text:
May 15, 2012 > Are You at Risk for Colorectal Cancer?
Washington Hospital Seminar Focuses on Inflammatory Bowel Disease
If you experience abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhea, you could have inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. "Both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis can raise your risk for colorectal cancer," said Dr. Annamalai Veerappan, a gastroenterologist and member of the Washington Hospital medical staff. "Crohn's raises your risk if it occurs in the colon. If you have had either disease for seven to 10 years, you may need to start getting a colonoscopy every year." Veerappan will present "Crohn's, Colitis, and Colorectal Cancer Risk" on Tuesday, May 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. The free seminar will be held at the Conrad E. Anderson, M.D. Auditorium, located at 2500 Mowry Avenue (Washington West) in Fremont. You can register online at www.whhs.com or call (800) 963-7070 for more information. While Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, it can affect the digestive tract anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It is an autoimmune disease, which occurs when the body mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy tissue. "Our immune system helps to fight infection and attacks cells that could turn into cancer," Veerappan explained. "But with autoimmune diseases, our body sees normal cells as bad cells. With Crohn's disease, it sees the bowel as a foreign invader and attacks it, causing inflammation and irritation."No Cure Crohn's can occur at any age, but is usually first diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 and 35, according to the National Institutes of Health. There is no known cause and no cure. "There are various theories about what causes it, but none have been proven," Veerappan said. "About 10 to 20 percent of the people who get Crohn's have a family history." Researchers believe genes play a role in the disease. In addition to having a family history, those who are Jewish are at higher risk for the disease. People of color have a lower risk, he added. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramps, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, rectal bleeding, and diarrhea. It can also cause inflammation in the eyes, joint pain, and liver disease. "About 10 percent of people who have Crohn's get one outbreak and then never have another occurrence," he said. "Those are the lucky ones. About 5 percent have continual flare ups. They get it and it never goes away. But for most people, it's a cycle of exacerbation and remission." Veerappan will talk about some of the medications that are available to keep Crohn's under control. If medications don't work, surgery may be required. He said the standard protocol is to start with the weakest medications that have the least side-effects and then "step up" to more potent drugs as needed. But more recently, gastroenterologists have started to change their thinking. "The direction we are heading now is to start with the strongest medication right out of the gate for those patients who are younger and have a very aggressive form of the disease," Veerappan explained. "We are seeing success with this approach and believe outcomes will be much better for these patients in the long-term."Ulcerative Colitis Ulcerative colitis is also an autoimmune disease, but unlike Crohn's it only affects the inner lining of the colon. It tends to run in families and can cause eye inflammation, joint pain, and liver disease. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. For most people, the symptoms are intermittent. Some people go for months or even years without any symptoms, while a small percentage experience symptoms all the time, according to Veerappan. "Ulcerative colitis can be cured by removing the colon," he added. "We prefer to control the symptoms with medication."Cancer Risk People who have had Crohn's disease in the colon or ulcerative colitis for seven to 10 years are at increased risk for colorectal cancer and should get regular screenings no matter how old they are, according to Veerappan. Adults without any history of these diseases should start getting a colonoscopy at age 50. Colorectal cancer begins as a microscopic polyp on the wall of the colon or in the rectum. A colonoscopy is a screening method that allows physicians to see the inside the rectum and colon using a small tube with a camera on the tip. If polyps are present, they are usually removed during the colonoscopy, preventing them from becoming cancerous. If no polyps are present and you aren't at increased risk for colorectal cancer, the next screening is not needed for another 10 years, Veerappan explained. "Screening is the best way to prevent colorectal cancer," he said. "With regular screenings, we can actually prevent colorectal cancer from developing." For more information about other classes and seminars offered at Washington Hospital, visit www.whhs.com.


text:
Former Wolf Pack pitcher Chad Qualls was left off of the froster for Team USA.
Qualls was one of 21 pitchers named to the provisional roster. But he was one of seven pitchers trimmed from the final roster.
Qualls can now focus on the upcoming baseball season. He's set to be the Diamondbacks closer this year.
Team USA will compete in the World Baseball Classic this March in Japan.
Here's the Team USA Final Roster:
Broxton, Jonathan - Los Angeles Dodgers R/R 6'4" 290lbs
Fuentes, Brian - Los Angeles Angels L/L 6'4" 230lbs
Guthrie, Jeremy - Baltimore Orioles R/R 6'1" 195lbs
Howell, J.P. - Tampa Bay Rays L/L 6'0" 175lbs
Lilly, Ted - Chicago Cubs L/L 6'1" 190lbs
Lindstrom, Matt - Florida Marlins R/R 6'4" 210lbs
Nathan, Joe - Minnesota Twins R/R 6'4" 225lbs
Oswalt, Roy - Houston Astros R/R 6'0" 185lbs
Peavy, Jake - San Diego Padres R/R 6'1" 195lbs
Putz, J.J. - New York Mets R/R 6'5" 250lbs
Ryan, B.J. - Toronto Blue Jays L/L 6'6" 260lbs
Shields, Scot - Los Angeles Angels R/R 6'1" 180lbs
Thornton, Matt - Chicago White Sox L/L 6'5" 245lbs
Ziegler, Brad - Oakland Athletics R/R 6'4" 205lbs
Iannetta, Chris - Colorado Rockies R/R 6'0" 225lbs
McCann, Brian - Atlanta Braves L/R 6'3" 230lbs
DeRosa, Mark - Cleveland Indians R/R 6'1" 205lbs
Jeter, Derek - New York Yankees R/R 6'3" 195lbs
Jones, Chipper - Atlanta Braves S/R 6'4" 210lbs
Pedroia, Dustin - Boston Red Sox R/R 5'9" 180lbs
Rollins, Jimmy - Philadelphia Phillies S/R 5'8" 175lbs
Wright, David - New York Mets R/R 6'0" 208lbs
Youkilis, Kevin - Boston Red Sox R/R 6'1" 220lbs
Braun, Ryan - Milwaukee Brewers R/R 6'1" 200lbs
Granderson, Curtis - Detroit Tigers L/R 6'1" 185lbs
Hawpe, Brad - Colorado Rockies L/L 6'3" 205lbs
Sizemore, Grady - Cleveland Indians L/L 6'2" 200lbs

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We Were Children: 2 Residential School Survivors Share Story in Powerful New FilmFilms
The following is a guest post from Lisa Meeches, executive producer of We Were Children. The film had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) in October 2012, and aired on APTN on March 19, 2013.
You can purchase or rent a digital copy of We Were Children from our website.
We Were Children, Tim Wolochatiuk, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
For over 130 years, Canada's First Nations children were legally required to attend government-funded residential schools run by various orders of the Christian faith. The schools were part of a wider program designed to integrate the Aboriginal population into the dominant culture and, in essence, to "kill the Indian in the child."
At their peak in the 1950s there were 80 Indian residential schools across the country. It was in these institutions that over 150,000 Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit children, some as young as 2 years old, were stripped of their families, their language, their culture and even their humanity. My own father and sister attended residential schools. They wrestled with the reality of that experience all their lives, and died before they could share the truth with others.
I have listened to hundreds of testimonies in my lifetime, especially in recent years. When I discovered that my father and sister were survivors, many things about our life together suddenly made sense, and I found myself on a journey of healing and forgiveness of my own. The sense of loss was overwhelming, and out of it came the realization that no matter how hard I tried—how hard any of us tried—time was not on our side. Survivors were slipping silently away, and with each truth untold a vital piece of our history was lost. There had to be a way to reach more people, and reach them faster. It was then that I met filmmaker Tim Wolochatiuk. And I knew he would be the one to tell this story.
We Were Children is the testimony of 2 survivors: Lyna Hart and Glen Anaquod
In 1958, Lyna was taken from her family to a school in central Manitoba, while Glen, who was orphaned, entered a school in Saskatchewan, part of 7 generations of children who were betrayed, broken and abandoned. The impact is with us still, in shattered families, addiction, violence and suicide. For many survivors and their relatives the pain is still too much to bear, and until recently there has been little opportunity, or interest, in reviving deeply buried memories.
But things are changing. Those responsible for the residential school system are apologizing to First Nations people for the unimaginable pain and suffering inflicted and are reaching out in the spirit of humility, respect and reconciliation. Awareness is growing, supports are in place for those who wish to share their experiences and the shadow of ignorance has begun to lift.
But more than ignorance, it was silence that was the schools' true strength. And the silence, as Glen has told us, was deafening. One by one, however, survivors are finding their voice, we are finding ours, and the silence is being broken.
As overwhelming as it is to fully absorb this chapter in our history, we must not despair—Lyna and Glen would be the first to say so. Because if in hearing the truth we retreat into our sorrow and our shame, we miss a crucial opportunity to ensure that the horror of the past is not repeated.
Glen Anaquod died on May 31, 2011, shortly after principal photography on We Were Children began. In offering his testimony he has given us the greatest of gifts: his voice. A voice silenced for decades by force and by fear now emerges, powerful and clear, preserved for generations to come. We Were Children is dedicated to his memory and his profound wish that no child would ever again experience the terror, torture and loss that he, Lyna and thousands of others endured.
We Were Children is a challenging film, and it's okay to cry when you watch it. I did. It's never easy to acknowledge darkness, to step up and face it head on. But in facing it together, we will find the way forward on a journey that will strengthen all of us.
So, where do we go from here?
- Acknowledge the reality of residential schools, their impact on society and their place in Canadian history. Building awareness builds understanding, which in turn moves us toward true reconciliation and healing in our lives, our families and our communities.
- Make a commitment to support or initiate efforts to commemorate the residential school experience, to record its history and to promote healing.
- Take action. Talk about residential schools with your friends, families and co-workers and connect with resources like the ones listed below.
Take time to explore these websites to find out more about residential schools in Canada and their ongoing impact, and share what you've learned with others. Together we will lift our voices for change, healing and hope—for us, but most importantly, for our children.
"This didn't have to happen. And hopefully it never will again." – Glen Anaquod
* * *
Online Resources
Government of Canada
Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
Click here to read the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement fact sheet from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has a mandate to learn the truth about what happened in the residential schools and to inform all Canadians about that truth. The Commission will document what happened based on records held by those who operated and funded the schools, testimony from officials of the institutions that operated the schools, and experiences reported by survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience and its subsequent impacts.
The Commission hopes to guide and inspire First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and Canadians in a process of truth and healing leading toward reconciliation and renewed relationships based on mutual understanding and respect.
Health and Well-being
The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Support Program (Health Canada) provides mental health and emotional support services to former Indian Residential School students and their families before, during and after their participation in Settlement Agreement processes, including the Common Experience Payments and the Independent Assessment Process, and those participating in Truth and Reconciliation Commission events and Commemoration activities.
Click here to view a list of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program Regional Offices.
Raising Awareness
The Legacy of Hope Foundation is a national Aboriginal charitable organization whose purposes are to educate, raise awareness and understanding of the legacy of residential schools, including the effects and intergenerational impacts on First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and to support the ongoing healing process of Residential School Survivors. Fulfilling this mandate contributes toward reconciliation among generations of Aboriginal peoples, and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada.
The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations and Métis women within First Nation, Métis and Canadian societies. As a national organization representing Aboriginal women since 1974, NWAC's mandate is to achieve equality for all Aboriginal women in Canada.
The Anglican Church of Canada's Parish Action Kit is for those seeking to take positive steps toward reconciliation in their communities.
Information about the apology on residential schools by the Catholic Church and apologies by Catholic organizations in Canada.
In the past 20 years, the United Church has begun a directed, prayerful and concerted effort to become more informed about and responsive to the harmful effects of the residential school policy.
The Presbyterian Church of Canada
The Presbyterian Church provides a history of its involvement with residential schools and its journey toward reconciliation, including information related to funding of initiatives designed to promote reconciliation and healing in communities.
* * *
Interested in hosting a screening of We Were Children? Contact us! (All community and school screenings will begin in Spring 2013.)


text:
Office of Revenue Sharing: Fifth Count File, 1970 (ICPSR 77)
Published: Mar 25, 2008
Principal Investigator(s):
DUALabs, Inc.
Version V1
This study contains economic and demographic data tabulations on persons in households in the United States in 1970. These data record selected Fifth Count population and housing characteristics for all of the 38,529 governmental units eligible for the Revenue Sharing Program in Entitlement Period #1. In addition, the file also contains information on the funds returned to the local governments. Data are provided on aggregate income, distribution of the population by race, age, and sex, relationship, school enrollment, and employment. Data are also provided on housing units and distribution of households by family type, family income, poverty status, and gross rent. See the Census software package, CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING [UNITED STATES]: CENSUS SOFTWARE PACKAGE (CENSPAC) VERSION 3.2 WITH STF4 DATA DICTIONARIES (ICPSR 7789), and the data retrieval program, C80 COMPUTER PROGRAM: 1980 CENSUS DATA RETRIEVAL PACKAGE (ICPSR 9055), for use with this dataset.
Export Citation:
National Science Foundation (SSH74-18300 A01)
Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions.
- The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.


text:
Browse by Medical Category
Friday, December 3, 2010
TRANSPLANT TOWN HALL:: From left, Doroni, Madsen and Fishman
Members of the MGH Transplant Center gathered in the Bigelow Amphitheater Nov. 17 to hear Joren Madsen, MD, DPhil, director of the MGH Transplant Center; Jay A. Fishman, MD, associate director of the center; and Debra J. Doroni, MBA, executive director of the center and the Department of Surgery, unveil the Transplant Center's new strategic plan. The three leaders presented "The Transplant Center Strategic Vision and Implementation Plan."
"Given the changing environment of health care and the number of transplant centers nationally, it is essential that the MGH demonstrate leadership in clinical care, research and education to maintain longstanding prominence in the field of organ transplantation," says Madsen. "Recently, after achieving CMS accreditation, the Transplant Center embarked on a comprehensive process to broaden, strengthen and update its strategic plan. Significant new ideas and directions have emerged as part of this process."
The center's plan is organized around the following five goals: to lead the nation in innovative research; to provide the best care to a growing volume of transplant patients; to better serve the greater community of patients, donors and families; to shape the future of transplantation through leadership in training, education and public policy; and to support an integrated approach to clinical care, education and research with a dedicated facility.
"The MGH Transplant Center was created to enhance the care of our patients and advance research and education in the field," says Fishman. "Our goal is to maintain leadership in each of these areas. The strategic plan reflects our commitment to continued growth of transplantation at the MGH."
For more information about the Transplant Center, access www.massgeneral.org/transplant.
Back to Top


text:
Brooke Mueller, Charlie Sheen's third ex-wife and the mother of his twins, has returned to rehab for what's reportedly the 19th time.
The Ministry admittedly hasn't been keeping track, so that number comes courtesy of TMZ, which apparently has been. She checked in Monday night.
"Brooke was uncomfortable with the way Adderall was making her behave," her attorney Yale Galanter told the website. Galanter told E! News that the stint would be for ongoing treatment of prolonged addiction issues. According to TMZ sources, Mueller has an Adderall prescription for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and told friends she recently took more than the prescribed amount while jamming to finish an order for her jewelry business.
Mueller was taken to the emergency room Friday morning after what was initially reported as an overdose. However, another Mueller attorney vigorously disputed that account, telling E! News on Friday that "there were no illegal drugs in Brooke's system, and she is at home right now with her kids. Brooke did not overdose."


text:
All the Colors of Darkness (Inspector Banks Novels #18) (Paperback)
March 2009 Indie Next List
"Detective Inspectors Alan Banks and Annie Cabbot are back, this time tying to find out how a murder/suicide came about despite being warned off by their superiors."
— George Fox Rishel, The Sly Fox, Virden, IL
In a world of terror and uncertainty, what does one small death matter?
The body hanging from a tree in a peaceful wood appears to Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot to be a suicide. Further investigation into the sad demise of Mark Hardcastle, the set designer for the local amateur theater company, leads to the corpse of Mark's older, wealthier lover, brutally bludgeoned to death.
Suddenly the case demands the attention of Chief Inspector Alan Banks, called back from his vacation even though nothing suggests this wasn't a crime of passion followed by remorse and self-destruction. But machinations within the shadow world of secret government only add to the colors of darkness already shading this troubling affair. And a stubborn policeman who will not be frightened away could lose everything in one terrifying, explosive instant.
Praise For…
"Robinson shows a deft hand at using forensic science, conflict between characters, and recurring series themes. Another winner from one of Britain's established A-listers."
"As much thriller as crime story...solid...Robinson deftly integrates the requisite espionage element with his regular cast. The unexpected cliffhanger will assure readers that this chapter in Banks's life is far from over."
"Best-selling author Robinson branches out into new territory in what may be his best novel yet."
"A well-written, thought-provoking continuation of our relationship with characters who inhabit the same world of darkness, accident, and concern that we all do."
"Smoothly blends aspects of the spy thriller into what seems to be a murder-suicide....Robinson doesn't miss a beat....All the Colors of Darkness is another example of Robinson's seamless, insightful storytelling."
"Smart, absorbing detective series....[Robinson's] latest novel about Yorkshire detectives Alan Banks and Annie Cabbot is every bit as captivating as its predecessors....You'll be eagerly awaiting their next adventure."
"Robinson pulls the reader in from the first page of this tightly plotted story and the vividly drawn characters only enhance the pleasures of this fine novel. All the Colors of Darkness is the 18th mystery in the multiple-award-winning Alan Banks series—and it's one of the best."
"Robinson's deft handling of psychological anguish makes this exploration of 'jealousy, betrayal, envy, ambition, greed, lust, revenge—all the colors of darkness' an outstanding addition to this distinguished series."
"An intricate thriller."


text:
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Chocolate Sales Online
Chocolate Obsession is on board with the "candy season" idea. There are some great sales out there (I found some good things at Sav-On yesterday on the sale table, including 10 cents for York Peppermint Patties in the shape of snowflakes and filled raspberry hard candies for 49 cents instead of $2.49).
Lake Champlain is having a pretty amazing sale that's not just holiday themed stuff, you can get their 5 Star Bars for $14.40 instead of $24.00. I might have to order that up, or drop lots of hints for my upcoming birthday. Hint, hint.
Godiva is also posting their "Chocolate Covered Sale" items at up to 50% off. Not my favorite brand, but I certainly wouldn't turn up my nose at it.
I also shopped at Cost Plus World Market yesterday and found that all of their holiday candies were 50% off (even the Hanukkah stuff, even though we're only half-way through). Much of it had been picked over, but they had some nice tins of candy that you can still bring as hostess gifts for New Years or of course just snuggled down with yourself.
Crate and Barrel has some stellar mark downs on their candy as well, you can pick it up in the stores or order online. 18 ounces of Mint Cookie Joys for $4.50? Buy a dozen! I loooooove Mint Cookie Joys.
No sign of sales on Dean & Deluca or Zabars and Williams-Sonoma doesn't have the treats on their site at the moment. Look sharp, there are some great deals out there. Post if you've found something!
Starbucks Discontinues Chantico
I saw a news item that said that Starbucks is pulling Chantico, a scant year since it was introduced.
It may not be completely gone:
I actually liked the stuff, but my positive review earlier this year was hardly enough to keep it on the menu. I've had the drink a total of three times, I don't go to Starbucks very often (even though they are everywhere). I try to frequent the independent chains, but I would actually patronize them more if their fair trade coffee was always one of the drip coffee options.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Make This: Christmas Stockings
Stockings are one of my favorite traditions of Christmas. I've written before about my love of the stockings Santa brought us as children. They were eclectic mixes of little gifts, novelties, traditional American chocolates, gelt and international confections. These were candies that we didn't get any other time of the year, not in Easter baskets and certainly not in Halloween trick-or-treat bags.
For the past few years I've also continued this tradition with my friends when I'm in town for the holidays. We often host a Christmas Eve dinner for friends and I give out a version of these stockings to my guests.
Our family tradition is that everyone has a stocking and it must be at my mother's house in order for Santa to find it and fill it. Instead for my guests I put their goodies in fabric wine gift bags. They're pretty and because they're reusable they're a gift as well. I found this excellent assortment in Chinatown much less expensive than at the wine store or Cost Plus. As this year was an all-couple affair, each couple got a stocking.
The cornerstone of a stocking is candy. The Santa of my childhood seemed to favor a mix of nuts in the shell (which were obviously pretty but were also intended to minimize the actual candy content). Those nuts were immediately sorted out of the candy mix and placed in a bowl on the kitchen table. My stockings skip right to the punch - chocolate. This year we picked up a mix of chocolate coins, Hershey's Kisses (plain, thank you), Hershey's Mint Miniatures Mix & Butterfinger Jingles, Brachs hard candy/toffees and the Trader Joe's Torrones.
A stocking wouldn't be much fun without some sassy little toys and additional candy. So I assembled a bunch of stuff, some from the 99 Cent Store, others I picked up here and there. Everyone gets a special big candy, usually just for their tastes: Toblerone bar, Jelly Belly Assortments, Bazooka bubble gum, mints (those round things are mints that look like roller blade wheels) and some grapefruit pastilles. The things that look like ice cream cones are scented bubbles (non toxic for those folks who have pets who like to play with bubbles like we do).
The gelt is more fun when packaged up. I got some cute little coin bags and pencil keepers in Chinatown as well that are even better stuffed with candy.
And there it is, all stuffed to the seams! (Okay, I have a problem with trying to stuff too much into them.)
Everyone goes home happy and if they have a long way to travel they've got a snack along the way. Of course you can scale up or down for finances and it's always a good idea to keep your eye out year round to find the stuffers. Things like little notebooks, lip balm, ornaments or even CDs are good fun things to add.
(click on any photo for larger, yummier goodness)
Monday, December 19, 2005
Treat Trip: Jelly Belly Factory
One of the best things about candy is that the manufacture of it is as delightful as the shopping and tasting part. It's not at all like the whole "where does meat come from" thing, knowing how the candy is made actually makes me appreciate it more. I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago and set some time aside to head out to Fairfield to visit the Jelly Belly factory.
The location is rather ordinary, right off the highway in an industrial park that holds a few other confectionary concerns and an olive oil place, too. As unassuming and corporate as the outside looks, as we all know about jelly beans, it's the inside that matters.
Jelly Belly has an exceptional free tour for anyone who makes the forty minute trip from San Francisco, but I was lucky enough to get a personal tour from Tomi Holt, the publicist for Jelly Belly.
Or first stop was actually the tasting bar at the factory store. This is actually the best reason for the drive. You can try EVERYTHING they make here. They have all of their candies available for tasting, every jelly bean, every JBz, all of the licorice, the fruit jellies and even the gummis and sugar free assortments. If you've ever been curious about anything that they make, this is the place to try it. I had a few JBz and some of the new mint trio Jelly Bellies before we donned our hairnets.
I got the star treatment with full access to the factory floor (regular visitors are restricted to balcony area that still gives an impressive view of all aspects of the process and of course the smells). Jelly Belly built the factory in 1986, but what's really fascinating is that the Goelitz, owner of Jelly Belly, has been making candy since 1869 and has been in business since 1896. Goelitz is best known for their excellent candy corn, which is made by many companies, but Goelitz is often credited as the first one to make they layered orange, yellow and white version which has certainly become the standard.
The Jelly Belly factory is a huge facility that produces hundreds of different kinds of candy (most of them jelly beans) but they also do panned nuts (Jordan almonds), chocolates (JBz, Chocolate Malt Balls, Dutch Mints), gummi bears, licorice (pastels & bridge mix) and jellies (raspberries, fruit jellies & peach jells). Just about all of their candies are panned. Panning is a process where a candy center is created and then tossed into a huge pan that looks like a cement mixer. Syrups, flavors, colors and/or chocolate are added to coat the candy center, layer upon layer, until the candy is just right and can be polished up and packaged.
First, just about all Jelly Belly candies start as a sugar/corn syrup and corn starch mixture that's boiled to the appropriate temperature and mixed with whatever flavors the recipe requires. Many recipes contain real flavor ingredients - so blueberry Jelly Bellies have blueberry puree in there. The biggest difference between Jelly Belly jelly beans and most others is that they flavor the center. An ordinary jelly bean is just a plain sugar jelly. A Jelly Belly will have a specific flavored center and then an additionally flavored shell.
On the day I was there, they were making jelly beans. Lots and lots of jelly beans. We started in the kitchen which is a hot room with several large machines side by side. Okay, it doesn't look much like my kitchen, but it did smell like pina colada. It was here that Tomi showed me the secret to most the jelly candies that we all know and love. Corn Starch Trays. Each bean is molded by depositing the hot candy soup into a tray made from plain old powdered corn starch.
Picture a deep cookie pan filled with corn starch, then it goes through a conveyer where a mold of the centers is pressed into the corn starch (1,260 per tray). The starch is just stiff enough to hold the form and a little further down the line the depositor squirts the little center in there. While I was there watching one of the candy makers was there watching the consistency of the jelly to assure the quality. The starch trays are unloaded from the conveyer onto open racks where they set up for a day in the climate controlled room.
Next the trays are then dumped out—each tray is turned over where the corn starch falls apart and the centers are sifted to remove the corn starch that clings to it. The corn starch is sifted and reused for new trays. Then they go onto a conveyer where they get a quick steaming to get them a little sticky and they are "sanded" with sugar. For some candies like a fruit pectin, this would be the end of the line. But the Jelly Belly is just getting started. Tomi pulled some of these out for us to try (they were still warm from the steaming)—they were orange. Instead of the zesty tart flavor, these were must mellow and sweet with a nice boost of orange essence. I knew it was going to be interesting to see how a Jelly Belly is built.
The Jelly Bellies get loaded intro trays where they cool, set and wait for their next coat. As most of the centers can look the same, each tray is marked with codes and dates. Different centers get different treatment as some get more rest or less rest before and after their engrossing. Each tray weighs 25 pounds when filled with the Jelly Belly centers. At their appointed time the centers are sent to the engrossing pans. 10 trays of 25 pounds of centers are dumped into one of the pans. Then a master confectioner mixes up the elixir that becomes the candy shell. It's a tricky process that involves a bit of art as they tumble the centers and pour in pitchers of the mixtures and sometimes use air blowers to speed the process.
It takes four coats over about two hours to make the shell and they keep dozens of these panning machines going at any time. So, have you been wondering how much of a Jelly Belly is shell? I asked one of the confectioners there as he was turning off the rumbling, tumbling machines and he said that they put in ten trays of centers, which weigh 25 pounds each. And when they're done, they get about 375 pounds of beans out—that's right, one third of the weight of a Jelly Belly is its shell. What's more, that confectioner added more than 125 pounds of syrups and flavors to the engrossing beans—you'd have to account for evaporation, which is part of the shell making process. It's a grueling job, if you ask me. There they are, all day pouring and managing these tumbling pans. There are fifty different standard Jelly Belly flavors alone, so the list of possible combinations is huge. It's a really interesting process. While we were on the floor one row of pans was making Sizzling Cinnamon and the other was working on Tangerine. The smell of the cinnamon was pretty overwhelming. I'm just glad they weren't making their newest flavor, Roasted Garlic.
You may have noticed that some Jelly Bellies have mottled colors. Those are added at the very end with special coloring agents that don't integrate into the whole shell.
The beans are then tumbled again in another pan to polish them up with a confectioner's glaze. It's kind of like a rock tumbler.
Then the trays go back to the warehouse to wait. The beans' flavors integrate while they cure and then when they're ready to go they get loaded back onto a conveyer where they are sorted into a tray that places them in a huge printer that gives them their white 'brand' of Jelly Belly. All Jelly Bellies get printed in white, even the white ones. It's this extra step that you can use to make sure that the bulk beans that you're buying out of a bin at a candy shop are real Jelly Bellies.
Once the beans are branded, they're boxed. The beans are stored in the cardboard boxes until they're called for, for whatever mix they're making. They un-box the beans onto a huge conveyer that sends them to a tumbler that mixes them together. The tumbler we got close to was making a combo that looked like sour lime and orange—kind of like peas and carrots. It's mesmerizing to see them tumbling in mesh drums that must be four feet high with little holes in it that keep the air moving and the rejected small jelly beans will fall through. The noise is incredible, you wouldn't think that so many jelly beans just rustling around could be so loud, but most of the crew on the floor in this area of the factory wears ear protection.
All along the way are the factory personnel assuring the quality of the beans, but there are mechanical methods as well. If a bean makes it all the way through the process to be a "complete" bean but is rejected for size or shape, they're called a "Belly Flop." Belly Flops can be purchased in one place, the Jelly Belly factory. When I was there they were selling them in various mixes for half the price of real Jelly Bellies.
At the end of the factory part Tomi and I went back to the lobby where she took me through the wall of history that detailed the rise of the company, the family history and of course the Ronald Regan memorabilia (he was a huge fan of the confections since they started and could be credited for bringing them to national attention in the early eighties).
Of course at the end of that Tomi and I adjourned to the factory store again and spent more time with Barbara at the tasting bar where she continued to feed us whatever we wanted to taste. I even gave some of the Bertie Botts(tm) flavors a try and rather liked the grass, black pepper and soap flavors. But what impressed me most after tasting such a wide range of the products they offered, no matter whether they were to my liking or not, the quality is excellent. The amount of flavor they pack into such small bits of candy is amazing and obviously is what sets Jelly Bellies apart from other jelly beans. The strange thing is that when I went on the tour I was pretty much neutral on Jelly Belly. They're good, I never argued with the quality, but now that I've seen them made and tasted the full range of flavors, I'm hooked on some of their other products. See my full review for an exhaustive list of some of the things I've tried in the past few weeks.
They run the tours six days a week, but the factory doesn't operate on Saturdays, so try to make it on a weekday for the full experience. Check their website or call ahead for hours. They also have a cafe on site (and a room you can rent for parties).
Also, if you're in the Midwest you can tour their Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin warehouse too, which also has a full store and tasting bar.
(All inside the factory photos courtesy of Jelly Belly.)
Related Candies
Friday, December 16, 2005
Candy Source: Candy Baron - Santa Monica
I went to a new candy shop last weekend. I was on a quest for Ribbon Candy which seemed oddly difficult to find. I found The Candy Baron in Santa Monica. A small chain of shops, they seemed a good alternative to the mall shop called Sweets Factory.
The Candy Baron's main product is bulk candy. They have the usual selection of Jelly Belly candies as well as taffy, hard candies, gummis, candy buttons and licorice. Their prices weren't bad, most stuff going for between $5.00 and $6.00 a pound. They also have harder to find nostalgia/regional items like Goetze's Caramel Creams (bull's eyes), rock candy, Mary Janes, Walnettos & Squirrel Nut Zippers. They also had a decent selection of international candy bars. Though they were priced at a mind-blowing $2 each, if you've really got a jones for a Coffee Crisp, that'd be the place to check out.
They're just off the Promenade in Santa Monica on Santa Monica Blvd.
There are only five locations total (Santa Monica, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, San Francisco and Eugene, OR) but they do have a website where you can order and have it shipped to you.
I'm still on a quest for a good place to buy inexpensive bulk candies in Los Angeles. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm ready to go.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:05 am Los Angeles • Review • Shopping •
Saturday, December 10, 2005
A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Spirts Go Down
Here's another item to add to the list if you're looking for something to bring the hostess this holiday or maybe just a stocking stuffer.
No, not shotglasses for Peppermint Schnapps, these are shot glasses that are made from peppermint sticks.
Sooo cute.
I saw them today at both Urban Outfitters (you can order online) and Cost Plus World Market (a dollar cheaper). As a side note, I've also seen plenty of chocolate liqueur cups which are great for serving dessert cognac. If you're looking for a way to add candy to a mixed drink (besides a lemon drop to a lemon martini or cinnamon imperials to a sweet martini) you might want to check out the new Twizzler Strawz.
They're made for Slurpees and are just regular Twizzlers that are bigger so you can use them like a straw and get added flavor (and eat them). For cocktails, just snip them in half for a martini glass or lowball.
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Guide to Gifts for Candy Lovers
Here it is, your guide for what to get those candy obsessed people on your gift list. Some of this is stuff I've bought before, some is stuff I'd like to get and of course some is just something I've read about and thought was cool. Feel free to leave comments to expand this list!
Games & Diversions
Or for those who want to get close to someone during the holidays, maybe some Chocolate Body Tattoos ($15.00) or Candy Bra/G-String ($9.99 - link not safe for work).
Do you have a Poker fan in your life? There are lots of poker themed candies out there now. The simplest is instead of chocolate coins, get them chocolate poker chips. They have a huge selection at Candy Warehouse of chocolate novelties including playing cards, racked chips, dice and other gambling themed items. Of course you can also find candy themed playing cards (I have some Hershey's Kisses ones) but I don't know how the Poker club would feel about that. Candy Corn shaped playing cards by the dozen, Candy Hearts playing cards ($4.95), or go for a whole Chocolate Casino Kit ($17.99). You can't eat it, but it's stilly pretty sweet: Chocolate Monopoly ($21.08) - called Chocolate-opoly.
Candy Crafts
If you really want to get into candy making, Candy Crafts is a great place to start. They have kits you can use to make your own candy gifts or give to someone else.
Crazy Candy Art kits where you can make sand art with candy powder (or just guzzle the half gallon bottles of the stuff).
Paper Goods & Art
Don't forget how welcome a candy poster might be for your sweet-toothed recipient. Art.com has a huge selection of candy photography and classic advertising recreations. You can get them framed (starting at $50) or unframed ($6.99+). May I recommend the Andy Warhol version of the Lifesavers ad, "Do Not Lick This Page? (144.99 framed.)
We've all seen the bowls of Murano glass candy. Either you hate it or love it, but if you want to give it to someone, here's a cool site that seems to have excellent prices and a pretty wide selection. Rebecca's Unique Glass ($6.99-99.99). Don't forget to pick up a jar or bowl for it!
Keeping Candy in Your Life
Here's something that I'd be happy to get. It's actually for spice storage, but I think it'd be super cute to buy this and fill each of the little tins with fun, tasty and colorful candy. Magnetic Spice Storage ($12.99). You can do the same thing with just about any spice rack/storage solution. Filled with pretty pastel Jordan Almonds, Skittles, M&Ms, Kisses (or the new Kissables) or anything your recipient would find tasty is a fantastic and pretty inexpensive gift that keeps on giving.
Purse/Clutch made from candy wrappers ($22-$235) - even if you don't buy any, they're just so cute!
Dispensers and Holders (actually designed for that purpose)
Don't forget the fun with the Candy Poopers. Especially if someone's a fan of animals and candy (how could you not like both). There's even a Penguin Pooper now, so go ahead and bundle it with the March of the Penguins DVD. (My original review here.)
Ornaments & Decoration
Whole Body Indulgences
Face Candy
Candy for the Feet
Candy as Protection
Of course you can take candy to the pool or shore with beach towels that look like candy packages: Candy Bar Beach Towels (14.99) - they come in Tootsie Pop, Dots, Charms Blo Pop and Sugar Daddy. You can also order directly from Bazooka for the Bazooka Bath Towel ($17.99 + 25 comics)
If you want more from your beach towel, how about one that doubles as a game board. Catch this one fast, it's already on clearance at Bed Bath & Beyond: CandyLand Beach Towel Game! ($7.99 clearance).
Sweet Dreams
Edible Gifts (something for everyone)
Sushi lovers might enjoy any of these Koo-ki Sushi ($12-$65). If you were looking for these gummi sushi, that I reviewed before, unfortunately it looks like they're discontinued. But maybe someone on your giftlist is a Manga/Anime fan? Jbox has a great candy kit ($25.00) that includes a variety of KitKats, Pocky and fruity snacks like Lotte blueberry gum.
Crate & Barrel - Food/Candy (prices are a bit steep but the tins & packaging are pretty cool)
I've actually gotten this Chocolate Lover's Crate from Zabar's before. Yum! If that's too pricey maybe just check out their tins of candy.
If you didn't blink with the prices at Zabar's, well head down to SoHo to Dean & Deluca. Spectacular packaging, great website and I've ordered from them before and have to say that the stuff does get there in one piece. The best looking thing they had there was the Joseph Schmidt Chocolate Bowl ($34.00). No, it's not a bowl for chocolate, it's a bowl made from chocolate. Shazaam! I can't link directly to the products there but check out the regular gifts like Chocolate Tower Tiers ($75-$125), Caramel Dominos ($45.00), Chocolate Ornaments ($20), and Pig & Piglets (it's like a Trojan pig, you crack open the pig and pigs come out! - $34.00). Fear not they have an Under $25 Section. (You can also order the chocolate bowl directly from Joseph Schmidt.)
Lake Champlain Chocolates - check out their amazing online store. I really enjoyed their 5 Star Bar and their medallions but I'm sure everything is great. Check out their sale items too, there's some great deals in there.
Chocosphere for online ordering of most of the top brands of chocolate - a good place to go if you want to combine different chocolate brands in one candy gift.
Wilbur Chocolate - of course I've talked about my favorite chocolate before. What's cool is that it's not that expensive, even for their top of the line pacakges. My favorite is the Bud filled Milk Bottle ($16.09) but they also have the following Super Assortment in a box ($49.99), Tier of Treats ($63.79) and the more cost efficient selections like the Crock 'o Buds ($26.99) and the Cocoa Mug ($10.99). You can't order online, you have to either fax or call it in (800)2WILBUR. (My reviews here.)
Boule - a tiny candy shop in Los Angeles that makes this fantabulous Fruit Pate and some pretty innovative taste combinations for their truffles. Here's my review.
Candy All Year Round
Candy of the Month Club from Candy Warehouse - three levels: Bazooka Joe, Gruffi Gummi Bear and The Thurston Howell Chocolate Package.
Seventy Percent has a chocolate tasting club where they send you a different 70%+ chocolate every month. Chocolate Connoisseur's Club includes three bars (or more) plus tasting notes for each of the featured items. Based in the UK, they have access to chocolates that I've never heard of. Prices start at 13.95 pounds per month plus a 3.95 pound surcharge for non UK addresses. Without making a huge committment you can also pick up one of their "Chocolate Hampers" which feature incredible selections.
For Stockings / Gelt
For more stocking stuffers check out Cost Plus World Market or some similar store in your area. Ours carries not only a huge selection of international foods and candies but also gift kits, baskets for making your own and tins of retro candy, nostalgia items and of course cute stuff. Their prices are far and away more affordable than someplace like Williams Sonoma or Crate & Barrel but probably the same stuff.
Other Gift Guides
UPDATE: Here are a few things I left out!
Plush Puffs (reviewed here) is featuring a great new gift basket that allows you to pick your assortment of three packages of their gourmet marshmallows. $27.99 (but there are gifts for all price ranges).
Yum Boxes ($48 for a set of 8) - I'm not sure if this is a gift idea or an idea for your next party. They're cool little invitations for parties that include candies and handy mailing boxes. They're pricey but maybe something you can custom make at home.
Regular reader Desertwind suggests Allentown's own Josh Early Candies which looks kinda like a Pennsylvania version of See's with their black and white logo and focus on nuts, chews & toffees.
Last, I completely forgot Scharffen Berger! I went to their factory last week and was enchanted with their stuff in the gift store. How can you resist their chocolate shirts with the messages: (semi) sweet, (bitter) sweet and (extra) bitter ($14.50). Sassy! Oh, and they have chocolate too. Can I recommend their panned chocolates ...ooh, I already did!
POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:22 pm Gift Guide • Fun Stuff • News • Shopping •
Monday, December 5, 2005
Gift Ideas - Sweet Savvy
Yes, finally a board game based on snack food. And why not? There are board games based on strategy, knowledge of other specific topics like sports or music or all trivia ... it's about time someone leveraged snacks into a game for grownups (let's face it, you can't play CandyLand all your life).
Here's a game called Eat It!
It's going on my Christmas wish list and I'll be putting together a full list of gift ideas for candyphiles later this week. See article here ... found via Slashfood.
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


text:
Why would you include this in a job application letter? I think the letter should contain only what is relevant.
I am Mehtap Balci,
I am writing from Turkey. I need to write a letter of enquiry to Australia and New Zealand Consul Mr. Richard Rennert. My aim is to apply for working in the Australia and New Zealand Consulate in my city Canakkale-TURKEY. Apart from my CV, i would like to add some knowledge about the history of Gallipoli Battlefield to the letter, to give point to my particular interest at this theme. However, i feel that i am totally lost as i do not know how to write and very excited as he is a Consul. I aspire to that job and it has been my dream for years. For these reasons, İ am very scared of making mistakes. İf you could help me, this would make me very happy. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours Faithfully
Why would you include this in a job application letter? I think the letter should contain only what is relevant.
Dear Sir or Madam,
İ believe that this is not only an application letter, also a personal letter. This is why i want to add some historical knowledge which is regarding Gallipoli Battlefield. My request is about how to write those in a formal way, what words, verbs to use. Thank you
Yours Faithfully
OK, but in what way is this related to the job application? In most formal letters, we try only to include the information needed for the purposes of the letter, which in this case is to get a job. Have yoiu thought about including this information in the CV, which I presume you will be attaching? What/how much information do you wish to inculde?


text:
House To Vote On Defunding NSA Phone Surveillance
Tamara Keith |
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The House is to vote Wednesday on whether to stop funding the National Security Agency's programs to collect data about Americans' phone calls. The proposal, an amendment to the half-trillion-dollar defense spending bill, is winning support both from liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans.
The U.S. House of Representatives is taking up the issue of domestic spying. Lawmakers are expected to vote today on an amendment that would reign in the National Security Agency program that collects the phone records of millions of Americans. This would be the first vote on the matter since the scope of the NSA program was made public in a series of leaks. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, at issue is an amendment to the defense appropriations bill.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: The amendment's primary author is Michigan Republican Justin Amash, who's politics could best be described as libertarian, but two of his co-authors are liberal Democrats.
REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN AMASH: We disagree on a number of other issues, but we're happy to work together to make sure that our constitution's being followed.
KEITH: Amash believes the NSA program violates the Fourth Amendment and amounts to unlawful search and seizure.
AMASH: NSA and the government are collecting everyone's phone records, regardless of whether the person is under suspicion; no probable cause, nothing. It's just a blanket collection of everyone's phone records.
KEITH: His amendment to the defense spending bill would limit phone data collection to people who are actually under investigation. House Speaker John Boehner is against the amendment and in the past has spoken out in support of the NSA program. And the head of the agency even made a trip up to Capitol Hill to further explain the value of the program to members in a top secret question and answer session.
But groups who support the amendment are lobbying too. David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, says tens of thousands of supporters have sent emails to their representatives. He says this vote marks the first since the nature of the program became clear to the public and members of Congress alike.
DAVID SEGAL: Even those people who voted for the Patriot Act can claim that they didn't understand that those powers were going to be used in this way, and so this is a great opportunity to actually call the question and for Americans to learn where their members of Congress stand on these programs.
KEITH: Last night the White House called on representatives to reject the amendment, saying, quote, "this blunt approach is not the product of an informed, open or deliberative process." Tamara Keith, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.View this story on npr.org


text:
full size
Product Details
Looking for the original schoolboy blazer? Here it is, with the same length, the same slightly shrunken, superchic fit and the same details you fell in love with—including a secret interior pocket for carrying little extras like lipstick (and hello, ChapStick). This one is crafted in a luxuriously lightweight linen and finished with sharp grosgrain tipping and crested buttons to match.
Size & Fit Details


text:
Want to remind yourself or a friend about this program? Fill out this simple form and klru will email you a reminder on the day that it will air.
Getting Ready For Christmas
series: P. Allen Smith's Garden Home
air date: 8/16/13 10:00 AM
P. Allen Smith is gearing up for the Christmas Season with tons of fresh greenery and ways to use it inside the home, including fireplace mantles and a children's room. Plus, he shows us how to make simple cinnamon pinecones and other fun holiday luminaries. Allen shares the latest progress on the Garden Home Challenge.
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
Back to TV Schedule


text:
A bereaved father, who publicly appealed for calm after his son was killed in last summer's riots, has avoided jail after being convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man he accused of staring at his wife.
Tariq Jahan, 46, was given a 12-month suspended sentence following a three-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Jurors heard he grabbed 34-year-old Sajjid Ali by the throat before punching him to the ground after the pair got into an argument in Handsworth, Birmingham, on 6 July last year.
The attack happened a month before Jahan won national acclaim for an impassioned appeal for peace after his 21-year-old son Haroon was killed during disorder in the Winson Green area of Birmingham.
The jury of seven men and five women took just under four hours to return a majority verdict. Jahan, who showed no visible reaction, was cleared of the more serious charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.


text:
Archived Publications
contain dated information
that do not reflect current
WDFW regulations or policy.
These documents are provided
for archival purposes only.!
WDFW Publications
Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Management Plan (2006)
Habitat - Wildlife Area Management
Date Published: November 2006
Number of Pages: 50
Author(s): Juli Anderson
The Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area (20,065 acres) was established in 1993 for the purpose of protecting and managing sharp-tailed grouse and other shrub-steppe obligates, and shrub-steppe habitat on the Columbia Plateau. Management of the Wildlife Area is 100% funded through Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA's) fish and wildlife mitigation program. The property was acquired through fee title purchases by BPA and WDFW, between 1993 and 2002. Properties purchased by BPA have since been deeded to WDFW.
The primary management emphasis for the property is to provide lekking, nesting, foraging, and winter habitat for the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, a state-listed threatened species. Prior to WDFW management, the area had been used for agricultural purposes, primarily cattle grazing and production of cereal grains. BPA funded the conversion of several hundred acres of farmland back to grasslands, to improve the quality and quantity of habitat for shrub-steppe obligates.
As of September 30, 2006, the amount of habitat protection and restoration that BPA had agreed to fund had been completed. From that point on forward, BPA is funding only routine operation and maintenance expenses on the Wildlife Area. Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area staff is looking to alternative funding sources, including grants, to implement additional habitat improvements, including establishment of new riparian shrub and tree plantings, and restoration of wetlands along Lake Creek through removal of artificial levees and channelization.
The primary management concerns and public issues identified in the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Plan are:
In 2006 WDFW planted its second and third fenced plot of riparian shrubs and trees, with supplemental watering provided by existing wells, using 80 year-old windmills as well as modern solar pumps. 2006 was also the second year of augmentation of sharp-tailed grouse, from out-of-state populations.
A third round of sharp-tailed grouse augmentation is being coordinated for spring 2007. WDFW is also planning for possible re-introduction of sage grouse to Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area within the next two years, due to greatly improved habitat conditions since the 1980's, when sage grouse were extirpated from the area. With funding in place, WDFW, in coordination with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Ducks Unlimited (DU), will begin restoration of wetlands along Lake Creek, on BLM and Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area property, in 2007. This will, over the long term, improve quality and quantity of winter habitat for sharp-tailed grouse.
The Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Plan complements the WDFW Sage Grouse, and Sharp-tailed Grouse, Management Plans, which provide a more comprehensive review of prairie grouse management in the larger geographic region.
Suggested Citation:Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2006. Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Management Plan. Wildlife Management Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia. 40 pp.
RELATED DOCUMENT(s):
About WDFW
Wildlife Viewing
Licensing & Permits
Living with Wildlife
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Privacy Statement
Fish Washington
Private Lands Hunting Access
Wildlife Areas
Water Access Sites
Find a license dealer
Weekender Report
GoHunt (mapping)
Contact WDFW
Mailing Lists
RSS Feeds
WDFW Publications
Maps & Data Products
Hunter Education
Report a Violation
WDFW Police Facebook


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 29th Aug 2012 22:52 UTC
Miguel de Icaza: "To sum up: (a) First dimension: things change too quickly, breaking both open source and proprietary software alike; (b) incompatibility across Linux distributions. This killed the ecosystem for third party developers trying to target Linux on the desktop. You would try once, do your best effort to support the 'top' distro or if you were feeling generous 'the top three' distros. Only to find out that your software no longer worked six months later. Supporting Linux on the desktop became a burden for independent developers." Mac OS X came along to scoop up the Linux defectors.
Thread beginning with comment 533083
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Something similar happened to me. I used to be a big time Amiga user, then switched to Linux in 95. I spent the last few years with Gentoo, which I really loved tinkering with. Around 2005 I moved to Windows, but never felt quite at home. Cygwin helped a lot, though. Throughout the years I installed almost every new major distro in VMware and tried it, but none worked for me. Last year I switched to OS X, and now I feel like I am having a Super-Next-Gen Amiga with BSD under the hood. Plus I am having all my opensource tools available, thanks to MacPorts. AND proprietary software like MS office, Adobe Photoshop! Wow! All in 1 OS, no dual boot or fiddling around with VMware. I can't believe I waited this long.


text:
Almost a year old, but worth a look. Yowza!
Russian soldier shot in the head by an AK-47 smiles for the camera as his comrade pulls it out using just PLIERS
- Russian soldier cheated death as he had bullet lodged in his head
- Friend removed the bullet with a pair of pliers
- The man stays calm and composed throughout the procedure
- He has been nicknamed 'The Terminator' after Arnold Schwarzenegger's character
By Jaymi McCann
May 20, 2013
A Russian soldier has cheated death after footage emerged of him having a bullet removed from his forehead with a pair of pliers.
The soldier, who has been dubbed the Russian ?Terminator?, was reportedly caught in AK-47 crossfire between Russian and Chechen militants.
In the video, the man seems undaunted by what is happening, and remains calm as the procedure take place.
Incredible: The soldier turns to the camera to show the bullet that has been lodged in his head
Cleansing: The soldier's friend cleaned the area with fluid before attempting to remove the bullet
A friend is seen forcibly removing the bullet without any medical equipment.
He is seen cleaning the area before removing it with a pair of ordinary pliers.
Removal: The man had trouble removing the bullet from the soldier's head
Composed: The soldier winces in pain but manages to keep his cool
Calm: Despite the amount of pain he must be in, the soldier remains calm throughout the video
I'll be back: The soldier has been compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Terminator as he remained calm throughout the whole procedure
It takes a few minutes to complete the procedure, as the bullet remains firmly lodged.
The man attempts to remove it a few times, before he is successful, as he looks for a comfortable way to do it.
Finally! The bullet is removed after the soldier's friend attempts a variety of positions
Then the soldier smiles for the camera, relieved that the bullet has been removed.
The clip, which is believed to have been filmed during the war in Chechnya in 2000, has become a viral hit.
The brave man has been compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger?s character, The Terminator, due to his calm, unemotional approach.
Close-up: The camera zooms into the empty wound after the soldier manages to cheat death
Video and original article @ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...st-PLIERS.html


text:
USFWS National Digital Library
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The purposes of the Endangered
Species Act are to provide a means
for conserving the ecosystems upon
which endangered and threatened
species depend and a program for
the conservation of such species.
The ESA directs all Federal
agencies to participate in conserving
these species. Specifically, section 7
(a)(1) of the ESA charges Federal
agencies to aid in the conservation
of listed species, and section 7 (a)(2)
requires the agencies to ensure
that their activities are not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence
of listed species or adversely modify
designated critical habitats.
How does the consultation process
support the recovery of species and
their ecosystems?
The Endangered Species Program
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service uses section 7 tools in
partnership with other Service
programs and other Federal
agencies to collaboratively solve
conservation challenges, as well
as create opportunities, using
section 7 consultations, to recover
the ecosystems of listed species.
Consultations also provide ways
to implement recovery tasks by
addressing threats to listed species
that may result from Federal
agency programs and activities.
What is the consultation process that
occurs under section 7(a)(2)?
The provision under section 7 that
is most often associated with the
Service and other Federal agencies
is section 7(a)(2). It requires Federal
agencies to consult with the Service
to ensure that actions they fund,
authorize, permit, or otherwise
carry out will not jeopardize the
continued existence of any listed
species or adversely modify
designated critical habitats. The
Service issued regulations in 1986
detailing the consultation process,
and we have since completed a
handbook describing the process
in detail. The handbook is available
on our web site at http://www.fws.
What is the Service doing to facilitate
the consultation process?
Designing projects in ways that are
compatible with the conservation
needs of listed species and their
ecosystems is among the most
effective methods of ensuring a
more rapid and efficient section
7 consultation process, as well as
species' recovery. The Information,
Planning, and Conservation System
is an emerging tool for action
agencies, their applicants, and
other project proponents to use
during the initial phases of project
development and assessment. The
system will allow for more effective
integration of listed resource
conservation needs and the eventual
streamlining of section 7(a)(2)
How does a consultation get started?
Early coordination is one of the
most effective methods of (1)
streamlining section 7 consultation,
(2) reducing the need to make
project modifications during the
consultation process, and (3)
improving the ability of section
7 to fulfill its role as a recovery
tool. Federal agencies, applicants,
and the Service engage in early
coordination to develop methods
of integrating proposed activities
with the conservation needs of
listed resources before the proposed
actions are fully designed.
Red-cockaded woodpecker
Consultations with
Federal Agencies
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
In response to requests for consultations from the U. S. Coast Guard with regard
to manatees and sea turtles, the South Florida Office of the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has provided guidance about events such as firework displays,
regattas, boat parades and races, and fishing tournaments.
This Louisiana black bear was one of the largest ever captured on Tensas
River National Wildlife Refuge, weighing in at over 400 pounds. The bear
was trapped using a leg-hold cable snare that does not injure the animal. The
biological information obtained, including weight, sex, a tooth for aging, and
other measurements, is part of the Service's ongoing research efforts to aid in the
recovery of this threatened subspecies. Afterwards, the bear was released on site.
Dan Anderson/USFWS
Before initiating an action, the
Federal agency or its non-Federal
permit applicant should coordinate
with the Service as to the species
that may be within their action
area. If a listed species is present,
the Federal agency must determine
whether the project may affect it. If
so, consultation may be required. If
the action agency determines (and
the Service agrees) that the project
is not likely to adversely affect a
listed species or designated critical
habitat, and the Service concurs
in writing, then the consultation
(informal to this point) is concluded.
What happens if a Federal project may
adversely affect a listed species?
If the Federal agency determines
that a project is likely to adversely
affect a listed species or designated
critical habitat, the agency initiates
formal consultation by providing
information with regard to the
nature of the anticipated effects.
The ESA requires that consultation
be completed within 90 days, and
the regulations allow an additional
45 days for the Service to prepare
a biological opinion. The analysis of
whether or not the proposed action
is likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of the species or adversely
modify designated critical habitat is
contained in a biological opinion. If
a jeopardy or adverse modification
determination is made, the
biological opinion must identify any
reasonable and prudent alternatives
that could allow the project to move
The Service must anticipate any
incidental take that may result from
the proposed project and, provided
that such take will not jeopardize
the continued existence of the
listed species, authorize that take
in an incidental take statement.
The latter contains clear terms and
conditions designed to reduce the
impact of the anticipated take to the
species involved. The authorization
of incidental take is contingent
upon the Federal agency carrying
out the terms and conditions. If the
Service issues either a non-jeopardy
opinion or a jeopardy opinion that
contains reasonable and prudent
alternatives, it may include an
incidental take statement.
What is the consultation workload?
In Fiscal Year 2010, the Service
assisted Federal agencies in
carrying out their responsibilities
under section 7 on more than 30,000
occasions. The vast majority of the
workload was technical assistance
to Federal agencies and informal
consultations on actions that
were not likely to adversely affect
listed species or their designated
critical habitat. A large percentage
of projects, as initially planned,
would have had adverse impacts to
listed species, but were dealt with
through informal consultation. In
these situations, the Federal agency
made changes to the project design
so that adverse impacts to listed
species were avoided.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered Species Program
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420
Arlington, VA 22203
April 2011
What type of guidance is available for
other Federal agencies?
Guidance is available on our
section 7 web site at http://www.
Please call us at 703-358-2171 if
you have any questions, or see
our Endangered Species Program
Contacts at http://www.fws.gov/
endangered/regions/index.html to
locate a Service office in your area.
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text: Autumn Spice Sconce, Set of 2 Item #: 119261 $29.99 $9.97 Qty: Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online. Ship to Home Create an inviting aura in your living room with our Autumn Spice Sconces! Each sconce features a pressed medallion design, finished in bronze and green. Each sconce measures 5L x 4.5W x 24H in. Crafted of metal Bronze and green finish Features a scrolled metal design Pressed floral medallion back splash Accommodates 3 in. pillar candles; candles sold separately Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online.


text:
The Texas Rangers clearly had a target painted on Josh Reddick.
They know the A's right fielder as an aggressive base runner. They tried to take advantage of that, catcher Robinson Chirinos repeatedly throwing behind him at first base in an effort to pick him off.
It didn't work, although it was close enough that in the eighth inning the umpires had to have a video review to determine if Reddick was out or had been tagged by first baseman Prince Fielder.
"They were treating me like I was Coco (Crisp)," Reddick said through a grin, referring to the A's top base runner.
Later in the inning, center fielder Leonys Martin climbed the wall in right-center to bring back Daric Barton's bid for a home run. Martin then threw to first base. Reddick, already past second base, raced back to first and beat the tag.


text:
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- The annual ski swap, held by R-5 High School, provided an opportunity to catch some great deals as we head into the ski season. The annual event took place at the Lincoln Park barn today.
Various vendors from the Grand Valley and beyond showcased merchandise and offered shoppers both used and new items for the ski and snowboard season.
The entry fee was only a dollar to enter, and the money raised benefits students at R-5 High School.
"It goes to two primary funds. One of them is a scholarship fund honoring Joe Roscoe, the first principal at R5, and every student who graduates and completes a semester of post secondary school gets a $300 scholarship if they pass all their classes and complete a semester," said Al Kreinburg, the chair of the ski swap committee.


text:
(MCT) CHICAGO _ As the White Sox head to Washington for the start of a three-city road trip, team captain Paul Konerko is hitting .100.
And for those who don't know Konerko, that means he probably will spend a sleepless Monday night. Konerko is a notorious worrier, always tinkering in search of perfection.
"Always," he admits. "There are moments when you know you've got it and when you feel like you're swinging the bat, you're working hard to keep it. And then there's other times when you know you don't feel great up there and you're working hard to get it.
"You're always working hard. There's no real in between."
It is that hard work and dedication that has earned Konerko a soft spot with White Sox bosses. He is on his third general manager now, in this his 15th season with the Sox and he has played long enough and well enough to pass Frank Thomas on the organization's hit list.
He quietly passed Thomas on Friday with his 2,137th hit with the White Sox, third most all time, and could eventually overtake Thomas in home runs (Thomas leads 448-415).
Konerko has played in 137 games or more in all but one season with the White Sox. He admits that passing Thomas is a major accomplishment, though it didn't draw much notice.
"No. 1 is just being out there a lot and showing up to play," Konerko said. "I'm proud of that. ... (Thomas) walked so much because guys were afraid of him, so he had less at-bats to actually swing the bat. So there are things you factor into it, but it's cool nonetheless, any time you get mentioned with a guy that's going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
"The biggest key for any hitter is trying to be as disciplined as you can to the work every day. It sounds easy, but it's hard to come in every day, year after year, and keep doing it."
It is that doggedness to be on the field, that desire to produce that amazed Jake Peavy when he was given the home locker next to Konerko when he arrived in 2009.
"He's a model of consistency, the way he goes about his business and works hard, and there's something to be said for that," Peavy said. "I can tell you what spot Paul is going to be standing in, give or take 10 minutes, on game day.
"He's got his routine and it works for him. To do what he's done year after year, at his age (37), is remarkable."
There is no flash to Konerko, no super seasons like Thomas had, no controversies like Thomas had. Just a quiet, steady, methodical work ethic.
"He certainly has been a guy who very likely winds up with his number retired at some point and winds up as one of the faces of this era in White Sox baseball," said general manager Rick Hahn, who has watched Konerko up close for 13 years. "He's a special guy."
Konerko spends as much time in the batting cages as the rawest rookies fighting for playing time. Always tinkering, to the point it has become an obsession.
"Yeah, that's what good hitters do," hitting coach Jeff Manto said. "They're always concerned about what they're doing. He's one of those guys who, the more he's tinkering the better it gets. For him it works."
"He's always in the (batting) cage, always thinking about it," manager Robin Ventura said. "When you have a guy like him, people see what he's doing. ... He is a leader. He doesn't have to scream. He does it by example."
Asked for an introspective thought about what passing Thomas means to him, Konerko replied:
"There's time in the future to look back at things. I'm just trying to figure out today."___


text:
The 8" DuraTech Finishing Collar features a new integrated collar with adapter that fits into the female end of the chimney pipe. This finish collar provides a decorative black finish. Use it on chimney pipe that is suspended with the roof support system or on pipe that is passing through a wall thimble.
- Provides connection to DVL or DuraBlack
- No other adapters needed
- Fits into the female end of the chimney pipe
DuraTech is a double-wall, all-fuel chimney system for used with wood stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, boilers, ranges, water heaters or other appliances fueled by wood, oil, coal or gas, and zero-clearance fireplaces that are factory-built. This system is designed for normal continuous operation at 1000 degrees flue gas temperatures and is subjected to rigorous and stringent HT requirements of the UL standard ensuring its excellence.


text:
Broward County Libraries is committed to offering programs and services that are accessible to everyone. Assistive technology is used to enable persons with vision or hearing loss to enjoy all that the library has to offer. Programs such as Books-by-Mail make printed materials available to those who are homebound, or otherwise unable to visit their local library. Any librarian can provide details, or you can call the Access Services Coordinator at 954-357-8686.
Accessible Computer Software | Assistive Listening Devices | Books-By-MailBraille Materials/Talking Book | Descriptive Videos | Dial-a-Story | Electronic Magnifiers (CCTVs)Specialized Telephones | Signing Stories @ your library® | Events
Accessible Computer Software Screen reading software (JAWS) and screen magnification software (ZoomText) are available at several library locations for individuals with vision loss.
Assistive Listening Devices Many library meeting rooms are equipped with assistive listening devices, which amplify sound and minimize background noise for individuals who have hearing loss. The equipment works with or without use of a hearing aid.
Books-By-Mail The Books-By-Mail service makes available books and other printed material to library users of all ages who are homebound or unable to visit their local library due to physical disability. Standard and large print formats are available, as well as videos with descriptive narration. An application is required. For more information, call 954-357-5757. More…
Braille Materials/Talking Book Library The Talking Book service provides recorded and Braille reading materials, including books and magazines on tape, to individuals with visual or physical disabilities. The service is free, but an application is required. Special cassette players and headphones are also required, and are provided at no charge. Items are provided by the Library of Congress' National Library Service, and are sent and returned via postage-free mailings. For more information, call 954-357-7555. More…
Descriptive Videos For the benefit of those who are blind or visually impaired, our Books-by-Mail and Talking Book Library provide access to videos that include a narration track describing visual elements of the program, such as action, characters, costumes and location.
Dial-a-Story Broward County Library's Dial-a-Story is a convenient, quick and free storytime-by-telephone service that's available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All that's required is a telephone! Dial-a-Story features four different professionally recorded stories at a time, with new stories offered every other week. Geared toward younger children, the stories are a mix of contemporary tales, timeless classics and favorite fairy and folk tales. To listen, just call 954-357-7777.
Electronic Magnifiers (CCTVs) Electronic Magnifiers, or CCTVs, are available at most Broward County library branches. A CCTV system consists of a video camera that projects onto a monitor a magnified image of printed text, handwriting or photos. You can use a CCTV to enlarge the text to read a letter, book, newspaper or prescription bottle, write checks, and more.
Specialized Telephones Residents who are deaf or blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired are eligible to receive a specialized telephone at no cost through Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. Broward County works with local agencies to distribute the telephones through library locations. For more information, call 954-357-8686.
Back to Top
Signing Stories @ your library® This program, sponsored by Broward County Libraries in partnership with Deaf Family Literacy Academy, is for families with deaf or hard of hearing children, and for those who work with deaf children. Events are held on selected Saturdays during the school year from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Regional Library, 8601 W. Broward Blvd., in Plantation. For more information, call 954-765-1560.
DisAbilities ExpoBroward County Libraries participates in the DisAbilities Expo, an annual event that provides an opportunity for Broward County residents to get information and learn about services, resources and products available for persons with disabilities.
White Cane Safety DayBroward County Libraries is a co-sponsor of this annual event, along with the Greater Broward Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. City and county elected officials traditionally participate and make remarks regarding efforts to support the goal of equal access for the disabled community.


text:
|Episode Description
|Sunday, Apr 7, 2013 - 11:00 PM
Despite horrific living conditions, starvation and the threat of deportation to Auschwitz, the Jewish inmates of Terezin concentration camp fight back with art and music. Led by conductor Raphael Schachter, they re-imagine a Catholic liturgical work, Verdi's Requiem, as a condemnation of the Nazis in Latin. Six decades later, conductor Murry Sidlin and a new choir take the Requiem back to Terezin. G
Mountain Time
|More on IDAHO (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


text: An 84-year-old Maynard man died Wednesday after the car he was driving veered off the road and into a snowbank in Concord, police said. Officers found Peter Porrazzo unconscious in his car at 9:56 a.m. in the area of 2194 Main St., Concord police said. The car was running, and the doors were locked, police said. Porrazzo was taken to Emerson Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. There were no other cars involved in the accident, according to dispatcher Anthony Marabella. The cause of the accident was not immediately available.Evan Allen can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Visceral Games is likely setting its sights on whatever is to come after Dead Space 3, and it may be a pretty big departure from the studio's recent history. According to various hiring hints, the studio seems to be looking into a MOBA.
IGN reports that several job listings all point in a very specific direction. One for a Global Community Manager asks for an "unhealthy passion for MOBA games." It's also seeking a Game Designer with experience on MOBAs and action RTS games, plus a knowledge of competitive gaming. Finally, a Lead Multiplayer Map Designer listing calls for knowledge of multiplayer gaming and the action/shooter genre. The studio is also seeking a Concept Artist on contract for a PC action title.
The project seems to be a MOBA with shooter elements, and true to the genre it could go free-to-play. If so, it would seem likely to hit EA's "Play4Free" line of games, which includes entries from the Battlefield and Command & Conquer series.


text:
All nodes that have this tag will posted to the home page "Recent Activity" block
Campaign continued through 2017. Also, updated in Special Notice #419 (20160809) to encourage spectroscopy.
August 3, 2016: Dr. Noel Richardson (University of Toledo) and colleagues have requested AAVSO assistance in optical monitoring of the bright, colliding-winds binary V1687 Cyg (WR 140, HD 193793) as part of their multi-wavelength campaign on this system.
The June Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletin web page to download your copy: https://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin
The June SID Data report is available here: https://www.aavso.org/sid-database
July 13, 2016: Dr. Colin Littlefield (University of Notre Dame) and colleagues Drs. Peter Garnavich (Notre Dame), Erin Aadland (Minnesota State), and Mark Kennedy (University College Cork) have requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring the intermediate polar cataclysmic variable FO Aqr beginning immediately.
Dr. Littlefield, who with his colleagues recently published ATel #9216 and #9225, writes:
Thanks to all of our generous donors - WE MADE IT!
We not only met our Annual Campaign goal, but exceeded it by more than $1000.00.
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed.
Your continuing support makes it possible for the AAVSO to continue providing the data, tools and services scientists, educators, students, observers and the public rely on.
July 5, 2016: Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 539, Deanne Coppejans and colleagues request optical monitoring of the Z Cam dwarf nova RX And in support of their campaign to observe it with the Very Large Array (VLA) in their ongoing radio jet research.
Deanne writes in a post to the AAVSO Forum thread on this campaign: "We are going to try and catch RX And in quiescence again in the next three weeks. The optical coverage of it is still sparse, so any observations you take of it will be extremely useful."
AAVSO Newsletter 69, July 2016 is now available to members
The AAVSO Newsletter is a periodic, general forum that supports our various observing programs with lists of new targets, observing programming ideas, and general information that spans a wide area of interest. Guest writers contribute pieces that can range from current events to book reviews.
Annual Report of the AAVSO for 2014-2015
The Annual Report of the AAVSO describes the activities of the AAVSO over the past fiscal year, and provides general information about the organization.
The printed version of this issue will be available soon. Please watch for the announcement on our main web page.
The Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers
Volume 44, Number 1, 2016
Table of contents
The May Solar Bulletin is now available. Please visit the Solar Bulletin web page to download your copy: https://www.aavso.org/solar-bulletin
The May SID Data report is available here: https://www.aavso.org/sid-database
June 13, 2016
Event: Nova in Scorpius
Discovered by: Hideo Nishimura (Kakegawa, Shizuoka-ken, Japan) (reported by S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, via CBET 4285)
Discovery magnitude: 12.4 unfiltered CCD on three 10-s CCD frames, using a 200-mm-f.l. f/3.2 lens with a Canon EOS 5D digital camera
Discovery date: 2016 June 10.629 UT
Coordinates (2000.0): R.A. 17 38 19.31 Dec. -37 25 08.7 (from VSX)


text:
Boston's Discovery Ensemble is young, both as an orchestra (it began in 2008) and individually (nearly all the players are in their 20s; the music director and conductor, Courtney Lewis, is 28).
Every concert, every movement of every piece, everything they do screams elegance — but their witty, frisky elegance playing Stravinsky is different from the airy elegance they bring to Haydn, which in turn is different from their approach to Bartok or Piazzolla or Esa-Pekka Salonen, or the dark caramel warmth of their Beethoven, or the antic high-wire precision of their John Adams.
I first went to a Discovery Ensemble concert about a year ago, at the urging (OK, nagging) of a friend who had been nagged by a friend who'd been nagged by a friend. Maybe nagging is how audiences are built, especially in a place like Boston where so many excellent musical groups compete for concertgoers. But nagging wasn't what got me to every concert they've given since, or what made me ask to sit in on some rehearsals. The quality of their playing did that.
What's most striking in the rehearsals is the rapport between Lewis and the players. His style of conducting is quick, alert, physically expressive. After each movement or passage he whips through the technical stuff — notes on tempo and dynamics — but he also communicates through metaphor, speaking evocatively about the music and giving the musicians room to respond, to draw it out of themselves. Of a passage in Stravinsky, he says, "It needs to have a little impropriety here. Not sleazy — just a little bit suggestive." Rehearsing Rossini, he tells the violins at one point, "Just throw it away." The next time through, when they come to that point in the music, he looks at them and shrugs, and they throw it away.
In the week before a concert, they perform and give demonstrations in local elementary schools. Chelsea, Dorchester. For many kids, Discovery Ensemble is their first exposure to orchestral music. This part of the group's mission stems from a visit Lewis made to Venezuela, where he saw the impact of musical education on poor neighborhoods. "You go into a deprived area and there's an orchestra of 12-year-olds playing Strauss," he tells me. "You see 3-year-olds with cardboard violins. Practically every little town in Venezuela has a symphony, playing at a high level."
When I ask Lewis why the group sounds so good, he says it's the musicians, many of whom are recent New England Conservatory graduates. "A lot of our success comes from youth — energy and youth. They're incredibly proficient, and they're at that stage of their careers where they want everything to be perfect. No cynicism yet." Of his role as conductor, he says, "You're there to provide an interpretation. You're imposing, but it needs to feel like a collaboration. You need to do it in a way that brings people with you."
When I ask the group's co-founder and artistic director, David St. George, the same question, he says, "It's the alchemy between the players and Courtney. It's like an electric shock, that moment in rehearsals when they begin to focus on very tiny nuances. He has the ability to get them to give themselves over and become an orchestra."
Programming is another thing Discovery Ensemble excels at. The group's last concert included four pieces — by Rossini, Adams, Stravinsky, and Haydn — that spoke to one another with a kind of scurrying, glittering wit. Their upcoming April concert will focus on the German repertoire, including Schumann's Fourth Symphony, which, Lewis says, "is one of those pieces that tells a critic everything about an orchestra, because it's all one shape, all one breath"; Beethoven's piano concerto in G major; and Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony No. 2, because, says St. George, "We were curious about how a group of young, vital musicians would come to this tragic music."
Energy, charisma, talent, nuanced musical understanding, an exceptional conductor, and a sense of social responsibility — this group shows us what the future of classical music, widely supposed to be precarious, will look like. And they're here, now, in Boston.
So let me nag you: Go and listen.Joan Wickersham's column appears regularly in the Globe. Her latest book is "The News From Spain: Seven Variations on a Love Story.''


text:
Festival Beats Back Storms
ST. MARYS — The annual Holy Rosary Festival battled rain for the second year in a row, but it had little effect on the festivities.
Friday night opened the festival with the food stands, rides and bingo.
"This festival is about friends and bingo — whether you win or not," Haylee Kill said.
Nick Wilson, an annual entertainer at the festival, combined talents with Troy Perry this year. Their band, Nixonperry, kicked off the entertainment. The Earthquakers closed out the night in the entertainment tent.
"I came here for the food ... and the Earthquakers," Jessica Jeffries told The Evening Leader. "They rocked."
Saturday morning brought the 5K run/walk and the chili cook off. Bobby Wingett, an avid chili cooker, brought a piece of the South into his chili. His bold decision made him the winner of the cook-off.
"I make a true Texas chili," Wingett said.
Peggy Hastreiter, chair of the competition, touted Wingett's decision.
"He stayed true to his chili principle," she said.
The rest of the day was packed with a kiddie tractor pull, the cornhole tournament and K of C chicken dinners. Saturday night closed with Nashville Crush performing in the entertainment tent.
Along with Chuck O Luck, bingo and the Cake Wheel, the novelty booth gave festival- goers the opportunity to win prizes, which were donated by parish members and local business owners. Prizes included gift baskets, a bread maker, a coffee pot, lawn chairs and a variety of other novelties. Booth attendees bought "tips," which were pulled to reveal numbers. If a number on the tip matched the number in front of a prize, the owner of the tip won the prize. There was also a drawing to win larger prizes like a tree donated by Cisco Lawn Service and a grill.
"The novelty booth is going above and beyond expectations due to the generosity of parish members and local businesses. Thanks to all who helped," said Mary Brown, chair of the novelty booth.
Cromer United Amusements opened the Ferris Wheel, the King Swing, the Whip and the rest of their rides again Sunday afternoon. Lininger Ponies also brought life to the festival streets. Caramel apples, funnel cakes, French fries, brats, hamburgers and pizza were only a few of the many food choices found at various stands. Bubba and Hoss warmed up the final afternoon for Free Rider to close the entertainment Sunday evening.
The final activity of the festival was the grand prize drawing in which a cash prize of $2,500 was awarded.
Even through the damp weather, another year of the Holy Rosary Festival gave the community an opportunity to gather and celebrate the beginning of the festival season.
"It's been great," Hastreiter said. "Even with the rain, people still came out. "People are really supporting us."