in the games you play.
- Open the Start Menu and launch regedit.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore.
- Right-click on GameDVR_Enabled and select Modify… then set the Value to 0.
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
- Right-click on Windows and select New > Key and name it GameDVR.
- Right-click on GameDVR and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it AllowGameDVR.
- Right-click on AllowGameDVR and select Modify… then set the Value to 0.
I started wondering if something in Windows 10 was at fault because I do regular hardware and software maintenance, and my previous Windows version (7) had the games running a lot smoother. Pretty ironic that Windows 10 is supposed to be gamer friendly yet one of it's own bloat accessories cause such an interference.


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March 4, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Penny, (425) 352-3395, email@example.com
BOTHELL, Wash., March 4, 2011 – The University of Washington Bothell marks an important milestone today in its three-year congressionally directed grant to address a regional shortage of nursing faculty.
More than 130 nursing faculty and clinical educators from 14 Associate Degree Nursing programs and 12 regional medical centers in the Northern Puget Sound region are attending UW Bothell's Nursing Education Consortium workshop today. The workshop highlights the results of a three-year program designed to collaboratively address the current shortage of qualified nursing faculty to teach in Washington state's community and technical college nursing programs.
Dr. Mary Baroni, Program Director of the UW Bothell Nursing Program elaborates, "the only way to increase the supply of nurses is to train more nurses–and to do that, you need more nursing faculty. The Nursing Education Consortium links faculty-to-faculty across our region's nursing programs, thereby building a pipeline for the next generation of nurse educators who are so critically needed."
Funding for the program was directed from the U.S. Department of Education: P116Z080228, P116Z090126 and P116Z100073. It has supported three faculty-to-faculty invitational workshops. The first two were held in 2009 with close to 100 participants. The third workshop extends the invitation to include clinical educators from practice partners, as well.
The focus of today's workshop introduces the Nurse Educator/Online Community, a web-based tool developed as part of the program. The online community allows nursing educators to continue to interact and collaborate remotely. Future plans include making this virtual community for nurse educators available on a statewide basis.
Workshop participants include those from consortium schools: Bellevue College, Bellingham Technical College, Everett Community College, Highline Community College, Lake Washington Technical College, North Seattle Community College, Peninsula College, Renton Technical College, Seattle Central Community College, Shoreline Community College, Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses), South Seattle Community College, and Whatcom Community College; as well as clinical educators from Evergreen, Harborview, Overlake, Providence Regional Medical Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle Children's St. Joseph Medical Center, Swedish, VA Puget Sound, Valley General, Virginia Mason, UW Medical Center, SEIU 1199 Training Institute and the Washington Center for Nursing.
About the UW Bothell Nursing Program: The UW Bothell Nursing Program offers two academic degree programs both of which serve working nurses who must balance work, families and social responsibilities. The first is the RN to BSN completion program which allows nurses whose pre-licensure nursing education was based in diploma or associate degree programs to complete their BSN through efficient scheduling of classes one day per week. Since the program was established in 1992, over 1,475 RN to BSN students have graduated from this program and most continue to live and work in the Northern Puget Sound region.
The second program offered is the Master of Nursing program which focuses on leadership in education, practice, policy, and program development. The cohort program is offered in either a seven quarter or 11 quarter sequence of study, with classes scheduled one day a week. Since admitting its first students in 2002, 135 nurses have graduated from the program with over 1/3 currently serving as faculty in regional ADN and BSN programs.
In addition to workshop support, this initiative has allowed the UW Bothell Masters program to increase enrollment, allocate $350,000 of scholarship support to 28 graduate students interested in nursing education and willing to teach at least part-time in a Consortium partner school.
For additional information on the Consortium, its sponsoring grant or the Nursing Program, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
About UW Bothell: The University of Washington Bothell combines the benefits of a small campus with the resources and prestige of a world-renowned university. Offering over 30 degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, its curriculum emphasizes close student-faculty interaction, collaboration among students, and hands-on learning.


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How much government money will it take to get the U.S. economy moving again? As Federal Reserve officials meet this week to ponder their latest "pump priming" efforts, a recent rise in interest rates presents them with a sobering prospect.
Maybe running the money printing presses flat out just isn't working. And won't work no matter how much money the central bank creates out of thin air.
The strategy is officially called "quantitative easing," the Fed's effort to create enough cheap money to get the economy moving again. After lowering short-term interest rates to zero, the central bank has embarked on a huge government bond buying spree — some $2 trillion worth since the credit markets melted down in 2008. Last month, the Fed announced a new $600 billion round of bond buying, dubbed "QE 2," in an effort to speed up a recovery that has so far failed to dent a 9.8 percent unemployment rate.
U.S. & World
The two-year-old policy has never been tried in the central bank's 97-year-history. The hope is that lower interest rates will make it easier for companies and consumers to borrow, spur spending and investment, and boost economic demand and create new jobs.
But so far, the impact of the Fed's latest bond buying spree isn't promising. After bottoming in October, mortgage rates have moved steadily higher, rising by half a percentage point since October. On Monday, rates on 10-year U.S. Treasuries continued to advance a six-month climb, striking 4.61 percent for a 30-year mortgage, up from 4.46 percent the week before.
Critics say the rise shows that the Fed's plan to spur the economy by lowering rates with massive bond buybacks is backfiring: interest rates are going up and the jobless rate isn't going down.
"They've gotten the opposite results," said Stephen Roach, non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, Asia. 'If anything that takes a little bit out of economic growth instead of adding to it. The markets are rendering a very negative verdict on the Fed's grand experiment."
Have you been turned down for an FHA mortgage? Tell us your story
The Fed itself is not unanimously in favor of the idea of flooding the system with money. During the run-up to the latest "quantatative easing" announcement last month, Kansas City Fed President Thomas Hoenig warned of the risks of higher inflation and the formation of another bubble like the housing market that precipitated the 2008 credit crash.
"I worry that by pumping in significant amounts of dollars we then build the inflationary pressures for the future," he said. "And we do encourage then an easier credit environment that helped create this problem in the first place."
Tax plan
The recently unveiled Obama administration-congressional Republican tax plan also dealt a setback to the Fed's strategy. Just weeks after the Fed pledged to buy $600 billion in bonds, the tax compromise added $900 billion in new bond sales to pay for the plan, more than offsetting the flood of new cash. That prompted Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to hint that the latest round of quantitative easing might not be the last.
Critics like Roach think that would just mean throwing more good money after bad.
"Why haven't we tried to unclog the system of credit and get that first QE money in the hands of small and medium sized business who are desperate for credit and who do the bulk of hiring and can make a difference to Americans?" he said. "I just think we're going about this completely the wrong way."
Defenders of the Fed's historic spree of bond-buying say it helped prevent a much wider financial meltdown and has helped get the economy back on track. To be sure, many economists have recently upgraded their growth forecasts for next year. But many credit the stimulative effect of planned tax cuts and extended unemployment benefits, not the Fed's easy money policy.
The prolonged use of printed money to buy more government debt may drive up the cost of borrowing faster than the Fed can try to rein it in. As worries rise about the government's ability to pay back all this debt, so too does the return that bond investors demand to cover the increased risk.
Credit rating agency Moody's highlighted those fears Monday by warning that if the proposed tax plan is approved, Moody's could move a step closer to cutting the U.S. government's top-notch Aaa credit rating. The lower the credit rating, the more companies and governments typically have to pay to attract investors to buy their bonds.
The Fed's plan has also hit another major snag: much of the nearly $2 trillion the central bank has printed since the start of the financial crisis simply isn't getting where it's supposed to go — to households and the small businesses that account for more than half of all new jobs. Bankers complain that in such a weak economy, there isn't enough demand for loans; borrowers say banks are being too picky about to whom they lend.
For whatever reason, lending to U.S. small businesses continued to drop in the third quarter, by $163 billion, the seventh consecutive quarterly decrease, according to Fed data.
The result is a large pile of money stuck in the system. About $1 trillion of it is sitting in the Fed's vaults, stored there as "excess reserves" until bankers can find loans they want to make. Another $1.9 trillion is sitting on the balance sheets of hunkered-down American companies. That's the highest level since the Fed began keeping track of corporate cash in 1952.
While the Fed's cash flood has failed to create jobs, it is helping create wealth for some. According to the latest Fed data, the value of stocks held by American households jumped $978 billion in the third quarter.
But those gains were offset by a $747 billion loss in real estate wealth, as falling home prices continued to eat away at the biggest nest egg for most American households. So far, the Fed's easy-money policy isn't helping the dismal housing market, one of the biggest roadblocks to economic recovery.
"Owners' equity in housing is still shrinking, and it will shrink further," said Richard Berner, chief economist at Morgan Stanley. "Unless we address the problem of one in four homeowners underwater on their mortgages, housing is going to languish."
There was a small bit of good news on that front Monday when data firm CoreLogic said the number of underwater homeowners fell for the third straight quarter this summer. About 22.5 percent, or 10.8 million, of all mortgaged homes were underwater in the summer, down from 23 percent in the second quarter.


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Checking in on… the MVCPosted by rtmsf on February 23rd, 2010
Patrick Marshall of White & Blue Review is the RTC correspondent for the Missouri Valley Conference.
Current Records and my standings (Conference Standings) (Last Week)
- Northern Iowa 24-3 (14-2) (1)
- Wichita State 22-7 (11-5) (2)
- Illinois State 20-8 (10-6) (3)
- Creighton 14-14 (8-8) (4)
- Bradley 14-13 (8-8) (5)
- Indiana State 16-12 (8-8) (6)
- Missouri State 18-10 (7-9) (7)
- Drake 13-16 (7-9) (8)
- Southern Illinois 15-12 (6-10) (9)
- Evansville 7-20 (1-15) (10)
Bracketbusters Dominance—The Missouri Valley Conference had a nice showing in Bracketbusters this past weekend, going 7-3 against the competition and 2-1 in televised games. Northern Iowa had all eyes watching them Friday night to kick off Bracketbusters as they dominated Old Dominion from the Colonial. On Saturday, Missouri State came from behind to knock off Nevada, however in the nightcap, Wichita State got down early and was not able to make up the difference in the loss to Utah State.
More Suspensions in Valley- First it was Nick Evans from Southern Illinois (who eventually left school), P'Allen Stinnett from Creighton, and Jordan Eglseder from Northern Iowa with suspensions. Now for the third time this season, Taylor Brown from Bradley is serving a suspension from the Braves. This time it is over some Tweets he made that did not fit into the standards required by head coach Jim Less with respect to social networking.
Last Week of Regular Season—This will be the last week of regular season games in the Valley. But surprisingly enough, there are still several seeding implications that could occur. There are enough scenarios that could put Indiana State as high as a #3 seed and Illinois State as low as a #6 seed. A resident Valley expert has all the likely scenarios laid out for this week.
As we go into the final week of the MVC regular season, teams are still trying to seed themselves for the conference tourney in St. Louis the first week of March. Let's see where everyone stands right now.
Northern Iowa (2-0 this week)—Northern Iowa still appears to be the class of the Valley this season. With their wins over Creighton and Old Dominion this week, they actually appeared to play better without the suspended Jordan Eglseder. Lucas O'Rear has taken over the starting spot during the suspension and his toughness has been enough to help carry the Panthers. Here is life as a Panther fan. They finish out the season this week against Evansville and Illinois State.
Wichita State (1-1 this week)—The Shockers are starting to falter down the stretch. After almost losing against Evansville for the second time in a week and some questionable columns by the local beat writers, Wichita State fell to Utah State on the road in Bracketbusters. Any chance of an at-large look is pretty much out the window for them with their non-conference schedule coming back to haunt them. They need to finish strong against Bradley and Southern Illinois to hold on to their second place position.
Illinois State (2-0 this week, won 6 of last 7)—Breathing down the neck of the Shockers is Illinois State. The Redbirds are on a roll this week after defeating Missouri State and Morehead State. Their current winning streak is at five and they are finding ways to win games. One interesting stat to note— Osiris Eldridge and Dinma Odiakosa are trying to become the first players from the same team to win the league's scoring and rebounding titles since 1992. This could be a big week for Illinois State as they close out the regular season against conference champs Northern Iowa. It could be a preview of the MVC tournament finals.
Creighton (1-1 this week) – Between the game against Northern Iowa at the beginning of the week and against Loyola-Chicago in the Bracketbusters, the Bluejays looked like two totally different teams. They were torched in Cedar Falls against Northern Iowa before returning home to pull away from Loyola-Chicago. Center Kenny Lawson has now hit 2 of 3 three-point attempts in the last two games, his first three pointers in his career. Creighton tries to stay above .500 as they finish against rival Southern Illinois and have senior day against Bradley.
Bradley (1-1 this week)—The Braves started the week with a loss at Indiana State before defeating Drexel for their Bracketbuster matchup. Without Taylor Brown, the Braves went with a zone defense for the whole game. Again the Braves will not finish in the top three in the conference. The question is, will Jim Les ever take them to the top of the league much less take them back to the NCAA Tourney?
Indiana State (1-1 this week)—The Sycamores have been up and down lately. They have no problems winning at home, but like the rest of the Valley, have a hard time winning on the road. But they are keeping their head afloat with eight active players on the roster and could get a good matchup in the MVC tourney if they can beat Illinois State and Missouri State this week.
Missouri State (1-1 this week)—Missouri State ran out of gas against Illinois State this week but then in front of a nationally televised audience came back from being five points down late to beat Nevada in Bracketbusters. Head Coach Cuonzo Martin doesn't mind the WAC referee crew that came in for that game. Heck, they might be better than the referees that normally do Valley games in my mind. Drake and Indiana State are on the menu this week for the Bears and are both very winnable games. Really with how this team ended up doing this season, it is too bad Cuonzo Martin probably won't win Valley Coach of the Year honors.
Drake (2-0 this week)— Mark Phelps is working to get the Bulldogs to finish strong. They win the time-zone award this week as they went out to Cal State-Northridge for their Bracketbusters game and walked away with a win. Missouri State and Evansville are on the slate this week. How they finish the season here could go a long way for next season.
Southern Illinois (1-1 this week)— The Salukis are about to end their season with a losing record for the second consecutive season. Many are wondering if there will be a any shakeups during the offseason and whether the recruiting class that was so hyped up two seasons ago is now a bust. Southern Illinois is a shell of its former self and I see that there needs to be some type of change during this offseason if Chris Lowery expects to get another pass. Or he may take off for another coaching opportunity. Firing Lowery probably won't solve many problems. A lot of questions without many answers. They will try to feel a little better about themselves if they can get a win against Creighton this week before heading to Wichita State to finish the regular season.
Evansville (0-2 this week)—The Purple Aces are building themselves up to prepare for next season. They almost pulled off another stunning upset against Wichita State and just missed out on Illinois-Chicago. Games like this will probably prepare them for next season when they can start over. Speaking of starting over, Kaylon Williams, who transferred from Evansville after last season is now opening up the recruiting race as he finishes up junior college. After losing 17 of their last 18 games, Evansville has two more chances for another win this week against Northern Iowa and Drake.
Catch the Valley during the last week of the regular season as the top teams in the Valley get one more showcase to the nation.
- 2/23, Creighton @ Southern Illinois (Fox Sports Net)—Both with down seasons, but still rivals. SIU tries to avenge being destroyed at home a year ago by the Bluejays.
- 2/24, Wichita State @ Bradley (Local TV)—Bradley is trying to get a different seed. Wichita State tries to keep theirs.
- 2/27, Illinois State @ Northern Iowa (ESPN2)—This game was chosen as the "Wildcard" game by ESPN. Northern Iowa hopes they don't meet the Redibirds in the MVC Tournament.
- 2/27, Wichita State @ Southern Illinois (Fox Sports Net)—A telling sign of the way the MVC has been gradually been flipped over. Wichita sitting in the top part of the league while the Salukis head for their second consecutive losing season.
- 2/28, Bradley @ Creighton (Local TV)—This is always an entertaining game. Two seasons ago Cavel Witter went off for 42 points in a crazy game. It is his Senior day, how does he finish his career at Creighton?


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When looking for a Prescott Dentist and Dental Insurance Plan, we think you will take interest in our affordable Smile Bright Dental Plan. We have been serving the Valley and the Phoenix Arizona Metropolitan area since 1991 with 80,000 members in Maricopa County. We are confident that you will find a local Dentist convient to your location on our plan.
Most dental insurance plans in Arizona will cost, on the average, $30.00 to $50.00 a month and these plans will limit your benefits to only $1,000 to $1,500 per year, per person. After the maximum dental benefit has been paid, you are to pay for all of your dental needs on your own. In today's high cost of dentistry, if you crack a tooth and need a root canal and a crown, in fact it will cost you out of pocket (after insurance) about $1,000 for 1 tooth!! There are also pre-existing conditions and deductibles to meet on most plans. This is not what we, the consumer, intend as insurance. So many of us think that the higher your insurance premiums are, the more coverage you have. This is not the case when it comes to the dental insurance industry.
For dentists, the dental insurance industry is also problematic. A dentist has to advertise to retain a patient who may have dental insurance. On top of the cost of advertising, the dentist has to bill the patients' insurance company, which is an expense with all the "red tape"; if the patient exceeds their limit during the year, then the patient may not be able to afford the out of pocket expense and not do any work at all! This is discouraging to a dentist as well. And thus, we have the birth of discount dental plans.
We look forward to serving you and keeping your smile bright!
© Copyright 2019 Smile Bright Dental Plan. All Rights Reserved


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Resistance from House Republicans, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor, threw into doubt whether a last-minute compromise measure to pull the U.S. back from the so-called fiscal cliff could come to a vote Tuesday.
With just two days to spare, House Republicans were in a series of meetings to figure out how to respond to the Senate's 89-8 vote in the middle of the night to stave off a series of tax increases and steep spending cuts automatically taking effect in the new year.
Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, explains why some House Republicans, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor, opposed the Senate-backed fiscal bill.
Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican behind Speaker John Boehner, told reporters Tuesday that he didn't support the agreement and that no decisions on how to move forward had been made.
Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, told NBC News that while he was personally inclined to vote for the agreement because he didn't want to hold the country "hostage," the consensus among his fellow Republicans was that "it's heavy on tax increases and it has nothing on spending reductions."
"From a Republican standpoint, that's not the balanced approach the president was talking about," he said.
A Republican lawmaker told NBC News on condition of anonymity that at the Republican meeting, 37 of 40 members who spoke on the bill opposed it. He said many of his colleagues were demanding "illogical concessions," including billions of dollars in extra spending cuts that Democrats wouldn't be able to live with.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor reportedly is opposed to the Senate-approved fiscal bill. NBC's Mike Viqueira reports.
The Republican majority in the House is likely to send the bill back to the Senate with amendments to cut more spending, said Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala.
"I would be shocked if this bill didn't go back to the Senate," he said. "I think we're there on more revenue, but, you know, there is more revenue but no spending cuts."
Democratic House members, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, called on Republcans to bring the measure to an up-or-down vote.
The Senate adjourned until Wednesday, meaning it wouldn't consider any House amendments Wednesday.
The 113th Congress, meanwhile, is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday. Unless the current Congress can reach an agreement, the next Congress would have to start fresh to find a fix.
As the Republicans' discussions wore on, House Democrats convened a news briefing to press them to approve the compromise as is.
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California called for "a straight up-or-down vote on what the Senate passed last night," saying: "I think that we've made gigantic progress."
And Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., said: "We hope the House will respect the wishes of the people's representatives and allow members to vote."
The Senate measure would raise income taxes on single earners with annual incomes above $400,000 and married couples with incomes above $450,000. It would also block spending cuts for two months, extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, prevent a 27 percent cut in fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients and prevent a spike in milk prices.
The high-stakes drama appeared to have been resolved after days of back and forth between Vice President Joe Biden and Seate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who finally came to an agreement late Monday.
The measure was then taken to the Senate floor, where it passed by an overwhelming majority of 89-8. Senators who voted against it included Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
NBC's Luke Russert explains why House Speaker John Boehner's meeting with House Republicans is critical to the Senate-approved fiscal deal.
President Barack Obama acknowledged the difficulties the parties had coming to an agreement and pushed the House to quickly approve the bill in a statement just after the Senate vote.
"While neither Democrats nor Republicans got everything they wanted, this agreement is the right thing to do for our country and the House should pass it without delay," the statement said. "This agreement will also grow the economy and shrink our deficits in a balanced way — by investing in our middle class, and by asking the wealthy to pay a little more."
Squabbling far from over
Boehner so far has refused to endorse the agreement. Iin a statement issued Tuesday by his office, Boehner and Cantor said, "The lack of spending cuts in the spending was a universal concern among members in today's meeting."
In addition to the battle the legislation faces in the House, there are several other difficult issues that political leaders will be forced to revisit over the coming weeks and months, including cuts to defense and other domestic programs, as well as the debt ceiling, the subject of a mammoth congressional brouhaha last year.
The imposed delay would allow the White House and lawmakers time to regroup before plunging very quickly into a new round of budget brinkmanship, certain to revolve around Republican calls to rein in the cost of Medicare and other government benefit programs.
In a frantic rush of negotiations on New Year's Eve, the Senate voted for a compromise that would increase tax rates on those making above $400,000 a year. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports and NBC political director Chuck Todd offers analysis.
The measure would raise the top tax rate on large estates to 40 percent, with a $5 million exemption on estates inherited from individuals and a $10 million exemption on family estates. At the insistence of Republicans and some Democrats, the exemption levels would be indexed for inflation.
Taxes on capital gains and dividends over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples would be taxed at 20 percent, up from 15 percent.
The bill would also extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed for an additional year at a cost of $30 billion, and would spend $31 billion to prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.
Another $64 billion would go to renew tax breaks for businesses and for renewable energy purposes, like tax credits for energy-efficient appliances.
NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell contributed to this report.


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Welcome to the CANADIAN ARTISTS page. Here you will find completely redesigned pages for every Canadian artist that has ever played the festival. Intended as a comprehensive and essential database for contemporary Canadian electronic and digital artists, the following pages boast a full arsenal of embedded media, access to our extensive and exclusive collection of live recordings, and marketplace functions including direct connections to vendors. Browse and discover!
If you are a Canadian artist with a dedicated page and would like to update your bio, photo and links get in touch with us at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
We acknowledge the financial support of MUSICACTION, FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada's private radio broadcasters.


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Relationships with
Photo Credit: Alexis Denisof's picture is courtesy of TVnewz. Photographic illustrations of Alexis Denisof are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Alexis Denisof is derived from astrological interpretation of Alexis Denisof's date, time, and place of birth.


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Created in 1953 by Pierre Belvès, one of the most famous illustrators of the Albums du Père Castor, and François Mathey, curator of the museums, "the workshop for children under thirteen" was the first experiment of this kind in a cultural institution. It was such a success that the workshops were extended to adolescents and adults and took the name of Ateliers du Carrousel in 1989/90.
True to their original aim of "stimulating individual creativity through contact with materials, objects and works", the Ateliers du Carrousel, thanks to the quality and commitment of the team of professional artists who teach there, take over 1,700 pupils each year: children from four up, adolescents and adults.
The Ateliers du Carrousel propose (click on the category which interests you - only in French):
• year-long workshops
• holiday workshops
• workshops preparing students for art schools


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EVA Air thank you for your long-term support and values your loyalty. In the time of global pandemic, EVA Air has extended membership card tier, electronic upgrade certificates and mileage validity for Infinity MileageLands members.
In compliance with Taiwan government's epidemic prevention policy, EVA Air is reducing flights to / from Mainland China. Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Xiamen and Chengdu.
EVA Ranks 9th in Global Airline Safety Index, Annual AERO International report scrutinizes 100 largest carriers
EVA Air will launch a new service between Taipei and Phuket, starting on 2 April, 2020. The airline will serve the route with an Airbus A330-200, configured for 252 passengers with 24 in Royal Laurel Class business and 228 in Economy.
SKYTRAX revealed its 2019 World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday, 18 June, 2019 and EVA Air was a winner. EVA has been certified as a SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline for the fourth year in a row and won double top spots for the World's Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness and Best Economy Class Onboard Catering. On top of that, EVA was also ranked 6th among the "World's Top 10 Airlines."
Star Alliance Los Angeles Lounge Retains Best Alliance Lounge Award 12 Member Carriers Claim a Total of 21 Awards
Paris, France – May 7th, 2019 - Star Alliance has officially completed the refurbishment of its lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport. The 980 square metre facility offers seating for more than 220 guests and features stylish elements inspired by Parisian design and architecture. The lounge is available to First and Business Class customers as well as Star Alliance Gold members travelling from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport – Terminal 1 on the following Star Alliance member airlines: Aegean, Air China, ANA, Asiana, EGYPTAIR, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United.
Star Alliance has been named Airline Alliance of the Year for the third time in a row at the Air Transport Awards.
Refresh of staralliance.com features new look and an improved functionality for customers. Frankfurt, Germany - February 13, 2019 - Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance, has partnered with Skyscanner, the world's travel search engine, to allow travellers visiting the Star Alliance website to search for flights, view airfares and book them directly with its member airlines. This feature, easily accessible alongside the popular lounge finder, flight status and other journey-related services, utilises Skyscanner's fare search, linking directly to the alliance's member carrier websites for purchase.


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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., (HACI) today announced agreements with GKN Aerospace - Alabama, Avcorp Industries, Inc., and Garmin International Inc., as major component suppliers for the HondaJet advanced light jet, to be produced¹ at a state-of-the-art plant in Greensboro, North Carolina.
GKN, of Tallassee, Alabama, will supply the fuselage structural sub-assembly; Garmin, of Olathe, Kansas, will supply a state-of-the-art avionics system specifically tailored for HondaJet; and Avcorp, of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, will supply HondaJet's wing structural sub-assembly.
"We are pleased to be entering into collaboration with some of North America's top aviation industry suppliers, as we continue to focus on developing an innovative aircraft of the absolute highest quality for our customers," said Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. "The sourcing of these key components from suppliers in the U.S. and Canada is consistent with Honda's philosophy of producing products close to the customer."
Honda Aircraft Company on February 9 announced plans to establish its world headquarters and jet plant in Greensboro, North Carolina, with construction of new facilities at Piedmont Triad International airport. Scheduled to open late this year, the 215,000 square foot headquarters will be the center of all activity related to HondaJet, including type certification, all sales, marketing and service support activity, and continued research and development activities. HACI expects to employ more than 300 associates at its headquarters and manufacturing facilities once the plant reaches full production.
¹ produced using domestic and globally sourced parts
The HACI production facility, to be built adjacent to the headquarters, will handle production of HondaJet, including final assembly of all structural components and parts, aircraft system assembly and installation, completion of the interior, and painting. The Greensboro production facility is scheduled to begin deliveries to customers in 2010.
Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. and HondaJet
Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., is responsible for the continued development, certification and production of HondaJet, as well as all marketing, sales and service support.
HondaJet, Honda's first-ever commercial aircraft, lives up to the company's reputation for superior fuel efficiency, delivering 30-35 percent better cruising fuel efficiency than comparable jets, along with a class-topping cruise speed of 420 knots (450 mph) and a more spacious cabin with room for up to eight people. All major assembly and testing of the prototype HondaJet has been conducted at the company's existing Greensboro facility, which opened in 2001 as an extension of Honda's global R&D operations.
The decision to commercialize HondaJet was announced in July 2006, followed by the August 4, 2006, establishment of Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. The company has received more than 100 customer orders for the $3.65 million HondaJet since its launch, October 17, 2006. The HondaJet production facility will become Honda's seventeenth major manufacturing plant in North America, including two currently under construction in Indiana and in Ontario, Canada.
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As a follow-up to the most recent series of posts, you may enjoy this TED talk by David Epstein. Epstein is the author of The Sports Gene and offered the claim that kicked off those earlier posts–that he could accurately guess an Olympian's sport knowing only her height and weight.
The talk offers some additional context for Epstein's claim. Specifically Epstein describes how the average height and weight in a set of 24 sports has become more different over time:
In the early half of the 20th century, physical education instructors and coaches had the idea that the average body type was the best for all athletic endeavors: medium height, medium weight, no matter the sport. And this showed in athletes' bodies. In the 1920s, the average elite high-jumper and average elite shot-putter were the same exact size. But as that idea started to fade away, as sports scientists and coaches realized that rather than the average body type, you want highly specialized bodies that fit into certain athletic niches, a form of artificial selection took place, a self-sorting for bodies that fit certain sports, and athletes' bodies became more different from one another. Today, rather than the same size as the average elite high jumper, the average elite shot-putter is two and a half inches taller and 130 pounds heavier. And this happened throughout the sports world.
Here's the chart used to support that point, with data points from the early twentieth century in yellow and more recent data points in blue:
This suggests that it has become easier over time to guess individuals' sports based on physical characteristics, but as we saw it is still difficult to do with a high degree of accuracy.
Another interesting change highlighted in the talk is the role of technology:
In 1936, Jesse Owens held the world record in the 100 meters. Had Jesse Owens been racing last year in the world championships of the 100 meters, when Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt finished, Owens would have still had 14 feet to go…. [C]onsider that Usain Bolt started by propelling himself out of blocks down a specially fabricated carpet designed to allow him to travel as fast as humanly possible. Jesse Owens, on the other hand, ran on cinders, the ash from burnt wood, and that soft surface stole far more energy from his legs as he ran. Rather than blocks, Jesse Owens had a gardening trowel that he had to use to dig holes in the cinders to start from. Biomechanical analysis of the speed of Owens' joints shows that had been running on the same surface as Bolt, he wouldn't have been 14 feet behind, he would have been within one stride.
The third change Epstein discusses is more dubious: a "changing mindset" among athletes giving them a "can do" attitude. In particular he mentions Roger Bannister's four-minute mile as a major psychological breakthrough in sporting. As this interview makes clear, Bannister attributes the fact that no progress was made in the fastest mile time between 1945 and 1954 to the destruction, rationing, and overall quite distracting events of WWII. It's possible that a four-minute mile was run as early as 1770. I wonder what Epstein's claims would look like on that time scale?


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{This beautiful dressing room features exquisite woodwork. I love the effect of the high gloss finish and contrasting paint colors. The nickel hanging shade is a gorgeous, versatile piece that I was awestruck over upon first glance. The glossy finishes throughout add such polish to the space.}
Discovering a designer who is new to me is always such a sweet surprise. After viewing Spanish designer, Luis Bustamante's portfolio for the first time yesterday, I was beyond impressed. The Madrid-based designer's work is slightly more classical than what I tend to post on La Dolce Vita, but it is completely stunning. No detail is spared. Every space is perfectly curated—Bustamante takes chic sophistication to a completely new level. The spaces he designs could be considered museum quality, if there was such a thing. After visiting Madrid for my 30th birthday in November, I realized that "Madrileños", as residents of Madrid are called, are some of the most stylish people on the planet. Tradition reigns in Madrid and that is reflected in their interiors. Things take a more classical turn in this well-heeled city than they do in Barcelona.
I've talked about feeling a sort of "design overload" in the past. Over the years, it has become harder to find spaces that I am truly moved by and honestly find different than anything else. Bustamante's work has done just that for me. I could go on and on, but I'll save it for Monday, when I'll be posting a "Style Profile" story on Bustamante. Today, let's focus on this amazing space. I'd like to call it a "gentleman's suite". I simply had to post both the dressing room and bedroom since they are both incredibly stunning and couldn't bring myself to narrow it down to just one.
{I love that the bedroom is done in crisp white. It's a complete contrast to the dark, moody dressing room. It is no less tailored, though. Everything is so handsome!}
{I love the use of color and texture. No matter how slight, it adds such rich depth to the room.}
{Notice how Bustamante has used the same lamp design throughout the bedroom and dressing room. I usually love mixing lighting up a bit, but the result here is fabulous. It adds continuity to the space and makes it feel like a luxury hotel property. I also love the abstract paintings near the console table.}
{The masculine bathroom features marble, classic sconces, and black and white striped wallpaper.}
{Images Courtesy of Luis Bustamante}


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More than 900 inmates have contracted a fungal infection that can be lethal, and experts are asking why.
COALINGA, Calif. — When any of the 5,300 inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison begin coughing and running a fever, doctors do not think flu, bronchitis or even the common cold.
They think valley fever; and, more often than they would like, they are right.
In the past three years, more than 900 inmates at the prison have contracted the fever, a fungal infection that has been both widespread and lethal.
At least a dozen inmates here in Central California have died from the disease, which is on the rise in other Western states, including Arizona, where the health department declared an epidemic after more than 5,500 cases were reported in 2006, including 33 deaths.
Endemic to parts of the Southwest, valley fever has been reported in recent years in a widening belt from South Texas to Northern California. The disease has infected archaeologists digging at the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and dogs that have inhaled the spores while sniffing for illegal drugs along the Mexican border.
In most cases, the infection starts in the lungs and is usually handled by the body without permanent damage. But serious complications can arise, including meningitis; and, at Pleasant Valley, the scope of the outbreak has left some inmates permanently disabled, confined to wheelchairs and interned in expensive long-term hospital stays.
About 80 prison employees have also contracted the fever, Pleasant Valley officials say, including a corrections officer who died of the disease in 2005.
What makes the disease all the more troubling is that its cause is literally underfoot: the spores that cause the infection reside in the region's soil. When that soil is disturbed, something that happens regularly where houses are being built, crops are being sown and a steady wind churns, those spores are inhaled. The spores can also be kicked up by Mother Nature including earthquakes and dust storms.
"It doesn't matter whether you're custody staff, it doesn't matter if you're a plumber or an electrician," said James A. Yates, the warden at Pleasant Valley. "You breathe the same air as you walk around out there."
The epidemic at the prison has led to a clash of priorities for a correctional system that is dealing with below average medical care and chronic overcrowding.
Last fall, heeding advice from local health officials and a federal receiver charged with improving the state's prison medical care, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation delayed plans to add 600 new beds out of concern that the construction might stir up more spores.
Officials at the prison blame the construction of a state hospital nearby for causing a spike in valley fever. The construction was under way from 2001 to 2005, and valley fever hit its peak here in 2006, when the disease was diagnosed in 514 inmates.
This year, about 300 cases have been diagnosed among inmates at the prison, which sits along a highway lined with almond groves and signs advertising new "semi-custom homes." Felix Igbinosa, the prison's medical director, said "the No. 1 reason" was thought to be the soil disturbance from new construction.
The delayed expansion here was part of a $7.9 billion plan signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last summer to relieve overcrowding in the state's prisons. Pleasant Valley was built in 1994 to house 2,000 inmates.
California reported more than 3,000 cases of valley fever in 2006, the most in a decade. Explanations for the spike have included increased residential development and changes in weather patterns that have resulted in increased blooms of the fungus.
Other prisons in the Central Valley of California have had increases in the number of fever cases in recent years, but in none has the rate of infection been higher than at Pleasant Valley, where about one inmate in 10 tested positive in 2006.
Even allowing for the nearby construction, experts say they do not know why the disease is so rampant here.
"Is the soil surrounding Pleasant Valley different?" asked Dr. Demosthenes Pappagianis of the University of California, Davis.
"There's a lot we still need to know about it," said Dr. Pappagianis, a professor of medical microbiology and immunology who has been studying valley fever for more than 50 years.
Early symptoms of the disease, which is clinically known as coccidioidomycosis, mimic the flu, with symptoms that include a cough, lethargy and a fever. Most of those who become infected recover with little or no treatment and are subsequently immune.
In about 2 percent to 3 percent of the cases, the disease spreads from the lungs and can attack the bones, liver, spleen and skin.
For the 11,000 non-inmate residents of Coalinga, about 200 miles southeast of San Francisco, the disease has been a fact of life for generations. "We just deal," said Trish Hill, the city's mayor. "You don't do stupid things like go out on windy days or dig in the dirt."
Inmates appear to be especially susceptible to the disease, in part because they come from areas all over the state and have not developed an immunity to the disease. California corrections officials are preparing new guidelines for prison design, including ventilation and landscaping.
"Prisons tend to have a lot of bare dirt, and that has some security benefit," said Deborah Hysen, the corrections department's deputy secretary of facility planning. "But in the case of valley fever, you want to really contain the soil."
At Pleasant Valley, officials say the outbreak of valley fever places a burden on the institution, requiring guards to escort inmates to local hospitals, where stays can last months and result in medical and security costs of $1 million and more, said Dr. Igbinosa, the medical director.
The disease also affects inmate morale, doctors say.
Gilbert Galaviz was convicted of murder and is serving a sentence of 25 years to life. Mr. Galaviz had been at Pleasant Valley for a week or so when he started to feel sick. "I couldn't breathe," he said. "My chest starting hurting, I had pain all over like somebody beat me up, and I would sweat bad at night."
The cause was valley fever. After six months, Mr. Galaviz is still weak, having lost 30 pounds, and is barely able to complete a lap in the prison yard. Earlier this month, he was attacked and his jaw broken.
"It wouldn't have been like that if it hadn't been for valley fever," Mr. Galaviz said, his jaw still wired shut. "They wouldn't have got me. It would have been the other way around."