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By Dean Vaglia
Leader Staff Writer
Two legislative representatives for the Oxford area — state House representative John Reilly (R-Oakland Township) and federal House representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) — discussed the Nov. 30 shooting at meetings last week.
Reilly’s meeting took place on the evening of Monday, Dec. 6 at the Oakwood Wedding Chapel. Billed as a “listening meeting” in response to the shooting, a number of constituents attended to ask questions aimed at clarifying Reilly’s legislative record and his thoughts on issues going forward.
An unidentified woman opened the meeting asking Reilly if he believed “children should have unfettered access to their parents’ weapons?” Reilly did not answer immediately, stating about 30 minutes later that laws enforcing locking unused firearms would be unenforceable, later asking the woman to define what a child is before describing how semiautomatic firearms operate.
Another woman asked what Reilly is doing to bring mental health aid to the Oxford community, to which he said a committee is addressing the issue at the House-level.
An unidentified man asked, as part of a prepared statement, for clarification on Reilly’s “no” vote on HB 5522, a $10 million supplementary budget bill that was increased by $40 million to include more money for school resource officers and police training, equipment and healthcare. Reilly said he was already planning to vote “no” as he does not normally vote for supplemental budgets and that the added $40 million made the bill too expensive. Reilly is one of only three representatives — all Republicans — to vote against HB 5522.
Slotkin’s meeting was a virtual town hall on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 9. The congresswoman broadcasted from the meeting room at the Oxford Charter Township office while her chief of staff fielded questions submitted by viewers.
Slotkin began the session with her thoughts on the shooting and the response from first responders, citing their lack of hesitation to enter the scene as an example of how community members have and should not hesitate when reaching out and helping others. The shooting caused Slotkin to think about how normalizing violence and letting mental health issues go largely untreated is doing for school-aged children, to which she said her office has been working on getting federal and state funds “to address the most immediate mental health needs in this area,” though a more systematic approach is needed to address the issue at the state and national level.
Slotkin also mentioned her office is looking into ways to hold gun owners responsible when unsecured weapons are taken and used to illegal ends.
Karen from Orion Township sent in a question about what Slotkin is doing to address gun violence in schools. Slotkin reiterated her commitments to mental health and holding negligent parents accountable, adding that she is looking into requiring background checks for all firearm purchases. Slotkin specifically mentioned gun shows and online sales in reference to how private firearm sales do not require background checks.
By Dean Vaglia


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Transform a tortilla into the edible bowl of your recipes. It will become common at home once you try it! I love it, whether it is to serve a salad in an original way, some eggs on a plate or sweet recipes, it is very easy and ideal!
Today I suggest you create your own tortilla bowls in the oven and enjoy this delicious American-style salad with an avocado and cilantro dressing.
The recipe for savory spinach pancakes (you also know them as "spinach pancakes") is a clear example of this.
Healthy, fun, tasty and very easy to prepare. These zucchini and feta pancakes have everything to make you succeed with your family or to give yourself a personal whim. They can be served as a starter or as a side dish, although nothing prevents them from being the protagonists of the aperitif moment.
pancake too. Normally this is the name given to the pancakes that are made in the oven and in an iron skillet, but we are going to give it a spin and we are going to prepare them in individual size and in mini cocottes.

domain: food


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So, last year was a romantic movie and lunch and the year before was a dinner and before that… Wait, are you doing the same things over and over again. Well, if yes then it is time to give those cliches a run for their money. Why not do something different and unique this time and also get fits, which are a class apart.
Yes flowers are always romantic and who wouldn’t love to have a box of The Perfect Chocolate Assortment to nibble on! But what you need to do is make this day a little more peppy and romantic, so get ready to spruce up your style and check out these great ideas for Valentines Day–
Great Ideas For Valentines Day
Explore And Explore
You both may or may not be from the same town, but it doesn’t mean that you have visited every nook and corner. This Valentines Day why not just hang around with each other doing things that you always wanted to, but never really got to. Take a trip to that museum or visit that old park where you played as kids. Head to the amusement part for some fun filled rides or head out to that little cafe in the hidden lanes of your city. Believe me, you will surely have a blast seeing this town again as a tourist, holding your partners hand.
And yes I know you wish you had one of these to mend your mistakes and improvise, but since you don’t how about re-living your first special or romantic date. What you can do is make reservations at the same restaurant and order the same things you had when you first went there. If it is off the menu, make a special request to the chef and re-live those times. If you have those old jeans with you, put them on and just go back in time to rekindle that love!
Take Classes Together
She always wanted you to learn salsa or cooking… Well why not do something like that. Take a class together and learn something your partner always wanted to! If it is a cooking class then it is a great way to make her some cute chocolates or cakes. If it is dancing, then you can hit the night club later and rock some moves that you learned at class.
Make A Bucket List
It is never too soon or late to make a bucket list, because time is something that we are always short of. Do things that you had been planning on for years. It may be something totally whacky like bungie jumping or very spooky like exploring that old haunted house. So grab a pen and paper and get going
No I don’t mean that you run away and get married. But just get away from everyone else. Head to a nearby picnic spot or natural reservoirs, where the two of you can just be with each other. Just spend time together! And while planning these ideas, don’t forget to pick a Chocholicious Ecstasy box to add a sweet finish to your Valentines Day!

domain: hobby


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MICHAEL STRAHAN WEIGHS IN ON DIFFERENCE BETWEEN '07 AND '11 GIANTS
"Lately there have been a ton of comparison’s drawn between this year’s New
York Giants and the team that went all the way in 2007.
If you remember, we
gave you a couple reasons why those two teams should not be compared, but
why not let a Giant great do that for you?
Strahan commented on those comparisons, saying each team is/was different.
Quotes thanks to ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
“I think these are two totally different types of teams,” Strahan said. “Our
team in 2007 was led on the defensive side of the ball. We realized defensively,
and especially up front, we had to get after the quarterback and had some good
secondary play. This year, you can lean on the offense to put points on the
Strahan says one of the main differences is Eli Manning.
“At that point in 2007, Eli finally started to get his confidence in himself.
We were still a little unsure every game about what was going to happen with
him. I understand the comparisons but I wish this team would have their own
history. This is a good team and they’re hoping that the defense hits the same
hot streak that the offense hit back in 2007 when they needed it the
Strahan also recalls the problems he had adjusting to the coaching style of
Tom Coughlin and compared his situation with what Antrel Rolle has gone through
in his two years with the squad.
Strahan and Coughlin definitely did not see eye to eye, which Strahan admits,
but during that 2007 run they started to gel. Rolle has gone through a similar
transformation this year.
“A perfect example of a player taking on the personality of their coach is
Antrel Rolle. He’s said, ‘I was forced to play for a coach like this and it’s
ridiculous,’ and now he says that he wouldn’t want to play for any other coach.
Tom Coughlin tests you to a point and it happened with me.”
“You have to ask yourself ‘do I want to be a part of the problem or a part of
the solution’”Strahan continued. “When you start to buy in and want to be a part
of the solution you realize that he’s a very good coach whose only focus is to
win. It seems like the main guy that needed to buy in, the guys who are the
leaders, like him andChris Canty, believe in it now.”

domain: news


Japan is known to be the land of robots, and every year several trade shows are organized to give a glimpse of what the future may look like. Japan Robot Week 2016 is one of them, and I decided to head out to Tokyo Big Sight to see some of the newest technological marvels.
Rescue Robots for Disasters
This year, the exhibition focused mainly on "service robots," designed to help humans with everyday life. A few minutes after I arrived, I decided to have a look at quite an eye-catching humanoid robot. Developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the HRP-2Kai impressed many with his futuristic look. But it's not only about its human-like body design. Used in locations struck by disasters, it can get close to dangerous places and can move and carry out work in place of people, minimizing the risks.
Pepper: Always Star of the Show
Famous all across Japan, Pepper has again made quite an impression on me. One of the types introduced at Japan Robot Week 2016 was the concierge type. The white semi-humanoid robot is a little over a meter high on wheels. It uses artificial intelligence and, since its first introduction in 2014, it became more efficient in its interactions with humans. Talking to him is always as fun as the first time! As of today, there are more than 10,000 Peppers out in the world, and some companies use them to welcome customers in their stores and to give personalized advice.
New Farming Solutions
One of this year's award winners was the Yanmar YT5113. Planned for release in 2018, it's like this tractor came directly out of a movie. The design has been developed by Kiyoyuki Okuyama, famous for works with Ferrari and on the JR East E6 and E7 Shinkansen. The tractor is a glimpse into what farming may look like in years to come: Not only can it analyze the distance of a field, but it can also harvest crops automatically by being remotely controlled. With such a machine, it is possible to do the work of two people!
A Robotic Arm That Can Paint with Precision
Another robot that attracted a lot of attention was clearly the UR of Universal Robots. Designed like an arm, they can be used for a wide range of applications, with humans or as single operators. To show how precise it can be, one was doing… Japanese calligraphy! Without any external help, the arm not only painted, but was also taking paper to draw on and positioning it, all in a just a few seconds.
Drones to Your Rescue
They are everywhere, and unsurprisingly they had an important part during Japan Robot Week 2016: Drones. One drone introduced was able to collect information on a whole disaster site that might be unreachable by men at first, such as after a landslide or volcano eruption. Another drone, who won one of the awards, is the Spider LX8. This impressive device has a laser, developed specially in Japan, placed under it. Already having been put to use during the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, it can create real-time 3D-mapping, so that rescuers can intuitively navigate a given area during an emergency. In the end, Japan Robot Week is quite a fun experience, and really worth a visit for those interested in high-tech things like me!
Perfect Balance of Chocolate and Plum Liquor: Try the Brand-New “KitKat Umeshu Tsuru-ume” - Japan’s Popular KitKat Sensation!The Latest
Cup Noodle Ranking! Japan's Top 3 Cup Noodle Favorites AnnouncedThe Latest
First time in Tokyo? Here's your easy guide to exploring the Shibuya and Harajuku area!Must-See
Cheers! Complete Guide to Drinks You Can Find at a Typical Japanese PubIn-depth
5 Items Available Only at AmeyokoMust-See
Tokyo Shibuya｜Shibuya Station Area Map & Sightseeing InformationMust-See
Cheap and Unique - Tokyo's Top 10 Guesthouses to Stay AtThe Latest
The Secrets of Shopping in Japan: When is the Best Time to Shop?Hot Deals
The Beautiful World of PIGMENT: Colors and Art Supplies Made from Traditional MaterialsMust-See


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Nonpoint source pollution -- South Dakota; Watersheds -- South Dakota; Water -- Pollution -- South Dakota; Water quality management -- South Dakota
Report on continued planning, design, and implementation of best management practices in selected 303d listed waterbodies in South Dakota. This project was conducted in cooperation with the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural...
South Dakota -- Investment Council; Investment of public funds -- South Dakota
The South Dakota Investment Council annual report for fiscal year 2013 provides information about management of State of South Dakota financial assets, including the South Dakota Retirement System, trust funds, and other financial assets.
South Dakota -- Department of Labor and Regulation; Labor supply -- South Dakota; Employment agencies -- South Dakota; Unemployment -- South Dakota; Insurance -- South Dakota; Banks and banking -- South Dakota; Securities -- South Dakota
Annual report for the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation.
South Dakota -- Value Added Finance Authority; Agricultural credit -- South Dakota; Agriculture -- South Dakota -- Finance; New business enterprises -- South Dakota -- Finance
Includes reports on the the Authority's: Beginning Farmer Bond Program; Agribusiness Bonding Program; Beginning Farmer Bond Program; Agribusiness Bond Program; and Livestock Nutrient Management Bond Program.
Water quality management -- South Dakota -- Brown County -- Statistics; Water -- Pollution -- Total maximum daily load -- South Dakota -- Brown County; Suspended sediments -- Statistics; Phosphorus -- South Dakota -- Brown County; Watershed...
Final report of the Brown County Water Quality Improvement Project. "This project was completed in cooperation with the State of South Dakota and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8."

domain: economics


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Get it, girl!!!
[Image via Flaunt Magazine.]
Bill Cosby's lawyer must be a rich man.
Over the past few days, Bill has received good and bad legal news. Either way, it's clear the comedian will be embroiled in lawsuit drama for the foreseeable future.
In the defamation case of Janice Dickinson, Cosby recently received word that he and his lawyer's depositions will be delayed until an appeals court reviews legal briefs submitted by both parties. The legal move is a win for the actor's team considering they fought the depositions tooth and nail.
While B.C.'s legal team didn't comment on the update, Janice's lawyer commented:
The hits keep on coming for Bill Cosby!
For those who don't know, Janice first accused Bill of sexual assault last November and then filed a defamation lawsuit against the actor in May after the model was attacked in the press by the senior citizen's legal team.
His lawyer unsuccessfully fought back at the suit, citing Anti-SLAPP law, which protects Constitutionally free speech from
Speaking on the major victory in Janice's favor, the presiding judge in the case explained:
"The court finds that plaintiff has satisfied the prerequisite of provable false facts sufficient to permit discovery for actual malice. A reasonable fact finder could conclude the press statements declare provable false assertions of fact, a factual assertion that Ms. Dickinson is lying. In other words, either the rape did occur or it did not occur, and in this regard Ms. Dickinson is either telling the truth or not telling the truth."
Basically, the judge is saying that before Cosby's team can call the model a liar, the case must go through legal proceedings first before this can be determined.
Now the Cosby Show star will have to swear under oath that he didn't intentionally disregard the truth in order to protect himself.
This will the actor's second deposition in just two months. We'll keep you updated as the cases progress!
This seems a little far fetched to us…
Farrah Abraham may have been the villain we loved to hate on Celebrity Big Brother this series, but we think she may be taking her notorious role a bit too far now that she's out of the house.
The Teen Mom OG star is suing Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace for the champagne flute altercation that took place during the after-show two weeks ago — and is also planning on bringing Janice Dickinson to court!
In a statement released by Farrah on Saturday, she said:
The heat is turning up on Bill Cosby — again.
The comedian is already being sued by Janice Dickinson for defamation — in addition to all of his legal and social troubles surrounding repeated sexual assault allegations from dozens of women — and now Dickinson has filed paperwork to have Cosby deposed!
The deposition would be an interesting development, since Cosby would be grilled hard regarding his alleged past of drugging women and having sex without their consent.
Dickinson's lawyer, Kaprina Vallecillo, stated:
That kinda sucks to hear.
Farrah Abraham is currently one of the stars on Team USA on this season of Celebrity Big Brother, but that doesn't mean she has very many loyal teammates.
In Thursday's shopping task, the contestants were required to truthfully answer tough questions about their fellow housemates… and the Teen Mom star got most of brutal honesty thrown her way.
In fact, Farrah was deemed the "most boring", "least trustworthy", "least talented", "most vile", AND (obvi) the "least popular"…
A little harsh, guys.
We're sure Farrah is embracing her role as the season's main villain, but it must really suck hearing that your peers pretty much hate you…
[Image via Farrah Abraham/Instagram.]
This is scary!
Janice Dickinson had just sat down in the Diary Room on Celebrity Big Brother UK when she was stung by a bee.
Unfortunately, Janice is apparently allergic to bee stings, but did not bring her EpiPen.
Her resulting collapse and seizure were aired on live TV!
In video of the incident, Janice told producers of her pain, even showing the staff how her hand was turning purple:
Janice Dickinson could care less what the public thinks.
Arguably, she's the most outspoken of Bill Cosby's alleged rape victims and she wants the world to know that she has no plans to shut up now. In a recent interview, the super model slammed critics who've asserted that her allegation against the comedian is motivated by money.
In response to the backlash, Dickinson curtly says:


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Sunday, March 4, 2012
Constant Reading Project: Good doggy
Tad isn't the last doomed child in Stephen King's works. We'll get to Gage Creed soon enough. But really, was anyone surprised that Tad didn't survive? I was the first time I read Cujo but mostly because I'd seen the damn movie when I was younger. The kid lives on and eventually has Tony Danza washing his Underoos.
Cujo is a prime example of how King fills in the lives of the people around the central event. Nothing that happens happens in a vacuum. Sometimes that means a whole heap of shit can happen to one person all at once, such as the stretched a million ways Vic Trenton. Sometimes things can happen while you are away, as it does with Vic and Charity and Brett Camber. The left just time to avoid the massive shitstorm their dog leaves behind. Unlike the Trentons, they don't seem much worse for wear at the end of it all.
Multiple subplots in a short novel (Cujo, in paperback, chimes in at 304 pages) can seem like filler, upping the page count -- and the retail price. When they work, it helps us to understand the characters better. When they don't, fills like wasted space. The various subplots in Cujo go both ways. At one moment, it's easy to see that certain things had to happen in a certain way for Donna and Tad Trenton to be stuck in that damnable Pinto with little hope of rescue. All too often, these devices reek of a type of dues ex machina. The hero who just happens to have the one key to open the locked dungeon or the cracked baseball bat that has been laying in the weeds the entire novel. Forced subplots to reach a certain end can feel arbitrary and unorganic (how I feel about Firestarter, for example). Sometimes those subplots can come before the main plot or can be taken from failed story ideas. Cujo gives me that sense. That if the big dumb dog hadn't chased a rabbit one day, Tad Trenton would have faced some other monster down the road. Or his daddy might have had a harder time with the cereal that made kids puke and shit red. Who knows?
What I do know is that I like this book. It moves. Even when we're sitting with someone else outside the broken car in the Camber's yard, the book doesn't stall. It picks up sped right until it crashes us head first into the wall of Tad dying, just when it seemed everything would be OK.
Life doesn't have too many happy endings, the lesson could be. One day you win the lottery, the next your abusive husband is killed by your rabid dog. One day you find out your business is going under and your wife cheated on you. Then you find out the affair is over and your job might be saved after all. Then your kid dies.
Life sucks sometimes. Let's move on to the next book, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger.
For those keeping score, we've read nine books and 4,403 pages. Yes, we're behind, but we have five books to go until we get to another 600-page plus behemoth.

domain: literature


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Previously, I talked about the scaphoid fracture and how this can be missed in the Emergency Department.
However many other fractures can be unidentified in the Emergency Department normally when a clinician does not undertake an X-ray or X-rays the wrong area of the body.
How then can a clinician be sure to identify a fracture clinically without exposing every patient to radiation.
The Royal College of Radiologists undertook a study asking clinicians to document the clinical signs in patients and correlated these with the outcome of X-rays.
They came to the conclusion that if one or more of obvious deformity, point bony tenderness and inability to weight bear in the lower limb or significant loss of function in the upper limb were present, this would identify over 90% of significant fractures that would alter treatment.
These guidelines then became enshrined in written guidelines and can be used when addressing if an X-ray should or should not have been undertaken in an individual case.
However even using these guidelines common injuries, such as a sprained ankle, still would mean excessive numbers of X-rays where many would be negative.
This has led to the development of certain rules such as the Ottawa Ankle rules which limits the areas of bones that tenderness is needed to warrant an X-ray and also makes a quantitative number of steps that the patient needs to undertake (less than 4) to mandate an X-ray.
The advice is as follows:
The Ottawa Rule makes clear that for those who fulfil none of the advice, then an ankle or foot X-ray is not required. However, if a patient fails the criteria in some way, then clinical judgement is required.
There is still a need for the expert to be sure that the records clearly documents the examination that has been carried out and that it meets the criteria for an X-ray not to be undertaken.
Often what can happen is that the clinician has made a diagnosis before undertaking a full examination including the whole of the lower leg rather than just examining the ankle thus missing a fracture higher up the leg.

domain: medical


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The open call for PIFcamp #7 is out! For more information on how to apply, participation fee and application itself click here.
Make sure you apply by May 3rd and catch the early bird registration!
The open call for PIFcamp #7 is out! For more information on how to apply, participation fee and application itself click here.
Make sure you apply by May 3rd and catch the early bird registration!
Friday’s rage claimed several lives: the morning began slowly and drop by drop, but without rain! Katja’s workshop (second part) bore the first fruits. After spending the night in the darkroom, the first cyanotype images appeared: the river in Gambia, a pet dog, river Soča, a mask.
In a full workshop with the locals in Soča town Dario and Darja shared their findings and knowledge. Meanwhile, we were kept under a tent by the last in a series of workshops by Andrew Quitmeyer, where we saw ants in a hitherto unknown role. The colonization of colonies on the body and interfaces as fashion accessories has succeeded. Wearable ants are a hit of the summer season. Dolce & Gabbana is out of fashion, here are Simon & Andrew.
Just after sunset, Vaclav from BASTL showed us how subtle music from DIY instruments can be. For a moment, we wished we could have listened to the mildly dosed rhythms and lyrics in melodious Czech for hours. How do you say ‘more’ in Czech?
The concert was followed by an AV performance by Bernhard and Rob, which included samples from the river’s surroundings and projections on the treetops. It seemed to us that the trees were moving in synth rhythms and rocking us in the hips. The audience went home hyped and ready for the last night in PIFcamp. Julian will take part of the atmosphere from the camp to Bohinjska Bistrica, where he will conduct a microscopy workshop.
The end is near. We are reassured by the thought of Luka’s rotator for potted plants. Until the next PIFcamp-!
It’s Friday?! A sultry morning started with the traditional and mandatory PIFcamp hike. Jumping into the pools of the (almost) icy cold Soča was reserved for the bravest and most heated heads. We keep their esteemed names in the editorial office!
In the afternoon, the PIF members continued with their work. Rob Canning is developing a tool for musical performance related to geological processes in the Soča Valley.
Over the past few days, he has been collecting field recordings and sounds of the surrounding landscape. Using the SuperCollider platform for audio synthesis and algorithmic sound composition, he is developing a system that will also be able to process music by other creators. Initially, the research was supposed to lead to the release of a short EP, but PIFcamp opened the opportunity to connect with the research and projects of other participants – Rob will also test the system in Blaž’s DIY ambisonic dome. In line with his previous creative ethics, Rob will make all media available to the public, under a creative commons license (click).
Darja prepared a workshop on hydrolates, tinctures and ointments from medicinal plants (among others Arnika, Rman, Thyme), which were collected by PIFcampers in the past days in the surrounding meadows.
Katja introduced us to cyanotype, one of the earliest photographic processes, and a once popular image transfer process, characterized by the blue color of the final image. That is why it is also called blue printing, and this time it was done on paper. The main compounds are ammonium iron citrate and potassium iron cyanide. Under Katja’s guidance the participants developed their own photos. After the introduction to the chemical process, we set to work. Some have developed images from meadow flowers and – suited to 2020 – from a protective mask! After the chemical process the images have to sunbathe, thus Katja’s workshop will be on the schedule on Saturday as well.
Robertina and Miha tested the protocol of the aquaforensic_2.0 workshop, which they developed together during PIFcamp. As the name of the project suggests, water forensics focuses on often overlooked contents from sea depths. At a lively and informative workshop, the mentors presented the development of the project from the very beginning, when Robertina and Gjino (Šutić – unfortunately absent this year) conducted preliminary field research (Ars Electronica Linz, etc.) and tested the content of pharmacological and toxic contents in rivers and seas. “The pharmaceutical industry is not interested in flushed parts of their medicines,” says Robertina, adding, “this project opens up a view of this silenced part and perhaps this can be a step in a direction of industries thinking more sustainably and less harmful to the environment”. In addition to microscopy of microorganisms, Miha also presented his invention from this year’s camp: sonified TSD sensor that reacts to conductivity and can be used to test liquids. The principle is this: more salt, more music! The maestro added salt by feeling.
Stella and Črt enlivened the evening via a live-stream from Ljubljana, where they performed an audio-video set they were working on at PIFcamp.
Last but not least, the card battles continued this evening as well and were accompanied by an audio-visual impro dessert offered ad-hoc by Rob, Klemens, Bernhard and Anja.
Early in the morning, eleven PIFcampers and Dingo the dog set off on an eight-hour hike along the off-road trails of the surrounding peaks. Bernhard lost both soles in mountaineering zeal, but the brave hikers agreed upon their return that the shoes were worth destroying for the stunning view from Čisti vrh.
The second group, meanwhile, visited Breginj. The village is situated very close to the Italian border. Here the group visited Mazora Museum Collection, an impressive private collection with 11,000 exhibits from the surrounding area and with an emphasis on both world wars. Breginj also houses the Breginj Museum, a curiosity and one of the rare examples of preserved construction of stone two-storey houses intertwined with porches. After the earthquake that destroyed most of the houses on this side of the border, the houses were replaced with prefabricated ones. The neighboring Italians, chose a different approach and mostly preserved the old villages. The visit to Breginj was followed by a stop in the village of Logje, where the Last Museum of Contemporary Art resides. It is led by visual artist Damijan Kracina, one of the members of the Society for Domestic Research. The cold Nadiža river offered a nice opportunity for cooling down after a long day.
Activities also continued in the PIFcamp base: Saša and Tilen Sepič spent Thursday morning in the surrounding forests, where they continued recording inaudible and invisible landscapes of fungi and microbes with geophones, hydrophones, microscope, thermal and infrared camera. The videos will be part of Saša’s MycoMythologies project, a series of ontogenetic mythological stories, video essays, and machines. The series explores the flow of substances in the fungi mycelium. These serve as an inspiration for a new myth-building practice that would enable us to think differently about the conditions and possibilities of living in capitalist ruins.
Klemens Kohlweis continued his media archaeological research into EPROM chips (erasable programmable read-only memory), which were used from the 80s to the mid-90s, and are found also in digital drum machines used in Pop music of the time. The characteristic of EPROM chips is that the silicon part is visible and exposed, and the data can be erased with UV light. This process of deletion can take multiple hours, during which you can “play” the chips, explains Klemens, and observe how the data “sounds” when being destroyed.
Klemens also participated in the project of Saša Spačal, who is developing the Light Reader workshop, video tutorial and a lab book. For the lab book Klemens prepared two schematics of the electrical circuit. The Light Reader is a simple physical interface for triggering sound using light. Its technological principle was developed and used in Saša’s biotechnological sound art installation Mycophone_unison in 2013. The Light Reader is now also available on Github: https://github.com/okelk/Light-Reader
Luka completed his solar powered rotator for houseplants, while Blaž tested the DIY ambisonic dome, which we have already reported on in previous posts.
Andrew Quitmeyer, a mentor for an interactive ant-farms workshop, gave an online lecture in the afternoon on the safe placement of ant colonies on the body. Thursday was dedicated also to searching for anthills in the area and gathering ants.
Yet another productive day at PIFcamp was concluded by an evening sitting by a fire, playing cards, and enjoying improvised video and laser projections.
Wednesday finally brought slightly better weather so the morning walk with Dario took place on schedule, and the harvested plants spiced up lunch and dinner.
PIFcamp-goers continued to develop their projects and research: Robertina Šebjanič and Miha Godec, who are preparing a lab book for conducting aqua_forensic 2.0 workshops, have assembled a TDS sensor, which measures water conductivity. The degree of conductivity was sonified via an electronic circuit. Robertina and Miha hiked with Saša Spačal and Rob Canning to the Lepena valley, where they created field sound recordings. Blaž Pavlica joined in as well and he will use the recorded material in his DIY ambisonic dome project. On the dome, which was developed and used as part of PifLab and past PIFcamps, a matrix of eight speakers is installed – a diy system for reproducing the ambisonics, a spherical spatial-sound format that allows immersive representation of the sound field.
Lovrenc was busy working on his weather station – cleaning 3D printed elements and programming the Arduino and Raspberry. The lesson of the day: “Don’t update Linux!”, Says Lovrenc, who due to this fatal mistake spent significantly more time for programming than planned. The weather station, which will be connected to the network of amateur stations Weather Underground and installed here in Soča, will measure wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity, and will also be equipped with a camera. In the future, the station can be upgraded with air quality and CO2 sensors as well.
Test measurements at 8 PM (CET): 19 degrees / 148 hectopascals / 1.42 km/h
The afternoon was marked by workshops and presentations. Julian’s introduction to microscopy introduced various DIY and professional lenses and devices, we then used to look at soil and compost samples from the immediate surroundings. Julian Chollet is collaborating with the DIY soil photogrammetry project at PIF. On Sunday (after the end of this year’s camp) he will conduct a Humus Sapiens field workshop in Bohinjska Bistrica as part of the konS platform.
In the tent, the initial part of the remote workshop with Maggie Kane aka Streetcat.media took place. In the coming days the workshop will introduce the participants to the principles of designing narrative video games in the coming days. An enthusiastic cosplayer and versatile artist who gets bored at concerts, as Maggie described herself, presented various examples of how artists can use “sick visuals and interactivity” of video games to enrich their concerts, performances and other events to increase audience engagement.
As part of their μπA (micropia) project, the Beam Team (Stella Ivšek and Anja Romih) researched ways of mapping video projections on natural objects and, in collaboration with Tilen Sepič, who prepared an improvised music set, also tested them in an experimental evening performance on the shore of river Soča. The live performance took place in an intimate atmosphere – due to the slippery terrain, only a handful of PIFcampers could attend. Thanks to the diligent video team the documentation of the event will soon be available to internet public as well.
The weather forecast for the coming days is promising, so in addition to the many activities that are yet to happen, we are “looking forward to less rain and more fun”, as Luka concluded at the end of the day. Tomorrow, he will finally be able to test his solar cell-powered rotator for houseplants.
After a rainy morning in the village of Soča Peaks (to listen to the soundtrack click here), the planned hike with Dario Cortese was postponed until the afternoon. Such sweet mornings under a tent are ideal for documenting, which is also this year’s umbrella theme of PIFcamp. In cooperation with the PIFcamp video team (Jure Lavrin, Tilen Sepič, Domen Ožbot, Katja Goljat and Matjaž Rušt), the participating PIF-goers put on display their artistic and / or research process, part of which is also being developed within the camp.
Documentation, often underestimated in the culture of makers and hackers, the rain was the first good excuse to commence work on archiving. Under the safe roof of a tent, the future archives of the following PIF-goers were created: Julian Chotell’s DIY-Soil-Photogrammetry, which is an attempt to use photography as a tool in exploring the earth, with the help of modified scanners. Robertina Šebjanič and Miha Godec in the aqua_forensics project developed water forensics experiments with the help of drugs found in rivers and seas. The second part of the project is in vitro experiments and verification of the emerging lab book.
The first morning workshop on botanics in the wild, led by Dario and Darja, took place under a tent, where wild plants were given two new roles: in form of a toothpaste and a healing cream. In the afternoon sunny hours, the classroom moved to the neighboring hill Lemovje, where Dario and Darja presented edible and poisonous wild plants on a hike in situ (among others: thyme, sage, cloves, long-leafed mint, yarrow, horsetail, sage, wild garlic, St. John’s wort).
The sun rays lured Blaž Pavlica and his assistants to set up a dome for distributed perception. This time, Blaž will use it to create a DIY spatial-sound format that transmits sound above and below the listeners. The first attempts will follow in the coming days!
Once again (the 6th time already!) PIFcamp gathered makers, hackers, tech freaks, and nature lovers in a semi-remote location of Upper Soča valley. This year, the Covid-safe edition with about 35 participans remains in a pocket format on the location, but is big on-line, with several live streaming of presentations and workshops. Hiking, however, remains in the domain of real presence. Europe’s most popular hack and maker summer camp also happens offline!
Kick-off of this edition, according the camp’s main organizer Tina, resembled the “family gatherings”. The old faces of PIFcamp mixed with the few new ones. The pristine Soča valley welcomed the participants from the neighboring countries (Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic) and the global followers online. After short presentations of the participants, the Sunday evening was devoted to timetable-building, orientational walks, and first talks among camp-goers. The opening day was topped with a mouth-watering dinner by tandem cooks Klemen Košir & Miha Tumpej.
On the second day, a morning walk with artists Robertina Šebjanič and Miha Godec included collecting water samples and video shooting of the scenic Soča river and walking towards Koritenska jezera. Šebjanič will present updated version of her aqua_forensic project at the camp and share some insights at the workshop later in the week. We are looking forward also to Dario Cortese’s traditional hikes focused on collecting wild edible plants that will culminate in a Plant hub, a sort of crash course in wild botanics.
All the way from Panama, the familiar PIFcamp-goer, a scholar and the enthusiast Dinacon maker Andrew Quitmeyer held a video call in the PIFcamp yard about ants, ant sensor and ant ecosystem that are his main interest for the past 10 years. Myrmecorpora is Quitmeyer’s 6-day workshop for wearable interactive ant farms. The workshop that will be held online and facilitated by Simon Gmajner offline will end with a fashion show of wearable ant-farm. Andrew’s ant licking quotes escalated on PIFcamp memes. Isn’t this fANTastic?
The super informative, hands-on evening lecture held by Bernhard Reisinger and live-streamed with the help of Vaclav Peloušek introduced us to oscilloscope, sound and its visualizations. Oscilloscope, “an instrument that allows you to play” enables you to see the visual representation of sound that for Bernhard is much more playful than a laser system based on mirror reflection. Sound and visuals to play. Is there a better way to start the week?
Ants are Earth’s dominant animal, but their ubiquitous networks go unnoticed by humans. This project helps us feel their presence, by viscerally connecting us to a superorganism. MYRMECORPORA is a project to explore ants by living intimately with them, and designing ant farms we can wear on our bodies. The goal is to embed a human into the superorganism in a way that both creatures can sense and understand the living flows of each other.
We will redesign traditional scientific formicaria (ant-farms) into small wearable devices. Form factors like watches, hats, shoes, epaulets, and more will be created with embedded sensors that monitor the movements and ambient features of the enclosed colonies (e.g. respiration, temperature). The sensed data is then mapped to haptic actuators (such as electro-tactile-stimulators, vibration-motors, Peltier-heaters) to allow the human to feel real-time changes in the attached colony as the ants eat, sleep, forage, and reproduce. Challenges are how to design intimate apparel that houses ants near the human body while also keeping the colony safe and healthy.
Also, since it’s PIFcamp, we will probably end up with some cool ant-synths.
Participants will engage in series of workshops and learn about:
• Collecting ant colonies
• Rearing ant colonies
• Designing homes for ants
• Sensing Ants
The project will be carried out at Panama & PIFcamp in several stages. You are invited to join the workshop from your garden, nearby park, forest or even facilitate the workshop in your local community!
July – Panama Experimentation
Andy will be working to develop some basic prototypes and testing out some techniques for collecting, housing, and sensing ants.
These early prototypes are evaluated regarding the human-user interactions, varying ant-species, and the comfort and safety of the ant colonies.
ONLINE – INTRO DAY 1: Wearable Ant Farms
Monday AUG 3 at 5PM CEST | 3PM UTC
We will have an online workshop sharing techniques for how you can collect your own ant colonies.
DAY 2: Ant sensing
Tuesday AUG 4 at 5PM CEST | 3PM UTC
We will have an online chat demonstrating ways to add sensors and computer vision to monitor the movements of your ants in real time.
ONLINE – DAY 2-4: Participant Collecting and Housing
Participants have time to collect a colony and get to know their ants.
ONLINE – DAY 4: Wearable Ant Farms
Thursday AUG 6 at 5PM CEST | 3PM UTC
We will have an online workshop exploring how to safely attach ant colony’s as fashionable and useful wearable items.
ONLINE – DAY 6: Final Superorganismal Fashion Show
Saturday AUG 8 at 5PM CEST | 3PM UTC
During the traditional final day of PIFcamp, participants can show and demonstrate the amazing cybernetic superorganismal devices they have created.
Core Materials List
For those who want more
Code is available here: https://github.com/Digital-Naturalism-Laboratories/AttaSense
MYRMECORPORA – Wearable Interactive Ant-farms is a project by Andrew Quitmeyer (Dinacon). The workshop will be led by Andrew from Panama and facilitated by Simon Streljaj Gmajner at PIFcamp. Below you can find all the necessary tools and materials you need if you want to join the remote workshop and easily participate from wherever you are.
For easier communication we suggest you send an email to email@example.com and we can update you about the streams and progress on the daily basis, or follow this blog post for updates!
“MycoMythological machines were assembled to tap into the underground flow, the data poured out of the flow and with it numerous stories. No matter where the flow was sampled, there the stories were, pouring out of the mycelium network together with much needed nutrients. There were many whispers, but some stories seemed the same as they trickled out of hyphae in chunks and pieces. Almost as a repetitive mantra that loops and loops, however they were never completely the same, there were always glitches of differences as if they would be assembled again and again like some sort of distant memory and then murmured by the machine.”
MycoMythologies is a series of ontogenetic mythological stories, video essays and machines by Saša Spačal. Series researches the multilayered question of how mushrooms can help humans think possibilities of entangled life in capitalist ruins. MycoMythologies as speculative artistic research thinks not only about what fungal underground networks can teach humans but also how technologies define the teachings we receive.
During PIFcamp Saša Spačal will be focusing on visual and sound technologies that reach beyond human perceptive abilities. She will be developing a Light reader synth workshop, video tutorial and lab book, while recording inaudible and invisible MycoMythological landscapes of fungi and microbes with geophones, hydrophones, microscope, thermal and infrared camera.
MycoMythologies series is supported by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Toby Kiers Laboratory at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Projekt Atol.

domain: artistic


text:
From Lake MacKenzie Lodge to Routeburn Falls (about 9 miles)
12.29.2010 - 12.29.2010 55 °F
The day started rather early. Kari and I woke up independently near 6:30 AM. We took in the views from the lodge and had a cup of coffee before breakfast was served. Today’s breakfast was eggs benedict. This was our introduction in to how the Kiwi’s like their breakfasts…heavy and filling. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
After breakfast we packed our gear and prepped ourselves for another day in the rain. The rain had not let up overnight so our spirits were a little fragile. The original route out of the lodge and around Lake Mackenzie was flooded so we made our own route through the forest. Of course our feet were soaked within the first 20 minutes of the walk. But that was a precursor as to what was to come.
After about 60-90 minutes of an inclined hike, our path took us up the mountain to a rather grand view of the Lake Mackenzie Lodge. The rain had stopped at this point and we began to think the weather was turning in our favor. Today’s journey was set to provide some of the grandest views in New Zealand. Yes!
How very wrong we were. As we reached the point were we should've been able to see into the Hollyford Valley and the Tasman Sea, we stopped for a chocolate break. The guide mentioned that this was a good place to put on an extra layer, because the weather can change quickly along the other side of the mountain. We could see that she was right as the clouds began to collect and restrict any view of the valley and sea. After our brief stop, we got back on the trail.
Shortly after the break, the winds began to increase and the clouds restricted the warm sunlight from increasing the temperature. But it was not until we reached the last waterfall before our lunch break that our New Zealand vacation began to feel Siberian. Just on the other side of the waterfall, the wind and rain increased to near intolerable conditions (well, at least for a honeymoon). We trudged through the cold wind and frigid rain along the inclined trail to our lunch stop at Harris Saddle.
We left our packs outside of the wooden sloped-ceiling huts, and stepped inside for brief respit from the less than ideal conditions. We enjoyed hot-water bottles, hot instant soup, hot coffee, hot tea and the sandwiches we made. All good things must pass and after about a 25-30 lunch break we went back into the elements for the rest of the hike. But now a new element entered the frey…snow! The flakes were large and plentiful. Thankfully, the snow lasted for only another 15 minutes, and by the end of the day’s hike we would be treated to some fantastic weather.
We literally experienced every season on this day. The guidebooks are correct when they say to pack for all seasons any time of the year, and luckily we listened and planned accordingly.
The accommodations at the Routeburn Falls Lodge were great! Our lodge was situated at the bottom of the infamous Routeburn Falls and with all the rain they were pretty magnificent. The sun came out and we were able to climb the rocks to take in the views of the falls and mountains. That evening we enjoyed a great three course dinner with the guides and the rest of our hike mates. The Ultimate Hikes crew forced us to work for our dessert by game. The guides tossed pancakes from pans over their heads, and the walkers were supposed to catch the pancakes with their plates. Of course, in Kiwi fashion, a little fun was had at our expense. The guides would toss the pancakes off count, toss them in a criss-cross manner, toss two at a time, etc. Cheeky buggers!
Finally, the great weather we were expecting when planning our “summer” trip out of Chicago’s nasty winters. The evening’s weather was just a tip of what a grand day we would get on our last day on the Routeburn.

domain: travel


text:
|Publication number||US4608266 A|
|Application number||US 06/700,061|
|Publication date||Aug 26, 1986|
|Filing date||Feb 11, 1985|
|Priority date||May 31, 1983|
|Publication number||06700061, 700061, US 4608266 A, US 4608266A, US-A-4608266, US4608266 A, US4608266A|
|Inventors||Donald E. Epperson, Orvin B. Curley, Horton E. Swisher|
|Original Assignee||Brown International Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (19), Classifications (7), Legal Events (7)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 499,346, filed May 31, 1983, now abandoned.
The present invention relates to an extender for citrus juices and beverage products and a process for manufacturing the extender.
Substantial effort has been expended in the past to produce improved citrus juice products having improved characteristics of flavor, color and degree of cloud. Advantages in connection with flavor and color are believed obvious since it is apparent that a citrus juice or citrus flavored product will ideally have flavor and coloring closely associated with one or more citrus fruit products in order to form a more pleasing product. At the same time, extracted citrus juices commonly contain what is known as "cloud" which is generally a natural stable turbidity maintained in suspension by action of pectinous substances naturally occurring in citrus fruit. This cloud is deemed by many to impart much of the body and the flavor of fresh juice as well as desirable appearance. It is largely in the form of colloidal materials and fine or microscopic particles of solid components from the fruit. Accordingly, the characteristics of natural flavor, color and cloud enhance the resulting product and make it particularly appealing to consumers.
A number of references are described below which are believed to demonstrate the state of the prior art particularly in connection with the present invention.
Willison U.S. Pat. No. 1,848,760 dated Mar. 8, 1932 and entitled "Method of Making Pure Orange Juice Having the Desired Degree of Orange Flavor and Color" disclosed a method of making pure orange juice of desired standard as to flavor, color and purity wherein juice was first extracted from the oranges in a generally conventional fashion. The flavedo portion of the fruit rind was then peeled or shaved from the rind. The shavings were chopped into small pieces and washed in cold water to remove any bitter principal present from any albedo portion removed with the flavedo shavings. The chopped and washed flavedo shavings were then added to the juice to adjust the color and flavor of the juice.
Hill U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,911 dated July 13, 1937 and entitled "Treatment of Whole Citrus Fruit" disclosed a process for forming a beverage base or citrus juice product wherein whole citrus fruits were shredded in an auger or screw-type shredding machine so that the fruit was shredded in a plurality of substantially parallel planes extending transversely through the fruit. The patent further disclosed that fibrous membrane and albedo, containing undesirable bitter substances, could then be removed to leave the juice component along with oils from the flavedo layer of the rind to enhance the flavor of the juice.
Haman U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,407 dated May 3, 1960 and entitled "Process of Preserving the Fresh Flavor of Citrus Fruits" disclosed a process for preserving the fresh flavor of whole citrus fruit and producing a "creamed whole citrus fruit preparation" wherein all the fresh flavor of the citrus fruit was retained in refrigerated storage for a normal use period. Like Hill, Haman contemplated initially macerating whole citrus fruits except for the seeds which were the only portion of the fruit removed from the product. Haman then homogenized the macerated whole citrus fruit to produce the final desired product.
Villadsen U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,990 dated Oct. 8, 1968 and entitled "Preparation of Clouding and Coloring Agent for Soft Drinks" disclosed yet another process for preparing citrus fruit juices and other juices into beverages such as soft drinks, lemonade, and the like. This patent contemplated the use of desirable cloud forming and coloring agents from the peels and rag of the fruits in order to enhance a juice recovered from the citrus fruit. The patent further described treatment of the peel and rag from the fruit, for example, by heating or enzymatic action, to better condition the cloud forming and coloring agents obtained from the citrus fruit. The patent also indicated that these cloud forming and coloring agents could be used either in combination with juice from the same fruit or other beverages such as soft drinks and the like.
Finally, Douglas U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,475 dated Mar. 7, 1972 and entitled "Cloud Fortified Citrus Fruit Juices", assigned to the assignee of the present invention, disclosed a citrus juice product and method of formation wherein a quantity of finely divided albedo, or inner white layer of the rind or peel of the citrus fruit, after removal of the outer flavedo layer, was incorporated into an extracted citrus fruit juice. This combination fortified the cloud color of the resultant juice while also increasing its vitamin C content.
Accordingly, the prior art demonstrates a substantial variety of techniques for enhancing citrus juices and related beverage products. However, it will be apparent that most of these efforts have been directed toward enhancement of beverage products through the addition of one or more components from the citrus fruit itself directly into the juice with the juice then being in a form suitable for consumption by the end user.
However, there has been found to remain a substantial need for improved citrus juice products and method of manufacturing them for enhancing both natural color and flavor while at the same time making these products economically more feasible by dilution with less costly ingredients, particularly for mass markets.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a natural citrus juice extender and process of manufacture in order to realize certain of the advantages summarized above.
More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a natural citrus juice extender and method of manufacture wherein the extender serves to enhance the natural color, flavor and cloud of the resulting extended juice product while at the same time making the extended juice product particularly economical for manufacture and distribution.
In view of the objects summarized above, it is particularly contemplated by the present invention to provide a process for forming a citrus juice extender substantially from natural components of a selected citrus fruit. More particularly, the invention contemplates comminution of a flavedo portion from the selected citrus fruit and combination of the comminuted flavedo with an acidifier such as citric acid and sodium citrate as a buffering agent, sufficient water being added to maintain liquidity of the combination. The combination is finished to remove solids and form a resulting liquor which is then preferably pasteurized and/or homogenized to enhance the storage life and cloud stability of the extender.
The invention particularly contemplates that the extender may be stored for subsequent combination with a sweetener and a substantial amount of water to form a diluted and sweetened extender which may then be blended with a citrus juice to form an extended juice or beverage product.
The combination of an acidifier such as citric acid with the extender is important for enhancing the flavor of the juice product formed by combination of the initial juice, sweetener and water. The citric acid combines with the sweetener and water to provide, in final diluted form, the same natural flavor properties as the initial juice. The major flavor properties of concern here include sweetness, aroma, color and flavor as well as acidity. According to the present invention, these properties which are present in the initial juice are naturally enhanced in the extended juice product by the sweetener, the comminuted flavedo and the acidifier or citric acid. Thus, the invention permits the initial citrus juice to be greatly diluted while maintaining the natural flavor and other natural properties of the initial juice.
Sodium citrate is preferably added as a buffering agent for the citric acid to further improve natural flavor of the extended juice product. Potassium citrate may be substituted for sodium citrate where a low sodium end product is desired.
From the preceding summary, it will be apparent that the invention particularly contemplates a citrus juice extender which is adapted for blending with an initial citrus juice, together with a sweetener and potable water, to extend the total volume of the initial citrus juice. The initial citrus juice may be obtained from the same citrus fruit as the flavedo portion of the extender or it can be obtained from citrus fruit different from the fruit from which the flavedo portion is obtained. Numerous variations are also discussed below in connection with the invention. For example, the citrus juice extender may also be blended with other juices or beverages besides initial citrus juice. For example, the citrus juice extender could also be used in combination with soft drinks or the like to similarly form citrus extended juices or beverages having characteristics of natural color, flavor and cloud in accordance with the selected citrus fruit used to obtain the flavedo portion of the extender.
It is also noted in connection with the present invention that the term "initial citrus juice" is used to signify citrus juice which is obtained as an initial extract from the citrus fruit by customary juice extraction processes for that fruit. Such initial juices may also be cloud fortified in themsleves, or concentrated, or reconstituted or blended in usual manners as are well known in the prior art.
In any event, additional objects and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following description having reference to the accompanying drawing.
The single drawing illustrates a flow sheet outlining a specific process for forming a citrus juice extender in accordance with the present invention.
As noted above, the present invention relates to a citrus juice extender adapted for storage over extended periods of time and for economical subsequent formation of an extended juice product by combination of the extender with an initial citrus juice or the like. It is noted in particular that the following process makes specific reference to formation of a citrus juice extender with flavedo obtained from oranges. The specific embodiment further contemplates that the extender is subsequently adapted for combination with an initial citrus juice also in the form of orange juice. However, the following description is also contemplated for other citrus fruits or even combinations of such citrus fruits in generally similar proportions and with the steps of the invention otherwise remaining the same.
As shown in the drawing, any citrus juice such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, or lime, for example, may be extracted from the corresponding citrus fruit in any conventional or preferred juice extraction apparatus 10. Initial or single strength juice flows from the extractor through a pipeline 12 to a finisher 14 which may, for example, be of either a paddle or screw type for conventionally removing solids from the initial juice. Solids extracted from the juice are discarded from the present process as indicated at 16 but may be useful for another purpose. The initial finished juice from the finisher 14 is recovered as indicated at 18 and provides a preferred base for combination with the extender of the present invention as described in greater detail below.
Peel from the citrus fruit is also recovered from the extractor 10 as indicated at 20 and passed to a conventional shaver 22. Shavers such as that indicated at 22 are well known in the prior art for removing the flavedo portion of the rind from its albedo or white portion. As indicated above, it is desirable to recover substantially only the flavedo portion since it includes flavoring oils, coloring and cloud forming agent natural to the particular variety of citrus fruit supplied to the extractor 10. The albedo portion of the rind and any remaining rag pass from the shaver, as indicated at 24, and are discarded for purposes of the invention, but may be useful for other purposes. The flavedo portion of the rind is passed through a conduit 26 to a generally conventional disintegrator or mill 28. The disintegrator 28 includes grinding means or chopping means or any other form of disintegrating or macerating means suitable for finely dividing or comminuting the flavedo into a form which can be placed in colloidal suspension in the extender as described in greater detail below.
In order to facilitate handling of the liquor and its proper conditioning within the finisher 32, water is added to the flavedo in the disintegrator 28 as indicated at 36. The amount of water added at 36 to the disintegrator 28 is generally just sufficient to maintain a desired liquid consistency for the liquor passing from the finisher 32 through the outlet 34. At the same time, an acidifier and chelating agent such as citric acid and sodium citrate as a buffering agent are also preferably added to the disintegrator as indicated at 38.
The comminuted flavedo passes from the disintegrator 28 through a conduit 30 to a finisher 32 which is also of generally conventional construction for removing substantially all solids or materials from the comminuted flavedo which is coarser than the indicated colloidal or microscopic size particles suitable for suspension within the extender of the present invention.
Solids are removed from the finisher 32 through a conduit 33 and are also discarded from further use in the present invention but may be used for other purposes. Thus, a finished liquor is recovered from the finisher in an outlet 34.
Accordingly, the liquor passing through the outlet 34 includes colloidal sized particles, color pigment, oils, various flavor constituents and other components of the flavedo along with water and the citric acid and sodium citrate.
The above combination preferably forms the extender of the invention. However, it is particularly contemplated that the extender be further conditioned in order to adapt it for storage and possible transport as particularly contemplated by the invention. The liquor from the outlet 34 is passed to a pasteurizer 40 which is also of conventional design for pasteurizing and chilling the liquor which then passes through a pipeline 42 to a homogenizer 44 which is again of conventional construction and operation for reducing any oils or other colloidal material from the flavedo for suspension within the liquefied extender.
The extender is then stored as indicated at 46 for subsequent use in a manner described in greater detail below to form a citrus extended juice product. Preferably. the extender is packaged and frozen at 46 to adapt it for storage over possibly long periods of time and also to better adapt the extender for possible transport to an end-use site. In this manner, the invention particularly contemplates a process which is especially economical for producing the citrus extended juice product referred to above.
In forming the citrus extended juice product, the extender from the storage point 46 is conveyed to a processing stage 48 where the extender is thawed and combined with a mixture of water and sweetener. The sweetener may be of any type, preferably a sugar or the like. The relative amounts of water and sugar are widely variable within the scope of the present invention. However, it is particularly contemplated that the water and sweetener be combined to form a concentration in the range of about 5° to 15° BRIX and more particularly to form a concentration of about 12° BRIX.
Once again, the amount of the water and sugar mixture to be combined with the extender at the processing point 48 is also widely variable according to the present invention. However, it is generally contemplated that 1 volume of extender may be combined with as much as 25 volumes of the solution of water and sweetener. Where the water and sweetener are combined to a concentration of about 12° BRIX, it is even more preferably contemplated that about 1 volume of extender is combined with approximately 20 volumes of the 12° BRIX solution of water and sweetener to form about 21 volumes of diluted and sweetened extender.
The diluted and sweetened extender from the processing point 48 is then conveyed through a conduit 50 to an additional processing point 52 which is contemplated as being the point of consumption for the citrus extended juice product resulting from the present invention. At this point, the diluted and sweetened extender from the conduit 50 is combined with the initial juice recovered at 18. Here again, the proportions between these two materials may vary widely according to the present invention. Generally, 1 volume of beverage base or initial juice is to be blended with at least about 1 volume of the diluted and sweetened extender. More preferably, where 20 volumes of 12° BRIX water and sweetener solution are combined with 1 volume of extender at 48, approximately 1 volume of the initial juice is blended at 52 with from 1 to 4 volumes of the diluted and sweetened extender. This provides a drink containing the proper level of natural citrus oil desirable in initial citrus juice.
As noted above, the juice may be other than initial citrus juice. For example, a beverage such as a soft drink or the like could be combined with the extender, sweetener and water to form the citrus extended juice product. However, the invention preferably contemplates an intial citrus juice which need not be obtained from the kind or variety of citrus fruit from which the flavedo portion of the extender is obtained, but may indeed be an initial juice obtained from citrus fruit of a different kind or variety. For example, the flavedo portion of the extender may be obtained from navel oranges and added to juice obtained from valencia oranges in order to obtain a desired blend.
In a particular example for forming the extender of the present invention, the following weights are particularly recited in connection with extraction of the flavedo portion and the initial juice for oranges. However, the following example may also be taken in conjunction with other citrus fruits as described above. Also, the extender resulting from the following example may be combined with initial juice from the same citrus fruit as described below or with initial juice obtained from a different variety. It may even be combined with initial juice from other citrus fruits or with other beverage bases such as soft drinks or the like.
In a preferred example, a quantity of selected fruit such as 2,000 parts by weight of oranges is extracted at room temperature in the exterior 10 to yield about 1,050 parts by weight of whole juice mixture passing through the pipeline 12 to the finisher 14, the remaining 950 parts being in the form of peel passing at 20 to the shaver 22. In the finisher 14, approximately 100 parts by weight of additional rag or pulp and seeds are removed to form about 950 parts by weight of finished juice at 18. The relative weight of the finished juice at 18 as compared to the weight described below for the extender of the present invention is not of particular importance.
Referring to the shaver 22, from the 950 parts of peel, approximately 350 parts of flavedo are passed to the disintegrator 28. Approximately 730 parts by weight of potable water are added to the disintegrator at 36 while approximately 23 parts by weight of citric acid and 8 parts by weight of sodium citrate are added at 38 to the disintegrator. With this mixture being passed to the finisher 32, approximately 222 parts by weight of solids are removed at 33 with the remainder forming the liquor in the outlet 34 which passes through the pasteurizer and chiller 40, the homogenizer 44 and the storage point 46 as described in greater detail above.
At the processing point 48, approximately 1 volume of thawed extender from the storage point 46 is then combined with 20 volumes of approximately 12° BRIX concentration of sweetener and water to form approximately 21 volumes of diluted and sweetened extender at 50. In final use, as indicated at 52, approximately 1 volume of initial citrus juice is then combined with from 1 to 4 volumes of the diluted and sweetened extender. The actual volume of diluted and sweetened extender to be added at 52 depends, of course, upon the degree of flavor, color and cloud desired in the final juice product. At the same time, it will be readily apparent that the economics of the final juice product are greatly enhanced by the concentrated form of the extender at the storage point 46 as well as by the rates of addition at both the processing points 48 and 52 according to the present invention.
Accordingly, there has been described a particularly effective process for forming a citrus extender for juice products. Numerous variations and modifications will be apparent from the preceding description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the following appended claims.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US2935407 *||Jul 14, 1958||May 3, 1960||Wholorange Corp||Process of preserving the fresh flavor of citrus fruits|
|US3037975 *||Oct 3, 1960||Jun 5, 1962||Ruth Cohn||Extract substances and process for recovering them from aqueous citrusfruit processing liquors|
|US3112202 *||Aug 2, 1961||Nov 26, 1963||Corn Products Co||Citrus peel product and process for making same|
|US3114641 *||Mar 25, 1957||Dec 17, 1963||Inst Divi Thomae Foundation||Citrus juice product|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US5090306 *||Aug 17, 1988||Feb 25, 1992||Bucher- Guyer Ag Maschinenfabrik||Unit for the preparation of fruits, berries and/or vegetables for the extraction of liquid raw products|
|US5232726 *||Oct 8, 1992||Aug 3, 1993||The Coca-Cola Company||Ultra-high pressure homogenization of unpasteurized juice|
|US5853730 *||Mar 31, 1997||Dec 29, 1998||Picken, Jr.; Henry M.||Cleaning solution using citrus water distillate|
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|US8293299||Dec 30, 2011||Oct 23, 2012||Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc||Containers and methods for dispensing multiple doses of a concentrated liquid, and shelf stable Concentrated liquids|
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|US20060105089 *||Jun 29, 2005||May 18, 2006||Chu Osvaldo A||Citrus peel juice|
|USRE41537 *||Mar 2, 2009||Aug 17, 2010||Tropicana Products, Inc.||Citrus peel juice|
|EP0288103A2 *||Apr 5, 1988||Oct 26, 1988||THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY||Orange juice-containing beverage|
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|WO2003061407A1 *||Jan 23, 2003||Jul 31, 2003||Tropicana Products, Inc.||Method of making flavedo powder for enhancement of orange juice and products thereof|
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Year of fee payment: 4
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Effective date: 19940831

domain: chemistry


text:
Suspected street racer causes chain reaction crash
1 injured, 1 arrested in street racing accident in northwest San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO - A street racing accident in northwest San Antonio sent one person to the hospital and another to jail.
San Antonio police said the chain reaction crash happened around midnight Monday at Loop 1604 and Bandera Road.
According to police, several witnesses reported seeing two drivers racing when one ran a red light at Bandera Road and smashed into a compact car with three people inside. The car then struck a small SUV with one occupant.
Paramedics transported a passenger inside the car to the hospital. Their condition was unknown Tuesday morning. No other injuries were reported.
The suspected street racer, a 19-year-old man, was arrested at the scene.
There was no word on the whereabouts of the other racer.
Copyright 2013 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

domain: law


text:
MANSFIELD - Whether they’re big or small, an animal's love can be all a person needs for their emotional well-being.
Jennifer Kime, CEO of Downtown Mansfield Incorporation, owns two dogs. After one of her children had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, she and her husband decided to search for some additions to their family.
“I just think there’s something special about raising kids with dogs. They (the kids) just really learn a whole other level of empathy, I think,” Kime said.
Their second dog came from an animal shelter in Toledo, a german shepherd/catahoula leopard puppy they named Louisiana, who was rescued along with several other puppies after they were found abandoned in a barn.
Kime was informed that Louisiana needed to be adopted the most out of the siblings due to the mistreatment and bullying she received from them. At one point, the other dogs wouldn’t even let her eat.
“She had to go first because she was in a bad place,” Kime said.
Although with any puppy there’s a period of training and a need to have patience as they get used to their new home, Louisiana adapted well after the first couple of months according to Kime.
“It was hard at first for her just to learn that it’s OK to eat and no one’s going to attack her for eating her food, and that there will be more food tomorrow,” Kime said.
These days, Louisiana weighs 95 pounds and loves going on hikes with the family.
After being with both dogs for so long, Kime can see how much of a difference their two dogs have made in her family's lives.
“Both dogs have really become such a huge benefit for our children and growing them and really helping them learn about animals, learn about empathy and just having that emotional support,” Kime said.
Toni Ross, operations manager at the Humane Society of Richland County, worked as a veterinary technician for 13 years and has seen the emotional benefits for both the owner and pet.
“Having that constant compassion, the animal is always there 100 percent, no holds barred. They love you no matter what,” Ross said.
Even though they don’t take away a person's need for prescribed medication, having a pet reduces the amount of anxiety and stressful attacks. In her experience, Ross has seen many cases where a person having an anxiety attack calmed down from simply stroking their hand through a dog or cat’s fur coat.
Having a pet in a home relieves stress, anxiety and depression in people, Ross said. With their ability to detect mental and physical issues such as seizures and low blood sugar, pets can often save lives.
“If you’re going to have an anxiety attack, that animal can sense it and they go over and lay their head on your lap… That takes that stimulus away from thinking about why you’re having this attack,” Ross said.
Ross, who owns four cats and one dog, knows all too well the warm feeling of coming home from a bad day only to be greeted by her pets at the door.
“Working in the Humane Society, there are some stressful times; you see sad things a lot,” Ross said. “I just go home and love on them (her pets) and they love me no matter what, and they just make me feel loved 100 percent of the day.”
Pets can receive the same amount of emotional benefits from their owners as well if they’ve been abused, malnourished or mistreated.
“They walk around with their tail between their legs because they don’t trust anybody; they become very protective of their area because they don’t trust people,” Ross said. “And eventually as they’re handled by people who adopt them, they become more trusting and see that love is there.”
“It takes a lot of time for that animal to trust again, but it does benefit them knowing eventually they’re going to love that person and protect that person because they rescued them. Their spirit starts to come back because of that,” Ross said.
There are many reasons why adopting a pet can be more rewarding versus buying one.
Kime, who’s done both, feels better about helping an animal that needs a home.
“(Louisiana) and her brothers and sisters would’ve just died out in the cold in that barn had no one come around to find them, rescue them, find them a home and take them to the vet. That’s expensive and someone’s got to do that,” Kime said. “So it makes us feel good to at least know we’re assisting in that process of helping rehome dogs and rescue dogs that really do need it.”

domain: pet


text:
John updike's best known, most anthologized and most frequently taught short story, a & p, first appeared in the new yorker (22 july 1961: 22-24), a publication that assumes a reader with considerable literary and cultural knowledge. The poem “ex-basketball player” by john updike chronicles the life and daily routine of the former high school basketball standout, flick webb the speaker leads the reader on a journey through flick’s life, starting with the principal road in the town, progressing to flick’s lowly job, and. Julian barnes on the enduring magic of john updike's rabbit quartet. Write a critical commentary on john updike's a & p john updike’s “a&p” is written during the early 1960’s in america the short story is written in a first person narrative of sammy, who is a young employee at a store. John updike s why write thomas and updike: a comparison death surrounds us throughout our lifetime death is an unavoidable daily occurrence many of us are born. John updike interview print john updike: i think it’s a field where to be an amateur is not necessarily a disgrace when i was setting out to write it.
Essays, and research john updike's a&p - in john updike john updike, and tom whitecloud write stories in which culture plays an important role in. John hoyer updike was born march 18, 1932 to linda grace updike and wesley russell updike in reading, pennsylvania wesley updike was originally from new jersey where he worked as a telephone splicer and was laid off from his job during the depression wesley updike met his wife linda updike in new. A male author’s claim to be living proof that men can write authentic female characters has provoked glee online point of view john updike’s rabbit, run. Updike and the women sharethis john updike in the fifties (photo: bettmann/corbis) the world would really be none the worse if i were not to write anymore. There were many different aspects of john updike's separating that i enjoyed the focus on what a modern day family is like, the character development of richard, and the reversal of male and female stereotypes to name a few however, i decided to focus my paper on the three different conflicts.
Rabbit, run is a 1960 novel by john updike this is unlikely, however, as updike claims not to have read lewis's novel until after he wrote rabbit at rest. John updike: john updike updike also continued to write poetry stooges,” a scandalous diatribe about john updike, norman mailer, and john irving. John updike was an writer, poet his mother’s writing passion became a major influence on young john he often used to recall his mother’s writing write. John updike’s story entitled “a&p” is a narration of a man who seeks for his identity and pride the narrator of this story is also the main character – sammy this protagonist is a simple man – a grocery clerk and an obse.
John updike (1932-2009) once said that his first publication and nearly sixty-year-long relationship with this magazine was the great professional event of his life—no, he called it the ecstatic event of his professional life—and he never tired (for younger writers, it was inspiring to see how. John updike died seven years ago this week his last poem, “fine point,” is a meditation on the 23rd psalm: it is a poem that finds solace in the christian promise — “surely” — that believers will “dwell in the house of the lord forever” updike, an intellectual and an ironist, must. John updike's power of literary nostalgia may 27, 2009 | 3:29 pm although the world lost john updike in january why write as soon ask, why rivet. The man who made off with john updike’s trash “i would write ads for deodorants or labels for catsup bottles if i had to,” he told the paris review in 1967.
Click here click here click here click here click here john updike essay why write john updike's archive: a great writer at work – the new york times 20 jun 2010 when john updike died of lung cancer in january 2009, at 76, there essays and criticism that appeared with metronomic regularity in the higher.
Updike scholars who know james schiff’s john updike revisited (1998) will find this familiar ground but books tell you why recently published an article by brian hoey titled, “hawthorne heights: how john updike rewrote the scarlet letter,” which focuses on updike’s reimagination of hester prynne in his novel s. Judging john updike (but why might we need it to be) updike’s description in his memoirs of himself updike wrote in the way he did because his mirror. “the mystery of being is a permanent mystery, at least given the present state of the human brain,” john updike (march 18, 1932–january 27, 2009) told writer jim holt in his poignant recent meditation on why the world exists but updike had been seriously pondering the question of existence. The atlantic‘s robinson meyer contributed a piece on “how to write a history of writing software,” subtitled “isaac asimov, john updike, and john hersey changed their writing habits to adapt to word processors, according to. John hoyer updike was born on march 18, 1932, in shillington, pennsylvania his father, wesley, was a high school mathematics teacher, the model for several sympathetic father figures in updike's early works because updike's mother, linda grace hoyer updike, had literary dreams of her own, books. Updike's poem dog's death is about the unseen hurts that creatures we love walk around with and that they cannot survive even though we love them.
Julia cheiffetz, senior editor at harperstudio, reads from john updike's essay why write featured in burn this book at the right to read event at housingw. Discussion/study questions for john updike’s “a&p” 1 why is the title of this short story “a & p” would another title have worked just as well or is this. March 18, 1932 - jan 28, 2009 at its best, john updike's work not only lyrically defined the joys and sorrows of the american middle class, but also gave - as he once wrote of another author - the happy impression of an oeuvre, of a continuous task carried forward variously, of a solid personality, of a plentitude of gifts explored. The novelist philip roth, considered one of updike's chief literary rivals, wrote, john updike is our time's greatest man of letters.


text:
‘SOMTAM’ PHENOMENA Global food with humble origins
‘Somtam’, Isan’s spicy raw papaya salad, can be found in the major capitals of the world. In one of London’s Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy, gourmet diners can even order somtam-type salads off the menu. A culinary inspiration to global fusion cuisine, somtam is one of Isan’s most successful cultural exports.
A product of Isan’s geographical deprivation, somtam takes plain old papaya, and mixes it with an indigenous flair for spice and taste. Sold by homesick Isan migrants to other homesick Isan migrants wherever they move, the fresh crunchy salad has seduced city folk around the world.
“In the past, if you wanted to eat somtam, you’d hide under the table and eat it, because Bangkok people would look down on you.”
H.E. Prachuab Chaiyasarn
Thai Trade Representative & former Deputy Prime Minister

domain: geography


text:
Now that the names and partners of Season 14's Dancing With the Stars cast have been revealed, it's time to have a look at the pairings and see who has the best chance of taking home that coveted Mirror Ball trophy. As many previous seasons have proved, a contestant can't rely on sheer skill alone to guarantee audience votes from week to week. Each performer's success is based on three primary factors: who their dance partner is, their career or profession, and their overall popularity in the public eye.
Taking all of that into consideration, we've come up with a grading system of how well each couple will fair throughout the competition. Feel free to tell us if you think we're nuts.
Jack Wagner and Anna Trebunskaya
None of Anna's partners have ever won the Mirror Ball trophy, though she came in second place with football star Jerry Rice in Season 2 and Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek in Season 10. She's definitely got the potential to get her dancers to the very end, but she just hasn't been fortunate enough to grab the win...yet. Career Factor
Wagner is mostly known for his roles on popular daytime soap operas. For 12 years he played Andrew Jones on General Hospital and later nabbed a spot on The Bold and the Beautiful as Dominick Marone. You may also recognize him as Dr. Peter Burns from the original Melrose Place. They're all commendable shows to be apart of, however it feels like the shows themselves garner more noteability than his actual name. But then again, look at last year's winner, J.R. Martinez. With the right personality and dance moves, anything's possible. Popularity Factor
Unless you're an avid soap opera fan then you probably don't know much about him other than he used to be Heather Locklear's main squeeze. Besides that, it's difficult to foresee him having an immediate draw with the crowd. Grade: C-
Melissa Gilbert and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Partner Factor
Having Maks as a partner is always a bit of a win/lose situation. On one hand, he's insanely gorgeous, so fans like seeing him stick around for pure aesthetics alone. However, he's also known to have quite the temper, which could affect his relationship with the judges and the fans. Like Anna, he too has never won the competition, but he's come in second place twice: once with Mel B. in Season 5 and again with Kirstie Alley in Season 12. Career Factor Gilbert is best known for her role as Laura Ingalls on the Little House on the Prairie TV Series. And though she's been in a few various projects since then, they can't compare with her initial childhood fame. Popularity Factor
Though her name doesn't often appear among most of the Hollywood legends, fans always love to root for the underdog and a childhood star would certainly qualify. As long as she's not a terrible dancer, there's a good chance the audience could easily fall in love with her. Grade: B+ Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd Partner Factor
Season 13 marked Peta's first run on DWTS. She was paired with L.A. Laker Ron Artest and they were the first couple to be eliminated, so the odds already aren't exactly in her favor.
Sports fans will certainly recognize him as a Receiver for the Green Bay Packers. However, how many cheeseheads will bother to tune in to a dancing competition? He's certainly out of range from his normal fan base, but if he gets his fellow teammates and football enthusiasts to vote in every week, it could keep him on the dance floor for quite some time (just look at Emmitt Smith's DWTS success). Popularity Factor Let's be honest, everyone wants to see a big football player cut loose on the dance floor. And many times, it turns out that they're not that bad. Athletes in general tend to hold on until at the least the halfway point based on skill and pure adorableness. Grade: B- William Levy and Cheryl Burke Partner Factor Cheryl is always a favorite among the female professional dancers. She's a great instructor and has won two Mirror Balls in the past: once on Season 2 with partner Drew Lachey and again on Season 3 with partner Emmitt Smith. Career Factor Given that he's an actor and former model, Levy certainly won't be lacking in the looks department. It's easy to see him charming the pants off of the crowd and the judges (look out Carrie Ann!). However, he's known best for his appearance in Jennifer Lopez' "I'm Into You" video, so that doesn't exactly guarantee him a wide fan base coming into the competition. Popularity Factor Well, he'll have JLo's vote and that's got to count for something. In truth, he doesn't have much popularity thus far, but if he's personable enough during interviews and on the dance floor, the ladies are sure to swoon. And if the ladies swoon, the votes are sure to follow. Grade: C+
Sherri Sheperd and Val Chermkovskiy Partner Factor
Though Val has appeared on DWTS several times to either perform or help out his brother Maks, he made his first professional dancer debut with George Clooney's ex, Elisabetta Canalis on Season 13. However they only made it into the second week before being eliminated, so his track record could use a little improvement. But to be fair, that was only his first attempt. Career Factor Sheperd is probably one of the most well known stars on the competition thanks to her hosting job on The View. Additionally, she plays Tracy Jordan's wife on 30 Rock, which automatically gives her a huge fan base from two different show groups. Popularity Factor She will undoubtedly garner a lot of votes at the beginning because everyone knows who she is. She's likable, she's funny, and all around a pretty great entertainer, so the crowd will eat up whatever she gives us. In the later weeks, when the competition becomes more fierce, she'll have to prove herself a little more. But at the beginning, she'll definitely be safe. Grade: B+
Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas Partner Factor Mark is another beloved dance pro, which means fans (especially the ladies) will want to keep him around as long as possible. So far, he's reached the Mirror Ball trophy twice: once with figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi in Season 6 and again with gymnast Shawn Johnson in Season 8. He's definitely due for another win. Career Factor Jenkins is a professional Opera singer, so it's hard to know how this could help or hinder her in the competition. Perhaps if she performed during one of the results shows her voice could win everyone over. Her success could go either way based on how personable she becomes. Popularity Factor She hasn't received an overwhelming amount of fame in her career thus far, but this show could be just what she needs to kick it up a notch and really make a name for herself among pop culture addicts. She's one to definitely keep an eye on. Grade: C
Gavin Degraw and Karina Smirnoff Partner Factor Karina won her first ever Mirror Ball trophy during Season 13 with her dance partner J.R. Martinez. She's always been a constant presence on the show and certainly knows her dance moves. Any partner she is paired with is always in good hands. Career Factor Degraw is sure to be the favorite to win, at the least at the beginning. He's the biggest star on the show, which is sure to earn him some extra votes above the rest. Plus, everyone loves a good, current singer whose recent hit "Not Over You" has become a success on the Billboard Hot 100, much like his other hit song "I Don't Wanna Be," which was the popular theme song to One Tree Hill. Popularity Factor
This will be the biggest advantage in his corner given that he's not only a relevant star, but he's extremely well liked. Even if voters aren't fans of his music, everyone knows who he is, so unless he's an outright terrible dancer with two left feet, there's no question he'll go far in this competition. He might even win it. Grade: A
Martina Navratilova and Tony Dovolani Partner Factor Poor Tony has had a lot of bad luck over the years between having to deal with the likes of Kate Gosselin and Wendy Williams. And though he's come close a few times, he's never won the Mirror Ball trophy. Luck never seems to be on his side. Career Factor Given that she's a major tennis legend, Navratilova certainly has an athletic background on her side. However, she's now 55 years old, which could serve as a hindrance in such a grueling dance competition. If she proves to be as agile as ever, then it shouldn't be a problem. Popularity Factor Tennis fans will definitely be pleased. Between Tony's luck and her lack of a significant fan base, this could prove to be a huge setback in her chances of winning. Grade: D
Roshon Fegan and Chelsea Hightower Partner Factor Though she's undeniably adorable, the closest Chelsea's gotten to winning the Mirror Ball trophy is fourth place, which is not exactly an impressive record to go on. However, that could have little to do with her actual dancing instruction and everything to do with the partners she's been placed with. Career Factor Roshon is a 20-year-old Disney Channel Star. He's best known for his role as Sander Loyer in the Disney Channel movie franchise Camp Rock and for his role as Ty Blue on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up! Popularity Factor Unless you're an avid Disney Channel viewer, you probably have no idea who this guy is, though he -- like his dance partner -- has a certain cuteness about him, which could potentially work in his favor. Let's hope he knows how to charm the cameras, otherwise we may not be seeing much of this guy. Grade: D+
Maria Menounos and Derek Hough Partner Factor Derek Hough is by far the best professional dancer of the bunch. He's won the competition numerous times and always creates outstanding performances that are suitable to both him and whoever is lucky enough to be his partner. If you're partnered with this guy, then you're in it for the long haul. Career Factor When you're am engaging TV Host like Menounos, you're bound to receive a wide variety of votes. If your face is on TV all the time, people are going to notice, especially if you're likable. Menounos should have no trouble getting the votes she needs to stay in the competition, at least at the beginning. Popularity Factor Between her TV fan base and luck (for nabbing Derek as a partner), there's a huge possibility she could go on to win the Mirror Ball trophy. As long as she asks Derek to take his shirt off for a few dance numbers, she'll be golden. And it seems they make a great pair. Grade: A+
Jaleel White and Kym Johnson Partner Factor Like Derek, Kym has also won the Mirror Ball several times since the show's inception and has proved to be a talented and kind dance instructor to each partner she's given. Celebrity Factor It almost goes without saying, but White is best known for playing geeky yet lovable Steve Urkel on classic show, Family Matters. This will definitely prove helpful in regards to gaining massive amounts of votes. Popularity Factor
Hello, it's Steve Urkel! Of course America is going to want him to stay on. Everyone's nostalgic for their favorite geek in glasses no matter if he's a good dancer or not. Plus, who doesn't want to see this? Grade: A
Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus Partner Factor Season 13 was Tristan's first year competing as a professional dancer, where he came in a respectable fifth place with former prosecutor Nancy Grace. Not too bad for his first time out, although his lack of experience among the other dance veterans could potentially hurt his chances of winning. Career Factor Knight is a well known music legend, which undoubtedly will be a huge advantage on this show where votes are the golden ticket to success. As far as careers go, this woman already has them all beat. Popularity Factor Knight's fan base will be massive; there's absolutely no doubt about that. However, her age (67) could prove to be a setback, though age isn't always necessarily a factor on this competition. She could certainly come out and wow us with incredible dance moves, proving she's just as great of a dancer as she is a singer. Grade: B

domain: celebrity