text:
Note: I have since revisited The City Bakery Los Angeles
I have so many thoughts about The City Bakery Los Angeles that I'll have to start out with the most important aspects and ramble on and on until perhaps I am the only person still here. BUT if you're still with me by the end of the post, then add The City Bakery to Wild Flour Bread
as a place that is worth-jumping-on-a-plane-for.... New York or Los Angeles (your choice!).
So, pastries first. Maury Rubin opened The City Bakery
in NYC in 1990, and he is especially known for tarts and pastries-- having even authored The Book of Tarts
. The Pretzel Croissant
epitomizes the City Bakery ethos -- considering a classic (French) form and organically innovating it into a new (American) sensation. The croissant dough is salted (perhaps through salted butter?) and sprinkled with sesame seeds, and it is finished by crossing the ends of the croissant, which simply integrates pretzel engineering. It's also partially whole wheat, so it turns out flaky but still a bit squishy. A perfect balance of croissant and pretzel. It works, too, that there aren't big salt crystals on the outside--it would ruin the chew--so I consider the sesame seeds a masterstroke.
If it hadn't been so bright in Brentwood, this Melted Chocolate Chip Cookie would be its actual lusciously deep chocolate color. Akin to a brownie cookie, it's a galaxy of ganache-like chocolate interspersed with chunks of chocolate and some undissolved sugar crystals for extra texture. The outside is just firm enough to contain the gooey goodness inside... but in my attempt to my break off a piece of the center, my fingers only emerged coated in fudgy chocolate. Spectacular. When I ate the leftovers later in the day, though, the cookie had solidified a bit.
Lemon Tarts. Perfectly puckery with a softening sweetness, and creamy besides. The only hesitation was eating the Pacman-ish face on these. We overcame that. These were the only tarts on offer, but I'm hoping that their other tarts, such as milky way, blueberry coconut, cranberry-almond-caramel, and MANY MORE find their way to LA soon. They are all made in round flan rings, with minimalist--though organically creative--designs.
Their chocolate chip cookie... well... rules. Chewy, flavorful, great chocolate, great dough (it also has slightly discernible sugar crystals when you chew). This cookie was more on the bready side, as opposed to the sugar-y/butter-y side that their East Coast cookies have had. This could be a factor of: choice, the air (temp or humidity), the quirks of the maker of the batch, or the flour (which are often regionally different). The batter is available in some stores as Maury's Cookie Dough to bake at home. I hope that their white chocolate chocolate cookie turns up in the LA store, because I liked that one best in NY.
For fun, I also tried a berry scone and a miso morning glory muffin (with carrots). They check out. And yes, you will taste the soy in that muffin. Coincidentally, the muffins have a wide flat bottom that reminds me of the flan rings shapes used for the tarts.
We did eat lunch first, and we both went for the trademark salad bar, which ends up something like this.
We piled up cornmeal-crusted catfish, roasted fennel, beets with mint, spinach/asian pear/black sesame salad, soy molasses salmon, radicchio/chickpea salad, spicy thai eggplant, roasted brussel sprouts, and breaded chicken with cilantro sauce. The sweet, tender catfish and the roasted fennel stood out as especially delicious while the thai eggplant stood out as being really slimy.
We also got a side of sharp and creamy macaroni and cheese. It tastes like a mix of cheddar, asiago, and fontina to me, but could just be a really great cheddar. I got the lovely puce prickly pear lemonade, and Chad got the regular lemonade.
Sigh.... that mac & cheese in its full glory.
We also got a chili cheddar boule. I liked the cheese feet created by the melted cheese off the bottom sides. It was fantastic with the Turkey White Bean Chili that we made at home that night.
And so went our meal.
There was also a lunch counter where you could get pressed sandwiches, egg scrambles, sandwiches, and the like. It was mostly savory, but I especially wanted to try the date and walnut w/ fresh ricotta pressed sandwich and the guava and cream cheese sandwich.
I've never been the type to rush to a new restaurant when it opens, but I think that the City Bakery in Brentwood shows its youth right now. It's only been open for about two weeks. The pastry counter and salad bar were a bit bare -- it was about 1:00 when we left and a lot of NY stalwarts weren't out there--no peanut butter cookies, no homemade marshmallows, no marinated tofu w/ chili sauce, only one type of tart. Certainly, there was plenty to binge on, but not so much in comparison to NY.
At the same time, though, there were offerings that I don't remember seeing in NY (I was last there in November)... the bread bar (though the sign wasn't clear about who bakes it -- it might be all shipped from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan)...
The clothing display....
I'm still torn between this t-shirt....
and this sweatshirt....
That reminds me. They DID have the amazing trademark hot chocolate on offer. I just knew I couldn't fit that rich and creamy molten chocolate into me that day. They are supposed to have a cold hot chocolate soon. I can also only hope that The City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival
makes its way to LA, too.
There was also an extensive catering menu available (is that in NY, too?), divided into breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, midnight snack, and cocktail party. This is a good time to talk about price. As I understand it, The City Bakery is organic. So, that salad bar above will run you $16/lb. Cookies and muffins are $3/ea. For catering, for example, a "breakfast box" of mini muffins, seasonal fruit & fresh squeezed OJ runs $15/person; a half tray of mac & cheese is $40; cornbread with aged cheddar, peach jam, & jalapeno butter is $10/person; and chicken wings are $36/dozen. I like that the $10/person "Assembly-Required Hot Dogs" includes a comic book, among many other things. I believe that it's worth it, but for me, that would mean enjoying its worth every five years or so... or seeking out an expense account. As for the salad bar, at least spinach leaves are light.
I'll be traveling to LA a bit this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the City Bakery LA evolves. The quality is definitely there, in swoon-worthy proportion, but I wonder which products will find their way to its counters. I was expecting to see Maury Rubin's take on Los Angeles and its foods, but right now, it very much feels like an LA branch of a NY institution (having only its classic pastries for sale, bagels on offer, references to Manhattan on its catering menu). Of course, it is also winter, so there is time to amp up for spring and summer produce. Rubin, after all, follows a "Chez Panissian" (aka Alice Waters, aka started in California) approach of local foods and seasonal menus, so I expect interesting things to come.
One thing that did feel Californian was its interior design. Unlike the rather industrial silver permeating the NY branch, the one in the Brentwood Country Mart is white, and quite bright--even if it did retain a minimalist core. It's extremely roomy, especially with only 10 tables and 6 counter chairs for eating, but there is ample outdoor seating at wooden tables w/ umbrellas and lots of room to wander around the shop.
And what did I cunningly manage to include in all these photos? Yes, there is a Chocolate Room LA.
And although there is an outdoor City Bakery sign for the mall, I can't remember whether it's so New York-style or so LA-style to not have a sign on the place itself....

domain: food


text:
Crypto enthusiasts understand the risks associated with digital asset investments. Along with losing funds due to price drops, investors can lose money through pump-and-dump schemes, protocol exploits, and Ponzi schemes.
Several Latino investors have been victims of a Ponzi scheme over the past few months, according to a City Hall report. Further, Latin Times reveals that more than thirty Latino residents have informed authorities of their losses to the scam since the start of this month.
The company operating the Ponzi is called CryptoFX. Some of the firm’s executives, including Giorgio Benvenuto and Mauricio Chavez, were arrested last September and charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for their involvement in the fraudulent activity.
How CryptoFX Executive Deceived Latino Residents Into Investing in the Scam
In a statement, SEC revealed that Chavez marketed himself as an experienced crypto trader and was willing to teach Latino residents how to generate income from the emerging market. The regulator added that Chavez used NFT and Bitcoin to depict the digital assets his victims could trade and make a lot of money.
However, when Latino residents attended the training sessions, Chavez persuaded them to invest in CryptoFX instead, claiming the company would trade on their behalf. The SEC later revealed that Chavez had no experience with crypto assets and only depended on new investors to pay early investors.
Benvenuto also deceived several people into investing in the Ponzi scheme, although the SEC report did not disclose how. Further, the regulator claims the two collected over $25 million from innocent investors before their arrest. They spent $7 million for personal purposes and distributed the remaining amount to other investors.
City Hall Says CryptoFX is Still Running
Now the City Hall has warned the public that CryptoFX is still operational after several Latino residents reported that the company’s representatives are sending them promotional messages through Whatsapp.
City Hall has advised the residents to report to authorities in case a CryptoFX representative reaches out. In addition, the agency has provided a website (cryptofxreceiver.com) where victims can file claims on their stolen money.
Another site victims can use to file claims includes the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CDFPI) platform.
HeraldSheets.com produces top quality content for crypto companies. We provide brand exposure for hundreds of companies. All of our clients appreciate our services. If you have any questions you may contact us. Cryptocurrencies and Digital tokens are highly volatile, conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Some of the posts on this website are guest posts or paid posts that are not written by our authors and the views expressed in them do not reflect the views of this website. Herald Sheets is not responsible for the content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products or any other content posted on the site. Read full terms and conditions / disclaimer.

domain: law


Custom Tape is a kind of replicator 2 insulation tape, kapton adhesive tape, kapton film tape with customized colors and various adhesive options, including Acrylic, Rubber, Hot Melt, etc. It is widely used in packaging, labeling, and other applications. Custom Tape can be printed with silk screen printing, offset printing, etc. to meet different customer needs. What's more, customers can choose different payment terms such as T/T, L/C, Western Union, etc. for their orders.
|Product Name||Custom Tape|
|Release Liner||Siliconized, Kraft, Etc.|
|Printing||Silk Screen Printing, Offset Printing, Etc.|
|Adhesive Strength||High, Medium, Low|
|Liner||Glassine, Siliconized, Etc.|
|Material||Paper, PVC, PET, PP, Kapton Adhesive Tape, Black Heat Shield Tape, Etc.|
KHJ 6700M Custom Tape is a perfect solution for a wide range of applications requiring high-temperature and flame-resistant adhesive. The product is manufactured according to ROSH certification and is available for purchase in a minimum order quantity of 5000. With its competitive price of $5, KHJ 6700M Custom Tape is the ideal choice for a variety of packaging, labeling, and other tasks.
KHJ 6700M Custom Tape is made from materials such as paper, PVC, PET, PP, and other high-performance materials. It is available in a variety of colors and can be printed with silk screen printing, offset printing, and other printing methods. The product is a great choice for a wide range of applications, including kapton tape, black heat shield tape, high heat adhesive tape, polyimide tape, and high temperature tape.
KHJ 6700M Custom Tape is a reliable and cost-effective solution for your packaging, labeling, and other requirements. The product is manufactured to the highest quality standards and is available for delivery within 7 days. With its large supply capacity of 1000000, KHJ 6700M Custom Tape is the perfect choice for any application.
Custom Tape provides reliable technical support and service for our customers. We are committed to providing the best customer service in the industry. Our team of experienced technicians is available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. We also offer a wide range of online resources and documentation, so that you can quickly find the answers you need.
We strive to make sure that all of our customers have a satisfactory experience. We are constantly improving our services and we welcome any feedback that you may have. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Custom Tape's packaging and shipping process is designed to ensure that every product is safely and securely delivered to its destination. Our packaging and shipping process includes:
A1: Custom Tape is a product manufactured by KHJ, with Model Number 6700M, that is certified ROSH. It is available in a minimum order quantity of 5000, at a price of $5 per unit. The packaging details are provided in a box, and the delivery time is 7 days, with a supply ability of 1000000.
A2: Custom Tape is made in China.
A3: The minimum order quantity for Custom Tape is 5000.
A4: The price of Custom Tape is $5.
A5: Custom Tape is packaged in a box.
Contact Us at Any Time


text:
Jupiter Lisboa sits to the north of Lisbon’s main tourist hub in a key commercial area. But commercial doesn’t mean boring: Along with plenty of surrounding shops, you’ll have a brilliant blue rooftop pool at your disposal and can kick back on a sun lounger with a panoramic view of the city.
The hotel is a relative newcomer on Lisbon’s accommodation scene, but maintains a stylish façade created in 1906 by renowned architect Miguel Ventura Terra. Each of the seven floors were inspired by Lisbon’s neighborhoods and traditions to help guests feel immersed in the city vibe. Giant photographs of Lisbon back the beds and big windows flood rooms with natural light. If you have family in tow you can opt for an interconnecting family suite, and if you’ve got a nagging deadline you can tap away at the work desk with high-speed wi-fi. For a hit of relaxation, book yourself in for an hour or two of treatments at the Blu Spa, and if you fancy keeping in shape on your holiday, you can pump some iron in the 24-hour gym. The Lisboa Amada lobby bar is open 24 hours a day, so you can swing by after dinner at the Dom Alimado restaurant, where the focus is on southern Portuguese cuisine from the Algarve region; expect to stuff yourself with some of Portugal’s most sumptuous seafood.
Location: The hotel is located two blocks from the Campo Pequeno metro station in Lisbon’s north. If shopping is on the agenda you’ll be well placed to hit the stores around São Sebastião and stroll the shop-lined streets with a local crowd.
1001 Nights: Sample the best of Lisbon’s Persian cuisine at this Iranian restaurant. It feels like a bit of a hike from the center of town, but if you’re staying at the Jupiter, it’s conveniently only one kilometer away.
Sam Croissants: A prized pastry shop hides unassumingly near the Entre Campos metro station, 1.5 kilometers from the hotel. As the name suggests, Sam does one thing and does it well, so grab a loaded croissant to kick your hunger.
Campo Pequeno Stadium: This is the official home of Portugal’s bullfighting scene. Even if you’re not into the gory sport, the red-brick building is a spectacle in and of itself, and you can catch other events here or wander the shops and food court downstairs.
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian: This museum includes both the founder’s private collection as well as modern exhibitions showcasing Portuguese art from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. Guided tours are available.
Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa: Lisbon’s renowned zoo is 2.5 kilometers from the hotel. Here you’ll find a diverse range of animals, including gorillas, elephants, dolphins and lemurs.
El Corte Inglés: Lisbon’s major department store stocking high-end brands of clothing, accessories and homewares is located 1.5 kilometers away. The supermarket downstairs offers a wide variety of goods, including international foods.
Good for: The Jupiter is a great option for business travelers since it’s only five kilometers from the airport, and is also well suited to those who prefer to be slightly removed from the inner-city hustle.
Amenities: Pool; sauna; room service; free wi-fi; minibar; restaurant; bar; gym; laundry service; concierge; spa
Time Out tip: Present your passport at the El Corte Inglés service desk to receive special tourist discounts.
|Venue name:||Jupiter Lisboa Hotel|
Avenida da República 9
|Price:||€88.00 - €276.00|

domain: travel


The Adler Planetarium, (Chicago, IL) is seeking a Systems Administrator. The Systems Administrator is responsible for support and administrations of servers, networking and exhibits. The Systems Administrator is responsible for effective installation, configuration, operation and maintenance of hardware and software systems and related Adler infrastructure under the supervision of the System Engineer.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Configures and maintains servers in a virtual environment and maintains this environment
• Configures and troubleshoots networking, including VLANs, switches and routers.
• Works with Experience Design Department to set up and configure technology for new and existing exhibits
• Works with Adler staff and outside vendors in the integration of technology within Adler exhibits
Education and Experience:
• Bachelors Degree
• 2 + years of experience with system administration background
• Ability to learn new software quickly and thoroughly, ability to prioritize, excellent oral and written communication skills
• Thorough knowledge of multiple operation systems (Windows, Mac, Linux, and VMware)
• Extensive computer hardware diagnostic/repair knowledge
Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
Do Not Fill This Out


text:
Ciphers, Secrets, and Spies in the Elizabethan Age
Presented by Carol Ann Lloyd
The Elizabethan era (1558-1603) is often depicted as the “Golden Age” in England’s history— an era of great exploration and military victories in which Queen Elizabeth I is represented in sumptuous clothing and jewels. But the reality, which included religious conflicts that tore families apart, political challenges to Elizabeth’s authority, high levels of poverty and crime, and vulnerability to foreign invasion, was far grimmer. The Queen was considered a Protestant heretic by the rulers of Europe and numerous plots were hatched to dethrone her and replace her with Catholic Mary Queen of Scots. Elizabeth’s closest courtiers tried to protect her. William Cecil (later Lord Burghley) was the first to oversee the gathering of intelligence and was aided by Francis Walsingham, another of Elizabeth's most loyal ministers known as the "Spymaster.” Walsingham's network of clandestine agents moved throughout England and Europe using their contacts and skills in navigating court politics to safeguard their Queen. They unearthed a series of threats, including one led by an invasion of priests who had been trained abroad and were sent to prepare England for a Catholic rebellion. The priests scattered throughout the country and were hidden in “priest-holes” by Catholic families in places such as Baddesley Clinton and Coughton Court in Warwickshire. Other houses involved in this period of intrigue include Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, and Scotney Castle in Kent—all National Trust houses.
Carol Ann Lloyd will describe this tumultuous time with its secret plots, intercepted and decoded messages, and assassination attempts. She will explore dark corners of Elizabethan English history and reveal how the ability to control information became the most potent tool of the realm.
Carol Ann Lloyd is a popular speaker who shares the stories of Shakespeare and English history. She is the former Manager of Visitor Education at Folger Shakespeare Library, where she gave workshops and tours about Shakespeare and Early Modern England. Carol Ann has presented programs at the Smithsonian, Folger Shakespeare Library, Agecroft Hall, and TEDx, among other venues. Ms. Lloyd is a member of the National Speakers Association.
A part of the Royal Oak Foundation's Spring 2019 Lecture Series.
Registration opens 13 February.
St. George’s Society members receive $10 OFF the standard ticket price! Contact us for discount code.
For more information, please call Kayla Smith at 212-480-2889, ext. 201.

domain: history


text:
Just made some delicious and healthy sugar free chocolate with Stevia and xylitol. It's Very easy! All you need is some coconut oil/fat, high quality unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla (or diced hot peppers, cinnamon, orange/lemon zest, or whatever you like if you want some extra flavor). I recommend Coco paste or cocoa mass as well, so it's not as greasy as chocolate with pure coconut oil. All you do is put this on very low heat in a pot or make a double boiler and mix it all together with some stevia or xylitol for flavor. Coconut oil hellps raise your basal metabolic rate (metabolism) and control blood sugar, and chocolate is one of the best sources of magnesium and several powerful antioxidants, including resveratrol (an anti-aging compound!) Losing weight eating (Healthy) chocolate (in MODERATION)! Who knew?
Here's an update - by VERY popular demand, here is the recipe, but feel free to experiment with the taste, consistency, and spices. Oh, and you can add goji berries, crushed nuts, and so on! Get creative!
Organic traditions (or whatever) cacao paste (you COULD use bakers UNsweetened chocolates if you cant find cacao paste - it works too, but isn't as healthy or delicious), Stevia and/or xylotol, coconut oil (prob 2-3-4 tbsp (experiment with how soft you like the final product) per 224g bag of cacao paste), then add whatever you like - cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, whey/vegan protein powder, Purium LOVE or Purium Power shake. If you want "milk chocolate, " add almond/glax/coconut milk if you want. Then use a double boiler (or metal/glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water) to melt it all and mix it up. Thin it down with more coconut oil or thicken it up with cacao powder (good quality stuff). For a semi-hard consistency when cooled, the consistency should be like a semi-thick pea soup. If the consistency is peanut butter-like, it will be very hard/firm when you cool it, but hey, some people like that! It's firmer without the coconut oil, but I like it a bit softer and it's so healthy that way! Pour it on a plate or mold and refrigerate for 60 mins (or freeze for 15 mins or so), then break it all up into pieces and you are done! If you find the consistency is TOO thin when you add the coconut oil, add some cacao powder to thicken it up a bit. If this happens after you cool it, warm up the broken pieces again and add a bit more cacao powder.
The best news is that you can use this recipe when on a candida cleanse - no sugar, and coconut oil and cayenne pepper, as well as Xylitol KILL candida. Delicious and helpful, AND diet compliant = awesome! You don't want to go crazy with chocolate on a candida cleanse/diet though, as too much caffiene (black tea/coffee especially) can exacerbate it. But, we do need to LIVE during the 2-3 months of cleansing. This recipe also works well for weight loss since it has zero sugar, and the coconut oil helps provide healthy fats for metabolism and hormones which means weight loss!

domain: health


text:
Recipe, Menu & Cooking Planner
By Pepperplate Inc.
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
Pepperplate is the only app for serious cooks - it has all the tools you need to cook weeknight dinners or host a dinner party for 12. Manage your recipes, create menus, shop with ease and cook like a pro.
* Seamlessly manage your recipes, menus and shopping lists on the web, iPad and iPhone.
* Take your iPad into the kitchen and cook your whole menu with multiple cooking timers.
* Create recipes on the iPad and iPhone or make changes to existing recipes.
* Share your favorite recipes with friends and family via Email, Facebook and Twitter.
* Import recipes from your favorite sites and add your own from cookbooks, magazines or old family recipes.
* Combine recipes into menus for dinner parties or holiday meal planning.
* Organize your meals for the week or month by adding menus and recipes to the schedule.
* Add to your shopping list and it automatically syncs to your iPad, iPhone, iPod and Pepperplate.com.
* Organize your shopping to automatically match the way you shop in the grocery store.
* Create your own unlimited categories to organize your recipe collection.
* Your collection synchronizes from the website to the iPad and iPhone and is backed up without connecting to a computer.
* Take your entire collection with you to the grocery store or while traveling, no internet connection required.
* Manage your iPad cooking timers over wifi away from the kitchen on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
* Login with Facebook or your free Pepperplate account
What's New in Version 2.7
- Facebook Login
- Optimized for iOS 7
- Fixed IOS 7 crashing issues
- Grid view in iPad Recipe list
- Global ingredient search
Life-saver! I love it!
This app is phenomenal! It's super handy and helpful! A lot of things I like about this app is that you can create recipes, cite your sources (including URL ;)), have a shopping list, menu planner, and oh my gosh, the adjustable scale of yield saved my life! I love this app! Just downloaded it today and I already decided to make a review! That's how I like it!
Customers Also Bought
- Category: Food & Drink
- Updated: 31 December 2013
- Version: 2.7
- Size: 16.3 MB
- Language: English
- Developer: Pepperplate Inc.
- © 2013 Pepperplate Inc.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimised for iPhone 5.


text:
DHEA, properly called dehydroepiandrosterone, is a naturally occurring substance in the human body, and the benefits of DHEA are both physical and mental. As the most abundantly produced hormone in the body, it functions to keep the body in balance, and a healthy level is essential to maintaining a maximally functioning body.
The benefits of DHEA have been scientifically linked to improving general well-being, quality of life, exercise capacity, sex drive, and helping to control levels of hormones for people with Addison’s disease. Weight loss, decreased depression, and an increased cognitive performance are also scientifically backed DHEA benefits. Its healing and strengthening properties are so strong that it has been scientifically shown to benefit AIDS patients and people with Crohn’s disease. But there are also benefits of DHEA that extend to a wider population: those who are aging, mentally or physically tired, overweight or depressed.
DHEA levels decrease as people age, and low DHEA is therefore a precursor to aging symptoms. Supplementing a diet with appropriate amounts of this supplement may help decrease signs of aging. It also helps treat menopause and unpleasant age-related ailments. In addition, low DHEA levels have been found to be related to low energy levels, a slow metabolism, low bone density and an increased risk of broken bones and osteoporosis, low sex drive and an increased risk of cancer. By increasing levels of DHEA in the body, these risks may be avoided. Metabolism can be boosted, which leads to weight loss. Increased energy and healthier bones are other benefits of DHEA that you can achieve through supplements. A younger and healthier body is within modern medicine’s grasp today.
One of the most important benefits of DHEA is that it is a natural substance, but you need to be aware of dangers of DHEA as well. Beyond being a substance naturally produced by the human body, wild yams are a natural source of DHEA, as they produce a plant substance called diosgenin of which DHEA is a derivative. DHEA supplements are made from this naturally occurring matter.
Regardless of your reason for taking this supplement, make sure you consult your physician first. Just because something is natural or derived from a natural substance does not mean it will not cause mild side effects or more serious health complications. Therefore, always talk to your doctor first to discuss any conventional or alternative treatment options.

domain: medical


text:
Apple made big plans last year to start bringing its teams from different departments together in an effort to open communication and work more closely on projects, and it looks like the design teams have made that transition.
While Apple’s software design team for iOS has typically sat in the dark on what the industrial design team is doing, the two have started collaborating more as of late — allowing software designers to get an idea of what devices their iOS projects will run on, and also give industrial designers a say in what the software will look like on their hardware.
For instance, Apple’s mobile interface team (the mobile software team), which is led by Greg Christie, is receiving information on device prototypes much earlier. Also, Jonathan Ive, who leads the industrial design team, has been sitting in on the human interface team’s review sessions.
Ive has offered input for the next iOS design, saying it should be a “flat” design that is more simple.
Last October, Apple experienced a huge executive shakeup. Scott Forstall, the former vice president of iOS software, announced his departure from Apple after working with the company for about 15 years. He headed the launch of Apple’s maps application last year, which turned out to be a nightmare.
At that same time, John Browett, head of Apple retail, was terminated after only six months with the company. He led a retail hiring formula last year that ended up being a huge mistake. This new formula caused Apple to lay off several new retail hires (some that only recently finished their training) and significantly cut the hours of part-timers back in August 2012. Needless to say, this didn’t make employees very happy, and Apple was forced to admit that it messed up.
After these two were released, Apple made big changes within the company. Ive took over Human Interface (HI) for the company while Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, took on Siri, Maps, the iTunes Store, the App Store, iCloud and the iBookstore. Further, Bob Mansfield, Apple’s senior vice president of Mac and Devices Hardware Engineering, lead a new group called “Technologies” for all of Apple’s wireless teams while Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Mac Software Engineering, took over iOS and OS X.
Apple also mentioned bringing different departments together in an effort to tighten software and hardware offerings for devices like the iPhone, iPad and Mac lines.

domain: news


If the show must go on — and for MTSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy it does — professor John Wallin has a plan in place for the March Star Party.
Wallin will conduct a virtual talk for his “Stone Circles and Seasonal Alignments: Neolithic Astronomy in England.” It will begin online at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, at www.twitch.tv/fwallin, but viewers will need to download a plug-in and establish an account on Twitch.tv, Wallin said.
MTSU Star Parties are a way for the department to bring MTSU, Murfreesboro and surrounding communities together. With all on-campus events canceled because of COVID-19 concerns, however, Wallin will be in his own home rather than Wiser-Patten Science Hall.
Viewers/listeners can be home, too, or at a location where internet access is available. And during the live event, people can text him questions and he will try to answer them during the talk.
Wallin said the subject “is based on my exploration of Stone Circles we have seen in the MTSU Signature Study Abroad Course: The History of Astronomy in England.”
Wallin said he will have plenty of graphics, demos and maps to illustrate how Neolithic structures in the United Kingdom are aligned, with seasonal sunrise and sunset directions.
He added that people could expect some technical glitches, but that “tests suggest the video and audio quality are pretty solid.”
The software used for the broadcast is Open Broadcaster, or OBS, and available and free from http://obsproject.com. MTSU TV (Educational Resource Channel at MTSU, Comcast Channel 9) will rebroadcast the talk at a time to be announced.
Part of the College of Education, the Educational Resource Channel originates from the Center for Educational Media at MTSU. It has broadcast under the auspices of the Murfreesboro Cable Television Commission since 1999. It is Murfreesboro and Rutherford County’s Community Education Channel.
— Randy Weiler (email@example.com)


text:
Cauliflower Fried Rice has become a meal prep staple for me these last few weeks! I make a 2-day batch, pop it in the microwave after work, and a delicious meal is done. Below is how I enjoy it, but similar to all of my other recipes, it’s totally flexible based upon what veggies or proteins you have on hand!
- 1 lb Protein of Choice, such as pork, shrimp, beef, chicken, tofu
- Cauliflower Rice, I recommend frozen from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods
- Vegetables (optional & can vary), such as zucchini, onion, bell pepper, broccoli, green beans
- Greens (optional), such as spinach, kale
- Reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- Ginger powder or ginger paste – I use Trader Joe’s
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- Oil, such as olive, avocado, or coconut
- Seasonings, such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, miced onion, and chili powder
- In your large pan, cook your protein source all the way through. I used Boneless Sirloin Diced Pork from Market Pantry (Target)
- While it’s cooking, prep the vegetables: dice the onion, mince the garlic, chop remaining vegetables into bite size pieces
- Place the protein to the side once cooked through
- Add some oil and your minced garlic to the pain, let brown
- Throw the veggies (except for the cauliflower rice and loose greens) and seasonings to the pan. Let the veggies cook for 5-8 minute, until tender.
- Add the cauliflower rice, loose greens, and ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender.
- Lastly, add your protein back into the pan and top with soy sauce. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until all the flavors have mended.
Art: Heather Ihn


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Mikael Carlson is an award-winning political fiction author, army veteran, and avid traveler. His works have won him a silver medal from Readers' Favorite, two National Indie Excellence Awards, and a Global E-book award.
Five-time Pushcart Prize nominee Frank Scozzari resides in Nipomo, a small town on the California central coast.
CC has been known to trip on a perfectly smooth surface, burn herself when cooking, and has an unhealthy attachment to coffee.
W.H. Lock spent his childhood in rural Illinois, moved to Minnesota, joined the Army, and ended up in Dallas joyfully married with 2 kids and no pets. As our Author of the Day, he tells us all about his book, A Blood Moon Swindle.
V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author. They created the REFORGED series and the NEL BENTLY BOOKS.
Jodé Millman is the author of the best-selling SEATS: NEW YORK Theatre guidebooks.
Linda Coles writes great British crime novels. She developed the DC Jack Rutherford and DS Amanda Lacey series back in 2017 and have watched them and their colleagues grow over time, via their work as well as their personal lives.
Eleanor Chance is a writer of award-winning suspense, thriller, and historical women's fiction. She cherishes books that influence her writing and her life. She hopes to create the same experience for readers and thrives on crafting tales of everyday superheroes.
London Clarke is the award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of Wildfell and the Legacy of Darkness series.
C. S. Johnson is the award-winning, genre-hopping author of several novels, including young adult sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy.

domain: artistic


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The Lauderdale County Sheriff said on Wednesday that Vicky White, a missing former prison official, spoke by phone with capital murder suspect Casey White in jail before helping him escape last week .
Sheriff Sheriff Rick Singleton said his actions suggest their plan has been in the works for some time.
“There was communication between the two of them when he was in jail and she was still working here,” Singleton told The Associated Press.
Full coverage of Vicky White and Casey White’s search
Vicky White recently purchased the AR-15 and the shotgun they are supposed to be armed with, authorities said. However, their relationship has probably lasted for two years.
She spoke to him by phone at Donaldson State Prison after he was transferred out of county jail in 2020 due to an alleged escape attempt at the time and before he returned to prison in February for a legal proceedings in the ongoing murder case against him.
Lauderdale County officials said jail inmates told them Vicky White and Casey White, who are not related, had a “special relationship” while Casey White was in jail.
“The inmates who reported to us on Saturday that they were in a relationship, complained that he was getting special treatment. He had more food on his plate. He was getting all these little things that are insignificant on the outside but are very important to inmates,” Singleton said.
The sheriff said that Vicky White had been talking about retiring for three or four months and suddenly filed her papers recently.
“There’s no doubt that it took some planning and some coordination,” he said. “My hunch is that this has been going on for a while.”
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office also released new surveillance video of Vicky White’s patrol vehicle captured moments after she escorted Casey White on her escape from the county jail.
Video shows White’s vehicle at the intersection of Cox Creek Parkway and Huntsville Road shortly at 9:49 a.m. Friday, just minutes after the two left the jail.
Casey White was a passenger in the vehicle as Vicky White drove from the jail to the Florence Square shopping center near the intersection where the new video was captured.
The patrol vehicle was left in the parking lot and Vicky White and Casey White left the scene in another vehicle – a rust-colored 2007 Ford Edge with an unknown license plate.
“It is not known what license plate is on the vehicle, or if it even has a license plate. There is minor damage to the left rear bumper,” the US Marshals Service said Wednesday.
A warrant was issued Monday for the arrest of Vicky White for enabling or facilitating a first-degree escape, which is a Class C felony.
Although she told Singleton her last day in jail was Friday before retiring, the sheriff said Wednesday she was fired from her job.
In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Vicky White sold her Lexington, Alabama home for $95,550 – less than market value – TV channel WAAY 31 reported.
Singleton said the sale may have provided some cash for Vicky White since she left with Casey White.
Vicky White had been living with her mother since the sale of the house, a sprawling 4-acre property which included a trailer and a barn
She divorced a man in 1991 after a three-year marriage, according to court records. He passed away earlier this year. She has no children.
Carol Robinson and AP contributed to this report.
Corrected May 5, 2022 to show they spoke by phone, no in-person visits.


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May 26, 2017 ... Try one of these campfire recipes out on your next camping trip.
Jul 6, 2014 ... 27 Delicious Recipes To Try On Your Next Camping Trip ..... When life gives you berries, soak them in vodka, then take them camping.
Save time and energy with these easy-no cooking required-camping recipes. ... activities, who wants to heat up the fire and cook a complicated meal for the family? ... Cold cut roll-ups: Take your standard sandwich up a notch and roll it up with ...
We take this to Holiday parties and on camping trips. Dress up the jar, and it makes ... Another popular name for this favorite mix is "puppy food". Chow down; it's ...
Hey friends! If you are looking for a delicious camping recipe then you have come .... I love camping and I love to take foil packet meals with me. They are ...
Jun 24, 2015 ... Happy Campers: How to Eat & Drink (Very) Well in the Great .... gray, ashed-over coals for ember roasting—i.e., cooking food right in the coals.
Make sure you don't walk away because they don't take long to get warm and .... Do you have any favorite recipes we can add to these cheap camping meals?
This is your real food camping menu primer (AND recipes!) whether ... You can eat the food when it thaws, and in the meantime it will keep the ice chest cool!
Jul 22, 2015 ... Campfire Green Chili Cheese Fries: When cooking over a fire, we've ... thing that makes cooking while camping easy peasy is choosing meals that are ... Eat it alone, or cook some veggies and rice alongside for a hearty meal ...
With these easy recipes, transform ho-hum camping food into meals fit for royalty ... After a day of fun in the outdoors, treat yourself to a super-tasty meal that's ...


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Last week the firm announced its sixth acquisition of the year with Assimilate Communications for a fee of more than £1m, adding 10,000 connections
Connect Telecom is targeting £20 million in turnover next year driven by further acquisitions and organic growth.
Last week the firm announced its sixth acquisition of the year with Assimilate Communications for a fee of more than £1m.
The deal added more than £2m in turnover to Connect Telecom, now totalling more than £11m. Originally the firm forecast £15m in turnover by the end of its fiscal year but that is now £20m with future acquisitions in 2018.
Director Scott Ritchie (pictured) told Mobile News he expects two more acquisitions to be completed before the end of the year, and another in 2018.
“We have a number of acquisitions lined up for this year and early 2018. Another acquisition is being finalised now, a company in England,” he said.
“On our radar are really successful companies with good management teams who don’t have the scale to deal with the Vodafone machines or big networks anymore. We’re of that scale and we’re growing so quickly that we can support more connections.”
Assimilate added 10,000 mobile connections, taking the total to over 60,000. Ritchie said the 100,000 milestone will be hit next year, concurred by fellow director Matthew Brown, claiming “we’ll almost double that with organic growth and more acquisitions”.
All six members of staff from Assimilate will be transferred to Connect Telecom, including managing director Owen Keenan-Lindsey who retains his role.
Assimilate’s base in Dunstable will remain open to better serve connections from London. “It gives us a base for connections we are operating out of London. We’re now able to use Assimilated’s offices to better serve these connections,” Brown said.
Belfast-headquartered Connect Telecom celebrated its 10th anniversary in business this year. It has six other bases across the UK: Aberdeen, Dunstable, Glasgow, Carlisle, Manchester and London. Former BT director Ritchie bought the Belfast dealer in 2015 in a multi-million pound deal.
He said: “Connect Telecom has seen 200 per cent growth outside Northern Ireland with approximately 60 per cent of our business outside the region. Our regional offices based on the mainland allow us to deliver an even better service and add further value to our growing customer base.
“We’ve come a long way from 2015 when I bought the business, going from a £3 million business to where we are now.
“There’s significant consolidation through the industry and the strategy we’ve put in place two years ago is starting to accelerate. “Our strategy to grow organically and in-organically is going really well, growth through the group is going faster than we thought.”

domain: finance


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San Diego police officers responded to the report of a child bitten by a dog in Keiller Park Wednesday evening.
One child with bite wounds was treated by emergency personnel on Lisbon Street near Jamacha Road around 6:15 p.m.
Witnesses described the dog as a pit bull running loose and attacking children officers told NBC 7 News.
Animal control officers have been called to the scene.
Aerials of the scene show police officers in a baseball field with a dog sitting on a sidewalk nearby.
Check back for updates on this developing story.


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Tequila sales last year were 60 million gallons, 800% higher than two decades ago. This agave-based spirit has become so popular that distillers are “selling it at the price of gold.” What caused the boom? Celebrity endorsements.
From George Clooney to Arnold Schwarzenegger, LeBron James to Nick Jonas and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Kendall Jenner, celebrities have made billions off their tequila brands.
A Los Angeles Times article highlights the pros (a booming local economy in Mexico, tequila being introduced to more people) and the cons (environmental concerns, agave plants harvested too young, diverse crop fields and forests turned into monocultures of agave, foreigners taking over a traditional drink) of this growth. The article continues:
“Pre-Hispanic Indigenous groups in Mexico had been fermenting agave into a viscous alcoholic drink known as pulque for centuries when Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century and first distilled tequila. It has since evolved into an $10.8-billion-a-year industry.”
Read more (Los Angeles Times)
More specialty coffee producers are developing unique approaches to their coffee bean fermentation, isolating native microorganisms to create a flavorful cup or working closely with rural farmers to utilize fermentation control techniques on small-scale operations.
“Practically all the coffee we drink has been fermented in one way or another. But there is huge room for improvement, innovation and development in the realm of coffee fermentation,” says Mario Fernández, PhD, Technical Officer with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The SCA partnered with The Fermentation Association for the webinar The State of the Art in Coffee Fermentation.
Fernández continues: “Coffee is produced by millions of small coffee producers around the tropics that have very little capital to invest in fermentation equipment. Oftentimes, the price is too low for them to add fermentation controls as part of the cost equation. Therefore, for perhaps 99.9% of coffee in the world, it undergoes wild fermentation, in which the microbes grow on the mass of mucilage in a wild fashion and the coffee producer only controls certain parameters, such as the length of the fermentation.”
Two industry experts on the forefront of coffee fermentation technique and technology joined Fernández — Felipe Ospina, CEO of Colors of Nature Group (multinational specialty coffee trader) and Rubén Sorto, CEO of BioFortune Group (a coffee, upcycled and food ingredient manufacturer based in Honduras).
Post Harvest Processing Technology
Sorto is adapting fermentation technology to coffee, mapping the microbiota of the bacteria and yeasts that are present at Biofortune Group’s farms.
“We realized that fermentation was one of the key aspects of the coffee production that hadn’t been addressed,” Sorto said, noting fermentation is controlled in industries like dairy, wine, beer and bread but not in coffee. “We learned that our soil, our water, our coffee trees, our leaves, our [coffee] cherries, had a large compendium of bacteria and yeast that were involved in the posterior fermentation process…some of the yeasts and bacteria were definitely beneficial and were urgently needed during the fermentation but some of them were not.”
To maximize flavor, they focus on that complex array of bacteria and yeasts, preferably indigenous to the countries of origin. These microorganisms thrive in their local environment, reflecting altitude and temperature. To control the fermentation of those bacteria and yeasts, Biofortune reduces the variables, including monitoring pH levels, alcohol content and container contaminants.
“If you are able to control the fermentation, you are also able to offer a higher-quality product, a consistent quality product…and that’s what the market is looking for, consistent quality in a cup,” Sorto says.
Educating Coffee Farmers
Ospina, meanwhile, is researching fermentation techniques accessible to small-holder coffee producers and training them. The goal is for them to understand the role of each microorganism, discover how to use it in fermentation, then scale that knowledge to small-scale operations, so they can produce incredible coffees.
At La Cereza Research Center, the Colors of Nature facility in southern Colombia, they are experimenting with fermentation processes. Some alcoholic fermentations result in coffees that produce coffees that taste of whiskey, cognac, champagne, sangria or even beer. Lactic fermentations might produce coffees with flavors of banana, mango, papaya, grapefruit or even cacao. “This is showing us the potential is humongous,” Ospina says.
“Wild fermentation is the ultimate expression of the terroir and it’s very important for us because the terroir produces unique coffees,” Ospina says. “The thing is, we don’t understand wild fermentation yet, but I’m very against demonizing wild fermentation. Why? Because we have seen hundreds and hundreds of outstanding, amazing coffees from all over the world that have been produced with wild fermentation.”
There are challenges. Food safety is a big concern. Ospina teaches the use of disposable gloves at the farm level to prevent contaminants, and to put a new plastic bag in the bioreactor for each batch of beans to avoid cross-contamination.
The cost of implementing fermentation technology can be high. Sorto recommends to start by buying each farmer a pocket pH meter and a refractometer to closely monitor the fermentation.
“Translating science and technology to small farmers with very little investment will help them increase the possibility of a higher income because if you are not able to control fermentation, you are risking the effort of a one year harvest,” Sorto advises.
In America, where 40% of the population identifies as nonwhite, why do grocery stores still have an ethnic aisle? The outdated aisle initially began after World War II as a way for soldiers to buy the food they ate while in Italy, Germany or Japan. But the European foods, like pasta sauces and sauerkraut, eventually became integrated with the rest of the store, while foods from BIPOC countries stayed put.
Heads of ethnic food brands and grocery chains have been pushing for a change, but it’s been a hard sell. Doing away with the aisle is a layered problem — and still not the most popular approach with food professionals.
“Several food purveyors of colors see the aisle as a necessary evil — a way to introduce their products to shoppers who may be unfamiliar with, say, Indian food — though a barrier to bigger success,” reads an article in The New York Times.
Some ethnic brands come to store buyers with little capital to get their products on the shelf, so the only spot for them is on the ethnic aisle. They will never break out unless they’re acquired by a larger company. Larger corporations, like Pepsi or Nestlé, can afford to pay stores to put their products on shelves with prime product placement. And large ethnic brands (like Goya beans and Maruchan ramen) are placed on both ethnic aisles and their respective traditional product section because they’re considered broadly recognized.
But many products with international flavors made by nonwhite brands are not placed on the ethnic shelf. The Times shares the story of Toyin Kolawole, who runs the African ingredients brand Iya Foods. Kolawole tried to get her cassava flour into the flour aisle with a Midwestern retailer with no success. But when cassava flour began trending as a substitute for traditional flour, bigger companies launched their own cassava brands — which were put in the flour aisle.
On the flip side, other food professionals note that consumers turn to the ethic aisle in search of international flavors. Customers like the convenience. There is a fear that unique ingredients (like tamarind or pomegranate molasses) without a clear spot in a grocery store would get lost in a conventional aisle. And, even worse for some brands, integration in an American grocery store means being “divorced from its cultural background.”
Read more (The New York Times)
Tea consumption globally is increasing. But consumers don’t want a cheap, poor quality tea bag. They’re buying premium teas — and increasingly, dark, fermented teas.
“What’s trending right now seems to be authentic tea, tea that has great flavor, more closely married to the terroir. People are beginning to understand that it’s just fine to have tea. You don’t have to have coloring in it, you don’t have to have a lot of bits and pieces of fruit and flowers, there’s a genuine benefit to just understanding the terroir and keeping it simple,” says Dan Bolton, the founder, editor and publisher of Tea Journey. Bolton and two tea experts discussed two lesser-known fermented tea varieties in the TFA webinar Beyond Kombucha: Pu’erh, Jun and Dark Tea. “Tea just isn’t as good as it could be, without fermentation.”
A new study on tea demonstrates how important fermentation is to tea quality, Bolton says. Researchers from the Anhui Agricultural University in China recently studied the effect of surface microbiomes on the quality of black tea. The results found microbial fermentation in non-sterilized control tea samples produced complex compounds and more flavorful teas than with sterilized tea leaves. The results were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
“It’s a remarkable finding because, certainly for the last century or so, there’s been a lot of discussion about whether fermentation plays a role in the production and processing of tea,” Bolton says. The study proves “black tea is actually a result of both fermentation and oxidation.”
Jeff Fuchs — author, Himalayan explorer and co-founder of Jalam Teas — shared details of pu’erh tea. Pu’erh is a tea style from a strain of camellia leaf cultivated and produced in the Yunnan province. Fuchs spent over a decade living in there and is the only Westerner to have traveled the Tea Horse Road through Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet.
“Pu’erh is a tea that certainly I think it’s been deliberately mystified to some degree,” Fuchs says. “It’s interesting that you have this very simple, raw material green tea that is now arguably one of the great boutique commodities.”
Fuchs stresses consumers need to research tea sourcing. Where is the tea coming from? How was it stored? Who stored it? Older tea cakes are being sold for large amounts of money, but can have questionable provenance.
“Young teas I think are making a big assertion in the tea world right now because they represent a closer line to the terroir, a closer line to the origin point,” he says, adding dark teas are becoming more popular in North America. He sees more bartenders experimenting with dark teas, playing with flavor compounds. “I think dark teas will come into the sway more and they’ll remain.”
Jun is another tea style making waves in the fermented beverage market. It is a type of kombucha, but the base is green tea and honey instead of black tea and sugar. Brendan McGill shared his experience making jun — he is a chef and James Beard nominee; he owns the Hitchcock Restaurant Group in Seattle and the newly-launched Junbug Kombucha.
“Jun is a very special style of kombucha,” McGill says. “It’s shrouded in mystery, where these cultures originated. What we do know is how they’ve been developed and manipulated in fairly recent history. One of the joys I’ve had with this is just being extremely creative because i found that while the fermentation isn’t necessarily a delicate process, it has allowed us to modify and use a lot of different inputs that it’s actually a pretty robust fermentation process.”
McGill began making kombucha over a decade ago, as a replacement for beer and wine. He liked jun for its similar flavor to alcohol, the additional bioactive compounds that create a more nutritious drink and it’s made with honey instead of added sugar.
Junbug Kombucha uses filtered water, organic green tea, wild honey and, of course, a SCOBY. In the secondary fermentation, fresh herbs, berries and even mushrooms are added. Junbug flavors include Chaga Root Beer, Chili Raspberry and Maui Mana.
The Fermentation Association recently surveyed our community to better understand who has engaged with us, how their businesses are doing and to gauge the impact of the pandemic. We want to share the very interesting results.
A few qualifying comments first, however. This survey should not be interpreted as producing a profile of the fermented industry — it reached only those with whom we have connected since TFA was launched in 2017. This group is heavily weighted to Food and Beverage Producers and those in the Science, Health and Research fields. And, even as we note surprisingly high response rates below, the quantities of responses to certain questions were small and would not meet standard analytical thresholds of statistical significance. So please treat the comments and conclusions that follow as directional rather than definitive.
We received 450 full or partial responses — nearly twice the number we had expected and what we would have considered “good.” Not surprisingly, the bulk of these were from Food and Beverage Producers — just under half — with a strong representation of the Science, Health and Research community, a little less than one-fifth. The balance of the respondents were classified as Supplier or Service Provider (9%); Chef/Writer/Educator (8%); Retailer/Distributor/Broker (3%); Food Service/Hospitality (3%); or fell into a miscellaneous Other category (12%).
We will be presenting further analyses and follow-up discussions in the coming weeks. This article focuses on the two largest segments: first, Food & Beverage Producers; then, Science, Health, and Research.
FOOD & BEVERAGE PRODUCERS
- We found that over 80% of our Producers are small businesses with 25 or fewer employees, and 65% had 2020 sales of less than $500,000. That said, over 11% of the companies represented are toward the other end of the spectrum, with 100 or more on staff, and 13% with revenue of over $10 million.
- We reach a lot of Owners/Founders/Senior Executives, over 70% of respondents. The next most well-represented functional areas are Operations and Product Development.
- These businesses are spread across the developmental timeline — a little over 40% are selling at the local level, or earlier in their growth cycle (selling at farmers market or still in testing/pre-launch mode). Yet 45% are selling regionally, nationally or internationally.
- Retail is still the largest (45%) channel of sale for these producers, but Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is just slightly behind at 40%, with the remaining 15% through Food Service/Hospitality.
- Sauerkraut/Kimchi, Pickles, Condiments/Sauces and Kombucha were the most frequently-listed product categories, each mentioned by more than 20% of the producers. Kefir, Vinegar/Shrubs, Wine and Miso also were mentioned often. Of the 25 product categories listed, we had respondents involved in every one — except poor, slimy, and unrepresented natto.
- Nearly half of producers selling at retail and/or DTC had sales gains in 2020 and another third maintained their revenues. Not surprisingly, nearly 40% of producers selling into food service saw sales take a hit — only 15% reported gains.
- The Covid-19 pandemic caused a host of issues for producers, though their prevalence seemed to vary depending on the size of the company. Among larger producers, over 90% had issues meeting demand, with the primary problems being shortages of raw materials, packaging and staff, as well as distribution delays. Fewer of the small producers reported issues, but their problems fell into the same categories. Financial difficulties were cited more often among small producers.
- Nearly 30% of producers took advantage of the government’s Payroll Protection Plan.
- This year appears to continue or build on the sales levels achieved in 2020 for most producers. Nearly 40% report first quarter 2021 sales at the same level as last year, and nearly 50% reported further increases. And producers are optimistic about continuing these trends, with a mere 5% anticipating sales declines.
- Most (nearly two-thirds) of responding producers did not participate in tradeshows and conferences, and therefore felt no business impact from show cancellations in 2020.
- The producers that did participate in events favored the Natural Products Expos, Fancy Food Shows and IFT Show. While some felt that they lost short-terms sales and their future growth was hurt by the shows being cancelled, nearly 30% noted that they saved money and time by not attending. Some of those savings were reinvested in increased marketing, DTC sales and virtual events.
- Interestingly, half of the producers plan to continue their involvement as events resume at the same level as before the pandemic, and fully one-third plan to increase activity.
- Looking ahead, producers see numerous challenges on the horizon, led by a need for expanded distribution. They expect many of the recent shortages to continue to challenge, compounded by production, facility and financial constraints. While Covid protocols and food safety concerns persist, they are joined by the need for product development, e-commerce skills, and consumer marketing
- The clearly-articulated top priority for producers is a better-educated consumer. When asked what would foster increased consumption of fermented foods and beverages, the top item for nearly 70% is consumer education as to the nature and benefits of fermentation. The next highest priorities all support this same goal — more research into health impact (+40%), greater familiarity with flavors of fermentation (+40%) and more exposure at retail (+30%).
SCIENCE, HEALTH & RESEARCH
- The bulk — nearly 75% — of these respondents work in an academic environment, with very small clusters in government and medical/health organizations. It’s a well-educated group, with over half holding doctorates, plus another quarter with Master’s degrees. Roles are split quite evenly into thirds — professors, science/technical support and students/postdocs.
- Over 60% of these respondents are looking into connections between fermentation and health; roughly half are specifically focused on gut health and the human microbiome. Overall, three-quarters are currently researching fermentation and fermented products. Their activities, though, span the full spectrum of product categories. All the key categories among our producers — Sauerkraut/Kimchi, Pickles, Condiments/Sauces, Kombucha and Kefir — were well-represented in research. But they were joined by meaningful work across the board — Yogurt, Beer, Cheese, Alternative Proteins, Koji, Wine, Sourdough, Tempeh, Tea — even Natto!
- Slightly more than a third of this group is involved with fermented alternative proteins – an important, emerging category.
- Funding for research showed more declines (30% of respondents) than gains (under 15%) over the last year. But half of our sample expects funding to increase in the coming 12-18 month.
- Our Science, Health & Research respondents were split in how they viewed the interest in fermentation research — 60% felt the focus was increasing, but the topic was not yet a top priority. Yet a third saw fermentation as a hot topic, with more emphasis and activity than ever.
- Respondents in this group shared the views of producers that the key activities that would drive increased consumption of fermented products are:
- Consumer education about fermentation
- More research into health benefits
- Greater consumer familiarity with fermented flavors
Forty years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its first legal definition of yogurt, the government agency has now updated that standard of identity. But, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), this new final rule is so outdated and out-of-touch with yogurt makers that popular products could be removed from grocery store shelves. The IDFA, which represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing industry, submitted an 87-page formal objection to the FDA.
“The result is a yogurt standard that is woefully behind the times and doesn’t match the reality of today’s food processing environment or the expectations of consumers,” says Dr. Joseph Scimeca, senior vice president of IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs.
The IDFA is particularly concerned that the FDA crafted its final rule using comments made when the agency first pitched the guideline 12 years ago. Scimeca continues: “the final rule is already out of date before it takes effect…as if technology has not progressed or as if the yogurt making process itself has been trapped in amber like a prehistoric fossil.”
The revised standard does not include IDFA’s recommended revisions.
Read more (IDFA)
Restaurants have been under tremendous economic pressure, suffering from business losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. And there’s now a staffing shortage, as long hours and low pay have driven many away from the industry.
Bloomberg columnist Bobby Ghosh explored how restaurant dining may change in an Instagram live interview with Rene Redzepi, owner and co-owner of Noma, Copenhagen’s two-Michelin star restaurant world-renowned for its experimental fermentation lab. Pandemic restrictions shut down Noma twice, forcing Redzepi to create additional revenue streams outside the traditional dining room.
Below are highlights from Ghosh’s interview with Redzepi.
Ghosh: What did you learn about how people were feeling about returning to restaurants?
Redzepi: Restaurants, you don’t need them to stay alive but you need them to feel alive. That was very, very clear, that people were ready to go out. You know they say it’s the catch-up effect, and that definitely happened here in Copenhagen. People were everywhere, they were in piles to get a bite to sit down, have a glass of wine and meet other people.
Ghosh: When you began to think about reopening the proper dining space and planning your menu for the reopening, did you have any particular thoughts or concerns about whether people’s habits in restaurant dining might have changed in the course of the year that they were all locked up?
Redzepi: Yeah, so we went through the first lockdown, opened up, we were open for about five months and then it all came back and we had to close (again during the second lockdown). On the second lockdown, we were shut for six months and, in that time, we were very worried about everything, I mean we still are, but I guess we’re a little less worried now than before because we’re finally open again. We did think “Would people even sit for hours in a restaurant? What is it that everyone wants?” Besides that, people in Denmark, they started really cooking at home again. Takeaway offerings had become quite common, even from some of the best restaurants, something that would be considered completely impossible five years ago. If you had takeaway as a fine dining establishment, you sort of sold out in a way and that was starting to happen.
But I decided with myself, and that was a personal decision, is that in my life I need this creativity, I need to have guests, I need to work on a menu on a daily basis, so during the lockdown I went to work every day in the kitchen as if we were going to open the following day. We actually made two full menus and one of them will never be served because we ended up being closed throughout it. And then we said “OK, let’s just open up and see what happens, will people still want to come out?” and we opened up our reservations knowing that we would cater only to 100% local crowd and it’s gone really well, really really well.
Ghosh: The thrill of being in a nice restaurant and being able to talk to people and enjoy a meal is incomparable um and I do appreciate the value of fun after the year and a half that we’ve all had. Can you give us an example of a dish that you have in your menu now that reflects this attitude of fun, the surprise.
Redzepi: Swedish saffron believe it or not, it’s really, really strong and tastes amazing. We make this fudge with it and we found out that you can actually use the sort of the cutting of walnut as a wig for candles because the oil content in the walnut makes it flammable. And so we basically shaped or molded this little toffee into a candle. It sounds complicated but it’s quite easy to do when it’s hot and then we put this walnut light into it and it comes to the table when they’re drinking coffee and people think it’s you know for coziness and then as it burns out people are then instructed to eat it that’s a that’s a moment where that’s fun you know it’s creativity, it’s delicious it surprises people and it just really makes it makes a difference to people you can feel that they’ve been needing something like that.
Ghosh: What have you learned that you didn’t already know about restaurant economics over the past year that now factors in your thinking about what Noma is and what Noma needs to be in the future.
Redzepi: Oh man, you’re hitting something that we’ve been talking about for the past two years because, particularly in the last year-and-a-half, restaurant economics, they’re terrible. We’ve had 18 years of operation and we’ve had an average profit of 3%. It’s just enough to keep us running and keep painting the house, so during this pandemic we did think to ourselves “Are we going to continue like this for another 18 years, where we don’t have any money to change anything, even if we want it?” You know we’re going to have to find different ways of operating so that we can have a different economics in it. We have to figure out a way if we want to be here for another 18 years because you know it won’t continue like this. So we have definitely thought of many many things and recently we launched this thing that we call Noma Projects. Noma Projects is a sort of a platform to launch a myriad of things, it’s a for-profit company, but we only want to attack projects that also connect to some sort of a worldly issue, and the first project one is is a vegan and a vegetarian garum sauce that you use as a flavoring to add umami to your vegetarian and vegan cooking. It’s a way to help people eat more vegetarian so that’s project one, that’s something that we worked on almost almost since the first lockdown that happened to us we were like we need to step into this.
Ghosh: About six months ago, I did a piece about restaurant economics and the pandemic. I talked to your friend David Chang of Momofuku. We’re saying that we have to figure out more ways to find revenues outside of the dining room. You know, can we get 50% of the revenue from outside of the dining room where the margins are larger to sustain, to underwrite the amazing creativity that goes on in your kitchens? Is that possible? Have consumer tastes or consumer behaviors now changed in a way that will allow that kind of thing?
Redzepi: I think what happened during the pandemic is that it’s been considered more OK for restaurants of say Momofuku caliber or Noma to actually think of ways to put better economics into the system. That has opened a new door and for us, we’re grabbing that opportunity, we need to, definitely. Our industry needs to, in general. It’s an industry that’s under copious amounts of pressure, we deal with poor profit margins, low incomes, people are overworked, they’re underpaid, there’s bad management and a lot of it is a result of there’s simply no money in the industry, people can’t afford to do maneuver any new way they want, and we don’t have any business training either. It’s very interesting what’s going on. I think a lot of creativity is going to come out of restaurants in the next couple of years.
Ghosh: Now in addition to being a chef, you’re a thinker in your line of work. Through MAD Academy, which used to be anyway your annual gathering of of great chefs from around the world, you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your industry and the future of your industry. I imagine that during the course of the past year, year-and-a-half you’ve had many conversations with the kinds of people who would previously have come to that conference. What are some of the common themes, the common challenges for fine dining establishments?
Redzepi: I think in food in general, the most common problem, and I think it’s going to continue for a while, is that there’s a gigantic staff shortage right now. I think in the pandemic, a lot of people have had an opportunity to rethink their life and say “OK, am I in this industry for the next 20 years or is this a moment for me now to start studying or become a farmer or something else.” That is really the biggest issue that we have right now, there’s no question in my mind. This is something that at MAD we’ve been discussing for almost a decade. If we’re not able to help transform (and this includes myself by the way I’ve spoken about this many times) this gigantic lack of leadership that we face as an industry where we have a poor ability to actually just manage ourselves, manage our restaurants and be supportive of people, that will be the first step that needs to happen which is slowly happening. But then providing better pay and better work hours, that are related to economics. I see our industry being far from that, unless we figure out a way to either charge more that there’s more value towards foods and people that work in the industry or we find other revenue streams. Those are the big, big questions that we are dealing with at MAD. At Noma, I deal with this as a employer myself, how to actually be an inspiration, but how to also provide for staff that are having children, and how can we have everyone stay here for 40 years in this industry? That’s really hard questions.
Noma is coming into the home kitchen.
The fermentation-focused restaurant, lauded as one of the top restaurants in the world, is selling its first line of packaged products. Two garums — vegan Smoked Mushroom and vegetarian Sweet Rice and Egg — will soon be available to ship internationally through the brand’s website, Noma Projects.
“It’s a space for us to channel our knowledge, our craft and experimentation into a new endeavor,” says René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of the Copenhagen-based restaurant.
Redzepi shared details of the launch in a video on the site. Noma Projects will include pantry products and community-based initiatives, “a way for us to address issues we care about through the lens of food.”
Noma’s Pantry Staples
The garums are Noma’s “take on a 1,000-year-old recipe that we’ve been developing over the past two decades.” Redzepi says the “potent, umami-based sauces” have been the “key to our success at Noma in our vegetarian and vegan menus.
He hopes the garums will help more people cook plant-based meals, announcing in the video: “We want to help you bring more vegetables into your everyday cooking.” The garums provide the flavor of meat and fish without the animal. The website description notes: “Shifting towards a more plant-based diet is the easiest way for an individual to help the environment. We hope these garums will do the same for you that they’ve done for us, help inspire and create more delicious plant-based meals when you cook at home.”
These products were developed in Noma’s Fermentation Lab, where dozens of pantry staples were tested before landing on the garums. A garum is the “concentrated essence of its main ingredient” with a strong umami flavor, and Redzepi describes it to the WSJ. Magazine (the luxury magazine published by Wall Street Journal): “It has the potency of a soy sauce, except it tastes of what it is.” Both are brewed with koji rice, what Redzepi calls the “mother fungus.”
The garums are currently fermenting and will be ready for shipping in the fall or winter. The expected price point is $20-$35 for a bottle.
And more garums are in the works. Noma Fermentation Lab director, Jason Ignacio White, says a roasted chicken wing garum is next.
“It tastes like super chicken stock with umami,” White tells WSJ. Magazine, ”so it’s a familiar flavor, but there’s something about it that you can’t really put your finger on, that makes your tongue dance.”
Despite Noma’s expensive tabs — the 20-course tasting menu costs 2,800 Danish kroner (or around $447), and the wine pairing is another 1,800 Danish kroner (or around $287) — in the 18 years since it opened, the restaurant has hovered at only a 3% profit margin. Redzepi hopes Noma Projects will make more money. While it is “a family-run garage project,” its goal is to reach a million customers.
Like many restaurants around the world, Noma shut down during the pandemic. They reopened as a burger and wine bar in June 2020, and the walk-up, outdoor dining experience was such a success that it became a permanent restaurant, POPL.
Noma resumed regular operations on June 1, 2021. The pandemic closure allowed Redzepi and his team to finally tackle the retail brand, something he said they had debated for years.
Hoping to spur interest in traditional sake, a Japanese producer has published a picture book What is Sake? that takes readers on a tour of their sake facility. Suigei Brewing Co., based in the western city of Kochi, uses the book to detail how sake is made. The bilingual book includes English translations.
The president of Suigei Brewing Co., Hirokuni Okura, notes Japan’s sake culture is gradually being forgotten. He said he desires to “have both adults and children view sake, an element of Japanese food culture, as something close to them.”
The book’s illustrator, Misae Nagai, featured all 53 employees of Suigei in her charming illustrations.
Read more (The Mainichi)
Running a food or drink business is challenging in today’s market — there’s increasing competition, fast-paced trends and challenging access to retailers. If you run a fermentation-based business with a long production cycle, those market forces are compounded.
“A lot of businesses in this sector are in it because of the passion, they love what they’re doing, and sometimes the finances can feel very mysterious, there’s an aversion to dealing with it, and they aren’t taking the time to really look and understand the numbers,” says Maria Pearman, a principal with Perkins & Co., Portland, OR-based professionals in food and beverage finance and accounting. She shared her expertise during a TFA webinar, Best Practices for Cash Flow Management.
“Cash flow forecasting, it’s not rocket science. It’s not hard stuff. It is just very foreign to a lot of people and they avoid it,” Pearman says.
Matt Hately, a TFA Advisory Board member who moderated the webinar, agreed. Hately is an investor and advisor in fermented food and beverage brands.
“Managing cash…I would argue that it’s even more of a challenge for fermentation companies where your production cycles aren’t instant, they might take a week or three weeks or six weeks and, when you’re starting, your suppliers are probably demanding to be paid up front, your customers want 30-day terms,” he says .
Pearman, author of the book Small Brewery Finance, shared an overview on cash management. Fermentation businesses need to closely manage their cash conversion cycle as production cycles lengthen. The cash flow conversion cycle is the period between when money is spent to purchase ingredients to when payment is received from the sale of the final product.
Fermented products — which can take anywhere from a few weeks to even years to ferment — have a long cycle.
Pearman shared the example of a whisky distiller. After fermentation, whisky ages in barrels for years. All the while — before the product is ever sold — there are ongoing overhead costs for the distillery, like rent, utilities and staff.
“The rhythm of your cash flow is not going to match the rhythm of your income, and cash flow management is about bridging that gap,” Pearman says.
Cash Flow Forecasting
There are three primary financial reports that make up a business’ financial statements:
- Balance sheet (snapshot of the status of a company at a moment in time)
- Income statement (performance over a period of time)
- Statements of cash flows (sources and uses of cash over a period of time)
Often overlooked is cash flow forecasting, the expected inflow and outflow of cash over future periods.
The cash flow forecast, Pearman notes, is not standard in business financial records. It is usually kept outside of an accounting system as it’s information management generally uses. It’s important because a business can’t rely on just their income statement or bank balance to manage cash flow — labor, overhead and cost of inventory must be part of the expenses. She compared managing cash without a cash flow forecast to “building a house without a hammer.”
“One of the biggest pitfalls that I see with businesses is chasing profitability instead of cash flow,” Pearman says. “It is completely understandable because we’re all hardwired to try to do things as efficiently as we can, get the best deal, but truly in the early stages of a company, it’s way more important to manage cash flow than profitability.”
“It’s a high cost for bringing a new product to market. Cash flow issues are going to be prevalent regardless of where you are in your life cycle, and the best way to guard against cash issues is to have a cash flow forecast.”
During the webinar, Pearman shared a detailed look at a sample business’ financial workbook. She noted that it seems arduous to manage that level of detail but, without it, “you’re really flying blind.”
“It will force you to be highly in tune with the rhythms of your business,” she continues. “It will force you to learn it at such a level that it starts to become innate knowledge, you know it like the back of your hand and there’s no shortcut to that.”


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Project Wedding is Now WeddingWire - WeddingWire.com
Use WeddingWire for everything you loved about Project Wedding, and so much more. Find new wedding ideas, book wedding vendors, and talk to real couples.
Winter Wedding Cupcakes
A pretty vintage winter cupcake tower. Cupcakes decorated with sugar lace, roses, hydrangeas and birdcages with a top tier full of sugar roses and pretty pearl and diamante details.
White and pearl wedding cake
Following their engagement in Miami, Danielle Galea and Oliver Torrance tied the knot in Essex surrounded by family and friends


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Thanks to Eric for suggesting to post this here… Short notice but you are all welcome to join:
In support of the victims of the Beirut Explosion we are putting together a typeface that combines drawings from both the Lebanese & the global community of type designers. A big heartfelt thank u to everyone who already said yes!
Full text of the brief:
In support of the relief efforts dealing with the aftermath of the Beirut explosion, you are kindly invited to contribute to a new typeface that is made of Arabic and Latin decorative letters. Dr. Nadine Chahine is coordinating the project, and the early list of confirmed contributions include Lebanese designers such as Wael Morcos, Pascal Zoghbi, Kristyan Sarkis, Bahia Shehab, Khajag Apelian, Yara Khoury, Azza Alemeddine, Lara Captan, and Tarek Atrissi, as well as friends and colleagues from the global type design community such as Jean-François Porchez, Neil Summerour, Jessica Hische, Erik Spiekermann, Erik van Blokland, Kaja Słojewska, and Hannes von Döhren.
Every designer would contribute at least one glyph of a letter set in a square ornamental background. The type of decoration and the size of the letter within that square is open to your interpretation and you are very welcome to draw as many letters as you like as we’ll ideally have many alternates. The files can be submitted either as an Illustrator file or a Glyphs/UFO file with the square size being 700 units on a 1000 upm. Due to time constraints we are unable to accept drawings that require outline corrections. The copyright of each glyph remains with its designer. Examples are below.
The font will be made available on multiple channels and all proceeds will go to Lebanese charities. The crowdfunding campaign will also feature dedicated Instagram and Twitter accounts to showcase the submissions once received.
If you would like to take part, please send your submission by Friday August 14 to
liBeirut2020 at yahoo dot com, and if you are willing, a short message of support that can be posted alongside your submission on social media. Please indicate your social media accounts so we can tag you.
Task: square decorative isolated Arabic letters or Latin capitals
Deadline: August 14, 2020
Email to: liBeirut2020 at yahoo dot com
Thank you and I hope we can all come together to send messages of support to the devastated communities in Beirut.
I really hope you can join us! Sorry for the rush and another million thanks to all who are helping us draw letters of hope. I always find solace in design & I hope that by coming together we can show global solidarity to the people of Beirut & my beloved home city


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Game-changing mRNAsFebruary 6, 2021
Apart from a lot of misery and pain, the COVID-19 pandemic has given us a lot of insights into the treatment of other diseases like cancers.
All wars are known to leave behind devastated cities, buildings, mass graves and feelings of grief, and the war on COVID-19 has also destroyed human lives and economies. Many believe that life will never be the same again and the fear of pandemics will constantly haunt us in the future. In spite of all such losses, this war has also led to a technological breakthrough that will make life better in the long run.
Research on using mRNA as a therapeutic molecule in cancers and autoimmune diseases has been ongoing for more than a decade, but the true extent of its utility has been seen only during the current pandemic. This medical revolution, involving the use of mRNA therapeutics which encodes the antigen of the infectious agent, has been made in a very short span of time in comparison to conventional vaccines. Most vaccines are made from viruses grown in chicken eggs or mammalian cells in large amounts and are deactivated before delivery. However, synthetic mRNA is very simple and easy to manufacture and is injected into the body where they enter the cells to produce antigens. The cells then present these antigens to the immune system to prepare it for a fight in case of any future infections. From now on, as soon as the virus genome is sequenced, the mRNA can be synthesized and given as therapy or vaccine. However, the major challenge for mRNA vaccines and therapies is delivery. Still, there are several delivery mechanisms being identified and more are in development.
Shift in course
Early vaccine research on COVID-19 involved engineering the spike-protein gene into the adenovirus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees but is relatively harmless to humans. Scientists at Oxford University developing a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) used this approach. Bill Gates Foundation collaborated with this team of scientists to take it to clinical trials, but the vaccine did not live up to expectations. Johnson & Johnson used a similar vaccine approach of using a human adenovirus to carry part of the spike-gene. However, it too would not work in humans who are already exposed to adenovirus. It is in this context that scientists explored another method to transfer genetic material into human cells without the use of viral vectors — by using DNA or RNA directly. DNA vaccines have been tested by a few companies such as Inovio Pharmaceuticals, involving the use of DNA carrying instructions to produce the spike-protein or its parts to train the immune system to react to the real virus. The primary challenge was the delivery of the DNA into human cells and the need to transport it into the nucleus to start producing the spike protein. It would need a lot of DNA to be injected into a patient’s arm to cause minute amounts of DNA to get into the cell’s nucleus and the approach was not considered efficient.
This led the researchers to think about using RNA, which does not need to be transported into the cell’s nucleus to translate itself into a protein. Scientists such as Sydney Brenner and James Watson first identified and isolated RNA in 1961. However, it was hard to use RNA as a vaccine as the body’s immune system often destroyed mRNA when it was engineered and introduced into the body. It was as recently as 2005 that new scientific breakthroughs were made in the form of synthetic mRNA molecules that can be delivered into human cells using lipids without having to be destroyed. When the pandemic struck, companies like BioNTech and Moderna — which were not working on such infections — took it as a challenge to develop a new RNA vaccine by combining RNA with lipid carriers. Pfizer, which was working on developing a vaccine for flu using mRNA technology, partnered with BioNTech to start work on COVID-19.
Similarly, Moderna — which never set out to work on developing vaccines for a pandemic — was supported by funding from the US government to leverage its expertise in the area of developing lipid nanoparticles for delivery of mRNA to come up with a vaccine for COVID-19. By November 2020, both companies had vaccines in late-stage clinical trials with more than 90% success. It wasn’t long before US FDA gave emergency use authorization to start producing and supplying these vaccines.
The messenger RNA has the power to transform modern medicine by stimulating or training our immune system to fight infections. Both BioNTech and Moderna are also pioneers in cancer research and are developing immunotherapy using mRNA to help the body’s immune system to identify and kill cancer cells. mRNA’s ability to be reprogrammed means that it may be possible to engineer them as treatments for several intractable diseases like cystic fibrosis, cancer and HIV. Cancer cells, in particular, create unique proteins, and mRNA can be used to precisely target these genetically unique tumour cells and train the immune system to eliminate them. In fact, before the pandemic, Moderna was working on developing therapies for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. In short, the current pandemic — with its wave of destruction — has also inaugurated a new era of mRNA therapies and vaccines.


ASHEVILLE NC – New Belgium Brewing is bringing its beer-toting, film-traveling, nonprofit-benefiting show to your backyard. Clips Beer and Film Tour is coming to Asheville on Friday, September 6 at Pack Square Park: Roger McGuire Green. This is the fourth annual tour, which has raised more than $250,000 for nonprofit organizations since its inception. In Asheville, the nonprofit partner is Asheville on Bikes, supported by the Asheville Downtown Association.
Clips offers a venue where guests can try New Belgium’s most esoteric offerings while watching short films created by New Belgium fans. Up to 16 beer varieties will be on tap, including selections from the Lips of Faith series and brewery classics. The best part is that 100 percent of the proceeds from beer sales benefit local nonprofits working to improve communities nationwide.
New Belgium beers will be available in 3-ounce samples or a 12-ounce pour. Served up by local beneficiary volunteers, there’s plenty of fun to be had alongside a host of traveling tricks and contests. Food from Avery’s Hot Dogs & Gypsy Queen Cuisine will also be available.
“Clips combines our love of hand-crafted beers with independent films while giving people a chance to enjoy an evening in the park,” said Christie Catania, Clips Manager-at-Large. “As for films, there’s something for everyone from comedies to short documentaries, and the beautiful thing is that you’re drinking a beer under the stars, watching films and supporting your community.”
New Belgium selects approximately 20 short films for the tour each season. All chosen entries for the 2013 tour will receive a custom gift from New Belgium and screenings in 21 cities. This year, the chosen films include mastering the technique of dice rolling; the quest for the ultimate full moon shot; a duel to be the hippest hipster; and homebrewing in a small New York City apartment. It’s a diverse and highly entertaining line-up that can’t be missed!
Pack Square Park: Roger McGuire Green
Asheville on Bikes is a nonprofit organization that cultivates the culture of commuting and urban cycling within Asheville through celebration and advocacy.
Asheville Greenworks (www.ashevillegreenworks.org)
Admission – free
3 oz. sample – $1.25
12 oz. beer – $5.00
Food is welcome; alcohol is not (leave that to us)
Bring low chairs or blankets to lounge on the grass
Entire families are welcome
Bring your I.D. if you plan to sample beers!
About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year-round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.


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RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer has confirmed the governing body will review its decision to request bonds from non-member clubs to enter the Challenge Cup.
It appeared the historic competition would not feature the defending holders in 2019 after the Dragons refused to commit to covering a shortfall in ticket sales.
But the RFL confirmed they had come to an agreement with the Dragons on Monday that would ensure they play next year.
It’s believed the RFL were keen to receive the commitment from all non-member clubs to make up for a shortfall in ticket sales following last year’s disappointing Wembley attendance.
Rimmer, who would not disclose the details behind their agreement with the French club, admitted they would reconsider the policy moving forward, but insisted they were acting on behalf of the game.
“We will review everything next year but in the end, the governing body has a responsibility to its members, so there was no abdication of our responsibility to the game, in the end, Catalans have been very supportive.
“We’ll be reviewing everything over the Summer and we’ll put something in place for next year.
“The details of that (the deal with Catalans) are commercially sensitive, but Bernard (Guasch) has been really good and we’re delighted they’re going to be in it.
“I don’t think it’s a PR disaster, I’m really excited and we start on Sunday with Millom and Red Star Belgrade, which is something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.”
Rimmer confirmed Toronto would not be reinstated, however, despite Wolfpack officials saying there was still a chance of them being included.
The Canadian club had also refused to the arrangements, but unlike Catalans, Rimmer insists they won’t be playing in the Cup this year.
“It’s really straightforward. They know what the situation is, the competition is as we see it.
“I like David Argyle a lot, he’s got a little twinkle in his eye, but they won’t be in the Challenge Cup this year.
“The whole structure has been worked out. They’re aware of that.”
Rimmer was speaking following the announcement of a major broadcast boost for the game below Super League, with SKY set to show every Toronto Wolfpack game this year.
Beyond that, OURLeague, the RFL’s official app, will be streaming a game a week from Championship, League 1 or the Women’s Super League.
It comes after years of calls from within the game to give the lower leagues more exposure, with Rimmer one of the most vocal advocates.
“We can look forward to some fabulous Rugby League but not only that but some great coverage.
“I think it was brilliant. We tried really hard, Mark Foster dealt with it superbly. The Wolfpack as well have played their part in the role. We’re going to get some really good coverage for these divisions next year and that gives us the ability to promote what they do and to many people who will see it.
“It was a clear objective from us and I’d like to thank SKY. They’ve been great.”
Rimmer would not be drawn on the application from a New York-based franchise to enter the competition in 2020 or the upcoming Lions tour, but confirmed he would discuss those topics and more in detail at a media briefing in February.