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The JXM Database offers a non biased tool that is used to uncover stocks for superior future returns. The database is set up to rank the stocks against each other and the market. Email; JayStrauss@jxmfinancial.com

domain: finance


In 1996, when the Nintendo 64 was first launched in the United States, it sold 1.6 million units (worth $200 each) in its first quarter. Its closest competitor for the holiday season was a $30 Tickle Me Elmo doll, which sold around a million units in the same window. More than 20 years later, when Nintendo’s $300 Switch sold 1.5 million units in its first week, there was a lot more competition, and not just for the holiday season.
The business of gaming has changed dramatically since its early days. From basic monetization through the sale of physical and digital copies of games to in-game monetization through microtransactions, the widespread adoption of the internet has caused a pronounced shift in the gaming landscape. While the previous millennium’s video game studios depended on revenue from selling games and gaming hardware, today’s goliaths don’t expect you to buy their games at all.
The business of gaming
Nintendo is a relatively rare example of a large gaming studio that hasn’t delved too deep into the microtransaction waters. Fortnite rakes in around $5 billion per year for Epic Games, and with numbers like that, you can bet most gaming companies are at least investigating the free-to-play model. However, this shift in consumer mindset from deep loathing to moderate acceptance for microtransactions has been a long, arduous process.
Fortnite was far from the first game to introduce microtransactions, but it was one of the first mainstream examples of a live-service game that relied purely on in-game purchases. This came at a time when the concept of microtransactions invoked images of toxic loot-box economies and luck-based purchases that had games morphing into “pay-to-win” ecosystems and as consumers were growing increasingly frustrated with game publishers.
Fortnite flipped the script, pushing microtransactions as a way to distinguish yourself in-game while supporting the developers on the side. They did not affect gameplay, preventing deeper pockets from dominating the games, and served as an excellent way for those with money and appreciation to show it — a sort of vanity-fuelled charity. Sound familiar?
Will it blend?
Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) were bound to find their way into gaming ecosystems. From early implementations like CryptoKitties to today’s Axie Infinity, digitally owned tokens are seemingly destined to be coupled with games.
Some of the biggest names in the video game industry are embracing NFTs, and it’s no real surprise. Gaming has never been more accessible than it is today, evolving from a niche consumer base to establishing global pop-culture trends. For decades, gaming collectibles have sold for obscene prices — why should their digital cousins be any different?
From Ubisoft to Square Enix, what’s really intriguing the industry is figuring out the best approach. Some have simply started selling digital items as NFTs, enabling buyers to resell them to other, more eager enthusiasts. Others are attempting to adopt the play-to-earn (P2E) model used by Axie Infinity.
Earlier this year, American video game retailer GameStop announced plans to partner with an Australian crypto firm to develop a $100 million fund for NFT creators, content and technology. In his New Year’s letter, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda indicated that the company would like to incorporate blockchain/NFTs into its future releases, but he did not mention any specifics.
Recently, Ubisoft attempted to release a limited-edition collection of NFTs alongside its Ghost Recon Breakpoint game. In a perfect world, this would have been a celebratory moment — one of the world’s largest, most valued gaming mammoths had proclaimed the adoption of blockchain technology. As you might already know, this announcement didn’t quite go according to plan.
Introducing Ubisoft Quartz
We’re bringing the first energy efficient NFTs playable in a AAA game to Ghost Recon: Breakpoint!
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) December 7, 2021
According to a report from DappRadar, gaming-related NFTs generated revenue worth nearly $5 billion last year and represented around one-fifth of all NFT sales in 2021. Ubisoft unveiled an NFT project on Dec. 7 — a move that was met with a 96% dislike ratio on its announcement video on YouTube — and two weeks later, it had reportedly only sold 15 NFTs, collectively worth less than $1,800.
“The traditional gaming industry is not going to adopt NFTs in their current state,” Wade Rosen, the CEO of legendary video game corporation Atari, told Cointelegraph. According to Rosen, though blockchain gaming will continue to evolve, there currently isn’t enough tangible utility for players to consider adoption yet.
“NFTs — how they are produced, what value they provide to individual players, and communities of players that form around individual titles — will need to evolve pretty significantly before you can expect to see any widespread adoption within the [traditional gaming] industry. We do see a lot of potential for NFTs and blockchain technology within video games, but not until the definition of an NFT evolves significantly beyond where it stands now.”
It’s not that gamers don’t like the idea of buying NFTs — it’s that they have been marketed as blatant cash grabs. To drive NFT sales, Ubisoft made it absurdly difficult to earn any in-game items for free. Still, some of the most prominent players from Zynga to EA Sports are keeping a close eye on blockchain and how it could impact the business of gaming — an industry worth around $80 billion.
“The reaction to the topic within the industry is binary and visceral, and unfortunately, that just isn’t a good environment for exploration,” Rosen added. “We expect most of the related innovation over the next 12 to 18 months to happen within the more narrow blockchain gaming space.”
American gamers, with an average age of 35, have seen the medium shift from text-based to 2D to 3D to virtual reality multiplayer, all in around two decades.
During this time, the gaming industry has primarily profited from selling entertainment products that offer nothing more than a game. But as soon as you let money flow in and out of a game, you effectively turn its economy into a stock market.
This has led many gamers to feel that — with NFTs and blockchain — studios and game publishers are more focused on creating markets than on engaging, unique and, most importantly, fun gaming experiences.
Make games fun again
There is a middle ground for gaming NFTs, one where publishers don’t run blatant cash grabs and the tokens themselves have no impact on the financial incentives of the game. There are countless factors to consider when investigating why adoption rates have been slow, but many are convinced that cracking the case is only a matter of time.
Elliot Hill, director of communications at Verasity — a blockchain-based advertising technology firm — told Cointelegraph that while NFTs are clearly innovative and useful, they lack adequate infrastructure.
“With these hurdles in the rear-view mirror, it’s my view that widespread adoption of NFT technology is now much more likely by major game companies,” he said.
On the surface, video game studios are like software companies: They both hire developers, designers, managers and executives, along with sales and marketing teams, to build and sell a product. However, they serve an entirely different clientele.
The video game industry works some of the longest hours among software-based companies, filling a strange space between the extravagance of Hollywood and the structure of Big Tech. However, with NFTs practically tacking on optional financial services sidequests to video games, the line between work and play begins to blur.
Gaming NFTs exist at an intersection between some of the most fast-paced, high-skill, high-value environments in the world: technology, finance and entertainment. Each of these sectors accommodates all kinds of market conditions and consumer behaviors, and it will take time for them to understand the intricacies of the others.
Sarah Austin, co-founder of NFT and metaverse gaming launchpad QGlobe, told Cointelegraph that NFT games are in their early stages and haven’t evolved much beyond simple GameFi and P2E models.
“Going from AAA games to NFT games can feel disappointing. However, if the player’s motivation is to earn rewards, then they are less concerned with the quality of gameplay.”
According to research from Nielsen, consumers spent over $90 billion on microtransactions in 2021. The gaming consumer market is happy to spend money in-game, but not at the cost of the game itself. The more utility and impact an NFT has in-game, the less important the actual game becomes.
“The GameFi/P2E arena is where the industry is starting — not the end state,” said Atari’s Rosen. “Personally, I am intrigued by the potential for NFTs to allow for more collaboration and interaction between games and among virtual worlds. Eventually, NFTs may become building blocks that allow players and developers to create new, shared experiences.”
However, there are also cultural elements at play. While pay-to-win microtransaction economies are shunned in the West, gamers in the East seem to have adopted them wholeheartedly. Chinese game developer miHoYo’s worldwide smash hit Genshin Impact essentially runs on a luck-based loot-box economy but managed to gross over $2 billion in its first year.
As Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda previously stated, not everyone plays games just to have fun. Some want to contribute to the games they’re playing, and so far, traditional gaming has no incentive models that cater to these consumers.
There’s certainly a large enough market to warrant the effort, but it seems gaming NFTs, in their current form, are more geared toward attracting casino gamblers than average gamers. NFTs are most certainly coming to mainstream gaming — it’s just a matter of who can figure out the right balance between the finance of gaming and the gamification of finance.


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Hop off the treadmill, put down the puzzle, slip into some heels and get ready to dance your way to a firmer body and brain.
This semester I’m taking a ballroom dancing class.
In this class, not only do we learn the waltz, foxtrot and all that good stuff, but we also learn the benefits of dancing–not by reading about them in a book, but by actually getting up and moving.
We all know that dancing is good for you, because it can be a form of cardio that gets your heart pumping, but did you also know that dancing gets the brain pumping, too?
According to a study done by the England Journal of Medicine, dancing at least two times a week can reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s, dementia, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and heart disease
Dancing is a moderate activity aka an activity that strengthens bones and works your upper body, as well as your lower body. According to Web MD, adults should incorporate 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity into their daily lives. Dancing for a half hour is way easier and a lot more fun than jogging for a half hour!
Of course, the amount of calories you burn depends on the type of dancing you do, but if you’re dancing and your heart rate starts kicking up, you know you are dancercising!.
With ballroom dances like the foxtrot and the tango you are sure to get a good workout. In these dances, women take large backwards strides and the men walk forward and lead their partner. Try doing that on a treadmill.
According to Web MD, ballroom dancing differs from any other types of exercise due to the way it works the back of the thighs and the muscles in the buttocks. Take that, squats!
But muscles aren’t the only thing dancing tones. Dancing challenges your brain, reduces stress and depression, and improves your balance. By memorizing dance steps, counting the beat and keeping your head aligned with your body, you are keeping your brain and helping your posture.
Ballroom dancing also helps you make friends by forcing you to socialize with a dancing partner–yay!

domain: health


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Corwith Residence – Bridgehampton, NY
Architect and Photography:
reSAWN TIMBER co.
SVERTE shou sugi ban charred Kebony wood
Species: Pinus radiata
FSC® Certified: FSC® mixed 70%
Burnt on face only, sealed all 4 sides (exterior)
Solid +/- 13/16” thick x +/- 5-3/8” wide x 10′-16′ random lengths
Tongue and Groove
This 90-year-old, overall net-zero home is nestled away in Bridgehampton, New York. It received a modern remodel and renovation that includes SVERTE shou sugi ban charred Kebony exterior wood cladding. The decision to shorten the driveway allowed for a better utilized, updated yard. The backyard is an oasis that features an inground pool and bluestone pavers. The ceiling height sliders allow the home to open up to provide a well-articulated indoor/outdoor area while also acting as a passive solar heating source.
SVERTE by reSAWN TIMBER co. features Kebony shou sugi ban wood that’s specifically designed to create a beautifully charred aesthetic. SVERTE can be used for exterior siding or interior wall cladding.
reSAWN TIMBER co. brings our award-winning charred technology to the sustainable and high-performance Kebony wood. Using our contemporary take on the ancient Japanese fire-burning technique of shou sugi ban, reSAWN’s charring process adds both performance and aesthetic characteristics. Due to Kebony’s density and swollen cell structure, the exterior char layer of charred Kebony is extremely hard and durable. The hardness of the char layer provides extra protection against rot, hygroscopic movement, and insects.
Martin Architects believes every location has its own unique character. By developing an intimate knowledge of a place and its clients who will inhabit it, they create indoor and outdoor spaces that are materially responsive and contextually sensitive. Artfully sculpting the land, they blend their work into the existing context. Growing and changing with the surrounding environment, their work becomes synonymous with the place creating timeless and unique.

domain: design


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You may have noticed the slightly humorous news yesterday that Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces took issue with Radiohead. Specifically that made moves so they'd look cool...
In an interview with Spinner.co.uk Freidberger said:
"Oh, please listen to our new song about Harry Patch. Fuck you! You brand yourself by brazenly and arbitrarily associating yourself with things that you know people consider cool."
Friedberger, it seemed, was talking about the WWI veteran, Harry Patch, who Radiohead DID write their song about. Then, it turns out, he was talking about Harry Partch, an American composer and musical innovator. That is not the last twist in an increasingly tedious, but still-quite-funny tale. It emerges now that Friedberger was having a bit of laugh at himself, Radiohead and, well...us.
A statement was released which said:
"Like most creative musicians, Matt Friedberger is not a fan of Radiohead and most of their chart busters. Of course, Matt and all the Fiery Furnaces family are great fans of all Tommys living or dead, so much so that lots of the Fiery Furnaces' work is, because of the pun, dedicated to imitating the Who's Tommy.
"Back in the fall of 1996 or whenever that interview was conducted, the interviewer asked what Matt thought of the Radiohead song celebrating a WWI veteran. Matt naturally thought it would be interesting to pretend that they wrote a song about the celebrated American composer of a similar sounding name, hence his joking in the interview about Radiohead composing a song with something like 48 notes to an octave. It was easy and amusing to imagine Radiohead's attempt to colonize that relatively arcane bit of our musical lifeworld. This is what they used to call, in some bohemian and advertising circles, 'riffing' or fooling around.
Oh, he was playing PRETEND!
"Matt has not heard the Radiohead song about Harry Patch, but if he did, he is sure he wouldn't like it. No doubt Radiohead and their fans can ignore his opinion of this matter and continue with their triumphant artistic interventions. Matt would have much preferred to insult Beck but he is too afraid of Scientologists."
That's a bit closed minded. At least try it first!
So. Do we have a really elaborate joke being played on us all, or is Friedberger just covering his back? Or is he covering his back in pretending to cover his back...I dunno, but this sure as hell is a little confusing. Does anyone even care?
We must, however, point out that the OTHER Fiery Furnace, Eleanor, has little to do with this, just so you know.

domain: entertainment


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Riding the bus isn't the only transportation option South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART) endorses. In fact, Wilsonville's transit agency is in the midst of a concerted effort to encourage community members to dust off their bikes and start pedaling.
SMART is holding five learn-to-ride clinics in March and April at Lowrie Primary School, Meridian Creek Middle School, Boeckman Creek Primary School and Boones Ferry Primary School and is planning other activities designed to inspire kids and their families to bike more often.
Space is limited to six students per session unless more adult volunteers are available.
"Teaching kids to ride encourages them to ride bikes as a form of transportation," Griffin said. "It's an opportunity for kids to be able to bike to school and bike with their families in the community."
During the clinics, Griffin will teach kids about basic safety tips, how to check a bicycle before riding and then how to glide, pedal and turn. She enjoys seeing kids' faces as they begin to maintain balance on their bike.
"There's a combination of excitement and disbelief in themselves," Griffin said. "They're so excited that they are successful. They usually have a huge smile on their face."
This summer, Griffin is planning neighborhood bike rides at 5:30 p.m. June 17 at Engelman Park, 5:30 p.m. July 15 at Hathaway Park and 5:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Autumn Park Apartments community center. She chose those spots for their bikeability and concentration of residents.
"We'll do a half-hour ride within those neighborhoods to give families the opportunity to see how they can ride in their own neighborhood," Griffin said.
SMART held a weeklong bicycle adventure camp for the first time last year but has expanded its offerings this year, adding an additional week and an overnight camp for families.
The weeklong camps will take place July 20-24 and Aug. 3-7 at the City's Parks & Recreation building. During the overnight camp, families and staff will ride from the Parks & Rec building to Champoeg State Park and then stay overnight there from July 23-26.
Part of Griffin's role at SMART is to encourage the community to embrace alternative forms of transportation to driving. For instance, she held a clinic earlier this year where she helped teach students how to bring their bikes on and off SMART buses.
However, regardless of potential benefits such as lessening environmental impacts and reducing strain on local roads, Griffin says biking is simply a fun form of exercise.
"Biking is a lifelong sport, a sport you can do with groups of people, but you can also do it on your own," Griffin said. "There are people who bike much longer into life than I would say play other sports."
For more information, visit SMART's website at www.ridesmart.com/transit.
You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts. Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.

domain: sociology


Pat Cummins made a blistering start to his Australia captaincy, spearheading a day of destruction with a five-for as England were skittled out for 147 on day one of the opening Ashes Test.
Cummins – who replaced Tim Paine as skipper after stepping down and ultimately taking a break from cricket following a lewd texting scandal – ushered in a new era with a five-wicket haul for just 38 runs before rain and bad light scuppered play at the Gabba on Wednesday.
England won the toss and opted to bat first on a green wicket in Brisbane but it was a horror day for Joe Root's tourists.
Mitchell Starc (2-35) knocked over Roy Burns' leg stump with the first ball of the series and things quickly turned sour, much to the delight of the local crowd.
5 - Pat Cummins has become the second pace bowler to take five wickets in a men's Test innings as captain of @CricketAus after George Giffen (x3 - 6-155 v Eng in Melbourne, Dec 1894, 5-26 v Eng in Sydney, Feb 1895 & 5-76 v Eng in Adelaide, January 1895). Haul. #Ashes— OptaJason (@OptaJason) December 8, 2021
Root's nightmare was realised when he was sent back to the pavilion for a duck by Josh Hazlewood (2-42) as England found themselves 11-3 after Dawid Malan (6) also succumbed to the Australian quick.
Australia continued to put England to the sword as Cummins claimed the scalp of star Ben Stokes (5), leaving England 29-4 through just 12.4 overs.
Haseeb Hameed (25) tried his best to steer the sinking ship, but Australia continued where they left off post-lunch – Cummins dismissing the opener with vice-captain Steve Smith on hand to collect the catch.
Ollie Pope (35) and Jos Buttler (39) guided England past 100 before Starc broke the partnership, Buttler edging through to debutant wicketkeeper Alex Carey for the second of his three catches.
Australia wrapped up the innings early in the afternoon as Cameron Green (1-6) celebrated his first Test wicket by removing Pope before Ollie Robinson (0), Mark Wood (8) and Chris Woakes (21) fell victim to Cummins, with the weather preventing the hosts from beginning their run chase.
Cummins joins exclusive club
It was a memorable day for Cummins, who became the second pace bowler to take five wickets in a Test innings as captain of Australia after George Griffin (three occasions in December 1894, February 1895 and January 1895). Cummins has taken 133 wickets in Test cricket since the start of 2018 – the most of any bowler in that time.
Starc silences critics
After avoiding the axe for the two opening Ashes Tests, Starc had the perfect response for his doubters with a first-ball wicket. It was just the second time in Ashes history a batter has been dismissed off the opening delivery of a series, while it was the 13th time Starc has claimed a wicket in the first over of a Test since 2014.


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This Pizza Dip Lets You Throw a New Kind of Pizza Party
Previous Venue Next Venue Venue Description
1. Taqueria Pedritos 4910 Capitol Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
This cafeteria-style taco joint serves basic options like chicken and beef, but also makes things a bit more exotic (and more challenging for your palate) with fillings like goat head, pork snout, and more.

domain: food


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The Greek drama is that because of the timid answers of the European Community and the nationalistic refusal of Greece to go directly to the IMF the crisis has been developing very fast. In a few days Greece has gone from a country that still found investors for its bonds on the private market to a country that is know said to be on the border of defaulting on its debts (which are junk bonds anyway - which will pose new questions about the solvability of some banks).
The drame of the Greek crisis is that Greece can't leave the Eurozone because the judicial and financial complications would be enormous and it isn't even sure that it would be a solution. So they have to stay in the Eurozone for better and for worse, but that ain't the way the other partners are seeing it (for the worse).
The drama for the Eurozone is that if Greece would default on its obligations and wouldn't be able or willing to pay some of these debts back, the domino-effect on other countries that are already in the limelight of speculators (and others that are on the borderline like Ireland and France) would increase enormously. The markets are like a rollercoaster, it goes up slowly but it goes down very fast.
So the Euro is losing some of its political power (as its position is more political than financial) but that is an double edged sword. A strong Euro is good when the price of oil is going up (as it is) but bad for exports. It is not clear how a lower Euro will play out with rising oil prices and an economic slow recovery. As inflation is going up in the Eurozone, the debate between the proponents of an anti-inflationary monetarian policy and those that want to accept some inflation (up to 4% according to the IMF) will flare up again - or won't it (because everything is decided in small circles without much democratic oversight and debate). You can't have it both ways.
If the Eurozone decides to follow the anti-inflation doctrine with a strong internatonal Euro in a very weak economic recovery (in the Eurozone) than the consequence will be that the so-called socialsecurity states will become under enormous pressure to lower the wages, cut social welfare and healthcare with the social unrest that will follow.
Even if one says that one needs the strong Euro to give the industry a defense against the rising oil price, than one has to take into account that at the same time these enterprises have trouble exporting outside of Europe because of the strong Euro. Instead of just using this argument one should proof that it is an effective one and study it in the whole economic context, not just in a dogmatic way.
The small Belgian secret is that even if the country is now going through a political crisis, there is a real financial crisis looming if the parties can't find an agreement about how to reform the financing of the federal state (responsable for the social security, army and stuff like that) and the regions (more or less responsable for the rest) after the election. Now the regions get so much money from the federal state that in a few years time the federal state won't have enough money to finance the social security (pensions and stuff like that). If that ain't a dirty little secret, I don't know.
It also shows the irresponsability of our leaders nowadays. Even when walls come stumbling down in the Eurozone.


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Create your FlavorProfile!
Find just-for-you recipes, save favorites and more when you customize your FlavorProfile.
© Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil; place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once.
Meanwhile, coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; preheat over medium heat. Add bell peppers, green onions and, if desired, jalapeño. Cook about 5 minutes or until nearly crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add the water; cover and cook for 2 minutes more. Spread each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon green salsa. Top with cooked vegetable mixture and shrimp. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and shrimp is heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro and, if desired, black pepper.


Steps in resolving the ion momentum correlations in Coulomb explosion of N2 molecules
Figure 4. Steps in resolving the ion momentum correlations in Coulomb explosion of N2 molecules. The FEL pulse has an average energy of 48 µJ and an expected duration of approximately 100 fs. From the average product of the TOF spectra, 〈YX〉 (a), the product of the average spectra, 〈Y〉〈X〉 (b), is subtracted, thereby giving the standard covariance map, cov(Y, X) (c) (note the change in the colour scale). Next, correlations from FEL pulse to pulse fluctuation in energy, cov(Y, I) cov(I, X)/cov(I, I) (d), are subtracted giving a partial covariance map, pcov(Y, X; I) (e). Further background suppression (f) can be achieved by subtracting 110% of the correction factor.
Single-shot time-of-flight spectra for Coulomb explosion of N2 and I2 molecules have been recorded at the Free Electron LASer in Hamburg (FLASH) and have been analysed using a partial covariance mapping technique. The partial covariance analysis unravels a detailed picture of all significant Coulomb explosion pathways, extending up to the N4+–N5+ channel for nitrogen and up to the I8+–I9+ channel for iodine. The observation of the latter channel is unexpected if only sequential ionization processes from the ground state ions are considered. The maximum kinetic energy release extracted from the covariance maps for each dissociation channel shows that Coulomb explosion of nitrogen molecules proceeds much faster than that of the iodine. The N2 ionization dynamics is modelled using classical trajectory simulations in good agreement with the outcome of the experiments. The results suggest that covariance mapping of the Coulomb explosion can be used to measure the intensity and pulse duration of free-electron lasers.


For the third time since 2008, Barron’s has proclaimed a “housing recovery,” signaling that the housing market has hit “bottom.” Citing “unimpeachable signs,” writer Jonathan R. Laing predicted that the “rebound is for real” in a story titled “Happy at Last.”
Barron’s first called the housing rebound in July 14, 2008, in a front-page story (also written by Laing) titled “Bottom’s Up: This Real-Estate Rout May Be Short-Lived.” He followed that failed prediction with a similar front-page article in March 19, 2012, titled “Ready to Rebound.” In 2008, while well-known economists were predicting a 10 percent decline in home prices, Laing rosily wrote:
“Yet, such pessimism appears overdone, based on much recent data. Sales of existing homes are showing tentative signs of increasing, while the plunge in prices likely is nearing an end. Yes the supply overhang still is humongous, but at least the numbers are moving in the right direction, as even Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson noted last week.”
While sales of existing homes went up slightly in July and September 2008, they went down in October and November 2008. Sales rose slightly in December 2008, and dipped again in January 2010. The only reason sales started ticking up again in the spring of 2009 was federal government intervention in the residential real estate market, offering homebuyers tax breaks if they bought a home.
Meanwhile, while existing home sales were rising because of a $7,500 tax break, foreclosure filings were skyrocketing to astronomical levels, averaging over 300,000 a month from December 2008 to November 2010. Homes prices spiked a second time in the spring of 2010 because Uncle Sam juiced the market again with a centrally planned extension of the tax break. In other words, there was no “recovery,” the real estate markets were being manipulated by Keynesian government intervention. But wait, it gets better. Acknowledging that the S&P/Case Shiller Index for April 2008 showed a colossal 15.3 plummet, Laing crowed:
“Still other numbers suggest prices are close to bottoming. Buried in the (S&P) numbers, however, and widely ignored in the media, was the news that home prices actually rose, albeit slightly, between March and April, in eight of the 20 markets covered by the index (Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Portland, Ore., and Seattle.”
Instead, what really happened was a 10-month decline in the S&P/Case Shiller Index, from July 2008, when Laing wrote his fluff piece, until May 2009, when the S&P ticked up slightly. In reality, both the 10 and 20-city S&P/Case Shiller composites were languishing in a housing hole from May 2009 until May 2012, when we saw a slight uptick in existing home sales.
In the latest “Happy at Last” housing fairy tale, Laing and his editors at Barron’s want us swallow the Alice in Wonderland story that the “recovery” is here, and housing is out of the rabbit hole.
Indeed, the mad housing tea party is hardly over. With 12 million underwater borrowers on the housing ropes, short sales are rising. Moreover, the banks will soon fire up their foreclosure machinery now that the robo-signing scandal is behind them. And as we enter the winter months of 2012, the housing gains we saw this summer will freeze up as the cold weather sets in.
But Laing — ever the optimist — is predicting double-digit gains in home prices.
“Home prices are starting to rise, if somewhat haltingly, in most areas of the country. And a number of forecasters predict home-price increases around 10% or so nationally over the next three years, with some metropolitan statistical areas, such as Midland, Texas, and Bismarck, N.D., likely riding the energy-exploration boom to better than 20% jumps in residential-real-estate prices.”
A 20 percent jump in residential real estate prices? I’m glad I’m not getting real estate advice from Barron’s.
Search pre-foreclosure short sales, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank-owned homes nationwide on RealtyTrac.
The Dark Cloud Behind the Silver Lining of Lower Foreclosure Activity
Why Lenders Don’t List REOs: The Conspiracy Theories
7 Best Banks for (Short) Short Sale Bargains


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Monster Energy – Grunge Trailer 12110549 Videohive – Download After Effects Templates
After Effects Version CS5.5 | No plugins | 1920×1080 | 9 Mb
Related Templates on Videohive
Monster Energy – Grunge Trailer is an adobe after effects cs5.5 project file.
great atmospheric project that easily fits to every project.Adapts to your pictures or videos by giving them feeling of depth combined with grunge textures.No plugins,Full HD resolution,fast redner time.
Images :Free download here: Images 1, Images 2, Images 3
Audio :Download Free Music Here

domain: artistic


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Lodge Ancient No.49
Lodge Ancient No.49 is a Masonic Lodge is located in Artillery Lane behind the Mandarin Gardens in Tay Street.
For Doors Open Days members will be there for a chat and to tell visitors about the history of the Masons and in particular Ancient 49.
Booking not required.
Where to find us
- 7 Artillery Lane
- DD1 1PE
Programmes this building took part in:

domain: history


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Less is More
Where would we be without our vitamin C? Everyone agrees it’s a crucial nutrient that provides many health benefits. And in dentistry, it plays an important role in the healing process, especially in soft tissue such as gums.
But vitamin C, being acidic, can actually do damage if consumed in a chewable form. Too many chews and tooth enamel literally dissolves. A single chewable tablet won’t hurt, but if you need higher levels of vitamin C, switch to another form or consider eating more fresh fruits and vegetables! With a balanced diet, most people can get all that they need, naturally.
It’s also important to understand that vitamin C is water-soluble (as opposed to fat-soluble). This means the body cannot store any extra that is consumed; instead, it is excreted and (literally) flushed away. The average daily recommended amount of vitamin C differs depending on age, gender, life stage, and other factors. See the table below for more information.
How much Vitamin C do I Need?
|Life Stage||Recommended Amount*|
|Birth to 6 months||40 mg|
|Infants 7-12 months||50 mg|
|Children 1-3 years||15 mg|
|Children 4-8 years||25 mg|
|Children 9-13 years||45 mg|
|Teens 14-18 years (boys)||75 mg|
|Teens 14-18 years (girls)||65 mg|
|Adults (men)||90 mg|
|Adults (women)||75 mg|
|Pregnant teens||80 mg|
|Pregnant women||85 mg|
|Breastfeeding teens||115 mg|
|Breastfeeding women||120 mg|
*Individuals who smoke should add 35 mg to the above values.

domain: medical


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It's been a smoking hot summer. AccuWeather says last summer was the hottest since 1936 and this summer could be even hotter. Coffee lovers in the Midwest and most other parts of the country are having less warm drinks and more iced lattes. What that means for coffee stocks is hard to say. For every bad piece of news that comes out about the coffee business, there's a snippet of good news. I for one have a glass that's half-full and believe now's a good time to make a coffee investment. Here's why.
Investopedia Broker Guides: Enhance your trading with the tools from today's top online brokers.
Coffee Icon Acquired
Speculation is rampant why Germany's Reimann family is acquiring Peet's Coffee & Tea (Nasdaq:PEET) for almost $1 billion. Bart Becht, Chairman of Joh. A. Benckiser, the Reimann's personal investment company, suggests JAB is "committed to owning and investing in companies with strong, premier-quality brands..."
Becht, who also happens to be the former CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, was probably eager to do something big after JAB's Coty subsidiary pulled out of its $10.7 billion takeover of Avon Products (NYSE:AVP) in May. My personal feeling is that JAB is interested in growing the brand's packaged goods business and not the retail side of things. With only 196 stores in America and margins not nearly as strong as the grocery store business, it makes sense to sell the retail to someone who can use those locations. Whatever the motivation, the Reimann's feel Peet's enterprise value is worth almost 21 times EBITDA. If that doesn't suggest the coffee business is still attractive, nothing does.
SEE: A Clear Look At EBITDA
Stores to Double
Earlier in the year Dunkin Brands Group (Nasdaq:DNKN) announced its Dunkin Donuts brand was doubling the number of stores in the U.S. from 7,000 today to over 14,000 by 2032. According to market research firm IBISWorld, Americans, on average, consume seven pounds of coffee per person each year. It's this kind of number that has Dunkin reaching beyond its New England stranglehold. Trailing Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) by almost 10% market share (23% to 32.6%), it obviously feels like there's plenty of business to go around. I would have to agree.
The expectations are so high for Starbucks that its stock dropped almost 10% this past Friday, its biggest decline since August 18 of last year. The reason for the slide on a day when the Nasdaq was up 2.24%? It guided fourth quarter earnings down two cents to 45 cents, three cents worse than analyst estimates. CFO Troy Alstead believes the consumer is very concerned about the economy and spending accordingly. In addition, Starbucks is taking it on the chin in Europe and that could continue for a very long time.
Nonetheless, business is still good. Third quarter same-store sales grew 6% globally and 7% in the Americas, with net income up 19% to 43 cents a share. There are going to be bumps in the road but this points out just how strong the coffee business really is. Starbucks, which in my estimation is a better company than Peet's, has a current enterprise value that's 15.4 times EBITDA, 25% less than Peet's valuation.
SEE: Equity Valuation In Good Times And Bad
Some believe that weakness at Starbucks is an indication that coffee lovers are trading down to brands like Dunkin, Caribou Coffee (Nasdaq:CBOU) and Tim Hortons (NYSE:THI). As mentioned earlier, there's plenty of business to go around. Tim Hortons' 721 U.S. locations achieved Q1 same-store sales of 8.5% against strong numbers the year before.
Growing its U.S. store count by 27% in the last two fiscal years, the 196 Peet's locations, which are primarily in the western half of the country, would definitely come in handy. As for Caribou, it recently hired Leigh Anne Snider as its Senior VP of Retail Operations. Most recently, Snider was COO for the Long John Silver and A&W Brands until Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) sold the two chains in late 2011. Snider brings years of experience to a chain with almost 500 company-owned locations. To get over the hump, it's going to need more top-notch talent. Snider signing on is a sign that coffee's still got some kick.
SEE: Trading The Soft Commodity Markets
In the second quarter, they dropped 6.8% on concerns of weak consumer demand. While Brazil is in the midst of a bumper crop, a heat wave gripping most of North America has demand relatively benign. Coffee consumption since 2000 has increased by 2.5% annually. In 2011, that dropped 80 basis points to 1.7% as consumers in places like the U.K. drastically curtailed their coffee intake. As long as coffee consumption continues to grow and coffee prices stay moderate, publicly traded coffee businesses have an opportunity to grow more profitably. If demand were to overheat, profit margins would be immediately tested. The conditions at present, assuming the global economy gets no worse, are actually quite favorable.
SEE: The Real Cost Of Drinking Coffee
The Bottom Line
Coffee's getting a bad rap these days because Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' (Nasdaq:GMCR) stock has fallen off a cliff. Down 51% year-to-date thanks to a number of gaffes, including working a deal with Starbucks when they had to know it was going to develop its own machine and pod design was simply short sighted. The coffee business is a good one and if Green Mountain can stop shooting itself in the foot, it too has a reasonably solid future.
At the time of writing, Will Ashworth did not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article.
Don't forget to read the Bear Side of this debate and weigh in with your opinion below.

domain: news


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Our Culinary Journey
Uniquely Delicious Experience
Sweet Dreams Cafe is a one-of-a-kind culinary establishment with a menu inspired by the idea of bringing the Italian back to Little Italy.
Drawing inspiration from his beloved Nona Carolina's Trattoria Vesuvius, Settenbrino's menu is a heartfelt tribute to her 1930's Italian artisan cooking.
From classic recipes to new-age kitchen adventures, each dish reflects our passion for high-quality food presented in a simple yet pleasing manner. Dive right in, and take a bite; join us today.


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Added May 14, 2013
I made this Oliver + S blouse for my daughter. It was soo easy! The pattern was very easy to follow and since it had only 2 or 3 pattern pieces, was quick to cut out and sew up. I will definitely be making more of these tops! (in fact, I made one a few days later as a birthday present for a 1yr old!). The pattern also has a dress version in the package, so you can get good mileage from the pattern. Since I didn’t have a thread that totally matched the fabric I was using, I decided to use an embroidery stitch for the top stitching instead. I was really happy with the results.
cotton (kona?, Amy Butler)
Make something special and practical for your friends and family this holiday season!
Pattern of the Week
This slim-fit dress makes a perfect cocktail dress for this time of year!
Sweet dresses, an outfit for a doll, and cute embellishments are fun for the holidays!
Meg's Magazine Mash Up!
Check out Meg's latest mash up of our Straight Skirt, and how she made it look so yummy!
Member Project of the Week
The latest Elie Saab collection inspired this hand-beaded dress by chanel2005.
You must allow our "request for permission" request to login to Burdastyle with Facebook.

domain: hobby


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Travel to the exotic island of Sri Lanka and experience life in the tropics. Surround yourself with vibrant scenery - tea and spice plantations, idyllic beaches, hilltop towns - explore ancient temples and their fascinating mysteries, and dine on incredible local cuisine. For a getaway with a difference, Sri Lanka is the perfect choice and our Tailor Made team can take care of all the details for you, so all you need to do is focus en enjoying yourself!
Whether you wish to escape from it all and relax on Sri Lanka's stunning beaches, want to tackle the hustle and bustle of Colombo, fancy exploring the country's fascinating temples and ruins, or want to mix it up and do it all, our Tailor Made experts are here to help. Get in touch, let our team know what you have in mind and with their expert knowledge they'll put together your dream getaway.
* Climb to the top of jaw-dropping Sigiriya and explore the mysterious ancient fortress
* Visit tea plantations and have a real cup of Ceylon tea
* Ride the railway to the cultural capital of Kandy
One of the highlights of Sri Lanka, Galle is home to charming colonial buildings and has an amazingly olde-worlde exotic feel. Wander its pretty Dutch influenced streets, spot fishermen on their traditional stilts awaiting the catch of the day, laze on pristine beaches and watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean - perfect!
Famous for its amazing elephant population, Udawalawe National Park is an incredible experience and one of the highlights of Sri Lanka. Buffalo, dear and leopards also inhabit the park and many argue it rivals some of the best reserves in Africa. Certainly one not to be missed!
Known as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, Kandy is the perfect mountain getaway. Once the ancient capital, it has stunning landscapes, a beautiful lake, spice and tea plantations and a scenic railway giving it that perfect combination of history and exotic vistas.
*Free within inclusive minutes package on mobile otherwise standard rates apply
Immediate Emergency Assistance
If you are unable to continue your journey due to an accident, incident or lack of documentation, or you need to report something straight away, please speak to our STA Travel Incident Support Desk on:

domain: geography


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Someone’s status of being “accomplished in his field” should never be used in an investigation.
***Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault. This post includes information from an actual university investigation. ***
You can walk through the halls at my university and feel like you are in a place of success. The walls are plastered with research posters and stories of accomplishments. For me, it is a dream school for research. I love what I study here, and engineering is one of my passions in life. Unfortunately, choosing to study here came with some unexpected things that I did not want or ask for.
Being a female in engineering, I’ve experienced a fair number of less than favorable encounters that range from awkward peers to sexual harassment. Not all women in engineering experience sexual harassment. Some have been lucky enough to avoid it and some are oblivious, but by graduate school there are a large number of us who have our stories. Most of the time we just roll our eyes and laugh it off. This is part of being a female in a male dominated field. We put up with a lot of obnoxious things and usually don’t report them. (A 2006 study showed that an astounding 69% of women in engineering experienced sexual harassment during their careers).
Yet, when I experienced something on the severe end of sexual harassment, it became necessary to report. Since I had evidence, I thought the case would be fairly straightforward, and that a resolution would be reached. Instead, I came away feeling less safe than I did before reporting.
A group of us gathered at a place just off of campus to celebrate finishing a huge exam. It was early in the evening and constituted more of a mellow dinner gathering among adults than a party. During the dinner, one of my peers that I didn’t know as well started touching my leg under the table, moving his hand under my skirt and up to my crotch. I quickly removed his hand, but he persisted and did this to me two more times. After the third time, I quickly got up and left the gathering for a bit. I was shaken but I decided to go back and confront him about what he did to me. I thought physical and verbal communication would be enough to make a clear point that I wanted no part of his sexual advances. Still, despite removing his hands from me, and verbally confronting him, he persisted in his endeavors. He would later that evening be so bold as to grab my breast and place his hand down the back of my skirt and underwear (which constitutes sexual assault). To top it off, when I tried to go back to my office, he started following me. My only recourse was to run onto a bus and take it half a mile away just to get away from him.
Worrying for my safety, I drafted an email to him after the incident that briefly stated that he inappropriately groped me, and that told him to never touch me again. He left two voice mails on my phone apologizing, though I suspect he wanted me to be quiet about what happened more than apologize to me.
I was really scared to walk through the halls of my department, and I confided in a few people about what happened. They encouraged me to come forward to resolve the problem, especially since my assailant could do the same thing to other women. One person reported it to my university, and soon after that, an investigator from the office of student conduct contacted me.
I agreed to meet with the student conduct investigator to discuss options. A discussion of options turned out to be the investigator jotting down notes as I gave a short synopsis of events. At the end of the meeting the investigator said she would investigate the perpetrator. My meeting had suddenly turned into an investigation. I shared a copy of the email and the voicemails with the investigator, but after that I was never contacted again until the investigation was over.
Soon after the university “investigation” started, I learned from a third party that police have methods for investigating non-rape sexual assaults. Initially, I did not think of going to the police, because criminal punishment seemed extreme when all I wanted was a continued safe academic environment for me and for other students. Generally, women don’t run to the police every time they experience sexual harassment, even in extreme cases.
With encouragement from a third party, I talked to a police detective, who thought I potentially had a case. Unfortunately, the university investigation disrupted the opportunity for a proper police investigation. By the time I had gone to the police, my university had already handed over all of my evidence to my assailant and his attorney.
In the end, the solo university investigator decided that my assailant did not violate any university policy. The investigation was not only an insult to victims of sexual assault, but an insult to women in STEM fields as well.
Often times I hear people ask how perpetrators of sexual violence don’t get found guilty even when there is evidence. To help aid in the understanding of this, I have decided to include some excerpts from the investigative report. It is important to remember that these items are things that the investigator felt were important to the overall investigation. Quotations denote direct quotes that the investigator included in the report.
My assailant has many opportunities in his future
“Respondent loves his field and is accomplished in his field.”
He “does not want to lose the 11 years of work he has put in to get where he is now”
“He thinks there are lots of opportunities in his future.”
“He is concerned about the possibility that professors won’t want to hire him based on these allegations.”
In one of the emails my assailant sent to the investigator, he mentioned the hard work he was doing. While the entire work description was not included, the investigator felt that the following information was relevant to the investigation:
“Respondent proceeds to state how hard he has worked in his field and how dedicated he is to that”
***Note to reader: I am also getting a PhD in engineering, just like my assailant. I am also accomplished in my field. This was never mentioned. The report didn’t mention how having my assailant in my department would affect my research and my leadership opportunities. My safety and learning environment did not appear to be of importance during the investigation either.
What does it say to victims in prestigious fields when perpetrators can use their success in those fields to cover up sexual harassment? What does it say to all the good successful people who would never use their careers as a way to cover up sexual harassment?
My assailant is married
This is apparently very important information to put in the report because we all know that married men never ever cheat. Obviously.
“He and his wife are close and often in communication when they are apart.”
“Respondent and his wife have been married for one and a half years. Their families are very far away so they are very reliant on each other.”
“I asked Respondent if he finds Complainant attractive. He said no, and that he is attracted to women who are physically similar to his wife. Respondent’s wife and Complainant are physically dissimilar.”
“he and his wife are Catholic. They text while apart.”
Furthermore, my assailant was able to use his wife as a witness even though she was not present during the assault at all. She submitted a long statement, which was included in the investigative report.
My assailant was allowed to have an attorney
“He was accompanied by an attorney advisor”
*** Note to reader: I was never ever given this opportunity. I went in to discuss options with the investigator alone, and then the investigator started an investigation during our meeting. There was no follow up, or even an opportunity for me to get a lawyer or have someone present with me.
My assailant was able to change his story
Despite my assailant previously apologizing in response to an email that described some of his sexual actions, my assailant changed his story and called what he did “hand play.” The investigator wrote:
“they had “hand play” which Respondent described as “not sexual in nature””
That term seems like something an attorney would come up with…
The investigator went off of impressions
Regarding my assailant:
“I find his reaction to the email suspect. I am also concerned about the fact that respondent did not tell his wife about the email from Complainant when he received it, since he emphasized the closeness they share. Despite this issue, Respondent gave an overall impression of credibility based in part of his verbal and nonverbal symptoms and attitudes during our interview”
I write this as an educational piece for the public. Sexual harassers and abusers often go free or just get a slap on the wrist.
While CU Boulder continually works on improving the investigative process, some problems still exist with addressing people who perpetrate sexual violence and harassment. Sarah Gilchriese is not alone. There are more victims here, and sometimes our assailants go unpunished.
It is a problem that only one single investigator listened to my story and made a decision about the outcome of the investigation. There were no precautions in place for situations where the investigator is biased towards one person based on their academic credentials, or the investigator does not take thorough notes during the interviews. It creates a frightening situation for victims who come forward about perpetrators who are successful in prestigious fields of study. Furthermore, it was also disturbing that my evidence was handed over to my assailant and his attorney without getting the police involved. In fact, university investigators do not notify the police in these investigations.
My experiences leave me conflicted. I want to know what I should tell young women who would like to study engineering at CU. Do I tell them that they might have my assailant as a TA or a mentor? Do I tell young prospective students that if they get sexually harassed or assaulted to hope that it isn’t by someone who is “accomplished” in their field?
Through the tears and pain and being terrified, I chose to stick with my PhD program because I did not want to throw away all of my work, and because I love what I am doing. It has come with sacrifices, such as not feeling safe on campus, and avoiding any events where my assailant could come into contact with me and repeat his actions. Thankfully, some members of my university have attempted to ensure my safety and to create an academically fair environment for me.
Yet, there is one thing that still very much upsets me. After an investigation like mine, perpetrators learn that they can hide behind their careers and success and no one will believe their victims even if there is evidence. That is wrong.
Editors Note: This story is told from the perspective of a female in engineering. However, sexual harassment and sexual violence affects women and men on college campuses and beyond. According to the CDC, about half of women and 1 in 5 men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. For more resources, you can visit the RAINN website.


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MAKESHIFT AMP HEAD
March 16, 2008
Back in November, I built up the Little Gem audio amplifier, and toyed around with it for a little while before I listed it on Craigslist to see if I could make a few bucks on it. Before it sold, somebody in my area saw the ad and contacted me to see if I'd be interested in a Peavey amp head that stopped working. He couldn't get it to work, and after replacing a fuse in it, he said it "started smoking," so he didn't want to mess with it anymore. I took it, figuring that at best, I'd be able to fix it and sell it, and at worst, I'd have a bunch of nice knobs and components that I could scavenge and use for future projects.
Not wasting any time, I plugged in to see what would happen. No smoke. Good. Next, I tried the pre-amp line to see if the unit was sending any signal at all, and sure enough, the pre-amp side of the unit successfully shaped the signal, which meant that I had reverb, equalizer, and a couple other miscellaneous features.
Curious about why the power-amp side of the amp head didn't work, I cracked the case open and found this:
At the center of that wasteland stands three prongs that used to be a transistor (possibly the power transistor), and all around it were burnt out resistors.
I have no interest in trying to replace every burnt component, only to have them fizzle out again because of the short in the circuit that caused the problem in the first place. Instead (thanks to the suggestion of a friend), I decided to try to run the pre-amp side to another unit I had handy:
This is a JVC tuner/stereo-amp that I've had for years. For a while, I've been using it for my computer audio, but recently picked up a set of good computer speakers and subwoofer, so I didn't really have much use for it. The tuner has a few bugs... some of the buttons don't respond, and the volume control is really finicky. However, it does amplify audio just fine.
I tore out the power-amp transformer (I'm sure it still works; I'll use it for another project later...), relocated the reverb chamber to the top of the case, and threw the JVC tuner into the Peavey casing. I had to remove the JVC's feet to make it fit, but it worked.
Here's how it looks without a face board to clean it up.
Here's the rear. It's handy that the JVC has a switched outlet, allowing me to plug the Peavey into the JVC, and then run the JVC to the wall outlet. Additionally, the JVC is a 220watt 2-channel system, so I can threw multiple speakers onto the system and have it crank out a lot of noise. I can also attach an antenna to the system and listen to the radio through it as well, although the radio won't go through the amp head. It's too bad, because I was thinking about building a little wireless FM transmitter and turning the system into a wireless amp.
I'm sure I could rig something up to make it work...
Anyhow, here's a clip. I play it first through a Yamaha distortion pedal, and then play it straight. Since the tuner is a stereo amp, the audio is very clean coming through the speakers.
This time, my two-year old gets in on the action. She seems me through the baby-gate and goes around and then realizes she can see me playing through the view-finder on the camera. The whole time she's talking, she's talking to the camera. Cute.
Also, I stuck my toe on the audio plug because there's some kind of grounding issue with my mandolin that causes a terrible buzz. My toe provides a good grounding point.


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In just under two weeks, UK voters will take part in a ‘once in a generation’ vote to decide whether the country remains in or leaves the European Union. A Financial Times poll released on 20th February 2016, the day that the referendum date was announced, showed the Remain side leading by 15%, with 48% support compared to just 33% for Leave. A poll of polls this week showed that this gap has narrowed considerably following the campaigning of either side, with just a 1% lead for the Remain group ahead of the June 23rd vote.
The Remain group, which includes current Prime Minister David Cameron and former PMs Sir John Major and Tony Blair, have argued that the benefits and value of the EU, and the connections that it affords greatly outweighs the costs. Supporters of the Leave side, including former Mayor of London Boris Johnson and UKIP leader Nigel Farage, believe that the money saved each year by leaving the EU could be used to strengthen the UK and improve it from within. As the referendum day draws near, both sides are ramping up their campaigning in the hopes of swaying the 11% who are still undecided.
Events from the last week indicate that campaigners are right to continue trying to change public opinions. Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that she would no longer support the Remain campaign, stating that she would feel a ‘sense of loss rather than freedom’ if the UK voted to leave the EU.
This week saw the first official debates between representatives from the Remain and Leave camps.
Cameron v Farage
The first took place on Tuesday between David Cameron and Nigel Farage. Judging by mentions on Twitter, Cameron appears to have come out of the debate on top, with an Adorescore of 37, linked to high levels of admiration and trust. However, a moderate amount of loathing is also being expressed toward him on Twitter from Remain supporters. John Prescott tweeted that Farage’s performance was ‘a bit of a car crash’, which is certainly reflected in his low Adorescore of 12, with dominant emotions of grief and loathing emerging from mentions of him on Twitter. The debate itself was discussed fairly negatively and passively, with low levels of passion and emotion being expressed in mentions, earning it an Adorescore of just 16.
Remain v Leave
A second debate between key supporters from both sides, including Boris Johnson for Leave, and the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for Remain, took place on Thursday. This debate was viewed much more positively on Twitter than the Cameron Farage debate, with mentions of it gaining a high Adorescore of 55. The discussion surrounding the debate contained high levels of passionate language and high activation emotions, including admiration, ecstasy and loathing. According to Twitter, this debate went to Remain as mentions of the Remain representatives were much more positive in tone than mentions of the Leave representatives, with an Adorescore of 41, compared to 22.
In order to get a clearer picture of what voters are feeling, we compared two of the key hashtags being used by campaigners on Twitter – #VoteLeave and #VoteRemain.
The Leave Camp
Tweets containing #VoteLeave are using a largely negative tone, reflected in the low Adorescore of 10. High levels of negative emotions, including loathing and grief are being expressed, as Leave supporters discuss their issues with the EU, including perceived corruption, and anger surrounding the EU’s impact on the British fishing industry. High levels of ecstasy are also being conveyed on Twitter, as people express their hope for the future of the UK if the public votes out of the EU.
The Remain Camp
The Remain side are leading a much more positive campaign, with mentions of #VoteRemain resulting in an Adorescore of 39. The highest levels of emotions expressed also tend to be positive, including ecstasy and admiration. This group are also conveying more trust and passion than the Leave supporters in run-up to the referendum, focusing on the unity that the EU provides across many sectors, and the positive contribution that EU immigrants have had on the UK economy. Moderate levels of loathing are also expressed by this group, as they discuss the misinformation that they feel the Leave camp are spreading.
The polls are showing that the two sides are neck-and-neck at this point in the race. In two weeks, we will know if the UK is to leave the EU, or remain a member. We will then be able to see if a more negative social media campaign is more effective than a campaign focusing on hope and positivity in winning a referendum.


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July 6 (UPI) -- Audible is teasing its audiobook adaptation of The Sandman.
The Amazon audiobook producer shared a trailer for the adaptation Monday featuring James McAvoy as the voice of Morpheus, aka Dream of the Endless, an ancient and powerful being who personifies dreams.
"I am a passenger. I am moving through your dreams -- all your dreams -- and you never knew," Morpheus (McAvoy) says in the preview.
The Sandman audiobook is based on Neil Gaiman's comic book series of the same name. The adaptation also features Kat Dennings as Death, Taron Egerton as John Constantine, Andy Serkis as Matthew the Raven and Michael Sheen as Lucifer.
Gaiman serves as narrator, creative director and executive producer for the audiobook. Dirk Maggs directed the project, which features an original score by James Hannigan.
"This is a rich audio adaptation of The Sandman graphic novels, brilliantly crafted by Dirk Maggs, with an all-star cast," Gaiman said in a press release in May.
Audible will release Part 1 of The Sandman audiobook July 15. Part 1 adapts volumes 1-3 of the graphic novel series, Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll's House and Dream Country.
The Sandman comic series had a 75-issue run from 1989 to 1996 with DC Comics and Vertigo. Several efforts have been made to adapt the series for film or TV, with Netflix reportedly pursuing a TV adaptation in 2019.


Wrap yourself in cozy style with The Porter Ponte Cardigan! With its relaxed fit, it offers a laid-back and comfortable feel. The open collar and waterfall design lapel add a touch of effortless elegance, perfect for layering during cooler days.
-Relaxed Fit On Body
-Waterfall Design Lapel
-Soft Ponte Fabric With A Touch Of Stretch
-60% Viscose, 35% Nylon, 5% Elastane


Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed in a surprise speech to the nation tonight that India will begin vaccinating children between the ages of 15 and 18 on January 3 of next year.
From January 10 next year, “precautionary doses” would be given to healthcare and frontline workers, he added.On a doctor’s suggestion, anyone over the age of 60 with co-morbidities will be able to receive the booster dosage. This will begin on January 10th as well.
The Prime Minister made these three key announcements today:
1) Children between the age group of 15 to 18 years of age will be elgible for Covid vaccination from January 3, 2022.
2) All healthcare workers and frontline workers will be eligible for “precaution dose” of the third booster of the vaccine from January 10, 2022.
3) Those who are 60 plus with comorbidities can also get precautionary doses on the recommendation of their doctors.
The big decision from the central government came out when the country is witnessing a sudden surge in the the number of Omicron cases.
Some nations including the UK and the USA have already approved booster doses for their citizens.
PM Modi urged the citizens to stay prudent, follow all Covid norms and not panic amid the fast spreading cases.


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The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China
"The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China" is part of a series "Studies in Social Discontinuity", which pursue one or more of four varieties of historical analysis: using evidence from the past to identify regularities in processes and structures that transcend the past, reconstruct critical episodes for the light they shed on that era, tracing the origins of significant social processes that continue into the present, as well as examining the ways that social action lays down residues that limit the possibilities of subsequent social action.
Barfield reanalyzes the interaction between successive Chinese mainland empires and the various nomadic empires that formed in the steppes to their north. He examined the surprising durability of imperial organization in the Eurasian steppe and investigated the possibility that the empires of Mongols and other predatory nomads thrived not because they were able to extract resources from their own people, but because of the tribute that they were able to extract from their neighbors. Hence, rather than examining ceremonies between Mongols and China as a submission to their overlords, it warrants to be seen as occasions of exchanges in which nomad chiefs profited handsomely.
"The Perilous Frontier" challenges the common presumption that empires build their strength on internal hierarchies ultimately dependent on the labor of subjugated peasants in a landlord-dominated agrarian economy.
Scope (Topics Covered, Time Period)
The scope covered is large enough for a comparative study of the empires across the centuries - from the Hsiung-Nu empire, to that of the Hsien-Pi empire, to the Manchurian invasion of China as well as the relations between the Turkish empires and T'ang China. An entire chapter is dedicated to the conquests and policies of the Mongol empire. A comparative history is also drawn up to illustrate the differences and similarities among the method of rule of the Ming, Mongols and the Manchus. The decline of the Mongols provide an apt epilogue to the book.
Argument (Methodology, Significance)
The book unravels some of the history of Inner Asia by applying anthropological models of tribal and state development to the available historical date on the tribal peoples who bordered China's northern frontier. In this case, the perspective of the steppe was applied to define the sphere of interaction between Inner Asia and China. The work centers largely on the political development of the Nomadic tribes. For example, the study of the Mongol empire allows one to make observations if it represents the culmination of political development on the steppe or a deviation from it. This allows readers to examine the interaction between China and its neighbors from a different perspective, giving insight into alternative forms of empire-building; that of the nomads.
Deviating from current presumptions that the Mongols were the product of a 1,500-year rise, Barfield espouses that it was a progressive internal political development, beginnning from the Hsiung-Nu state that had developed the necessary structure and support for a nomadic empire in 200 B.C.E.
Annotated by Michelle Djong

domain: library


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New Zealand authorities reported 62 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases Wednesday — the highest number in a single day since last year as the country wrestles with a growing outbreak driven by the more contagious Delta variant.
Last week New Zealand confirmed its first community Covid-19 cases since February, prompting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to announce the whole country would enter into a strict lockdown.
In just over a week, that single case has grown to a cluster of 210, with 198 cases in the country’s most populous city, Auckland, Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said Wednesday. Bloomfield said 11 people from the current outbreak were in hospital with Covid-19, although none are in intensive care.
Wednesday’s tally is the highest number of infections reported in a single day this year — at the peak of New Zealand’s outbreak last year, the country reported a record daily high of 89 new cases.
New Zealand is trying to avoid the kind of outbreak occurring in neighboring Australia, where cases have spiraled out of control in recent weeks.
The Australian state of New South Wales — which is currently reporting the majority of the country’s cases — recorded its worst day of the pandemic Wednesday with 919 new cases and two deaths overnight, according to the state’s Health Department.
Like Australia, New Zealand has been slow to vaccinate. In New Zealand, less than 20% of the population is fully vaccinated according to data collated by CNN — in Australia, about 24% of the population are now fully immunized.
Although New Zealand’s cases are increasing, Bloomfield said the lockdown meant infections were growing steadily, not exponentially. New Zealand is under level 4 lockdown — its strictest measure — meaning people can only leave the house to shop for groceries, access necessary healthcare, get a Covid-19 vaccination or test, exercise in their local area, or go to work if they are an essential worker.
“It’s not unexpected to see a rise in daily case numbers at this stage,” the Ministry of Health said in a media release Wednesday.
The country is also combining its tough lockdown with contact tracing and testing. More than 20,000 individual contacts of Covid-19 cases have been identified and 62% of them have been tested, according to the Health Ministry. There are now 480 locations of interests — or places that are connected with Covid-19 cases.
For months, New Zealand has kept the virus at bay with tough entry rules, allowing life to continue almost as normal within its borders. Almost all foreigners are banned from the country, and almost all incoming travelers must spend two weeks in a managed isolation facility at their own cost.
New Zealand has confirmed more than 3,100 Covid-19 cases and 26 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.


SAFER Colorado and the City Attorney's office have differing versions of the dismissal of a marijuana charge against real estate professional Eric Footer. The City Attorney's office says that the charge was dropped on a techicality: the search by the officer was unlawful.
Police and prosecutors said Wednesday they still intend to enforce state laws that forbid marijuana possession, despite the new city ordinance approved in November. Advocates of legalization claimed victory, saying public pressure persuaded prosecutors to drop the case.
SAFER declares the dismissal a victory for I-100, the municipal ordinance violation passed by Denver voters in November, decriminalizing possession by adults of up to one ounce of pot.
Mason Tvert, campaign director for Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a non-profit organization, said he believed the city dropped the case because of its media attention, not because of a bad search. "He did give consent, so I don't know how it was a bad search," Tvert said of Footer's incident. "I think they're just caving under the pressure of the people of the city."
Meet the man who took charge of the Colorado DOC in the wake of his predecessor’s murder....
The 33 things every Coloradan should know how to do.
This season’s nine top looks for men and women exude a casual but polished elegance...
Behold, the 10 very best restaurants to hit the Mile High City in the past year.
Elegant taste, feminine colors, and just a touch of sparkle: How a city girl got her dream home...


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The Journey From Discovery to Commercialization
A majority of biomedical discoveries fail to materialize into products and tools that can benefit the society. Lack of development resources and lack of familiarity with the process of product development and commercialization mean that many such discoveries languish. However, a number of academic medical centers and institutions, working closely with the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, are seeking to overcome these obstacles by developing new resources for the systematic review, prioritization and development of projects with commercial potential, as well as educational tools for researchers, students and staff .
Suhrud M. Rajguru, an associate professor in the University of Miami College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Otolaryngology, is collaborating with National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and eight other institutions in spearheading such an effort. Through a $350,000 grant from NCATS, he is leading development of a training program – tailored specifically to biomedical scientists in academic medical centers – to identify new innovations and to accelerate translation into commercial products. The program is based on the idea that, “to ensure that discoveries translate to real health benefits, scientists need a better way to understand the needs of the people – the expected beneficiaries of our research and delivering this value,” Rajguru explains.
Nurturing Translational Medicine
This area of work is known as translational medicine, part of a multidisciplinary and evolving field. It is seen as central to the goal of converting basic science discoveries to diagnostic and therapeutic tools that can be harnessed to treat disease and improve human health. It encompasses all aspects of medical research, intellectual property, financing, regulation, preclinical and clinical trial studies, and commercialization among other disciplines.
In an effort to help create and spread a national network that can inspire and sustain translational medicine, Rajguru is working with Norma Kenyon, the University’s vice provost for innovation and the Miller School’s chief innovation officer, and Alessia Fornoni, director of the Miller School’s Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center. They are collaborating closely with the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, as well with Molly Wasko, professor and associate dean for research, innovation and faculty success at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business, NCATS and 7 other medical centers and institutions around the country.
Together, they are developing a Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA) Innovation Corps (I-CorpsTM) program specifically for life sciences. I-Corps, founded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), offers a series of programs that prepare scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory. Its programs develop and nurture a national “innovation ecosystem” that builds on research to develop technologies, products and services that benefit society. I-Corps Sites support local innovation by nurturing and supporting multiple local teams as they transition their research into the marketplace.
The I-Corps@NCATS program that Rajguru and his colleagues are developing will provide research infrastructure, informatics, advice, resources, networking opportunities, entrepreneurship training and modest pilot funding for biomedical research that can be commercialized. The ultimate goal: to speed the translation of research discoveries into improved patient care.
As a researcher engaged in commercialization of several discoveries, Rajguru understands the importance of developing new biomedical- and life sciences-focused I-Corps program. They will develop a standardized, streamlined, short course for instructors and researchers as part of this effort termed I-Corps@NCATS. The curriculum will include providing scientists and medical researchers with real-world, hands-on entrepreneurship training to help overcome key obstacles along the path of innovation and commercialization. It will enable teams to systematically identify and address knowledge gaps in order to understand the most appropriate path forward for commercializing their discoveries.
The team will also recruit and train instructors for this new course, working with multiple CTSA sites, U Innovation and I-Corps’ existing national teaching team. They will host a regional instructor-training program at Miami, and will engage entrepreneurs and advisors in the program.
Finally, the team will collaborate in the development of common metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the CTSA I-Corps Program across the country. They will share the curriculum, evaluation metrics and other expertise with all of the CTSA institutions in the U.S.
Rajguru has completed was supported by the CTSI and NCATS to be one the I-Corps@NCATS Train-the-Trainer course, completed the Eureka Translational Medicine Certificate Program and successfully led nine University of Miami teams through a regional I-Corps Short Course in May-June 2017. He will serve as the instructor and program director for this new I-Corps@NCATS life sciences program, and will help review and select projects and lead the instructional process.
“We believe that the CTSA program should include in its portfolio of activities, hands-on entrepreneurship training to help scientists overcome key obstacles along the path of innovation and commercialization,” Rajguru says. “It is equally important to make investments to ensure that we are doing the right science. Are our investigators tackling research problems that our stakeholders, patients and communities want and need?”
Ultimately, Rajguru and his team aim to expedite the impact of biomedical discovery on human health and health care delivery.


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Authors, Austerity and the UK’s Save Our Libraries Campaign
Ten years ago, after the UK’s 2010 general election, which led to a coalition government forming, it started to become clear that the Liberal Democrats’ influence wasn’t reigning in the Conservatives’ austerity policies as much as everyone had hoped. Central government announced funding cuts to local government, which in turn meant that city and county councils had to revise their budgets, cutting money to a huge number of local services – including libraries. According to the organisation Voices for the Library, over 10% of UK libraries were threatened with closure, as local authorities were no longer able to keep them open with the large reductions in the funding they received from central government.
The proposed library closures caused a widespread outcry. In some counties, such as Oxfordshire, nearly half the libraries were slated for closure. One of these was my local library, a beautiful building on the edge of the park, which looked like something out of Jane Austen – until you got inside and saw the books, computers, play area for the kids, and the bustle of people who used the place as a community hub. Librarians, authors and local library users began to speak out against the government’s austerity measures, arguing that communities depended on their libraries and that closing them would cause irrevocable damage. Campaigners pointed out that libraries were the only way that many children living in poverty or difficult financial circumstances had to access books; that they provided essential internet access for jobseekers; and that they were a crucial site for social clubs and gatherings, such as book clubs and children’s storytime events. Libraries’ local Friends groups (organisations dedicated to supporting their community’s library) began to organise their responses to the proposed cuts. A barnstorming speech by author Philip Pullman, which quickly went viral, helped to focus attention into a movement that would become the Save Our Libraries campaign.
The Save Our Libraries campaign galvanised readers across the country, with a huge number of public figures coming to bat for their local libraries and the broader fight to keep books and libraries accessible to all communities. On 5 February 2011, campaigners ran dozens of events for Save Our Libraries Day; authors held read-ins, people lobbied politicians, and members of the local community turned up to show how important their libraries were as central, focal points. The support for saving libraries was overwhelming, and things looked hopeful.
I remember the events, and the buzz around them – and then the news cycle moved on, and while many authors and other campaigners still talked about the issue on Twitter and at events, the campaign got less and less focus in the national press. The Tories stayed in power, ending the coalition with the Lib Dems, and austerity continued – as, inevitably, did the cuts to essential services. I did some research on how many library closures had actually happened since the cuts were first announced, and what I found was horrifying: nearly 800 libraries have closed in the near-decade since the Save Our Libraries campaign began. This is getting close to 20% of libraries, a much higher number than the projected 10% that people were citing back in 2011. The number of paid, full-time librarians working in public libraries are also down, with the gaps being filled by volunteers – and as Pullman said in his speech, while volunteers are great, even the most enthusiastic and caring volunteer can’t replace a trained librarian who’s been given the financial resources and support to carry out their important work.
I don’t believe the widespread closure of libraries over the past nine years was a failure of the Save Our Libraries campaign – the librarians, authors and readers who came together to try to save their libraries from austerity couldn’t have worked harder, and we have no idea how many more libraries would have been closed without their efforts. My old local library was one of the ones saved, and although its doors are currently closed because of the global pandemic, it’s there waiting for the locals when lockdown ends. But even the most dedicated campaigns struggle in the face of a government bent on making cuts, and austerity measures meant that we were still left with a public library infrastructure that has been more than decimated. Philip Pullman concluded his speech with the warning words, “Leave the libraries alone. You don’t know the value of what you’re looking after. It is too precious to destroy.” Hopefully, one day, austerity will end and our precious lost libraries will be returned to the people who need them.


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Developing Teams to Address Low Level Workplace Threats
Developing safer workplaces
It was once considered part of the job. Healthcare professionals, case workers and support staff are often verbally abused, cursed at and event hit by those whom they are trying to serve. While much attention has been paid to Active Shooter protocols, the reality is that lower forms of workplace violence are much more common. They need to be addressed because of the impact on employees and likelihood of escalation unless properly addressed.
The good news is that workplaces have the resources right in the offices with workers learning how to take care of each other. Security is not just the guard’s job but the perception shift has to be made so that security is seen as everyone’s responsibility. Management can develop Prevention Teams so that co-workers and frontline supervisors can support each other when these incidents arise and stop them from escalating.
This webinar will help managers develop and refine these teams to develop safer workplaces, improve team cohesion and improve security for the entire workplace.
Participants will learn:
- The value and reason for developing Prevention Teams
- How to assess the what issues and locations that need to be addressed
- Who should be on the team
- Developing protocols and procedures
- How to train and run practice drills for the team
- How to debrief and document incidents
Director, Peace at Work


- Beyonce may have cancelled her Coachella performance by ticket prices are still rising - TMZ
- Amber Rose is being sued by a strip club - Gossip Cop
- Louis Tomlinson talks One Direction reunion - Just Jared Jr
- Get the deets on The Bachelor fantasy suite dates - Wetpaint
- George and Amal Clooney made their first appearance since announcing their pregnancy - Lainey Gossip
- Connie Britton is opening up about her decision to leave Nashville - The Hollywood Reporter
Johnny Depp & Armie Hammer: 'Lone Ranger' Berlin Premiere!
About Photo #2912434: Johnny Depp is all suited up for the premiere of his film The Lone Ranger on Friday (July 19) at the Sony Centre in Berlin, Germany. The 50-year-old actor was… Read More Here


The construction of the Extension of Southern Expressway (ESEP) from Matara to Hambantota consists of 96 kilometers of a four-lane expressway split into four sections. This project was the final phase in connecting Katunayake Airport to Kataragama via a series of expressways resulting in a mere three and half hours traveling time from Colombo. Exim Bank of China funded the total project cost of USD 180 million.
Section 2 and Section 3 of the project used Rawlplug products, including R-KEX II bonded anchors with rebar and threaded rods. R-XPT through bolts were used to install safety barriers along the expressway. Since Sri Lanka Road Development Authority has planned to connect major cities in the country with more expressways in the future, Rawlplug will work hard to be part of those projects too.


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Renovate, don't demolish, Roosevelt
Friday, June 5, 2009
By Thomas Hylton
The financial crash has put a massive dent in America’s culture of consumption, and economists say the change may be permanent. The days of easy credit are over, and we have to start living within our means. Moreover, dramatic reductions in energy consumption will be needed to avert the worst effects of a second looming crisis – global warming.
Whether Americans can adopt sustainable lifestyles will be determined by thousands of individual decisions. One such decision – whether to renovate or replace Erie school buildings -- will be considered 9 a.m. tomorrow during a special meeting of the Erie School Board.
Superintendent Jim Barker wants to demolish the 1922 Roosevelt Middle School and replace it with a new school for pupils in grades 1 through 8. He also wants to replace the 1916 Wayne School and the 1923 Edison School with a new consolidated K-8 school.
The proposal represents the conventional thinking that school districts have embraced for decades: Everything is disposable, and old can never be as good as new. But the reality is quite different. Pre-war buildings are usually much more solidly constructed, adaptable, and energy efficient than those built after 1950.
Consider the Roosevelt School. Constructed of steel, concrete and masonry, the building can last indefinitely with good maintenance and periodic renovations. Its two-story layout is more efficient to heat and cool than the sprawling one-story schools that became fashionable in the suburbs. Its high ceilings provide plenty of space for new wiring, ductwork, and insulation. Its large window openings capture plenty of natural daylight, and new high-performance glazing will provide exactly the same energy savings as windows in a new building.
Last year, on behalf of Preservation Pennsylvania, a team of experienced public school architects toured and evaluated the Roosevelt building for reuse as a K-8 school serving 700 students. The architects concluded that Roosevelt was well suited for renovations. It could provide all the amenities of a new school and a life span that would match or exceed new construction.
The estimated cost of renovations was considerably less than that of a new building. Not included was the cost of demolishing the current school, which could easily exceed $1 million. Their findings were consistent with statistics from the state Department of Education which show that new school construction is about twice as expensive, per square foot, as renovations, when total project costs are considered. Additionally, to encourage renovations, the state offers a 10 percent subsidy bonus for renovations and additions to existing buildings.
Much of the cost of new construction goes for building materials that could be manufactured anywhere. On the other hand, renovations require fewer materials but are more labor intensive, creating more jobs, dollar for dollar, than new construction.
And there are tremendous energy savings in renovating older buildings. Buildings like Roosevelt are vast repositories of energy. It took energy to extract and manufacture the building materials used for the school. It took more energy to transport them to the site. Yet more energy was expended constructing the building.
If Roosevelt is demolished, all the energy locked up in the building is wasted. Razing the building wastes more energy. Yet more energy is consumed constructing a new building. That’s why the state Department of Environmental Protection says the “greenest” building is the one that’s already built.
Sustainability requires making better, wiser use of our existing buildings. With tens of millions of dollars at stake, the Erie School Board should solicit proposals from a wide range of architects about the future of Erie’s schools. New thinking may be needed more than new buildings.


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I absolutely love doughnuts. I guess it’s hard to beat deep-fried batter covered in sugar and filled with all kinds of yummy stuffings…
However, there’s one deep-fried treat I love even more: churros. For those who know me well, it’s pretty obvious why I can’t get my hands off these: they’re covered in cinnamon sugar! As a cinnamon addict, that’s pretty much as good as it gets.
Traditionally churros are eaten for breakfast in Spain and Latin America. I first ate churros on one of our many holidays to Mallorca. They weren’t that good to be honest, just deep-fried rings tasting of nothing but grease. Little did I know that these finger-shaped doughnuts can in fact be absolutely amazing.
I only rediscovered churros in Luxembourg – of all places – at the annual Schueberfouer, a huge fun fair which takes place every year in September in the heart of Luxembourg city. It’s pretty much a coglomeration of fun rides (think rollercoasters, ghost rides and a massive ferris wheel) and food stalls. One of the many food huts is the – in Luxembourg infamous – “Jean la Gaufre“. This Belgian waffle stall started selling churros about a decade ago. And that was the beginning of my love affair with churros: crunchy deep-fried dough, covered in a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar, and served with a Nutella-style chocolate dip. Every year I return to my hometown for the Schueberfouer, and every year I can’t wait to get my hands on a portion of sweet, crispy churros.
So, for this post I decided to give it a go, and make my own churros. After all, what can be so hard about deep-frying some batter? Well, nothing really (apart from making the whole flat smell of frying batter, but that’s well worth it). It’s as easy as pie! So, give it a go and see for yourself why churros are the best treat in the world!


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Spacious room in Stratford 10 minutes walk from Stratford Underground - one of the biggest stations in London which provides you easy access to any part of the city.
The house is just 5 min walks from Stratford International.
- Stratford Station => Central London in just 15min on the tube.
- The biggest Shopping centre - Westfield is only 8 min walk.
- Nearest parks where you can do your jogging routine are 10 min walk


KAMPALA — The state Minister for higher education, John Chrysostom Muyingo has attributed his fatal loss of the MP slot to both his personal conduct as an individual and also undermining the NUP party leader Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert aka Bobi Wine.
Reacting on his apparent loss of grip to the Bamunanika seat to a NUP candidate, Minister Muyingo says he derailed from the interests of the people during the age limit bill debate which he controversially endorsed amid protests from his voters. “The Togikwatako saga costed my parliamentary seat,” Muyingo says. The Bamunanika county outgoing MP who also doubles as the state Minsiter for Higher education maintains that the unpopular Togikwatako move made him lose his seat.
“I went and consulted people about the age limit bill and they told me not to touch it. Instead I went to parliament and voted for its removal.” He says
Muyingo adds that most NRM MPs in the central region lost not because they were not helping their people but because people were revenging over the Togikwatako issue.
On ground however, voters intimate that even though the Minister had voted against the bill, his loss was bound to occur as he had overstayed in the August house and yet the electorate sought to pave way for a new face. “It was time for the new faces fo serve,” Sserunjogi Alex, a voter in Bamunanika says. “We have grown up from childhood seeing one face in parliament. We craved for a fresh beginning. We appreciate what Muyingo has done for us but now is the time to rest” he adds.
Asked if he plans to make a comeback in 2026, Muyingo hints at giving it yet another trial to see if the voters will have changed their minds by then. “You know I can’t just give up like that,” the Minister says. “If a chance arises, then I will take it up and contest again,” he adds.