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Meeks, Green and Beatty Reintroduce the American Dream Down Payment Act
Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Senior Member of the Financial Services Committee, Representative Al Green (D-TX), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, reintroduced the American Dream Down Payment Act to help Americans across the country achieve the dream of home ownership. The bill will assist potential homeowners by allowing them to create tax-exempt savings accounts to go towards a home down payment. This legislation would also help close the racial gap in home ownership rates by providing a new tool for Black and Brown families to save up for a home of their own.
“Home ownership is the route to the middle class for tens of millions of Americans and it is the largest financial asset most Americans own,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks. “This bill will provide the push, the means, and the opportunity for Americans to save for a down payment at a time when mortgage interest rates are at a historic low. By boosting the path for Black and Brown home ownership, this bill will also help close the stubborn and pernicious racial wealth gap.”
“Systemic racism and other forms of invidious discrimination have for too long been barriers to the American dream. Marginalized communities often struggle to attain the house with a yard and picket fence in a good neighborhood that many associate with this dream because of the inherently biased systems that lock them out of the homebuying process,” stated Congressman Al Green. “This is why I am eager to join my colleague and friend Congressman Meeks in introducing the American Dream Down Payment Act. I am proud to serve as an original cosponsor on this legislation, which will provide tax-exempt savings accounts that will help people save for a down payment on a home thus making not only home loans and homeownership but the American dream as a whole more accessible to those frequently left behind.”
“For far too many hardworking families, the American Dream of homeownership is out of reach, especially for first-time and minority homebuyers who often lack the financial resources necessary for a down payment. The American Dream Down Payment Act would empower countless prospective homeowners to save for a down payment, helping to make their dreams a reality and laying the foundation for an even brighter financial future,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.
"The introduction of the American Dream Down Payment Act offers Black American families and individuals the opportunity to build legacy wealth through homeownership. The ability to accumulate tax-free savings funds breaks down/eliminates one of the most prominent barriers to achieving homeownership, the down payment. This Act serves as a tangible springboard to increase Black homeownership and real wealth building prospects which the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) includes in the meaning of its time-honored slogan, Democracy in Housing," stated Lydia Pope, President-Elect of National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB).
"This legislation is a bold and critical step forward to helping families achieve the American Dream of homeownership. For too many Black families, the saving for the down payment a home is an insurmountable mountain, now help is on the way," stated Antoine M. Thompson, National Executive Director of National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB).


At a seminar to discuss amendments to the Law on Excise Tax on April 11, cigarette companies and the Vietnam Tobacco Association said that increasing excise tax on tobacco was essential but should not be done next year since smuggling was rampant.
An expert said that the hike must be affected no earlier than 2016 and the tax rate must not be above 80 percent.
But the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Health (MOH) rejected their arguments, saying the time has come to increase the tax.
The MOF plans to increase the tax on tobacco products by 10 percentage points to 75 percent by July 2015, and by another 10 percent in 2018.
It considered and rejected a second plan involving a combined excise tax of VND 500 per pack. However, it said it would continue to talk to companies and business groups.
It will submit draft amendments to the Government next month and the National Assembly in October. If approved, the amendments will take effect in July 2015.


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A Review of: “Why Europe Intervenes in Africa? Security, Prestige, and the Legacy of Colonialism” by Catherine Gegout
Keywords:Africa, European Union, peacekeeping operation, intervention, conflict
The goal of the present review is to summarize the analysis of Catherine Gegout’s book about the interventions that took place in Africa by the main powers (the UN, the EU, USA, France, Britain and China). The book consists of 7 chapters which aim to describe one by one the activities of these countries and organizations on the black continent. Following Gegout, the review than concludes the meaning of conflict and presenting a methodology of the research, and than it summarizes the history of the conflicts up to the modern age. The review than takes into consideration the role of the African countries on the counrty regarding peacekeeping operations and it examines the activity of China and the USA on the continent. After describing the aforementioned countries, it turns to the role of France and the United Kingdom. Examining the former powers, the review turns to the role of the EU in Africa regarding peacekeeping operations. The review than follows the book as it analyses the possible future of Africa and the peacekeeping missions on the continent. Finally, in the last section it gives a short conclusion and it tries to analyse the possible effect of the book on the peacekeeping operations.

domain: library


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If you need a spoon rest, and dig uber-schmaltzy Lionel Richie tunes — Hello… Is It Me You’re Cooking For? is for you. Another stellar entry of Lionel Richie-inspired food puns by Etsy member Lenny Mud — the spoon rest is handmade, crazy-brilliant, and available at their shop.
Although there’s no Lionel there… You could also check out some fun kitchen accessories at The Foodiggity Shop. Hello.
[via Incredible Things]

domain: entertainment


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The latest NATO summit has been ‘successful’ insofar as it brought Sweden’s membership very close to becoming a reality. At the same time, the summit also made clear that the alliance, even though it fell short of offering membership to Ukraine, is gearing up for a long war with Russia. The most prominent proponent of this war is, as could be expected, Joe Biden, who is supposedly fighting the war to protect the US-led global world order, and he is doing this by following the legacy of his predecessors who did the same during the Cold War era. It would not be an exaggeration to contend that Biden’s summit speech was the new “iron curtain” speech that marked the beginning of the Cold War. As Biden told his audience in Lithuania, “We will not waver” no matter how long the war continues. Could it be that Biden does not intend to end the war? After all, the war has not only allowed Washington to consolidate its grip on Europe and sell weapons to its NATO allies and earn billions in revenue, but also extend the narrative of conflict to China.
Promising a long war, Biden force-reminded his global audience that “NATO is stronger, more energized and yes, more united than ever in its history. Indeed, more vital to our shared future. It didn’t happen by accident. It wasn’t inevitable.” Surely, Biden was also successful in rhetorically pushing NATO countries to increase their defence budgets and contributions to the organisations.
Of course, Biden’s projections also feed into his country’s domestic politics, where the campaign for the 2024 presidential elections is beginning to unfold. Presenting himself as a leader of truly global stature would help him establish his credentials for re-election, but getting the alliance ready for the long war is a very tricky business.
For instance, as NATO’s secretary general said before the summit, all alliance members will formally commit to spending at least 2 percent of their GDP on defence. On the face of it, 2 percent looks fancy. Looking deep inside it, it becomes a very slippery slope that not all countries are willing to traverse.
For instance, to be able to spend at least 2 percent needs, first and foremost, steady economic growth for a considerable period of time, i.e., without disruptions. This has become extremely difficult in the face of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict that began due to the US insistence on NATO’s expansion and that the US is making sure does not end soon enough. This conflict has already led to a decrease in the overall defence spending of the allies. Turkey, for instance, spent almost 1.91 percent of its GDP on defence before February 2021. Today, its spending is already down to 1.31 percent in 2023. In 2022, Turkey’s growth rate was 5.6 percent. In 2023, the World Bank predicts a growth rate of 3.2 percent.
Poor economic conditions have also led the UK’s defence-to-GDP ratio to fall as well, from 2.25 percent to 2.16 percent in 2023. While the UK is aiming to increase its budget, there is no official timeline. This trend becomes even more problematic for the alliance’s ability to wage a Cold War when we take into account the actual attitude of many NATO members. In fact, out of the 31 countries of the alliance, only 7 countries meet the minimum requirement of 2 percent. This is troublesome.
Canada – which happens to be one of the founding members of the alliance – is another country that is either unable or unwilling to meet the demand for a minimum of 2 percent spending. Since the 1990s, Canada has not spent, on average, more than 1.29 percent of its GDP on defence. Now, the founding member is under a lot of pressure from the alliance to increase its spending. Will it? In order to meet the NATO target, Canada would need to spend an additional C$13 billion and C$18 billion ($9.8-$13.6 billion) per year for five years.
As reports in the mainstream Western media indicate, Canada has been resisting NATO’s pressure to increase defence spending ever since the beginning of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. In fact, as one report shows, “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told NATO officials privately that Canada will never meet the military alliance’s defence-spending target, according to a leaked secret Pentagon assessment.” The report further adds that Canada’s refusal to meet the target is negatively impacting the alliance. “Widespread defense shortfalls hinder Canadian capabilities … while straining partner relationships and alliance contributions.”
While this is the reality of NATO, Biden, of course, chose to stress the alliance’s internal unity – which is surely a fantasy – to meet the Russian challenge. In reality, as opposed to Biden’s claims, NATO is an alliance with a lot of free-riding, i.e., countries benefitting from the alliance without making the necessary – and even minimum – contribution.
With allies not spending as much as they are supposed to, NATO also becomes an internally divided house. This division is also evident vis-à-vis the question of Ukraine’s membership in the alliance. As the final declaration of the latest summit said, Ukraine’s membership is subject to the allies agreeing to its membership, provoking Zelensky to criticize this approach. What this whole episode demonstrates is that neither the alliance is ready to fight Biden’s long war with Russia nor very attentive to Washington’s persistent projections of an inevitable war. NATO’s internal scepticism also feeds into Europe’s scepticism vis-à-vis Washington’s aggressive approach towards China and the possibility of “de-coupling”, leaving the West’s combined strength and internal unity an open question.
Salman Rafi Sheikh, research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan’s foreign and domestic affairs, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

domain: politics


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August 12th, 2019
DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, the state broadcaster RTI said on Monday. "Death of artist DJ Arafat... today at 8am as a result of a road accident overnight," it tweeted. According to messages and pictures circulating on social media, he had been driving a motorbike and smashed into a car. Critically injured, the singer, 33, was taken to an Abidjan hospital, where he later died. Born in Abidjan in 1986, DJ Arafat -- real name Ange Didier Huon -- had a massive audience in French-speaking western and central African countries. He issued 11 albums, mainly of "coupe-decale" -- a dance music form combining rapid percussion, choppy rhythms with hip hop-style vocals.

domain: news


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Dayton, state leaders tour southern Minnesota flood damage
CURRIE, Minn. — Water gushed over a road, creating makeshift rapids for carp, as Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith got an up-close look on July 6 at southern Minnesota communities hit hardest by recent flooding.
“It’s obviously a very critical situation,” Dayton said to a group of residents at a meeting in the small Murray County city of Slayton. “Hopefully dry weather will continue.”
From Redwood Falls to the Iowa border, southern Minnesota communities were inundated with rainfall last week after an already wet June. On July 3, parts of Murray County got 8 to 10 inches of rain — double the amount that typically falls the entire month of July.
That’s left rivers and lakes swollen, causing overland flooding that’s closed township roads, drowned farm fields and displaced some homeowners. Other residents are busy cleaning out basements filled with water or raw sewage. And local tourism has taken a hit in places like Walnut Grove, where the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum said it has lost a quarter of its revenue because of the loss in visitors and having to postpone last week’s annual pageant.
“Hopefully this is a once in a lifetime event,” said Luke Radke of Currie, as Dayton and Smith examined flooding caused by the Des Moines River as it flowed across County Road 38 and into nearby fields. “This river is swallowing it up.”
Joe Kelly, the director of the state’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said state and FEMA officials will return to the area soon to assess damage.
To be sure, there were many farm fields and towns that escaped major damage. And no injuries or deaths have been reported across Minnesota from the recent storms.
But in Currie, about 30 miles south of Marshall, people like Jeb Malone are tallying up the acres of dead crops. The first-time farmer said he lost 55 of his 160 acres of cornfields.
“I’ve never seen the roads underwater like it is,” said Malone, who is also the mayor of Currie. “There’s not much you can do.”
He estimated the town of 200 residents got 21 inches of rain in two weeks — the most he has seen in 37 years living there. Besides canceling or postponing July 4th festivities this year, about 20 homes also have sewage filling basements after the city’s system became overwhelmed.
After 8.6 inches of rain fell, mostly within two hours on July 3, many residents spent the July 4th holiday filling some 18,000 sandbags to combat the rising waters of Lake Shetek. The 3,500-acre lake is the largest in southwestern Minnesota; about 30 homeowners and kids at a Bible camp evacuated the area.
The Cottonwood River, which flows into the Minnesota River in New Ulm, also spilled over its banks, while the Redwood River reached a record high level in Marshall, according to the National Weather Service.
And it’s not just the southern part of the state. From Carlton County southwest of Duluth to Bemidji, 36 of 87 counties and one tribal nation reported damage from the June and July storms. On July 5, Dayton declared a state of emergency.
“It’s a tough time, there’s no way around that,” Dayton told residents in Slayton after giving his home phone number to the crowd to call if they need help.
Rural townships have even fewer resources to cover the damage, said Vern Carlson, 68, of Lake Sarah Township, adding that culverts are washed out and gravel roads need to be repaired.
“There isn’t a mile of road that we don’t have affected. I’ve never seen flooding as bad as it is,” he said, estimating the damage will cost the township $120,000. “It’s going to be hard on the townships. It’s not all lake residents; it’s the farm residents. It impacts the whole county.”
As a train whistle sounded outside, state officials joined by U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson and Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson gathered July 6 on folding chairs inside the Walnut Grove community center to hear residents’ concerns and questions about federal aid.
“This is a 100-year flood,” said Eugene Swanson of Walnut Grove, whose family has lived there since 1881.
For many farmers, the year has brought unprecedented wicked weather, ruining crops. First, winter extended with an April blizzard. Then came frequent rainstorms in June — followed by more rain July 3.
“My wife thinks it’s the apocalypse,” said Jim Sandgren, director of Redwood County’s emergency management. “I’m just glad it wasn’t a tornado.”
As floodwaters draw back, the cleanup is beginning in communities. But the damage costs won’t be fully known until the waters recede more.
“It’s been a hard enough time in farm country,” Smith said. “Now to have this blow is especially tough.”
Farmer Todd Miller of Balaton is just trying to smile and hope for sun after losing 300 acres of corn and soybeans out of his 2,000 acres.
“It’s tough for everybody,” he said. “It just started raining and wouldn’t shut off. This is the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
Brian Johnson of Walnut Grove was about to replant corn and soybeans killed from the rainfall in June when the July 3 storms hit. The area has gotten some 10 inches of rain in two weeks, destroying 60 of his 1,900 acres of farmland.
“This was so much and came so fast … it could not have been any worse,” said Johnson, a resident for 63 years. He urged officials to expedite the process to build dams to stem the impact of flooding.
The storms, though, have also brought these close-knit small towns together, uniting members of the communities over filling sandbags on July 4th and helping stack bags around neighbors’ houses. And in typical Minnesota fashion, many said it could have been worse.
“We’ll survive,” Johnson said. “Life will go on. It’s July, it’s Minnesota — it’s supposed to be dry and warm.”

domain: geography


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Page-4 of ILO Current Affairs, GK & News
The Union Ministry of Rural Development launched Aarambh mobile app for performance based maintenance contracting and community contracting for maintenance of rural roads. It was launched jointly launched by Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Drinking Water & Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar and visiting ILO Deputy Director General (Policy) Deborah Greenfield. Aarambh mobile app ..
Month: Current Affairs - July, 2017
To affirm its commitment towards child labour free India, India has ratified two Core Conventions of International Labour Organization (ILO), namely, Convention 138 regarding admission of age to employment and Convention 182 regarding worst forms of Child Labour. Instruments of ratification were handed over by the Indian government to ILO. Features The two conventions aim ..
India has ratified two key global conventions for combating child labour as a step towards creating full respect for fundamental rights at work. Salient Highlights India has deposited the instruments of ratification of the two fundamental ILO Conventions with the International Labour Office (ILO). The two key conventions are related to the elimination of child labour- the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 ..
Month: Current Affairs - June, 2017
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for ratification of two fundamental conventions of International Labour Organization (ILO) concerning with Child Labour. They are Minimum Age Convention (No 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182). Now these conventions will be legally binding. Key Facts Minimum Age Convention (No 138) or Convention 138: ..
According to recently released World Employment and Social Outlook for 2017, the number of unemployed people in India is expected to rise by 1 lakh in 2017 and another 2 lakh in 2018. The report was released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with projections based on econometric modelling carried out in November 2016. The ..
Recently released Global Wage Report 2016-17 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has found that India suffers from huge gender pay gap. It shows that India has among the worst levels of gender wage disparity (men earning more than women in similar jobs) with the gap exceeding 30%. Key Facts Singapore has among the ..
Category: Reports & Indexes Current Affairs


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Farxiga Lawsuit Claims Users Would Have Avoided Diabetes Drug If Warned of Fournier’s Gangrene Risks
AstraZeneca faces a product liability lawsuit over the failure to warn about the risk of painful and debilitating groin infections from Farxiga, indicating a Missouri man would have avoided the new-generation diabetes treatment if the drug maker had disclosed the risk of Fournier’s gangrene associated with Farxiga.
The complaint (PDF) was filed by Micheal Tuschhoff and his wife, Rona, in Delaware Superior Court on March 10, alleging the rare groin infection experienced following use of Farxiga left him with a necrotic scrotal abscess and other painful injuries.
Tuschhoff was first prescribed Farxiga in 2014, which is part of a new class of diabetes treatments known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. After developing an infection, he was required to undergo genital gangrene surgery in June 2017, with extensive hospitalization and wound care. He then had to be hospitalized again in September 2018, for an incision and drainage of a scrotal wall abscess.
Did You Know?
Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.Learn More
The lawsuit alleges AstraZeneca knew or should have known about the risk of necrotizing fasciitis of the genitals which may result from Farxiga, based on basic principals of infections disease science and data available to the drug maker. However, warnings were not provided to users or the medical community at the time Tuschhoff was prescribed the medication.
“Plaintiff’s injuries were preventable and resulted directly from Defendants’ failure and refusal to conduct proper safety studies, failure to properly test Farxiga, and failure to properly assess and publicize alarming safety signals,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants actively suppressed information revealing serious and life-threatening risks with Farxiga, promoted Farxiga for weight loss, and willfully and wantonly failed to provide adequate instructions and warnings and made misrepresentations concerning the nature and safety of Farxiga. This conduct and the product defects complained of brought about and/or were substantial factors in bringing about and exacerbating Plaintiff’s injuries.”
About a year after Tuschhoff’s devastating injuries surfaced, the FDA required the makers of Farxiga and other SGLT2 inhibitors to add new warnings about the risk of flesh-eating groin infections in August 2018, after an analysis identified cases of Fournier’s gangrene among users.
Consumers were advised to seek immediate medical attention if they experienced any symptoms of tenderness, redness or swelling of the genitals, and doctors were urged to discontinue use of the drug if problems were identified and start immediate antibiotic treatments.
The case filed by Tuschhoff joins a growing number of similar Farxiga lawsuits over Fournier’s gangrene infections filed in recent months by former users of the diabetes drug, each raising similar allegations that users would have avoided the diabetes drug if earlier warnings and information had been provided about the potential risks.
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The FDA has announced it has received 106,000 medical device reports linked to recalled Philips CPAP devices, including nearly 400 deaths.
The U.S. JPML has consolidated all Tepezza lawsuits over hearing loss before one Northern Illinois federal judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings.
Bard claims two cases selected for the third and fourth bellwether trials are no longer representative of the litigation due to the plaintiffs' worsening injuries and need for additional surgeries due to their failed hernia mesh products.

domain: law


Our trip to Vogelsang, an abandoned district of Zehdenick in Brandenburg, Germany. Our trip led us out of Berlin and through the quiet and sparse suburbs. The journey to Vogelsang was narrated with storys of the past, local and global history. We had Jon with us, a history teacher and storyteller extrordinaire.
We parked the car at a tiny empty railway station and began the journey guided by various GPS phone assistants. As far as I could tell the GPS just showed a red dot, in the middle of a green screen. The green screen was forest. Jon led us through the green screen where we found mushrooms that looked like soft coral. We were getting further away from civilisation.
We then found a road overgrown and covered by mulch but clearly still used, presumable by forest workers. This led us to Vogelsang.
We are silent for much of our time in Vogelsang but we stuck together. The first few building seemed domestic, with bedrooms and kitchens, hand painted geometric patterns on the walls. The interiors and building were bare, stripped of anything valuable, often defaced and decorated by vandals and artists. The space had deteriorated with passing time and lack of care. The forest was encroaching upon the structures; tall thin trees barred the windows when looking out from inside giving a sense of invasion, and entrapment. A sense that provokes an instinct to flee. The buildings passively retained their purpose and identity despite desolving into the landscape. We peeked around dark corners always on the back foot and prepared to flee from anything unexpected or shocking.
We stumbled upon the concert hall and began to navigate the space and sound. A startling space full of the memory of occasion. I was struck and impressed by the vastness and resonance of the space and its specific purpose. This was a space designed to be full of audiences, listeners. Now full of the sound of space. We had a good listen then begun exploring with sound. Its ability to fill and how it responds to containment.
Notes on discussion on the way home in The Book Of Collective Conciousness.
On the journey home we decided that it was essential that we are able to record our sound experments and explorations. Experiance of space is becoming an intergral part of our creative process.


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Sunday, 29 June 2014
Some Early Peas and Some Pests
We continue to make little changes in the way we plant things every year. This year we decided that our season is usually long enough that we can in some cases plant two crops, one after the other, in the same space. The idea was to plant early, determinate peas, pick and freeze them in a few big batches, then rip them out around July 1st, and plant a mix of determinate and indeterminate, but fast producing beans.
We planted two different early peas; Tom Thumb and Strike, as early as we could possibly get them out, then covered them with hoop-houses for a while. That was on April 14th. Tom Thumb is shown in the picture above. Most of the pods have 6 to 8 peas in them, but about 1 in 30 has 9 peas; and by odd chance the one I split open to show the peas happened to be a 9er. The peas could have been a little larger for perfection. I find that both of these peas tend to get large, swollen pods before the peas are fully developed, and so the peas are not always as large as I expect. The pods are rather tough, too, which doesn't make it any easier to determine ripeness.
Tom Thumb is an heirloom pea, or rather, there are a number of different heirloom peas that tend to get called Tom Thumb. They share in common being very short, determinate, early peas. We have tried a strain of Tom Thumb from Prairie Garden, and another one from The Cottage Gardener. Last year we decided we like the strain from The Cottage Gardener better, and that it also fit the description of Tom Thumb peas much better - the ones from Prairie Garden reached a foot and a half in height. The plants from Cottage Gardener are really short, and don't get much above 8" in height. Originally, Tom Thumb was started in cold-frames for super early production, which made their low height a requirement. In spite of the low height, they have a respectable number of pea pods per plant; perhaps 8 to 12 over a 2 to 3 week period.
Overall, while we like Tom Thumb, it did not work as well for our purpose as the Strike. It was just a few days slower to get started producing peas, probably in about 65 days for us, and it is slower to wind up production. Because we need to rip them out and replant, the resulting overall difference of about 7 to 10 days in the ground matters - that's 7 to 10 days that have to be taken off the growing season for the beans.
Our other pea used in this experiment was Strike. I chose it because it was the shortest season pea I could find. William Dam, our source, says they are ready in 55 days. Ours probably took a little closer to 60, but they are still definitely the earliest pea we have ever grown. Moreover, they produced for about 2 weeks then were done - We planted the first bed of them on April 12th, and we pulled them out on June 27th. - 3 days ahead of our goal of July 1st.
Strike is not an heirloom pea; it appears it was bred in Idaho by PureLine Seeds Inc, of Idaho, presumably some time in the second half of the 20th century. The plants are longer and rangier than Tom Thumb, reaching up to 2' in length. They would have benefited from a few short sticks stuck into the bed, but they did okay just sprawling, so far as growth was concerned. They are also still short enough that we had no trouble keeping them under a hoop-house for as long as we needed. Plants are a very rich, dark blueish-green, and the peas are a stronger green than the Tom Thumb, which tend a little to the yellow side. Again, there were generally 6 to 8 peas per pod, but I haven't seen any with 9 peas. Quantity of pea pods produced is probably a good bit more than Tom Thumb - maybe 50% more.
I say probably, because we had a new problem with our peas this year - they got eaten! I mean, they always get eaten, but preferably by US. This time they got eaten, I think, by a raccoon, or raccoons. They didn't get them all - we were able to achieve our minimum expectation for packets of frozen peas, but only just. We should have gotten a lot more. Strangely, only the lowest peas got eaten - anything over a foot off the ground seemed to be safe. Much more of the Strike got eaten than the Tom Thumb, but I don't think that was through any particular preference for the Strike; I think it is because they were ripe first and so that's where they headed first. I have never had this problem with peas I have grown on a trellis. They completely ignored the Dual, for example, which were growing in the next bed with the lowest growing peas within their reach, I would have thought. It is possible that if we had put a few sticks for support in with the Strike peas that the raccoons would have been more deterred from eating them. Possible. Who knows; raccoons are determined little sugar fiends, which is why I have given up on growing corn and why they will cheerfully settle for peas.
Neither of these peas are the sweetest, best tasting peas. Later peas are both sweeter and richer in flavour, but they are also later, and require trellising or other support. Still, these two taste pretty good! By growing them as a first crop followed by beans, we can probably triple or quadruple the quantity of peas we put into the freezer. Since peas seem to be the favourite vegetable of just about everyone in the family, this is a very good thing.
So, how did this experiment work? It's too early to tell, because we still have to get the beans in and perform the second half of the experiment. But so far, it's looking very feasible. This was a slow, cool spring, and some years we can expect to be able to plant before mid April. It seems pretty clear though, that it's plant those peas by mid April or bust. We will also drop the Tom Thumb, at least for this purpose, and stick to the Strike, because we will need those extra 7 to 10 days for the next crop that Strike provides. We also expect the Strike to produce quite a few more peas, especially if we can keep those rotten raccoons out.
We planted our peas 6" apart in every direction, and even as we were planting I was afraid that was too far apart. It was, and we got a lot of weeds and not as many peas as we would have liked. Next time, they will be planted about 4" apart in every direction, which will hopefully also double our crop. Our theoretical crop, anyway.

domain: agronomy


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Openness vs. Common Sense
A friend of mine called me recently with a question. She had worked with some rough, disrespectful clients last year. She had kept her sanity by writing a lot of Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheets on them and questioning all the judgments she wrote.
Through her inquiry, she found the ways that she was causing her own suffering. And she found ways of staying peaceful while dealing with those difficult clients.
But This Year It Came Up Again
She was invited to work with the same clients again (they seemed to have liked her). And the stress began again for her just thinking about that invitation. She could see months of dealing with their same, disrespectful ways.
She called me because she was confused because she finds that, when she does The Work, she can get along with anyone. She can find ways to make anything work. So she was afraid of doing The Work on these clients because she thought she might have to work with them.
But The Work Doesn’t Work That Way
The Work is a way to make peace with any difficulty that life gives me. But it does not mean that I must go seeking out difficulty. No.
Common sense says, if I have a choice to do something that I prefer, why would I not do it? Why choose that which I don’t prefer? Unless of course challenging myself in that way is my preference. Then that’s perfectly valid too!
In other words, I am completely free. Doing The Work simply frees up even more options for me. After doing The Work, taking a job with a difficult client is equal to not taking the job. Both are doable. It means that there is nowhere that I can’t go, and that is freedom.
But It Doesn’t Mean I Should Disregard My Preferences
Just because my friend could find how to get along with her difficult clients, doesn’t mean she has to work with them again. In fact, she already proved that she doesn’t have to. She worked through it beautifully last year.
Now, if she wants to go in for version 2.0 and use these clients as an opportunity to do even more work, that’s her choice. But if version 1.0 is good enough for her, there is no rule saying she has to become super-pro at dealing with this kind of client.
Maybe she doesn’t care that much about that. Maybe she’d rather focus on other areas. That’s her choice.
The Work Just Makes It Possible to Handle Anything
And sometimes a simple no is how to handle a situation. That may be all the mastery I need in that department.
The Work is prevention. It helps me become extremely flexible and open in my mind. That’s when fear evaporates. There is nothing I need to run away from because I know I can handle anything.
But I still choose what I prefer. In fact, I choose what I like to do more often when I do The Work. Because, when I’m not running away from anything, it’s easy to simply follow my heart.
Have a great week,
“When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is

domain: psychology


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Jewish history in New Mexico stretches from the 16th century with the arrival of the Spanish into the New Spain Viceroyalty to the immigration of the pioneer Jews from Central Europe beginning in the mid-19th century. Those curious about New Mexico Jewish history, research scholars and others can find articles, personal papers and business records of New Mexico pioneer Jewish families in the NMJHS collection at the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives in Santa Fe. The NMJHS collection is special to the State Archives because of the large Jewish presence of merchants, artists and professionals in New Mexico. Currently, the collection covers the years 1860 to 2001. NMJHS is in the process of expanding its holdings with recently donated family records, correspondence and photographs.
In addition, with the assistance of two recent grants from the New Mexico Historic Records Advisory Board and the New Mexico Humanities Council, NMJHS is scanning, digitizing and posting new family records and documents on its website.
The NMJHS collection consists in large part of the family papers of Jewish pioneer families in New Mexico and articles pertaining to these families. Families included are the Herzsteins (Clayton), the Gusdorfs (Taos), the Kahns and Spiegelbergs (Santa Fe), the Kohns and Calischs (Tucumcari) , the Nahms, Ilfelds, Taicherts and Shipmans (Las Vegas) and the Kleins, Sparks and Sterns (Carlsbad and Las Cruces). Also included are the papers of Charles Gross (Holocaust survivor) and Solomon Bibo (Indian trader). Subject files contain materials pertaining to Congregation Montefiore in Las Vegas and artists’ papers of various contemporary New Mexico Jewish artists.
In 1988, NMHHS negotiated an arrangement to house these documents at the State Archives on long-term loan, and in 2001 gifted the entire collection to the State Archives. The Archives are presently housed in the Garrey Carruthers State Records Center and Archives building on Camino Carlos Rey in Santa Fe. NMJHS has its own finding tool available at the State Archives Library and on its web site that lists current holdings.
The State Archives is in the process of scanning documents in its collection, including the NMJHS papers, so that researchers can access the digital images from any location. A larger database already links donated family collections held at various New Mexico libraries, museums and other institutions.


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Baked jalapeño poppers
Everything about jalapeño poppers is fun. It's no wonder they're a bar food staple. They require minimal commitment — each is just a bite or two with no cutlery necessary. As the name suggests, you just pop one in your mouth and let the flavor begin. This recipe delivers all that enjoyment, but in a more healthful way than the typical fried version, so you feel just as good after eating them as you do while you are popping away. You will love serving them at a game-day party not only because they are fun for your guests, but also because they can be made in advance and reheated — which means you'll be in on the fun as well.
For this recipe, we like clearing the jalapeño halves of ribs and seeds by scraping them out with a spoon.
• 2 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (1/2 cup packed)
• 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
• 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
•10 medium jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, stems trimmed to 1/2-inch
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (granulated garlic)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking oil spray.
Stir together the Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese and cilantro in a bowl, until well incorporated. Use about 2 teaspoons of the mixture to fill each jalapeño half.
Spread flour on a plate and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.
Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Spread the panko bread crumbs on a separate plate and season with the garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Toss the seasoned bread crumbs with oil until evenly coated.
Toss each stuffed jalapeño in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, then in the egg, and finally in the seasoned panko, shaking off the excess. Each piece should be coated all around in the mixture. Arrange the coated jalapeños, cut sides up, on the baking sheet. Roast (upper rack) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the coating is golden brown and the cheese has melted a bit. Serve warm. Makes 20 pieces.
• 45 calories
• 2 g protein
• 3 g carbohydrates
• 3 g fat
• 2 g saturated fat
• 20 mg cholesterol
• 80 mg sodium
• 0 g dietary fiber
• 0 g sugar
— Ellie Krieger, The Washington Post

domain: food


ISIS bride Shamima Begum has said she blames her family for plastering her all over social media.
Begum was speaking on the BBC podcast I'm Not A Monster when she explained how she told her mum “no” despite her pleas to get her to come home after leaving the UK and joining ISIS as a 15 year old.
The 23-year-old explained how her parent had “tried to make me feel all guilty,” before seemingly laying the blame for her media fame at her door.
READ MORE: Plane passenger's fury as airline gives suitcase to charity despite it not being missing
Journalist Joshua Baker asked her what her reaction was when her sister then asked her to leave the extremist group.
She said: “I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe that my sister would travel all the way to Turkey thinking that she could save me."
Shamima discussed early communications she and her two friends she left with had with their families.
“We all said, 'yeah we want to speak to our families, we have an obligation to at least tell them we got here safely,'” she said.
“The first time I called my mum she was just crying. I felt like she was trying to make me feel guilty.
Hero Brit aid workers killed during Ukraine evacuation as families pay tribute
“I don't know, maybe it was just emotions but I just didn't say anything to her I let her cry. I just kept telling her I was ok.”
She admitted that her mum had asked her to come home but that she had said “no”.
Begum said: “I was not committed but I just didn't want to give her false hope because I didn't think I could leave.
“I don't want to blame my family but they are in a way responsible for putting me all over the media.
“But I don't think they knew how far it would go and how big it would become. I blame the media for obsessing over my friends and I so much,” she added.
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Woman hit by rollercoaster in 'worst crash docs had seen' finally out of hospital
Asteroid travelling at 33,300mph set to crash into Earth's atmosphere this week
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If in your story, or more likely your novel, the passing of time is important, it may be a help to create a timeline – a list of dates, and if necessary, days of the week – on which you can mark important events. If you don’t days and weeks can slip by uncounted, seasons can change, and suddenly you realise you’re in the height of Summer or the depths of Winter, and a rewrite of various sections becomes necessary.
In my first novel ‘The Great Gifts’ I created Myldora, a world with its own calendar. It had five seasons, ten months and eight-day weeks with their own special names; and in order to keep track of them while I was following my protagonist from the age of four through to twenty-five, a timeline became absolutely vital. In fact I put a brief summary of the Myldoran year into the book to help the reader keep track as they read.
My current work-in-progress, ‘Ashren and the Magician’ only takes place over one year from early Spring to the Midwinter Festival, but a timeline has become all the more important since I have a deadline – Ashren’s Installation as Lord of the Forest Domain – and I can’t allow myself to overrun that. In fact I’ve just moved everything back a month because I need to give him and Wintren more time before they come together on that day.
If characters are moving independently around your world, or even city, the timeline can be used to keep track of the different events which are taking place at the same time but in different places. Otherwise you may not be able to bring them together when you need to. Here is one section of the list I’m using for ‘Ashren and the Magician’:
27th June Kern/Sharill sees Marton & talks with Wintren in Moon Tower
27th June – 1st July Sharill works with Wintren.
2nd July Kern reveals himself to Marton. King arrives at Greyfall in evening
3rd July First meeting of King, Wintren & Sharill/Kern. Kern passes King’s message to Puan.
4th July Shawrana is rescued. Cared for by Rowana.
5th July King’s talk with Wintren, King leaves, meets Puan, Puan takes Shawrana to Tower.
6th July Wintren takes on Marton as an aide.
8th July King arrives home. Talks with Valaren, his heir.
10th July Sharill falls ‘ill’
11th July Puan helps Shawrana with advice. Wintren is taken ‘ill’
12th July King sees Lady Heatherin.
In this novel I have several flashback or ‘story’ chapters which take the reader back as much as forty or more years. I also have characters whose ages in relation to each other are important, so it has been important to keep track of their ages and even adjust them a couple of times to make the different generations of the Greenbough dynasty fit properly. In order to facilitate this I have a list of characters and their relative ages. Here are a few of the main characters and how their lives intertwine:
Shadowren Greyfall – Married Heatherin at age 35 died aged 59
Heatherin Greyfall – Married Shadowren at age 28. Moves to Court at age 49 Dies age 93
Wintren Greyfall – Born three years after parents’ marriage when they were 38 & 31. Inherited Greyfall at 21
Treowyne – Ruling King – Same age as Wintren. Inherits the Kingdom when he is 22. (a yr after Wintren inherits Greyfall) Marries at 26, Valaren born when he is 28.
Fernren Greenbough – Ten years older than Wintren, marries Darena at age 29
Darena Greenbough – Same age as Wintren, marries Fernren at age 19
I haven’t written anything as condensed as a mystery or whodunnit, but I imagine for this you might find it a help to keep an hour-by-hour list in order to keep track of victims, suspects and detectives. So often times of journeys and alibis are vital to the unravelling of the story, and precision is the only way to make it work.
All this might look like a lot of work, but I find it quite enjoyable to fathom it all out, and it’s certainly a great deal less frustrating and annoying than trying to write this kind of novel without it, and then having to spend days or even weeks attempting to untangle a terrible muddle.
Of course there are many stories and novels where a timeline or characters ages can be left more vague, but be prepared to put in the work of creating one if your memory isn’t as sharp as you might like, and you suddenly realise you’re getting confused.
Finally, don’t let this put you off writing something of this kind, the work taken to get it right only makes the satisfaction of the final result the greater. Good luck!
PS In ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Tolkien found he’d got the phases of the moon wrong and had to adjust them, the narrative and the dialogue in order to keep things straight. Even the greatest of us need this kind of help from time to time!

domain: literature


Electricity is used each and everyday around the world. In many ways electricity is somewhat taken for granted, as it’s hard to imagine what the world would be like without electricity at the push of a button or the flip of a switch. This means many electrical products and tools are in high demand, electrical contact buttons included. A component of electrical circuits, electrical contacts are found in connectors, switches, relays and circuit breakers. Electrical contacts come in especially handy because they may be operated in several ways, including electromechanically in relays, through mechanical pressure in machines and sensors, or by humans in switches and push-buttons. Here are some of the most common applications for electrical contact buttons that you may encounter someday soon.
Any reputable brand of electrical contacts is very familiar with toplay. This is the process of continously brazing an electrical contact material onto a coil of substrate material. After the two materials are brazed together, the contact material is form rolled and stamped into the complete assembly. This example of electrical contact buttons is best used in applications where extreme stress and constant use may be involved. For example, heavy machinery or high-volume power systems may use electrical contacts made through the toplay method.
Discrete Tip Brazed
Sometimes electrical contacts are also made through a process called discrete tip brazed. Electrical contact buttons finished in this manner may be made through flame, furnance or induction brazing, depending on their size, shape and volume. These electrical contacts are used to carry high voltage electricity in a variety of systems and setups. The quantity of electrical contacts that you need may also play a role in determining how they are made. Many people use discrete tip brazed electrical contacts for motors, control centers and assembly lines.
Another way in which electrical contacts may be assembled prior to use is through welding. If you’re looking for increased conductivity and efficient electrical flow, welded electrical contact buttons are fantastic. Conveyors, cranes, presses and more often make good use out of welded electrical contacts, which can be produced in one seamless operation prior to final assembly. Those who work in factories or on building sites particularly rely on welded electrical contact buttons to keep their work sites safe for everyone involved. Having the highest-quality electrical contact buttons, regardless of the final application or the method of production, is so important when dealing with any electrical element.


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Qassem Muslih said Baghdad and Damascus have coordinated the presence of Iraqi forces in Syria to tackle Daesh.
He further slammed the US forces in Syria for their espionage activities along the Iraq-Syria border.
Muslih said the American forces are gathering intel to help Daesh attack Iraqi forces.
He also dismissed the US government’s claim that it has started pulling American forces out of Syria, saying there has been no withdrawal yet.
US President Donald Trump said in December that he would order all of the US forces in Syria to withdraw from the country.
The US began its air campaign in Syria in 2014, deploying troops to the country to purportedly assist in the fight against terrorism without any authorization from the Damascus government.


text:
California lawmakers OK plan to shift pot shop regulation to state
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
A proposal that could make it easier to open medical marijuana shops in California was approved Tuesday by the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee despite objections from cities and law enforcement agencies that it unreasonably ties their hands.
The measure by committee Chairman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) would shift the regulation of the industry from local governments, some of which have banned the dispensaries, to a new state Board of Medical Marijuana Enforcement that would adopt rules and set fees for medical pot cultivation and sales.
The measure would require that no fewer than one pot dispensary be allowed per 50,000 residents. Ammiano said statewide rules are needed because dispensaries have been harassed by law enforcement in some areas even though they were legalized by California voters more than 15 years ago.
‘The worst public policy choice for California is to sit idly by doing nothing and let this failed war on medical cannabis continue unchecked,’ he said before the committee vote. ‘The point of regulation is to bring these activities above board to guarantee safe and effective access, with clear rules for those involved in the industry.’
The panel voted 4-2, with Republican members opposed, to approve AB 2312, which now goes to another committee before it can reach the Assembly floor. The League of California Cities and the California Police Chiefs Assn. opposed the bill in part because of concern that it takes control over the clinics away from cities and counties.
‘It forecloses the ability of local government to take control over their own destiny,’ said John Lovell, government relations manager for the police chiefs’ group.
Assemblyman Stephen Knight (R-Palmdale) voted against the measure, saying it puts local law enforcement at odds with federal law, which still prohibits the sale of marijuana. ‘This is still an illegal activity,’ he said.
Accusations fly in drama involving Bill Lockyer, his wife
Ethics agency alleges Fish and Game official violated gift limits
California chief justice warns budget cuts are threatening court system
-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento

domain: sociology


text:
In which CJ and Dani agree to disagree about the best TV of the year.
* * *
You don’t need a reason to see The Rise of Skywalker, but if you did, it would be Daisy Ridley. Her fierce commitment to playing Rey with integrity, intelligence and a total understanding of the kind of film she’s in lifts every scene she’s in; perhaps knowing that she was their best asset, the Star Wars gatekeepers and J.J. Abrams, this film’s director, have given her plenty. This is resolutely Rey’s film, and Ridley steers us through it, holding it together even as some of the other moving parts came very, very close to completely derailing it.
The first two acts particularly hold together and are pretty fun, as they present us with the best version of Star Wars, which is three people, a droid and a wookie in a cockpit or skulking around an alien landscape, bantering. Those three are Rey, Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega), and their scenes are fun, harking back to those moments on the Falcon between Luke, Leia and Han. And, again relying on proven players, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels, who’s now 73) is given a lot to say. As usual, he’s the funniest character.
But the third act is not good, getting into the worst elements of Star Wars: endless mumbo-jumbo about the force, family lineage, bloodlines, destiny and so many versions of The Empire it will make your head spin. The Big Final Conflict is a cinematic disaster; suffice to say that it all comes down to white lines spizzing out of the Emperor’s fingertips, and that, frankly, is bullshit.
Among the good and the bad, Adam Driver does his best with Kylo Ren, but the material is weak; unlike Rey, the screenwriters simply haven’t known what to do with poor Kylo, and his journey is muddy and ultimately inconsequential. And that’s the problem with the movie as a whole: except for Rey, no-one’s really got anything to do of any consequence. The script chases itself in circles trying to give us an ‘ending’ where the actual story – the story of Luke Skywalker – ended ages ago, among the Ewoks, at the conclusion of Return Of The Jedi. That film’s climax, by the way, is shamelessly ripped off (riffed on?) here, and badly.
Abrams, as he did with The Force Awakens, bends over backwards to service the fans (try that at home), resulting in some very awkward cameos. Besides the original triumvirate – Carrie Fisher here being played by, it seems, a digital version of her dead self – Billy Dee Williams’ Lando returns to actually play a part, but he’s terrible. While Ridley is in a Star Wars film, Williams acts like he’s at a Star Wars convention.
Ultimately the third act problems of this film are a big problem. They end the whole shebang on a bummer note. When the film gets replayed at home in years to come, I reckon it will more often than not get stopped at a particular point, leaving the cartoonish Emperor to endlessly await his destiny, stuck in a cosmic limbo of bad make-up and itchy fingers.
A Watch This episode where CJ and Dani look at their top five films of the year.
* * * *
I’ve never enjoyed Jonathan Pryce more than in The Two Popes; his powerfully warm charisma, coupled with a rosy-to-glowing depiction of Pope Francis, is the strongest reason to see this intriguing piece of speculative history. It seems that when Pope Benedict was privately considering renouncing his papacy, he sought out (and called in from Argentina) Francis to discuss the idea; the film – written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour) and directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God, Blindness) imagines four lengthy conversations between the two.
Lest that sound boring to you, it should be noted that Benedict is played by Anthony Hopkins; the four conversations, which collectively probably make up about 70 percent of the film, are exquisite acting set-pieces of the absolute highest order: two of the world’s greatest actors with intelligent, thoughtful and often very funny words to say. The film also is much larger than two old men chatting about religion; flashbacks fill in the early life and (deeply problematic) career of Francis (not Benedict; it’s not that film), while the contemporary story includes fascinating, detailed depictions of the Vatican’s functionality, including a terrific sequence showing the papal elections from the inside.
My only interest in religion of any stripe is intellectual; The Two Popes, which is unashamedly pro-Francis and quite clearly pro-Pope, fascinated and delighted me, and Pryce is simply captivating.
Two new streaming shows offer genre fans massive levels of fan service; each may seem to their respective prospective audiences like manna from heaven.
Acorn TV streams exclusively British content of the mostly cosy variety; it’s the kind of stuff you’ve traditionally found on ABC Australia, with a heavy emphasis on mystery and period drama. The new Acorn TV exclusive Queens of Mystery aims to be the mother of all cosy mysteries; it is so engineered to deliver what fans of the genre want that it’s easy to be cynical about it, but I suspect there will be plenty of eager fans ready to lap up every ripe moment.
A young female cop is transferred to her gorgeous (cosy) hometown, where pretty much immediately a murder is committed, not only to a writer of mystery novels, but at a mystery novel festival. But that’s not even the big hook; the cop’s three aunts all live in the town, are all mystery writers themselves, and all want to help solve the mystery. One of them is even a suspect!
This extreme high concept will either leave you dry or make you so excited you’ve already ordered Acorn in HD. It’s hard for me to judge, not really being a fan of the genre (sadly; I used to be); it’s ludicrously over-acted and over-stuffed, but also smells like fun.
Fun is the mega-operative word for The Mandalorian on Disney Plus; this Star Wars TV series is nothing but. Eschewing the deep family-drama ‘force’ mythology of the soon-to-be-completed nine-film franchise but embracing every stylistic element you love from episodes 4-8 (ie the ‘George Lucas 1977 A New Hope’ style), this action-packed and very funny bounty-hunter epic, grounded in the conventions of the classic Hollywood Western, is one hundred percent convinced of its own tone. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and with every bug-eyed monster, laser shoot-out and Mos Eisley Cantina-like cantina, it achieves it. I thought I was done with everything Star Wars, but The Mandalorian’s joyous charms are impossible to resist. For its every brief episode (they’re about 38 minutes apiece) I’m a kid again, grinning from ear to ear.
Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren are two great movie stars, and they account for the * * I can give The Good Liar, a ludicrous con-man thriller perfunctorily directed by Bill Condon, now in cinemas. Based on a novel by Nicholas Searle which I will never read, the film sells itself first on McKellen and Mirren and then on its “twisty” plot. The actors are great; the plot, not.
If the awards were won based purely on audacity, without regard for outcome, Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit would have the potential to win them all. This movie is a big swing in every direction: tonally, commercially, as subject matter, as career move. And when it works, it really works: there are some metaphorical visuals that are among the most powerful filmed images I’ve seen in a bountiful year of great moviegoing. But it doesn’t always work, and, unfortunately, some of the swings and misses really land with a thud: silence loud enough to make its presence known in the auditorium, silence that says, “Whoops, we all saw that.”
So points indeed for bold ambition, and I’m glad the film exists, not least for introducing us to an extraordinary young male actor, Roman Griffin Davis, who plays Jojo, a ten-year old boy at the tail end of WW2 who longs to be a Nazi but instead befriends a Jew. She’s played by Thomasin McKenzie, who already had her big coming out party in the form of Leave No Trace last year; here, she’s burdened by a German accent which seems trickier for her than an American one (she’s from New Zealand) but there’s no denying that the two young actors, whose scenes together comprise at least a third of the film, make for one of the year’s best love stories.
Outside of their rather isolated story, Waititi stages a Mel Brooks-style comedic assault on the Nazis that is sporadically rather than consistently funny. His deep supporting cast, including Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Stephen Merchant and (in a weirdly brilliant role) Alfie Allen all have their moments, but they also all get dud gags that don’t work. Wilson in particular, perhaps limited by that German accent (she usually gets to keep her deep Aussie twang), struggles and often flails.
Scarlett Johansson is fine as Jojo’s mother – a kind of ‘straight man’ role amongst the satirical goofiness – and Waititi himself plays Jojo’s imaginary friend, Hitler. His performance is emblematic of the whole movie: it can be brilliant or really flat, often in the span of the same moment.
* * * * 1/2
There’s simply no denying the awesome craftsmanship of Martin Scorsese’s überfilm The Irishman, which has finally arrived, after an enormous shoot and an unprecedented post-production process, on big and small screens (it’s a Netflix production). As monumental, and monumentally skilled, cinema, it’s breath-taking: the production design, the cinematography, the attention to detail at every level, the bold editing, the elegance of the compositions, all point to a team of masters working together on a masterpiece in the old-fashioned sense.
So how does it work on a storytelling level? For me, the biggest surprise, given that I went in with plenty of fair assumptions, was the amount of times the film made me laugh out loud. Once Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) enters the story, presumably kicking off the second act (of a three and a half hour picture), The Irishman is not afraid to boldly make a joke. Pacino’s performance is funny in its own right, and as it goes on, it seems to give the movie permission to follow its lead; by the time we’re well ensconced in the second hour, Scorsese and lifelong editor Thelma Schoonmaker are making edit gags – “cuts” that humorously draw attention to themselves – and, presumably, yucking it up in the edit suite. Praise be to them; I loved the humour in the movie, and Pacino’s performance.
Robert De Niro, as Hoffa’s factotum Frank Sheeran, the Irishman of the title who also serves the Philly mob, and ultimately finds himself a troubled servant of two masters, has the film’s straightest role, allowing the enormous and enormously professional cast to dazzle in his reflection. He’s in every scene and a stable influence, which is not to say he’s not very, very good. But Frank’s major personality trait is his loyalty, which simply isn’t a very passionate attribute. His is a quiet confidence, most evident when he kills.
The film spent so long in post because it utilised digital de-ageing techniques to allow De Niro, Joe Pesci, Pacino and others the chance to play the younger versions of themselves. Facially, this looks a little ‘uncanny’, especially in the first act, when they’re meant to be at least thirty years younger than they really are (which is in their mid-70s). But it’s their bodies that don’t look right. The digital forty year-old Frank, featuring a smooth face with eerie computer eyes, walks as a 76 year old De Niro does, throws a gun into the river as an older man does, kicks a man with weak old man legs and joints. It’s strange looking – not in a good way – and distracting.
The third act, featuring the men in their actual dotage, is melancholic, mournful and quite magical. This is where Scorsese and his mob effectively bring their mafia trilogy – combining GoodFellas, Casino and this title – to its close, and in doing so, come to the mother of all crime movie conclusions: at the end of the day, crime really doesn’t pay. All those days these goombahs spent one-upping each other, they weren’t playing with their children, and that is their punishment. That, and, as the movie keeps telling us, very often five or six bullets to the head.
* * * 1/2
Having, this year, both been to Norway and been mildly obsessed with Norway’s 2019 Eurovision entry Spirit In The Sky, I feel I can appreciate the true oddity that is Frozen 2, one of those strange sequels, like Babe: Pig In The City, that not only feels weirder and more free-wheeling than its predecessor, but that also feels like some of its offbeat charm is a happy accident.
Because this movie is a mess. Nobly seeking to address the Sami indigenous people of northern Norway, and incorporate greater Norse mythology, while also maintaining the theme of sisterhood that made Frozen the ultimate girl-power success story, the scriptwriters deliver an incomprehensible plot dripping with mysterious mysticism – and that’s what’s fun. Going in, expecting a finely-tuned toy advertisement, and instead getting bonkers nonsense with some fine songs and Elsa ice-surfing, is unpredictable, and unpredictable in this case is to be celebrated.
The B plot, involving Kristof, is appalling, but includes a very funny 80s music video parody, and Olaf the snowman had my daughter in stitches. For me, it was all about the film’s joyous abandon: it makes no sense, it goes nowhere, and the Walt Disney Company signed off on it. It’s nutty!
* * * * 1/2
Rian Johnson is forging a cool career as a genre auteurist whose films are in different genres. Thus Brick was his noir, The Brothers Bloom his romantic con-artist romp, Looper his time travel brain-buster, The Last Jedi his space opera, and now Knives Out his whodunnit. In each case – even on his Star Wars gig – he simultaneously celebrates and subverts the genre, adhering to its conventions while spinning the material in a fresh way. He’s only 46, and he’s ludicrously talented.
And Knives Out is ludicrously fun. Johnson’s found the perfect old house in Massachusetts to set his murder mystery; he’s stacked it with props that directly reference, and may even be, the props from Sleuth (1972), which was also one of my favourite twisty movies as a kid; he’s engaged a fun-loving ensemble of glitterati; and then there’s his subversions, spins and extrapolations, none of which I’ll reveal, save one: the poster may imply a true ensemble, but this film has a protagonist and a star, and that’s Ana De Armas (who you hopefully remember fondly from Blade Runner 2049 as Ryan Gosling’s AI girlfriend). The second most prominent character here is played by Daniel Craig, and he shares a lot of scenes with De Armas, essentially supporting her, which is super fun, because she’ll soon be doing the same for him in No Time To Die, the next Bond film (and Craig’s last).
This film is super satisfying. It’s funny, the mystery plot really works, and it also has something to say, which it does with enjoyably righteous anger. Go for the production design and the plot, leave being blown away by De Armas and, once again, Johnson, one of America’s finest. This might be his best film; it’s one of 2019’s most entertaining.
Marriage Story is Noah Baumbach’s masterpiece, a tragicomedy of human relationships that gets everything right. Anchored by pitch perfect performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, this forensic study of a certain kind of divorce elegantly, faultlessly rides the bittersweet path: every scene, and practically every moment, is simultaneously deeply sad and very funny. That’s not just skilled filmmaking, it’s a kind of alchemy.
The stakes are high but accessible: there is a child, Henry, who is about six years old; the splitting couple each have work on either side of the United States (he in NYC, she in LA); both want Henry to live on their coast. Without money and property being foregrounded, the story remains deeply human and humane: Baumbach shows deep empathic compassion for both his leads, and for us as an audience. We are not forced to pick sides. Their professional world – of the grant-subsidised NYC theatre and uncertainties but big bucks of series TV – is rarefied and simply rare, but Baumbach’s script and direction is so incredibly specific, so full of rich and precisely observed detail, that the whole is entirely relatable; that old adage, find the universal in the specific, is entirely and successfully at play here.
If there is a villain, it’s lawyers and a legal system that reflects the misnomer of the “United” States: California and New York have rival systems, and god forbid you break up in both of them simultaneously.
The deep bench of supporting actors do superb work: Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda as the attorneys, Julie Hagerty and Merritt Wever as Johansson’s family, Wallace Shawn as a workmate and Azhy Robertson as Henry. Driver and Johansson deliver career-bests and will both be nominated for Oscars. Driver may win.
This may be the best film of 2019. It’s right up there. Unmissable.

domain: artistic


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Denver – Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) commended the swift action of the House of Representatives in adopting proposed food and farm policies for the next five years. This action by Congress followed significant debate, including a threatened veto by President George W. Bush.
“We hail the leadership of Congress, especially Congressman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.),chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, in securing passage of the proposed 2007 Farm Bill,” stated Kent Peppler, President, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and farmer from Mead, Colo. “The legislation contains some significant reforms and commitment to new monies for programs beneficial to our natural resources, nutrition programs, rural development, domestic energy development, and the production and marketing of fruits and vegetables.”
The 2007 Farm Bill proposal, approved by the House Agriculture Committee a week ago, includes new additional funding for the following programs: $4.6 for conservation; $5 billion for nutrition programs; $2.5 billion for domestic energy development, including cellulose ethanol; and, $1.6 billion for fruit and vegetable programs. The proposal also includes reform in the commodity title on the payment limitation related to commodity supports and payments, and compromise language to assist in the implementation of country-of-origin labeling(COOL). “The policies contained in this proposal will benefit all Americans,” said Monty Niebur, farmer, Akron, Colo. “The continued commitment to support America’s family farmers and ranchers in the production of affordable food and fiber and at the same time reforming the payment limitations is a very positive step. The commitment of new dollars to domestic energy will be a tremendous benefit in moving development forward in our rural communities.”
The development of the farm bill this year has been done under severe budget constraints as well as pressure from world trade negotiations. With a breakdown in trade negotiations, Congress moved forward on the farm bill legislation.
“The compromise reached on COOL is a positive step for farmers, ranchers and consumers,” stated Ken Macy, livestock producer, Pine Bluffs, Wyo. “Consumers have strongly supported the desire to know the country of origin of the meat they are purchasing. With approval of this legislation consumers will be able to know if the meat they are eating was born and raised in the United States.”
“We are excited to see the commitment Congress has made to new programs to support fruits and vegetables and additional dollars for nutrition programs,” said John Ellis, organic farmer, Boulder, Colo. “More consumers desire to purchase fresh food locally and to eat healthier. We are excited that this legislation supports that desire. We must remember good nutrition enhances the learning ability of our youth.”
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Kent Peppler, in Washington, D.C., during the debate and adoption of the farm bill, visited with the Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico congressional offices to express the appreciation of the 25,000 RMFU members for their support in adoption of the 2007 Farm Bill.
Share your voice and help shape the future of farming and ranching in the Rocky Mountain region.Become a Member


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This article comes to us courtesy of California Watch.
UPDATE: After this story was published, the Medical Board of California concluded it's review of the complaint against Dr. Gail Altschuler and "found no violation of the law." The case was closed on Nov. 30, 2012.
In a complaint filed with the Medical Board of California, a consumer advocacy group is claiming that a physician's use of a massage machine for weight loss is endangering patients.
Public Citizen has alleged that Dr. Gail Altschuler, a California physician who runs a Novato weight loss center, and other doctors who use and promote a medical device called the LipoTron for fat reduction are demonstrating a "reckless disregard for the health and welfare of patients."
The device manufacturer, Fullerton-based RevecoMED, is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the low-risk therapeutic massager known as the LipoTron. But it has not been approved or cleared by the FDA for weight loss-related uses, according to a search for RevecoMED and the device on FDA databases. The FDA declined to respond to questions about the LipoTron, including whether the device is undergoing a pre-market review or whether RevecoMED is seeking clearance from the agency.
Public Citizen's complaint letter [PDF] to the state medical board, filed Aug. 3, is part of an effort by consumer advocates to prevent the use of the LipoTron for weight loss until it undergoes additional regulatory scrutiny.
"It is concerning to us when a device not approved or cleared by the FDA is being used for a multitude of uses for which the safety and efficacy is not established," said Dr. Michael Carome, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group.
But Altschuler said it is common for physicians to go "off-label," or use medical devices or pharmaceuticals for purposes not explicitly sanctioned by the FDA.
"There are so many procedures that are off-label," said Altschuler, who said she had not known about the medical board complaint against her until California Watch notified her. "As long as the patient is informed that the process is not FDA-approved and they consent to it, there is no limit to using it."
One example, she said, is the use of Botox for wrinkle reduction on body parts other than between the eyebrows.
"The complaint is untrue in that we are not using the LipoTron in a reckless or irresponsible way," she added in an email. "By my own experience I have seen the results of our procedures and they are effective as we use it. Furthermore, in comparison to the costs and risks of alternative procedures such as liposuction, we are inexpensive and considerably safer."
The medical board does not comment on complaints against physicians, said Jennifer Simoes, the board's chief of legislation. In an Aug. 8 letter [PDF], the medical board told Public Citizen that it would assign an analyst to review the complaint. A second letter [PDF] from the board's executive director, dated Aug. 13, noted that Public Citizen had referenced other doctors in its complaint and asked for additional names. The medical board said it would also research the LipoTron itself.
Legal concerns about the LipoTron were first reported by the nonprofit health and safety journalism organization FairWarning, which noted that the device "has never been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which would make it illegal under federal law to sell or promote it for weight loss."
RevecoMED is registered with the FDA to make a low-risk "class I" device for therapeutic massage, a device that falls in the same category as tongue depressors and arm slings. Class I devices must meet certain labeling and manufacturing requirements, but they mostly are exempt from pre-market review, according to the FDA.
The company Web address www.revecomed.com no longer works, and an online search didn't find it advertising the product as a weight-loss system aimed at American consumers. The website for RevecoMED Asia, a subsidiary of RevecoMED, bills the LipoTron as "the future of fat reduction."
RevecoMED President James Rosen declined to comment.
U.S. law overseeing food and drugs [PDF] makes it illegal for medical device manufacturers or distributors to misbrand a product by marketing it for uses not approved or cleared by the FDA. However, physicians are generally free to use the device in an off-label manner as long as its use is based on the doctor's professional judgment, according to David L. Rosen, an attorney with the law firm Foley & Lardner who worked for the FDA for 14 years, and who is not related to James Rosen.
In its regulatory guidance document, the FDA states that if "physicians use a product for an indication not in the approved labeling, they have the responsibility to be well informed about the product, to base its use on firm scientific rationale and on sound medical evidence, and to maintain records of the product's use and effects."
Altschuler said she is following ethical medical practices in her use of the LipoTron, and she tells patients that she is using the device in an off-label way.
Altschuler said she has been using the LipoTron as part of her practice for about a year and a half. She charges $2,000 for a package of 10 one-hour sessions, and she said the procedure has been effective 80 percent of the time.
She added that the product's efficacy has been demonstrated to her through personal experience, testimonials from patients, conversations with other physicians and European studies.
"Like all providers, we follow specific protocols and monitor our results, and we train technicians to use the equipment correctly," she said. "It's not random."
Like a number of "body contouring" devices such as the VelaSmooth, which has received FDA clearance as a device that can improve the appearance of cellulite, the LipoTron uses radiofrequency waves to dissolve fat cells, according to the description of the procedure on Altschuler's website. The device also reduces wrinkles and improves the appearance of cellulite, Altschuler said.
Dr. Randall Stafford, associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, said there have been clinical studies on the effects of using radiofrequency to reduce fat, but there is not yet conclusive evidence about whether it has health benefits.
Stafford said in an email that while destruction of fat cells just under the skin "may have aesthetic benefits," it is "usually not associated with the reversal of obesity related health problems."
Dr. Christopher B. Zachary, a professor and chairman of the dermatology department at UC Irvine, said that while he is not familiar with the LipoTron, he has successfully used body-contouring devices for cosmetic procedures. Those devices primarily are cleared by the FDA for use in temporarily reducing the appearance of cellulite.
"Not all radiofrequency devices are made equal," Zachary said.
He said he has found that the procedure is best for someone who is active and of normal weight but who "can't get rid of localized fat and they don't want to have a liposuction procedure; they want their clothes to fit a little better and they don't want to take time off of work," he said. "This is not for people who are particularly skinny, and it's not for the overweight or obese."
Altschuler is not the only California physician or medical center using the LipoTron for purposes not approved or cleared by the FDA.
The Porter Ranch Medical Center, northwest of Los Angeles, posted a series of ads on Craigslist last month claiming that the LipoTron can "reduce cellulite and tighten, firm and contour the skin" around jawlines, chins, eyes, breasts, underarms, buttocks and thighs.
Cesar Ascencio, a supervisor at Porter Ranch, referred questions about the device to Kathy Dunklin, a consultant to the center and medical aesthetician who owns the machine and who lists LipoTron procedures as one of her specialties on the medical center website. She did not return repeated requests for comment.
In addition to the California complaint, Public Citizen has submitted two letters to the FDA about its concerns over the LipoTron and filed grievances with public health departments or medical boards in eight states.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based distributor of the LipoTron, Advanced Aesthetic Concepts, also has been the subject of a 2011 investigation by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The investigation noted that the distributor's advertising and website suggest that the LipoTron is "being promoted for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Recent complaints against the Texas company, which is now operating under the name Profit Solutions MD, have triggered another investigation, which is ongoing, said Christine Mann, spokeswoman for the Department of State Health Services.
Representatives of Profit Solutions MD did not respond to requests for comment.
Bernice Yeung is an investigative reporter for California Watch, a project of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting. Find more California Watch stories here.

domain: medical


text: Our animals' nutrition is incredibly important to their long-term health. At Healthy Hounds Canine & Feline Nutrition, our pet nutrition guidance in Flossmoor aims to empower animal lovers to provide their animals with a high-quality diet through each stage of life. Proper nutrition can help reduce many health-related problems including; food intolerances, pet food allergies, significant weight gain or weight management, nutritional insufficiencies, animal diabetes, skin and coat problems, renal disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and poor immune response. Nutritional requirements for dogs and kitties vary due to many aspects like age, size, breed, physical activity levels, overall health, and more, consequently, a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition will not do the job. We can advise you on which food choices will be suitable based on your animal's needs, quantity to feed, and what to look for on pet food labels. Phone us to set up a nutrition assessment for your pet.


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SAVANNAH, GA (May 1, 2018) –Savannah Police Department’s Traffic Investigation Unit is investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred today in the area of New Hampstead Road.
At around 10:00 a.m., officers responded to the area and found a vehicle that was on fire with an individual next to it, deceased with burns. The investigation determined that the individual, driving a Ford Fusion, was traveling south on New Hampstead Road and left the roadway, striking a tree and was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle then caught on fire.
The individual was pronounced deceased on scene. The name will be released once next of kin is notified.


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Wendy Holdener (right) lost her brother Kevin (left). © Instagram
“Continuing to live without you breaks my heart.”
The stroke of fate of ski superstar Wendy Holdener has moved the ski world in the last few days. Now the Swiss woman says goodbye – with words that get under your skin.
March 01, 2024
In terms of sport, Wendy Holdener has become quiet in recent weeks, as the Swiss is currently missing the World Cup due to injury. The fate of the world champion and Olympic champion has recently moved the ski world a lot. Holdener's brother Kevin died a few days ago. He suffered from a rare cancer for years, and last week he lost the battle at the age of just 34.
Particularly tragic: Shortly before his death, Kevin Holdener fulfilled his last wish in the hospital and married his long-time girlfriend. “You always followed your plans and lived your life to the fullest. In your last act you married your fiancée. As happy as you look in these beautiful pictures, we will keep you in our hearts,” the family wrote on Instagram.
Now Wendy Holdener has also spoken out on her personal profile. She posted a black and white photo of herself and Kevin and wrote: “This is our last picture together. I can't and don't want to believe that you're gone. It breaks my heart to think that I have to go on living without you.”
These are words that get under your skin. And which touched the ski world deeply. Numerous friends from the ski family reached out to the posting and expressed their condolences to the Swiss woman. A tragic story.


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In this picture taken on October 1, 2017, a Rohingya Muslim refugee holds her child as she waits to see a doctor at a medical centre at Balukhali refugee camp near the town of Gumdhum in Cox's Bazar. (AFP / FRED DUFOUR)
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The five-year-old Rohingya boy was so emaciated that doctors could not insert a drip into his tiny arm, one of thousands of children facing life-threatening malnutrition in overstretched Bangladeshi refugee camps.The UN says more than 14,100 children are at risk of dying from malnutrition in wretched camps where half a million mainly Rohingya refugees depend entirely on charities for survival.Children make up the bulk of new arrivals and are most vulnerable to the paucity of food, with 145,500 infants under five needing urgent intervention to stave off malnutrition, aid agencies say.Monura, who like many Rohingya uses one name, said she had little to feed her desperately hungry child on the five-day trek from Myanmar.The Rohingya come from impoverished Rakhine, where state-imposed restrictions have ensured abysmal living standards for the persecuted Muslim community.Their children's immune systems are already weakened, leaving them defenceless should a disease outbreak sweep through the camps as charities fear.
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Silberbauerovo hudební Podyjí
The main aim of the Czech-Austrian festival Silberbauer's Music Podyjí is to musically connect the Czech and Austrian border regions (the area around Znojmo, Podyjí and the Thayatal region in Austria). The festival commemorates the important Baroque organ builder Josef Silberbauer, who worked in the Podyjí/Thayatal region and contributes to the rediscovery of his name by the broader public on both sides of the border. The festival's aim is not only the performance on instruments by J. Silberbauer by musicians who will support and collaborate with artists from the region but also other musical ensembles such as orchestras, vocal ensembles and baroque chamber ensembles. The festival is unique in that it seeks to connect Czech artists with Austrian artists and also in that it seeks to bring them together across borders. It opens up the possibility of a wider diversity of audiences and the enrichment of the Czech and Austrian regions. The festival emphasizes the support and concerts of talented children from Czech and Austrian music schools, cooperating with experienced teachers. They will perform together in concerts both in Austria and in the Czech Republic.
Opus Organum and Ars Marchfeld have similar goals of bringing together artists from the region and their cooperation.
The project is realized with the financial support of the Small Projects Fund, Austria-Czech Republic within the Interreg programme.


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Metalism Records ( Release date – Out now )
A bit of synth driven power metal from St Petersburg this time. Hammerforce formed back in 2006 and this is the band’s second album, the first being ‘Dice’ released back in 2009.
On first listen I wasn’t too sure what to make of this album. The lead in all tracks is taken by the synth work of Nikita Merzlyakov which is first rate but gives the album a slightly dated feel, as if you have slipped back into the 80’s. On further listens you can appreciate the fine guitar work in evidence and the album begins to make more sense.
Power metal with a prog edge is the band’s forte and they can indeed play it well. There are some good tracks here, again I couldn’t help but think I had heard it all before and possible done a lot better. That’s not to say that Hammerforce are a bad band, because they have a lot going for them, but ultimately their songwriting and style lets them down.
Tracks like ‘Mass Media’ and ‘Fugitive’ do show excellent skills, overall this is a good album not a great one. Not one I will be ‘russian’ to listen to again in a hurry! ***
Listen in to Get Ready to ROCK! Radio…
Click the appropriate icons at the top of the page.
Each week David Randall presents ‘New to GRTR!’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, with the emphasis on independent artists and labels. During December he replays favourite tracks including power plays featured during the year. This show covers the period January-March and was first broadcast on 1 December 2019.
Power Plays w/c 25 November (Mon-Fri)
Throughout December we are featuring Best of 2019 selections from the GRTR! Reviewers.
Featured Albums w/c 25 November (Mon-Fri)
09:00-12:00 Melodic Rock Featured Albums of 2019
12:00-13:00 Melodic Hard Rock Featured Albums of 2019
14:00-16:00 Singer Songwriter Featured Albums of 2019
Albums That Time Forgot (Mon-Fri)
A selection of albums featured in 2019
Tweets by Get Ready to ROCK!


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- 1 package of fresh or frozen cheese ravioli (Pumpkin or Butternut Squash ravioli works really well with this sauce)
- 3 Tbs unsalted butter
- 5 Sage leaves - chiffonade (see below)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 lemon juiced (optional)
Boil water and cook ravioli according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, over medium heat melt the butter until it starts to foam and then throw in sage leaves and fry for a few seconds. Season. Stir frequently, watch closely making sure that the butter does not burn. You want it to turn a delicate golden brown color.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice if you have some around. You want to make sure that you remove the pan from the heat when you add lemon juice. I find that lemon has a tendency to get bitter when cooked.
Drain the pasta (leave some of the water) and pour into the sage butter and toss with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.


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CytoTracker Solution and TNFa should be removed from the kit and stored at -20C immediately. Store all other components at 4C.
Leukocyte or tumor cell interactions with vascular endothelium consist of a cascade of processes including the firm attachment of cells to endothelial cell adhesion molecules. The CytoSelect Tumor Endothelium Adhesion Assay provides a robust system for the quantitative determination of interactions between tumor cells and endothelium. Adherent cells can be easily quantified on a fluorescence plate reader.
1. Quantify interactions between tumor cells and the endothelium
2. Fully quantitative with no manual cell counting
3. Highly sensitive results on a fluorescence plate reader


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Creative practical and imaginative skills are developed through a variety of media and a balanced programme of activities. Art activities may be linked to themes or topics, which will be explored using the children’s own ideas and through the work of other artists and designers.
Children are taught to handle a range of tools and equipment. They will be given opportunities to acquire skills in order to design, and to implement their designs. Where possible D.T. activities are integrated with other curriculum areas and give children “real” purposes for making.


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How about associating « Work and Well-Being » ?
As an exclusive partner of the Sisley House, the Hotel Best Western Premier –"Bayonne Etche-Ona" invites you after a day of work to enjoy the exceptional treatments of the Sisley Houses.
Hotel welcomes you in its 2 recently renovated 18th century listed buildings.
Beyond the 61 rooms and suites at your disposal, you can enjoy our meeting rooms, air-conditioned, fully equipped with daylight.
Fitness area exclusively reserved for our guests with a personal Coach according to your needs, on request
In light of the impact and changes of the current context, rest assured that the health safety rules are being followed strictly within our establishment. For your convenience, we can fully privatize one of two buildings in order to offer you a confidential and secure space.
Study days packages from 69 €* and residential seminars from 192 €*.
Various and exclusive activities to maximize the cohesion of your teams on request : Vine yard discovery, track play, sports events, Arcachon tours, etc.
* Offer valid until 03/31/2021 including the rental of the meeting room, lunch and two snacks.
** Offer valid until 03/31/2021 for a minimum reservation of 15 rooms including the single room with breakfast, rental of the meeting room, lunch and two snacks. Prices may vary according to availability and the season. Possibility of privatizing the premises starting from 25 rooms.

domain: travel


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Homepage for the best 3D templates
Scan across the web for STL files with a single click
I am reuploading my old models from other platform here.
I am doing commissions. Pm me if you are interested or send mail - [email protected]my shop - https://gumroad.com/pollygrimmmy gallery - https://www.artstation.com/polligrimm
Jean Paul Alexander Lacour
Guest post from Cameron Norris from Wevolver PLEN2 is a app controlled, Arduino, open-source, easy to program & 3D printable robot. Adorable.
Like something out of a hokey sci-fi movie, this photogrammetry use gives astonishing navigable 3D scans of real buildings.
E3D celebrates the 3rd birthday of its popular V6 hotend with style - by offering a gold edition and optional titanium heat breaks.
Finally have a Photon of your own but don't know what to print? Check out our selection of top notch Anycubic Photon prints.
Researchers from University of California, Riverside developed a 3D printed LEGO style modular system for chemistry and biology instruments.
Stratasys is partnering with Dassault Systèmes to supply Unlimited Tomorrow with 3D printing and CAD software dedicated to producing affordable, patient-specific prosthetic devices.
Engineer and maker Igor Albuquerque has created a 3D printed articulating LED lamp that you can mount on your desk and configure to fit your work or study environment.
Penn State and the University of Maryland are offering 3D printing degrees including hands-on approaches to learning about the technology.
Want to do some light reading before bedtime? This sleek 3D printed Minimal Bedside Lamp by DeDesigned is an easy project that will have guests wondering where you bought it.
The 3MF Consortium (Microsoft, HP, Autodesk et. al.) created a new file format to suite the whole process from 3D modeling to manufacturing.
Looking for the best 3D printed fidget spinner toys? Here's a list of 34 best 3D printed fidget spinners you can DIY or buy.
Want 3D printed parts but don't own a printer? Why not turn to a professional service? Learn how to find the 3D printing company for you!
Built with ❤ by epcsht

domain: hobby


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Monthly Rent 800.0 AED
Agent Commision in Case of Rent 800.0 AED
Total Renting Cost 800.0 AED
Target monthly rent 800.0 AED
Target home price 800.0 AED
Down payment 800.0
Principal amount 800.0 AED
Agent fees 800.0 AED
Land Dept Fee 800.0 AED
Mortgage Valuation Fee 800.0 AED
Mortgage Processing Fee 800.0 AED
Knowledge Fee 800.0 AED
Total Fee 800.0 AED
Monthly Mortgage Payment 800.0 AED
Total Monthly Buying Cost 800.0 AED
This calculator is provided for educational and informational purposes only. You should not take any action on the basis of the information provided through this calculator. It relies on assumptions and information provided by you regarding your goals, expectations and financial situation. All figures are hypothetical and may not be accurate indicators of historical or current performance. Past performance does not guarantee nor indicate future results.
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domain: economics