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DIAL 1-900-DIXALOTÂ… From the land of Big Butts comes word of new material (or new ass-ets, as it were). Remember Sir Mix-A-Lot? Eleven years ago, he was unavoidable. The Seattle rapper's "Baby Got Back" smacked the fashion industry for shunning fat, topped the charts, earned him a Grammy and a ban from MTV. (Apparently some nineties' nincompoops thought it sexist if anything but beanpoles were the object of desire.) Could it all happen today? Well, we may soon find out if the one-hit-wonder can finally get our attention again. But just what could this Sir sing about now? Don't think female physical attributes. Mix-A-Lot is not interested in female "full-frontal wedgies" a la Fannypack, the silly pop-rap group with the delirious song, "Cameltoe" ("The only lips I wanna see are the ones that sing"). "Great Big Johnson" is for the ladies — and you know who else — Mix-A-Lot told Rolling Stone. Early reviews have been decidedly mixed about the song (and the album, Daddy's Home, due September 3), which reportedly features a chorus of women repeatedly singing the adolescent line "Bring black/Bring white/Bring length/Tonight/If not/Bye-bye/We like/We like a great big Johnson."Â Should be a big hit in gay circles.
TEMPORARY T.A.T.UÂ….All the things they said has caused many to wonder whether the girls of t.A.T.u. are the Russian lesbians-in-love they were promoted to be. The latest issue of the Advocate explores whether this probable marketing hoax is "good for the gays." It might not matter soon enough anyway. BBC Radio 1 gossips that the manufactured twosome might be calling it quits, just a year into the "relationship." It seems Julia, the brunette, is overpowering Lena in every way, and in bed she's replaced her with a boy. Sounds like they're speeding 200km/h in the wrong direction, after all. Let's jump before they crash, okay?
SEASON OF LOVEÂ… Straight guys certainly squirm more, on average, than gays sitting through Broadway musicals. But aside from the all-the-rage, straight guy-squirm-inducing male nudity of today's Broadway, little could be more enticing to the gays than if pop-music stars were thrown into the musical plot. And that's just the stew a-brewin' in 2003. If you happen to be in New York over the next couple months, you can take your pick from, to name just three: Toni Braxton, starring in Elton John/Tim Rice's Aida, Bernadette Peters, perfectly cast in the revival of gay-fave Gypsy, or sometime D.C. resident Franchelle "Frenchie" Davis, who shoulda woulda coulda won this year's round of American Idol if it weren't for Fox's prudishness about her "adult" Web site modeling past. Everybody-loves-Frenchie is part of the Rent cast.
Off-Broadway, one intriguing choice for dance-poppers is De La Guarda, where on Thursday nights throughout August not-exactly-known New York DJs (though "first rate" according to the Village Voice) add a booming soundtrack to the show. Show promoter Betty Kang calls it a "total sensory experience that's about theater as clubbing and clubbing as theater." It's an interactive experience, featuring a simulated rainstorm as well as a trapeze act that plucks audience members out of their seats (last year Britney Spears was one willing flyer; all 250-pounds of DJ Carl Cox took to the air this year). So obviously what the show may lack in true narrative it more than makes up for in sheer spectacle. See www.delaguarda.dj.
BOWIE GOES BOLLYWOODÂ… David Bowie has a new album, Reality (ISO/Columbia), set for a September 16 release. And while that may please many, we, as danceheads, are most excited by a Bowie development of a different sort. Bowie's '80s hits "Let's Dance" and "China Girl" have been tweaked with Far Eastern flavorings to be included on a greatest-hits package for release in Asia this fall. The Wall Street Journal reported that "Let's Dance," remixed in Indian Bollywood fashion with tabla drums, sitars and Hindi vocals, is already a hit in European clubs. Jetsetters, are you on the case? Put on your red shoes and dance the blues, and snag a copy for the rest of us to do the same over here.
ISO GAY COWBOYÂ… We reported last month about gay porn star Jeff Stryker's coming full-frontal invasion of country music. He will release, with his band, the Soggy-Bottom Boys, a porn-inspired country comedy album in the fall ("Pop You in the Pooper" is the first single). Well, hold on to your trousers cowboys, cause he's not the only one working to make country music a little bit gayer. Unlike Stryker, though, music songwriter/producer Larry Dvoskin is completely serious: He's holding open auditions around the country next month in search of "America's first openly gay country music star," Rolling Stone reports. Why of course it's all to be eventual fodder for yet another reality TV series. An early ad in a Nashville newspaper said Dvoskin was looking for an "18-23-ish, exceptionally good-looking, extraordinary singer who plays guitar." That criteria may have changed some, but the magazine reports that gay Dvoskin is still looking for "somebody who will be a role model and spokesperson" who can handle homophobic hostility. The search all started as a result of a debate Dvoskin had with a friend about whether country music would accept an openly gay country singer. The experiment begins with an audition in New York August 7Â…
CUBAN-AMERICAN MATRIARCHSÂ… Gloria Estefan hasn't been heard from, in English, since 1998's underrated album of dance gems Gloria! (Epic). So it's with great delight to report that she's wrapping up a new English-language album to be released at the end of September, and will tour with the new material next year. Billboard magazine reports that Unwrapped (Epic) won't sound much like any other album from the Latin-pop progenitor. Which on face value is too bad, considering that her last album, 2000's Alma Caribena, was her best ever. Even if all she did was translate each song into English, keeping the potent Caribbean rhythms intact, it could still compete as the best album of 2003. But that's not the way of Latin poppers recording in English. One of her mignons at Estefan Enterprises told Billboard that the music on Unwrapped is her most intimate and personal yet. Gloria has "tapped into a place she's never gone before," he said. Written almost entirely by Estefan herself, the album will be co-produced by her husband Emilio and Colombian star Carlos Vives' obviously gifted producer Sebastian Krys. It will include four Spanish-language tracks, one remix, and duets in English with the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde and Stevie WonderÂ…
Gloria's Alma Caribena featured a winningly playful duet, "Tres Gotas de Agua Bendita," with Celia Cruz, the Latin music matriarch who died last week. No current music star, performing live, had more energy or a bigger, more infectious smile than the Cuban exile. Cruz's final album, Regalo de Alma (Sony Discos), has already wrapped and will be released August 5. Based solely on her last several albums, it'll be more than worth any expense it takes to get hold of a copyÂ…
HOLLYWOOD INTUITIONÂ… On "Intuition," folksy dance-popper Jewel sings at one point, "You got something that you want me to sell/Sell your sin, Just cash in." It seemed to be a cunning eye roll at the over-saturated state of American commercialism in the style of Madonna, who sings on "American Life" "This type of modern life, is it for free?" In fact, both of the singers can be bought. Jewel has cashed in, licensing her hit song for a new Schick woman's razor, appropriately called the Intuition. Slate online magazine tsk-tsk'ed the development, calling it "blatantly contradictory" of Jewel. Her brilliant video for the song sends up our crass consumer culture — but all with a wink and a sexy shimmy, shimmy. So what's more surprising to hear is that this type of modern life is for Madonna, after all. Beginning next week, she can be seen alongside Missy Elliott in an unprecedented TV ad campaign for The Gap. And why not? Her publicist did say Madonna wears Gap clothes. And the Associated Press notes the retailer could use some buzz. So could Madonna, of course; this time it's got to be goodÂ…
PHILLY IS FUNKYTOWNÂ… Okay, so if you really want to shake-shake-shake your booty with all the faded stars of disco's glory days, prepare for a day trip. Last week, we reported that Pepper MaShay and Thelma Houston would return to the area next month along with the Village People, the Pointer Sisters, Martha Wash and more. That's still true, if you're talking of the Mid-Atlantic area. Right after we announced their plans last week, organizers of the "Get Up N Dance: The Summer's Biggest Party" shot us in the foot with their inability to secure a venue in Baltimore (not to mention Washington). So now the closest the divas will get is Philadelphia, where they'll perform Saturday, August 16, at the First Union Center. Tickets can be purchased through TicketmasterÂ…
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PEPSI POP'S POPÂ… Dance pop can get no love. There are the periodic taunts from hyper-macho rock 'n' rappers, and the frequent lashes from anti-pop "pop music" critics about "Abba-esque group harmonies" of the Britney Spears sphere. And just last night ushered in the latest jab, though you probably missed it — the show itself, not to mention its subtle slap at dance. Every episode of the WB TV network's blatant advertising vehicle "Pepsi Smash" will feature performances from and interviews with five hit artists, drawing almost exclusively from R&B, hip-hop and rock. "There aren't a lot of broadcast TV outlets for artists," the show's producer told Billboard, suggesting his show could help boost the struggling music industry. Ah, but don't expect the WB to break new ground. No loosely defined "dance artist" has been scheduled, and rare will be the underground act on tap. Instead, we'll hear from the same people we've heard from too much already on the one music outlet we've had for years — MTV. Think Ashanti, Evanescence, Bow Wow, Michelle Branch. Pepsi is probably to blame, since the WB show was the pop maker's idea in the first place.
Wade Robson
In any event, better to hold out hope for an upcoming MTV series. When it was originally announced back in April, this show was said to be about "dance music," though logic, and recent information, suggests it may be just about "dance" instead. The man — boy actually, since he's only 19 — behind the show is cutie-patootie Aussie Wade Robson, Britney's and N'Sync's choreographer as well as an aspiring musician and filmmaker. The show, tentatively known as "The Wade Robson Project," will begin filming at the end of the month with a competition among aspiring dancers. What about aspiring dance poppers? No word on that. Given recent events, best not to hold your breath.
STAYIN' ALIVEÂ… We can always relive the past when the present fails to pop, I suppose. And if you missed the 2003 Capital Pride Festival's dueling disco divas, or you want to see them again, you're in luck. Thelma Houston and Pepper MaShay will tour with the national disco tour, "Get Up 'N Dance: The Summer's Biggest Party." The Village People, Martha Wash, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Pointer Sisters, Anita Ward and others will relive the magic and celebrate good times. The hitch: you gotta catch a ride to Baltimore, since that's the closest they'll boogie-oogie-oogie to D.C. The glitch: The organizers are still finalizing plans for the actual venue, to be announced this week. They have announced the date, though: Friday, August 15. You may ask, just what is MaShay, who had no part in disco, doing in the mix? The obvious answer is that she was able and willing to perform, while Donna Summer wasn't. And "Bad Girls" has to be sung ya know? Beep-beep, uh-uh.
XANADU-EW-WUHÂ… Another reason MaShay will perform at the disco tour: it's incredibly lucrative. Next time you hear groans about illegal musical file sharing contributing to Starving Artist Syndrome, take it with a grain of malt beverage. Forbes reports that today, artists make so little from record sales, profits of which mostly go to record labels, that they are turning to perpetual touring, with or without new material or a current recording contract. Even long-past-their-prime stars, performing in smaller venues, rake in anywhere from $25,000 on up to $100,000 a gig. Forbes reported on the profits being reaped by'80s acts Olivia Newton-John, Sheena Easton and Taylor Dayne (the latter two are also modern-day dance dabblers), thanks to frequent individual performances at Native American casinos and Las Vegas lounges. And they didn't even mention Pride parades and disco tours. Nice work if you can get it.
IT'S OVER NOWÂ… She's not on tour, and she's not likely to appear on any TV music program, even though she would be a natural choice. But Deborah Cox will get your attention in an even better way, as she releases her first full-length album of dance tracks next Tuesday, July 22. It far surpasses the bonus CD of remixes included in early editions of last year's One Wish (J Records). Unlike similar efforts from other artists, Cox's Remixed (J Records) is one long continuous mix, from the inconsistent mixing duo Al B. Rich (Rich Pangilinan and Albert Castillo). It's effectively a "greatest hits" package, packed as it is with all her hit club remixes since the mid-1990s, or at least radio edits of them, from her lesser-known debut, the David Morales-remixed "Who Do You Love," to the well-known Hex Hector work, including "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here," "Things Just Ain't The Same," "Absolutely Not," and her latest, "Play Your Part." The set also includes three new tracks, including her cover of Phil Collins' "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" that has just been released as a single. The album is the second "baby" to drop for Cox this month: She gave birth to a boy, Isaiah, July 1.
POP LADY COMEBACKSÂ… We're still waiting to hear of an American record label picking up Sonique's sophomore album, released last month in Europe. In the meantime we've learned of a few other promising developments. First, it's official: Kim "Unspeakable Joy" English will release a full-length album, My Destiny (Nervous Records), later this summer. Nervous will issue remixes of English's newest single, "C'est la Vie," later this month. In late September Arista Records will release the long overdue sophomore album from U.K. chanteuse Dido. The label has already released "White Flang," the first single from the album, Life for Rent, which is said to continue Dido's introspective pop stylings, setting her up for a possible — and worthwhile — duel with Annie Lennox come Grammy time. Finally a real blast from the past. The Bangles are also due for a September release of a first album in some 13 years. Already released in Europe and Japan, Doll Revolution (Koch Entertainment) will include a bonus DVD for the American release. The erstwhile '80s girl band still features all four original members, who harmonized many hummable hits, none more memorable than "Walk Like an Egyptian." All the cops in the donut shop sayÂ…
DJ Skribble
AMERICAN POP'S STOPÂ… More than 227 years after the founding fathers declared independence from England, America has nearly closed its pop-culture borders, turning deaf ears to music originating elsewhere. There are the occasional fads that except the rule — Latin pop a few years back, Jamaican and South-Asian influences in hip-hop now — and they prove the point: Politics is not the only thing worsened by isolationism. Don't believe it? Take a turntable look across the pond with American Anthems (Ultra Records). Don't be fooled by Ultra's hopeful title for the compilation as the label is merely distributing stateside this two-disc set, commissioned by the legendary U.K. Ministry of Sound. Two high-profile American DJs (MTV's DJ Skribble and David Waxman) may have racked up the track listing, but American Anthems is as American as house and techno are today. Which is to say, not American by much. Chicago and Detroit may have created these two main dance genres– molded into modern-day form by New York. But Paris, Berlin and London clearly set the tone now. Few are the songs here that have had an American airing. Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go" is one, though Al B Rich's Club Mix sounds little like the Jamaican original, which features the same rhythm as Sean Paul's "Get Busy." A few other tracks will likely gain some recognition by year's end, and most of the others should. Panjabi MC's heady, subcontinent banghra beats-based "Beware of the Boys," surely will, though with the original rap from Jay-Z that's missing in the Triple X Remix.
EURO TRANCEÂ… David Waxman also mixed another Ultra Records compilation, Ultra.Tranced:2, that could fool the casual listener into thinking that trance is the strongest dance form going. Well, okay, this intensely melodic, fast-paced pretty music pretty much is top of the pops in Europe. Waxman has included so many of the same songs here also found on American Anthems that there's little sense in bothering with both. (It's an obvious hallmark of Ultra Records, since its Ultra.Dance 04 — to drop next month, with mixing by the biggest-selling compilation DJ Louie Devito — will be loaded with many of the same tracks, yet again.) The biggest draw for Ultra.Tranced:2, besides its status as the best self-defined trance compilation in a good while, is Disc 2, a DVD featuring eight videos of trance tracks. The music industry seems to be waking up to the fact that "add-ons" lighten the load, and sweeten the deal, for many potential consumers of its stubbornly inflated double-digit CD pricing scheme. Because dance music videos go unseen by even most American adherents, Ultra Records is to be commended for its decision, even if the eight videos here are, to a one, boring and predictable. The prevailing sentiment is that skimpily attired Euro-blondes have more fun. No thanks.
BEYONCE'S HUMBLE PIEÂ…Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" is one truly timely "American Anthem" not included in that collection, but inescapable everywhere else. The always understated Destiny's Child frontwoman was as humble as ever in an interview with Billboard magazine. "I wasn't sure that people were going to understand ["Crazy in Love"] because it was so different — it doesn't sound like anything else," she said. "But it's a great song and people get it. I guess they were happy to hear something fresh." In fact, the song's horn-blaring samples and dizzying vocalization do sound pretty fresh in 2003, though very much like three-decades-old R&B. And, by George, Beyonce, people get it, too. Crazy, ain't it? Well, you sure worked it out better this time than last summer's try. So watch that you don't "blow your horn" too much there, girl.


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Pity the fool to come out with the first big-budget sports film since "The Fighter," one of the genre's very best. But Gavin O'Connor, who directed the 2004 film "Miracle," about 1980 USA Olympic hockey team, is as qualified as anyone to try, and the man's unique understanding of sports drama allow him to pull off "Warrior," a piece of fiction that on its face is laughably improbable but ends up landing more punches than it whiffs.
Tom Hardy stars as Tommy Conlon, an ex-Marine back from the Gulf who's taken to drinking and pill-popping. Tommy wants his father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), three years sober and living alone, to prepare him for an upcoming MMA tournament with a top prize of $5 million. Meanwhile, across the state, Tommy's estranged brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is working as a high school chemistry teacher, but he's also been fighting in parking lot bouts to keep up with his mortgage. Unbeknownst to Tommy, Brendan decides to enter the same tournament, setting the men on a collision course in the finals.
The plotting is totally paint-by-numbers, the characters are completely arch and the film overreaches by trying to discuss teacher pay, upside-down mortgages, our nation's treatment of its veterans, the justness of our military adventures in the Middle East - "Warrior" tries too hard to be current. And the obligatory training sequence feels gimmicky and overlong, with no sense of the story or characters being helped along, and O'Connor too often brings the camera too close to the action in the ring, making it difficult to see and understand what's happening.
But O'Conner gets a great performance out of Hardy, and three very good ones from Nolte (delivering a classic moment of crazed, splitting madness while listening to "Moby Dick"—the book, not the Led Zeppelin song--on a discman), Edgerton and Jennifer Morrison as Brendan's wife, Tess. Coupled with O'Connor's sense of pacing and restraint, the film succeeds far more than it fails. He never goes over the top with the drama, melo- or otherwise, most effectively at the film's most crucial moment, when the final fight between the brother's ends - the beat of silence broken by The National's Matt Berninger's baritone is just right.

subset: commoncrawl


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What a weekend in Boulder City! BetterRide mountain bike skills progression camp alumni dominated at the Nevada State Champs at Bootleg Canyon! From 13 year old racers to guys in their 50's and the pro classes our skilled racers kicked some tail! Are you ready to podium at your next mountain bike race?
Congratulations to the following racers for training smart and hard and racing at their best!
The King of the Mountain had to go to Cody Kelly who won the pro Super D (tying the course record despite the course being about 150 yards longer than ever), earned a 3rd place finish in the Pro Downhill (behind Aaron Gwin and Kevin Aiello and ahead of Mikey Sylvestri pretty good company!) and took second in the chainless downhill! Congratulations Cody! BetterRide alumni behind Cody in the pro class include Chris Higgerson in 7th place, Trevor Trinkino in 13th and Graeme Pitts in 15th (and 3rd in the Chainless!).
A slightly dazed (from a crash the day before) Amber Price earned a second place finish in pro women.
AFD racing's (all the way from Victoria, BC) Kendall McLean won the 13-14 year old downhill class, his brother Matthew earned a big victory in the 15-16 Cat 1 Downhill class and their sister Kirby won the Cat 1 19-29 class! Their teammate Carter Paschinski was 2nd in Cat 2 15-18 and their team manager Syd Jacklin was 3rd in Cat 2 men 40-49, just ahead of Colin Beech in 4th and Jason Krause in 7th and Joe Dondero racing for the first time in eight years took 9th.
In the future pro class, Cat 1 17-18 Galen Carter earned a second place finish, Niko Kilik took home 4th place and Tyler Krenek finished 6th.
Bobby Bondurant rounds out our podium finishers with a 3rd place in Cat 1 50-59!
Are you ready to podium at your next mountain bike race? We can't guarantee a podium finish but we can guarantee that you will be much faster while being in more control. Invest in yourself today!
Action Photos courtesy of Ian Cook.


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Mike Regan, second from right, general manager of Crestview RV Center, holds the award honoring the dealership as the top Jayco Inc. dealership for the 2009 model year. In the center is Paul Krauss, Crestview RV sales manager. The dealership, with stores in Buda and Selma, Texas, received the honor at the recent Jayco annual dealer meeting. Presenting the award were, from left, Derald Bontrager, Jayco president; Jim Jacobs, Jayco vice president of sales and marketing; and Wilbur Bontrager, Jayco chairman of the board. The Jayco Founders' Award for 2009 for ownership and management who consistently reflect a dedication to outstanding sales and customer service and who embody the spirit of Jayco's founders, was presented to Terrell Camping Center, Terrell, N.C. Jayco's "Star of Stars" award for being the No. 1 Starcraft dealer was presented to Payless Auto and RV Sales, Phoenix, Ariz., and the "Starcraft Pinnacle Star" for having the No. 1 single location dealership for 2009 went to Colerain RV Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. About 140 dealers attended the meetings June 22-26 in Middlebury, Ind.
Jayco Inc. Honors Top Dealers at Annual Meeting
By: RVBusiness|Published on: Jul 13, 2009|Categories: Today's Industry News| 0 comments
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Today's guest post is by the Chair of the Global Climate Change Task Force, Shirley Fiske.
Earth Day was on Sunday – not sure how you or your community observed it, but it seemed to be fairly low key from my perspective in NYC and Washington, D.C. In New York City and there was food art off the High Line and giant puppet impersonators in Bryant Park, their outfits made of Styrofoam food containers; in Washington, D.C. it was a rather desultory Earth Day with rain and a small group of people huddled on the Mall, although Rev. Jesse L. Jackson was there in solidarity.
However, a childhood friend from L.A. sent me an article from the L.A. Times that was a bright spot, and you might want to check it out:
NASA has redesigned and enhanced their Global Climate Change website, providing aerial photos of deforestation and clearing in Brazil. You can find them in a photo gallery called "State of Flux." As the article describes, there are examples of deforestation in Bolivia, urban growth in Saudi Arabia, and the creeping sprawl of Las Vegas. (Earth Day 2012: A new look at the human footprint on Mother Earth, by Rene Lynch). The new website provides remarkable images and "information-rich captions" to interpret the changes in land use. While the article mistakenly ascribes the changes to population growth (it is only an intervening variable, not the causative factor), it is a valuable reminder of the important role that anthropologists have played from the beginning in understanding the human dimensions of climate change; and the importance of re-orienting the focus in climate modeling from "land cover" to "land use change." This was one of the early lessons from social sciences, and specifically from people like Emilio Moran, an anthropologist of course, and Diana Liverman, who is a cultural geographer. The revised website from NASA may be one of the best efforts from federal agencies in the spirit of Earth Day 2012.


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Closing of Revel Casino Deals Another Blow to Atlantic City
More Than 3,100 Jobs to Be Lost When Casino Shuts Its Doors
The mammoth Revel Casino Hotel, with its curving facade, high-end restaurants and pulsating nightclubs, was heralded as a game-changer in Gov. Chris Christie's push to revitalize Atlantic City.
But Revel announced Tuesday it would close next month after two years of operation, possibly carrying away 3,000 jobs from the beleaguered seaside city and dealing a setback to Mr. Christie's vision for its renewal. Revel had already filed for bankruptcy twice....


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The celebrity wedding train continues to pick up passengers and the latest to board is British singer Lily Allen.
The 25-year-old songstress and her beau of two years, Sam Cooper, were engaged on Christmas Day, reports E! Online.
The couple was on holiday in Bali when Cooper popped the question and they celebrated in their hotel bar, sharing their story and drinking champagne with other guests.
Allen marked the occasion with an understated Twitter post: "Happy holidays everyone, xxxx."
Allen's engagement comes at the end of a hard year. In November, she suffered a miscarriage six months into her pregnancy. It was her second miscarriage in the last two-and-a-half years. On the heels of that incident, she was diagnosed with septicaemia, a life-threatening blood disorder.
Suggested Reading: E! Online, PopEater, Rolling Stone


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What's a better way to celebrate Halloween than having a sweet trick-or-treat party? Ride Routes 30R or 1 to get there. Dress in costume + bring a bag to Hacienda Crossings, 4-6 pm on Thursday, October 31st. Enjoy trick-or-treating, music, street entertainment, and horse-drawn carriage rides in the "Entertainment Village" within Hacienda Crossings. For more information: https://patch.com/california/dublin/… ... See MoreSee Less
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Chicken Roll Up Recipes
Bell Pepper Stuffed Chicken Rolls
This is my second most favorite chicken recipe (after my poulet rôti, "roasted chicken"). The whole idea is to use dark meat from the chicken thigh, stuff it, pan-sear the meat and finish cooking in the oven. It's as simple as that. First, I used boneless chicken (de-boning the thigh and using the bones for excellent chicken broth) and made sure the skin was still on. Then I proceeded with the tender meat. I used a preserved lemon marinade and let it rest overnight. For the filling, I combined roasted red bell peppers, Manzanilla olives, shallots and cornichons (French gherkins).
To me, cooking is an expression of love. The dish doesn't have to be complicated. Learn your basics and you'll be able to dazzle your friends and family with creative, over-the-top dishes by making a few variants of your favorite recipes.
Full Recipe...
Chicken Roulade Stuffed with Morel Mushrooms and Chestnuts
If you're planning on serving poultry on Christmas Eve, you might want to consider this dish. I stuffed chicken with morel mushrooms, caramelized onions and season-friendly roasted chestnuts. I used chicken thighs with the skin on so the meat remained ultra moist and because boning them could be done without difficulty. The whole procedure isn't necessary but it gives the dish an attractive appearance. Once the chicken was cooked, I let it rest for 30 minutes and obtained beautiful slices of chicken roulade.
I'm definitely going to recreate this dish for Christmas, though I'm not sure which poultry I'm going to use. This recipe could be used with duck, pheasant or turkey, but I prefer goose for a holiday feast. You could also use the stuffing of your choice such as sausage, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese, dried cranberries or bread dressing. I can't predict the future but I can tell this is going to be a delicious holiday season!
Full Recipe...
Olive Tapenade Chicken Rolls
Olive tapenade is extremely versatile and can be used as a spread or filling in many different dishes. You can also use it in place of more traditional party dips such as hummus, guacamole, salsa or roasted bell pepper spread. In this recipe, I added goat cheese to the tapenade and used the mixture as a filling for chicken rolls. I served the dish with a mildly sweet carrot purée that makes an excellent foil to the savory flavor of the tapenade.
If it's not part of your culinary repertoire yet, you should definitely learn to prepare tapenade. It will open up a whole new world of easy to prepare, delectable dishes.
Full Recipe...


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The Washington Wine Commission should feel fortunate that Seattle is not Boston and that they are not the Red Sox.
If this were the case there would be a steady stream of stories in the Times counting the number of days since Executive Director Robin Pollard announced that she would be leaving with no successor in place. We would read stories about potential candidates coming and going from the office. Perhaps there would even be rumors of Commission staff members eating fried chicken and playing video games in the clubhouse during Taste Washington instead of rooting for their teammates on the field.*
But I digress.
In early October, Washington Wine Commission Executive Director Robin Pollard announced that she would be resigning at the end of the year after six years at the helm. Since that time the Commission has been engaged in finding her successor.
Established in 1987 by the state legislature, the Washington Wine Commission is funded by annual assessments on grape and wine sales. Pollard, who came to the Commission after serving as the Director of Tourism for the State of Washington, says, "I thought that the single best thing the Commission could do (when I started) was to lay out a five to ten year business strategy on developing markets and bringing the industry together, so that we're all on the same page working toward the same goal."
That initial planning, done in partnership with the state's wineries, led to a strategic focus on several domestic markets, including Tampa, Austin, Denver, Phoenix, and Chicago. "If we go in and make a commitment to a market, then we see an impact," Pollard says of these efforts. Simultaneously, the Commission has worked to increase international sales.
"We're all about opening doors," Pollard says. "At the same time we know we need to still pay attention to our own back yard." To that end, the Commission launched a first-ever local advertising campaign and has worked to promote local restaurants that champion Washington wine. Significantly, it also recently secured a commitment to support construction of the Washington State Wine Science Center.
Pollard describes her work at the Commission as "the pinnacle of my professional experience," and her tenure has coincided with a doubling of the number of wineries in the state. While it is hard to imagine a more prosperous period, Pollard says, "The future is very bright for the Washington wine industry."
Beginning in January, Deputy Director Chris Stone will assume the necessary day-to-day activities until a successor is named. For personal reasons, Stone has decided not to apply for the position.
In its search for a new Executive Director, Wine Commission Public Relations Director Ryan Pennington states that the Commission has presently received a few dozen formal applications. The Commission has engaged Olympia-based recruiter Karras Consulting to assist with the process and conduct an initial screen of candidates.
While Pennington states that the Commission hasn't put a rigid timeline on its search, the hope is to have someone in place by late February or early March if possible. This would coincide well with its annual, signature event - Taste Washington. It would also coincide, of course, with Spring Training reporting dates for the Red Sox.
Having a new Executive Director in place prior to Taste Washington might be particularly beneficial this year. Last month the Commission announced a new partnership with Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to conduct the event. With this arrangement, the CVB will assume primary responsibility for producing the event with the Commission becoming a presenting sponsor.
"The objective for Taste Washington has been to continue to grow the event into a position of prominence as a national, destination food and wine event," Ryan Pennington says. "What this partnership will do is allow both organizations to do what they do best. For us that's organizing all wine related aspects of the event. All of the restaurant, hospitality, and tourism aspects as well as sponsor and vendor arrangements will be led by the CVB."
In other changes, for 2012 Taste Washington is expanding to two days to encourage out-of-towners to come and spend the weekend. The event will take place March 31st and April 1st.
Could it be coincidence that by that time baseball Opening Day will be just four days away?
* If you don't follow baseball at all those first two paragraphs will be completely incomprehensible to you. Sorry.
Washington Wine Commission Searches for New Executive Director
The Washington Wine Commission should feel fortunate that Seattle is not Boston and that they are not the Red Sox.
2 comments
Anonymous Says:
Sean, It will very interesting to see how and where Taste goes this next year. I was wondering What your take is on these tasting events , having seen you at many, but rarely see you write about them? Are you there just for the wine or the event? The Taste of Tulalip was one of the best consumers tasting events I have ever attended! ( They should be hired to run taste!) lol. As you attend these events, I really would like to see a critique from you and give a shout out to those who deserve it! Thanks, Merlotman
Sean P. Sullivan Says:
Merlotman, I'm definitely there for the event and often don't taste more than a dozen or so wines, using the time instead to talk to attendees and participants. I don't use these events, Taste Washington, Tulalip, etc. to evaluate wine in any way, although if something stands out at me I'll make a point of seeking it out subsequently. I tend to write about them more on my WWR Facebook page than I do here, although I agree that a look at some of them is overdue.


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A Taste Of Seattle
The usual suspect webpages are dominated by posters from the USA and Canada, who wax lyrical about some of their top roasters. As an Australian, I'm always left wondering what these blends actually taste like and how they stack up to our own. Does the predominance of drip coffee mean that more acidic coffees predominate? Or is there some truth to the name "Charbucks"?
Every now and then, friends of mine or wonderful customers bring in some of these much-hyped coffees. One such person is Mark, who recently returned from a trip to Seattle. (To digress quickly, it's worth noting that Mark's attitude is the complete opposite of the "know-it-all" arrogance that is quite common in the coffee industry. This is not the first time that he has gone to the SCAA conference and he is always tasting, asking questions and experimenting. Gossip: expect some interesting things from St Ali over the next few months.)
Without further ado ...
Victrola Streamline
Image from Victrola's Webpage
As you can see, this coffee was in an unsealed brown paper bag. After three weeks and a plane trip, it was not in good shape and it would be completely unfair to expect it to perform up to scratch. The purpose of this post is just to give some impressions.
This was a surprisingly light roast; the beans were very wrinkled and didn't seem to have expanded much. I don't think that this came anywhere near second crack. As an espresso at about 92C at the group on the FB80, the acidity was overwhelming. This would have to have the temperature bumped up, and I really should have tried it at 95 later. Nonetheless, the sole impression that I want to get across is that this is a lighter roast than I think many Australians would expect for espresso.
Ecco Caffe's Traditional Northern Italian Espresso
Image from barismo
Not only is Andrew Barnett a WBC judge, he is the judge with the highest score on the sensory test! So I was expecting something pretty amazing. Well, it was a case of unsealed paper bags and three week old coffee again, but notwithstanding that, the coffee was impressive. I wouldn't think to try and describe tastes from espresso that poured black for the first few seconds, but what came across was a whole heap of sweetness, backed with a bit of body. The roast was darker than Victrola's and probably at the lighter end of the Australian espresso spectrum, but by no means unusually so.
Vivace Vita
The iconic image from the Vivace Webpage
David Schomer has quite the reputation in the espresso world. I won't elaborate, but if this is news to you, you would probably be very interested in his collection of archived articles. There's usually something interesting in there; the most recent article on latte art (the link is directly to the pdf) provided me with one tip that I have been trying out. Pour slowly at the beginning so as not to break the crema, then start the rosetta when the cup is half full. Seems to result in greater contrast.
David's coffees seem to have quite the reputation for being finnicky and difficult to deal with. I dialled the FB80 to more or less the recommended 203.5F at the group, opened the plastic valve bag and my first pour looked similar to the one pictured above. Dark red, with thick crema that you could stand a spoon up in. The blend actually reminds me a bit of the blend that David Makin took to the WBC last year. Dave's blend was actually also ludicrously easy to pull a great shot with. I suspect that the crema factor comes down to robusta and monsooned malabar. This would be consistent with the uneven looking roast of the beans, which was slightly darker than the Ecco Caffe and about on par with your average Australian commercial espresso blend (for my US readers).
Well, there were four or five double shots worth in the bag and every single one got drunk. After three weeks in the valve bag, the coffee was probably at it optimum. We also found that Dave Makin's WBC blend took quite a bit of time to settle down. Vita is Vivace's milk drink blend. I had a cappuccino with Vita as the base and I have to say that it wasn't overwhelming, although the shot was a little fast. The thick, full-bodied, slightly sweet and quite toasty shots were more satisfying.
No post about Vivace would be complete without a photo of their floor:
Tiled rosetta pattern; photo by Scott Beale
Closing Thoughts
The legends of US coffee are doing some quality work, but it certainly doesn't blow away the cream of the Australian crop. I'd certainly love to get my hands on some fresh Ecco Northern Italian Roast and I'd love to try out Vivace's espresso blend, Dolce. I'm a bit more ambivalent about Victrola's Streamline, but it would be interesting to try it fresh.
Labels: Commercial Coffee


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Why Being in Love Makes You Gorgeous (and Healthy, Too)
Being in love can make us feel like we're on top of the world, but it's something that affects a lot more than our mood -- loving relationships improve our health, our looks and even our mood.
Just how powerful is love? It just may be the best medicine out there. Your strong relationship can do everything from lowering your blood pressure to helping you recover from cancer. It even keeps your skin healthy!
Here's how love is making you happier, healthier and hotter than ever before.
1. Making Positive Lifestyle Changes Is Easier: Making a big change in your life is never easy, whether you're changing your diet drastically or finally starting to hit the gym. But, when you're in a relationship, your partner has a great influence on your confidence and the choices you make to lead a better lifestyle. Research shows that couples in love can greatly affect each other's healthy choices -- whether you're quitting smoking or getting a flu shot. In one study, if one partner gave up alcohol, the other was five times more likely to stop drinking, according to Psychology Today.
- Stress Relief And Improved Mood: While sex can be a huge stress-buster, it's not the only form of physical contact that's good for your mental well-being. Hugging, cuddling and touching can put you in better spirits and help you relax. A University of North Carolina study discovered that when couples hugged, they had higher blood levels of oxytocin -- the bonding hormone that relieves stress and improve mood.
In another study, researchers looked at cohabiting couples and tested for the stress hormone cortisol before, during and after being separated for four to seven days. Researchers found that when the couples were separated physically, they had higher cortisol levels and had worse sleep than when they were together.
And it's not just romantic love either that's keeping you well-balanced. One study shows that a mother's love can counteract negative health effects and protect young kids from the physiological effects of stress.
3. Better Heart Health: Love doesn't just make your heart go pitter-patter, it protects it, too. In one study, researchers discovered that a happy marriage plays a role in the likelihood of chest pains. They discovered that married men who felt loved by their wives experienced 50 percent less angina, despite having high risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Strong bonds aren't keep men's hearts strong. A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that women in happy marriages have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those in high-stress ones. Love really is good for your heart.
Lengthens Your Life: The secret to a longer life? Love just may be it. UCLA researchers found that the death rate for unmarried people was "significantly higher" than for married couples living together. While this could be in part because couple's have influence over each other's lifestyle decisions, as we mentioned before, but Harvard University researchers also found that married women are 20 percent less likely than single women die of stress-related causes like heart disease, suicide and cirrhosis of the liver. As for married men, they're 100-200 percent times less likely to die of these causes than single men are. Love is keeping us alive!
Lowers Blood Pressure: Another reason love is good for your heart? Spending time with your partner lowers your blood pressure. A study by the State University of New York at Oswego found that when couples are together, it leads to a drop in blood pressure.
Loving relationships between close friends can also breed lower systolic numbers. In a study published in the Journal of Psychology and Aging, people with quality relationships reported drops in blood pressure compared to lonelier peers.
6. Faster Cancer Recovery: Not only do married couples have lower cancer rates than singles, researchers at the University of Iowa found that ovarian cancer patients with satisfying relationships had stronger white blood cells, which kill cancerous cells, than those who didn't have healthy relationships.
Additionally, YourTango expert Carmelia Ray writes, "studies that show even patients who are diagnosed with cancer have recovered from cancer treatment faster when they had strong family connections. Also, those in loving partnerships recovered quicker or completely eliminated the cancer with no scientific explanation other than the fact the patient had great love and support from close family and friends."
7. Boosts Athletic Performance: Staying longer at the gym? Beat your personal record on your last 10K? Your loving boyfriend could be the one to thank for your increased energy and fitness abilities. A study discovered that loving relationships boosts athletic performance, especially for those in a long-term relationship. And it makes sense too, in committed relationships, you're supported, motivated and feel confident. That's a feeling that's worthy of a gold medal in itself.
8. Keeps You Slim: Forget the juice cleanse, being in love can help you keep that extra weight off. When we're in loving relationships, our bodies produce adrenaline, which can act as an appetite suppressant -- meaning less junk food and late-night snacks. Additionally, with your partner's support for better lifestyle changes, it's likely you'll be motivated to hit the gym to look and feel your best.
And if that wasn't enough, sex with your partner is also keeping hot, from your clear skin to your strong immune system.
9. Makes You Look Younger: You're not just living longer when you're in love, you're looking the part too. You've heard of the sex glow, but there's a love glow too. With increasing blood flow to the skin, being in a happy relationship gives your skin cells nutrients and oxygen to make you look physically younger.
- Are Any Of Us Actually Happy With Our Sex Lives?
- 50 Most Inspiring Romantic Quotes
- How To Do Makeup For 5 Types Of Dates
- Women, Wear Sexy Underwear... Or Don't
- The Best Free Online Erotica
This article was originally written for YourTango.com.


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I haven't posted for a while but thought I'd dust off the blog and get a post out. I have a pipeline of blogs from David and Ian waiting to be scheduled and they should be out before Christmas.
Warning – Do not do this on your production boxes
I have been doing some work, first with CTP3 and now RC0 and Availability Groups. For those of you that don't know you need a windows cluster configured to use AlwaysOn Availability Groups. I wanted to remove the cluster from my virtual nodes…so I could rebuild it. That's a long story. I thought, before I started that removing the cluster would be difficult. As it turns out it is very simple in Windows 2008R2.
To destroy you cluster from Failover Cluster Manager right-click the name of your Windows cluster, scroll down to other tasks and select <Destroy Cluster> You get a warning which, if you accept then goes away and removes the cluster from all nodes in your cluster…Its gone!
As I said don't do this on your production boxes but if you ever want remove clustering from your Windows environment then it can be quite simple to do so.


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Let me begin with a warning: These cherry chocolate cupcakes are cupcakes to eat not after a meal but as a meal. Many of my cupcakes are dense, but these cherry chocolate cupcakes are chocolate boulders. The batter is so chocolate-laden that eating one of these cupcakes equates to consuming a solid chocolate bar and a cupcake simultaneously. Stop reading now if you want a dainty, frilly cupcake for a bridal or baby shower.
I made two different kinds of frosting for these chocolate cherry cupcakes: maraschino cherry buttercream and chocolate black cherry cream cheese. Both were huge hits with my tasters (they said the frostings were their favorite part of the cupcakes). My personal preference, however, was to eat the cupcakes sans frosting with a tall glass of milk.
Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Recipe
Yield: 14 cupcakes
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 C cocoa powder
- 3/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 C brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 C sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 C liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries (I used a jar from Whole Foods with no high-fructose corn syrup)
- 8 oz dark chocolate chips
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
- In another medium-sized bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined.
- Mix eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and cherry liquid into the wet ingredients.
- Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Divide evenly between 14 cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Your Frosting Choices
As I mentioned above, I made two different frostings for these cupcakes: maraschino cherry buttercream (the one that looks white in the photos) and chocolate black cherry cream cheese (the one that looks pink in the photos). While I'm not a fan of buttercream or maraschino cherries, I thought Bride 4.0 would enjoy that option. It turns out that she, like me, preferred the cream cheese frosting. However, since some tasters raved about the buttercream, I am sharing both options.
Maraschino Cherry Buttercream Frosting
Note: Double this recipe if you prefer lots of frosting.
- 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 C powdered sugar (If you prefer a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar.)
- 5 tbsp liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (you can use vanilla extract instead, but vanilla bean paste is so much better – read my post on vanilla bean paste for more details)
- 2 tbsp milk
- Mix butter and powdered sugar until the mixture looks like frosting.
- Mix in the cherry liquid, vanilla bean paste, and milk.
- Pipe or spread on cupcakes.
Black Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting
Note: Double this recipe if you prefer lots of frosting.
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 C powdered sugar
- 6 tbsp black cherry jam
- 2 tsp chocolate extract (You can use vanilla extract if you don't want to buy something special, but the chocolate extract adds a subtle chocolate flavor while allowing the frosting to remain pink.)
- Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly mix in powdered sugar until the mixture looks like frosting.
- Mix in jam and chocolate extract until combined.
- Spread or pipe on cupcakes.
Wedding 4.0 Update
Bride 4.0 didn't choose the Shirley Temple cupcakes or these cupcakes as her wedding cupcakes. However, I did come up with a type of cherry cupcake that both she and Groom 4.0 loved and are excited to serve at their wedding. That recipe is coming soon! The wedding is in 2 weeks!!


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Missed the radio debate between Senate candidates Carly Fiorina and Barbara Boxer Wednesday afternoon? Never fear, Prop Zero was there. Below, find our real-time reaction and analysis to the Senate faceoff, where a wide scope, few specifics and frequent interruptions made for a less-than-perfect debate.
1:01 p.m., and we're off. You can listen live here.
First question, from La Opinion reporter, is about regulation. Fiorina talks about water regulation in the Central Valley and the Endangered Species Act, which she doesn't like. The act has spawned many regulations in California, and she blames the difficulty of building manufacturing facilities on some of those regulations.
Second question, also to Fiorina, is about an Internet tax, and a 2000 statement she made that taxing sales and other items on the Internet is inevitable. Fiorina says she never favored such a tax--she wants a new tax.
A third question is to Boxer and is about whether the country needs more stimulus. She hits talking points saying the stimulus package worked but doens't really answer the question, and then...
She's interrupted about what she's going to do about the deficit. She starts talking about corporations overcharging the government, but the numbers are tiny--$55 million.
And Patt Morrison, the host, interrupts to say what are you going to cut? The two questioners are not letting these candidates fillibuster.
Boxer says stopping the war will save $1 trillion. And then she'll go after the corporations. Then she pivots to shots at Fiorina for supporting tax cuts the country can't afford.
Fiorina is then asked how she'll pay for tax cuts. She goes straight to talking points without exactly answering the question: She cites numbers for the national debt and criticizes the stimulus.
But she won't say what she would cut. (Neither has Boxer). She talks about freezing government worker pay (a minor saving) and putting a spending limit on the federal government (California has a spending limit and persistent deficits, so no guarantee that would work). Fiorina says one of her ideas would save $95 billion a year. The deficit is more than $1 trillion.
Takeaway: neither of these two candidates has any kind of plan to tackle the deficit.
1:13 p.m. Very good question from a company that provides software and services to schools and non-profits. They need to outsource some work to remain competitive. Is Boxer against all outsourcing?
Boxer says the country needs to change incentives to discourage outsourcing.
Patt Morrison interrupts to ask if it's time for wages to adjust to a more realistic level. Boxer says no. But then says in the next breath that we're moving that way anyway. Boxer then pivots to an attack on Fiorina. She keeps attacking even after she's interrupted and asked again what her plans are to do something about wages.
Next question: Fiorina is challenged on a previous claim that Obama isn't spending enough on border security, when Obama Administration has boosted spending on each.
Fiorina doesn't address the question--she talks about the drug war coming to California across the border. Which is true. It's also not new--drugs have been an issue around the border for a couple of generations.
Neither of these two candidates are answering the questions.
1:19 p.m. Fiorina talks about her support in "the Hispanic community." In a state like California, something sounds so dated about that. There's not a separate "Hispanic community." Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the state. They are the state. They are the community.
Fiorina challenges Boxer for voting against a previous guest worker program. Boxer says that program was too severe. And then goes after Fiorina for emphasizing border security and ignoring the 12 million undocumented immigrants here.
1:23 p.m. Stepping away. This debate is moving too fast, with too many interruptions, to follow easily.
1:24 p.m. Patt Morrison asks Fiorina about a previous comment that she supports extreme environmental groups. "What groups are those?"
Fiorina pauses, issues something that sounds like a sign, and then doesn't answer.
Interesting moment.
1:26 p.m. Folo is about Prop 23. And why she supports it (though questioner is confused and asked why she opposes the measure, which would reverse the state climate change legislation known as AB 32).
Fiorina says the federal government should spend more money on federally funded research and development. But she says that AB 32 is a bad idea because it's a one-state solution, and global warming needs a global solution.
1;28 p.m. Patt Morrison asks Boxer about comments by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus that committee Boxer chairs has been ineffective.
Boxer says Baucus is a supporter and that he was misquoted.
1:30 p.m. Boxer answer is interrupted by follow-up question: Doesn't Fiorina have a point that a global approach would be better than California's one-state regulation?
Boxer says there have been global attempts that haven't gone that far. And that's why California must act. Boxer keeps pivoting to attacks on Fiorina. Fiorina keeps pivoting to attacks on Boxer. And the questions don't get answered. And the interruptions continue. The debate is a mess.
1:36 p.m.
1:41 p.m. Fiorina is asked about her pro-life position and whether she would support overturning Roe v. Wade.
Fiorina, a bit bitterly, accuses Boxer of trying to say that Fiorina supports "criminalization" of abortion. That's false.
1:43 p.m. Morrison asks about story that the mother of Fiorina's husband being advised to abort him. Why would you deny the right that the mother had to choose not to do taht?
Fiorina gives a strong answer, rebuking Morrison for suggesting that the story is anything less than true. She pivots into attacking Boxer for an "extreme" view on abortion -- public financing. Morrison breaks in to note that the Hyde Amendment bars federal financing of most abortions.
Boxer, bizarrely, calls Roe v. Wade "a decision that brings us all together." That's only the most divisive court decision in recent political history.
1:48 p.m. Gabriel Lerner of La Opinion asks about Mexico, and the drug war that could spill across the border into Mexico. Should the U.S. provide military assistance to Mexico?
Fiorina says we should do what the Mexican government asks. She also says -- provocatively -- that Mexico is approaching a "failed state." She says she's visited the city of Monterey, Mexico and finds beheadings there especially shocking, compares it to discovering beheadings in Pasadena.
1:50 folo up to Fiorina on guns that flow from U.S. to Mexico for use in the drug war. Fiorina's answer: there are laws on the books today that make such trafficking and possession of semi-automatics illegal today.
Fiorina then defends her view that people on the "no-fly" list -- which included Fiorina's sister-in-law and Ted Kennedy -- shouldn't be barred from buying guns. The no-fly list, Fiorina reminds, isn't the terrorist watch list.
Boxer agrees with Fiorina here -- on the point of giving Mexico what they need and ask for on the drug war.
1:53 p.m... and we've jumped to Afghanistan, and whether the government there is worth supporting? My head is spinning from the speed of this.
Boxer ducks it. She says she supports President Obama in bringing the troops back. U.S. can't have an "open checkbook." We need an "exit strategy." She's reciting the Obama strategy without explaining how she would judge the Afghan government, its progress and its corruption.
1:55 p.m. Closing statements. Chance to breathe.
Boxer attacks Fiorina's record on Hewlett Packard. Hits her on outsourcing.
Fiorina talks about accountability. And attacks Boxer for becoming richer in office and writing books.
And it's mercifully over. Reaction: hard to pick a winner given that neither managed to say much of anything without being interrupted. Better to have a debate that focuses on just a few issues, and thus allows more time for discussion and specifics.


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SET THE SCENE: The UMBC Retrievers (5-14, 1-5) try to salvage the final game of a three-game homestand when they face the Hartford Hawks (10-11, 4-2) on Hall of Fame Day at the RAC Arena. The Saturday, Jan. 25 nightcap of a hoops doubleheader gets underway at 3:30 p.m. Gary Stein and Troy Green have the call on Q1370 (www.q1370.com), and live streaming is available on the America East digital network at www.americaeast.tv. Streaming is also now available on most mobile devices.
RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC played the two undefeated teams in America East, Vermont and Stony Brook, in a span of three days, and dropped both decisions. The Retrievers are mired in a shooting slump - the squad has not surpassed 40 percent shooting from the floor in the last five games. FR G Rodney Elliott (13.8 ppg) has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, while SR F Chase Plummer coming off a 21-point effort versus Stony Brook.
HAWK UPDATE: Taylor Dyson's short baseline jumper as he fell to the floor with 2.3 seconds left boosted Hartford to a 56-54 victory over Binghamton on Thursday night. Wes Cole led the Hawks (10-11, 4-2 America East) with 24 points, and the junior guard has buried 18 treys in his last two outings. JR F Mark Nwakamma leads UH in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (6.0). Hartford has won three straight, two of which have been on the road and the Hawks are 5-6 in road games in 2013-14.
Who's Up Next: UMBC hits the road next week for contests at Binghamton (Jan. 29) and at Maine (Feb .1).


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New York, January 17, 2012--The conviction of several accomplices in the 2007 assassination of Hrant Dink, then-editor of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, fails to address the issue of who commissioned the slaying, thus perpetuating impunity in the case, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Dink, 52, was shot to death outside his newspaper's offices five years ago this week. A Turkish citizen of Armenian ethnicity, the journalist was known for his outspoken pieces on the contentious issue of the 1915 Armenian massacre, which he had characterized as genocide. Dink had reported receiving threats from radical nationalists before he was killed, CPJ research shows.
Local media reported today that the 14th Court of Serious Crimes of Beşiktaş Courthouse in İstanbul declared Turkish national Yasin Hayal to be an accomplice in the murder and guilty of inciting the gunman, Ogun Samast, to kill Dink in retaliation for his views. The court handed Hayal a life sentence without possibility of parole, news reports said.
Three other accomplices, all radical nationalists, were also handed prison terms today--Ersin Yolcu was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months for instigating murder; Ahmet İskender to 13 years and six months for instigating the murder and owning a gun without a license; and Salih Hacısalihoğlu to 10 weeks for illegal possession of bullets, news reports said.
Dink's family, colleagues, and supporters have repeatedly called for the prosecution of security and military officials with radical nationalist sympathies whom they suspect of ordering the editor's killing in retaliation for his work. Dink was subjected to death threats, hate mail, and politicized prosecution for "insulting Turkishness" in retaliation for his controversial writings on the plight of ethnic Armenians during World War I. In a July interview, Dink's successor at the newspaper, Rober Koptaş, told CPJ: "We know there is evidence that a lot of police and soldiers are involved in the assassination [of Hrant Dink]. ... [But] there is no real investigation about state officials, whether civilian or military."
In reaction to today's verdict, Dink's family lawyer Fethiye Çetin told the Turkish press that the family will continue to press for justice. "It is not over--this trial is just beginning," she said. Friends and supporters are planning a gathering on January 19, the fifth anniversary of Dink's slaying, to demand the end of impunity.
"Justice for our colleague Hrant Dink will not be achieved until the commissioners of his slaying five years ago are tried and punished to the full extent of the law," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "We stand in solidarity with Dink's family, colleagues, and friends in calling for a thorough and transparent investigation into the suspected involvement of military and security service officials in this brutal crime."
Since the court proceedings began nearly five years ago, at least 19 individuals have been prosecuted for having various degrees of involvement in Dink's murder, CPJ research shows. Today's verdict--two days before the fifth anniversary of the journalist's assassination--resulted in the convictions of only secondary accomplices and failed to address the pivotal question of who masterminded the crime.
In July, a juvenile court sentenced Samast, a teenager at the time of the killing, to about 23 years in prison for committing the crime, news reports said. In June, a court in the Black Sea province of Trabzon convicted six military officers of having had information on the murder but failing to prevent the killing, according to news reports. The officials were handed months-long prison terms, which they have appealed, and they were not incarcerated. The masterminds of the murder were never prosecuted, CPJ research shows.


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Breakers 93
Townsville 63
It looked like a mismatch on paper and that proved true in practice - the sleeping giant that was the Breakers offence is well and truly awake.
The league-leading Breakers (7-1) destroyed the winless Townsville Crocs (0-9) with ruthless efficiency tonight at Vector Arena, winning their seventh straight game 93-63.
The winning streak is now the second-highest in franchise history and, for the first time since their second ever game, the Breakers now have an overall winning record.
It was their 150th all-time victory, to go with 149 losses, and it's doubtful many of the preceding 298 games were as straightforward as tonight's.
Townsville always seemed set to struggle against the two-time defending champions and the Breakers, who had clipped the Crocs twice already this season, made sure of that as they busted out of a season-long offensive mini-slump.
Heading into the contest the Breakers' highest score of the campaign was 81 points - tonight they had 79 through three quarters.
"With a 21-point lead at the half, there's always that danger we let up a little bit and let them back into the game,'' coach Andrej Lemanis said. "But we kept out foot on the throat.''
The Breakers shot an impressive 48 per cent both from the floor and from deep and, for much of the second half, they threatened to double the Townsville total.
Five Breakers reached double figures, something of a hallmark last season, which Lemanis took to be an encouraging sign.
"We've always shared the ball well, we just haven't knocked down some shots so far this season,'' he said. "But now we're starting to get to that point where we've got more than three players playing well.''
Lemanis was pleased with different players contributing at different times this season, exemplified tonight by Alex Pledger's career-best 18 points and Cedric Jackson's third straight double-double.
The rout which was to follow certainly didn't seem apparent in the first quarter, as the Crocs continued to demonstrate a fondness for the Vector Arena rims.
Despite shooting 75 per cent from the floor Townsville went to the first break facing a double digit deficit, after the Breakers rode an 8-0 run to lead 31-21 at the end of a high-scoring opening quarter.
But it fell apart for the Crocs in the second as the shots stopped falling and the Breakers turned the screws on the stingy defence which has carried them this season.
The Crocs went more than six minutes without scoring either side of the first break and the home side were soon out of sight.
Tom Abercrombie's dunk following Peter Crawford's air-ball towards the end of the half provided both personal satisfaction - after the pair's clash in last season's playoffs - and provided the Breakers with a 21-point lead.
It stayed that way as the teams headed to the sheds, with Pledger's game-high 12 points helping the Breakers break 50 in the opening half for the first time this season.
If it looked all over at halftime, that feeling was soon magnified. By the time Townsville called for clemency with a timeout midway through the third, the Breakers' lead had ballooned to an insurmountable 29 points.
A couple of Abercrombie threes ignited the crowd and, with his side shooting better than they had all season, the only remaining intrigue surrounded whether the Breakers could crack a ton.
They were certainly on track at the final break, with back-to-back CJ Bruton threes boosting the advantage to 35 points.
With the game well and truly wrapped up Bruton took to entertaining the crowd in other ways, thanking a spectator with a kiss on the cheek after she helped him back to his feet when he tumbled over the advertising hoardings.
The Breakers followed Bruton's relaxed lead and slightly eased off, even affording to give a couple of development squad members a run, and fell just short in their search for a century.
Breakers 93 (Pledger 18, Abercrombie 16, Bruton 15)
Townsville 63 (Allen 11, Abney 11, Ervin 10)


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Washington (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama hung out with a "big time star" and jammed to the Godfather of Soul, but brought a serious message to students at a once-troubled Washington elementary school Friday.
Obama joined actress Kerry Washington, from the ABC television show "Scandal," in the visit to Savoy Elementary School which was once one of the district's lowest performing schools and is located in the city's Anacostia neighborhood.
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Savoy has seen a jump in its test scores and enrollment becoming one of eight schools nationwide in the Turnaround Arts Initiative. The program from the President's Committee on Arts and the Humanities brings cultural and arts program into the school's program as part of a reform effort.
"You all are seeing the connection that the arts and the academics have with one another," Obama told students during a visit showing off the school's programs, "I want to urge you to keep working hard every single day."
Washington has become a mentor to Savoy, as a member of the President's committee. Obama bragged to students the actress from the hit show is "a big time star right now. Big time. I mean, there is no bigger star right now than Kerry."
"I know that on television I have the privilege of playing a character who is out there fixing it in different situations," Washington told reporters, "but in my real life I really feel blessed that I can be a part of a program that's using the arts to fix or to help schools fix themselves; to really help schools turn themselves around using the arts, as a key to unlocking a lot of the problems that the school is facing."
The first lady toured a pre-K classroom and a fifth grade arts class during her visit. In the pre-K class, she joined the four and five-year-olds in a game where they dance, and freeze in positions shown on flash cards when the music stops. She spent about 15 minutes in the class, dancing to James Brown's "Gonna Have Funky Good Time".
When teacher Jacqueline Lyons asked the students who James Brown was, they yelled "The Godfather of Soul."
Obama then went to a 5th grade arts classroom, where she watched students painting and making sculptures of a West African bird. She also viewed class video diaries on computer where a student handed her a headset to listen.
In her speech to the school following the tour, Obama told the students "No one is born smart. No one is born knowing how to read, right? No one is born knowing how to do math, or no one is born knowing how to play the flute. All of that comes with a lot of hard work…it's not about what you know, it's about the effort that you put in, the amount of work that you're willing to do to get where you're going. And everyone has to work hard - everyone does. I have to work hard, the President has to work hard, your teachers have to work hard. No one expects you to know how to read already. The only way you know how to read is that you keep trying."
Obama urged the students to be "fearless learners", telling them "sometimes you make mistakes. Sometimes you'll fail at something. But the important thing is, do you get back up when you fail? ...I want you guys to be free to try new things and not be afraid to fail - because we have all failed."
Citing herself and Washington as examples, she said the actress struggled in her career before becoming a star. "Kerry got a lot of rejections. She spent a lot of time developing her craft. She spent a lot of time practicing and working and trying out for things and having people tell her 'no,' 'no thank you,' 'you're not good enough,' 'you're not pretty enough.'" Could you imagine somebody telling Kerry that she wasn't pretty enough, she wasn't tall enough, she was too short? That's all performing is, is rejection."
Before about 390 students in the auditorium, Obama said, "I want you to ask questions, take some risks. Don't be embarrassed when you don't know something. Don't be afraid to ask questions, okay? Do you understand that?"
Obama and Washington then watched performances by the school's Savoy Players, including a musical number where students were transported back several decades and sang "Who Put the Bomp," complete with poodle skirts, black jackets and white t-shirts. The first lady clapped along and swayed to the music.
Washington joined students on stage on the final musical act, dancing and doing the "Lindy Hop."
She joked maybe she was connected with the school because her "Scandal" character Olivia shares a last name with the school's principal Patrick Pope.
What a nice story to close out the week, just before a holiday weekend. It'll drive the hyper right bug nuts.
I love the first lady, but I have to admit, I cringe whenever I see an article here about her. The RWNJ's are rabid with hatred of all of the Obama's. But it seems like they really hate her.....
It is true that we see a lot of hatred towards Michelle. But on the other hand, there is also a lot of ridiculous praising her, especially about the fashion thing. I hate to hear bad comments about her but I also feel disgusted about the ridiculous praise of her as well.


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Rhode Island authorities have evidence linking the accused "Craigslist Killer" to a hotel where a third attack occurred, a law enforcement official said Friday.
Fingerprints belonging to Boston University medical student Philip Markoff were found on a wall of the Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, R.I., where a stripper has said she was assaulted by a man she met through Craigslist. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.
Markoff, 23, also allegedly sent text messages from the hotel, the official said. But there is no immediate information about what Markoff said or to whom he wrote.
Markoff has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering Upper West Sider Julissa Brisman, who was found dead April 14 in a Boston hotel after being bashed in the head and shot three times.
He is also charged in a robbery of another masseuse that police say he met through the online classifieds site.
Markoff has not yet been charged in Rhode Island, but police and prosecutors there have been actively looking for links to the Boston crimes.
Meanwhile, a preliminary match has been made between bullets used to kill Brisman and a gun found in Markoff's home, police sources told the Boston Herald.
In Rhode Island, a Las Vegas woman who worked as a stripper and was offering lap dances through Craigslist told police that she was bound with cord and held at gunpoint late on April 16 at the Warwick hotel. The assailant fled when the victim's husband returned to the room.
Suffolk County prosecutors in Massachusetts have placed an ad on Craigslist in an attempt to find other women who may have been victimized by Markoff.
Markoff, who was arrested during a traffic stop Monday as he drove to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, was placed on suicide watch at the Boston jail where he was being held after authorities reportedly found shoelace marks on his neck.
His attorney and parents visited him Friday, and his fiancee said earlier in the week that she supported Markoff and didn't think he was capable of hurting anyone.
Meanwhile, Brisman's mother, Carmen Guzman, said in a statement Friday that losing her daughter to such a violent death will "haunt me for the rest of my life."


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BALTIMORE – Before wrapping up the indoor season next week with senior Andrew Smith (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) traveling to the NCAA Championships, the UMBC track and field team sends select athletes to Boston this weekend for the 2014 ECAC and IC4A Championships. The three-day meet will from run March 7-9 at Boston University's Track and Tennis Center.
Smith, a school record holder and America East champion, will headline the group as he prepares to run the 800m at the national meet in New Mexico where he will be the sixth Retriever in program history to compete at the NCAA Championships. This weekend, the senior will compete in the 1,000m event, an event in which he holds the third-fastest time in school history (2:25.60).
School record holders Jake Albino (Hampton, N.Y./Minisink Valley) and Hassan Omar (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson) will also make the trip to represent the Retrievers in Massachusetts. Albino, a senior who holds the top UMBC mark in the 1,000m (2:25.48), will compete in the one-mile race (4:08.97), the event in which he won a bronze medal at the America East Championships. Omar, the holder of the 3k (8:22.56) and 5k records (14:32.71), will run in the 5,000m event in Boston after winning a bronze in the 3k at the conference meet.
Junior Charles Bolinger (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt), who holds the fifth-fastest UMBC time in the 800m run (1:54.36), will compete in the event this weekend.
The women's team will be well represented as well, led by distance runners Cody Mezebish (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) and Sarah Daly (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion). Mezebish captured a silver medal in the 800m with a school record time of 2:12.44 at the America East meet and will try to improve that mark even further. Daly, meanwhile, will compete in the 1,000m attempting to lower her school record time of 2:52.04 from the Armory Collegiate Invitational.
America East champion and school record holder Alisha Beeman (Bridgeport, Conn./Bunnell/Hartford) will also head north seeking to leap even higher in the high jump. The junior outdid her own school mark and the rest of the field at the conference meet in New York by clearing 1.74m (5'8.5) to win the gold medal.
In the long sprints, junior Briana Young (Bowie, Elizabeth Seton) and senior Deborah Adelola (Lanham, Md./Bladensburg) will compete in the 400m and 500m events, respectively. Young posted her top career time in the 400 during the prelims of the event at the America East Championships, placing third with a time of 56.87. Adelola set a career-best in the 500m event earlier this year at the Penn State Nationals, clocking in at 1:14.96, the sixth-fastest time in program history.
Young and Adelola will combine with sophomore Marie Yuille (Bowie, Md./Oakland Mills) and freshman Mercedes Tillman (Waldorf, Md./North Point) for the 4x400m relay.


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Sunday is Tony night.
Green Day will perform, "Glee's" Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison will sing and Sean Hayes ("Promises, Promises") will host when the 64th annual Tony Awards beams from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday (7-10 p.m. on KCNC Channel 4). CBS released the lineup today.
Among the performances: numbers from the nominated best musicals "American Idiot," "Fela!," "Memphis" and "Million Dollar Quartet," as well as the revivals "La Cage aux Folles" featuring Kelsey Grammer, "A Little Night Music" featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones, and "Ragtime."
Expect scenes from the following nominated plays: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis from "Fences," Justin Bartha, Anthony LaPaglia and Tony Shalhoub from "Lend Me a Tenor," Jan Maxwell and Rosemary Harris of "The Royal Family," Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson from "A View from the Bridge," Laura Benanti and Michael Cerveris from "In the Next Room," Patrick Breen and Patrick Heusinger of "Next Fall," Laura Linney and Brian d'Arcy James from "Time Stands Still" and Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne from "Red."


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Food prices have skyrocketed. Polar bears are doing the breaststroke. Though things aren't looking great for our planet or our economy, something good, it seems, has come from the precarious position we've found ourselves in.
In an effort to cut costs and do the Earth right, quite a bit of our attention is refocusing on eating local. Farmers' markets are surging in popularity, grocery stores are offering locally grown produce, and restaurants boast nearby sources of pea shoots and rutabagas. It's a good start, but I think we can do even better.
Our backyards hold a lot of potential as a food source. Even if all you have is a patio, that space can lead to herbs, vegetables and fresh eggs. A small plot can produce more than enough veggies to keep your crisper full most of the year. Container gardens, for those who are short on space, are a great way to supplement your salad intake.
As obvious as gardening is, there's another simple way to cut back on grocery bills and enjoy fresh-from-the-farm foods: raising your own chickens. Chickens are easy animals to raise, requiring less care than those needy cats and dogs many of us insist on keeping around, and they reward their owners with fresh eggs, and if you choose, fresh meat.
Before you decide to start a flock, it's best to check with city and neighborhood ordinances. If you discover that chickens aren't allowed where you live, don't give up. Exotic pet laws may be one loophole to get chickens in your yard, or you can always organize like-minded neighbors and approach your city council representative for help.
After assuring that chickens are welcome in your hood, you'll need to buy or build a coop. Options abound when it comes to housing birds. Sheds, dog kennels and even pickup truck shells can all be converted to coops. Buying a coop will set you back anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to more than a thousand dollars. Depending on size and type, building your own can be done for less than $100.
Whichever route you go with, the coop should be reasonably easy to access for egg collecting and cleaning. Make sure it can be secured at night against predators and at all times against the weather.
Every coop should have a ventilation source (i.e., a window), a roost and nesting boxes. A roost is just a pole or branch fixed above the ground for your chickens to perch on at night. It should be made from wood or plastic—metal roosts can freeze during winter, leading to frostbitten feet. Place the roost at least two feet from the ground and allow for at least one foot of roosting length per bird. If you find your birds are slipping off, the roost may be too small or too round for them to grip comfortably.
Hens require a quiet, private spot to do their egg-laying business, and that's where nesting boxes come in. You'll need one nesting box for every four hens. Buy or build a box that measures about 12 inches by 12 inches, and place it off the ground and away from the roost. Line the box with bedding—such as wood shavings, hay or straw—and keep it clean and fresh.
While chickens don't take up too much space, plan for about three square feet per bird. A fenced-in yard, garden or run can be included in this space. Use poultry netting or hardware cloth for your fence, and consider enclosing the yard completely to keep your birds contained. Chicken yards also protect chicks from hawks and other predators.
Chickens are easy animals to raise, requiring less care than those needy cats and dogs many of us insist on keeping around, and they reward their owners with fresh eggs, and if you choose, fresh meat.
If you're raising chicks, you'll need to start them off indoors until they're old enough to survive on their own. Keep them warm and safe with a heat source and a "brooder"—a cardboard box, cage or even a plastic tub.
Starting with mature hens is even easier. Check classified listings and feed stores to see if anyone's willing to part with some, usually for a price. I received mine for free from a former landlord just by asking.
Choose your breed according to what you expect from your chickens. Smaller breeds require less space. Others are bred for egg or meat production specifically. The Internet or your local feed store can point you in the right direction. You'll also need to decide if you want a rooster. It's best to skip roosters if you have neighbors and don't want to breed your chickens. Roosters aren't necessary for egg production—just chick-making.
Once you have a flock and a coop, all that's left is keeping them fed and watered. A one-gallon waterer can be used to keep water fresh and clean. For food, be sure you buy "feed" not "scratch." Scratch is mainly grain and should be given only as a treat. Feed is readily available at feed stores and even Wal-Mart. Consider supplementing your feed with crushed oyster shells for extra calcium—a must for laying hens. Table scraps and garden leftovers can be fed to chickens; just use common sense and make sure they have a balanced diet. It's also important to give your chickens grit—small stones or pebbles needed to "chew" their food—if it's not already underfoot.
Check the nesting boxes twice a day for eggs. My flock of three three-year-old Barred Rock hens produces about a dozen eggs a week. Right now the hens are in molt (the process in which old feathers are replaced with new), so they've slowed down to about half that. Egg production depends on a number of factors, such as bird age, weather, diet and if they're happy. Hens need 12 to 14 hours of light to lay at peak capacity. Adding a timer-controlled light to the coop should keep your birds laying steady year-round. Fresh eggs only a few steps from your back door is one benefit to keeping your own chickens, but that's not their only boon to an urban farm. Chickens will eat everything from weeds to bugs, keeping your yard nice and clean. And, of course, they're an unending source of nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which you can plop right back into your garden.


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100 Records Volume 2: I Miss The Jams
100 Records is Sonny Smith's (Sonny and The Sunsets) mad world of imagined rock created with the help of musical friends: Ty Segall, Tim Cohen (Fresh & Onlys), Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches) and more of San Francisco's best and brightest.
Turn Up Records and Sonny Smith are proud to present a five disc limited edition 7″ boxed set. The box titled "100 Records Volume 2: I Miss The Jams" will be in stores November 16th (or can be purchased here.)
Here's Earth Girl Helen Brown singing "I Wanna Do It"
Sonny Smith's 100 Records Volume 2: I Miss The Jams – I Wanna Do It by Earth Girl Helen Brown on Turn Up Records


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Partnerships in Character Education Program
Lancaster County School District
Positive Action Program (PAP) )
Contact Information:
Lisa Byrd, Project Director
Lancaster County School District
300 S. Catawba Street, P.O. Box 130
Lancaster, SC 29720
Web site: None
Grant Period: 2006-2010
Amount Requested: $1,811,287 for a four-year project
Program Description
Lancaster County School District's Positive Action Program will serve 3,444 high school students in grades 9-12 and 240 teachers from four target school sites. Sites will be selected based on their high level of problem youth behaviors including substance use, fighting, poor achievement, and referrals to the Juvenile Justice staff. The program will include the following features: Positive Action classroom curriculum aligned with state curriculum standards; a school climate component, and parent and community components that parallel the school-based model. The project will be based on a rigorous risk-focused assessment and meticulous planning conducted by the Lancaster Prevention Coalition comprised of over 30 public, private, civic and faith-based entities.
Goals and Objectives
- To reduce student absences by 10%, reduce student suspensions by 15%, increase faculty and staff morale by 20%, and increase parent involvement by 15% at target schools by the end of the first project year
- To significantly improve family management skills by the end of the first project year following enrollment in program services
- To increase the number of students by 10% who pass all three components of the high school exit exam (HSAP) by the end of the second project year
- To decrease the number of behavioral incidents of violence, fighting, bullying, or other disciplinary codes by 15%; and decrease alcohol, tobacco and other drug possession or use by 10% at each of the target schools by the end of the second project year
- To decrease faculty absenteeism by 5% and increase in the number of community volunteers by 15% at each of the four target schools by the end of the second project year To
- conduct a minimum of four Positive Action Day events by program youth each year within local community settings
This project will conduct a single study, pre-post evaluation design. Lancaster will evaluate the status of its Positive Action Program objectives and overall impact on participant knowledge, attitude and behavior, by conducting an evaluation that includes a pre-post survey design, process tracking and statistical analysis.


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Superb sealing, sustains longevity, and has superior strength. 4 millimeter Resealable Reclosable Bags will prevent spoilage and wastage when storing food items in the deep freezer. They're excellent for creating freezer storage space which allows more stock of fresh foods.
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Community Organizing
These are a variety of Tools we have gathered that are useful for the purpose of getting your community organized. Again, this listing does not denote any particular endorsement by TCN of these projects, organizations, or models, nor any particular collaboration or relationship between TCN and these individuals or entities except by the nature of being recommended by someone in this community as having been worthy or useful. Nothing listed here was created by TCN or in any way under the direction of TCN unless specifically noted as such. TCN does not make any claims as to the accuracy of the information herein compiled, the quality of the services offered by these organizations, or as the potential outcome of anyone's use of these tools. They are merely offered as possibilities to start from and to be used strictly at your own risk. Please, feel empowered to risk!