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JPMorgan results beat forecasts

voice-of-awais.blogspot.com:US banking giant JPMorgan Chase saw profits between July and September that were much better than expected.

The second-biggest US bank made a net income of $3.6bn (£2.5bn), compared with $527m in the same period of 2008.

Strong performance in its investment banking division cancelled out losses on credit cards and consumer loans.

JPMorgan Chase is the first big US bank to report third quarter results, with Goldman Sachs and Citigroup on Thursday and Bank of America on Friday.

JPMorgan's boss warned that the cost of credit was likely to remain high "for the foreseeable future".

"Accordingly, we have added $2bn to our consumer credit reserves, bringing the firmwide total to $31.5bn," said Jamie Dimon, the bank's chairman and chief executive in its results statement.

Wall Street was buoyed by the news, with the Dow Jones rising 85 points to 9,956 in early trading.

European markets also remained higher, with banking stocks among the biggest gainers.

In the UK, Barclays rose 5.7%, Lloyds was up 4.6% while Royal Bank of Scotland climbed 3.3%.

'Stellar'

The consumer lending business posted a net loss of $1bn, up from $659m in the same period of last year.

Card services made a net loss of $700m, which was an improvement on the $992m lost in the third quarter of 2008.

However the investment banking business made net income of $1.9bn, up from $1bn in the third quarter of 2008.

"This is off-the-charts performance. This is stellar," said Michael Holland, president of the fund managers Holland & Co in New York.

"I don't think you can infer from this that the financial sector is home free at this point. To the contrary, it shows one thing: JPMorgan has performed brilliantly."

Rescue funds

JPMorgan said it had also benefited from the impact of buying most of the assets of Washington Mutual, which it acquired in September 2008 after it had been seized by regulators.

The bank repaid its $25bn of US government rescue funds in June.

Later in the week, Goldman Sachs is expected to announce hefty profits while Bank of America and Citigroup are both expected to post losses.

SOURSE:news.bbc.co.uk

'Sweatbox' borrows from long tradition that's difficult to emulate

The people who died Thursday at a spiritual resort in Arizona had spent time in a "sweatbox" similar to what Native Americans and other cultures have used for prayer and purification rituals throughout history.

Two people died and were 19 injured after spending up to two hours inside this "sweatbox" at an Arizona resort.

And those who use them say they can be dangerous if care is not taken.

From Scandinavia to South America to Africa, people have come together in the sauna-like structures -- typically heated by pouring water on hot lava rocks -- for a variety of reasons, said Joseph Bruchac, writer and author of The Native American Sweat Lodge. He's part Abenaki, a tribe concentrated in the northeast United Staes, and part European.

"Each tribal nation has its own traditions, so one group might do it differently from another so you cannot generalize too much," said Bruchac, who runs an outdoor education center in Greenfield Center, New York.

In North America, most Native American tribes use the term "sweat lodge" to refer to a dome-shaped structure where the intimate ritual of the sweat takes place, said Bruchac, who has his own sweat lodge on his property in the foothills of the Adirondacks.

"Sweat lodges are typically used for a ritual preparation, like before a hunt, or nowadays, people might do it before a wedding or dance or some kind of community event as a way of putting yourself in balance," he said.

Bruchac noted that incidents like the one in Arizona tend to raise discussion in Native American communities over whether non-Natives should be allowed to adapt traditional ceremonies.

"It's a very meaningful ceremony. I can understand why people find it attractive," Bruchac said. "But I consider it sacrilegious and foolish to do someone else's rituals without proper guidance or practice, especially in sweat lodges where you're raising people's body temperatures. With that many people, oxygen is going to be depleted, and if you have heart problems or breathing problems, you could faint or die."

SOURSE:edition.cnn.com

Lawyer: Jaycee Dugard would testify against captors

Jaycee Dugard will testify against the couple that allegedly held her captive in an elaborate compound hidden in their backyard for 18 years if there is a trial, a lawyer for her family said at a news conference Thursday.
This photo of Jaycee Dugard was taken at the 1991 Rose Bowl parade. She was abducted later that year.

Attorney Scott McGregor admitted it has been a difficult transition for Dugard and her two children -- who police say were fathered by her captor -- given her captivity spanned more than half her life and was the only world she knew for so long.

"But there is no question that she knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her and that those people must be held accountable," McGregor said.

McGregor said he had no idea when a trial would be set for Phillip and Nancy Garrido, who have both pleaded not guilty to charges relating to Dugard's alleged kidnapping and subsequent abuse.
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Pittsburgh steeled to be host city

Summit venues are not chosen by accident.

When the Obama administration had to decide which American city should host the G20 gathering, a great deal of thought went into the selection of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

One White House team was on the phone to the Mayor's office making sure the city had the right kind of convention facilities, the right number of hotel rooms and a big enough airport to deal with the 33 national delegations which have somehow ended up being invited to this gathering of the 20 richest nations on earth. read more

US to talk to Burmese military

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Washington will engage directly with Burma's military rulers in a bid to promote democracy there.

Mrs Clinton said sanctions alone had not changed the government's behaviour.

The new approach follows a review of US policy towards Burma initiated after President Barack Obama took office.

Burma's hardline regime has refused to release political prisoners, including Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, despite international pressure.

Mrs Clinton's announcement came after talks with international diplomats on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The talks were chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

"We want credible democratic reform, a government that responds to the needs of the Burmese people, immediate, unconditional release of political prisoners... serious dialogue with the opposition and minority ethnic groups," she said.

"We believe that sanctions remain important as part of our policy, but by themselves they have not produced the results that had been hoped for on behalf of the people of Burma. read more

US commander denies Afghan rift

The top US military commander in Afghanistan has denied that there is a rift with the White House over sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Gen Stanley McChrystal recently submitted a bleak assessment of the war in which he warned of the danger of failure without adequate resources.

President Obama says he wants to ensure that he has the right strategy before committing to sending more troops.

More than 30,000 extra US troops have been sent to Afghanistan since May.

This has almost doubled the US contingent in the country.

In Washington there have been signs of a widening gulf between US military commanders on the one hand - and senior political advisors to President Obama on the other.

'Not resigning'

Gen McChrystal has not yet officially asked for more troops - but his assessment makes clear that the request will come soon. And he is being backed by his superiors in the Pentagon.

But in the White House there is still a debate about the military strategy - with some voices close to the President cautioning against expanding the military operation.

Now Gen McChrystal has weighed into the debate clearly hoping to defuse the tension. read more

Doctor jailed for Obasanjo death

A Spanish doctor has been sentenced to a year in prison, for his role in the death of the former first-lady of Nigeria, Stella Obasanjo.

The wife of Olusegun Obasanjo had visited a clinic in Marbella in October 2005 to undergo cosmetic surgery.

She underwent liposuction to reduce the size of her abdomen, but left the operating theatre with fatal injuries.

The judges said the surgeon had shown carelessness and neglect.

Mrs Obasanjo, 59, came to Spain in October 2005, checking in at the Molding Clinic - a discreet and luxury facility, specialising in cosmetic surgery.

The court heard that a tube used for removing fat had been placed by mistake into the patient's abdominal cavity - puncturing her colon and lacerating her liver.

Mrs Obasanjo became seriously ill the following day.

But prosecutors said the surgeon initially failed to answer his mobile phone, and then waited more than four hours before driving the patient in his own car to an intensive care unit, where she died an hour later.

The doctor - identified in court documents only by the initials AM - was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for causing homicide through negligence.

He was disqualified from practising medicine for three years, and ordered to pay $176,000 (£108,000) in compensation to Mrs Obasanjo's son.

The court said simple blood tests or an ultrasound procedure would have detected the internal injuries - which, with more time, could have been treated.

Essex County Penitentiary

Grant Wilson, Jason Hawes, and Josh Gates were the first who investigated the empty halls and cells of prison. It started when Josh seemingly saw a glimpse of shadowing figures. Grant had some strong readings on K2 meter, as there was no electrical power in the cells; they thought it as a reading of spirits who may be trying to have contact with them. Kris Williams was the first of the team to go in to the Tunnelsof the prison with a head cam. She believed that she encountered some being ad tried that it could appear before her but it was useless. Dave Tango and Steve took a look at the warden’s house but they couldn’t encounter much of the spiritual world. Grant, Jason, and Josh headed towards the area of cell where one inmate lit himself on fire. They heard a faucet turn on but there was no working faucet available.
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Glee Episode 2

Tonight, September 9, marks the very anticipated return of GLEE with its second episode "Showmance" on Fox at 9pm.

Glee is my absolute favorite new show this Fall, nothing even comes close to it. It's so original and finds a way to include musical numbers that would even appeal to non-muscial lovers.

In the second episode, everything that you loved about the first episode is back.

Characters

Will Schuester

In this episode, Will tries to find new students to join the Glee club. He decides to put up a little presentation for the school, but unfortunately his choice of song is not that great (as you can read below).
We also find out something about his wife, Terri, which could affect their relationship in future episodes.

Emma

I love how Emma has her own theme song. You always know that she's on-screen when you hear it. And yes she is still as adorable and as in love with Will as ever.

Sue Sylvester

Sue Sylvester is of course still trying to put an end to this Glee club nonsense, but unfortunately, it's not as easy as she first anticipated. This leads her to find new means to achieve her goal. I personally just enjoy seeing Jane Lynch on screen, no matter what she does. You definitely love to hate her in Glee.

Rachel & Finn

While the Glee club is getting bigger, unfortunately, it hasn't done anything for Rachel's status in school. She is still pretty quirky, which is refreshing compared to the usual characters you see on TV.
As for Finn, well he is 100% committed to the Glee club now and there could be some feelings developing between him and Rachel...
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President's education speech causes controversy

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A presidential speech is causing a local uproar over politics and parenting.

President Barack Obama's speech "My Future, My Education" will be shown in North Carolina schools on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Some New Hanover County parents are speaking out against the presentation. They're concerned about the content and say it cuts into class time.

School officials want parents to know the message has nothing to do with politics.

"This is a politically benign yet very, very powerful statement that the President is making." said Elizabeth Redenbaugh with the New Hanover Co. Board of Education. "He is telling students to stay in school, to study hard, to get educational goals, and to take responsibility for their education. And that's a message I want every single child in New Hanover County to hear."

Parents in New Hanover, Columbus, Bladen and Pender counties can sign a notice to opt their child out of the speech.

Students in Brunswick County can request to see the video on Thursday or Friday.

MSNBC reports the White House plans to release a transcript of the President's speech on Monday
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I don't get this resistance to President Obama speaking to students across the country on Tuesday. And I don't get it for several reasons:

1. He is the president of the United States. I would hope that we as parents would think it's important to teach children to respect our leader, even if we didn't vote for him, which I did not. For parents to want to yank their kids out of class because he is speaking makes me think back to when Dick Armey hinted that he didn't think Bill Clinton was his president. Do we want to extend the red state/blue state divide into the classroom?

2. This is a chance for students to form a unique connection with their president and the presidency. Who knows how many of them will remember this when they are grown-ups, recalling this moment as one of their first impressions of the president of the United States? This will sound ancient, but I vividly remember JFK in the pages of the Weekly Reader. That isn't why I got interested in politics, but his presence in the pages of my newspaper made the president seem more human.

3. If I understand it correctly, Obama will speak about the need for kids to stay in school. What's so wrong with that? It isn't like he's going to deliver some stealth message about voting Democratic. He's going to challenge kids to stick with their classes and benefit from what a good education can provide.

4. Being an African-American, Obama can speak directly to black youths
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Hurricane Jimena track and update

Hurricane Jimena was nearly a category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 155 miles per hour. An update on Hurricane Jimena’s track locates the eye of the storm approximately 305 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Moving at a rate of 10 miles per hour, Hurricane Jimena’s track is following a northwest pattern, and it is expected to turn north-northwest within the next 24

hours. Hurricane Jemina is expected to pick up speed over the next few days as it travels along its projected path. On its path, Hurricane Jimena should reach the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula by Tuesday, September 1, 2009.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula. The Hurricane Jemina warning extend s from Bahia Magdalena southward, along the west coast to San Evaristo southward on the east coast. Cabo San Lucas is also under a hurricane warning. The hurricane warning signifies that hurricane conditions will occur somewhere within the next 24 hours. The National Hurricane Center warns that everyone take precautions necessary to ensure the safety of their life and possessions.

As a category 5 hurricane, Jimena is expected to keep its status as a major hurricane when it makes landfall. Hurricane Jimena is expected to produce between 5 and 10 inches of rainfall over the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula. Floods and dangerous storm surge are to be expected.

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Ataris Pallidipennis Stal – Bug Found in USA

United States Customs agents at Miami International Airport were surprised to find an Ataris Pallidipennis Stal in a shipment of flowers coming in from South Africa.

The insects pose a great risk to the delicately balanced ecosystems of the United States and their release could have a domino effect of consequences.

Waldmar Klassen, an expert in entomology at the University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead says that it is a possibility that the bug, that usually eats grass, will wind up eating the saw grass in the everglades but that “It would be premature to say anything about this in terms of a threat”.

How Florida decides to deal with
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Ataris Pallidipennis Stal,Hemiptera:Americans remain deeply concerned over troubling issues our country faces. As evidenced by the Google Hot Trends for this morning, here are the top ten issues searched for on Google.
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Virginia Tech Students Found Slain In Forest

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Two Virginia Tech University students were found slain Thursday at a Jefferson National Forest campground that is a popular hangout for students, authorities said.

The latest killings are hitting a campus still reeling from the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history and the beheading of a student earlier this year.

The bodies of David Lee Metzler, 19, of Lynchburg and Heidi Lynn Childs, 18, of Forest were found by a passerby, Montgomery County Sheriff Lt. Brian Wright said. Both appear to have been shot, he said. Wright said Metzler's body was found inside a car in the parking area of the Caldwell Fields campground and Childs was found outside the car. The campground is about 15 miles from Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.

A suspect has not been identified and autopsies were being conducted in Roanoke.

Metzler was a sophomore industrial and systems engineering major and Childs, a sophomore biochemistry major.

In an e-mail to students and staff, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger again was counseling his campus community. Two years ago, a student gunman killed 32 others and himself. In January, a doctoral student beheaded a fellow student in a campus cafe.

"Trauma like this is deeply painful to us all," Steger wrote. "Once again, this community is visited by senseless violence and tragedy upon aspiring young minds from our campus.
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Big screen evolves to compete with small

CHICAGO — Today, young movie-watchers look increasingly like Molly O'Connor. A junior at the University of Dallas, she still goes to the cinema occasionally, but is often just as happy to hunker down on a bed or a couch with friends to watch a downloaded movie on a laptop that's perched on a nearby desk or a chair.

"Sometimes, it's nice to have a wider screen, but I don't think I gain that much by going to a movie theater anymore," the 20-year-old student says. "Now, it's more about convenience."

Or as 26-year-old Michael Brody puts it: "I watch movies the way many people listen to music — anytime, anywhere, any way." A freelance writer in New York who blogs about film, he used to go to the movie theater every week. Now he's there once or twice a month, partly to save money and also because he doesn't think most movies are worth the effort.

Sounds like bad news for movie theaters. But we're talking about an industry that not only survived, but ended up thriving amid the arrival of television in the 1950s, videotapes in the 1980s, and DVDs in the '90s. The reason? An ability to continually remake themselves and find new ways to generate revenue, by introducing everything from the multiplex and more elaborate concessions to lengthy pre-show advertising.

Now they're doing it again.

Step into some of the more modern cinemas these days, and you'll see increasingly common enticements aimed at keeping the lucrative youth market, even as online video becomes more accessible on sites such as YouTube, Netflix or Hulu — or from movie pirates who steal and distribute movies illegally.

These upgraded theaters' offerings begin with the super-comfortable seating, even lounge chairs and bean bags in some auditoriums. Add 3-D effects and larger-than-life IMAX blockbusters, made possible by new digital projectors. And then come the midnight movie premieres and opening-night parties.

To boost revenues and appeal, many theaters also are broadcasting live sporting events, operas and symphony performances and hosting in-theater video game competitions on the big screen. Still others are opening in-house restaurants and bars for those old enough to drink alcohol.

It is this century's answer to the movie palace of old — or the "Broadway-ification" of the moviegoing experience, as Charles Acland, professor of communications studies at Concordia University in Montreal, calls it.

"In a nutshell, what you're going to see is cinema-going aimed at people who go less frequently," says Acland, author of "Screen Traffic: Movies, Megaplexes and Global Culture."

It might cost a bit more, he says. "But it will be much more of a special event. People will expect some sort of an experience that you can't get anywhere else."

In Europe, cinemas are taking it a step farther by remaking themselves as entertainment destinations — with bowling alleys, karaoke bars, comedy clubs and children's play areas. Expect that here, too, as well as interior design schemes that appeal to the 18-to-24 set, and that might "dismay" the older crowd, says Toronto-based theater architect David Mesbur.

He says lobbies of the newer theaters in his city — ones he didn't design — are often mostly black with a few splashes of color, flashing lights and loud music. Video games, often tucked away in theaters of old, also are scattered around in plain view.

"Those are the theaters that I never go to," Mesbur says, chuckling.

Still, experts who track the movie industry say that, so far, all these kinds of efforts appear to be paying off, even in a recession.

Though domestic movie admissions had flattened or dipped slightly in the past couple of years, ticket sales this year are up, whether some of the most popular movies have been Academy Award material or not.

"A bad or poorly received film can go down a bit easier if one is sitting in a comfortable reclining seat and has the chance to occasionally stretch their legs. In this sense, cinema-going has as much to do today with the hospitality industry as it does with the film industry, per se," says Jeffrey Klenotic, associate professor of communication arts at the University of New Hampshire.
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Erin Crocker

Las Vegas—Sin city once again witnessed vows exchange this time celebrities from race tracks involved, Ray Evernham and Erin Crocker got married this Wednesday in a Las Vegas hotel, only immediate family and few friends were present at the ceremony.

This Erin Crocker and Ray Evernham story is not some movie love story, not any more at least, snap out of dream Erin Crocker is a professional sprint car driver and instead of spending this weekend as her honeymoon, she will be racing in Knoxville, Iowa. But on Wednesday she was just a beautiful bride, who is marrying the man of her dreams, laughs all around, joyous environment close family members and friends enjoying the moment.

Erin Crocker who made headline back in 2006, when she become the first and only woman to compete full time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, not only that but she ran in ARCA and Busch Series too.
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Jim Eurick has date with coaches association Hall of Fame

As the first high school football season in 37 years kicks off without Jim Eurick on the sidelines, the longtime coach remains in the prep spotlight.

Eurick, who coached Chesaning, Saginaw Arthur Hill and Bay City Western to unprecedented heights, is heading to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

He joins the 15-member Class of 2009 to be inducted on Sept. 20 at Central Michigan University.

Eurick went 71-52 at Western and 214-115 during his three-school head coaching career, fortifying him as one of the state's premier coaching talents.

He stepped down after leading Western to the Saginaw Valley League championship last fall. The Warriors open the 2009 season tonight at Midland Dow.

A story which published in December follows:

Lee Thompson
Bay City Times

It's pandemonium to the left and hysteria to the right.

Every which way, this place - this football stadium they proudly call the Corn Field - is rocking.

Fourth-quarter drama has unleashed the mayhem in everybody once again.

And in the middle of it all stands the man who brought this moment about. He brought enthusiasm, fervor and passion to Bay City Western football and demanded the desire, dedication and drive that put the Warriors in this big game and in this tension-filled fourth-quarter situation.

And so, in this make-or-break moment that has all others in hysterics, he does not break a sweat nor bat an eye.

Jim Eurick knows his Warriors will win.

"It would be crazy on the field, but when he'd get us huddled up around him, he would be so calm and so confident, " said 2005 Western graduate Clay Harpham. "And we'd believe everything he said because he had gotten us that far."

Indeed, Eurick brought Western football a long, long way.

Forever a program with little direction, he put it firmly on course, turning the Warriors from also-rans to perennial contenders in the Saginaw Valley League. They became a team that could burn foes with an efficient offense, aggressive defense and opportunistic special teams.

And, above all, they became a team nobody wanted to mess with in the fourth quarter.

As the 58-year-old Eurick steps away - announcing his retirement this month after 12 years, 71 wins, six playoff berths and three league championships at Western - he leaves a unique legacy fitting of a unique man.

A man who could put his boys in position to succeed, then will them to do so.

Right man for the job

A standout player at Saginaw High, Eurick jumped right into his coaching career after graduating from Central Michigan University.

After four years as an assistant at Bridgeport, he made his head coaching debut at Chesaning High School. For nine years he directed the Indians, going 57-28 with two playoff berths and four league titles.

That earned him a call from his hometown, where he guided Saginaw Arthur Hill for 12 mostly glorious seasons. He went 86-35 during his stay, taking the Lumberjacks to the top with the 1991 state championship and the 1992 state runner-up.
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A look at Phillip Garrido's 1976 arrest in Reno in rape-kidnapping case

Phillip Garrido was arrested in Reno on Nov. 23, 1976 on charges of kidnapping a South Lake Tahoe woman after a police officer found him and the woman in a Mill Street mini-warehouse.
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Garrido, 25, was a musician who lived on Market Street at the time. He also was arrested for investigation of rape and infamous crimes against nature.

According to a Nevada State Journal story published the next day, Reno detectives said the victim, a 25-year-old casino worker from South Lake Tahoe, was forced into a car at a market parking lot.

According to the Reno Evening Gazette, the victim told police Garrido had knocked on her car window that night and had asked for a ride.

She told police she drove him a short distance and then he grabbed her. Police said he handcuffed her, taped her mouth, tied her and drove to Reno.

At the time, Detective Dan DeMaranville commended Reno police officer Clifford Conrad for his police work. Conrad was on patrol on the 3000 block of Mill Street at 2:30 a.m. and spotted a car parked in front of a miniature warehouse.

He stopped, knocked on the door and when Garrido opened the door, a woman screamed inside.

DeMaranville said the mini-unit had rugs on the floor and walls, pornographic magazines, a movie projector, marital aids, a spotlight, wine and hot water.

In 1977, Garrido was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for kidnapping and from five years to life on a state charge of sexual assault after the case was heard in Washoe County District Court, said Suzanne Pardee, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Corrections.
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Batman Goes to the Looney Bin

Over the years, Batman has starred in dozens of video games. Sadly, the vast majority left gamers as moody and depressed as Bruce Wayne. Now, at long last, Batman has an interactive adventure worthy of his name. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" hits shelves today and is blowing up in Search.

For the most part, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Yahoo! Games calls it "the greatest comic book game of all time" and 1Up.com says it's "the best digital Batman simulator we've seen to date." Lofty praise, but searchers are also interested in some of the game's specifics.

Lookups on "batman arkham asylum villians" are up 40%, proof that gamers want to know which baddies they'll be going up against (the Joker and the Riddler are two of the most infamous adversaries in Arkham).

Also buzzing — achievements and trophies. Folks who play the Xbox 360 version earn "achievements" for progressing through the game (PlayStation 3 gamers earn "trophies"). They aren't worth anything (aside from bragging rights), but Bat-fans still care enough to search.

Another trend we've spotted: spoilers and walkthroughs. Even though the game has just hit, would-be Dark Knights are seeking every advantage they can get, whether its cheating or not.
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U.S. Stunt Pilot Vicki Cruse Dies In Crash At Air Show In England

Vicki Cruse, president of the International Aerobatic Club, died during a Silverstone Race Circuit air show on Saturday in Northamptonshire, England. Police were called to the scene of the accident at 12:12 p.m.

The 40-year-old aerobatic pilot from Santa Paula, California was pronounced dead at the scene after her single-seat Zivko Edge 540 nosedived into the ground during a training day practice session.

According to an eyewitness on the ground, “She flew straight up in the air and then straight back down again. But she dropped straight into the ground. There was no fire and no smoke, just a terrible wreckage. There is no way anyone was getting out of the wreckage.”

The World Aerobatic Championships are being staged over a 13 day period running from August 17 to August 29 featuring 60 pilots from 19 countries. The show has been held every two years since 1960. This is the first time the event has been held at Silverstone.

Cruse won the US national unlimited aerobatic title in 2007. She has been president of the International Aerobatic Club since 2005.

View a photo of Cruse performing an aerial maneuver and view a video she recorded in which she tells how she overcame a fear of crashing.
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Vicki Cruse knew of the perils of aerobatics, a sport requiring both the artistry of figure skating and the tenacity to endure pressures of up to nine times Earth's gravity.

"You can't fix it" if something goes wrong, the seasoned Santa Paula pilot told The Times in 2002 about the sport she excelled at and loved dearly. "You just try to be as safe as you can."

On Saturday, Cruse was competing for the U.S. national team at an international competition in central England when the unthinkable happened. Halfway through a four-minute program, Cruse, who was flying an Edge 540, entered into a maneuver and appeared unable to recover control. The plane went into a nose dive and crashed into the ground, killing her, U.S. team manager Norm DeWitt said in a phone interview from England.
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Mussorgsky: The great gates of Bing Theater

The free concerts held Sundays at LACMA showcase some of the best up-and-coming musicians in the classical world. Yelena Beriyeva is one of these musicians. Born and raised in the Republic of Georgia, this piano titan most likely grew up playing this piece, and it showed. Her grunts and hard breath could be heard at the back of the hall as she hammered out the final movements of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece, bringing three slouched little girls (whom I assume were there for school credit) to an attentive and wide-eyed temperament. After the finale, she stood for her bows, her hair disheveled and dress in need of adjusting, and the audience stood with her. That’s what a piano recital should be. When the performer leaves the stage looking as if she were up all night celebrating life, chances are that what she shared with you was her true, deep passion for the art.

Pictures at an Exhibition, composed for piano in an alleged 6 weeks of 1874, illustrates the journey through an art exhibit paying tribute to one of Mussorgsky’s fallen comrades. It should be found in the repertoire of any piano “virtuoso” and usually clocks in at around 35 minutes. In those 35 minutes, we found Beriyeva carving deep her fervor into the keys; it was as if the audience had vanished and she was alone in that hall to let the intensity overcome her. In no hurry to complete the suite, her hands hovered above the piano between charges of dissonant suspense, and at times would even rest in her lap, forcing the house to ponder and fully understand the chords.