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Braxton Miller: Latest Updates on QB's Status vs. Cal

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Braxton Miller: Latest Updates on QB's Status vs. Cal
Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 season was supposed to be Braxton Miller's chance to make a run at the Heisman Trophy after an epic 2012 campaign that saw Ohio State go undefeated.

And Miller may yet reach Heisman heights, though it's possible he'll have to do so after missing two games early in the season. Ohio State's star quarterback left last Saturday's game against San Diego State with a left knee injury in the first quarter.

UPDATE: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 6:35 p.m. ET

From's Doug Lesmerises

---End of Update

UPDATE: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 6:05 p.m. ET

From the Columbus Dispatch's Tim May:

---End of Update---

Head coach Urban Meyer reiterated Miller's questionable status heading into the game on his radio show for 97.1 The Fan. From Ari Wasserman of The Plain Dealer:

Meyer said QB Braxton Miller threw yesterday and had a "great workout" in the pool this morning. The team will try to work him out a little more later this afternoon, but he is a game-time decision for Ohio State's game at California on Saturday.

Meyer said that if Miller isn't ready to play, then he won't play. If Miller can play, Meyer still will decide whether he'll start him or start [Kenny] Guiton and use Miller only if the Buckeyes absolutely need him. Meyer said he was happy to have that luxury, which happens when you trust your backup the way he does Guiton

At this point, it seems 50-50 that Miller will start, and if he doesn't, it's hard to imagine him playing a significant role in the contest. There's no reason to rush him back with the Big Ten schedule still looming, especially considering Guiton went 19-for-28 with 152 yards, two touchdowns and an interception (he also rushed nine times for 83 yards and another score) against San Diego State.

Is it worth potentially injuring Miller in this game with Wisconsin on tap in two weeks and Northwestern up a week after that?

Last season, Miller finished fifth in the Heisman voting, throwing for 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for another 1,271 yards and 13 scores. He was one of the most dynamic players in all of college football, and expectations were sky high entering this season.

He didn't disappoint in the team's opener against Buffalo, finishing 15-for-22 with 178 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed 17 times for 77 yards.

Behind Guiton, Ohio State can surely defeat Cal. There is enough talent elsewhere on the roster to make up for Miller's potential absence.

But this team most certainly cannot win a national championship without its star quarterback. Resting Miller for this one may be the prudent decision.

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Urban Meyer Makes the Right Choice

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Urban Meyer Makes the Right Choice
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While college football fans everywhere are surprised to hear of the sudden news regarding Urban Meyer's resignation from Florida, I for one believe Meyer is making not only the best choice, but the only choice he could make.

After reading of Meyer's health issues , I applaud Meyer for putting his family needs ahead of his career aspirations.  At a young age of 45, to have health issues manifesting repeatedly, Meyer is thinking of his wife and children while walking away from the team he developed and the game that he loves.

Many college football coaches, such as Frank Leahy , Ara Parseghian , and Bo Schembechler , left college football due to health-related issues and concerns.  More importantly, each of these men I mentioned were able to enjoy their lives without the intense grind and stress that is associated with running a major college football program.

Perhaps Urban Meyer will become the college football version of John Madden —serving as an analyst for college football games, or providing insight as an in-studio commentator for one of the various major networks.

At 45 years of age, perhaps Meyer will take a few years off, and will return to the sidelines if his health permits him to do so.  No matter what decision Urban Meyer makes regarding his football future, his football legacy is secured as one of the best coaches in college football history.

More importantly, Urban Meyer has shown football fans everywhere that football, no matter how much we love it, is not truly life and death—when faced with the real consequences of life or death, Urban Meyer made the best choice for himself and his family.

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Arsenal Need To Exorcise Hoodoo On Bruce's Black Cats

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Arsenal Need To Exorcise Hoodoo On Bruce's Black Cats
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Sunderland’s visit to the Emirates this afternoon provides a welcome distraction from the drama of the midweek European tie in Portugal. The Gunners need to set aside the disappointment of the referee-assisted robbery at the Estadio do Dragão and focus on the task at hand against the Black Cats.

With Chelsea and United playing away from home, it’s paramount that the Gunners keep focus and do a professional job to collect the three points. There’s absolutely no point going on about a favourable fixture list in comparison to Arsenal’s title contenders if we’re not going to do what is required of us.

The reverse fixture at the Stadium of light on Nov. 21, 2009 was the first game without our talisman Robin Van Persie. He had just picked up the horrific injury that has ruled him out for the season while on duty with Holland a week earlier.

Some have suggested that the team was affected by what happened to Van Persie against Italy. A more realistic explanation is that Arsenal have form in producing indifferent performances on away games after lengthy international breaks.

With Sunderland's Darren leaving Arsenal’s noses Bent, today is as good a day as any to rectify the matter and apply pressure on United and Chelsea.

The Black Cats have had a reversal of fortunes since their purple patch when they beat Arsenal and Liverpool and totally bum rushed United to a ’Fergie time’ assisted two-all draw. They’re currently staring at the wrong end of the table, devoid of ideas as to how they can arrest their steady decline into that ’Oh so dodgy relegation zone.

The Gunners will be aware of the need to keep discipline and focus and to approach the game with a no nonsense attitude and determination to bag the three points. The omens look good and despite the injury situation, Arsenal should have enough in the locker to see this game through.

Sunderland have had a dismal record away from home against the big four. Since their most recent promotion to the Premier league, they’ve only picked up three points from draws in 14 matches away from home against the big four.

Arsenal on the other hand have only suffered one defeat at home to an opponent lower than 10th in the league table. This was against West Ham in April of 2007, the first defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners’ record this season at home against the teams occupying the bottom half of the table have been well above average. Arsenal have picked up 2.71 points per game against lower league opposition and have scored 35 percent more goals in these games compared to last season.

With Diaby picking up an inexplicable knee injury a day after the game, my sense is that Wenger will go for a starting line-up of:

Sagna, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy
Denilson, Song, Fabregas
Rosicky, Bendtner, Nasri

I would expect that Walcott, Eboue, and Ramsey will make an appearance at some point. Depending on how the game goes, it is feasible that Ramsey might be brought into the midfield and Campbell taken off to give the veteran a rest.

In such a scenario, Song may fall back into central defence, a position he is fairly familiar with. While Mikhael Silvestre is available, Wenger has voiced his hesitation about playing two left footed central defenders in the same game.

Wookash Fabianski will be the subject of the electric eyes following his performance in Porto. I’m still convinced he is a very good keeper and will come good to be one of the best in the business—and today’s as good a chance as any to exorcise the demons from the game against Porto.

Enjoy the game wherever you are.

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South Carolina Football: What We Learned From Gamecocks Win Over Georgia

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South Carolina Football: What We Learned From Gamecocks Win Over Georgia
Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

Initially there were many things Gamecock fans expected to learn. The biggest, and most important thing learned this week was that Marcus Lattimore is without a doubt, a difference maker. It is completely safe to say that without Marcus Lattimore, the University of South Carolina would be a .500 team.

Lattimore's numbers were impressive. 37 carries for 182 yards and two touchdowns.  The second most important thing learned from South Carolina's game against Georgia is that Steve Spurrier doesn't mind handing the ball off 40 plus times a game.

Steve Spurrier's comments after the game were incredibly telling as well. He praised Lattimore as was expected and while he was critical of Stephen Garcia for taking a few sacks, though the line looked lost on a few of them, Spurrier did call Garcia's performance "gutty."

You will be hard pressed to find a better word than gutty to sum up the entire game played by the Gamecocks. There were spots where the Gamecocks looked sluggish, and even lost. The defense again displayed their bend, don't break strategy, and again, it worked.

Something troubling learned from the matchup between two top 25 teams was that the Gamecocks may be better without Chris Culliver. Chris Culliver looked lost when he was on the field. Maybe it was the fact that Culliver hasn't played, or maybe there are deeper concerns with Culliver's ability.

Another thing we are learning is that there are seats on the bandwagon and those seats are filling up quickly. Robert Smith from ESPN and Wendy Nix, seemingly more than Todd McShay were quick to point out the talent of the Gamecocks. Robert Smith was bold enough to say that this may be "the Gamecocks year."

Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and sources all over the Internet are starting to believe in the Gamecocks, who will likely climb higher in the rankings this week as well. With Georgia being ranked ahead of them, Georgia Tech was upset by Kansas, Virginia Tech was upset and will likely drop out of the top 25, and a few other shakeups may gain the Gamecocks more spots than some expect.

The Gamecocks look like a different team than they have in years past. They don't seem to take plays off, or at least have the entire team isn't taking plays off. There were however still blown coverages and a few missed tackles, which are errors that must be corrected.

The Gamecocks can continue to tweak next week when they face in-state FCS opponent Furman. After Furman though, the Gamecocks travel to Auburn to play the Tigers. The Auburn/South Carolina game will be a matchup of two of the most highly recruited running backs. Michael Dyer and Marcus Lattimore.

The Gamecocks can't afford to take a game lightly at any point this season. This is the year that all eyes are on them. They have to make their statement, and drive it home.  One of the heavy critiques of Spurrier's Gamecocks has been their rushing. If the Gamecocks can play evenly and not rely too heavily on rushing or passing they will continue to impress and be able to win close games.

The Gamecocks 17-6 win was a big win no doubt. The first time Mark Richt had lost in Columbia in his tenure at Georgia. Each game is a big game in 2010. This continues to appear to be the season for South Carolina to grab the brass ring and take over the SEC East. With another week down, the Gamecocks must shift their focus to the next week.

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David Coulthard: Nick Heidfeld Isn't a Sportsman

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David Coulthard: Nick Heidfeld Isn't a Sportsman

Retiring driver, David Coulthard, had a few choice words about Nick Heidfeld when British ITV caught up with him after their tangle into the final corner of this morning's Chinese qualifying session.

Nick Heidfeld took the inside of the last corner just before DC was due to head into his fast lap (flying lap), but as soon as he was around the corner, the German driver cut across the Red Bull to enter the pits, as a result DC was forced to slow and wasn't given the ideal run up to start his lap.

Speaking to British ITV, DC said, "“I am extremely disappointed in what Heidfeld has just done there."

“He’s not going to start his lap and do a quicker lap passing me on the inside into the last corner, he’s on the dirty side, and then he comes in at the end of that lap anyway."

“[On] His lap he can tell on the big screens that he was still in the top 10, so for me it is the worst possible example of unsportsmanlike behavior because all he is doing is screwing my lap—there is no intention for him to do a quicker lap on that.”

Coulthard, who is retiring this year, confirmed that he had asked Red Bull Racing's team boss to record a complaint with the stewards about Heidfeld's behavior. The Scotsman, who has been racing for over ten years, said that sort of driving reflects the sort of man Heidfeld is.

“I am out of that part of qualifying, there you go, but this is something the stewards should be picking up on because…that’s kicking your ball out of the rough, that’s hitting someone below the belt—that’s really, really bad behavior from Nick,” he said.

“I’ve always given Nick the benefit of the doubt, even though he’s been right on the line and maybe slightly over it over the years in some of his driving standards."

“But that to me sums up the man quite frankly—he’s not a sportsman.”

In the post qualifying press conference, DC told the media "I’m extremely disappointed with what Nick Heidfeld did at the end of Q1 on the last out lap. All the cars were bunching up on the second to last corner, as they jostled for position, but Nick suddenly passed me on the inside into the last corner, just as I was about to start my flying lap."

It was very unlikely he was going to do a better lap on prime tires and he was on the dirty side of the track, so he wouldn’t have done a faster lap by squeezing through the inside at that point—and he came in before the end of that lap anyway!"

"He would have known he was in the top ten already, so for me it was very unsportsmanlike behavior, as all he did was screw up my last flying lap—there wasn’t any intention of him doing a quicker time."

For full press conference please see the Formula One website.

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Natural Teeth Whitening with Activated Charcoal

Teeth whitening is big bussiness. From professional whitening sessons to whitening strips to gum that even claims to whiten - everyone wants that brillant, dazzling smile.

The most popular whitening strategy is to use hydrogen peroxide. Dentist use hydrogen peroxide as a bleching agent which uses acid to bleach the germs on the surface of the teeth that cause discoloration.

The downside to using hydrogen peroxide is mainly due to the fact that it is an acid. It can cause your teeth and gums to be overly sensitive. You may even see your gums swollen or inflamed after whitening. It also has the potential to actually increase the porosity of your teeth.

Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is best known as an emergency decontaminant in the GI tract - laymens terms: it's given to people who overdose on drugs or chemicals. This is because of its adsorption (yes, adsorption not absorption) ability.

Briefly - to understand why activated carbon is AWESOME, let's learn some science.

Surface Area and Adsorption

Activated charcoal is most commonly made from coconut shells. When charcoal is termed "activated" it means that it has been produced to have a very fine particle size - which increases the overall surface area.

an electron microscope image of activated charcoal

One standard 50-gram dose of activated charcoal has the surface area of TEN football fields.

This is significant when dealing with adsorption - this is because adsorption is different from absorption in the sense that it focuses on the surface area NOT volume.

A good analogy is someone drinking a glass of water. When you drink the water you are technically absorbing the fuild and making it a part of you. Adsorption happens when you get clumsy and spill the water all over your shirt. The water does not become you but instead it just bonded physically to your surface (your shirt).

Activated Charcoal and Teeth Whitening

Activated charcoal is amazing at whitening teeth because of its adsorption qualities - specifically of tannins. Tannins are in the food and beverages we consume that stain our teeth (wine, tea,cola, sauces, sweets,etc) and activated charcoal is remarkably efficient and fast at adsorbing them.

It even has the ability to be helpful at adjusting the pH balance in the mouth - which is effective at preventing cavities and bad breath.

I purchased my activated carbon through Amazon. Don't make the same mistake as me - make sure it's already in it's powder form. (I bought mine in crystal form and had to pulverize it –bah.)

This is a picture BEFORE pulverizing into a powder - to
skip this step simply buy in powder form.

Here is how I use activated charcoal in whitening and maintaining a brillant smile:

1.   Clean/Brush teeth

2.   Add a bit of the activated charcoal powder in a small cup. Add some water to create a sort of ‘slush’ mixture.

3.      Move the water to the front of your mouth and let it set there for a minute or so.

( You can also dip a clean toothbrush into powder and very gently rub onto teeth – I’ve done this as well, but you must be very careful not to let the charcoal be abrasive to your teeth or gums)

4. Let sit on teeth (I usually let it set for about 1 minute)

5. Rinse well – you most likely need to brush your teeth again because the black charcoal gets in between the teeth and it can be difficult to simply wash out with just water)

Afterwards your teeth will feel very smooth and clean - plus they will look brillant. At first, I used this regime everday for a week. The above pic was taken after only a few times of using - I plan to update the picture after using for a few months. Currently for maintenance, I use about twice a week.

  1. It has been some time since I visited website with such high quality information. Thank you so much for providing such helpful information. This is really informative and I will for sure refer my friends the same. Thanks.Teethwhitening

  2. Useful information like this one must be kept and maintained so I will put this one on my bookmark list! Thanks for this wonderful post and hoping to post more of this!

    teeth whitening Birmingham

  3. Thanks for the tip! My teeth are sensitive too...

    teeth whitening northampton

  4. That’s really nice! And because it’s not a chemical-based cleaner, it won’t hurt your teeth and gums. It’s perfect for those who have sensitive gums. But of course, it's best to consult with your dentist first before trying it out, just to be safe. Thanks for sharing!

    George McEvoy @ Mountain View Dentist

  5. Hello,
    Really a nice blog
    I use turmeric herb for natural tooth whitening and advice others too for it

    bleach whitening teeth

Please be respectful. If you are about to say something that you would not let your child hear, then please refrain from saying it.


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Listen to free music by Nephew Feat. Landsholdet

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- AARP - http://blog.aarp.org -

Debating for All Generations

An update from Bill Ballas of AARP Virginia:
The other night, AARP Virginia sponsored a “Primary Watch Party” for more than 30 Virginia Commonwealth University students and faculty at the Richmond hotspot Baja Bean & Company. In between a delicious quesadilla platter, nachos, pizzas and riveting primary results, AARP staff chatted with the multi-generational crowd that included members of the Young Democrats, College Republicans and supporters of the various campaigns. The enthusiastic group was eager to learn more about the Divided We Fail movement, to sign our petition (24 signed!), and to sport their new DWF trucker hats!


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- AARP - http://blog.aarp.org -

Hear the Fiercest Campaign Speeches of ’12 (That’s 1912)

I voted early this year, and so all the money they’re spending on those combative Presidential Election TV ads is being totally wasted on me.

“Ahh,” I thought to myself, “if only I could return to a time before TV. Before even radio, when no one had to hear guys beating each other up over who should be President.”

Then I stumbled on the Library of Congress’ National Jukebox, an online repository of historical recordings. And there, tucked in among the recitations of Casey at the Bat and songs from Victor Herbert operettas, I found a collection of Victor Talking Machine recordings made by the three guys who were vying for President 100 years ago this month: The Republican incumbent, William Howard Taft; the Democratic challenger Woodrow Wilson; and the popular party crasher, former President Theodore Roosevelt, running for a third term (after spending four years on hiatus in Africa or someplace) on the Progressive, or Bull Moose Party, ticket.President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson

Even on these scratchy old recordings, the candidates really rip into their opponents, each aiming his most pointed barbs at the guy most likely to siphon off his votes.

Listen to Taft, once a close friend of Roosevelt. Just four years earlier, while running for president in 1908, Taft made this recording basically assuring voters he would be just like Teddy, only, presumably, with fewer teeth showing (Also considerably more out of shape, famously requiring his own supersized White House bathtub).

Now, Taft is being bitterly challenged by Roosevelt, who sees him as having sold out to the big business trusts.

In a recording made October 1, 1912, Taft accuses his opponent-and make no mistake, he’s talking about Teddy-of throwing up a “fog of misrepresentation and demagoguery.” He also accuses his rivals of “sewing dragon seeds,” a phrase that I’d personally like to see make a comeback (“Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Kansas is once again sewing dragon seeds!”).

But in a speech recorded October 12, Taft makes a tactical error-a gaffe, we’d call it- that may explain why he failed to endear himself to the masses: He says the American people would be “foolish” to vote for anyone else. Now, I’m no spin doctor, but I’m pretty sure a savvy politician always, always assigns limitless wisdom and powers of discernment to the voters at all times. I really can’t imagine either President Obama or Governor Romney turning to the camera, jerking his thumb and winking, “You’d have to be an idiot to vote for this guy!”  (An early warning of Taft’s tin ear came in a recording he made the first time he ran for president, in August 1908.  That Victor disc, entitled “Irish Humor,” features Taft speaking for more than three minutes about how funny the Irish are, yet he never tells a single joke).

President Thedore "Teddy" Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt, for his part, was still wildly popular with voters, but he was running against two extremely powerful political parties. Happily, the recordings here reveal him as sounding almost precisely the way we’d expect Teddy Roosevelt to sound: Excitable, plain-speaking, and occasionally taunting. His best rhetorical flourish comes at the end of a September 1912 recording in which he pillories the big business interests who oppose him.  “NNNNAtch-ur-ally,”he bellows, “They will do all they can to break down the only real enemies that they have…” Those enemies being, of course, TR and his own Bull Moose party.

In a spirited defense of his trustbusting ways, on September 22 1912 Teddy recorded a speech in which he ridicules criticism that he threatened the future of Standard Oil with his  “Abyssinaian treatment”of them. Teddy clearly loves saying “Abyssinian treatment,” as he keeps repeating it. He even goes on to charge that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans would ever have the guts to lay the ol’ Abyssinian treatment on Standard Oil the way he would. Unfortunately for us 100 years hence, “Abyssinian treatment” has apparently fallen from the nomenclature. I cannot find any explanation of what it means, and I must have searched Google a good three minutes looking for it.

Finally comes the Democratic challenger Woodrow Wilson, who knows full well he’s got this thing wrapped up, since Taft and Roosevelt are splitting the Republican vote. He seems to hold the most disdain for Teddy, though, as he goes after the “third party” pretty good in a speech recorded September 24, 1912.

Wilson is not much of a speaker-especially compared to Taft and Teddy, who at times fairly bark their lines into the acoustic recorder’s microphone. Befitting his background, Wilson is professorial and soft-spoken. Still, his detached delivery infers that his opponents are, really, beneath contempt. Listen to his dismissive comments regarding the “third element,” about whom, he sniffs, “the less said the better.

“To discuss it would be interesting, only if I could mention names. And I have forbidden myself from (doing) this.”

Yeah, he’s saying,  “I’m looking at you TR!”

The aim of the Democratic party, Wilson adds, is to see to it “that the big fellow cannot put the little fellow out of business.” Charming the way he says little fellow: “Lit-tuhl Fell-lew.”

Three guys running for President in 1912; every one of whom has either been President already or is about to become President. That’s something of a record, I think. And proof that our political climate has always been colorful, contentious, and uniquely, wonderfully, American.

How many Congressmen have had a real Havana cigar named for them?

P.S.: For extra credit, take a listen to this 1912 campaign stump speech by Missouri Congressman Champ Clark, who served in the House of Representatives from 1893 to 1921. The best part comes right at the start, when he opines, “Of course, everybody stands around and asks what I think about zinc.”

Oh, what I would give for a world where everyone’s main concern is zinc.


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- AARP - http://blog.aarp.org -

Yoko Ono collection channels Lennon’s “Hot Bod”

Yoko Ono, the widow of musician and Beatles icon John Lennon, has embarked on a new career after 79 years of making her mark in art, music, filmmaking and publishing. Ono has entered the world of fashion by launching a menswear collection. She decided to turn her 1969 sketches titled “Fashions for Men,” which had been a wedding gift to Lennon, into a book and collection with retail partner Opening Ceremony. The drawings, loosely annotated in the book, were inspired by Lennon’s “hot bod,” according to Ono. They include cutout tops, eyelet tanks, lion-tailed trousers, incense-spouting boots and a wild array of other quirky apparel and accessories.

When asked how male styles have evolved since the late 1960s, Ono told Style.com: “Men’s fashion has not changed that much. That’s why I wanted to say with my designs, ‘Hey, loosen up, guys!’ I think they will have a lot of fun wearing these clothes I visualized in 1969.”

The eccentric line will debut in Opening Ceremony stores in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 27.  Prices range from $25 for posters to $750 for incense boots.

Feel Great. Have Fun. Be Stylish. Will you purchase a Yoko Ono piece for a man in your life? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below. Also follow Dian on Twitter.


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Featured Photo, a.k.a. New Photo Quiz, January-February 2014 Birding

First things first. The quiz. Here goes:

14-1-17-01 [geese] LO-REZ

If you just want to play the quiz, that’s great. Skip the part below, and scroll straight down to the comments.

And now the rest of the story…

…as explained on p. 66 of the January/February 2014 issue of Birding:

The king is dead! Long live the king!

One of the most enduring and endearing offerings in Birding magazine has been the photo quiz. Why? What’s the allure? On the one hand, the photo quiz is, well, a quiz. Trivia. A challenge. Birders love facts and challenges. On the other hand, the photo quiz is educational. In analyzing the quiz images ourselves and then reading the quizmaster’s official answers, we learn about bird identification. Birders love learning about bird ID.

In the past, the photo quiz was, for most ABA members, a game of solitaire. A reader would work out the identification (or not), then wait two months for the definitive answer to appear in Birding. The internet’s changed that. Now we put the quiz birds online, and readers work out the ID together. The process is fun, challenging, and educational. The online photo quizzes are consistently among the most frequently viewed and most frequently commented on features at our website. But there’s a sense in which we’ve been a victim of our success: For many readers, the quiz has been “solved” long before the next issue goes to press.

So we’re going to tweak the venerable photo quiz just a bit. Here’s the deal: We’ll still post the images at our website, we’ll still work the answers out together online, we’ll still give you the opportunity to quiz yourself in the magazine, but (there’s always a “but”…) you won’t have to wait two months for the answer in print. Instead, Tom Johnson’s analysis of the image will appear in the same issue in which the quiz appears—but on a different page.

One other change. We’re going to focus on one photo in particular, which we’re going to call the “Featured Photo.” Which brings us to the January/February 2014 Featured Photo. Two geese would seem to be involved. What are they? As usual, you can go online for discussion and speculation: aba.org/birding. For this installment only, you’ll have to wait until next issue for Johnson’s analysis and official answer. Then, starting with the March/April 2014 Featured Photo, the process will be just as we have outlined it above.

In the meantime, let’s have some fun with these geese—especially that somewhat odd-looking one at left…

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Ted Floyd

Ted Floyd

Ted Floyd is the Editor of Birding magazine, and he is broadly involved in other programs and initiatives of the ABA. He is the author of more than 100 magazine and journal articles, and has written four recent books, including an ABA title, the ABA Guide to Birds of Colorado. Floyd is a frequent speaker at birding festivals and state ornithological society meetings, and he has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Mainly, he listens to birds at night.
Ted Floyd

Latest posts by Ted Floyd (see all)

  • Rick Wright

    Dying to jump in on this one: would somebody please start the discussion?
    (smiling symbol)

    • Zach

      The second bird is obviously a barnacle goose. #1 is either a very small canada or a cackling. The bill looks stubby enough for cackling, but the head seems too round, not square enough. I’m also intrigued by the white on the forehead. Sibley has the lesser canada as still significantly larger than a barnacle. I wonder if this could be a barnacle x canada hybrid?

      • Zach again

        (Or BARGxCACG, but I don’t know if they hybridize or not.)

        • Mary

          They definitely do!

  • Chris W

    I guess I’ll start by saying that the goose on the left looks a little weird.

  • Michael David

    I’d bet on either Barnacle x Canada or Barnacle x Cackling on the left… no time to do the research on distinguishing those two right now!

  • Kevin

    The bird on the left definitely has some Barnacle Goose in it because of the dark chest and white spot on the forehead. My guess is Barnacle x Cackling hybrid because of size (I assume a Barnacle x Canada would be slightly larger?).

    • Mary

      I’m leaning towards this answer, too. I’m kind of picky with my Cackling geese though, so I’m not 100% the bill is stubby enough. It seems intermediate. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Could also be a Barnacle X Lesser Canada, too!

  • http://www.onthewingphotography.com/wings MiaM

    I think the bird on the left is a Cackling Goose even though it has some white on the forehead. Sibley’s Guide to birds on page 75 states “occasional variants of all populations have dark cheeks or white forehead”. Maybe this is one of those variants?

  • Terry Bronson

    Going waaaay out on a limb, I’d suggest the Canada-type bird is a Richardson’s Cackling Goose X Pale-bellied Brant hybrid juvenile. Both species are about the same size. The head looks slightly blocky to me and the bill is slightly stubby–points favoring a Cackling parent. Juvenile Brants do not have necklaces and the breast would be very dark, according to Sibley. The supposed whitish forehead spot is so small as to have little ID value to me. As for the Barnacle Goose type, I thought of a hybrid because of the semi-dark back, but I see nothing else that would indicate it isn’t a pure Barnacle.

  • Sean Walters

    My personal thought is that the bird on the left is a definitely a hybrid. I too had the thought of Brant x Cackling flash through my mind, but all the photos I found of this match depicted birds that lacked any white on the face. I’m leaning towards Barnacle mixed with Lesser Canada or Richardson’s Cackling. The size definitely seems to indicate Cackling ancestry. Something about that bill though. It seems slightly long for what I imagine a bill between a Richy Cackling and Barnacle would look like. The bird on the right is definitely a Barnacle Goose.

  • Rick Wright

    I’m going to learn a lot here. I don’t think there’s any doubt that the bird on the left is of mixed ancestry, but I’m wondering, like the rest, whether there’s any way to tell whether the “other” Branta in the mix is the Canada or the cackling goose. Over the past few winters, as birds like this have appeared on the east coast, I’ve noticed that they are more or less routinely identified as cackling x barnacle geese, but given the relative scarcity of cackling geese at most of the sites where barnacle geese occur in North America, I’d think that hybridization with a Canada goose would be far more likely. But how can we know?

  • Ted Floyd

    It’s interesting to see Brant being considered here. And here’s a “cultural” consideration: If you’re looking online for bernicla x leucopsis hybrids, don’t restrict yourself to Google searches for “Brant” + “Barnacle Goose” + “hybrid.” Tweak your search to “Brent Goose” (the name in Eurasia) + “Barnacle Goose” + “hybrid,” and you will get additional hits.

    • Ted Floyd

      You could even search for “Bernicle” (with an “e”) Goose, but I don’t think that will greatly increase your hittage.

      • Ted Floyd

        Just thought of something. The Brant has something in common with these bird species: Cinnamon Teal, Great Frigatebird, Laughing Gull, Black-headed Gull, and Common Nighthawk.

        All of those birds have scientific names that translate to the standard English name of *another* bird species: cyanoptera (“blue-winged”) for the Cinnamon Teal; minor (“Lesser”) for the Great Frigatebird; atricilla (“black-headed,” sorta) for the Laughing Gull; ridibundus (“laughing,” more or less) for the Black-headed Gull; and minor (“Lesser”) for the Common Nighthawk.

        And now the Brant’s Branta bernicla, whose name means–wait for it–Barnacle Goose.

  • Jeff Witters

    How about F2 offspring: backcross of barnacle X can/cack hybrid mated to can/cack? It mostly looks can/cack except for size (possibly), the bit of white on forehead, and darker breast that is only darker brown rather than black. Otherwise retains bill shape and size, overall brown tones of its predominant can/cack parentage.

    • Rick Wright

      Those lovely wing coverts are barnacle-like, too. Wonder how many generations that trait can persist through.

  • Mr. X

    I think dat won dese ere birdys be e Barnacle Goose (B. ???) and dat de udder be a strangy mongoose??? Perchance a Barnacle x Cackling Goose hybrid … there were three reported in n. NJ this past december with a Barnacle Goose.

  • CarolynVance

    The goose on the left looks like the “dusky” (occidentalis) Canada to me and the Barnacle is on the right.

  • Dave Irons

    I have an acquaintance (in Oregon) who keeps waterfowl, including both Cacklers and Barnacle Geese. He had two free-flying hybrids (Barnacle X Cackling) that looked just like this bird. They disappeared for a few weeks early last spring (2013). By chance I happened to find and photograph them while they were on the lam. One day I was at his place and they had returned, looking exactly like the two birds that I photographed about 30 miles from his home. They looked very much like the bird on the left. You can take Brant out of the equation. First, if both parent species have solid dark breasts, why would their offspring have considerably paler breast? Further, I would be surprised if the offspring of a parent pair that combined a solid dark back of a Brant and the dark frosted back of the Barnacle Goose would have a back pattern that is lighter and more frosted than either of the presumed parent species. The back pattern of this bird is very much like that of a Ridgway’s Cackling Goose (B. h. minima), but the bill seems too large for this to be a Ridgeway’s X Barnacle cross. Knowing where this photo would be helpful in figuring out potential parent pairs. I would put my chips on Barnacle X Cackling (subspecies uncertain).

  • Jaden Miller

    Left is a Crackling Goose and right is a Barnacle Goose I have never seen either of these birds but see a lot about them. :)

  • lalit kumar

    There is a online quiz and you win prize..

    see more : http://www.quizdeal.com/

  • Ted Floyd

    The answer has been revealed at last! ABA members have already received an advance copy of the PDF of Tom Johnson’s definitive analysis in the imminent March/April 2014 issue of Birding. (The March/April issue is at the printer right now.)

    If you’re not an ABA member, and would like to receive the PDF, please contact me offline. You can email me at tfloyd “at” aba “dot” org.

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Posts Tagged ‘Water conservaiton’

Win with Abt and Kohler this Weekend

Friday, September 11th, 2009

The Kohler Store, Fox Lighting Galleries, Lutron, Subzero, Wolf, Viking, DDK, Exotic Marble and Tile, and Avanti are all participating in a national water conservation campaign. The event in the atrium takes place at Abt Electronics this Saturday, September 12 from 10 am- 5 pm and Sunday, September 13, 2009 from 11 am-5 pm to show consumers how to cut down on water and energy consumption.

After speaking with Lynn Schrange of the Kohler Store, I realized how little that I knew about how water is wasted in a home.

Lynn pointed out that our planet is made up of 75% water, although only less than 1% is ok to drink. We need to really work on keeping our water supply safe—there’s not that much there. In homes, we can save up to 39,000 gallons per year by making small—almost unnoticeable changes to our lives. 39,000 gallons is enough drinking water for a family of four for an entire year or enough to fill a swimming pool.

The first change the Save Water America Campaign tells us to make is get a low flow faucet and turn off water when it’s not in use (like when we are brushing our teeth). That can save 14, 700 gallons of water per year. Next, installing a low-flow shower head can conserve 7,700 gallons per year. Most impressive, if we were to install low flow toilets and remove leaky ones, we could save 16,500 gallons of water each year.

Lynn also told me about a simple quiz about water conservation that is on the Kohler website. If you take this simple 90-second quiz, one dollar will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

There will be prizes, drawings, and products available for purchase. All of the items that are available for purchase are eligible for free delivery and there are installation options for all of the energy conserving products!

For more information on the Kohler Event click here. For more information about Save Water America click here. Go to to check out Energy Star Products. To take the 90-second quiz for Habitat for Humanity click here.

-Kelly B.


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Israel » ADL Blogs
Posts Tagged ‘Israel’
August 24, 2015 1

Allegations That Israel Is Behind ISIS Emerge On Al Jazeera

Screenshot of the article as it appeared on the Al Jazeera website

Conspiratorial accusations that Israel and the Jews secretly create terrorist organizations are not uncommon in the Arab world. However, an article published by Al Jazeera on August 19, 2015, which claimed, “Israel is behind ISIS” is still shocking considering the news outlet’s international reputation.

The article, which was published on and eventually removed from the Al Jazeera Arabic website, is based on reports by the British Daily Mail and other Western media outlets about a questionable document found in one of the tribal areas of Pakistan, which suggests the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was a response to Israel.

Unlike the original report in the English language media, Al Jazeera’s Arabic’s article misleads readers to believe that Israel had a role in the actual creation of ISIS.

“A British Newspaper reported that the American Media Institute found a classified document in one of the rural tribal areas in Pakistan indicating that Israel is behind the emergence of the Islamic State,”   according to the first paragraph of the report by Al Jazeera.

Soon after publishing the report, supporters of ISIS on Twitter launched a campaign against Al Jazeera with an Arabic hashtag “Supporters of the Islamic State expose Al Jazeera.” Several comments attacked Al Jazeera for misrepresenting the original report and for connecting ISIS to Israel.

While there is no evidence that Al Jazeera removed the article because of criticism from ISIS supporters, the implication of publishing such an article and then removing it without addressing the errors may reinforce its conspiratorial narrative.

In the past, ADL expressed concern over the promotion of conspiracy theories in some countries in the Muslim world connecting Jews to the creation and activity of the terror group ISIS.

See related ADL blog posts about the topic:

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August 19, 2015 1

Holocaust Comparisons in Arab Media Examination of the Horrifying Death of a Palestinian Child

There has been intense focus on the reactions within Israeli society following the horrific attack on two houses in the West Bank village of Duma, resulting in the death of toddler Ali Dawabsheh, the subsequent death of his father, Saed and the wounding of his brother and mother.  The apparent price tag attack, perpetrated by extremist Israeli Jews, has led to much soul searching among public Israeli political and religious figures, and among the population at large.

The Arab world also paid close attention to this heinous incident.  And, not surprisingly, many characterized the incident as merely part of Israel’s long history of crimes against the Palestinians (such as the burning of Mohammed Abu Khdeir by Jews in July of 2014), or have claimed that PM Netanyahu is personally responsible for the toddler’s death, and this attack reflected Israel’s culture of hate.

Some in the Arab world used Nazi imagery and Holocaust comparisons, including equating PM Netanyahu to Hitler and the burning of the infant to the Holocaust; and claimed that Israel has not only adopted Nazi practices, but it has focused them on Palestinian children.

One cartoon, for example, appearing both in Gaza’s Filastin newspaper (Aug. 2) and circulated on Twitter, shows Israeli PM Netanyahu performing a Nazi Salute with the burning baby in the backdrop, framing the attack as no less than a “Holocaust”.

Another, published in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Watan newspaper (Aug. 3) shows the arm of an ultra-orthodox Jew forming a swastika while holding a Molotov cocktail.

bibi hitler

jew nazi

The cartoon’s headline: “The crime of burning the Palestinian infant.”

The use of such comparisons similarly appears in opinion pieces in the Arab press. “No one can deny that the Nazis are murderers and that they perpetrated the crime of the Holocaust, which innocent Jews, some say millions, fell victim to.”, said one article in Jordan’s Ar-Rai newspaper (August 2), which went on to parallel the attack with those perpetrated by the Nazis, even drawing on the Torah. “But more criminal than them is the victim who imitated the murderer and who didn’t learn the lessons of history: instead of reacting to what Hitler and his gang did by treating with tolerance and peaceful coexistence the people whose land it forcefully occupied – it resorted to the same Nazi methods. Therefore, this criminal who killed the Palestinian infant, burned his family’s home and gravely wounded them, considers himself to be a Torah “hero”…”.

The cartoon’s headline: “After the burning of the Palestinian infant Ali Dawabsheh to death”.

The cartoon’s headline: “After the burning of the Palestinian infant Ali Dawabsheh to death”.

Other such articles charged that Israel not only uses Nazi methods, but it specifically focuses on Palestinian children in applying them. An Egyptian daily (Al-Yawm As-Sabi, August 1) argued this is common for Israel,  writing:  “The crime of burning a Palestinian infant at the hand of Israeli settlers yesterday, Friday, in southern Nablus in the occupied West Bank – wasn’t the first against Palestine. Surely it won’t be the last, since official documents and statistics indicate that Israel is an entity which has made a habit of targeting children in every form, including the use of fire. This brings back to mind the Nazi party’s crimes known as the Holocaust.”

Another article simply refers to a “Holocaust of the children of Palestine”: “On Friday, at exactly 2:30 am, took place in Duma village south of Nablus the most loathsome crime since the burning of the martyr Mohammed Abu Khdeir ..… the village insisted on bidding farewell to another martyr, the village’s martyr, 18 month old Ai Saad Dawabsheh. He was burned by settlers in cold blood, before the eyes and ears of the world, who stood silently in the face of the Holocaust of the children of Palestine…” (August 3, Filastin, Gaza).

idf soldier nazi

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August 18, 2015 0

Reactions to the Jerusalem Gay Parade Stabbing

Almost three weeks after the stabbing attack during Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, which left sixteen year old Shira Banki dead, Israeli society is engaged in a continuing soul searching over the attack and the status of Israel’s LGBT community.

Israel has a vibrant LGBT community and it celebrates in its strong record of freedoms and protections.  Nonetheless, there are clear homophobic elements in Israeli society.

Yishai Schlissel, the parade stabber – who had previously attacked a pride parade in 2005 – is a member of the ultra-orthodox community in Bnei Brak.  While acknowledging that there is homophobia among religious Jews in Israel, attitudes toward the LGBT community are not monolithic.

Credit: Ludovic Bertron

Credit: Ludovic Bertron

According to a Haaretz report, a group of ultra-orthodox Jews from Bnei Brak reached out to the LGBT community and met with their representatives at the Gay Community Center in Tel Aviv.  Although the Ultra-Orthodox participants decided to stay anonymous, the importance of the dialogue and the discussion lay in the fact that it took place and was reported in the press. Such an unmediated encounter enables knowing each other on the basis of openness and an attempt to accept the other – a positive sign after the dark events.

On the other side of the spectrum came the much publicized comments of Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist and a member of Knesset from the Jewish Home Party, who serves as Deputy Knesset Speaker.  Over the years Smotrich has made numerous anti-gay statements, and has described himself as a “proud homophobe.”  Days after the attack, he referred to gay pride events as “abomination parade” (a term he has used before).  In an interview he gave a few days ago on Galei Israel radio, Smotrich said: “There are a lot of gays in the media and they decide for us what to think and what to say.” Smotrich said that their “control” of the media has created legitimacy and public support for them. I am confident that 95% of Israelis want their children to raise a model family and have grandchildren. That’s what a healthy, normal person wants… These people have enormous power in shaping our consciousness. They number dozens of dominant people. So naturally, people can’t hear a voice like mine and when I speak to the media, I’m cut off after half a sentence and I sound deluded because I’m unable to explain myself.”

Jewish Home head and Education Minister, Naftali Bennet, responded, “I reject these statements with disgust…” and many others rose to condemn Smotrich.  Meanwhile, Ometz, an organization whose mission is to promote ethical governance, is asking the Knesset Ethics committee to review Smotrich’s comments.

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Ronald Valdiserri

Dr. Ronald Valdiserri

Consistent with the President’s request to sharpen our focus on improving outcomes along the HIV care continuum as we pursue the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) awards made by the Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF) funded a number of initiatives designed to do just that.

A total of $33,293,826 was allocated among competitive awards to 11 agencies and offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Finalized in September by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) the 28 FY13 competitive awards range in size from $30,000 to $6.1 million. The competitive awards support a variety of activities that aim to reduce drop-offs along the HIV treatment cascade and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities that bear a disproportionate burden of HIV.

Among the activities that these awards support are HIV prevention and testing as well as initiatives designed to improve linkage to and retention in HIV care and promote HIV treatment adherence. The FY’13 awards also fund: healthcare provider capacity development; use of new media to reach specific minority populations; and adaption, replication and/or dissemination of model HIV programs. The funded activities serve diverse populations including young African American and Latino MSM; minority women receiving services at family planning clinics; Native American-serving healthcare providers; substance users; and persons living with HIV who are leaving correctional facilities and re-entering communities

Of note, $1.7 million was awarded to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support capacity building activities for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees and providers to offer outreach and enrollment support to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) during the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period. In addition, to improve HIV prevention and treatment outcomes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received $1.9 million to support a public-private partnership with Walgreens to develop and evaluate a model of HIV care that integrates community pharmacists with clinical sites for patient-centered care for persons living with HIV. Finally, a total of $384,000 was awarded to a collaborative project involving HRSA, NIH, and CDC that is designed to improve retention in care for HIV-positive youth. This was one of several initiatives funded in this cycle that respond to data released by CDC in late 2012 showing that one in four new HIV infections in the United States occurs among young people ages 13-24, with most of those new infections (about 70%) occurring in gay and bisexual males, most of whom were African Americans.

Approximately 62% of the total FY13 SMAIF was allocated to the competitive awards. In addition to those awards, $14.5 million of the FY13 SMAIF was allocated to provide second year funding for an innovative three-year, cross-agency demonstration project initiated in FY12. Known as the Care and Prevention of HIV in the United States – or CAPUS for short – the project is supporting 8 state health departments (Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) in reducing HIV-related morbidity, mortality, and related health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities by addressing social, economic, clinical and structural factors influencing HIV health outcomes. CDC has the lead in this project which incorporates the active involvement of HRSA, SAMHSA, and other HHS Offices.

View a listing [PDF 74 KB] of the awards and a pie chart [PDF 2.8MB] illustrating the total FY13 SMAIF allocations by HHS agency or office.

As with last year’s SMAIF awards, the FY’13 competitive awards continue efforts initiated in FY’11 to more closely align activities supported by the Fund with the goals and priorities of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy while also remaining faithful to the purpose and spirit of the Minority AIDS Initiative, from which the fund is derived. For this year’s awards, we solicited competitive proposals from HHS agencies and offices in four program areas: Preventing HIV, Improving HIV Health Outcomes, Mobilization Efforts to Reduce HIV Health Disparities, and Capacity Development in Support of NHAS Goals.

“The FY’13 SMAIF competitive awards support activities serving racial and ethnic minorities along each of the stages of the HIV care continuum, from HIV status awareness and linkage to care through initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and retention in care with ART adherence,” observed Tim Harrison, Ph.D., Senior Policy Advisor at OHAIDP. “In these efforts, we have encouraged awardees to prioritize the geographic locations with substantial HIV burdens as well as the populations where HIV is most heavily concentrated.”

OASH and OHAIDP are committed to working with all of our federal partners as well as stakeholders from across the HIV community to identify ways to further enhance the effectiveness of HIV prevention and care services provided to high-risk minority communities. We believe that the activities supported with the FY’13 SMAIF awards demonstrate important progress in that pursuit.

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Still Serving Veterans hires Vietnam-era vet with 40-year history of helping veterans

Anna Claire Vollers By Anna Claire Vollers The Huntsville Times
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 07, 2014 at 2:45 PM, updated January 08, 2014 at 9:49 AM
In the military they had commanding officers as mentors, but when they get to the civilian sector, they don’t have that leadership to go to anymore.
Linda BlankenshipLinda Blankenship is the new workforce development director at Still Serving Veterans in Huntsville, Ala. (Submitted)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - For Linda Blankenship, last September marked her 40th year of helping veterans. A veteran herself, Blankenship recently accepted a job as workforce development manager at Still Serving Veterans, a Huntsville-based nonprofit organization that offers a variety of free services to veterans and their families to help them transition into civilian life.

"For me, it's not a job," she said. "It's a passion."

Blankenship brings decades of experience to the position, where she will be aiding veterans with career coaching, job placement, career development, benefits, counseling and other services that prepare them for the civilian workforce.

"Veterans need to be competitive in the workplace, and need somebody that can help them," said Blankenship. "In the military they had commanding officers as mentors, but when they get to the civilian sector, they don't have that leadership to go to anymore."

Blankenship joined the Women's Army Job Corps in 1973, during the Vietnam War. She was stationed as a medic serving at a burn unit in a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

"I had a lot of friends that were drafted and going to Vietnam. I thought it might be a good thing for them to see a friendly face in the hospital," she said. "When it came time for me to get out, all the Vietnam patients were still in need of a lot of medical care; their injuries were not going to be solved overnight, so that's why I kept working in the medical profession in the military."

Blankenship spent 20 years with the Army before retiring, and along the way earned associate's and bachelor's degrees.

She met her husband Larry, a Vietnam veteran, while stationed in San Antonio. After retirement the two moved back to Alabama, where Larry grew up. Blankenship began teaching courses in CPR, first aid, and other safety training at local hospitals and for various organizations. For the past two years she has been involved with Veterans Upward Bound, a Huntsville nonprofit that helps veterans with educational benefits, job training and education requirements. She is also active with Veterans Job Club.

She accepted the position with Still Serving Veterans in December 2013, and still leads Veterans Job Club meetings every week. She invites any veterans to the meetings, held each Wednesday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 513 Sparkman Drive.

"If they're looking for a job or if they want training, I do workshops and we do counseling, too," said Blankenship. "This week's meeting is a workshop about financial literacy, student loans and how they affect your credit rating."

Blankenship and her husband have been married 34 years, and have two children and one grandson. She said she is glad to now be working with Still Serving Veterans. Her schedule is a busy one, but it is rewarding, she said.

"Somebody asked me when I was going to stop," said Blankenship, "and I said, I guess when I'm not breathing anymore."


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SpaceX scrubs launch and sets next try for Friday April 18

SpaceX Falcon 9
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 14. A planned afternoon launch was scrubbed because of a helium leak. Another try will come later in the week. (NASA TV)
Lee Roop | By Lee Roop | The Huntsville Times
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on April 14, 2014 at 3:29 PM, updated April 14, 2014 at 3:30 PM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - A helium leak on the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage led SpaceX to scrub the launch of a supply capsule to the International Space Station Monday afternoon. The next attempt will be Friday, April 18, at 2:25 p.m. CDT "if the issue can be resolved," the company said on its website.

SpaceX is carrying supplies to the space station along with new experimental equipment. Also on board the Dragon 9 capsule was an experiment by Huntsville scientists.


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Alabama's Honda plant drops Accord production to focus on Odyssey

honda production line for accord.JPGView full sizeHonda is halting production of the Accord V-6 sedan at its Alabama factory in Lincoln, after bringing the vehicle in last year to help stabilize the operation during an industry downturn. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

Honda's Alabama auto factory has ceased production of the popular Accord sedan, a move that allows workers to focus on meeting growing demand for the Odyssey minivan.

The Japanese automaker shifted production of the Accord V-6 to its $1.4 billion Lincoln plant in July 2009, a response to sagging sales for the light trucks built there.

Having the Accord on the assembly line helped keep the 4,000 employees busy amid slow demand for the other models, but an industrywide sales rebound means the extra work is no longer necessary.

In fact, Accords comprised just 4 percent of the total output at the plant this year, which rose 50 percent over 2009 amid the burgeoning recovery.

"We are extremely pleased to have had this opportunity to produce the Accord, which is an icon in Honda history," Chuck Ernst, senior vice president at the Lincoln plant, said in a statement to The Birmingham News.

The Accord is a global model for Honda, meaning it is produced in a number of places around the world. For the V-6 sedan in particular, production was split between Lincoln and a Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio, and that plant will continue to build the car.

Here is a breakdown on what Honda produced in Lincoln this year:

Pilots: 121,331

Odysseys: 119,573

Ridgelines: 20,174

Accords: 10,979

But having it in Lincoln for a year and a half helped stabilize the local operations during the downturn and also demonstrated Honda's flexible operations, Ernst added.

As it ends production of the Accord, the plant will devote one of its two assembly lines entirely to the Odyssey, which was redesigned earlier this year and is climbing up the sales charts.

Meanwhile, the other assembly line will turn out Pilot SUVs and Ridgeline pickups. That transition is expected to be complete this spring.

"We now embrace the challenge of meeting market demand and exceeding the expectations of our customers for the Odyssey, the Pilot and the Ridgeline," Ernst said.

The plant, which is on its annual winter shutdown until Jan. 3, produced 272,057 vehicles this year, according to preliminary estimates.

That's a 50 percent jump from 2009, a sickly year for the industry. Last year, the plant's output was 181,531 vehicles, a total that dropped 35 percent from 2008.

But 2010 has been a turnaround year, evidenced by strengthening sales and overtime for workers at Honda and at other Alabama auto plants.

This year, Honda workers built 119,573 Odysseys, 121,331 Pilots, 20,174 Ridgelines and 10,979 Accords, along with the V-6 engines that power the vehicles. This is the first time that the plant has produced more Pilots than Odysseys.

Both the Pilot and Odyssey have done well in recent U.S. sales reports.

Honda said it has sold 98,035 Odysseys through November of this year, a 7.5 percent improvement over the same time period last year. Year-to-date sales of the Pilot total 91,986, up 23 percent, while year-to-date sales of the Ridgeline are flat at 14,931.

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'American Idol' features contestant with extensive Mobile roots

Lawrence Specker | By Lawrence Specker | Press-Register
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on February 24, 2011 at 6:45 AM, updated February 24, 2011 at 12:56 PM

An extended family of south Alabama residents will be watching to see how Elizabeth Lauren Turner fares on tonight’s episode of “American Idol.”

Wednesday night, the Slidell resident, who has extensive Mobile roots, was among 60 hopefuls singing in a duet round. Tonight, it will be revealed whether she’s one of 24 who advance toward “Idol” stardom.

Turner’s parents, Felix J. Turner Jr. and Kitty Wilton Strikmiller, are Mobile natives who now live in Louisiana. An uncle, David Wilton, estimated that she has more than 200 relatives in the Mobile area. Turner herself lived in the area from 1988 to 1991, according to aunt Linda Wilton.

“She started humming when she was a little girl, little bitty,” said Linda Wilton. Wilton said she remembers being impressed by her niece’s powerful singing voice when Turner was just 7 or 8 years old.

“Lauren is just a strong woman and very talented,” Wilton said. “I think this is her great opportunity to show the world what she has. If they give her some air time, we’ll all be just really thrilled.”

Turner, 24, entered “Idol’s” current season at auditions in New Orleans. It isn’t her first run on the show: In 2004 she made it to the season’s Hollywood round but did not advance as far as the final 32.


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Antique chic: Vintage fashions are featured in midtown antique store

Debra Braggs By Debra Braggs Press-Register
on April 27, 2010 at 5:01 AM
desireeTait1.JPGDesiree Tait, owner of Antiques At The Loop in Mobile, shows off her vintage fashion collection.
Imagine walking into an antique store and discovering an entire boutique of vintage clothing. I’m talking hats, shoes, jewels and more.

That’s the vision Desiree Tait has made a reality inside Antiques At The Loop, located in midtown Mobile.

Tait thinks it’s the perfect scenario. I agree.

Debra Bragg column head.jpg
If you love antiques, you are probably a fan of vintage clothing. And Tait’s offering a world of discovery all under one roof.

"This is actually my first love," said Tait, pointing to the clothing corner in her antiques store that’s been at the Loop since 2001.

"I love everything about clothing. I have a degree in merchandising and have just loved collecting things since I was a child."

Tait says she has included a few vintage fashion pieces in the antique store over the years, but recently got serious about incorporating vintage dealers into the place.

"I have discovered some fantastic collectors. They’ve got great eyes for style and they are fantastic personal shoppers."

If there is a specific vintage piece of clothing or jewelry you’ve been seeking, Tait says her dealers are great at finding what the customers want.

vintage1.JPGClothing from the 1950s and 60s, as well as costume jewelry from the 1940s are featured in the store's vintage fashion collection.

"Sometimes we get requests from people who are having themes parties and we need to dress everyone or provide authentic decor. We have lots of fun with that."

Currently, Tait is stocking an impressive collection of vintage western wear. She says the boots and belts are very hot items right now.

"This collector of all things western is fantastic. From teen girls wanting the boots, to older gentlemen who love western clothing, our customers are from every walk of life."

Tait says that’s exactly what she had hoped her store would do.

"I wanted to have a little bit of something for everyone, men and women."

Tait says her collections are not super-expensive, but are a cut above flea market finds.

Fabulous dresses from the 1940s hang from the walls, while shelves of hats, purses and gloves fill the boutique-style corner in the store. Then there are elegant old cabinets filled with necklaces and brooches from every decade, while piles of beautiful linens and dainty handkerchiefs grace dressers and tables

It’s like stepping back in time or going through your grandma’s boudoir.

"People have a good time roaming around in here. Even my kids love to come and see what they can discover," Tait said.

Consignment shopping seems to be on the rise according to Tait, who says she is really happy about that.

vintage2.JPGVintage western attire, from boots to belts, are popular items among all age groups according to the owner of Antiques At The Loop.

"I think antiquing is a great way to be green. And it’s all about good taste. If you have good taste, you can shop anywhere."

Vintage shopping tips:

Vintage is not a costume — Don’t dress entirely in one trend or decade. Take one piece and make it work today. Mixing one focal vintage item with core pieces of your wardrobe like jeans, a simple blazer, or with a T-shirt will make your look modern instead of looking like you stepped out of a time machine.

Be open-minded, and try things on — Remember that these items are from a different period in time. They are made a lot differently than our clothes today. Try the clothing on.

Stay true to your style — Don’t shock your friends and family by stepping out in a brightly patterned, silk Pucci jumpsuit. Look for vintage pieces that speak to your personal style. Go for a scarf, handbag or even a hat that’s similar to modern-day pieces you would purchase.

Remember, it’s an adventure — Shop vintage when you have lots of time to roam and sort. You could get lost for hours in most vintage stores.

(Write to Debra Braggs about your fashion dilemmas at Mobile Register, P.O. Box 2488, Mobile, AL 36652-2488 or e-mail her at Read more at conscious.)


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Theft by deception case to be set for trial in Baldwin County

Kim Lanier, Press-Register By Kim Lanier, Press-Register Press-Register
on July 19, 2010 at 10:48 AM, updated July 19, 2010 at 11:54 AM

sharon little.jpgSharon Andrews Little

Sharon Andrews Little has waived arraignment and her theft case will be set for trial, a court official said.

Little had been scheduled to appear in Circuit Court in Bay Minette on Friday, but she entered a not guilty plea on June 8 and waived last week's scheduled hearing.

The 49-year-old Bay Minette woman faces 16 first-degree theft by deception charges. Robertsdale police arrested the manager of Plantation Title Co. on April 1 after an investigation revealed that more than $200,000 was taken from accounts over a period of 15 months and used for gambling, officials said.

She remains free on bail, according to jail records.


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Happy burn day: CDs still spinning after 30 years

Mark Heim | By Mark Heim | Press-Register
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on October 02, 2012 at 3:41 AM, updated October 02, 2012 at 3:48 AM
Compact disc.JPG(Press-Register)

MOBILE, Alabama - According to CNN, on Oct. 1, 1982, the first commercial compact disc, Billy Joel's "52nd Street," was released in Japan.

The CD celebrated its 30th birthday on Monday after hundreds of billions of CDs have been sold.

When the first CD player was released that same day, it was described as a "new digital record player, using laser beams" by United Press International. The CD followed the less successful Philips' laser disc technology (remember those?).

The compact disc, according to CNN, was actually invented several years earlier. The first test CD was Richard Strauss's "Eine Alpensinfonie," and the first CD actually pressed at a factory was ABBA's "The Visitors," but that disc wasn't released commercially until later.


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Huntsville NASA scientist at center of 'life on meteorite' controversy

Lee Roop | By Lee Roop | The Huntsville Times
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on March 07, 2011 at 10:46 AM, updated March 08, 2011 at 9:40 AM

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - A paper by a Marshall Space Flight Center scientist claiming to have found fossil evidence of life in a meteorite is creating a lot of talk in national and international media. The article by Richard Hoover in the March edition of the Journal of Cosmology has been written up in newspapers including the New York Times.

A top NASA scientist issued a statement today basically referring questions to Hoover and saying the agency was unaware of the article's publication. The story is still developing. If Hoover's claim is upheld, it could lend strength to the that life may exist throughout the universe and may travel from planet to planet. How life originally started is another question.  An attempt to reach Hoover by telephone this afternoon was unsuccessful.


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Birmingham police link man in prison for 2006 slaying of woman to second slaying in same year

Toraine Norris -- The Birmingham News By Toraine Norris -- The Birmingham News The Birmingham News
on December 31, 2008 at 4:48 PM, updated December 31, 2008 at 5:05 PM

A man convicted in March in the slaying of a UAB student is now the suspect in the 2006 murder of a 17-year-old girl in Birmingham, police said today.

Justin White
A DNA sample of Justin White, 21, matched evidence taken from the crime scene in the murder of Jasmine Parker, Birmingham police announced this afternoon.

Parker was found dead inside an apartment in the 2700 block of 34th Avenue North on the evening of July 11, 2006.

She had been stripped, strangled with blue jeans and her throat slit.

White is currently serving a 99-year sentence for the October 2006 rape and strangulation of UAB student Sirrea Black.

Black's body was found stuffed into the trunk of a car which was found behind an unused Food World building on Ninth Avenue in Bessemer.


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Priscilla Dunn wins Democratic runoff for state Senate

Staci B. Brooks | By Staci B. Brooks | The Birmingham News
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on June 30, 2009 at 8:59 PM, updated June 30, 2009 at 10:21 PM

State Rep. Priscilla Dunn of Bessemer is the Alabama Senate's newest member.

She defeated state Rep. Merika Coleman of Hueytown in today's special Democratic runoff election to fill the state Senate District 19 seat vacated by the federal conviction of E.B. McClain.

With 86 of 87 precincts counted, Dunn led the unofficial results with 3,444 votes to Coleman's 2,705, according to Jefferson County officials. That gave Dunn 56.01 percent of the votes, compared to 43.99 for Coleman.

Priscilla Dunn

Dunn and Coleman led an eight-candidate primary on May 12. Dunn received 33.7 percent of the vote, while Coleman received 29 percent.

No Republicans entered the primary in May, so this Democratic runoff will decide the election.

The district includes Adamsville, Bessemer, Birmingham, Brighton, Brookside, Fairfield, Forestdale, Graysville, Hueytown, Lipscomb, Midfield and Minor.


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Rising health insurance costs to get look with grant for Alabama

  WASHINGTON -- Alabama's insurance regulator will get $1 million in federal money to strengthen monitoring of premium rate hikes by health insurance companies operating in the state.

  The money is part of $46 million the federal government handed out Monday, the first installment of a five-year, $250 million national program under the new federal health care law to give states more authority to protect consumers from unjustified rate increases.

  "This will give states additional resources to hold insurance companies accountable," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters in a conference call Monday.
Regulating authority

  HHS officials said Alabama was one of the states with weak authority to monitor and regulate premium increases, and its grant application showed an interest in changing that.

  "That's what impressed me," said Jay Angoff, director of the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at HHS.

  Currently, the Alabama Department of Insurance is restricted to reviewing premiums proposed by Blue Cross Blue Shield and HMOs, according to HHS. The state agency told HHS in its grant application that it would seek legislation to expand its authority for reviewing and approving premium hikes.

  In addition to changing state law, Alabama insurance officials said they plan to use the federal money to create a new review unit in the Department of Insurance, and to upgrade the technology for reviewing health insurance premiums and publicly disclosing the information. The agency also will ask the Alabama Legislature for the power to post "consumer-friendly summaries" of health insurance premium reviews and expand consumer education programs, according to HHS.

  "We think the consumer picture around the country is going to get considerably better," Sebelius said.

Justifying rate increases

  Federal officials cited examples from other states of health insurance companies proposing rate increases of 13 percent to 56 percent in recent years. Sebelius said the agency still is working to define which increases should be considered unjustifiable. She said a health insurance company's solvency is critical. Repeated years of double-digit increases probably would be treated differently than double-digit increases once every five years, she said.

  "These grants enable state insurance departments to do things they've wanted to do but because of budget considerations, were not able to do," Angoff said.

  Sebelius said the administration wants the states to take the lead in regulating premiums, but the federal health care law allows the Department of Health and Human Services to review justifications for premium increases and make them public starting in 2011.

  Ragan Ingram, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Insurance, said current state law doesn't allow the department to block a premium increase. However, he said consumers have been protected because the agency raises objections to some proposed increases, and usually a settlement is reached. He said the legislation is needed to bring the state in line with the federal initiatives.


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Steak Dinner for Special Nights

Debby Maugans By Debby Maugans The Birmingham News
on August 19, 2011 at 3:00 PM, updated August 19, 2011 at 3:01 PM

There are nights when only a steak will do -- especially one somebody else cooks. When my husband and I went out for his birthday dinner last weekend, the craving struck and my eye went straight to the beef.

My entrée, a well-seared, medium-rare, local cut was served on a thick slice of lightly toasted, textured bread, perfect for soaking up juices and seasonings. Leaning on the meat was a generous portion of Humboldt Fog – an artisan goat cheese with a ribbon of ash in the middle -- and the plate was dribbled with a silky roasted-garlic cream.   I tried to remember my manners.

So divine was the dish that I could not resist recreating it. I'm not saying that we should eat like this on a weekly basis, but when you want to cook a special meal, this is it.

Rosemary-Rubbed Rib Eye Steak with Roasted Garlic Cream and Goat Cheese

            One steak is the right size for the two of us; if you want a larger portion, buy two steaks and double the rosemary/lemon rind mixture and salt and pepper.

1 bulb garlic

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon rind

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 (12- to 14-ounce) beef rib eye steak, about 1 1/4 inches thick, excess fat trimmed

1/4 cup whipping cream, at room temperature, plus additional tablespoon, if necessary

1 to 2 ounces goat cheese

2 crusty, hearty bread slices, lightly toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel away papery outer layers of garlic bulb, leaving cloves intact. Using a sharp knife, cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch of top to expose individual cloves of garlic. Place garlic, cut side up, on a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil; drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Pull foil edges up and over garlic, seal edges. Bake until cloves are soft, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Combine rosemary, lemon rind, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub steak with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; rub with rosemary mixture. Let stand 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.

Squeeze garlic bulb to extract cloves, placing in a very small bowl or small food processor. Add cream, and blend with an immersion blender or small food processor until smooth. (Or mash the garlic well with a fork, and stir in only 3 tablespoons cream.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare grill for high heat. Grill steak, covered with grill lid, until desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into 2 pieces.

To serve, place a toasted bread slice on each serving plate and top with steak. Dollop with roasted garlic cream and crumble cheese on top. Makes 2 servings.


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GOP legislators, AEA take opposing sides on bill setting rules for teacher layoffs

The Associated Press By The Associated Press The Associated Press
on February 26, 2014 at 8:07 PM, updated February 26, 2014 at 8:09 PM
Ed Henry mug.jpgRep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — In the latest skirmish between the state teachers' association and GOP legislators, lawmakers are pushing a bill to limit the role of seniority in deciding which teachers get laid off during workforce reductions.

The House Education Policy Committee held a public hearing Wednesday.

Republican Rep. Ed Henry says schools should try to keep the best teachers.

Henry's bill says seniority should not be the top consideration during layoffs. Upcoming teacher evaluations, which include how students test scores improve, would also have to be one of the factors.

A lawyer for the Alabama Education Association argued no school systems have seniority as the only, or even the most significant, criteria.

AEA Executive Secretary Henry Mabry criticized the bill saying groups were pushing for teachers to be judged solely on test scores.


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People can change. Will Texas?

That’s the title of Amnesty International’s short report on David Lee Powell, a man who is scheduled to be executed in Texas on June 15 despite demonstrating great remorse and having been a model inmate for the 32 years he has been in prison. David Powell was sent to Texas death row for killing Austin police office Ralph Ablanedo in May 1978. In the midst of a methamphetamine addiction when the crime occurred, Powell cleaned up in prison. Included in Powell’s clemency petition is a statement from an Austin police officer who states:  “… the man who will be put to death for the killing of Ralph Ablanedo is not the man who committed the crime.”

In Texas, death sentences hinge on a concept called “future dangerousness”; that is, the jury has to determine whether or not the defendant will commit violent crimes in the future. If they decide he will, then, and only then, can they sentence him to death. Clearly, once off drugs, David Lee Powell has not been a danger to anyone and no longer qualifies for execution.

The problem with the death penalty (well, one of the problems) is that it doesn’t allow for the fact that people can change and improve. In fact, it cancels out the very possibility of human redemption. Capital punishment is based on a depressing philosophy that bad people (or people who do bad things) will always be bad. Certainly, human beings are capable of doing terrible things, but they are also capable of doing remarkable good, or at least doing better, if we don’t execute them first.

One of the purposes of executive clemency is to consider factors like this (remorse, redemption) that are out of the purview of the courts. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has a chance to recommend clemency in David Powell’s case, and assert on behalf of the people of Texas that, yes, sometimes people can change.