Voronezh, October 7 (RHC)-- Members of the Cuban Embassy in Moscow were the acclaimed guests at a ceremony held in the Russian city of Voronezh to recall the visit there by Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1972.
Voronezh is an industrial city in the south central part of the Russian Federation, some 500 miles from Moscow.
Victor Rudenko, the editor of the Voronezh newspaper COMMUNA said:
“We will always cherish his presence among us. Fidel Castro has been the only President to visit us.
The city has issued at medal to mark the 50th anniversary of the visit by Fidel Castro and has also produced a documentary film on his activities there.
- U.S. Republican lawmakers favor agricultural trade between Cuba and the United States
- RHC's Caribbean Outlook Show
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- Cuba condemns OAS' interference in Venezuela's internal affairs
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text:
The INIA1 and the IVIA2 from Spain have a granted United States patent directed to a method for transforming adult citrus plants with A. tumefacienshaving a gene of interest.
The invention discloses in vitro micrografting of transformed shoots onto stocks, at least twice, in order to generate complete adult plants. The second in vitro micrografting can be skipped by planting the first micrografted plants directly into soil.
The related European application EP 870 838 A3, which is not presented here, does not refer to a transformation method in particular, and instead inoculation of a vector carrying a gene of interest into a citrus plant can be performed by any method, including Agrobacterium as disclosed in dependent Claim 2. Furthermore, independent Claim 1 covers any woody species, therefore this application is mentioned in the section ‘Woody Tree Species’.
1 Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Spain
2 Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Spain
Specific Patent Information
|Patent Number||Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims||Assignee|
||Title – Procedure for the genetic transformation of adult plants of woody species
Method for transforming explants of adult citrus plants with a non-oncogenic A. tumefaciens having a gene of interest. The transformed shoots are micrografted onto other stocks to allow regeneration of complete adult plants.
|INIA & IVIA|
Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 14 March 2006.

domain: agronomy


text: I have been out of town the past couple of weeks and have really missed my sewing machine. So I am off my "real" job today and have been working away. I have been bouncing the idea of making a t-shirt around for a while. I have finally put my idea into an actual project. Here is my first one.

domain: artistic


text:
Eleven people have been killed in an attack in eastern Nigeria targeting the deputy governor of Adamawa state, police say.
The assailants used guns and machetes in the attack in Mildu village. Some victims had their throats slit.
Deputy state governor Bala James Ngilari was not at home when the assailants arrived in the village. Two of his guards were among those killed.
It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.
Villagers and police said the attackers called out the names of those they were targeting when they entered Mildu on Saturday morning.
Islamist group Boko Haram is active in the region, though the state of Adamawa is also the scene of a political feud between members of the ruling PDP party.
This week Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan set up a panel to look into the possibility of granting Boko Haram militants an amnesty.

domain: law


The business value generated by information and communication technologies (ICT) has been for long time a major research topic. Recently there is a growing research interest in the business value generated by particular types of information systems (IS). One of them is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which are increasingly adopted by organizations for supporting and integrating key business and management processes.
VELACORE is changing the economics of enterprise applications. Traditional enterprise applications have become prohibitively expensive. Dramatically lower your costs using Commlink’s modern, “next generation” ERP. An ERP can definitely help your business to gain time and save money! Manage your business with VELA and increase your profit! Your business will change.
VELACORE business solution is complete business management software which also meets specific industry needs. This solution will
- Easily manage your daily operations
- Automate and eliminate manual intensive activities
- Streamline business processes!
- Gain full visibility of your business!
- Maximize customers’ satisfaction!
- Effectively link your different global operations!
- Reduce your operating costs!


text:
New Variable Cash-back Feature Enables Restaurant Owners to Help End Hunger in their Community and Increase Profits in Real Time
Mogl, the leading restaurant rewards program with a mission to end hunger, today announced that it is the first in its category with direct access to real-time data from Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Mogl’s relationship with the three major card issuers, combined with its proprietary technology, helps restaurants stay full by offering the right reward, at the right time. Since Mogl is fully automated, restaurants can increase profits without adding any extra work.
Through its new variable cash-back feature, restaurants can now choose to offer customizable, time-based, cash-back rewards to Mogl users that can be changed at any time throughout the day. This flexibility enables restaurant owners to increase cash-back to fill seats when they need it, or limit the rewards when it’s not necessary.
“Mogl’s one-of-a-kind technology acts as a powerful catalyst to get customers in the door when business is slow – and it also allows you to pull back when you’re already busy and don’t want or need to offer discounts,” said Jon Carder, CEO and co-founder of Mogl. “For consumers, Mogl is more exciting than ever because restaurants are now able to offer increased cash-back amounts such as 15%, 20% and even 30%, in order to win their business.”
Why Restaurants Choose Mogl:
It’s Effortless – Restaurant owners don’t have to train their staff or manage the rewards – Mogl is 100% automated and seamless, through secure credit-card tracking.
It’s Time-Based – Restaurant owners can customize their cash-back rewards by time of day to keep their restaurants full and limit discounts when they are already busy. Mogl will work with owners to determine the best reward to give at exactly the right time. Owners also have the ability to optimize their program on the fly.
It’s Affordable – Restaurant owners can leverage Mogl’s technology to gain unlimited customers for a simple flat monthly fee. No long-term contracts.
Mogl combines the best elements of local search with a rewards program focused on philanthropy, making it a unique opportunity for restaurants. Their technology helps restaurants acquire new customers by promoting them within the app and website, while driving loyalty through cash rewards and gamification. On average, Mogl guests spend 45% more per month and increases restaurant profits by more than $10,000 per year on average.
“We have been loyal to Mogl since they arrived in the Conejo Valley,” said Shawn Berger, director of operations at Bandit’s Bar and Grill (and a Mogl member since 2011). “We are excited about the new variable cash program as we can dedicate more focus to non-peak periods and drive even more business.”
What’s in it for Consumers:
Mogl is now an even more powerful tool for consumers to save money and give back to their local food bank when dining out. Instead of the traditional 10% cash-back benefit at any participating Mogl restaurant, they can now use the Mogl app to locate restaurants in their area that may be offering 20%, 30% or more throughout the day. Restaurants with the highest cash-back return (or offer) at any given time will rise to the top of the search list, making it easy to select a venue where they can save the most money – or make the largest impact by donating meals (all cash-back can easily be converted to meal donations via the Mogl app). The unique combination of cash-back rewards, discreet redemption, jackpot competitions and meal donations keep Mogl members coming back to the app again and again.
How it Works:
- Consumers sign up for Mogl for free online or via iPhone or Android apps and link any debit or credit cards of their choice.
- Consumers use that linked card to pay at any participating Mogl venue. The cash-back amount is determined by the offer that is live when they pay their bill.
- Consumers receive an alert on their phone and via email and with a finger swipe, they can choose to keep the cash-back or donate any or all of it to their local food bank.
For every 20 cents a consumer donates via Mogl, a meal is provided through a local food bank to someone in need in that city. It’s like Tom’s Shoes for food. To date, Mogl members have donated more than 600,000 meals.
For restaurants interested in learning more about Mogl, visit http://www.mogl.com/business.
Mogl is the leading restaurant rewards program with a mission to end hunger in the United States. Mogl’s automated program helps restaurants stay full by offering the right reward to the right customer at the right time, and allows customers to effortlessly earn cash-back on their purchases in real-time thanks to Mogl’s partnerships with Visa, MasterCard and American Express. With a swipe of their finger, customers can decide how much to receive in cash-back, or how many meals to donate to fight hunger in their city. To date, more than 600,000 meals have been donated to local food banks. Mogl was Co-founded in 2010 by Jon Carder, Jarrod Cuzens and Jeff Federman. To learn more, visit Mogl.com or download the Mogl app for iPhone or Android. Connect with MoglApp on Facebook or Twitter.

domain: food


text:
April 26, 2010
I loooove cheesecake. Turtle cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, oreo cheesecake…but my favorite is really just plain old cheesecake. As a teenager, my younger sister and I shared a room and would watch the Golden Girls at night when we went to bed. We used to watch it at our grandma’s and have always loved that show. Well, if you’ve ever watched the Golden Girls, you know they are always up late at night talking and eating cheesecake! When my sister and I both moved out of our parents’ house, we would still get together sometimes and have coffee and cheesecake.I don’t get to see her much anymore with our busy lives, but every time I eat cheesecake I think about her and our late nights watching the Golden Girls.
I saw this recipe in a magazine this month and decided to make it when some friends came over last week. It turned out so well. It might be my favorite cheesecake recipe so far. It was perfect with some strawberries on top. If you love cheesecake too, try this recipe out. It’s the perfect “plain old cheesecake” recipe when you don’t want anything but cheesecake.
Philadelphia Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake
40 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp vanilla, divided
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat 3 pkg. cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely in pan. Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in Cool Whip; spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove rim of pan before serving cheesecake. Garnish with fresh berries if desired.
*I always use a water bath when baking cheesecake. It helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking when baking. Simply wrap the bottom and sides of the cheescake pan in foil and to prevent any water from seeping in. Place the pan in a pan or dish with sides and cover the bottom of that dish with 1/4-1/2″ of water. It’s easier if you place both pans in place on the oven rack before pouring in the water.
Source: Real Simple Magazine 10th Anniversary Issue, p. 262
September 21, 2009
I’m a bit late posting this but I’ve been a little busy being a mom and going back to work. My friend Melissa just had a birthday the end of August. She and her boyfriend went on a cruise (jealous!) and also to New Orleans to celebrate. While they were away, my husband and I offered to check on their cats and plants for them. I decided to leave her a birthday surprise to find when she came back home. She and her boyfriend love to make and eat ice cream so I thought an ice cream themed gift would be perfect. Now, I know her well and I know she loves key lime pie so I decided that was the flavor I would make for her. I found this recipe on Joelen’s blog and it turned out so great and was so, so easy. Melissa loved her ice cream!
Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup bottled Key lime juice (I used fresh squeezed lime juice)
1/2 cup whipping cream
Dash of salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
Key lime wedges (optional)
Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour mixture into freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Stir 1/3 cup graham crackers into ice cream. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon graham crackers. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
And I got her these adorable, fun ice cream bowls and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Recipe Book to complete her ice cream themed birthday gift.
November 28, 2008
I’m back and just in time for a Thanksgiving post. This was my first year hosting Thanksgiving and let me tell you, I was so excited. I’ve always wanted to host turkey day at our house, but we normally go to my in-law’s. But this year, they were out of town and we weren’t able to go to my parents’ so they decided to come here. So my first Thanksgiving was a small one; just me, my husband, and my parents.
My family likes pretty traditional foods for Thanksgiving so I decided I’d play it safe and just make everyone’s favorite foods so there would be no misses. After browsing through lots of recipes I finally settled on the ones I would use. After a lengthy (and expensive) trip to the grocery store I was finally ready to get started. Thankfully, I got off work early on Wednesday so I could get a head start on the prep work. My parents came in Wednesday night so my mom helped me a lot on the actual day. And the verdict? Everything turned out great! But if I learned one thing from hosting my first Thanksgiving it would be that it’s a lot of work! I am so much more appreciative of my great-grandmothers, grandmother, my mom and mother-in-law who have planned and hosted Thanksgiving for many more people than I did for many years now. I would love to host again, but I think I might have to go into training beforehand next time. ; )
On the menu this year:
Garlic and Citrus Brined Turkey
For the brine
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
3 bay leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 gallon water
For the turkey
1 8-10 lb turkey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in 1 gallon of water. Place the turkey in a large stock pot or brining bag. Pour the brining solution over the turkey. Add the sliced oranges, lemons, garlic and bay leaves to the brine solution. Refrigerate over night or place in a cooler with ice. Before cooking the turkey, rinse it well inside and out and pat dry with papertowels. Rub the turkey inside and out with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook as desired.
And yes, that is canned cranberry sauce…the only kind my family and I like!
2 cups prepared cornbread, crumbled
2 cups Pepperidge Farm herbed stuffing mix
8-10 crumbled crackers (saltine or club will work)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
chicken broth (about 3-4 cups, enough to make the bread mixture moist)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Begin my sauteing the onions and celery in a little olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, combine cornbread, stuffing mix, celery, onion, butter, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth until the mixture is very moist. It will be just slightly soupy but the bread will absorb the liquid. Place in a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake 35-40 min.
Sweet Potato Casserole
(my mother-in-law’s recipe)
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked until tender (should be easy to mash) about 4 med potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a baking dish.
For the topping:
1 cup pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted
1/2 cup flour
Mix all dry ingredients and sprinkle over casserole. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. The top should be bubbly and have a golden crust.
Jiffy Apple Pie
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 325 F. Place chopped apples in an 8×8 baking dish. In a bowl, mix dry cake mix, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Slice the stick of butter into thin slices and place all over the top of the cake mixture. Bake for 35 min or until the top is golden and bubbly.
This apple pie is obviously not a traditional apple pie. It’s best served warm as a dessert topping for vanilla ice cream. Yum!
- 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
- Bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
- **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
- RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly – it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.
- NUTRITION TIP: To reduce calories, substitute new Karo® Lite Syrup for the Karo® Light or Dark Corn Syrup.
- High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
My only complaint from the whole Thanksgiving dinner was that my pecan pie didn’t set. It’s the first one I’ve ever made and I followed the directions exactly, and it just didn’t set in the middle. I’m not sure why, but I’ll definitely be making another one in the future and hopefully will have better luck with that one.
Along with this we also had green beans and rolls.
September 28, 2008
Does anything say Fall better than apple pie? I don’t think so. That’s why I decided to make one to take to my in-law’s last night for dessert. My sister-in-law, her husband, and their kids came up for the Auburn/Tennessee game (Go Auburn!) this weekend and we were invited for dinner yesterday after the game. Knowing that our nieces would be there I wanted to take something that everyone could eat for dessert. I figured no one could say no to apple pie and vanilla ice cream. But just in case I took these blondies, too.
I had never made a from scratch apple pie before. Normally I cheat and use a refrigerated pie crust but I thought it would be more special if I put in the extra effort and made the dough myself. When searching for a recipe I came across this one on Annie’s blog. After talking to her and finding out it is her “go to” apple pie recipe, I figured it had to be awesome! It really wasn’t that difficult to make the dough. In fact I made this pie and the blondies after work on Friday and it only took a couple hours start to finish for both. I didn’t have the patience that night to make a lattice top but maybe I’ll try that next time. Everyone loved the pie and blondies. No one could choose just one and had to sample both!
For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
6 oz. butter (1 ½ sticks), chilled and diced
5-6 Tbs. cold water
For the filling:
2 lbs. peeled, cored and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
¼ c. sugar
¾ tsp. apple pie spice
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Cut the butter into the flour or rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture is crumb-like. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of water over the mixture. With a fork, toss gently to mix and moisten it. Press the dough into a ball. If it is too dry to form a dough, add the remaining water. Wrap the ball of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
To make the filling, add the apple slices to a mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar and apple pie spice and toss to coat evenly.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let warm up a bit if necessary. Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out one half into a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Try to keep the dough as round as possible. Transfer the rolled-out pastry to a 9-inch pie dish. Roll out the pastry for the top crust and cut it into strips about 1/2 inch wide; set aside. Put in the filling and smooth so the top is level.
To create the woven lattice top, use the longer pastry strips near the center of the pie and the shorter ones near the edges. Cross the two longest strips over the center of the filled pie. Place a second long strip over the top cross strip. Fold back every other strip onto itself and lay a cross strip in place, then return folded-back strips to their original position. Continue weaving in this fashion, working from the center of the pie toward the edges. Trim and flute the edges decoratively with your thumb. Bake for 45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and the fruit is tender. Cool on a rack. Serves 8.
* I brushed an egg wash on top of the crust and sprinkled with a little extra sugar before baking
August 21, 2008
Mmmmmmmmmmm! That was the sound I made this morning when I took my first bite of this blueberry bread. Ok, so it wasn’t my first bite. I taste tested it last night after I baked it to be sure it was good. But it was even better this morning than I remembered. I guess something about it sitting over night and soaking up that sweet lemony glaze. Normally I don’t eat stuff like this for breakfast. That’s normally the one meal of the day I reserve for being healthy (ha). But well I had some blueberries just sitting there, staring at me, waiting to have something done with them so I thought, what the heck. I had already done muffins and pie so when I saw this recipe, my heart skipped a beat and my mouth watered all day just thinking about it. The recipe went together very quickly and the results were amazing. It’s not an overly sweet bread and sort of has the taste and consistency of pound cake but with little bursts of blueberries mixed in. So I guess it’s not too bad for breakfast and it would be great as a treat with coffee for dessert. But DO make the glaze for it. I considered skipping that part but it only takes about 5 more minutes to do the glaze and it really adds something to the bread.
Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe:
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use the real stuff, not the bottled kind–you will be able to taste it in this recipe)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the and lemon zest. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes 1 loaf.
Source: Joy of Baking
August 13, 2008
I have been in such a slump this past week. I’m not sure if it’s the heat or what but food just hasn’t been that appealing to me. Luckily, my husband is perfectly ok with eating cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. But I on the other hand, can only handle that for so long. So I started checking my google reader and the wheels started turning with ideas. And after not cooking dinner all week, what did I decide to make last night? Well, pie. Don’t worry, I did get dinner ideas for next week. ; )
I have had such a craving for blueberry pie ever since Summer began, but I still hadn’t gotten around to making it. This is another thing my weirdo husband won’t eat. It’s a texture thing he says. So I was really putting off making a whole pie just for me, but then I got the idea to make little individual pies. Now believe it or not I have never, ever made pie dough. So I set out looking for an easy recipe. I found this dough recipe on Annie’s blog and let me tell you, it’s great! It came together so easy and like most things I’ve never made before, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. I decided to use both cherries and blueberries for my pies because I only had a little bit of each in the fridge. And not only did I learn to make pie dough last night, but I learned that I must acquire a cherry pitter. Oy! My fingers looked like evidence for a crime scene once I was done pitting those darn cherries! But in the end, it was all worth it. Both the cherry and blueberry pies were terrific!
Berry or Cherry Pies
Makes 6 individual pies
3 cups berries or cherries (I used 1 1/2 cups bing cherries (pitted) and 1 1/2 cups blueberries)
1/2 cup sugar (divided if doing two kinds of pie)
3 tsp flour (divided if doing two kinds of pie)
pie dough (recipe follows)
Place berries (or cherries) into a bowl. Add the sugar and flour and toss to coat the berries.
*The flour will help the berry juices to thicken as the pie cooks
For the dough:
*I doubled this recipe and had a little leftover. I froze it to use later.
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp. very cold water
To make the dough in a stand mixer, fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, and stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Makes enough dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie.
To make a lattice top: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat one half into a round, flat disk. Roll out the disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the remaining dough half. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into thin strips to weave a lattice top.
*Tip: Be sure your work surface is well floured when rolling out the dough. If you have trouble rolling the dough out for a second time, put it in the fridge for about 15 min to chill and try again.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. After the dough is rolled out, use a glass, ramekin, or biscuit cutter to cut 6 circles. Place the circles of dough in the bottom of the ramekins and press up the sides just a little. It does not matter if it reaches all the way up the side of the ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake the bottom crust for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Form the remaining dough back into a ball and roll it out again. Again, cut 6 circles. Place 1/2 cup of the berries (or cherries) into each ramekin and then place the circles of dough over the top of them. Make two or three slits in the dough. Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes, or until the berry juices are bubbling and the dough is golden brown. Allow to cool 20-30 minutes before serving.
Source for Basic Pie Dough recipe: Williams-Sonoma


text:
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
OTHER NAME(S): Cider Vinegar, Malus sylvestris, Vinagre de Manzana, Vinagre de Sidra de Manzana, Vinaigre de Cidre. Apple Cider Vinegar Mix
Apple cider vinegar is fermented juice out of crushed apples.
Additionally, it contains small quantities of these minerals sodium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Apple cider vinegar can also contain important quantities of malic acid and citric acid. It is used to make medicine.
Apple cider vinegar can be used alone or using honey for feeble bones (osteoporosis), weight loss, leg cramps and pain, upset stomach, sore throats, sinus issues, elevated blood pressure, arthritis, to eliminate the body of toxins, stimulate thinking, slow the aging process, regulate blood pressure, decrease cholesterol, and combat disease.
Some people today use apple cider vinegar into the skin to get acne, as a skin tonerto whiten sunburn, such as shingles, insect bites, also to prevent dandruff. It’s also used in the bath for vaginal diseases .
In foods, apple cider vinegar is used as a flavoring agent.
It can be hard to know what’s in some apple cider vinegar solutions.
Laboratory evaluation of commercially accessible apple cider vinegar pills shows wide variation in the things they comprise.
Amounts of lipoic acid ranged from about 1% to 10.57 percent. Amounts of citric acid ranged from 0 percent to about 18.5 percent. Levels of ingredients listed in the product labels did not match the lab findings.
In the US, there is no real definition in the law of apple cider vinegar has to contain to get called apple cider vinegar.
Thus, it is not possible to tell from these types of analyses whether these commercial products actually contain some apple cider vinegar.
How does it operate?
It includes lactic acid and nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin C.
Apple cider vinegar may help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by altering how foods get absorbed from the intestine.
Apple cider vinegar might prevent the breakdown of several foods.
Uses & Effectiveness?
Insufficient Proof for:
- Diabetes. Some preliminary research indicates that consuming vinegar or apple cider vinegar may decrease blood sugar levels after a meal.
- Slow digestion (gastroparesis).
- Weight reduction.
- Leg cramps and pain.
- Unsettled stomach.
- Sinus Issues.
- High blood pressure.
- Weak bones (osteoporosis).
- Lowering cholesterol.
- Improving circulation.
- Vaginal infections (vaginitis).
- Additional Ailments.
Additional evidence is required to rate apple cider vinegar to all these applications.
Apple cider vinegar is POSSIBLY SAFE for the majority of adults when used short-term for medical purposes.
Sometimes, consuming a great deal of apple cider vinegar might not be secure. Consuming 8 oz of apple cider vinegar every day, long-term might cause problems like low potassium.
There was one report of a person who developed low potassium levels and weak bones (osteoporosis) after carrying 250 mL apple cider vinegar every day for 6 decades.
In a second report, a woman who had a apple cider vinegar pill lodged in her neck to get 30 minutes developed tenderness and pain in her voice box and then difficulty swallowing for 6 weeks after the episode.
This was thought to be a result of the acid content of this pill.
Special Precautions &Warnings:
maternity and breastfeeding : Not enough is known about the safety of using apple cider vinegar as medicine while pregnant as well as breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side, and do not utilize it.
Diabetes: Apple cider vinegar might reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Therefore, blood glucose levels will need to be tracked closely.
Dose adjustments may be necessary for diabetes medications that are accepted.
Be careful with this combination
Digoxin (Lanoxin) interacts with APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Huge amounts of apple cider vinegar may reduce cholesterol levels within your system. Low potassium levels may increase the negative effects of digoxin (Lanoxin).
Insulin disagrees with APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Insulin may decrease potassium levels within the body. Large amounts of apple cider vinegar might also decrease potassium levels in the body.
Accepting apple cider vinegar together with insulin might lead to potassium levels in the body to be too low. Avoid carrying considerable amounts of apple cider vinegar should you take insulin.
Water tablets (Diuretic drugs) interacts with APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Large amounts of apple cider vinegar may decrease potassium levels in your system.
“Water tablets” may also decrease potassium in the body.
Taking apple cider vinegar combined with”water pills” might reduce cholesterol in the body too much.
Some”water pills” that can deplete potassium contain chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide), along with others.|}
The proper dose of apple cider vinegar depends on several things such as the user’s age, health, and various other problems.
At this time there is not sufficient scientific information to determine an suitable variety of doses for apple cider vinegar. Remember that organic products are not always necessarily safe and dosages may be important.
Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and seek advice from your pharmacist or doctor or other health care professional before using.
Thanks for reading until the end! We hope you found what you were looking for regarding Apple Cider Vinegar Mix!
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text:
In an effort to bridge an anticipated $675 million budget shortfall in this year’s budget, Los Angeles city officials are contemplating cost-cutting measures that may lead to many layoffs, including the elimination of more than 1,600 filled positions in the Los Angeles Police Department, including 951 sworn officers.
In the latest quarter financial report released Friday, the city’s top budget advisers said that in order to achieve an across-the-board 3% budget reduction, layoffs are needed. Under a scenario now being explored by officials, 1,894 filled positions would be eliminated to save about $45 million.
The report said that the LAPD cuts would bring the sworn police force down to 8,800, which matches 2002 levels, the Daily News reports.
The cuts to sworn positions could lead to the closing of police stations, the report said, as well as specialized patrols for human trafficking, cannabis enforcement, A Bridge Home shelters, alcohol sales and traffic patrols.

domain: economics


Former National MP Matt King has been trespassed from Parliament grounds after speaking at the Wellington protest earlier this year.
King was served a trespass letter tonight by post.
"In accordance with the above Act and section, you are hereby warned to stay off the place known as the parliamentary precincts," the letter read.
In a letter seen by the Herald, King has been warned he could face imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $1000.
King was a one-term MP in Northland, elected in 2017 then losing to Willow-Jean Prime by 163 votes in 2020.
He said he was "appalled" to receive the letter.
"It was a trespassed notice for two years and I was pretty appalled by it. I thought it was disgusting and undemocratic and actually pathetic and petty by this Government and Trevor Mallard."
While he is unsure if he will challenge the notice, King said he hopes it will be withdrawn due to "media coverage".
"To me, I am campaigning and I am going to be running in the next election and it's going to be a combination of a lot of work."
In February, King addressed anti-vaccine mandate protesters at Parliament. He also revealed at the time he officially resigned from the National Party, saying its position did not "gel" with his values.
"I would have had to go out and preach their position if I wanted to become a candidate, and I don't want to do that."
During his speech, he urged protesters to remain peaceful and non-violent.
King has often spoken out against the vaccine mandate, and National's support of it.
King, who is now the leader of Democracy New Zealand, said he was planning to launch his new political party on Parliament grounds later this year. But that will now be off the table.
"The irony of Democracy NZ being trespassed from the Parliament grounds, having been a former MP with a clean record and former policemen for 14 years with a clean record ... the irony there alone is just unbelievable.
"I think it was just a brain fart by them [Government] and to me, it's the typical way he [Trevor Mallard] has behaved especially the whole time I have been in Parliament and since then."
King said he was not a leader or organiser for the protest but rather a supporter and is adamant he did nothing wrong.
"I was in support of them because I truly believe in body autonomy and the right to decide so I was solidly behind people that are involved," he said.
"I still am [a supporter] and I will be and I will go to my grave with that."
Other high-profile New Zealanders who attended the protest earlier this year included Former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of NZ First Winston Peters, sailing great Sir Russell Coutts , reality star Gilda Kirkpatrick and musician Jason Kerrison.
Winston Peters said his maskless visit to Parliament grounds was to meet with the protesters to encourage them to demand that they be heard.
"It's astonishing that on the 16th day no one has opened the dialogue from Parliament from any political party, hasn't been to see them and that's utterly unprecedented," he said at the time.
Although Coutts is fully vaccinated, he said his motivation for travelling to the capital was the fact mandates take away freedoms. He said he was doing this for the "future generations".
In March, the former leader of the New Conservatives, Leighton Baker, pleaded not guilty to charges arising from his participation in the Wellington protest.
But the prominent anti-mandate protester didn't need to enter the courtroom to make his plea.
Baker, 55, faces charges of obstructing police and wilful trespass after he was arrested at the occupation that spanned 23 days before erupting into a riot on the front lawn of Parliament.


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My Tante Hanny’s book is one of my most treasured gifts. She was my Dad’s father’s older sister. In her book, My Heritage is Yours, she mentioned my birth:
“On December 16, 1975, Lisa Marie Verkley was born to John and Anne Marie. She was the first grandchild of Peter and Gesina, and that happy event made Mother a great-grandmother! On Beethoven’s birthday. May she have a happy life!”
I always thought it was peculiar that someone would know what day Beethoven was born on. Then over the years, I’ve learned more about what Beethoven meant to my family.
In my Tante Hanny’s book, she wrote about music in her life as a child:
“I loved so much to hear my Father playing the piano. When I was in bed at night and he played, I always had my ear clear out of the blankets so as not to miss a note! I listened to the waltzes of Brahms, Liszt’s Second Rhapsody, Bach, Sonates of Mozart, not to forget Beethoven, all the sonatas. Four hands if there were more players. He made my world rich, more than money could do. I loved my Dad. I felt the same as he did. However, I was not half as talented as he was. We sang the lieder of Schuman and Schubert together. Often he was practicing for the organ. The toccata of Dubois. The organ concert of Alec Guilmant, the organ concerto of Widor, and so many more. Never will I forget the sonate Opus 109 from Beethoven. That was his favorite and mine. It was quite difficult to play, but it sounded like flowing water when he did it. This sonata was dedicated by Beehoven to Maximiliane von Brentano with the words, and I quote,” A dedication! This is not one like those that are misused in great numbers, it is the spirit which holds noble and good people together on this earth and which time cannot destroy.” Forty years later I found the record and bought it. When I play the record I close my eyes and see my Father playing the sonata and drink in the music.”
The Verkley family farm in Holland is called Brentano. How neat is that!
Anyway, I told Dad about this piece being a favourite of his aunt’s and grandfather’s a few years back. I thought I should mention it here too for the rest of the family.
Here is the matching piece, as far as I can tell. The second part is my favourite.
If I’ve navigated our family photos correctly, here’s a picture of my great-grandfather playing music:
My Grandfather is in the back, on the left.

domain: literature


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Jofre has taken his form of contemporary tango to some of the most important venues in Asia, Europe, America and the Caribbean as soloist, composer and arranger. He has collaborated with the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Paquito D’ Rivera Sextet, Nina Beilina, Dartmouth Wind Symphony Orchestra,Festival of the Americas Symphony Orchestra, Fernando Otero Quintet, Westchester Jazz Orchestra Mendoza National Symphony Orchestra, Frost Studio Jazz Band among many others. Mr. Jofre has also received commissions and he has been part of many festivals such as the prestigious Umbria Jazz Festival, Sudtirol Jazz Festival, Celebrity Series of Boston, American Virtuosi, Bachanalia Taiwan among others.
Juan Pablo began playing percussion and guitar by hart at the age of 14. Years after he decided to join the the Escuela de Musica de la Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina, where he studied, drums, guitar, piano,voice and composition, before eventually deciding to dedicate himself to the bandoneón in. In 2003, Juan Pablo gave his first concert as arranger and soloist bandoneónista at the 1st International Festival of Chamber Music for such an event Mr Jofre arranged pieces for 12 Cellos and Bandoneon
Mr Jofre is courrently writing music for Boston Symphony Orchestra’s ex-principal harpist Ms. Ann Pilot, Symphony Silicon Valley, Gabriel Ensemble among others.


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Original Jamaican Oldies, vinyl only, powered by Maratone Long Distance HiFi.
Morgan ‘Moman’ Nixon (The Long Road Society, USA)
+ Panza (Midnight Drifters)
+ The Rhythm Ruler
2nd room: Tropical Timewarp
23.11.2019, 11:00 pm, Badehaus
Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin
For more than six years we are bringing selectors from all over the world to our unique dances celebrating the sound of young Jamaica. After changing locations twice, Badehaus Berlin is the latest venue for our club night and the first edition in September really was a night to remember. The wooden floor invites to dance all night and the soundsystem sounds simply perfect in there.
The special guest in november is a man of vast knowledge and eclectic taste. Morgan spent the past 20 years researching and collecting music from around the world. He has a passion for sharing music knowledge and over the past decade has published countless music zines and reviews. His latest release is a book on aiming to help people navigate the mind-numbing record pressing maze of the legendary Studio One label, named ‘No man is an island’. Moman’s appearance at Reggae Rumble is part of his book release tour in europe and he’ll have copies with him that can be purchased at the night. Panza and The Rhythm Ruler will support him behind the decks .

domain: entertainment


text:
Jul 13California State Bill AB-2011 Will Create New Framework for Organized Labor and Affordable Housing
As Californians continue to feel the crunch of our state’s rising rents and lack of housing production, the State legislature has been surprisingly unable to advance legislation to address key barriers to building more homes. Unfortunately, most of the bills proposed in the last few years have stalled out after failing to gain the support of both labor organizers and affordable housing groups, slowing the progress in housing production we so desperately need.
This year, however, an unexpected coalition is trying to break through the logjam. A new bill that bridges the gap is quickly gaining momentum after securing endorsements from both affordable housing advocates and several key unions (most notably, the Carpenters and SEIU). AB-2011 (Wicks), the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act, provides new tools to expand affordable housing production on underutilized commercial land while providing additional benefits for the construction workers who build these projects. The California Conference of Carpenters and the California Housing Consortium have co-sponsored this bill after trying for years to find a policy solution that uplifts both low-income renters and workers in the building trades. This bill threads the needle by attaching robust, unprecedented worker benefits to the production of 100% affordable housing on sites currently zoned for commercial structures, ensuring that all construction workers earn prevailing wages and receive health benefits.
The bill’s focus on underutilized commercial sites is an important one, as California’s insufficient housing production is partly due to challenges with zoning. By paving the way for housing on environmentally-safe sites originally zoned for offices, retail stores, or parking lots, AB-2011 will unlock hundreds of new sites for housing – in fact, one recent analysis found the potential for 2 million new units in just the Bay Area and Los Angeles County. To build on these new sites, developers will need to commit to strong labor protections for all workers.
While it’s not over the finish line yet, the strong support of California’s affordable housing and labor leaders signals a promising path forward for AB-2011. Growing a well-paid, well-trained construction workforce is an important piece of the affordable housing production puzzle, and Mercy Housing California is proud to support this important policy.
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domain: sociology


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Groupwork is a collaborative Melbourne design initiative – directed by designer Sarah Trotter, this exhibition comprises work by Sarah, visual artist Esther Stewart and graduate architect Murray Barker. Groupwork brings together talent from various disciplines to solve mundane and overlooked everyday design problems.
SIMPLIFY BATHROOM SET
Inspired by the lack of flexibility in current bathroom fittings Groupwork set out to re-think and to simplify them - inventing a new system in the process. The collection was informed by the flexibility of 1920s rail fixture systems and creates an opportunity to use fine and recycled materials. It provides elegant cohesive fixtures that can have a specific relationship with the space they are intended for. This is achieved in a three-part set with objects of different uses depending on their orientation and combination; The block, the rail and the bracket. These replace multiple accessories for the bathroom; shelves, towel rails, toothbrush holders, toilet roll holders etc. Materials have all been re-claimed for this prototype, with brass salvaged from yards, timber from workshops and recycled Melbourne bluestone. All objects have been made in Melbourne within a 15km radius of where they were designed. Makers have been carefully matched with each piece, including the talented Wingnut & Co. for the timber pieces and prolific jeweller Anna Varendorff for the small shelving components of the block.


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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to exempt all NRC medical use licensees from certain requirements in 10 CFR 35.60(b), 10 CFR 35.100(a)(1) and 35.200(a)(1), and 10 CFR 32.72. These requirements govern calibration tests that use technetium-99m, and distribution of molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators and technetium-99m radioactive drugs to and from medical use licensees. NRC is issuing these exemptions to ensure that available technetium-99 is being used for patient administrations during any period of United States and worldwide shortages of molybdenum-99, which is used to produce molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators for medical use.
These exemptions will be effective only when there are United States shortages of technetium-99m caused by production shortages of molybdenum-99, as documented in writing by the supplier of molybedenum-99/technetium-99m generators or technetium-99m.
Identification of the Proposed Action
The NRC proposes to issue exemptions to all NRC medical use licensees from the requirements in 10 CFR 35.60(b) to calibrate the instrumentation required in paragraph (a) of this section in accordance with nationally recognized standards. The licensee will not be required to perform the calibration test at the maximum activity or at the time interval specified in the national standard if the licensee would use technetium-99m needed for a patient administration to perform the calibration test. The exemption will only be in effect when the licensee is receiving reduced quantities of technetium-99m as a result of production shortages of molybdenum-99 affecting their generator or technetium-99m supplier, as documented in writing by the supplier. The licensee must perform the test when adequate supplies, as documented in writing by the technetium-99 supplier, become available, and document results of the test in accordance with 10 CFR 35.2060. Depending on the maximum activity needed to perform the calibration test and the activity of technetium-99m in the radioactive drug, this may make dosages available to 7-15 additional patients at the licensee's facility.
The NRC proposes to issue exemptions to all NRC medical use licensees from the requirements in 10 CFR 35.100(a)(1) and 35.200(a)(1) to obtain unsealed byproduct material prepared for medical use for uptake, dilution, excretion, imaging or localization studies from a manufacturer or preparer licensed under § 32.72 of this chapter or equivalent Agreement State requirements, if the licensee obtains the technetium-99m (or a technetium-99m radioactive drug) from another medical use licensee to administer to patients. This permits medical use licensees that cannot get technetium-99m from their normal supplier because of the shortage to obtain some technetium-99m from a local medical use licensee that has a surplus. This exemption will only be in effect when the licensee is unable to obtain technetium-99m (or a technetium-99m radioactive drug) from its normal supplier as a result of production shortages of molybdenum-99 affecting its generator or technetium-99m supplier, as documented in writing by the supplier. This exemption will give some relief on a case-by-case basis to a medical use licensee if its supplier is severely affected by the shortage but the other medical use licensee's supplier is not.
The NRC proposes to issue exemptions to all NRC medical use licensees from requirements in 10 CFR 32.72, to permit the licensee to transfer surplus molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators or technetium-99m, or technetium-99m radioactive drugs to other medical use licensees for administration to patients without requiring the licensee to meet the requirements for a commercial distributor of radioactive drugs to medical use licensees. This exemption will only be in effect when the receiving medical use licensee is unable to obtain a generator, or technetium-99m or technetium-99m radioactive drugs from its normal supplier, as a result of production shortages of molybdenum-99 affecting its generator or technetium-99m supplier, as documented in writing by the supplier. This exemption will facilitate and give relief on a case-by-case basis to a medical use licensee with a surplus of technetium-99m (or a technetium-99m radioactive drug) because its supplier is not affected by the shortage in the transfer of the technetium-99m to the other medical use licensee whose supplier is affected.Start Printed Page 34597
Need for the Proposed Action
These exemptions are needed in times of molybdenum-99 shortages in the United States to ensure that available technetium-99m is used for patient treatment. On May 14, 2009, the Chalk River National Research Universal reactor in Canada experienced an unexpected shutdown that has resulted in an extended shutdown for safety repairs. The Chalk River reactor produces approximately 50 percent of the United States supply of molybdenum-99 used to produce molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators. This resulted in a United States and worldwide shortage of molybdenum-99 for generator production and technetium-99m for medical uses. The High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, also produces a substantial amount of molybdenum-99 used to produce generators in the United States and the world. The reactor in Petten is currently operating on a temporary operating permit and expected to be shut down in early 2010 for a number of months for repairs. This will also cause molybdenum-99 and technetium-99m shortages in the United States and the world. The supply chain for fission-produced isotopes is fragile and may shrink dramatically at any time when these two, or the other three aging international reactors currently producing these isotopes, are shut down for safety or routine maintenance.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
During times of supply shortages, there is less molybdenum-99 and technetium-99m available for molybdenum-99/technetium-99 generator production. There are also fewer generators to elute, and fewer technetium-99m radioactive drugs produced. The exemption will: (1) Allow lower quantities of technetium-99m to be used for calibrations and delay the calibration test, making quantities available for patient administrations; (2) allow a licensee to obtain unsealed byproduct material from another licensee other than directly from the manufacturer or commercial nuclear pharmacy; and (3) allow a licensee with sufficient product to transfer excess to another authorized licensee for patient administration. The exemptions do not relieve the licensee from NRC environmental release requirements or worker dose or public dose requirements associated with the elution of molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generators, preparation of technetium-99m radioactive drugs, administration of the technetium-99m radioactive drugs to patients, handling of these radioactive materials, or handling of radioactive waste. All of those protections remain in place. Neither molybdenium-99 nor technetium-99m is a volatile radionuclide. Molybdenum-99 remains attached to the generator resins and technetium-99m stays suspended in the eluent. Both radionuclides have short half-lives. None of the proposed exemptions affects how the licensee handles these radionuclides. Their medical use when there are no shortages results in minimal impact on the environment and public dose exposures. During times of shortage, medical use licensees will have less technetium-99m to use and there will be fewer patients receiving technetium-99m radioactive drugs even when maximizing the medical use of available technetium-99m. Therefore, the proposed action will not result in an increase in the release of radioactive material into the environment or increase public radiation exposure. There will be no impact on the environment as a result of the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As required by Section 102(2)(E) of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4322(2)(E)), possible alternatives to the final action have been considered. The NRC identified only one reasonable alternative for consideration: the no action alternative. This no action alternative would not result in any adverse impact on the environment but would negatively impact the medical use licensees' provision of medical care to their patients. During shortages in the United States and the world of molybdenum-99, the supply of technetium-99m available to administer to patients is less than the amount needed to perform important cardiac, cancer, and other imaging procedures. Using technetium-99m to perform calibration tests at maximum activities and at preset intervals instead of for patient administrations would prevent a number of patients from receiving these needed procedures. Temporary relief from the national standards should not result in significantly different patient radiation dosages because most instruments used to measure patient dosages today are stable if not moved and provided with reasonable climate controls. Also, performing the test at lower activity levels will provide confidence that the instrument is still calibrated over the levels of routine technetium-99m dosages. For higher dosages requiring written directives, the licensee can use the activity provided with the radioactive drug to assure patient safety. Not granting an exemption to permit distribution to and receipt of excess generators and technetium-99m by other authorized medical use licensees that do not have any also would reduce the number of patients receiving needed procedures. For these reasons, the NRC did not adopt the no action alternative.
Alternative Use of Resources
No alternative use of resources was considered due to the reasons stated above.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
No other agencies or persons were contacted regarding this proposed action.
Identification of Source Used
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based on the above environmental assessment, the NRC finds that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate and preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted.Start Signature
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of July 2009.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Duane E. White,
Acting Chief, Radioactive Materials Safety Branch, Division of Materials Safety and State Agreements, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E9-16916 Filed 7-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

domain: medical


text:
Breakfasts for Better Days™
Since we launched Breakfasts for Better Days™ in 2013, Kellogg has provided more than two billion servings of food to people in need. In October 2016, we announced new commitments focused on creating three billion Better Days for people around the world by the end of 2025e. These commitments ladder up to the U.N. SDGs, in particular Goal 2 to end hunger, and include:
- Donating 2.5 billion servings of food to people in need, often in partnership with hundreds of food banks, across six continents;
- Expanding feeding and nutrition education programs so 2 million children can reach their full potential;
- Supporting 500,000 farmers, their families and communities with climate-smart agriculture practices to increase yields, improve climate resiliency and reduce post-harvest food loss and waste f;
- Committing 45,000 Kellogg employee and retiree volunteer days at local community food banks, farms and breakfast programs; and,
- Engaging 300 million people in our efforts to address food security through promotions, online engagement and social media participation.


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Journalists Have No Obligation To Cover A Story About You The Way You Want Them To Cover It
from the glad-we've-got-that-covered dept
As we’ve discussed a few times, we seem to get threatened with a lawsuit approximately once a month or so (though they tend to come in bunches after extended quiet periods). The threats usually fall under one of two categories: someone upset about something we wrote about them, or someone upset about something someone in the comments said about them. When it’s cases where people are upset about something that we have said, often the person is angry that we didn’t call them to get their side of the story, as if that were some sort of legal requirement. We’ve seen such claims very recently, in fact.
However, in a recent court case in California that looked at exactly that question, a judge made it pretty damn clear that journalists have absolutely no legal requirement to reach out to the people they are writing about. The story is a fairly crazy one. The Associated Press wrote a story about a court granting Sheryl Crow a three years restraining order against a guy named Philip Sparks, who had admitted to threatening to shoot both Crow and famed movie exec Harvey Weinstein. The AP reported that Sparks had accused both Crow and Weinstein of “stealing $7.5 million from him, videotaping and following him without permission and leaving him homeless.” It also reported that a forensic psychiatrist had testified that “Mr. Sparks is unambiguously delusional.”
In response, Sparks sued the Associated Press, arguing that the article was defamatory. Since it was filed in California and California has a good anti-SLAPP law, the AP filed an anti-SLAPP motion. Sparks tried to argue against the First Amendment: “There needs to be a boundary between the Media and the First Amendment, otherwise the Media can hide behind the First Amendment and publish anything that they want regardless if the statements are false, or violate one’s civil rights.” Of course, that’s not true. Defamation laws still apply to the press, but the key issue here seemed to really be about whether or not the AP needed to report on Sparks’ version of the story.
Thankfully, the judge pointed out that this was simply untrue. The “tentative order” from LA Superior Court judge Rolf Treu has some useful quotes. As an aside, the website for the LA Superior Court is horrifically bad and nearly impossible to navigate. The fact that it says: “This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer 5 or higher.” should tell you something… After a fair bit of poking and prodding, I finally found the ruling, which I’ve published here and embedded below. But the key point is that there is no requirement to get his side of the story:
To the extent Plaintiff takes issue with Defendant’s failure to report facts that Plaintiff raised during the hearing (see Pl.’s Response filed 1/11/13 p. 12-13 (concerning a security expert who pretended to be Plaintiff’s lawyer and challenges to Dr. Glaser’s diagnosis)), Defendant is not required to present Plaintiff’s side of his story or his key facts
The court also pointed out that the AP had no requirement to report on the fact that the doctor who declared him delusional had been sanctioned by the Medical Board of California, noting that “there is no such requirement.” The judge makes the key point: as long as the AP reported accurately, they were not required to cover the story the way Sparks wanted them to cover it:
To the average reader, the substance of judicial proceeding was the issuance of the restraining orders, which was accurately described by Defendant’s article.
While this just confirms that which was already known, it seemed useful to remind people of this basic fact. Just because someone doesn’t contact you or report things the way you want them to, it doesn’t mean it’s against the law.


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Lessons Learned from Hurricane Maria & How We Can Fix Homelessness in San Francisco
Dec 13, 2021
When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September of last year, many here in San Francisco watched as the tragedy unfolded across newspapers and screens. One story from the disaster that stood out to me was about the cooks of Puerto Rico. When the hurricane first hit, agencies from the Red Cross to FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, rushed to provide relief. The agencies developed a major, multi-layered plan to handle the logistics of helping Puerto Rico recover. The plan would take an army of services and personnel to implement.
Finally, one man, chef José Andrés, asked the question: “How are we going to feed the people today?”
José saw the importance of cutting through the red tape of the extensive, complex plans that had been proposed so that the people of Puerto Rico would have access to food when they needed it. He created his own, far simpler plan: José contacted every restaurant one by one and told them to start cooking. Soon, the plan José set in motion was feeding thousands, then millions of Puerto Ricans within the first two weeks. This was all accomplished through a loosely connected network of people that delivered no major plans – they simply passed the word along and got it done.
Today, San Francisco, the most liberal city and one of the richest in America, is faced with one of the largest homeless crises in the country, and the city can’t solve the problem. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco spends $305 million on the homeless population, and yet homelessness is only getting worse.
To address the problem, San Francisco has created layers of bureaucratic redundancy in services, leading to more red tape then actual solutions. People are dying in the streets in their own filth and we are completely bogged down in our own bureaucracy. The city has also turned homelessness into a job creator. Serving the city’s homeless residents now accounts for thousands of jobs, which has in turn created a conflict of interest when it comes to implementing a true vehicle to reduce this problem and save lives today.
The current mayoral candidates know how important resolving the homeless crisis is to San Franciscans and are all running on similar platforms aimed at solving this issue by throwing more money and funding at it. This will only create more jobs while people continue to struggle on the streets as we wait for some new, bold plan to take effect.
San Francisco can learn from chef José Andrés and decide that we need to help the homeless today – not tomorrow, or next week or next year.
So how can we do that? San Francisco has the capacity to house a significant number of homeless residents in buildings that are currently vacant due to state requirements around seismic upgrades. These buildings include the Laguna Honda Hospital, parts of the San Francisco Juvenile Detention center, and the Women’s Cottages, which are all centrally located in one place. These facilities could easily be converted to emergency housing today, aside from the liability of seismic concerns.
This is where we need to ask ourselves a very simple question: do we want to save lives right now and use these facilities, or continue to put lives in danger on the streets for fear of a potential earthquake?
As a former hospital, Laguna Honda is built with everything we need to consolidate our services in one place and help people today. It has the ability to feed a mass amount of people with its large kitchens. It already has the structural layout to accommodate the needs of San Francisco’s homeless, yet our own red tape and current laws prevent us from taking advantage of it.
Current law says that we cannot hold anyone more than 72 hours unless a series of tests determine that a person cannot take care of themselves. At San Francisco General Hospital, the homeless are brought in and then sent right back out onto the streets because they don’t have enough beds and legally cannot hold them. California law also does not allow Laguna Honda and similar buildings to be reused because they no longer meet current seismic codes, so the city would likely be unwilling to take on the liability of re-opening them for homeless use.
Yet, look at José Andrés, the chef from Puerto Rico. He went around big, bureaucratic institutions that were set up to address major problems in a disaster and simply found a way to address the needs of the people immediately, not weeks or months later.
San Francisco needs to be bold. The city needs to announce a public emergency and open buildings like Laguna Honda today. If it means creating a sanctuary policy, similar to the one in place to protect illegal aliens, then we need to implement that policy for the San Francisco citizens that are helpless and dying in the streets.
I challenge Mayor Farrell, the members of the Board of Supervisors and the future Mayoral candidates to not hide behind more spending projects that will take years to implement with only a small chance of success. Instead, save lives today and open those buildings, consolidate our current service providers, and create your own policies that address and help solve this critical emergency today.
Photo Credit: kennethkonica Flickr via Compfight ccWritten by: Hans Hansson [email protected]
Hans Hansson is President of Starboard Commercial Real Estate. Hans has been an active broker for over 35 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and specializes in office leasing and investments. If you have any questions or comments please email [email protected] or call him at (415) 765-6897. You may also check out his website, https://www.hanshansson.com


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Last time we sat down with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Tommy was going through some serious stuff. His powers were running low because Lord Zedd was targeting him. He felt hopeless. His friends were comforting him. There was also a Robo Goat trying to take a powerful sword and use it against the Earth. There were fights all over the place and an emotional hook that was unmatched in any episode that wasn’t in a multi-part arc.
This episode, there might be follow-up to the Tommy storyline. It would be nice to see more of the struggle with his powers. Right now, that’s the one throughline that has been playing out. II hope this episode continues to have some sort of meaning to the overall story, instead of being a self-contained and meaningless. The show needs to grow and evolve, with a storyline that builds to something significant. Having episodes that keep the story at a standstill is boring. The story needs to move forward. Will this episode do that? The title certainly makes it seem that way. Let’s delve into…
Season 2, Episode 8: The Power Stealer
The students at Angel Grove High School were once again cleaing their community. This seems to be a common theme in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This episode saw them at the park picking up garbage and painting over graffiti. A news crew followed the students to report on how much they cared about their city and their park.
Bulk and Skull thought that the news crew would be an ingenious way to enact their plan to unmask the Power Rangers. When putties attacked the people in the park, Bulk correctly deduced that the news camera captured the Power Rangers arriving to save the day. He stole the video tape to show everyone who the Power Rangers are. Billy and Zack switched out the tape before anything was revealed.
The main group, meanwhile, were the leaders of the clean-up crew. Zack and Tommy interviewed for the news report to let the people of Angel Grove know how great it was to take care of the community. Tommy, Kimberly, and Jason were at the park when the putties attacked and told the news crew to get people to safety.
There were a few fights in the episode. The first, which I have mentioned multiple times, was the fight against the putties in the park. This fight was crucial to how the episode played out as it was done in front of a recording camera. It was your standard putty fight, with the twist of Tommy being kidnapped by the Octophant. This led to the Power Rangers going all martial arts on the monster to try and get him back. Jason and Billy were the only two to make it out of the fight. Billy realized the monster was vain, so they went into the final battle with a mirror shield. Jason distracted the monster while Billy freed their friends. Then they Zorded up, fought one of the least action filled big fights the show has had, and ended the episode.
This episode continued the story of Tommy’s power loss. The previous episode ended with him knowing that he was going to lose his powers. Jason and Kimberly were there to comfort him. This episode had Billy sending Tommy back to the Command Centre during the final battle because of his weakened powers, and had Kimberly sharing her fears about his power loss with the rest of the group. This one simple story thread is making the episodes more enjoyable than the self-contained standalone episodes that I have grown used to.
There weren’t many strange things to happen this episode. It was a fairly straight episode with a solid story. The only notable thing really was that Billy was the person with the mirror solution. A few episodes back, there was a monster that shapeshifted into the different Power Rangers but was weakened when it saw its own reflection. Kimberly had provided a mirror to fight it. Yet the mirror was blue and had the triceratops on it. It was a Blue Ranger mirror. This episode continued that Blue Ranger mirror theme, as he gave Jason the mirror to fight off the monster. The mirror was a shield done up in the colours of the Blue Ranger. So, that’s something interesting.
That does it for this episode. The next one up is The Beetle Invasion. It looks like the monster is going to be some sort of beetle. So many of the monsters in this show are based on animals. I want to see some more strange things like the Pumpkin Rapper. Anyway, I’ll see you next time for a bug filled episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.


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After becoming the unparalleled kings of Twitter, BTS has joined TikTok.
The act announced its arrival on the viral music-based video app today (Sept. 25) through a tweet, sharing a link to their TikTok account.
“BTS TikTok Channel Open!” read the tweet, shared through the Big Hit Entertainment-run BTS account, which shares most professional announcements from the group versus the personal account shared by the members through which they share their lives and careers with the world.
To launch the account, BTS shared two videos, one featuring the members excitedly introducing their arrival on TikTok, and the other where they performed a variety of hand gestures as their hit “Boy With Luv” plays.
Shortly after joining the app, the group rapidly surpassed 1 million followers on TikTok, as each of the videos racked up millions of views within hours of their being uploaded.
Along with TikTok and Twitter, BTS also has a variety of other social media accounts, including on Instagram and Facebook, and regularly communicates with fans through Big Hit Entertainment’s WeVerse app.
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) September 25, 2019

domain: news


("fastjet" or the “Company”)
9th February 2015
fastjet’s January 2015 passenger statistics
fastjet operations in Tanzania carried a total of 55,695 passengers in January 2015 and achieved a load factor of 69%. This represents a 78% increase in the number of passengers carried and a 9% increase in load factor compared with the same month last year,
On-Time Performance remained excellent at 94%Note 3.
Commenting on the figures, Ed Winter, Interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of fastjet plc, said: “January is traditionally the month of the year when airlines see the lowest consumer demand. We are therefore very pleased with our trading figures as we build upon our market leading position in Tanzania. We have clearly demonstrated that our low-cost model is stimulating the market and encouraging more and more people to use our reliable and affordable flights rather than road transport.”
Year-on-year, the 78% increase in passengers carried in January is well ahead of the 53% increase in number of seats flown, producing a strong uplift in load factor.
fastjet launched its Spring flying programme last week featuring the commencement of the new route linking the two busiest destinations in the fastjet network (Kilimanjaro and Mwanza).
Month ending January 2015 January 2014 Change
Passengers Note 1 55,695 31,258 78%
Load Factor Note 2 69% 60% +9pp
Rolling 12 months ending January 2015 January 2014 Change
Passengers Note 1 621,656 370,835 68%
1. “Passengers” are sold seats flown, excluding infants. fastjet bookings are generally non-refundable.
2. “Load Factor” is the number of ‘passengers” as a percentage of the number of available seats flown.
3. “on time” – arrival earlier than or within 15 minutes of schedule
UK media - Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: +44 (0) 20 7638 9571
South African media - Tribeca Public Relations Tel: +27 (0) 11 208 5500
Cian Mac Eochaidh
For investor enquiries please contact:
W.H. Ireland Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7220 1666
NOTES TO EDITORS
About fastjet plc
fastjet plc is the holding company of the low cost airline fastjet which commenced flights under the fastjet brand in Tanzania in November 2012. The airline introduced Airbus A319s into its fleet. By adhering to international standards of safety, quality, security and reliability; fastjet has brought a new flying experience to the African market at unprecedented low prices. fastjet is implementing the low-cost model across Africa and its long-term strategy is to become the continent's first low-cost, pan-African airline. fastjet plc is also the holding company of Fly540, which operates in Ghana and Angola.
The results of a recent customer satisfaction survey showed that 100% of customers were likely to recommend fastjet to a friend. In developing its strong brand and identity, fastjet has won and been nominated for a number of awards, including winning three Transform awards for the rebrand and launch of fastjet and the award for "Brand Strategy of the Year" at the recent Drum Marketing Awards in London.
fastjet plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market.
For more information see www.fastjet.com
Posted on 9th February 2015


Buying a motherboard these days is pretty straightforward. There are only four major manufacturers from which to choose, and their offerings have very similar performance and peripheral connectivity at each price point. The main differences between competing boards lie with their Windows software, firmware, and overclocking tools.
|Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3HP||$64.99||AMD Socket FM2+ processor,
microATX or ATX case
|Gigabyte GA-H170-Gaming 3||$94.99||Intel LGA1151 processor,
Gigabyte's F2A88XM-D3HP is our pick if you're building with an AMD CPU like the Athlon X4 880K. This board is an updated version of the F2A88XM-D3H we used to recommend. It's a compact, straightforward board built around AMD's A88X chipset, which supports RAID arrays for SATA drives and configurable TDPs for certain processors. This board's feature set includes a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Type-C port, all for the same price as its predecessor.
Gigabyte's GA-H170-Gaming 3 is an appealing platform for non-overclocked Skylake builds. It offers dual M.2 slots and a premium Realtek ALC1150 audio codec, along with some features borrowed from Gigabyte's fancier Z170 boards like metal-reinforced PCIe slots. If you don't plan to overclock, and you're OK living with DDR4-2133 RAM only, the H170-Gaming 3 seems like all the motherboard one would need for a budget system.
|MSI Z170-A Pro||$114.99||Intel LGA1151 processor, ATX case|
|MSI Z170A SLI Plus||$139.99|
|Asus Z170 Pro Gaming||$154.99|
For folks who want a basic Z170 board to pair with an unlocked Skylake CPU, we like MSI's Z170-A Pro. This $115 mobo has everything the enthusiast needs without a lot of frills. Despite its wallet-friendly price, the Z170-A Pro offers a full complement of PCIe expansion slots, an M.2 slot positioned out of the way of hot graphics cards, and three system fan headers (although those are for three-pin fans only). For a little more than a Benjamin, this board isn't missing much. SLI support is the only feature we didn't see that some builders might want.
If you've gotta have SLI support, MSI's Z170A SLI Plus lets builders install multiple Nvidia graphics cards. It also adds a few other niceties compared to our budget pick. This board comes with three four-pin fan headers, an Intel Gigabit Ethernet controller, a fancier Realtek ALC1150 audio codec, and reinforced PCIe slots. MSI also includes a USB 3.1 Type-C port on the Z170A SLI, another little touch that's missing from the Z170-A Pro.
Asus has a compelling Z170 lineup of its own, and we think the Z170 Pro Gaming is a good step up for those who want to avail themselves of Asus' superior firmware fan controls and automatic overclocking logic. The Pro Gaming's M.2 slot is well out of the way of its primary PCIe x16 slot, so PCIe drives like Samsung's 950 Pro might run cooler on this board. The Z170 Pro Gaming is pretty similar to the Z170-A that we reviewed and enjoyed, but it adds Realtek ALC1150 audio and a couple more ports to the rear I/O block while shedding legacy PCI slots.
|Gigabyte GA-X99P-SLI||$249.99||Intel LGA2011-v3 processor, ATX case|
|Asus X99-A/USB 3.1||$249.99|
Haswell-E processors won't fit into LGA1150 or LGA1151 motherboards like the ones listed above. Instead, Haswell-E requires an LGA2011-v3 socket and quad-channel DDR4 memory slots, features only available in boards powered by Intel's X99 chipset.
Our favorite X99 board is the Asus X99-A/USB 3.1, an updated version of the TR Editor's Choice-winning X99-A. As its name implies, the USB 3.1 variant adds a couple of the next-generation USB ports to the rear I/O cluster. This board has plenty of room for expansion, and our X99-A sample proved to be a capable overclocking platform for our Haswell-E CPU. We think this board is so good that there's no need to spend hundreds more on fancier X99 options unless they have specific features you require.
The X99-A does lack a USB 3.1 Type-C port and Thunderbolt 3 support, though. The only board on the market with those modern features (at least that we're aware of) is Gigabyte's GA-X99P-SLI. This board uses Intel's Alpine Ridge controller to provide both high-speed USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 connections through its single USB 3.1 Type-C port. This Gigabyte board is down a couple ports in its rear cluster compared to the X99-A, but the tradeoff could be worth it if you need the X99P-SLI's unique feature set.
|G.Skill Ripjaws V 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2133||$33.99|
|G.Skill Ripjaws V 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-3000||$43.99|
|Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-2133||$57.99|
|G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3000||$69.99|
|G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-2133||$119.99|
|G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-3000||$174.99|
Skylake CPUs need DDR4 RAM. We're happy to report that DDR4 prices have come way down since Haswell-E systems first created a need for this next-generation memory, and they've stayed there since. You won't be paying through the nose for memory if you build with Skylake and 100-series motherboards.
RAM is so affordable now that there's no reason at all to consider anything but 8GB in an entry-level build. It also doesn't cost a whole lot extra to step up to 16GB of RAM these days, either. If you use Photoshop or other creative applications in tandem with a lot of open browser tabs, 16GB of RAM is starting to become a baseline, not an upgrade. Even 32GB of RAM might not be outlandish for the heaviest multitaskers.
Intel's official spec for Skylake-compatible DDR4 RAM is DDR4-2133 running at 1.2V, but we've used significantly faster DIMMs like DDR4-3000 in our CPU and motherboard test rigs without issue. Given the small price premium and potential increases in bandwidth that faster DDR4 offers, we think it's a worthy upgrade to get the speedier RAM if you have room in the budget.
If you're building an X99 system, be sure to double up on any of the RAM kits above to reach the capacity you want. Haswell-E CPUs need four DIMMs to take full advantage of their quad-channel memory controllers.
Finally, AMD builders will still need DDR3 RAM. We suggest an 8GB kit of DDR3-1600 like these Crucial Ballistix Sport DIMMs.
|Updated LG Gram laptops put heavy-duty power into feathery bodies||8|
|Antec P110 Silent touts quiet looks and quiet operation||10|
|Monkey Day Shortbread||9|
|Thursday deals: a nice Z370 mobo, a huge VA display, and more||2|
|Samsung's Notebook 9 portables rock eighth-gen Core i7s||3|
|Rumor: Ryzen 2 set for Q1 2018 and a Fenghuang APU breaks cover||68|
|TR's 2017 Christmas giveaway: eight days left and counting||8|
|MSI gives Radeon RX Vega cards an Air Boost||22|
|Corsair's latest SO-DIMM kit takes 32 GB of DDR4 to 4000 MT/s||9|
|My first born son will be named fenghuang. I will raise him in the way of zen. Thus it is written, thus it shall be done.||+19|


Category: Community Published on Wednesday, 11 September 2013 10:28 Written by Donald James
With a spectacular evening-into-night view of the city’s skyline, the Detroit River, and the Windsor’s skyline, all serving as backdrops of splendor, more than 400 VIP guests gathered in downtown Detroit on Saturday, Sept. 7, to witness the grand opening of Cobo Center’s new Grand Riverview Ballroom and adjacent atrium. Following the ceremonial ribbon-cutting by the five-member Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA), guests slowly meandered through the Grand Riverview Ballroom for the public’s first look at the massive transformed facility. DRCFA members in attendance included Larry Alexander (chair), Dr. Juliette Okotie-Eboh (vice chair, Wayne County representative), Michael Carroll (Oakland County representative), Joseph Abdoo (Macomb County representative), and Waymon Guillebeaux (City of Detroit representative and project director).
Amid a festive atmosphere, punctuated with class and excitement, guests were entertained by audio visual displays, aerial acrobats, music and choirs, all of which culminated with a strolling buffet. The VIP guests learned that the new Grand Riverview Ballroom offers an impressive 40,000 square-feet of space, dividable by a retractable wall. The stage is equipped with hydraulic lifts for dynamic entrances by respective podium speakers and event leaders. The ballroom also has a 40-foot-tall ceiling, which is adorned with an array of dramatic and high-tech lighting systems and grids, inclusive of new-wave spotlights and decorative sconces. The venue floor is covered with custom-made, but durable, Axminster carpeting.
The ballroom uniquely features a 78,000 square-feet curtain wall made of glass that surrounds the entire room. The futuristic and multi-purpose facility can accommodate 4, 500 people in a reception setting, while providing seating for 3,500 in a theater-style formation, or 2,250 attending banquets.
Cobo officials announced that the $115 million Grand Riverview Ballroom is an ideal venue for multiple types of meetings, as well as conventions, conferences, banquets, wedding, religious gathering, and graduations. One VIP guests was overheard saying, “What a great place for a New Year’s Eve Party!”
On the floor directly below the Grand Riverview Ballroom is 21,000 square-feet of space that can be strategically divided to host up to 11 meetings and breakout rooms. Cobo Center’s new atrium, which is adjacent to the ballroom, is also impressive.
The three-story atrium is 250 feet long, 80 feet tall, and 65 feet wide. It touts floor space of 30,000 square feet and has the capacity to accommodate 1,200 people standing, 600 in banquet style, and 1,000 in a theater-style setting. The construction cost of the new atrium was announced at $22.6 million. “What you see in the Grand Riverview Ballroom and adjacent atrium are more than just renovations,” said a beaming Alexander, who also chairs the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority. “This new ballroom and the many rooms below, as well as the adjacent atrium, the gourmet kitchen and the outdoor terrace, are all part of Cobo Center’s total convergence from what was once an aging, decrepitated structure, but is now a unique, efficient, state-of-the-art facility. This is what is called adapted reuse of space.”
The present configuration and transformation of the Grand Riverview Ballroom and Atrium are in complete contrast to how the area once looked and how it was originally used. Before the transformation, the ballroom and atrium now stand where the old 12,000-seat Cobo Hall Arena once stood. From 1961 to 1978, Cobo Arena was home to the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), after Cobo Hall opened in 1960. Mayor Dave Bing, who was drafted by the Pistons in 1967 and was named one of the NBA’s all-time 50 greatest players, played at Cobo Arena for many years.
Cobo Arena also hosted hundreds of major concerts and sporting events. Music icons such James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stone, KISS, Little Richard and many more played memorable dates at the old arena. Additionally, Cobo Arena held numerous boxing matches, indoor track and field events, and even arena football games. Perhaps the old arena’s crowning moment arrived in the summer of 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the downtown venue. His speech in Detroit was given just two months before he mesmerized the world with the same oratory masterpiece in Washington, DC, at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Alexander said that the construction, which transformed the arena into the new Grand Riverview Ballroom and Atrium, began in February 2012. He also said that more transformational work is scheduled, which will include a state-of-the-art television broadcast studio with uplink capability, giant video walls that will carry information and advertising messages, an open air terrace which will overlook the Detroit River, and more. Overall, the entire Cobo Center renovation and construction price tag is $279 million. All work is expected to be completed in 2015.
“I am so excited, because this transformation is the result of hard work,” said Okotie-Eboh. “It’s a strong demonstration of the regional cooperation that exists between Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, along with the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan. We have made many great decisions along the way, and we’ve come in on time and on budget.”
Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano added, “Just look at this place, it is outstanding. We’ve gone a long way to protect our trademark here at Cobo Center, which is the North American International Auto Show. However, the massive transformation of Cobo will make a huge difference in what local, national and international people who attend conventions, trade shows and other events will see when they walk into Cobo Center.”
According to Alexander, the new ballroom and atrium, as well as the other projected developments at Cobo Center will and have already injected new life into Detroit.
“This is not the old Cobo,” Alexander said. “What you see tonight, and will see over the next year or so, will bring about a total transformation of Cobo Center. This total transformation will return Cobo Center and metro Detroit back to the world stage as premier destinations and leaders for holding national and international conventions, trade shows and meetings. As a result of Cobo Center’s transformation, we have already booked more conventions and meetings, and we have more national and international organizations expressing an interest in bringing their events to our city to be a part of Detroit’s great comeback.”
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Open any design magazine and you’ll spot at least one project incorporating the ombre effect. Snag a little of this trend for yourself by painting the front of your dresser. Featured by The Bungalow Blog, this multicolored dresser in a muted blue is a subtle take on the popular technique. Consider using a similarly soft shade if you’re looking for a quieter pop of color in your room.
Geometric shapes are another trend taking center stage in interior design right now. If you’re excited by clean lines and simple patterns, consider giving your dresser an update with a geometric treatment. This project from Stars for Streetlights melds the classic appeal of black and white with a trendy triangular configuration flawlessly.
Sticking to a simple design can really pay off when upgrading a dresser. This DIY fromCentsational Girl proves that white can be just as stunning as an electric hue. For a touch of added elegance, consider attaching painted overlays like the lavender ones on these drawers.
While paint is an easy way to change up the look of a dresser, there’s an even simpler solution for freshening up your furniture- use decals and wallpaper for a quick transformation. The retro floral design of this dresser from DIY Network can be replicated with a few decals.
Keeping parts of your original dresser intact can create a unique piece. This dresser fromCentsational Girl shows how a partial paint job can bring outdated furniture into the current era. Try reversing the paint combo (paint the drawer faces and leave the frame untouched) for an equally interesting look.

domain: hobby


Equipment of Monitoring: necessary equipment and software for an extensive and intensive program of monitoring of equipment and critical facilities (by the amount of its investment or the productive process). As far as possible to monitor installing testeo points where it wants zones exist cheers of hydraulic circuits or lubrication. Oil monitoring In situ: the program requires techniques and technologies for its successful execution. At the moment there are available portable equipment for detection In situ, that give to instantaneous data of all the properties keys of oils like: particle count, humidity, viscosity, contamination, ferrous densidad, etc. State Street Global Advisors: the source for more info. Equipment of Micro Filtration: the equipment of high criticality, will increase their availability and prote’ge’s of unexpected faults will stay majors by means of suitable facilities of microfiltration in by pass. To invest in proactive mantencin, catching the polluting elements opportunely, will fully rent by increases of productivity and diminution of costs of repairs. Movable and Stationary laboratory: the selection of analysis laboratories must be by service and quality, not by price.
The costs of oil analysis, will be always insignificant in front of the availability of equipment critics or the replacement of vital spare parts. Software for the predictive maintenance: one is not due to limit only the data acquisition that thanks to a suitable processing will collaborate to the early detection of anomalies. The knowledge of real limits condemnatory they will take to the delivery of an advance warning. Accompanied by an accurate diagnosis, it will be the best ally of the availability of the equipment. Manuals of Procedures: the identification and its corresponding documentation, of the suitable procedures are vital for the success of the program. To prevent the causes predetermined by means of behaviors chords with all the organization, will maintain the equipment and facilities with a high degree of trustworthiness and availability.