text:
Stand in solidarity for the Detroit’s Water Crisis!
We've been working hard online and on the ground to make sure Detroit's water stays clean and stays public!
Today, I stood alongside the People's Water Board coalition in front the Mayor's office, to announce that over 113,000 people, including you demand a sustainable, just and affordable water plan for Detroit and the planet.
As I stood with other dedicated environmentalist and human rights activists today, I felt the power and strength of our movement to ensure that the most basic resource to all life stays clean and in the hands of the public, not corporations.
Next week, we'll be in front of international media outlets with our partners, hand delivering your message and over 113,000 others to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
We'll tell the world that we believe that in order to protect our environment and public health, a sustainable and just water plan is needed. Every living creature deserves the right to access clean water. And, we won't give up on Detroit until our voices are heard and justice for the environment and public health is served.
We're winning this fight friend, and this is just the beginning! Your efforts are truly making a difference.


text:
Prior to beating the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the LA Rams’ best victory this season came against the Chicago Bears. Once 5-1, the Bears lost the first of four in a row in that 24-10 Monday night loss to the Rams. Following this most recent Monday night, Chicago is now 5-5, having been defeated by the now 4-5 Minnesota Vikings by a score of 19-13.
And yet the Bears remain the closest team to crashing the three wild card berths.
The current playoff order has the Arizona Cardinals in first place in the NFC West, but the reality is that without having played the Rams yet and with games remaining between both Seattle and Arizona (which happens on Thursday) and Arizona and LA, the division needs to go through a lot more churns before it has a winner. However, it appears likely that the teams who finish in second and third in the division will also be going to the postseason.
The Seahawks currently hold the seven seed in the NFC and the Bears trail them by 1.5 games; Chicago’s Nick Foles was injured late in the game, though he is expected to be okay and could return after the Bears’ bye week to face the Green Bay Packers. That is a game that Rams fans should actually be rooting for Chicago to win because there is little chance that the Bears could catch them in the standings.
The same likely goes for Seattle and Arizona. There is not another threat in the conference at this time, with seven weeks to go.
The Vikings have won their last three and could win their next three (Cowboys, Panthers, Jaguars and all are at home) which would put them at 7-5. Then they face the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, host the Bears, go to the New Orleans Saints and finish the season in Detroit against the Lions. Even if Minnesota makes it to 7-5 with six straight victories, they probably need at least three of those last four to get over anyone in the NFC West.
Minnesota already lost to Seattle, so eclipsing the Seahawks for them would be even more unlikely. But getting over the Rams or Cardinals will also be difficult. The Vikings are only 3-3 in the NFC and getting a win over Jacksonville won’t help them in that area.
The Lions are also 4-5 and they do have a win against Arizona, reminding us that not only are the Cardinals fallible, but they needed a miracle to get their sixth win on Sunday. Detroit alternates between road and home for the next six weeks, facing the Panthers, Texans, Bears, Packers, Titans and Bucs. They finish the season at home against the Vikings.
The Lions do not appear to be a team capable of going 5-2 or better against that schedule.
The next closest team after 5-5 Chicago, 4-5 Minnesota and 4-5 Detroit would be the 4-6 49ers. San Francisco’s next game is in Los Angeles in Week 12 and if the Rams win that, it’s all but over for the Niners. If LA happens to lose, the 49ers must still face the Bills, Cardinals and Seahawks, in addition to the Football Team and Cowboys.
I think John Lynch will be onto his next round of overrated and abysmal offseason moves quite soon.
We are not far from simply discussing the order of NFC playoff teams (and who least-loses the East) and the LA Rams are in that discussion. They are also in the discussion for the number one seed.
The Rams sit only one game behind the Packers and Saints for the best record in the conference. New Orleans will be playing without quarterback Drew Brees for at least 2-3 games, likely more. The bigger roadblock to the top seed seems to be Green Bay but they face a difficult assignment this Sunday in Indianapolis against the Colts.
We can’t ignore that the Packers were blown out by Tampa Bay this season and aren’t far removed from a loss to the Vikings. They face an easier remaining schedule than most but still have to play the Bears twice, the Titans, Panthers, Eagles and Lions down the stretch.
And the Bucs ... they’re next on the Rams’ schedule for Monday Night Football in Week 11. If LA can upset Tampa (they are slight underdogs), it puts them in fantastic position to push for the all-important one seed. If the Rams do lose this one, the Bucs could at least pick up a loss the following week against the 8-1 Kansas City Chiefs.
Their final four games include two against the Falcons, plus the Vikings and Lions.
I’m not sure where the Rams will be playing in the playoffs, but I’m sure they’ll be there.

domain: news


text:
Dementia is relevant to Mitchells Roberton for a number of reasons.
- Our firm does a lot of work with adults with incapacity.
- Most of us are all living longer and more and more of us are going to have at some point to deal with someone in our family who has dementia. This often has legal implications.
- The issue of dementia highlights the importance of having a Power of Attorney.
- I personally think that we have to learn to understand the illness more and how individuals can be helped.
According to Alzheimer Scotland, in 2017 an estimated 90,000 people had dementia in Scotland. In Glasgow there were 8116 sufferers. It is a problem that is not going to go away and is only going to get worse.
This week one of my colleagues visited three elderly people in Care Homes to report on whether their state of mental health was such that they could no longer manage their own affairs. None of these adults had any surviving relatives or Powers of Attorney so ultimately it would be up to the court to appoint a suitable financial guardian.
What heartens me is that more is now being done to help dementia sufferers and their carers. An all party parliamentary group has been gathering evidence over the past two years and has come to the unambiguous conclusion that the arts used appropriately by health professionals can help delay the onset of dementia and diminish its severity.
There are projects the length and breadth of the country in theatres, galleries, community centres and care homes. For example there are monthly sessions held at the Royal Academy in London where people who have been art lovers throughout their lives and are still art lovers come together to talk about a particular work led by two practicing artists. In this humanising space people were encouraged to see, feel, remember and express themselves.
There is a great film called “Alive Inside”. It is a documentary which follows social worker Dan Cohen as he fights against a broken health care system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. There is an emotive example of an old man sitting slumped in a wheelchair. He drools and his eyes are half closed and it is impossible to tell whether he is awake or asleep. Then someone puts earphones on his head and suddenly the music that he loved when he was a strong young man is pouring into him. His toothless mouth splits into a beautiful grin and now he is swaying in his chair. And then this man who doesn’t speak any longer is actually singing.

domain: artistic


Post-match press conference for the match of Australia and Brazil
Sydney, Australia, June 27, 2015 – Brazil won 3-0 over Australia in Pool A of the FIVB Volleyball World League at the Sydney Olympic Park Arena on Saturday.
Brazil assistant coach Roberley Leonaldo: “The match changed a lot during the third set. The Australian team changed their lineup, which gave them a new way to play.
“Number 15 (Douglas-Powell) and the setter (Peacock) gave them a new style and we found it hard to adapt. We expected difficulties here because we saw that Australia improved in the past few weeks. I think there are no easy matches in our group.”
Brazil captain Bruno Rezende: “The 10 minute break between second and third was not good for us, but that is no excuse. The Australian team started to serve better, they served very aggressively and we had some difficulty in reception.
"That was the match we were expecting, the first two sets I think wasn't normal. It's the first time we're playing here, it's amazing on the other side of the world we could have so much support."
Australia coach Roberto Santilli: "In the first two sets, Brazil showed the skills they have - superior passing, another level of attack and defence far from our level. Our team was compressed in the first set.
"I'm happy for the new guys, they came in and showed they have something. This was important for them, and important for the team."
Australia captain Thomas Edgar: "Brazil came out like Brazil can play. No one can play Brazil when they play like that, that's how they beat the best teams in the world. But we didn’t fire back, we were shooting blanks at that stage.
"He (Douglas-Powell) was amazing. He's such a confident player. I don't know what was different today. He was a lot freer and a lot more energetic, it's what we need from our younger players."


The Chinese gaming industry is recovering after a harsh 2022, probably one of the most challenging years in its history. The government restrictions cut Chinese gaming revenues by a massive $7.2bn last year, while the country lost over 66 million gamers.
Although the number of gamers remains below 2021 levels, China`s gaming revenues are expected to recover significantly this year.
According to data presented by SportsLens.com, Chinese gaming revenues are expected to grow by 18% year-over-year and hit $107.3bn in 2023.
More than 28% of Global Gaming Revenue Comes from China
As one of the most popular forms of entertainment, gaming is an integral part of Chinese culture. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of gamers in the country jumped by 40% and hit close to 780 million, or 30% of the world`s total that year. With millions of people spending money on video games, Chinese gaming revenues skyrocketed.
According to a Statista survey, the world`s gaming capital saw revenues surge by 91% between 2017 and 2021, rising from $50.8bn to $97.4b. However, the impressive growth was stopped by government restrictions in 2022.
Due to an eight-month freeze on approving new titles, stricter government censorship of game content, and tighter rules restricting playing times for minors, Chinese gaming revenues dipped by 7% year-over-year. At the same time, the country`s gaming sector lost 8% of total user count.
Statista expects the negative trend to stop this year, with Chinese gaming revenues growing by 18% year-over-year, the same as before 2022.
The double-digit revenue growth will push China`s gaming revenues to a massive $107.3bn, or 28% of the world`s total this year. In comparison, the United States is expected to hit a 24% market share with $89.5bn in gaming revenues. Japan, the world`s third-largest gaming industry, follows with $72.3bn and a 19.4% share. South Korea and the United Kingdom will make less than 8% of global gaming revenues this year.
20 million Less Gamers than in 2021
While the world`s gaming capital is expected to see significant revenue growth this year, the number of gamers will remain below 2021 levels.
After losing 66 million gamers in 2022, the Chinese gaming segment will see a 6% user growth this year, with the total number of gamers reaching almost 760 million. However, that is still 20 million less than two years ago, when the market had nearly 780 million users.
Statista expects the number of gamers in China to continue growing in the following years and hit over 840 million by 2027. The country`s gaming industry will see a massive 50.2% penetration rate by then, up from 41.09% projected in 2023.


text:
Titanfall will feature 14 maps and a split-screen multiplayer mode, the beta code has apparently revealed.
The maps are named Angel City, Colony, Fracture, Relic, Airbase, Boneyard, Corporate, Outpost, Lagoon, Rise, Smugglers Cove, Training Ground, Overlook and Nexus.
The code features various mentions of a split-screen feature, but - as CVG notes - it also references Valve's Steam service, which is not likely to see the title while EA's own Origin maintains its exclusive on the game.
Titanfall's multiplayer beta was made available to all Xbox One users on the weekend.
The Titanfall beta, which runs at 792p on Xbox One, is expected to open up for PC players in the near future.
The beta is accessible without a code through the 'New Game Demos' section of the Xbox One store.
The full game will be available on Xbox One and PC on March 14 in Europe and March 11 in North America, and late March on Xbox 360.
Read the full list of Titanfall beta features below:
AT - Attrition?
TDM - Team Deathmatch?
CTF - Capture the Flag?
LTS - Last Titan Standing?
HP- Hardpoint Capture?
VM - Variety Mode (a mix of all the other modes listed, sans campaign)
auto_eject - Auto Eject
build_up_nuclear_core - Nuclear Ejection
doomed_time - Survivor
fast_reload - Fast Autoloader
longer_bubble - Dome Shield Battery
minimap_ai - Minion Detector
ordnance_pack - Explosive Pack
power_cell - Power Cell
shield_regen - Regen Booster
turbo_drop - Warpfall Transmitter
wall_runner - Enhanced Parkour kit
Pilot Tactical Abilities
Cloak (in beta)
Heal -Stim (in beta)
Sonar - Active Radar Pulse
arc_grenade (in beta)
frag_grenade (in beta)
proximity_mine (Ark Mine)
Titan Tactical Abilities
vortex - Vortex Shield (in beta)
smoke - Electric Smoke (in beta)
bubble_shield - Particle Wall
salvo_rockets - Rocket Salvo (in beta)
homing_rockets - Slaved Warheads (in beta)
cluster_rocket - Cluster Missile
shoulder_rockets - Multi-Target Missile System
weapon_r97 - R-97 Compact SMG
weapon_g2 - G2A4 Rifle
weapon_lmg - Spitfire LMG
weapon_smr - Sidewinder Anti-Titan
weapon_car - C.A.R.SMG
weapon_rspn101 - R-101C Carbine
weapon_smartpistol - Smart Pistol MK5
weapon_shotgun - EVA-8 Shotgun
weapon_dmr - Longbow-DMR Sniper
weapon_archer - Archer Heavy Rocket Anti-Titan
weapon_p2011 - Hammond P2011
weapon_autopistol - RE-45 Auto Pistol
weapon_hemlok - Hemlok BF-R
weapon_sniper - Kraber-AP Sniper
angel city (Map Set One)
fracture (Map Set Two)

domain: game


NASA May Have Found Evidence of an Advanced Alien Civilization in the Cygnus Star System
Also known as Tabby’s star, has shown inexplicable fluctuations in its brightness, potentially suggesting the presence of an advanced civilization.
There’s one star that many astronomers, both amateur and professional, are focusing on right now, known as KIC 8462852, or Tabby’s star. The odd nature of this star has led some to believe that it could possibly be a sign of highly intelligent alien life in the Cygnus star system, some 1,280 light years from us. What’s so intriguing about Tabby’s star is that it has been dimming drastically over time and in dramatic fluctuations.
These fluctuations have confounded scientists who have trained a multitude of high-powered telescopes on it, including NASA’s Kepler telescope that originally discovered it. The massive dips that have been recorded in its luminosity have led some to speculate that it could be an advanced alien civilization building a Dyson sphere or swarm around the star, harvesting its energy in a process referred to as star lifting.
Tabby’s star was first discovered by an astronomer at LSU, named Tabatha Boyajian. She is now the head of the Planet Hunters project, a program that searches for exoplanets in other solar systems, especially those that could potentially harbor life. She said that initially the program would have been deemed a success if they found just one exoplanet that fell in the habitable zone, but it has since found more than 50. But the program has received the most attention due to its recent observations of KIC 8462852, which has been exhibiting a phenomenon that scientists can’t fully explain.
What’s so strange about Tabby’s Star is that astronomers have recorded drastic dips in its brightness by up to 20 percent. To put it into perspective, usually a planet orbiting a star will only generate a one percent decrease in light. And while a decrease in brightness of this magnitude is common in young stars, due to their protoplanetary disks, Tabby’s star is not young and a disk has been ruled out from infrared imaging.
Numerous theories have been proposed to define the anomalies in the data associated with Tabby’s star, but none have succeeded in fully explaining what’s going on. Even Tabby, herself, hasn’t ruled out the possibility that it could be an alien civilization. She’s even asked some friends at SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) to aim a radio telescope on the planet to see if they can pick up any signals being transmitted form the area.
The Dyson sphere, in its different variations, is a concept first theorized in science fiction and made popular by Freeman Dyson. It fulfills a specific criterion on the Kardshev Scale, a hypothetical measure for the level of technological advancement of a civilization. Once a civilization reaches the point that it can harness all of the energy on its planet and others in its solar system, it would supposedly move on to build a sphere around its star, in order to meet its energy needs.
Scientists believe that whatever is orbiting Tabby’s star is within the habitable zone. And while some skeptics say that the strange results are simply incorrect data or bands of asteroids orbiting the star, many of these assertions have been disproven and no theory has sufficiently explained what’s going on.
Another bizarre variable that is evident in the observations is that the light coming from the star is blocked in an asymmetrical manner. If it were a planet or other orbiting body, one would expect to see symmetry. The star also appears to show an overall dimming over time, since observations began in the early 1900s. On average, the star has been dimming by 16 percent every 100 years. This is a highly unusual rate to see a star’s luminosity diminish. This could allow for two assumptions regarding the alien hypothesis. Either they are slowly extracting energy from the star, or they are slowly building solar panels around the star, blocking more of the light that we are able to see.
One might argue that this civilization would have to be moving very quickly to build its Dyson sphere, as Tabby’s star is 1.6 times the size of our sun. Also, one would expect to see an expulsion of waste, likely in the form of radiation, if they were harvesting directly from the star. But one user in the Reddit forum that is dedicated specifically to the star, brought up science fiction novelist, Arthur C. Clarke’s, third law regarding advanced civilizations; any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic. Essentially, a civilization’s technology, that is advanced to the point of harvesting energy from a star, would be incomprehensible to us.
Now that our attention is piqued and we have a number of eyes and ears trained on Tabby’s star maybe we’ll be able to discover what’s really going on in the Cygnus constellation. Is it simply a natural phenomenon that will lead us to new discoveries or groundbreaking evidence of a hyper-advanced civilization? Hopefully we will soon learn more.
The Hollow Moon Theory; Is the Moon an Artificial Satellite?
The moon is often described as having divine, feminine energy – the female counterpart to our Sun. It is a source of cosmic phenomena, providing us with beautiful eclipses, changing tides, and hopefully a future staging point for missions to Mars and beyond. But when we start to look at the moon under a closer lens, a number of aberrant characteristics suggest that it might be hollow — and that there may be a secret moon base.
The Moon Rings Like a Bell
The Apollo missions and subsequent moon landings have been at the center of controversy and conspiracy for years. There has been an interminable debate as to whether we actually landed on the moon, what was found there, or to what extent NASA has been hiding information from us. But amid the quarreling and speculation, the number of anomalous features on the moon has puzzled scientists and conspiracy theorists alike.
Toward the latter end of the Apollo missions, NASA astronauts placed seismic recording devices on the lunar surface to document artificial and natural moonquakes. Their equipment recorded activity ranging from meteorite strikes to man-made explosions, and crash landings of Apollo rockets. Even the sun’s heat created seismic activity when it caused the moon to thaw on a daily basis.
The astronauts were given a series of ALSEPs, or Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages to set up seismographs and initiate detonations ranging from shotgun-like charges to mortars with multiple grenades. Eventually, NASA intentionally crash-landed the Apollo 12 module as well as the S-IVB rocket setting off an explosive force equivalent to nearly 12 tons of TNT.


text:
A new addition to the family is both exciting and overwhelming.
Once the “baby daze” subsides, reality begins to kick in. Suddenly, expenses begin to add up and you start to feel as though you’re in over your head. Don’t panic. We’re on your side. That’s why we’re here to discuss the Family Tax Benefit.
What exactly is the Family Tax Benefit?
To put it simply, this is a set of payments that is provided to qualifying Australians to help with the costs of having and caring for children. There are two parts to this tax benefit:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A
- Family Tax Benefit Part B
You must meet different requirements for each. Let’s take a deeper look.
Family Tax Benefit Part A Eligibility
The Part A payment is paid for each child but the amount you receive depends on your family and financial situation for that year. You may be eligible for the Family Tax Benefit Part A if you care for a dependent child who is either of the following:
- 15 years of age or under, or
- 16 to 19 years of age, and
- is enrolled in a full time education program or training in an approved course leading towards a year 12 qualification
- has an acceptable (by ATO guidelines) study load, or
- Is exempt from education or training requirements
It is imperative that you also satisfy an income test (set forth by ATO guidelines), are an Australian resident, and care for the child for at least 35% of the time. Your child must also meet immunisation requirements. They must be:
- current with their medical immunisations, according to the early childhood vaccination schedule appropriate to your child’s age
- on a recognised immunisation catch up schedule, or
- medically exempt from these guidelines
QUICK TIP: Do you have a newborn at home? You may also qualify for Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement. Newborn Supplement is a component of Part A. It is paid over a span of three months with your regular Part A payment. You can find out more about this by checking out the full list of guidelines HERE.
Family Tax Benefit Part B Eligibility
Part B of this tax benefit takes things a step further and provides even more financial assistance to the following people who qualify:
- Single parents
- Couples with only one main income flow
- Non-parent carers (ie: grandparents)
If you are a single parent or non-parent carer, you may be eligible for the Part B payment if you care for a child at least 35% of the time and the child is:
- 16 years old or younger, or
- a full time secondary student, up until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 18 years old
If you are part of a couple with one main income source, you may be eligible for art B if you care for a dependent child 12 years of age or younger at least 35% of the time.
In order to qualify as an “eligible carer” according to the ATO, you must be one of the following:
- foster carer
- great grandparent, or
- another non parent carer
If I qualify, how much am I entitled to?
Now that you have a good idea whether or not you are eligible for the full or partial Family Tax Benefit, let’s address how much you’ll be receiving. Since the Family Tax Benefit consists of two different parts, there are two separate payment structures as well.
Family Tax Benefit Part A Payment Rates
If you qualify for Part A of the benefit, you’ll receive a base payment per fortnight. To determine your base payment, you will need to consider the following:
- How many children you are caring for
- Your annual income
You will then use that information to navigate the government table HERE.
To give you an idea of the maximum you could receive, here is a basic Part A table:
QUICK TIP: Did you have multiples? You’ll receive $152.88 a fortnight for triplets or $203.56 a fortnight for quadruplets if you qualify for Part A. A separate claim for each child is not necessary under these circumstances.
Family Tax Benefit Part B Payment Rates
Unlike Part A, the amount you receive from Part B is usually based on the age of your youngest child. While many other specific factors play a part in determining your actual payment, here is a basic table of the maximum you could receive.
How can I report the Family Tax Benefit?
This family tax benefit seems to cause some confusion with the multiple parts and payment tiers. That’s why we’re here to help you out. When lodging your tax with E-Lodge, you’ll have access to tax experts who can answer your questions about this benefit and numerous others that you may qualify for. We’ll steer you in the right direction so that you’ll be on your way to the greatest refund possible.

domain: law


text:
The 21-Day Smoothie Diet, created by health train Drew Sgoutas, claims that replacing several of your meals with shakes will certainly bring about quick and also easy weight-loss. As with so many weight-loss strategies, including restrictive diet plans like this one, the information are important dieta zielonych smoothie przepisy.
As part of a balanced diet, healthy smoothies can help you slim down. But components, part size, and your general consuming plan will make all the distinction. A diet plan containing mainly healthy smoothies, nevertheless, may not help every person as a remedy for long-term weight-loss success.
Sgoutas (that is not a registered dietitian), developed the 21 Day Healthy smoothie Diet plan to aid his clients lose weight. His electronic book, “The Shake Diet,” includes 36 smoothie mix dishes, wish list, and a three-week routine that details which smoothie mixes to prepare each day. The electronic book additionally provides a “detoxification” strategy with dishes as well as instructions for changing three dishes a day with shakes for an overall of 3 days.
The 21 Day Shake Diet regimen suggests eating normally (however still “healthy and balanced”) someday each week and also includes an advised food checklist for that day. Sgoutas suggests repeating the 21 day cycle at any time you would love to drop weight, however there is restricted study to recommend that a shake diet regimen is a reliable method for weight reduction.
In the short-term, fans of this diet plan might reduce weight. But to keep it off, they might have to remain on the diet regimen past the 21 day period, which is not a healthy and balanced long-lasting option given that it indicates that crucial food teams having important nutrients are continuing to be limited.
For the majority of people, 2 self-made meal-replacement shakes daily, plus a “regular” meal, might not provide the appropriate balance of calories, protein, carbohydrates, as well as healthy fats the body requires. Any kind of meal-replacement diet is tough to stick with for the long haul given that these substitutes typically aren’t as pleasing as solid food.
What Can You Consume?
On the 21-Day Smoothie Diet regimen, followers prepare and consume 2 smoothie mixes a day as meal replacements. The smoothie mix components differ, concentrating on lots of fruits and vegetables with some healthy protein and also healthy and balanced fats.
The diet plan’s electronic book supplies some guidance on the one solid-food dish fans are advised to take in every day (including referrals of what to eat and some “whole food” dishes), along with recommendations for low-sugar, high-fiber snacks. You are additionally allowed to eat generally one day weekly, as long as the meals adhere to the recommendations in the e-book.
What You Required to Know.
The strict “detox” strategy changes all 3 day-to-day dishes with smoothies for 3 days. On the 21-day strategy, you’ll take in two meal-replacement smoothie mixes (breakfast and lunch), one solid-food dish, and a couple of snacks. Though not a part of Sgoutas’ “authorities” smoothie mix diet, some prepare for a “flex day” to make the diet regimen more sustainable.
Nevertheless, Sgoutas points out that if the regular meals are expensive in calories, the diet regimen most likely won’t work for weight-loss. Also of note: The electronic book recommends that this diet regimen is not for individuals with food allergies.
What to Consume.
- Great deals of fruits and vegetables.
- Healthy dish once each day.
What Not to Consume.
- No solid food for two meals a day.
The dishes consisted of in the 21-Day Shake Diet plan consist of lots of fruits and veggies, have a tendency to be low in calories, and also give important phytonutrients. While fruit supplies healthy and balanced nutrients, it also contains naturally happening sugar, which might not help you if you’re trying to lower your sugar intake. Some smoothie mixes also ask for honey, which just includes even more sugar.
Additionally, the majority of the diet plan’s smoothies are extremely low in protein, and a couple of fall short in healthy and balanced fats. Sgoutas does stress getting enough healthy protein throughout the day as well as recommends at least 50 grams daily by consuming a little with each dish and treat. Nonetheless, some people may find it challenging to satisfy their daily healthy protein requires on this strategy, especially those that don’t spend a great deal of time dish planning.
If you are using a shake as a dish substitute, see to it it has each crucial macronutrient: healthy protein, fat, and also carbohydrates. You might consider seeking advice from a nutritional expert or registered diet professional for even more advice– though they would likely recommend that you prevent a smoothie-based diet plan and try other, healthier techniques rather.
Benefits and drawbacks Of The Smoothie Mix Diet regimen.
- Focus on vegetables and fruits.
- Much less calorie-counting as well as food monitoring.
- Shopping lists consisted of.
- High in sugar.
- Preparation could be taxing.
- Not lasting.
- Does not have scientific support.
Is the Shake Diet Plan a Healthy Choice for You?
Generally, fruit shakes often tend to include calories from carbohydrates as well as a percentage of fat. However to give an all-round meal, they likewise require a great resource of lean protein.
Protein helps construct muscle, which you need to preserve a healthy and balanced metabolism. A diet regimen consisting of primarily smoothie mixes would likely fall short of fulfilling your everyday intake of healthy protein.
Smoothie diet regimens like the 21-Day Healthy smoothie Diet are preferred, however you’ll additionally discover similarities in between this diet as well as various other short-term, low-calorie, meal-replacement diets such as SlimFast. Understand that these diet plans do not meet professional advice on healthy eating plans.
The USDA 2020– 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming a selection of nutrient-dense foods and also drinks while remaining within the recommended restriction of 2,000 calories a day for weight administration.
The 21-Day Healthy Smoothie Diet regimen does not comply with federal standards given that it excludes lots of healthy foods that make up a well balanced diet regimen.
For weight loss, the USDA advises a day-to-day calorie intake of concerning 1,500 calories. While Sgoutas recommends approximately 1,500 calories per day in the e-book, the smoothie mix recipes in “The Shake Diet” appear at much less than that, making it hard to get to the 1,500-calorie target without overindulging in the one everyday solid-food meal.
Developing a calorie deficit is commonly the very best method to slim down efficiently and sustainably. However a healthy daily calorie goal is various for everyone, as a result of variables such as age, sex, weight, and task degree. Utilize this calculator to determine the calorie objective that might work for you.
It is most likely that people will lose weight promptly when they begin the 21-Day Smoothie Diet Regimen due to the fact that they are cutting calories (while also potentially cutting nutrients like protein and healthy fats). Yet changing meals with fluids, and also residing on so couple of calories, isn’t something that the majority of people can safely continue to provide for the long term.
Health and wellness Dangers.
There is no strong clinical evidence to support the notion of detoxification diet plans– in part since there is no clear definition of what a “detox diet plan” does. The body normally “detoxes” itself with digestion and excretion (such as bowel movements and sweat). Cleansing is a main feature of body organs like the liver as well as kidneys. No person food or food mix can do this by itself.
The high sugar from the Smoothie mix Diet could be a problem for people with specific clinical problems (which is why it’s not advised for individuals with diabetes). Additionally, it is possible to shed muscular tissue mass if you lose weight as well quickly. As well as if a person complying with the weight-loss diet regimen goes back to their regular eating practices as well as boosts their calorie consumption, they are not likely to maintain their fat burning long-term. This could be why the electronic book suggests repeating the 21-day diet plan as commonly as essential.
Keep in mind that “detox” diets are not suggested for some people, consisting of kids, expecting as well as nursing people, and people with certain health conditions. Before beginning any type of diet plan be sure to review it with your doctor initially.

domain: food


text:
A grieving widow who went to the cinema with a male childhood friend has divided opinion over whether their actions were inappropriate, after revealing his wife was furious to discover they had watched a film together.
Posting anonymously on Mumsnet, the British woman explained how she visited the cinema with her pal, who she has known since the age of three and has previously gone to festivals, camping and on holiday with.
She said her friend told his wife about their trip to the cinema after it had happened – and she so furious that it almost caused the marriage to come to an end.
Responses to the post were divided, with some claiming the wife had overreacted, while others argued that the cinema is ‘an activity for couples’.
A British woman has sparked a discussion on Mumsnet about the activities that are ‘appropriate’ to do with a friend of the opposite sex. Pictured, stock image
The woman explained how she visited the cinema with her pal, who she has known since the age of three and has previously gone to festivals, camping and on holiday with (pictured)
Explaining the situation, the woman wrote: ‘I have a friend who I’ve known since I was 3 years old. Last year he got a job in a pub directly across the road from my house, so I see him quite often as he will occasionally stop by after a shift for a coffee or to see my kids, who they refer to as their uncle, they’re all very close.
‘Over the years we’ve been to festivals together, holidays, camping trips etc. He was the best man at my wedding.
‘Last year my husband passed away and my friend was great in helping sort things out, and just to have someone to chat to.’
She continued: ‘We both like marvel films, which his wife hates, so when the new avengers film came out last year he bought tickets for the first showing as it was at 12 noon so we had time to watch it before getting the kids from school. His wife was at work and he was doing the school run.’
She continued: ‘She went absolutely apoplectic with rage when she found it. Said that going to the cinema was something couples do, I was desperate to get a man because my husband had died and now I was lonely etc. My friend was so disgusted with her [reaction] that it almost ended their marriage.’
The woman admitted she was stunned by her friend’s wife’s reaction, when she discovered they had gone to the cinema without telling her first.
Many users admitted they wouldn’t have had a problem with their partners going to the cinema with a female friend, adding that the marriage may have trust issues
She continued: ‘I hadn’t really thought about it till today when it came up in conversation with two other friends who had very different views. One was of the opinion that it was fine, the other of the opinion that it’s never okay for men and women who are married to socialise like that as it’s disrespectful.
‘AIBU (Am I being unreasonable) to think the cinema with a friend is fine? She’s fine with him coming to my house but not the cinema? I just found it such a bizarre reaction and the nasty things she said about me following my husbands death were pretty unforgivable,’ she concluded.
Many responses to the post reassured the widow they wouldn’t be angry if their husband had gone to the cinema with her.
One person wrote: ‘ Absolutely OK to go. The best thing in anyone’s life is a good friend. It’s a priceless thing to have. If my DH (dear husband) had a friend like that, regardless of gender, I’d let him enjoy the cinema.
‘Either you trust your spouse, or you don’t. It would not even cross my mind to think anything would happen. Maybe I’m naive.’
Another said: ‘I would be absolutely find with this. I can’t imagine being so insecure in my marriage that this would bother me. And if was, the marriage would surely be doomed anyway.’
Many people reassured the woman that they wouldn’t have a problem with their spouse going to the cinema with a friend, regardless of their gender
But others argued the wife wasn’t overreacting, and confessed they wouldn’t be comfortable if their spouse went to the cinema with a single friend of the other sex.
‘I’m so sorry for the loss of your DH (dear husband). Honestly I think I would feel similarly that you were crossing lines. I have male friends and my DH has female friends but I think where one is single and emotionally vulnerable going to do ‘date like’ things is a bad idea, however innocent the intention,’ said one.
Another wrote: ‘I think deep down any wife would feel wobbly about this. It’s just quite intimate going to the cinema together. Maybe next time the three of you should go?’.
A third added: ‘I suppose it depends on how he treats her. Does he take her out on dates? So they do things when the kids are at school? If he doesn’t do those things with his wife but he does with you, can’t blame her for being jealous.’
Others said because of her emotionally vulnerable circumstance, they wouldn’t be comfortable with their husband going to the cinema with her

domain: sociology


text:
t arrived on time. I have had many dRA Parker Dress Dresses! Love them all. Good quality, I recommend them, The looks like good quality and the color is rich. A good buy.
Obtaining Work in Craigslist Locating Jobs in Cl Probably the most popular reasons like Craigslist is always to locate a work. These types of jobs could be everlasting full time jobs, short-term jobs, agreement roles as well as telecommute jobs. Those who are considering finding a clean as well as fascinating occupation possibility looks through C-list and look for possible fits in a lot of various classes and also sections. In addition to looking at the different groups incorporated upon C-list, people looking for work can also utilize the search purpose to get by means of each of the classes pertaining to careers who have been recently submitted throughout groups the position hunter don't think of exploring. Neighborhood members can also discover probable work opportunities b
What you should know before buying Dresses .
If we create everything new, many of us mete out a number of unwanted side effects towards the surroundings. It really is our obligation to assist environmental surroundings assist itself as well as upcycled art work makes the world a far more beautiful location with no damage to environmental surroundings by any means. All of us also like to be able to gift considerate provides to be able to friends. Upcycled items are a fun way to show folks you care. They aren't run-of-the-mill, search distinctly special and so are environment-friendly. All you need to make this fine art or presents is a few spend you will find available and some imagination. When you create one thing away from remade components, every bit eventually ends up searching unique and also particular. These days, many designers quite consciously decide to use upcycled artwork and make magic beyond waste products. In many cases, this kind of fine art usually takes are home Dresses, that makes it very beneficial at the same time. You'll want to employ non-toxic merchandise and not just anything and everything you can find. Anupcyclingartist's true expertise lies in utilizing trash and also turning it into ar
Read: Keyword Relate with : dRA Parker Dress Dresses


text:
Writer Ion Diviza congratulated by colleagues and friends
CHISINAU, February 13th, 2015 – A group of students of the Armed Forces Military Academy “Alexandru cel Bun” participated on February 12th , in the anniversary event of the writer Ion Diviza “In dialogue with the audience”, held at the National Library “Vasile Alecsandri” in the capital.
The event patronized by Moldovan Writers’ Union, was a particularly important jubilee marking 60 years of the poet, humorist, journalist and translator Ion Diviza.
People of art, actors, directors, singers and songwriters, friends and admirers of the poet and writer Ion Diviza, expressed respect and gratitude to the celebrated personality and his creation.
Moreover, the guests enjoyed a music performance, filled with humor and fun. Songs composed by Igor Grosu were played during the event, which gave a festive atmosphere to the anniversary evening.
The writer Ion Diviza is the President of epigramists from Moldova, member of the Writers’Union, author of more than 30 collections and anthologies of epigrams, aphorisms and many humorous miniatures.

domain: entertainment


text:
Signs of Oral Cancer
- Red or white patches in your mouth
- Thickening of soft oral tissue
- Open sores
- Feeling of something caught in your throat
Oral Cancer Risk FactorsIf you smoke, chew, or vape tobacco, you are at a much higher risk of developing oral cancer. Patients with family history of cancer, are over the age of 45 or who drink alcohol heavily are also at higher risk. In recent years dentists have been finding oral cancer in younger and younger patients. Some patients as young as in their 20s have been diagnosed with oral cancer that is linked to HPV exposure. If you have or have been in contact with someone who has HPV, be sure to get screened for oral cancer regularly.
Oral Cancer ScreeningsDr. Spink provides every patient with a quick, painless oral cancer screening at every visit to our Birmingham, AL dentist office. The screening takes only two minutes and is non-invasive. This simple screening can help save your life.
Schedule A ConsultationEncourage everyone you know to get screened for oral cancer. To learn more about how Spink Dentistry can help you treat oral health concerns before they advance to complex dental concerns. Contact our Birmingham dentist office or schedule a visit online. Our dental care team will be with you every step of the way.
Posted in: Oral Cancer Screening

domain: medical


text:
Founded in 1982 on Paul Newman’s love for delicious homemade salad dressings and the off chance that others may love them too, Newman made the selfless decision to give all Newman’s Own profits away to help children and other good causes. Four decades later, Newman’s Own offers so much more than dressings, having donated over half a billion dollars it was time for a refresh setting up Newman’s Own for another 40 years of giving it all away.
As the brand approached 40 years of ‘giving it all away,’ we were asked by the good people at Newman’s Own to help refresh the brand’s visual identity. The goal was to leverage the refresh to appeal to a younger audience, continuing the brand’s growth while introducing a new generation to Newman’s philanthropic endeavors through high quality, delicious foods.
— Paul Newmans business plan — 1982
“Let’s give it all away”
With reverence to Paul Newman, we reemphasized the brand’s greater purpose. We brought a new, optimistic design approach, allowing consumers to better connect with the radically good impact they have when purchasing Newman’s Own products.
Using inviting and punchy language – A rallying cry, leveraging a consistent and prominent brand line that summarizes the brand’s unique business model and mission — ‘100% profits to help kids.’
Our redrawing of Paul is depicted in his chefs whites, a playful nod to a lifetime of role playing and love of cooking. Modernizing Newman’s likeness and reducing his prominence on pack, we redefined Paul's role – from a Hollywood character to the respected founder, re-emphasizing the brand’s commitment and purpose, prioritizing the company’s mission and great-tasting food.
We created a more optimistic and disruptive brand presence on overly saturated supermarket shelves. A true celebration of goodness through the use of a vibrant and uplifting color palette, underpinned by joyfully hand-painted food illustrations, showcases the authentic, high quality ingredients that go into making Newman’s Own food products.
Our beautifully crafted food illustrations are not just for driving taste appeal. Utilizing the brands new design aesthetic, stylish and collectable patterns adorn everything from desirable kitchenware to rewarding gift cards. Respectfully taking Newman's Own out of the darkness of the cupboard, taking pride of place within the home – a subtle and imaginative reminder of the company’s continuous and valuable mission.


text:
When I was but a wee rug rat, I would sit transfixed for hours in front of our ECIL television every time Doordarshan Malayalam aired Kathakali performances, while my elder sister would run to the next room to escape the otherworldly figures prancing around to the loud clangs of the elathalam and the strident sounds of the chenda. At least, that’s the story my mother tells us every time a discussion on Kathakali comes up in the family. Sadly, my fascination with this 500-year-old dance-drama was short-lived. I, along with much of the rest of world, moved on to other forms of entertainment. Kathakali was relegated to something I’d see occasionally as a token representation of Kerala in tourism advertisements or in film songs where Kathakali dancers were used as props to add colour.
Now, a couple of decades later, to assuage my feelings of rootlessness, I feel a growing need to understand how early Malayali folk lived. Integral to this is knowing more about the various forms in which creativity expressed itself in a community. And which better art form to delve into than the grand spectacle that is Kathakali? So I set myself up to learn more about Kathakali in the hope that one day, when I eventually get to watch a live performance, I would be able to understand and appreciate this elaborate and complex form of storytelling.
Kathakali owes its present form to the several ritual art forms as well as theatre forms that existed in Kerala. Many indigenous ritual art forms such as Kolkali, Chakyarkoothu, Kaniarkali, Ottanthullal, and Arjuna Nritham have in some way or the other contributed to the development of Kathakali. Of all performance art forms, Theyyam (a ritual dance form), Mutiyettu (a ritual dance-drama), and Kalaripayattu (an ancient martial art form), have significantly shaped various aspects of Kathakali.
Kootiattam, the only extant Sanskrit theatre in all of India, has also significantly influenced the development of Kathakali, especially its costumes, makeup, acting techniques, and gestures.
Kathakali was formalised as a classical art form in the 17th century. Its beginnings can be traced back to Krishnanattam, or the Dance of Krishna, which was authored by Manaveda, a Zamorin of Kozhikode. The Zamorin was inspired by the Geeta Govinda (written by the Sankrit poet named Jayadeva) and created a text called Krishna Geeti. The dance-drama based on this text is known as Krishnanattam. Legend has it that the Tampuran of Kottarakkara once invited the Krishnanattam troupe to perform at his palace. The Kozhikode Zamorin, however, refused saying that the court in Kottarakkara would never be able to fully appreciate this art form. A scorned Kottarakkara Thampuran then took it upon himself to compose his own dance-drama, based on the adventures of Ram, and called it Ramanattam.
Another king, Kottayam Thampuran, is credited with the creation of Kathakali as a distinct dance-drama when he wrote four plays based on stories from the Mahabharata, which were staged in a stylised form of Krishnanattam. This form was called Kathakali and became popular all across Kerala. The term is coined from the words ‘katha’ (story) and ‘kali’ (play).
How caste dictated the development of Kathakali is also fascinating. Its precursors, Koodiyattam and Krishnanattam, were performed inside temples exclusively for the gods and witnessed only by members of the higher castes. Contrarily, Kathakali was performed outside the temple walls. As a result, more people were allowed to see it, although it still excluded many people in the lower castes. In its glory days, Kathakali was taught at a kalari (training school) where the ashan (guru) would mete out rigorous training to his disciples. Eleven-hour training sessions were not unheard of and corporal punishment was the norm to shape the students into master performers.
A few days ago, I asked my cousin if she’d accompany me to a Kathakali performance. My rather alarmed cousin told me she’d be happy to drop me off at the venue instead. Appeals to other members of the family were also met with a lukewarm response.
Is Kathakali’s popularity waning? I hear of Kathakali being taught to international students in foreign universities, but does this translate to an increase in its audience? It is definitely one of the most recognised classical art forms in the country. However, performances that once ran the course of an entire night have now been edited into two hour recitals for modern-day audiences. Will adapting to modern conveniences help in sustaining Kathakali, or will it be seen as an end of a glorious art in its most original form?


Hometree is a UK boiler installation and smart home e-commerce business. The company was founded in London, UK, in 2015 by Simon Phelan. Hometree embraces technology, enabling customers to be able to find their boiler online or over the phone by answering a few questions about their home and heating requirements. Once they have selected the right boiler, customers can then book in their boiler installation with an accredited Hometree Gas Safe Engineer. If required, engineers complete a video survey before they arrive so that they can carry out the installation efficiently.


Last June more than 90 percent of Italian voters said no to nuclear power in a referendum, while Germany and Switzerland voted to phase out atomic energy in the coming years.
In France, which faces a presidential election this spring, the Socialists and Greens pledged to close 24 reactors by 2025 as public opinion in what was once Europe’s strongest supporter of nuclear plants begins to falter.
In Japan, efforts to collect signatures in support of a national vote on the future of nuclear power began just after the Fukushima disaster struck. But there are also separate attempts to introduce specific plebiscites in Tokyo and in the city of Osaka.
What are the Tokyo and Osaka plebiscite drives calling for?
The Tokyo and Osaka plebiscite drives want both governments to ensure citizens’ voices are heard on the question of whether Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Kansai Electric Power Co. should be allowed to run nuclear plants.
They also seek to ensure that both metropolitan areas promote local production, consumption and more democratic management of renewable energy sources over the middle to long term.
Does that mean they’re not demanding all nuclear power plants be shut down now?
No. The aim is to gradually move away from nuclear power and into renewable energy. However, it’s true that most of those pushing for the plebiscites are against returning to pre-March 11 levels of atomic power production or increasing its usage in the future.
How does the nationwide signature drive differ from those in Tokyo and Osaka?
The national plebiscite campaign against atomic power is more like a general campaign to pressure the central government to change its energy policy.
The drive entails fewer legal restrictions on how, when and where signatures can be collected, and from whom.
Anyone, regardless of citizenship, is allowed to sign the petition, even over the Internet, and there is no legally mandated time period for the campaign.
The goal of the national petition drive is to pressure the Diet into eventually approving a national referendum.
The Tokyo and Osaka signature drives are aiming for plebiscites involving their own registered voters. Such drives have deadlines and any poll would have a legally set date, assuming enough signatures were amassed to compel the local assembly to approve a plebiscite on the future of nuclear power.
The local-level drives are thus far stricter because they involve specific municipalities operating under set local government regulations.
Only the signatures of local voters qualify for the petitions. By law, one-fiftieth of each municipality’s eligible voters must provide their signatures by the deadline.
What does this mean in practice?
The Tokyo and Osaka signature drives began Dec. 10. By law, the Osaka campaign had to finish by Jan. 9, while the Tokyo drive must be concluded by Feb. 9 to avoid invalidating the results.
In Osaka, the number of signatures needed to formally demand a municipal assembly vote on whether to hold a plebiscite is around 42,000.
In Tokyo the required number of signatures is around 214,000.
How hard is it to get the required number of signatures?
The regulations are tough, and the process is quite bureaucratic. Signatures must be gathered directly, not electronically.
Only a local registered voter with official approval is allowed to approach people to collect signatures. To receive approval, the voter must provide name, address, date of birth and telephone number to the municipal election commission, which checks to verify eligibility.
Can an officially approved signature collector go anywhere to solicit names?
Technically, yes, but a collector, who is presumably a resident of a given municipal ward, would only be allowed to collect signatures from voters registered in the same ward, although such voters can be approached outside of the ward.
Voters from a different ward who happen to sign such a petition would not be counted.
Can signature gatherers present voters with just a blank paper or copy of a petition form for signing?
No. Only official forms provided by the plebiscite organizers to the approved solicitor can be used, and the forms must bear the organizer’s “hanko” seal. No printouts or fax copies are allowed.
The forms are sent to the signature gatherers by the organization in charge of the plebiscite.
Osaka’s signature drive is over. What happens next?
Osaka collected 61,000 signatures, more than enough to ask Mayor Toru Hashimoto to introduce a plebiscite proposal to the municipal assembly. The signatures were delivered to the city election commission on Jan. 16. The commission has 20 days to verify the signatures.
If the requisite number is verified, the group seeking a plebiscite will formally ask Hashimoto to propose to the assembly that the poll be held. A simple majority vote by the assembly will decide if a plebiscite is held.
What about Tokyo?
Tokyo’s signature drive as of Saturday had around 147,000 of the nearly 214,000 signatures needed by the Feb. 9 deadline.
Organizers cite numerous reasons for the slow progress, including the strict rules on signature gathering.
But at a mid-January Yokohama conference against nuclear power and for renewable energy, signature collectors admitted there is a sense of apathy or opposition in Tokyo to a plebiscite because some residents are no longer as concerned as they were last year about the radiation threat, while others worry that phasing out nuclear power would negatively impact their lifestyles and the Tokyo economy as a whole.
Have plebiscites on nuclear power ever succeeded?
Since 1982, there have been more than two dozen attempts, mostly in small towns and villages, to force assemblies to hold plebiscites on nuclear materials or power plants.
To date only three have been held, in the villages of Maki and Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture, and in Miyama, Mie Prefecture. In all three polls, voters said no to nuclear power.
The Weekly FYI appears Tuesdays. Readers are encouraged to send ideas, questions and opinions to firstname.lastname@example.org


Haze has been severely affecting the densely populated areas in China recently. While many of the efforts have been devoted to investigating the impact of local anthropogenic emission, limited attention has been paid to the contribution from long-range transport. In this study, we apply simulations from six participating models supplied through the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution phase 2 (HTAP2) exercise to investigate the long-range transport impact of Europe (EUR) and Russia-Belarus-Ukraine (RBU) on the surface air quality in eastern Asia (EAS), with special focus on their contributions during the haze episodes in China. The impact of 20 % anthropogenic emission perturbation from the source region is extrapolated by a factor of 5 to estimate the full impact. We find that the full impacts from EUR and RBU are 0.99 μgĝ€†mĝ'3 (3.1 %) and 1.32 μgĝ€†mĝ'3 (4.1 %) during haze episodes, while the annual averaged full impacts are only 0.35 μgĝ€†mĝ'3 (1.7 %) and 0.53 μgĝ€†mĝ'3 (2.6 %). By estimating the aerosol response within and above the planetary boundary layer (PBL), we find that long-range transport from EUR within the PBL contributes to 22-38 % of the total column density of aerosol response in EAS. Comparison with the HTAP phase 1 (HTAP1) assessment reveals that from 2000 to 2010, the long-range transport from Europe to eastern Asia has decreased significantly by a factor of 2-10 for surface aerosol mass concentration due to the simultaneous emission reduction in source regions and emission increase in the receptor region. We also find the long-range transport from the Europe and RBU regions increases the number of haze events in China by 0.15 % and 0.11 %, and the North China Plain and southeastern China has 1-3 extra haze days ( < 3 %). This study is the first investigation into the contribution of long-range transport to haze in China with multi-model experiments.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Atmospheric Science


text:
A mum of four with 20 years’ experience in the food industry. My first roles were as a cookery writer at Good Housekeeping and Woman’s Own, Cookery Editor at Bella Magazine, then for Tesco and Sainsbury’s. I become a real foodie creating recipes and styling food for photo-shoots, as well as being a restaurant critic able to sample amazing dishes from all over the globe. More recently, I trained as a teacher of GCSE Food and Nutrition and have been working at Weydon School, Farnham and George Abbot School, Guildford. I love creating healthy recipes, learning about new flavours and on weekends sharing and creating dishes for family and friends.
I have always wanted to create a cookery school where both adults and children come together to learn new skills or just to have a fun and relaxing time, cooking and socialising together. It's a whole team effort and you'll often find my husband David or one of my 4 children washing up in the kitchen.
I am currently working with schools in Farnham and can offer cookery demonstrations and tastings. I am keen to get involved in any community or charity projects so please do contact me.


text:
Juwan Brescacin looked like Randy Moss with a leaping one-handed finger-tip touchdown catch in the Mid-American Conference title game.
He always wanted to look like Randy Moss.
"When I was 6, I would throw the football with my dad and every time I would be Randy Moss," Brescacin said. "My dad didn't like that, because he was a Cowboys fan."
No. 24 Northern Illinois sure likes it, though. As a redshirt freshman, Brescacin led NIU with an average of 20.3 yards per catch on his 11 receptions. This year, the sophomore was second in average (15.6 yards to Da'Ron Brown's 16.4) and touchdowns (five) and third in yards (469) for the Huskies (12-1).
Not bad for a former Canadian basketball player.
"This is only his fifth year of playing football," NIU coach Rod Carey said. "He just immersed himself in it. It took him a little while to get accustomed to the physicality of it, but now that he has, the sky is the limit for him.
"His ability is as good as anybody that we have on our team or we play against. His hands are bigger than your head. That makes it easy to catch the ball. And he's an athlete. Basketball really helps with your body control."
The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Brescacin has Randy Moss-type size, but he was mostly a basketball player until he left Canada. Those days of tossing the football with his dad were in Mississauga, Ontario, When he did play football, it was only for one year, and it wasn't at receiver.
"I wanted to be a receiver, but I was the quarterback in 10th grade," Brescacin said. "I was the most athletic kid, and they always put the most athletic kid at quarterback.
"I have some film on that. I was pretty good."
Brescacin's high school point guard left Mississauga for Culver Military Academy, a prep school in Culver, Ind. Brescacin followed him.
"I thought it was a great opportunity to try something new," he said.
Make that try two new things. Culver officials asked him to play football, too.
"I ended up liking it. I always wanted to be a wide receiver before, but never had the chance. When I finally got the opportunity, I thought I could be good at it. I was big. I could catch. And I was athletic."
He was great at it. Brescacin broke all of Culver's career receiving records in two years, and Jerry Kill recruited him hard for NIU. Kill then left to become Minnesota's head coach and continued to recruit Brescacin until finally choosing another receiver. Brescacin had offers from other MAC teams, but they all wanted him to "gray shirt" and pay his own way as a freshman. Dave Doeren, Kill's successor before leaving for North Carolina State at the end of last season, brought Brescacin to NIU.
"NIU stuck with me the whole way," Brescacin said. "I had a bunch of MAC schools looking at me, but they didn't want to take the time to develop me."
It took Brescacin awhile to get used to Division I football.
"I thought I was pretty physical at basketball," he said, "but football is different. I was running with people who were older than me and stronger than me and a lot faster than me, but as the years went on, I adjusted. I've still got a long ways to go, but I've come a long way."
As NIU gets ready to play Utah State (8-5) in the Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday, Brescacin looms as a player to watch. He has had a knack for playing his best in NIU's biggest games. He led the Huskies with six catches for 71 yards in their MAC title game loss. And he set career highs with eight catches for 121 yards in the win over Toledo that clinched the MAC West title.
And he may just be getting started.
"He's really gifted," NIU quarterback Jordan Lynch said. "If he's double-teamed, I will still throw him up the ball. He gives defenses matchup problems. You can't just single cover that kid because when he goes up, he's hungry for the ball.
"And the best is yet to come for him. He's only a sophomore."
Matt Trowbridge: 815-987-1383; firstname.lastname@example.org; @matttrowbridge

domain: sports


Dating from the 1930’s, the then first skyscraper in Ljubljana, which now displays a fusion of the old architecture and new aesthetics, has been a meeting place for generations of Ljubljana residents and visitors alike. Since a few years, it has come back to life with a renewed content and a fresh approach to creating a flexible venue for multiple generations and a variety of occasions.
The top-floors VIP area, Terrace, Club – Lounge and the Restaurant are suitable for a host of different events, ranging from smaller business meetings and product presentations to social functions and parties. A special mention goes to the stunning view of the city and the Old Town that unfolds from this venue, which lends it a special atmosphere.
The Skyscraper’s Restaurant, which presents a selected menu of modernised Slovenian and Mediterranean dishes, can be privatised for events.


Stores ref. 8D/2358. Appears to be cast in solid brass. This hand operated tool was used by armourers to load bullets onto the belt. Sprung handle. A.M. Crown marked with ref. nos. etc. Very good used condition. Some surface corrosion to the steel based nuts/bolts/spring. As seen on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington. Stock code M16820.


text:
Strengthening Fiscal Policies and Regulations to Promote Healthy Diets in Sri Lanka
30 January 2020
Medical Research Institute (MRI), Sri Lanka
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have been a significant health challenge for Sri Lanka for several decades. Lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, consumption of of alcohol, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets are among factors that increase the risk of NCDs.
Recognising the importance of tackling these factors, the IPS launched a project on ‘Strengthening Fiscal Policies and Regulations to Promote Healthy Diets in Sri Lanka’, in collaboration with the Medical Research Institute (MRI) of the Ministry of Health. The study aims to examine the effectiveness of three recently introduced fiscal and regulatory interventions for reducing unhealthy food habits: a) a tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), b) a traffic light labeling system indicating sugar levels in SSBs, c) healthy canteen in schools (HCS) initiative aimed at improving the healthy food choices available for students in schools.


Box International Consulting LP, a Texas, US-based cement industry consulting firm, announced today that they been issued a Grant of Authorisation by Saudi Arabia-based cement producer Al Jouf Cement Company to provide a variety of technical services at its plant located in Turaif, Saudi Arabia.
Al Jouf Cement currently owns a 5000tpd cement plant and is building a second line with the same capacity. The third line, which Box International is to assist in developing, is also set to have a capacity of 5000tpd. Box International will provide consultation and recommendations regarding the plant layout, design, process upgrades, equipment, plant and facility specifications and recommendations of vendors, along with the considerations regarding integration of the plant and infrastructure.
On behalf of Al Jouf Cement, Box International is to manage requests for proposals, receive and negotiate bids from equipment vendors, suppliers, contractors and construction companies. Box International will also provide proposals for technical training programmes consistent with US cement industry practices for Al Jouf Cement personnel. Box International is authorised to source, negotiate and secure financing for the plant expansion, facility upgrades and any other corporate requirements on behalf of the Saudi Arabian cement producer. Box International is also requested to present a proposal to operate and manage the new plant on behalf of Al Jouf Cement upon completion of construction and commissioning.
Thomas D Box, president of Box International, said: "The Saudi Arabian construction sector is the most dynamic in the world and will continue to be because the economy in the Saudi Arabian Kingdom is incredibly robust. Recently reported GDP in the Kingdom exceeded SAR2.2trn in 2011, wit a growth rate of 31 per cent, preliminary reports of the Kingdom's GDP increased by almost six per cent. Given this economic strength, along with a rapidly increasing and well-educated population and the significant investment and support of large strategic infrastructure and development projects by the government, the construction sector will continue to increase unless there are shortages of building materials."
He further added: "Domestic cement manufacturing capacity is required to sustain construction and development activity. Accordingly, Box International is very pleased to work with Al Jouf Cement regarding their plant expansion and to support their vision of furthering the construction sector and cement market in Saudi Arabia."


text:
With ten lanes and two cocktail lounges opening below John Lewis in March
Bowling chain All Star Lanes will open a new venue within the expanded Westfield London in March 2018.
All Star Lanes says the 'boutique' bowling venue, beneath the new John Lewis store, will feature two Art Deco inspired cocktail lounges, ten state-of-the-art bowling lanes, a private event room and a heated outdoor terrace.
The company, which already has venues at Westfield in Stratford as well as Bayswater, Holborn and Brick Lane, adds that the venue's new concept will feature large speakeasy style cocktail bars, luxurious leather booths, private karaoke rooms as well as restaurants serving homemade American comfort food.
The new opening is part of Westfield London’s £600 million expansion making it the largest retail, dining and leisure destination in Europe ten years since it first opened its doors.
Christian Rose, Managing Director of All Star Lanes, says: "With the space in Westfield London’s new expansion, we've been able to engrain the quirky and premium nature of the brand in the design and build like never before. We couldn’t be more excited for people to experience the new location for themselves."
Keith Mabbett, Director of Leasing, Westfield UK and Europe says:" We’re thrilled to reveal that All Star Lanes will be pioneering the first of its new-generation venues at Westfield London. Our focus in developing the centre, which currently sees 28 million visitiors each year, has been on providing enhanced experiences in state-of-the-art surroundings that showcase the very best in leisure, dining, fashion and entertainment.
" A key feature of the expansion is a large open events space surrounded by the very best restaurant and leisure brands, creating a new destination in the capital for going out. All Star Lanes’ new concept will prove to be hugely popular with visitors to this new destination for West London."
October 30, 2017

domain: design


text:
Got a rumbly in you tumbly? Have no fear, here is a list of Disneyland’s Critter Country gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options!
Get your gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian fix on Route 66 in Carsland at Disney’s California Adventure!
Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian dining options to help you plan your meals before your next visit to Star Wars Galaxy Edge at Disneyland
Allergy friendly cookies to serve your gluten, dairy, and nut free friends and family!
What you missed last week.
The snack bar marketplace is overwhelming and let’s face it like most aspects of the food industry… a hot mess. Today I am reviewing a game changer!!!
Help make eating out a safer experience


text:
Housed in the glorious former residence of Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion, this fine dining restaurant serves refined modern Cantonese cuisine reflecting the lavish love for life held by its namesake, a jet-setting aristocrat of the late 19th century. Romance and elegance of the past lives in the walls of one of the most iconic boutique hotels in Malaysia, and a reservation here allows guests to relive its grandeur, at least for an evening.
|A welcome flute of Nutmeg Juice with a crushed nutmeg rim|
No finer beginning could be had than with drinks on the balcony of what was once the master’s bedroom. A Samadhi State of Mind cocktail in hand, views of the garden and distinctive decorative upturned arches of the gate guarding the entrance below, and a gentle breeze, has us in a relaxed disposition, seeming to signify the official start of our luxe weekend getaway.
The beverage menu is admirable for a small venue. No less than eight wines are available by the glass (besides the more extensive range offered by the bottle), there’s the standard beer and juices, and an engaging list of house-crafted cocktails and mocktails too.
My choice sees lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and lychee crushed and shaken with lime and vodka, then strained over ice to form the refreshing Lychee and Lemongrass Smash (RM37). Hubby surprisingly has commenced with a Samadhi Zerocholic Delight, the Forever Young (RM19). Perhaps enticed by the name and his complaint of lower back pain after the four hour drive from KL, he’s pleased with the mix of pressed pineapple, orange and carrot juice, a squeeze of lemon and drop of vanilla.
|Mocktail and Cocktail|
Moving from the peaceful patio we enter the graceful and air-conditioned restaurant. Extraordinarily high ceilings embellished with maroon lines and patterns, stained glass windows, and oversized tapestries and mirrors enclose the space in a glove of magnificence.
Chef Maurice Khoon Meng Khoon Toh, Executive Chef of Cheong Fatt Tze Restaurant, specializes in classic as well as modern Chinese cuisine. Coming from a family of chefs, meant he practically grew up in the kitchen, and at a very young age had already mastered the art of making fresh noodles and dim sum. Later, with formal training, he traveled the world working in both 5 star hotels and independent restaurants, honing his skills in Chinese cuisine, while expanding his knowledge of western dishes. Today, as head chef at The Blue Mansion, he brings sophisticated Cantonese to the table with his own creative modifications.
|Boiled peanuts and pickled cucumber – I could snack on these indeterminably|
A 2012 Riesling (RM35) from Prinz Von Hessen ‘H’ Rheingau, Germany turns out to be a terrific match for our food choices. The sommelier has clearly carried out a thoughtful search when choosing wines for this menu. I get a fruity bouquet with subtleties of white peach, some citrus and sweet residue in the mouth, and a medium length finish.
The appetizers all sound so good we find it hard to just choose two. So we don’t! We order a trio. Deep-Fried King Prawns (RM47), cooked to ideal grain, are tossed in a creamy wasabi sauce and topped with a bright dollop of tobiko. Cradled in a noodle basket and adorned with a deep pink orchid, it’s a pretty dish, and turns out to be hubby’s favourite plate of the night.
|Deep Fried Prawns|
Crispy Eggplant (RM31) satisfies my veggie-loving desires, with cubes of the creamy fruit quickly deep-fried and encrusted in caramelized chicken floss. It’s not just myself that appreciates the velvety middle and mildly chewy coat, but hubby too is quickly shoveling these bite-sized delicacies into his mouth.
|Deep Fried Eggplant|
Hubby’s carnivorous longings are taken care of with Crispy Shredded Beef (RM42) with a honey garlic sauce. This dish has us both salivating with the delicious aromas that hit our nostrils before it’s even laid on our table. But in our mouths we’re left with nothing to say as we try to figure out what texture the fried strips of meat remind us off… caramelized popcorn! It’s crisp, chewy and almost toffee like in its intensity: definitely a plate for sharing. The Riesling I’m sipping on seems to mirror the highlights in this recipe further bringing out honey notes in the mouth.
|Fried Shredded Beef|
Served in a hollowed out pumpkin, the Double-Boiled Silky Chicken Broth (RM42) with abalone, mushrooms and seafood delivers a dramatic presentation. While I think it fun to have an orange gourd all of my own, there’s more than enough for sharing. Not only do we finish the soup down to the very last drop, but have fun digging out the flesh of the edible container too.
|Double-Boiled Silky Chicken Broth|
Mains are divided into meat, seafood and poultry. We sample one of each. When we ask our waiter for recommendations he beams from ear to ear when suggesting the Braised Lamb Shank (RM50), so we’d be silly not to request it. Prepared Shanghainese style, it’s a buxom piece of meat that provides more than enough protein for two. Based with a jungle of verdant bean sprouts, the greens’ freshness contrasts directly with the rich depth of flavour in the meat, balancing the dish adeptly.
Steamed Fillet of Barramundi (RM59) is another dish that comes with high praise. Ginger, onion and butternut pumpkin puree blankets the lightly battered shapes, which upon slicing reveals succulent, flaky flesh. A raft of perky asparagus spears carries the fish and a sprinkling of herbs brings forth some colour symmetry on top.
We consider duck a must when dining on Cantonese fare, so the Pan Grilled Five Spice Duck Breast (RM53) is quickly decided upon. Made even more luscious with an orange plum sauce and purple sweet potato puree, the slices of poultry are fanned down the length of a long white platter. The skin of the duck glistens in the light and the pinkish-brown middle manifests to be just as tender as it looks.
Stir-fried Asparagus, Lotus Root, Sweet Bean, and Pumpkin (RM28) are just cooked retaining a crunch that we both find delightful in garden fresh veg. Topped with freshly pulled pieces of crabmeat and an egg white sauce, this too is a very generous serving, another plate easily shared.
Rice and Noodles
Cheong Fatt Tze Scallop Fried Rice (RM32) is a house favourite. Long grains are separated and spattered with small chunks of scallops, greens and egg. It’s great eaten on its own, but I especially like the complement with the sauce from the fish.
|Scallop Fried Rice|
After that feast we only have a tiny margin left for dessert so decide to share the signature Blue Mansion Tiramisu (RM24). Attractive presentation has been carried through to the very end of the meal. The cube of sweet cake layers moistened with pear liqueur from the Chang Yu vineyard is crowned with fresh blueberries and a purple orchid, and sided with a strawberry and mango slice.
|The Blue Mansion Tiramisu|
Our finish, a Cabernet Gernischt, benefits from a little time to air. Peppers and berries in the palate, it’s a reasonably uncomplicated drop and would do well a little earlier in our meal paired with the lamb shank. This wine from Chateau Changyu Castel, a legacy from one of the many businesses of Cheong Fatt Tze, ends our evening providing a link from our table to our room (we’re suitably staying in the Chang Yu room at The Blue Mansion).
|Chang Yu Castel Red Wine|
|Chang Yu Castel Red Wine|
Reasons to visit: stunning historical setting; hubby’s favs – the king prawns and wasabi mayo, the pumpkin abalone soup and the duck; my favs – crispy eggplant, barramundi and veggie plate.
Cheong Fatt Tze
The Blue Mansion
14 Leith Street
+6 04 262 0006


text:
With six legendry game zones including the spectacular A Bridge Too Far scenario, you will be coming back for more! Located within the outskirts of Bristol city centre, the North Bristol paintballing centre is a great for anyone visiting from the surrounding area - such as Berkley or Almondsbury.
If you are visiting the Bristol town centre, why not take the less than 20 minute drive to the South Bristol Paintball Centre. It will not disappoint with its 6 tremendous game zones. This includes the ultra-fast Chemical Alley and the 3 real tanks in the Enemy At The Gate scenario.
Located close to the M4, the Britannia Cardiff Paintball Centre is situated just ten minutes away from the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle – ideal for those looking to combine a weekend of epic paintballing with some sightseeing or retail therapy! The Britannia Cardiff Paintball Centre is ideal for paintball players travelling from Central, East and South Wales. This centre offers a selection of world class game zones, including Castle Wallenberg, Viet Cong Village and Command Post. Ideal for every event or occasion, our centre is suitable whether it’s your first time or if you’re a paintballing veteran.

domain: geography


The Talmud says 10 measures of beauty descended on the world, and Jerusalem took nine of them. But that beauty is in limited supply nowadays. It sometimes seems the country’s pride and joy has been abandoned to developers and politicians, and one after another new buildings are provincial at best and ugly at worst, from Cinema City to the Pais Arena.
Even the newer residential complexes are foreign to the city’s historical fabric in their materialism and size. Examples include the Mishkenot Ha’uma neighborhood at the city’s western entrance and the new lumbering luxury buildings near the 1864 Anna Ticho House.
And the future doesn’t look too promising when on Jaffa Road fearsome towers are under construction, when the unnecessary Kedem Center visitors’ compound is going up outside the Old City, and when there’s haphazard construction in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods and Arab East Jerusalem. These places look a lot like South American slums.
Given this depressing situation, the new Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, which is going up near the Israel Museum and the Bible Lands Museum, is good news. Construction is still underway and at least 14 months will be needed to finish it, but even at this stage it’s easy to perceive the building’s archaeological language.
Among the better efforts, the idea is to do as little as possible to undermine Jerusalem's delicate fabric, and Moshe Safdie and Irit Kohavi get a high grade for meeting this challenge.
The proposal for the Schottenstein campus came up after the Oslo Accords over two decades ago. East Jerusalem’s future wasn’t clear, and because the Rockefeller archaeological museum was already there, it was thought a new building should go up.
The planning was delayed until 2006 and the building was conceived with a number of other functions. It will house the Israel Antiquities Authority, storerooms for some 2 million artifacts, laboratories, a magnificent library and exhibition space. The 35,000-square-meter (376,737-square-foot) structure will have nine stories and cost 400 million shekels ($104 million) to build.
No quirky icon
Construction only began in 2012, and since it’s dependent on donations – the state has only allocated 60 million shekels – the project has yet to be completed. A ceremony held during Sukkot was essentially a fundraising event, according to antiquities authority head Israel Hasson. A quarter of the necessary funds must still be raised.
“We planned a building that burrows into the ground; something that reminds you of an archaeological dig and that will integrate into the museum district’s topography,” Kohavi says.
“It’s a building that integrates into its surroundings; you descend more and more and barely see the building, except for the tent that looks like the tarps that shade archaeological digs.”
The tent is striking when you approach it from the parking lot. “We designed the tent with international consultants, and it was created to be suitable for Jerusalem’s precipitation amounts, both rain and snow,” Kohavi says. “It has four anchors and is connected to pressure rods.”
The tent, which looks like a funnel, descends into the courtyard, which boasts a pool surrounded by stone cubes suitable for sitting on. The rainwater will descend through the funnel into the pool.
So will this new campus enter the annals of archaeology like the Rockefeller Museum? It’s hard to say, and even Safdie stresses that he didn’t want to create a quirky icon but rather a functional building.
The Rockefeller Museum, named after John D. Rockefeller and designed by British-born architect Austen Harrison, contains breathtaking spaces and exciting details like precision-cut tiling, cork flooring, beautiful carpentry and a unique typography in three languages invented by British artist Eric Gill especially for the building.
Safdie says he approached the new museum, the 14th he has planned, as a piece of a puzzle and not as an isolated structure. “It’s a simple building and I hope that a borough of public buildings will be created here,” he says. “On Sukkot it was full of people.”
Safdie has put up other buildings that stand out in their environment – which isn’t always a good thing, like Tel Aviv’s Rabin Center and Jerusalem’s kitschy Mamilla complex. This time Safdie showed some restraint.
The museum will have 240 parking spaces and all visitors will enter from the front of the tent, a fact somewhat painful to Kohavi. “For 15 years we’ve been recommending that ... access should be through a park-and-ride system from the parking lot like in Washington D.C.”
Indeed, though the museum area, which is near the Knesset and where the National Library and other public buildings are going up, isn’t far from downtown and the light-rail route, the most convenient access is still by car.
Mosaic on the roof
Hava Katz, the chief curator of the exhibits, notes that on the entry plaza’s roof sit mosaics from the Byzantine era, “like those that were in public buildings or public spaces, most of which are being exhibited here for the first time.”
One of the mosaics was brought from the Rockefeller Museum; it was discovered at Beit She’an in the north in a burial chapel during the Mandate period by archaeologist Michael Avi-Yonah. This mosaic has scenes of grape harvesting, fruit, grazing and animal hunting.
On the roof there is also a rare mosaic recently found in the excavation of a synagogue at Hukok in the north by University of North Carolina archaeologist Jodi Magness. The section on display portrays the biblical story of Samson carrying off the gates of Gaza City after the Philistines tried to kill him.
The building contains display space for rotating exhibits, and the roof will be transparent so visitors can see in from the public square. An exhibit is already open on artifacts from the Chalcolithic period, which began in the late fifth millennium B.C.E. On display are pitchers and household utensils you can almost touch.
Katz, the chief curator, notes that ceramics are less sensitive than glass objects, so they can remain exposed, while glassware is displayed in glass cases.
Also on display is the Ghassulian Star, “the most ancient mural found in our region,” Katz says. “It’s 6,000 to 7,000 years old. It was in the Rockefeller warehouses for years, and our trained staff worked on it until we reached a very good resolution.”


When we WAKE UP the third eye we realize that we are the creators & destroyers of our destiny. The time is NOW.
- Luxuriously soft muscle tank that looks as fresh on the mat as it does in the street
- 65% poly 35% viscose
- Jenna is 5'6 and wearing a size small


Stuck between a rock and a pop place, Australia’s party band Boys Boys Boys! brings its 90s-influenced pop rock to Japan.
We Are Excited About Everything is the title of the Boys Boys Boys! 2014 release, and when asked what they are most excited about regarding the tour, Jerico Rose Wallace, a.k.a. Koko, says “To play a different crowd that doesn’t really know us and see what a different country’s audience reaction will be. And noodles.”
According to members Bridget Turner and Jade Foo, Japan was not selected randomly. Though each of them have journeyed abroad alone in the past, this marks their first tour overseas as a band, and travel impressions from Bridget and Jade Foo led them to select Japan as their first destination.
“Japan is rad, and our music is pop and flashy,” says Bridget. Koko adds that their funness, positivity, colorfulness, and aesthetics may suit Japanese youth. This has been part of their dilemma as a band; like much of the rest of the world, Australian airwaves are often dominated by pop music with little place for bands that stand out from the formulaic sounds. BBB is too indie rock for pop stations, as their music often features big guitar riffs and structures closer to indie rock, yet they can be shunned by alternative radio for being too pop.
The result is actually ear catching and contagious, but it can be hard to reach new audiences without the radio support, even if their music was featured on Suburgatory, 90210 and Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. Having played many pan-Australian tours, music festivals, and opening for bands like Chicks on Speed and Aqua, they decided to take a chance and and play a few gigs in Japan.
Their sound is pop rock, with a healthy dose of 90s synthesizers and downright fun. While Koko “The Playlist Hijacker” and Bridget “The Food Scavenger” usually bring lyrics and basic melodies to the jam sessions, the rest of the band, Jade Foo “The Sleeper,” Axe “The Prankster,” Alwyn “The Klutz,” and Mike “The Philosopher” (nicknames selected by Koko and Bridget from a list of party-people types) come together to create their party songs.
Both Koko and Bridget favor smaller venues since they can get more involved and interact with the crowd, and their Japan tour will allow for plenty of that. They may even get people to come up on stage. So don your best dancing shoes and go get infected with their unique sounds.
“Australia’s ultimate party band”
Oct 15 (Thu) • Avalon, Osaka • Pop • 9:15pm • ¥1,500 (inc 1 drink) • Tel: 080-3814-1403
Oct 16 (Fri) • Modern times, Kyoto • 8pm (7pm doors open) • ¥3,000 (inc 2 drinks) • Tel: 07-5212-8385


Newest Review: ... four off the album is fat lip, its my favourite song and its one of their more rockier songs, it has a little bit of shouting in here and t... more
Blink-182? You must be kidding!
All Killer, No Filler - Sum 41
All Killer, No Filler - Sum 41
Date: 30/06/02, updated on 24/02/03 (481 review reads)
Advantages: It ends!
Disadvantages: It exists!
There are three things I htae about music today: -
1. All nu-metal acts.
3. New Found Glory ("lovingly" known as NFG).
Today however I am here to talk to you all about Sum-41. But before I do I need to talk about Blink-182 first (don't worry it'll make sense later). Today I was pondering near my computer and my dog- what opinion should I write for dooyoo today? Hmmm... I've slagged off Slipknot, praised Green Day, Weezer and especially Blink-182 to excessive amounts and I've labelled Papa Roach's lovehatetragedy as a garage band. Well, then I remembered- Alan you're praising too many people, it's about time you really slagged off a band, a band you really hate with all your god given heart. The first band that came into my head was Sum-41 and the opinions I've read on their breakthrough All Killer No Filler albums really disappointed and shocked me while just increasing my hate for Sum-41.
"The Canadian version of Blink-182".
"Fun as Hell".
"The Soundtrack of the Summer"
"My Favourite Band In The World".
Just some quotes from other people's opinions on this album. Well, reader- ignore everyone else's opinion because they don't know what they're talking about. I'm going to go through every single detail of why I hate Sum-41 and this album.
I got this album last September, imported before its original UK release. I still have it but the dust is collecting over it to such an extent that their are spider's cobwebs near it now! I bought it because I heard sparkling rumours that this album was as good as (in pop/punk terms) if not better than Blink-182's Enema of the State. Now, I'm a big Blink-182 fan and although I regard Enema as being Blink's worst album, it's a pop/punk masterpiece (aft
erall it's their only pop/punk album- I felt TOYPAG was more punk).
I bought the CD, came home, went to my room, put it in the CD player and pressed play: -
INTRODUCTION TO DESTRUCTION is the first track on this miserable collection of songs. And the title's right- it's an introduction..... to the destruction...... of Sum-41! It serves as an intro as a "spooky" voice (sounding like Mr. Blobby p.s. the spooky is quoted from a dooyoo opinion praising this record) tells you to prepare...... for one minute. Too long if you ask me then suddenly swooping guitars come in and track two, NOTHING ON MY BACK, begins with a nice, if uninventive, punk/pop by numbers riff. Nothing special, I thought of the tune which is replayed again and again and again until it becomes annoying. However, I found this song ok- the lyrics about pressure are average, the chorus is crude and it's just basically punk/pop by numbers. I couldn't see why this band were considered so special.
Next track, NEVER WAKE UP, is the best track on the album. Fast, funky and lyrics somewhat swallowed instead of sung swoop down into a crashing organ laden chorus of "Never Wake Up". At around forty seconds this is a winner- fast and fresh.
FAT LIP- crude vocals, cringe worthy "rapping", unimaginative old-school chorus and a tne unashamedly borrowed from NOFX'S classic "Don't Call Me White". NOFX please sew Sum-41 for breach of contract- they deserve it.
Look I can't be fagged to go into details about every track on this album so I'll give you the run down- Sum 41 are terrible, this album shares that adjective (times a million). Riffs are recycled in this album so many times that tracks such as crazy amanda bunkface and all she's got sound identical. Bizzy D's vocals sound like a nasaly attempt to rip off Tom Delong from Blink-182. Oh, and the band can't play their instruments- just h
ear some of their "live tracks"! I mean, my theory is that Sum-41 are the first rock adn roll boyband. They sing, they dance, they write polite songs with the minimum in expletives, they don't cause riots and they probably don't play their instruments (that's why there are so many credits to this album- for the people who actually play Sum-41's instruments).
Songs such as Heart Attack show raw emotion waves in the chorus but really get tired and boring after a while. The guitar solos are crude and unlike Weezer's I don't know what's going to happen next improvisational style to guitar solos, everything here feels pre made- like one of Britney Spears spot on perfect pop songs. There is no feeling, no charisma, no laughs and no fun to be had on this album.
I think the biggest indication to how bad this album is is Motivation. Download this track now and you'll be classed into one of two people: -
1. The teenybopper Britney Spears fans trying to look cool by listening to a "proper rock band" like Sum-41 (most S-41 fans are of this description!).
2. The proper fan who knows good bands like Blink-182 and Weezer and Green Day kick the crap out of these "proper" bands like Sum-41. Yours truly!
People like me will listen to the single Motivation with disgust- a "fast" (as in Whitney Houston's "I love you" fast!) drumbeat, a monotonous bass playing c, and then crunchy guitars swooping in playing c throughout the whole bridge and then the same thing during the chorus and then another carefully constructed crude guiatr solo. It's crap.
To sum up this opinion I feel I should let Sum-41's Bizzy D do the talking: -
"Songs like FAT LIP are so hard to play in public, it took us ages to master how to play that song".
(FAT LIP- three chord pop by numbers song, very simple to play).


text:
I’m currently reading ‘Blackwood Farm’ by Anne Rice, published in 2002. Blackwood Farm is the 9th instalment from the Vampire Chronicles, the first being Interview with the Vampire, published in 1976.
Anne Rice has to be up there as one of my all time favourite authors. Although known primarily for the Vampire Chronicles, she has also written other collections. I have read both the ‘Mayfair Witches trilogy’ and ‘The Wolf Gift Chronicles’. Many of Anne Rice’s novels are set in New Orleans where she was born.
I wouldn’t call any of Anne’s books I have read ‘easy reads’, and I’m saying this as a positive rather than a negative. Her descriptions are vivid and transport you through time and place. She is able to write characters like no other author I have come across; forcing you to care about them whether you want to or not. For example Lestat, the brat prince, really shouldn’t evoke empathy in the reader but somehow Anne Rice does just that.
So, if you haven’t yet read a book by Anne Rice, I urge you to. You will be swept up in her epic storytelling and enigmatic characters. If you really don’t favour vampires, the Mayfair Witches Trilogy is a likewise fantastic read with subtle cross overs with the Vampire Chronicles. Oh, and whilst I think the film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire was better than most book – film adaptations, it still doesn’t compare.