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Josh Brennand, owner of the Elbow Room in the southwest of the city, said it took his team a couple of days to come up with their burger concept.
The restaurant is competing with the Waffinator: a chicken burger with waffles as the bun.
Brennand said the contest is a way to do good while also having a good time.
For a full list of restaurants competing, check out the interactive burger map.
Today, Verizon announced that it will finally be selling and activating Google's Nexus 7 tablet with LTE capabilities. The Tablet will go on sale later this week just in time for Valentines day, and can be added to existing share everything plans for just $10 more per month. The Tablet itself will run consumers $249 with a 2-year agreement or $349 straight up.
This announcement ends months of user complaints from Verizon denying activation of LTE based Nexus 7 tablets on its network. Verizon says that the activation issues stemmed from the LTE chip utilized in tablet, but some consumers seem to think Verizon did not want to activate tablets that it did not profit from. This led to some Nexus 7 owners filing complaints with the FCC over the issue. Verizon of course denied all of these allegations and with today's announcement seems to have ended the issue once and for all.
While hundreds of thousands of Southern Californians are oohing and aahing the "super bloom" of wildflowers painting the region's fields and hillsides, at least a few folks are ughing and arghing the dark side of recent drought-busting storms: weeds.
Along with scarlet monkey flowers, blue lupines and purple hyacinth, the rain has triggered a profusion of non-native vegetation with names like stink net.
Botanist Naomi Fraga walked along a dirt road in the southeastern San Gabriel Mountains on a recent weekday, scanning carpets of weeds trying to rob water and sunlight from the wildflowers.
"It's kind of sad," said Fraga, 37, director of conservation programs at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont. "The rains we'd all been praying for stimulated a spectacular bloom of poppies and peonies — and a crush of alien vegetation to match."
Fraga leads a team of botanists helping the U.S. Forest Service map and remove botanical invaders that are crowding out native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs collectively known as chaparral in the Cajon Pass area, where ecological cycles were dramatically altered by five years of drought and last year's devastating Blue Cut fire.
The message contained in her field notes was grim: Most of the 19 species of invasive mustard, grass and fern-like filarees in the area were bearing fruit and going to seed.
The rains we’d all been praying for stimulated a spectacular bloom of poppies and peonies — and a crush of alien vegetation to match.
"We'll never get all the weeds out of here — there's just too many," she said. "So, our goal is to target certain areas, then have crews get in there with work gloves and shovels to try and tip the scales in favor of plants that evolved here."
The same could be said for most of Southern California as it shifts from one of the wettest winters on record into spring with a 50-50 chance that an El Niño condition will send more storms into the state at year's end, according to a recent National Weather Service analysis.
"This year's record rainfall only set the stage for the seeds dropped by new weeds," said Andrew Sanders, curator at UC Riverside's herbarium. "If we have another wet winter, invasive grasses will go berserk and flowers will be harder to find."
The Lake Perris Recreation Area, between the cities of Perris and Moreno Valley in Riverside County, has been taken over by stink net, a highly aggressive weed that first popped up there in 1982.
"The trouble with stink net is that it produces tiny sticky seeds that launch new populations every time it rains," said Ken Kietzer, a conservationist at Lake Perris. "It's hard to come up with an effective treatment when there are six to eight generations spreading simultaneously across the grasslands, sage scrub, slopes, valleys, shoreline and campgrounds."
"And a recent survey suggested that our federally endangered Stephens' kangaroo rats are underweight," he added, "because they've been eating the seeds that stink net puts out."
Further east in the Mojave Desert, patchy rainfall combined with nitrogen-laden smog wafting in from Los Angeles has nurtured expanses of Mediterranean split grass. The low nutritional quality of those invasives may be linked to reports of malnourished desert tortoises, scientists say.
"Tortoises, which thrive on wildflowers, lose weight when they eat nonnative grasses," said Kristin Berry, a biologist and expert on the lumbering reptiles. "That's because exotic grasses are fibrous and don't offer much nutrition."
Some of the same grasses, the seeds of which arrived on the hoofs of European cattle in the 1800s, have bristling tips called foxtails, which scientists say can blind and ultimately kill raptors that get them in their eyes diving into fields after small rodents.
At Ballona Wetlands, a 600-acre preserve near Culver City and just north of Los Angeles International Airport, native buckwheat plants that sustain a colony of federally endangered El Segundo blue butterflies have been overwhelmed by tall, lush stands of terracina spurge and garland chrysanthemum.
Friends of Ballona Wetlands, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the preserve nourished by natural tidal action and periodic infusions of urban runoff, sounded the alarm in an urgent letter to volunteers.
It read, in part: "Heavy winter rains were a blessing for California flowers, but the nonnative weeds loved them too! Help us pull them out of Ballona before they seed and spread."
On Monday, Patrick Tyrell, chief botanist for the preserve, took stock of the challenge.
"State permit requirements prohibit the use of mechanical tools for weed control here," he said. "So our crews will be pulling weeds by hand until the El Segundo blues return to the buckwheat for nectar in June."
Sandra DeSimone, a plant ecologist and director of research and education at Orange County's Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary, a land of rugged mountains and rolling coastal bluffs, grasslands and riparian canyons, isn't so sure that some weeds are all that bad.
She has been raising eyebrows in the environmental community by promoting "hybrid ecosystems" that tolerate some nonnative grasses as a means of coping with the botanical fluctuations wrought by wetter winters, hotter summers and periods of drought due to global climate change.
"Want to see one of our experimental hybrid plots?" DeSimone asked a visitor. "Hop in the truck."
At the base of a steep mountain, she gunned the engine. "Here, nonnative grasses are our friends," she said, as the vehicle squirmed up a rocky, narrow and steep dirt road in one of the most remote and rugged reaches of the sanctuary.
On the mountain's ridgeline, she reached out with her hands to embrace the vista of a 20-acre, Irish-green field of both exotic and native grasses. "As long as our songbirds and small mammals are fine with this, we're OK with it, too," she said with a smile. "So far, so good."
Over in the Cajon Pass, however, Fraga had her mind made up: "First to go will be the mustard plants growing up along roadsides, where their seeds can be picked up by vehicle tires and hiking boots and transported to other areas where they are not wanted."
Fraga could not resist stopping to uproot one of the invaders with spindly stems tipped with bulging seed pods. Holding it up, she said: "This is Sahara mustard, a real bad guy that hitched a ride to the southwestern United States with imported date palms."
"We have to act fast," she added, tossing the weed aside. "A few more months and it'll be too late."
Woods mounted a typical charge in a thrilling final round at Bellerive Country Club but it was fellow American Koepka who kept his nerve in the face of relentless pressure to hold him off by two shots.
Woods' chances finally receded when he could only make par on the long 17th after finding trouble off the tee while Koepka was reeling off successive birdies on the 15th and 16th to pull clear in the three-way battle for the Wanamaker Trophy.
To massive roars from the gallery, Woods birdied the final hole to complete a final-round 64 for 14-under 266, confirmation that he has returned to his near best after years of setbacks and most recently injuries which threatened his career.
Koepka's triumph comes hard on the heels of his successful defense of the US Open title in June, with a final-round 66 leaving him on 16-under 264 as he claimed his third major in two years to join the very elite of world golf.
"It's mind boggling," said the 28-year-old.
"The crowd definitely let you know what's going on. At the beginning of the back nine I could hear the roars when Tiger started making his run and then Scotty (Adam Scott) makes his little run."
Woods, who started the final major of the season with a bogey and double bogey, showed his fighting qualities throughout, carding his best final round in a major despite finding no fairways on the front nine.
"I didn't drive the ball well all day," he said. "I was hitting it left and right on the driving range, even with my sand wedge, so I knew it was going to be a struggle to piece the round together, but I did."
Woods, who also challenged strongly in the British Open in July, is likely to be rewarded with a place in the US Ryder Cup team when captain Jim Furyk names his wildcards for the match against Europe in France next month.
Koepka heads the eight who have already gained automatic spots after the PGA Championship.
Behind the three frontrunners, Spain's Jon Rahm and Stewart Cink finished tied for fourth on 11 under, while defending champion Justin Thomas faded to finish a shot further back with British Open winner Francesco Molinari, Thomas Pieters and halfway leader Gary Woodland.
Spain's Rafael Cabrera Bello and Tyrrell Hatton of England carded joint best-of-the-day 64s with Woods to close on nine under, giving early notice of a low scoring day.
Rickie Fowler, the leader on an emotional first day as players remembered Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle, who died of cancer aged 36, again faltered in his challenge for a major to close in a group on eight under, which included Jordan Spieth.
Another to disappoint was Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who finished back on two under, stretching his drought in the majors to four years.
McIlroy, who won at Bay Hill on the PGA Tour earlier this season, was expected to challenge at Bellerive, but after his final-round 70 gave a downbeat assessment of his form.
"My swing hasn't been where I want it to be," he admitted. "It's sort of regressed as the season has gone on."
Every host in late night had an opinion on Conan O’Brien‘s Tonight Show upset yesterday, with fingers being pointed at Jay Leno — who had a quip or two of his own about the situation.
Conan’s opener featured 30 Rock‘s Kenneth the Page, in a skit that poked fun at the comedian’s short-lived run as Tonight Show host.
And introducing the show, Conan wasted no opportunities to joke about his failed stint. “Hosting The Tonight Show has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me,” he told the audience.
“And I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too.
Meanwhile, Jay had some comments to make about the awkward situation in his own monologue.
“Nobody knows what is going on,” he told his audience. “Conan O’Brien, understandable, is very upset. He had a statement in the paper yesterday.
He joked about the other late night names, who are gleefully exploiting the fracas: “All the late-night hosts are having great fun with this debacle,” he said.
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Andrei Rozov, the developer: Rozov is a "little-known developer of working-class apartments" outside of Moscow, making him an "unlikely match" for Trump.
Felix Sater, Trump associate: Sater served "as an unpaid consultant" for Trump, acting as a Trump representative and bringing him deals. Trump told WSJ he "didn't like any of the deals Mr. Sater" suggested.
Sergei Polonsky, Russian property tycoon: Polonsky was the connection between Rozov and Sater, having placed both of them on his board. It is not believed that Polonsky was involved in the development proposal.
Why it matters: Rozov's name came to the attention of the House Intelligence Committee after being on documents provided by Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen as part of Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Jack Wilshere is ready to make his comeback for Arsenal before the end of the season. The England midfielder has not figured since the latest in a lengthy list of injuries struck last November. Having also been injured in the buildup to last season’s FA Cup final, in which he was a substitute, Wilshere is desperate to return to Arsenal’s lineup as quickly as possible. “I have 25 that are desperate,” said Arsène Wenger.
Wilshere is ahead of schedule in terms of his fitness but Wenger said that it can take longer for a player to regain the high-tempo rhythm and intensity required in the Premier League. “What people underestimate a little bit is that to get back to be capable to play is one thing. To be back and be capable to be sharp and efficient takes a bit longer,” he says.
“In the Premier League it is a fraction of a second that makes you efficient or not. Even the players, from the moment they train again fully and the moment they are really back to their level, they are impatient. At the moment, every week he is stronger, he is getting back to the level now. This week was the first week he is sharp again.
Wenger dismissed any suggestion of Wilshere leaving, with any interest from Manchester City likely to be given short shrift. “He is an Arsenal player. I believe the success of the club in the future years will depend on how well the young players educated here will do. He is part of that.” Wenger is also more than happy for Wilshere to feature for England in the summer.
TOWN of BYRON – A Fond du Lac County man is expected to face charges after he allegedly fired shots during a domestic dispute at his residence.
The incident resulted in a 5 1/2-hour standoff with the subject.
Officers were called to W5414 Lost Arrow Road in the town of Byron at 2:12 a.m. Friday by a woman who said she had had a domestic argument with the man. She said the man was armed with a handgun and had fired the weapon outside the residence, according to a Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office report.
The woman was able to leave when the man with the gun returned to the home, according to the report.
Officers and SWAT team members surrounded the home and contact with the man via phone was attempted. A negotiator finally made contact with the man as he left the residence. He was taken into custody by the SWAT team about 7:40 a.m., according to the report.
No one was injured and the man was taken to the sheriff's office for questioning.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Mick Fink said he anticipates charges will be filed against the man.
The first lady and her step-daughter looked like twins when they both donned black, long sleeve dresses that fell below the knee and veils to meet Pope Francis Wednesday.
Meeting the pope called for two coordinating black ensembles for Melania and Ivanka Trump.
The first lady and her step-daughter looked like twins in veils and black, long sleeve dresses that fell below the knee to meet Pope Francis Wednesday. Melania's frock was a Dolce & Gabbana design .
The modest ensembles follow the Vatican's established dress code, according to the first lady's communications director, Stephanie Grisham. "Per Vatican protocol, women who have an audience with the Pope are required to wear long sleeves, formal black clothing, and a veil to cover the head," she told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.
Former first lady Michelle Obama wore a similar look when she and former President Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
When Queen Elizabeth met with Pope Francis in 2014, she wore a lavender number and accessorized with a coordinating hat, adorned with flowers and white gloves. She again sported color — this time, a pastel sky blue -- when she was with Pope Benedict XVI at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland in 2010.
According to the website for the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, shorts, short skirts, and sleeveless shirts are not permitted when attending a Papal event in St. Peter’s Square or St. Peter’s Basilica.
Melania and Ivanka opted not to wear headscarves while visiting Saudia Arabia recently, a move that President Trump criticized the former first lady for on Twitter in 2015. "Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia," POTUS wrote in his post, "but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies."
Grisham said in an emailed statement that "There was no request/requirement for her attire in Saudi."
Melania, along with Ivanka, her husband, White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and the president briefly spent time with Pope Francis. One of his attendants presented Melania with a small object, possibly a rosary according to pool reports, that she asked him to bless. After she mentioned visiting a hospital, they both offered each other a wish of "good luck."
Frankly, I gave up on vampires a long time ago, and it takes a lot for me to get interested in them, and that includes the HBO series True Blood. However, we know that there are plenty of True Blood-thirsty fans out there clamoring for every bit of hype as we lead up to the fifth season premiere on June 10th at 9/8c. Therefore, you’ll be happy to know that in addition to the most recent trailer and teaser poster, we now have a batch of 12 character posters (with Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard, Stephen Moyer and more) that have so much red on them they would make Shaun of the Dead blush.
Honestly, they’re not all that special, but for fans who have a favorite character (or enjoy seeing Christopher Meloni with fangs), they could make a cool iPhone background or something like that. Anyway, you can check out all 12 of the new posters, along with the most recent trailer, after the jump.
It's hard to believe that it has been 30 years since former President Gerald R. Ford decided that his popular summer celebrity golf tournament needed a winter counterpart. The newly-opened Beaver Creek played host to its first event and the newly-created Vail Valley Foundation produced its first athletic effort. The rest, as they say, is history.
\That history will be celebrated Friday and Saturday, March 23-24, when celebrities and sports stars once again join forces with some of ski racing's biggest names for the 30th anniversary Korbel Ford Cup celebrity team competition segment of the 2012 Korbel American Ski Classic at Golden Peak.
Contested over two days, the Korbel Ford Cup features head-to-head competition, with teams captained by some of the competitors that helped write ski racing history and comprised of celebrities, sponsors and paid participants.
Heading up the list of sports celebrities slated to participate in the 2012Korbel Ford Cup include former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien and running back Joe Washington, along with former MLB pitcher Bret Saberhagen. Summer and Winter Olympics will be well represented as well, with gymnasts Trent Dimas and Mitch Gaylord, track and field standout Carol Lewis-Zilli, swimmer Steve Lundquist and figure skater Paul Wylie.
Entertainment celebrities will include actors Alfonso Ribeiro, Anthony Anderson, Grant Show and Giancarlo Esposito, along with country music star Steve Azar.
The skiing legends, former Olympic, World Championship and World Cup medalists spanning the past three decades, will serve as Korbel Ford Cup team captains, in addition to competing in the Volvo Legends Giant Slalom Thursday evening, March 22.
The 30th Anniversary Korbel Ford Cup competitions will get underway on Friday, March 23, as the 35 five-person teams go head-to-head in an effort to move through their respective pools and qualify for the bracket rounds on Saturday, March 24. A total of eight teams will advance, based on their cumulative won-lost record over the course of the two days of racing, but only one will emerge victorious.
The 30th anniversary Korbel American Ski Classic is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. For additional information on the Korbel American Ski Classic, contact (970) 777-2015 or visit www.vvf.org.
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Beirut: Syria’s ambassador to Iraq has defected and urged the army to “turn your guns on the criminals” of President Bashar Al Assad’s government, giving the anti-Assad uprising one of its biggest boosts in 16 months of bloodshed.