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Friday March 22
Researching Ancestors Online by Laura G. Prescott
Genealogy Research Online – Sites and Strategies That May Surprise You
This class should be a must see for any serious genealogist. Laura first covered some positives and then some negatives of genealogy research on the Internet. She discussed, How to be a responsible contributor and user of online genealogical information.
Her list of Usage Rules includes: Share, Be accurate, Double check data received, Respect copyrights, Ask Permission, Cite Your Sources, Respect privacy, Take your time, explore, get wonderfully lost and have fun.
The syllabus includes a list of eleven commonly used websites many of which require subscriptions. She also referenced 101 Best Genealogy Websites for 2012 and Professionally Preferred Websites for Family History.
Some of the free websites that she demonstrated included: Cyndi's List, The US GenWeb Project, DoHistory, Library of Congress, NUCMC, Academic Archives, Dead Fred, One-Step Webpages, Find A Grave, Bureau of Land Management, LibraryThing, and HistoryLady.
FamilySearch – Family Tree by Ron Tanner
Ron has a very down-to-earth manner of teaching. He follows his syllabus material and so there is not a need to take many notes. He discussed the family tree today, with its evolution from new.familysearch and the constraints of that program in working on ancestors. The newest version will focus on citing sources, including open editing where anyone can alter anything; the change log, which will let one know if changes are being made; and the collaboration features where we must learn to work together. In his concluding comments he mentioned the coming printing options of Pedigree charts and Family Group Records from Family Tree. He said the Family Tree is the World's Genealogy where we can share it, fix it, discuss it, source it and preserve it. The intent is to preserve, document, stop the duplication, and get it right.
Google Search…and Beyond by Dave Barney
He did not have syllabus material so I took a lot of notes. This presentation highlights many of the tools available in Google Search, Maps, and News. He discussed Image Searches and the need to use the drill down options, black and white and faces. Newspaper found at news.google.com/newspapers is a great resource for genealogists and we need to use it to encourage Google to keep it. History Pen is a Google offshoot in England. He did caution the need to be aware of copyrights of pictures and other postings. Google Translate was demonstrated showing how it can be used by pasting text or a URL. For assistance he suggested contacting support.google.com/websearch.
He also mentioned the book "Google Your Family Tree" by Dan Lynch as a great resource. Many new tools will be made available in the near future.
From Paper Piles to Digital Files; Technology for the Organized Genealogist by Valerie S. Elkins
Valerie provided great syllabus material, so these are just some additional highlights. She shared some wonderful stories along with her growth in becoming better organized. The book "GTD or Getting Things Done" by David Allen was very inspirational for her. She suggested that we consider, "What is the Cost?' in terms of time, space, money and maintenance of being better organized. We need to treat as to their true value. She coined the term GenOrganized. Then she suggested that we consider the office tasks that we do repeatedly and how we can stream line them. We are a work in progress. She suggested that we create cheat sheets to document and remember the SOP or Standard Operating Procedure. The four criteria for choosing actions are Context or Location, Time Available, Energy Available, and Priority. She suggested using automation to make retrieval of information easier: IFITT (If This Then That) and WAPPWOLF.com. Her syllabus includes items for further study, tech programs, cheat sheet ideas from her website, and a long list of Apps and online resources.
Saturday March 23
Using Technology Effectively to Solve Research Problems by Karen Clifford
Karen's classes are always well done and inspiring. She provided excellent syllabus material. First she listed all the technology used in the presentation. Then she went through seven steps of researching which are:
1. Focus - Make Adequate Preparations Before Going Online
2. Questions - Learn About the Records and Research Methodology for the Locations and Time Periods
3. Obtain Info - Use the Internet to Understand the Locality, including history of the area, finding aids, and period maps. Use finding aids, Internet search, Government Records (probate, land, military, archives, museums, etc.; Handybook, Redbook, the Source, State Archivist, NUCMC. Drill deep. BYU has old Research Outlines online.
4. Perform a Preliminary Survey
5. Discriminate between levels of information and obtain expert 24/7 help – Study Original and Compiled Records of the Area online. Key Repositories include: Vital Records Office, Archives, Public Libraries, Private Libraries, State Historical Societies, Family History Library, Use search engines to find these. She highly recommends genealogyplace.com
6. Analyze, Evaluate, and Records Your Findings
7. Search Specialty Sites
Digital Storytelling: More than Bullet Points by Denise Olson
Denise shared her experiences with creating digital stories by using presentation apps or other programs: PowerPoint, Keynote, WordPerfect Presentations or Impress. She demonstrated Photo Books, Photo Story, Digital Scrapbook, Photo Documentary, Sketchbook Bio, and Enhanced Ebook. Then she shared a list of Needed Skills and how learning these skills will enhance the work being done. In her syllabus is a great overview of this presentation and additional resources.


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She always considered herself a 'drummer who sang'. She started as a reluctant singer who gave herself permission to call herself a singer –says Daniel K. Robinson.
Growing up there was one voice that I adored more than any other. Karen Carpenter, to my ears at least, was like listening to perfection personified.
Karen, alongside her brother Richard, formed the 1970s duo Carpenters, and until her death in 1983 she was considered to be one of the music industry's leading ladies.
A Foreign Sound
Karen's sound is rather foreign to the 21st century ear. Today's audience is drawn en' masse towards the inexplicably high vocals of Sia, Katy Perry and Beyoncé.
But Karen's voice was different. Often described as a contralto (similar vocal range to the countertenor), her voice wowed audiences with its wonderfully low timbre; a sound all too uncommon even during the 60s and 70s (the height of Karen's career).
Before we discuss Karen's vocals further, have a listen to this recording of the Carpenters 1970 hit Close to You:
I love that song so much my wife and I had it performed at our wedding. Daggy…but magical!
4 Key Lessons for Singers from Karen's Career
So what can we, as singers, learn from Karen's career, both as a vocalist and as a performer? Here's a few key points of interest:
Embrace Your 'Natural' Sound
Our fascination with singing higher seems to currently know no bounds. Consequently, a good majority of today's population is trying to sing way outside their anatomical limits. This in turn leads to frustration, not to mention voices that are being driven to wear and tear by users who are expecting biological impossibilities. When I write 'Embrace Your Natural Sound,' what I'm really saying is: embrace YOU. Be the singer you were born to be. Karen Carpenter's voice was unique…and so is yours. Stop comparing your sound to those around you, and start developing your own unique vocal signature.
Don't Suffer in Silence
The death of Karen Carpenter came as a massive shock to the western world. Sadly, Karen had suffered with anorexia nervosa and bulimia for many years; and it was these two conditions that led to her untimely death. We are fortunate that today eating disorders and mental illness is far better understood by the medical fraternity and the general public. But better understanding doesn't mean squat if a person is suffering in silence. And it's all too easy for a performer to suffer in silence when they feel the pressure (stated or otherwise) to present an up-and-up persona to an adoring audience. We are human beings first and singers second; we must always get this order right. If you or anyone you know is battling mental illness I encourage you to seek out professional care.
Give Yourself Permission to be a Singer
Did you know that drummers can sing?! I'm being purposefully playful…but seriously, before Phil Collins made it a thing to sing from behind a drum kit, Karen was working the skins on national tours of the US. Actually, she always considered herself a 'drummer who sang.' The point here is that she was a reluctant singer. So many of us come into the singing thing via other instruments, and as a result we stop short of calling ourselves 'singers!' Allow me to encourage you to give yourself permission to call yourself a singer. Step out from behind that guitar (or those drums) figuratively speaking, and BE a singer.
Leave Something in the Tank for Tomorrow
Karen was known to be a 'one take wonder.' That is, she would step into the recording studio, sing the song through once, and that was that. The single take would be so good, there was no need for another. Urban myth tells us that if Karen ever got to a third or fourth take, the producer would send her home stating, "It isn't happening today…let's try again tomorrow." Myth or not, there's a lesson here for us. Often, whether during recording sessions or during practice, we work the voice until it's dead on its feet! Now, it's important to work and massage the voice, but there is always a point at which the smart vocalist says, "Enough! The voice has run its course today." My advice is to always leave something in the tank for tomorrow. And when recording, if it's not 'happening' step away and come back to it at another time (schedules and budget permitting).
On February 4, 1983 the world lost a beautiful sound, and to all accounts a beautiful human being. We can learn so much from Karen Carpenter's personal struggles, both as a singer and as a person; but the lessons are only worth something when we act upon the instructions they are giving us.
This is the seventh part in our 'What Singers Can Learn From' series.
Previous: What Singers Can Learn From Elton John
My Reaction to This Week's Singing Competition Entry
Johnny Walker - Americans
Hey Johnny. Lovin' your energy man! I can really hear your passion in the tune. Be careful of when the melody travels towards your upper register. Do your best not to 'push the notes' when your voice approaches your transition.
Dr Dan is a freelance artist and educator. He is the principal Singing Voice Specialist for Djarts and presents workshops to singers across Australia and abroad. He has served as National Vice President (2009–11) and National Secretary for the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (2006–11). Over the past two decades, while maintaining his own performance career, Daniel has instructed thousands of voices. This vast experience enables Daniel to effortlessly work with voices of all skill levels: beginners to professionals. You can join Dr Dan every Tuesday & Thursday on his YouTube channel: Dr Dan's Voice Essentials. Dr Dan is also the creator of 7 Days to a Better Voice: a FREE one-week technical detox for your voice.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sex sells. You can see it on the covers of crappy video games. Hot computer generated women, ready to play with you all night long. Makes sense. The majority of video gamers are male. But the question is would you pay for nude patches? Would you pay for adult content in games? Also, why is nudity still such a taboo?
That's Right.
It exists.
– Alex ^.^()
One Comment...
April 21st, 2009 at 11:22 am
Searching for a nude tetris patch might backfire on you. Since there might be a gay patch where different size blocks/cocks will be falling and you'll have to fit them in within each other to make straight lines…. O_o


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Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
Chalong Police today again refused the identify at which resort in Rawai two Myanmar nationals were killed by an electric shock from a shower water-heater in a guestroom bathroom.
Capt Somkiet Sarasit of the Chalong Police told The Phuket News today (Mar 29), "The resort has had every electric shower in guestrooms checked and they are safe.
"The exact cause of the electric shocks was a broken electrical wire inside the wall," he added.
Myanmar national Khin Aye New, 31, was found dead on the floor of a guestroom bathroom at the resort last Thursday night (Mar 23).
Her hand, which showed burn marks, was still holding the shower head of an electric water heater mounted to the wall. Her body was lying in water that covered the shower room floor.
Her boyfriend, Min Thaik Non, 30, who worked at the resort, lay dead beside her. He also suffered an apparent electrical shock as he tried to help her. (See story here.)
Capt Somkiet continued to refuse to name the resort where the couple died. Asked again today by The Phuket News why the name of the resort was not public information, Capt Somkiet was silent.
Also of a conflicting nature, Capt Somkiet confirmed that so far no charges had been pressed against anyone over the deaths, but added, "It is an accident. This case is not concluded yet."
Yet he added, "We have not pressed charges against the resort yet as we have to be very sure they are wrong. The resort might face legal action for negligence. The current owners took over the resort from a previous owner, so they are now redeveloping the resort."
Asked what had happened to the remains of Mr Min and Ms Khin, Capt Somkiet said, "They were cremated in Rawai on Monday (Mar 27). The resort owner explained what had happened to the families. I was there too."
The resort owner paid B270,000 baht per family for the deaths, Capt Somkiet added.
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Building awareness through savvy communications provides Throat Threads Apparel the ability to constantly stay in the public's eyes and ahead of the industry's demand.
The in-house Public Relations division thrives on its connections with consumer and trade fashion, accessories, style, apparel and market personalities at top magazines, television programs, newspapers, and web-sites in Canada and Internationally.
From creative presentations across Canada each season, to participating in highly publicized events and reaching out on personal levels everyday, the Public Relations team is constantly discovering opportunities to be highlighted in the eye of the targeted customer and amongst the fashion world's "movers and shakers".
Throat Threads Apparel's in house marketing team has grown exponentially in conjunction with the growth of the company. Annual marketing plans are developed for each brand by category, complete with monthly timelines to assist in the execution. Where applicable, in store marketing collateral and support are developed and produced seasonally, store locators for applicable branded websites are updated seasonally and branded quarterly e-bulletins are issued with key selling and marketing messages. Essentially, the team works with each division as well as the vendor partners to creatively "North Americanize" the marketing strategy and overall branded message


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How can it be that opportunity isn't knocking at my door?
When will I find a better source of entertainment
than my current unsuccessful, selfish one?
When worst comes to worst I need a helping hand
– will you be there in the end?
I hurt myself more than anybody else.
Will you notice me?
It's hard to see anything working out for me with my own finances paying.
I can't take care of myself let alone anybody else,
I guess we'll simply have to wait and see.
Because she never left me at any time,
and because she stuck right by my side, I owe her my life..
Because she gave me everything she can
and she would do it again,
I owe her my life


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Inspiration: Hair accessories worn at the Valentino Couture Fall 2011 show. We love how the aerial and flowery tiaras add another dimension to a soft and ethereal look.
Hair accessories are an easy way to, well, accessorize your look! We currently love the hair accessories from a company called Ban.do, from simple to elaborate, they carry unique and modern styles that you don't see anywhere else. You can find Ban.do pieces at the Neil George Salon or by going to their site here.


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Who Built Burj Khalifa?
Burj Khalifa "Khalifa Tower" is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Burj Khalifa was designed by several engineers, most famous are Adrian Smith, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. It is the tallest man-made structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). Burj Khalifa Construction began in January 2004. and the opening January 2010. Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that would include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Khalifa Lake. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper is a world-class destination and the magnificent centrepiece of Downtown Dubai, and for sure it is Dubai's new urban masterpiece. The world's tallest building is surrounded by hotels, top famous shopping destinations and a world of entertainment options.
The External cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's extreme summer temperatures and consists of reflective glazing, and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels. The architectural glass provides solar and thermal performance as well as an anti-glare shield for the intense desert sun, extreme desert temperatures, and strong winds.
Explore the Top observation deck of the tower:
An outdoor observation deck that was opened in January 2010 on the 124th floor. When it opened, it was the highest as well as the highest outdoor observation deck in the world. Although it was surpassed in December 2011 by Cloud Top 488 on the Canton Tower at 488 m. Burj Khalifa opened the 148th-floor SKY level at 555 m, once again giving it the highest observation deck in the world in October 2014.
The 124th-floor observation deck also features the electronic telescope, which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real-time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of the day or under different weather conditions.
- Enjoy amazing Dubai view from the Burj Khalifa through one of our Dubai Vacation Packages!
The opening ceremony of Burj Khalifa:
The opening of Burj Khalifa was held in January 2010. The ceremony featured a display of 10,000 fireworks, light beams projected on and around the tower, and further sound, light and water effects.
Fireworks displays of Burj Khalifa:
2010–2011, fireworks accompanied by lasers and lights were displayed from the Burj Khalifa, making it the highest New Year fireworks display in the world. The theme of the 2011 New Year fireworks was the "New Year Gala", a tribute to the spirit of Dubai, which is home to over 200 nationalities. The display also marked the first anniversary of Burj Khalifa.
2011–2012, Burj Khalifa was fully illuminated in white, red and green colours, drawing on the colours of the UAE national flag, through the fireworks display. The celebrations were also a salute to the nation.
2012–2013, the fireworks display on Burj Khalifa, in a blaze of light and colour, the fireworks engulfed the tower, synchronized and choreographed to a live performance by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
2013–2014, the Burj Khalifa and surrounding areas were the sites of a record-breaking fireworks display as part of the UAE's New Year celebrations, with a reported 400,000 fireworks being set off continuously for six minutes.
2014–2015, the Burj Khalifa was illuminated by an 828 m custom build LED facade which was installed in the building where light shows were displayed followed by the fireworks.
- You Can Book One of our Dubai Day Tours to Visit Burj Khalifa.
Travel Experience Since 1955
Memphis Tours is one of the pioneers which have great impact on travel industry for more than 55 years of experience.
Personalized Travel Services
Whatever your travel dreams, together we can custom-design the perfect itinerary with highly personalized services just for you
We Speak Your Language
A multilingual website offers content in 6 different languages English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and German
Flexibility to Change
We know how important it is for travellers to have the flexibility to change their itinerary due to some reasons or force majeure
Your Safety and Security
A professional will accompany the guests to all of the places; they will never be left alone to fend for themselves
High Quality Service
We do believe honestly that quality should come first and quantity would come later and our main objective focused on (Quality is our Top Priority)
Customer Service 24/7
We offer Customer Support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone and email for questions about our tours and services
Support Sustainable Tourism
We are attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people
Secure Online Payment
Our website is protected by the world′s most secure online payment system VeriSign Secure
Secure Website by MacAfee
Memphis Tours website is a McAfee Secure site that helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud and spyware


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Our main priority and focus is on you the customer, your happiness and satisfaction means a lot to us. If by any chance you are unhappy with your purchased item for any reason, we will be glad to accept the item(s) back in the original condition it was sent.
All returns are subject to an administration fee of 14% for each item.
Pierced Earrings taken out of the original package and worn are non-refundable due to health and safety reasons.Therefore, a portion of the cost will not be refunded.
Please email us directly for further instructions on shipment. Returns will ONLY be accepted if the order has been shipped back to us within 24hours after the order has been received from us.
The customer incurs all shipping related costs and shipping cost pertaining to the original order is non-refundable.
An email notification will be sent to you once a refund has been processed via the initial method of payment after receipt of the order. Please allow 10 to 15 business days.
As we take pride in satisfaction of our customers to ensure they are happy with our products, RETURNS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CUSTOM MADE ITEM(S) OR ITEM(S) THAT HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO FIT. (Please refer to the section 'Jewelry sizing' before placing your order on jewelry.)


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Item # 1:
Home Preparedness – How To Prepare Your Home For Winter
Gathering non-electric sources for lighting, cooking and for warmth.
Power outages tend to be a common occurrence in our area during the winter. By being prepared, these outages, instead of being stressful and worrisome times, have created some fond memories for our family…sitting around the kitchen table playing games by candlelight, munching on cheese and crackers and sipping cups of hot cocoa that was heated on top of our wood stove which is radiating warmth throughout the room…
Some of those power outages continued for 5 days! Since most of our homes need electricity to function, being prepared for a power outage is important and can help alleviate the fear and stress that these situations can create.
A) Non-electric sources for lighting.
The following are excellent sources for non-electric lighting. Put these items in an easy to get to place, one that you will
remember and be able to find safely in the dark.
*A box of matchbooks.
*Tapered candles – This type puts out alot of light.
*Candle holders
*Flash light
*Batteries for the flashlight
*Kerosene lamps or Oil lamps
*Spare kerosene or lamp oil
B) Non-electric sources for cooking
Cooking without electricity can be just like cooking while camping. A Coleman camp stove is a good investment. They are fairly inexpensive and most use the disposable propane canisters which make them convenient and less messy. One will fit on the kitchen counters nicely.
When using camp stoves in the house be sure to have a window partially open for some ventilation. When done cooking put the stove outside right away as most tend to leak propane when not in use.
DO NOT use charcoal briquettes indoors – very toxic and dangerous!
If you have a wood stove that a pot will sit safely on, then you can use it to heat pots of food and kettles of water. keep a pot of water on top of it to use for warming up washing (body or dishes) water.
*Coleman type table top cook stove
*Several spare Propane canisters, the one liter size. Or a 5 gallon size if your stove can be hooked up to it.
C) Non-electric sources for heating
If you have a wood stove installed in your home chances are you have a cord or more stacked and ready for use. Wood stoves are an excellent source of non-electric heat.
If a wood stove is not applicable to you, there are other ways to keep warm when the electricity goes out. Some ways are:
*Portable alcohol heaters
*Kerosene heaters
*Wool blankets
*Warm clothing – long johns under clothes, stocking caps, wool
socks, slippers, etc.
Lehman's is a popular resource for all survival type needs. They have many different types of nonelectric appliances, solar powered items, food and water storage supplies and more. You can see their website at: http://www.lehmans.com/
With all the candles and open flames you will have operating during a power outage it is vital that you have a fire extinguisher. Mount one in a visible easy to reach place.
Let us take a hint from nature and take the time now to prepare our homes for winter.
(c)2001-2002, Kelly Frohnauer You can read more of her simple living and homeschooling
articles in the Family Homesteading Advocate at:http://www.naturalfamilyhome.com
Item # 2:
Rx for Holiday Blues: Coping with the Ups and Downs of the Holiday Season
Gregg Krech
Ideally, the holiday season should be a time for good cheer. But for many, they are also a time for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, depression, and family conflict. Frequently people feel a profound sense of relief once the holidays are over. It's a bit ironic that we should look forward to the end of this season, when it could be a time for celebration, thanksgiving, and family reunion. Here are seven things you can do to make this a better holiday season for you and those around you:
1. De-commercialize your Holidays
For many families the "real" meaning of the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc…) gets buried in hi-tech presents, credit card debt, shopping at malls, football games and parties with lots of unhealthy food. Five years ago my wife and are read an article by environmentalist Bill McKibben called The $100 Christmas. The theme of the article was to de-commercialize the holidays by taking the emphasis off of buying lots of gifts and redirecting energy towards family, spending time with friends and rediscovering the meaning of the holidays. McKibben suggested spending no more than $100 on gifts. So we started making apple sauce and wreaths from wild grapevines. We spent more time walking on quiet, snowy roads and less time navigating crowded malls. I learned to play a few Christmas Carols on the piano and we sang them while being warmed by the fire in our wood stove. My wife baked cookies sweetened with Vermont maple syrup. We've continued this for the past few holiday seasons, making slight adaptations each year. Each Christmas Day we walk around the woods and leave bird seed for the birds. The money we save on gifts is given to charity and we don't have any horrifying credit card statements to review in January (what a terrible way to start the New Year). Try rethinking your holidays this year. Throw out some of your old traditions and start some new ones that give more meaning and spirit to your celebration.
2. Keep your sugar intake low
Don't underestimate the role of two essential holiday villians when it comes to depression, fatigue and irritability _ alcohol and sugar. Both are drug and according to Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. (author of Potatoes Not Prozac); they wreak havoc with your blood sugar system. You might get a quick "lift" from some Christmas cookies with green icing. But it may not be long before you find yourself craving a cup of coffee or a piece of pie just to help you feel a bit more alert. Whatever goes up must come down _ and that's particularly true of your blood sugar. And as your blood sugar levels crash so does your energy level and your spirits. Psychiatrist William Philpott, M.D. tells of a woman who was hospitalized because she was depressed and suicidal. He did a six-hour glucose tolerance test for hypoglycemia. "One hour after giving her glucose, I checked on her. Her blood sugar was high – 180 – and her mood had drastically changed to euphoria. Two hours later, her blood sugar had dropped to 40, and her mood had dropped right down with it. There she was in the depths of depression again." If you struggle with depression and fatigue during the holidays, this is the time to just say no to holiday treats and champagne refills.
3. Get outside and exercise
Exercise can play an important role in lifting your spirits and fighting off depression; in fact, it can be as effective as medication with fewer side effects. As an extra bonus, you can get some natural sunlight while your outside (which also helps to fight depression during winter months). The holidays can be a busy time for many of us. Make sure you continue to set aside some time to get your body and mind moving in a healthy direction.
4. Stop trying to control your family members
Many of us use the holidays as a time for reconnecting with our families including those family members who would be doing so much better if they would just take our advice about how to fix their lives. Of course they haven't in the past, but this might just be the time they're ready to listen to us and "see the light." As an alternative, why not leave our teacher/counselor hat in the closet and just concentrate on being a loving son/sister/cousin/parent. We can play this role quite well without ever giving advice. And if someone else is trying to fix our life, well, just listen, thank them for their concern, and perhaps ask them if they'd like to go outside and help feed the birds.
5. Do something for others – not just your own family
Some of the most memorable and rewarding holiday experiences were when I stepped outside my own needs and problems and did something helpful for others. On several Thanksgivings I served meals at a homeless shelter. And I spent many Christmas mornings helping kids in a Children's hospital open gifts. Last year I spent Christmas day with my about-to-be-adopted daughter in Vietnam. In retrospect, I got much more from these experiences than I gave. They were often the high point of my holidays and helped me get some perspective on my own difficulties and struggles. What could be more in line with the holiday spirit than to help a neighbor, or friend, or even a perfect stranger?
6. Reflect on your Good Fortune
For the past nine years I have used the time around Thanksgiving as a way of reflecting on my life, particularly my good fortune. I participate in a 30 day self-reflection program sponsored by the ToDo Institute that establishes a daily exercise in self-reflection for the entire month of November. Generally, on Thanksgiving or the day before, I make a list of 100 things for which I am most grateful at this point in my life. The list changes each year. Self-reflection helps me shift my attention to the practical ways the world is supporting me so I don't just take these things for granted (for example, hot water for a shower). It also inspires me to want to give something back in return.
7. Focus on the present
Much of our emotional suffering occurs because our attention either jumps to the future (worries about what will happen) or drifts to the past (sadness about what already happened). If we can develop more skill at keeping our attention present we are more likely to become fully absorbed in what we are doing in the present moment. We may be helping to cook some squash for dinner, or playing with our niece in the snow. The present moment is our real life. If we fail to pay attention we are more likely to struggle with psychological problems while our real life passes us by. Finally, don't expect to feel happy, grateful and joyful throughout the holidays. It's not natural. What is natural is the ebb and flow of feelings from one moment to the next. When those inevitable moments of depression, fatigue or anxiety present themselves, don't let them paralyze you or throw you off course. Just take them along on your walk or let them accompany you while you bake some bread. They'll move on, just as sure as winter will turn into spring.
Gregg Krech is a leading authority on Japanese methods of psychology (Morita and Naikan) and author of the award-winning book, Naikan: Gratitude, Grace and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection (Stone Bridge Press, 2002) He is the the Director of the ToDo Institute near Middlebury, Vermont and conducts workshops and retreats for businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations. His work has been featured on National Public Radio and in popular magazines.
For additional information alternative holiday celebrations contact the Center for the New American Dream at http://www.newdream.org/
Item # 3:
Yule/Christmas Tree Fire Safety
Every year many dreams result in tragedy as a result of Christmas trees catching on fire.
Traditionally, we take a dead tree (usually a spruce or fir, which is highly flammable when dry) not properly prepared, set it in our homes and wrap it with electric wires.
What an invitation for a fire! Provided you follow the directions carefully, this remedy should make your Christmas tree fireproof.
Two cups of Karo syrup
Two ounces of liquid chlorine bleach
Two pinches of Epsom salt
One-half teaspoon of Borax
One teaspoon of chelated iron
Hot water
You can purchase the Karo syrup, Borax and liquid chlorine bleach from your supermarket. The Epsom salt can be purchased from the drug store and the chelated iron (pronounced key-lated) can be purchased from a garden shop or plant store.
1. Mix your fireproofing ingredients listed above. Fill a two-gallon bucket with hot water to within one inch of the top and add the ingredients. Stir thoroughly, dissolving ingredients. Put to side.
2. With a saw, take your recently-purchased Christmas tree and make a fresh cut at the base on the tree trunk. Cut an inch off the base of the tree. Try to make a level cut.
3. Immediately stand the trunk of the tree in the solution and leave for 24 hours.
4. Keep the remaining solution. Place your tree in a tree stand that contains a well where liquids can be poured.
5. When the tree is in its final resting place, use a plastic cup to pour solution from the bucket into the tree well. Fill the well.
6. Every day without exception, the well of the tree stand must be "topped up" with the solution from the two-gallon bucket.
Follow these simple directions and your tree should be fireproofed. It may save your home and family from those fire tragedies we hear about around the holidays.
If you're curious, after Christmas when you remove your tree, snap off a branch and try to set it on fire, OUTDOORS.
How does the solution work?
In a nutshell, the Karo syrup provides the sugar necessary to allow the base of the tree to take up water. Up to 1.5 gallons of water can be taken up by the tree over a two-week period. Boron in the Borax allows the tree to move the water and sugar out to every branch and needle in your tree. Magnesium compounds in the Epsom salt and iron from the chelated iron provide essential components for the production of chlorophyll which will keep the tree green. The bleach prevents mold from forming in your solution.
Some of the other beneficial side effects of this procedure are that the needles will not drop and you will notice an increase in natural pine fragrance. Have a safe and happy holiday!
Item # 4:


text:
Fly Cape Town Paragliding Office
26 Virginia Avenue | Vredehoek, Western Cape, 8001
Our Offices.
Landing Field - Sea Point Promenade
London Road Seapoint | Cape Town
Landing on Sea Point Promenade.
Take Off Point -Bo-steenbrasdam
Bo-Steenbrasdam | Cape Town
Take off point near to Bo-steenbrasdam.
Top Take Off - Lions Head
Lions Head | Cape Town
Take off from the top of Lions Head.
Landing Field A - Clifton 5th Beach
Victoria Road | Cape Town
Landing Field A – Close to Victoria Road Cape Town.
Meeting Point A
Signal Hill Road | Cape Town
Meeting point is situated along Signal Hill Road.
Meeting Point B - Signal Hill Car Park
Signal Hill | Cape Town
This meeting point is on Signal Hill.
Take Off Point - Signal Hill
Signal Hill | Cape Town
This take off point is situated on Signal Hill.
Bottom Take Off - Lions Head
Bottom of Lions Head | Cape Town
This take off point is situated at the bottom of lions head.
Take Off Point - The Bench, Signal Hill
Signal Hill Road | Cape Town
The Bench along Signal Hill Road.


text:
Erasure. In fact, I'm happy to admit I am not entirely sure what Derrida means when he says it: I tend to think that his philosophy is generally to do with most things being inherently paradoxical, but apparently there's more to it than that. Anyone?
Oh, also if you like choose your own adventure stories then look at this
...just one of the many nice things I found at the Brighton Zine fest...buy it and support local artists, and maybe zombies...


text:
Contact Me | About Me
Cruise Holidays - Michelle Jackson
firstname.lastname@example.com | 210-858-6399
With an exceptional level of personal service, gourmet cuisine, outstanding amenities and accommodations, cruise lines go out of their way to ensure an unforgettable cruise experience. While each cruise line has its own claim to fame, you can be assured that your experience onboard any cruise ship can be tailored to create your dream vacation.
The Onboard Experience...
Shore Excursions
Special Needs
Youth Programs


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The securities described above were offered pursuant to a registration statement, which was declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on October 4, 2016. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Moxian, Inc.
Founded in 2013 in Shenzhen, China, Moxian, Inc. is an offline-to-online (O2O) integrated platform operator. The Company's "Moxian+" mobile App platform connects Users to Merchant Clients through games, rewards and social events that they enjoy and in return, Users provide valuable information that Merchant Clients can use to effectively promote products and services offered at their brick and mortar stores. More information about the Company can be found at www.moxian.com.
For Official Press Release: Click Here
For more information, please contact:
Jay Linde (212) 220‑2716


text:
1. What is the purpose of the Ethical Travel Guide?
The purpose of the Ethical Travel Guide is to help travellers in making better decisions about where to go, who to go with, where to stay and what to do in accordance with principles of ethical tourism.
The initiative intertwines two essential strands of how Tourism Concern works:
We seek to give a voice to communities where tourism takes place, sharing their concerns and recommendations in order to encourage more equitable and sustainable tourism. Developing the interactive map will involve a substantial building of our network of partner organisations worldwide which share adherence to our principles.
- We aim to help travellers to take responsibility for their impact by choosing ethical options for what to do and where to stay, and being responsible, sensitive and well-informed whilst travelling. Research suggests that once the main criteria for a holiday are satisfied (location/facilities, cost and availability), travellers will make choices based on ethical considerations, which will in turn encourage the industry to adopt more ethical approaches.
- We are promoting ethical travel – in the form of community-based tourism (CBT) for example – as an alternative to the mainstream. However, we will also promote mainstream ethical approaches, not least because research suggests that private sector initiatives perform at least as well as CBT initiatives. Nonetheless, we are aware that the industry has a habit of hijacking and diluting positive initiatives. There are plenty of examples of tour operators – including local organisations – who make extravagant claims for the amount they put back into the community.
2. Do you have a certification process?
No. Certification programmes can be important tools for distinguishing genuinely ethical companies, products, or services from those that are merely these labels for marketing (see STEP, TIES, GSTC etc, as well as numerous local/regional initiatives around the world). However, there is no one fixed definition of what is ethical, and even if basic criteria can be agreed, they may be interpreted and weighted very differently by different people. Tourism Concern's own attempts to establish Fair Trade Tourism as a meaningful concept bears out these challenges. In short, it is pretty much impossible to come up with one system to assess the sort of huge variety of tours, operators, accommodation etc, which we might include on our map. The other major issue is that for any certification to have any integrity require time and resources and therefore will have a cost. The very organisations that we want to include will not have these resources or be able to afford to pay
3. How do you decide who goes into the Ethical Travel Guide?
There are several ways in which we are able to assess potential entries. Firstly, all entries must comply with our basic principles. A more nuanced assessment can then be made (via an on-line form) by looking at a range of detailed criteria, which will apply differently according to the type of entry. Rich information can also be accessed via our expanding network of partner organizations worldwide. They can suggest things to be included, other organisations to contact, and help in assessing existing entries for their region. Local certification schemes for particular types of entry will also be consulted, their criteria being compared to our own. Finally, travellers can feedback information about their experience of a particular place. Whilst this will not necessarily be expert assessment of ethical criteria, it is valuable qualitative information.
4. What are the assessment criteria?
We will ask applications to complete an on-line application and demonstrate how they meet each of the following criteria. We will make an assessment based on the answers given and score under each heading from 1 to 5 on how well they have demonstrated they meet each of the three strands of sustainability (social, economic and environmental). We will involve local NGOs and partners in country where appropriate to help with initial and ongoing assessments. All organisations will have to declare that they meet health and safety requirements and have equality policies. The visitor fulfilment will be determined via feedback from travellers.
Community Well-being:
- To maintain and strengthen the quality of life in local communities, including social structures and access to resources, amenities and life support systems, avoiding any form of social degradation or exploitation.
- To engage and empower local communities in planning and decision making about the management and future development of tourism in their area, in consultation with other stakeholders.
- To respect and enhance the historic heritage, authentic culture, traditions, and distinctiveness of host communities
Local Prosperity and Social Equity
- To maximize the contribution of tourism to the economic prosperity of the host destination, including the proportion of visitor spending that is retained locally.
- To seek a widespread and fair distribution of economic and social benefits from tourism throughout the recipient community, including improving opportunities, income and services available to the poor.
- To strengthen the number and quality of local jobs created and supported by tourism, including the level of pay, conditions of service and availability to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability or in other ways.
Environmental Protection
- To maintain and enhance the quality of landscapes, both urban and rural, and avoid the physical and visual degradation of the environment.
- To support the conservation of natural areas, habitats, and wildlife, and minimize damage to them.
- Minimise use of scarce or non-renewable resources in the development of tourism facilities and to minimise pollution of air, water, land caused by the generation of waste by tourism enterprises and visitors.
Visitor Fulfilment
- To provide a safe, satisfying and fulfilling experience for visitors, available to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability, or in other ways.
We appreciate that small scale operations will have limited resources and time so will need to balance the assessment process accordingly.
5. What is Tourism Concerns responsibility if places are not ethical?
Tourism Concern are only signposting places that may be of interest to ethical travellers. By its nature the term ethical can be interpreted in many ways. The decision whether an organisation appears on the site will be Tourism Concern's decision and whether we are satisfied, on balance, that they are appropriate. Additionally information on the site and any assessments are for information only and it will be clear that any assessment is based on the information supplied to us. The application process will include third party verification where possible but the nature of and scale of many of the places will mean that this is not always possible. Traveller (and third party) feedback will be an important part of the guide and if any organisation is found to have misled us during the application process they will be removed from the site. We are not able to assume responsibility for the information or any claims made. Any bookings will be direct with the supplier and it will be up to the travellers to check any specific information direct.
6. Do you charge organisations to be listed?
No. The aim of the guide is to put small scale tourism providers, which bring real benefits to the local community, in touch with travelers who are looking to meet the real community. Many of the places listed will have limited or no resources for promotion so will be unable to afford any fee to be listed, however we do encourage those being listed to join as Ethical Travel Partners, which helps cover the assessment costs from those organisations that can afford to do so. This will also help us to support smaller organizations who cannot afford to pay. However, all listed organisations must comply with our criteria and cannot pay to be listed. Equally, no one will be excluded on the basis of whether they make join or not.
7. Do you charge visitors to use the Guide?
No. The aim of the guide is promote ethical and fairly traded tourism. Travellers can improve the economic well-being of communities and drive positive social change by the decisions they make and the purpose of the guide would be defeated if we limited its availability. However if we do not charge people to be listed or to access the information we need to find a way to provide the service. As discussed those organisation that can afford a fee to be listed will be asked to contribute and enable us to list the small scale operations that have no resources. Additionally our Members will play an important part in funding the service. The guide will directly meet our charitable objectives by providing information to travellers so that they can avoid harmful or negative practices while maximising the positive benefits of travel. The Guide will therefore be designed to encourage people to sign up and donate to our campaigns, to become Friends and to Adopt a country. Members will be able to access certain features of the site and we will encourage listed organisations to offer benefits or discounts to Members.
8. Do you take a commission from any bookings?
No. Tourism Concerns role is to provide a guide for travellers and put small scale tourism projects in touch with interested parties. We will not be selling or involved with any arrangements after the introduction. We will not be taking any commission; however we will be asking listed organisations to provide a benefit or discount to our Members.
9. How is the Guide funded?
The print edition of the Ethical Travel Guide was sold as a book, which covered some of the costs. The online version is part of our mission, which is to promote ethical and fairly traded tourism. This means we do not charge organisations to be listed, nor visitors to access them. However we do encourage people to join our Ethical Travel Club as our aim is to build a global network of ethical travellers and hope that those that share our vision will join as Members.


text:
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Progressive Poem Arrives - Line 24
28 comments:
Oh yay! A guest! Who could it be? I have a million ideas and am so curious about tomorrow. Such a fun line. And a campfire. What could be better?ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Amy, these final few days are going to be fun!Delete
Oh Linda, pretty dangerous leaving a line like that in my hands. My mind immediately veers toward my children's horror inklings... fighting it! fighting it! Just the same, it's a great line and thank you for opening up the possibilities to me. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
I know, I thought a bit that way too, Michelle, but can't wait to see where you take us next! I'm sure it will be exciting!Delete
A guest! How wonderful and unexpected! Can't believe just six lines to go... April is on the Autobahn!! Thank you, Linda. xoReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Irene, love thinking of the autobahn and the hurry for this traveler. Can't wait to see!Delete
Exciting! Your line reminded me of this small poem by Gary Snyder:ReplyDelete
How Poetry Comes to Me
It comes blundering over the
Boulders at night, it stays
Frightened outside the
Range of my campfire
I go to meet it at the
Edge of the lightReplies
Ah, the campfire warms and then a guest arrives. Makes me think of a sign I saw in a local Vietnamese restaurant that invites "the guesses" to come to a Cambodian festival. You have invited a guess.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh Linda I love the campfire and the guest! And Laura, I am saving this poem by Gary Snyder. I love how he captures this/his(?) writing process. It's like the itch I feel when a poem comes to life. I often get my best ideas at night. Thanks to you both for such a nice start to the day.ReplyDeleteReplies
I agree, Janet, the poem is wonderful. Thanks!Delete
* from Janet F.ReplyDelete
A guest! A guest! Has this guest been following and there all along, or is has our character come into their area? Maybe the guest is hungry! Hey, we could cook eggs over the campfire! I can hardly wait to see what happens!ReplyDeleteReplies
And will the guest finish the journey with our traveler? I can't wait either, Donna. Thanks!Delete
Oooh...mysterious and yet (perhaps) welcome...you've opened up new avenues for those of us at the end of this poem's journey, Linda!ReplyDeleteReplies
I bet you're really wondering what's going to happen, Tara, since you are in charge of wrapping every thing up in a tidy package, or may not so tidy? Thanks!Delete
Ah a guest (now that we've thrown off those beasties!) I wonder who it will be?ReplyDeleteReplies
Up to Michelle now. It's rather fun handing off something like this, isn't it? Thanks, Buffy!Delete
Ahhh - shadowy intrigue. What fun, Linda! Thanks, and I wonder what Michelle will make of it?ReplyDeleteReplies
Me, too. I'm sure she already has a terrific idea! Thanks, Robyn!Delete
I really liked Amy's line and was wondering what you'd do with it - well done! Intriguing, with internal rhyme and a surprise...can't wait to find out who the guest is! (I have to admit, the image of a campfire reminded me of our highlights workshop - could the guest be David, banging the bongos??)ReplyDeleteReplies
Ha! What a wonderful thought, Matt. But I guess you would have to be the next writer, then, for that notion. Thanks for the comment. There's so little time to go that I am really wondering how it will all turn out!Delete
- AnonymousApril 25, 2014 at 12:03 PM
I love that you brought a campfire into it, Linda. All adventures should have campfires in. And great suspense to pass on too.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Catherine. It seemed like a walking, camping journey to me, hence the fire. Excited to see what's next after Michelle's boy appeared!Delete


text:
I love forests.
I love them because they are aesthetically beautiful (to look at and to be in). But I also love them for their regulating role on the world's climate (they take CO2 out of the atmosphere) and their role in supporting people's livelihoods (about 1.4 billion people, almost one quarter of the world's population, rely on forests for a major part of their livelihood).
The challenge we face
My contribution to addressing this challenge is through remote sensing, the use of airborne and satellite measurements to help us map, monitor and understand forests and forest use. My research is aimed at developing new and effective ways of measuring structural properties of a forest -- how to measure forest height, forest biomass (and therefore the amount of carbon is stored there) or structural complexity (which has some relationship to biodiversity). Through my teaching, capacity building and knowledge exchange activities, I aim to build the expertise of current and future scientists and decision makers so that they are better equipped to protect the world's forests.
Currently, I am working on four research projects:
(1) REDD Horizon. This is a project with the University of Mzuzu and the Forest Department to prepare Malawi for REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). This involves developing new MRV protocols (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) for community managed forests, determining the best satellite data products to use for forest carbon inventory and building sufficient indigenous capacity to fully utilise the satellite products available. This team includes Gemma Cassells (a PhD student), Mavuto Tembo (Mzuzu University), Steve Makungwa (University of Malawi, who will be in Edinburgh for the whole of 2010 as part of a Commonwealth Split Award). This work also overlaps with Edward Mitchard's work in mapping the forest resource of Africa.
(2) The Influence of Forest Structure. Using the generic structure models from macroecology, I am working with Matthew Brolly, Maurizio Mencuccini and Shane Cloude on ways to link forest process models with observational models through a more effective representation of the forest structure. The structural parameters that are relevant in radar and lidar remote sensing include the vertical distribution of material, canopy height, stem density and stem size. Results so far suggest that, contrary to expectation, the backscatter-biomass saturation in SAR is not related to the opacity of the canopy but the stem size.
(3) Multispectral Canopy Lidar. As part of the Carbomap team we have developed a new multispectral LiDAR that is optimised for detailed structure and physiology measurements in forest ecosystems. The basic principle is to utilise, in a single instrument, both the capacity of multispectral sensing to measure plant physiology (through NDVI and PRI indices) with the ability of LiDAR to measure vertical structure information and generate "hot spot" (specular) reflectance data independent of solar illumination. Laboratory-based measurement were conducted for live trees, demonstrating that realistic values of the indices can be measured. Model-based analysis demonstrates that the LiDAR waveforms can not only capture the tree height information, but also picks up the seasonal and vertical variation of NDVI inside the tree canopy. We are currently developing this concept for both an airborne instrument and a satellite concept.
Morsdorf F., Nichol C., Malthus T., Woodhouse I. (2009), 'Assessing forest structural and physiological information content of multi-spectral LiDAR waveforms by radiative transfer modelling', Remote Sensing of Environment 113, 2152-2163.
(4) M-POL. In collaboration with eOsphere and DLR I am also involved with an ESA project evaluating a new algorithm for sea ice detection. This uses synthetic aperture radar using developed by one of my PhD students, Armando Marino, for sea ice detection. Not a forest application per se, but a project that spun out of some work looking at objects under forest canopies.
Additionally, since 2009 I am the Director of the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility, the top rated NERC facility in the UK.
(1) Open Access Eduction. Educating students is my primary capacity building activity. I currently deliver courses on Remote Sensing of Global Change (see video below), and an Introduction to Radar Remote Sensing. I am also developing a portfolio of video lectures, some of which are already available on-line: What is Remote Sensing?, Introduction to Orbits, Atmospheric Absorption.
(2) Capacity Building. Whenever possible I contribute to the GEO Capacity Building Committee. As highlighted above, my research projects like REDD Horizon have a large capacity building element included.
(3) LIN Fellowship. Until 2012 I am a NERC LIN (Linking Innovation with NERC) Knowledge Exchange Fellow. My role is to increase the economic and social impact of NERC-funded research at Edinburgh. The challenge is in both translating the University research (covering carbon modelling, remote sensing and ecology) into something that can be used by the range of service companies within the network (LTSI, Envirotrade and Ecometrica, a carbon assessment/management company that I co-founded in 2008) and also linking the University research and service companies to the technology companies (AELc, Clyde Space, eOsphere, Selex-Galileo). This last link is vital in driving the development of new environmental sensing technologies that meet the relevant science and societal needs.


text:
Harvey Milk 2013: Living the Legacy will be presented by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus on Thursday June 27 & Friday June 28, 2013 at the Nourse Theater in San Francisco. The music is taken from the life and words of Harvey Milk and set to music by Broadway composer Andrew Lippa. Three lead roles will be cast. You may request a live audition & we will also be accepting video submissions. Those requesting a live audition may email [email protected] for an appointment. If you are providing a video, please send a high quality video file or URL to [email protected]
Mr. Lippa will be present for the auditions.
- Saturday, October 13, 2012
- 10:00am - 2:00pm
- The Baha'i Center of SF
- 170 Valencia Street, SF, CA 94103


text:
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text:
Alice Invents a Little Game and Alice Always Wins
By Nick Flynn
Directed by Ben Kaye
In the wake of a natural disaster in their city, four strangers find themselves locked out of their homes, abandoned on the sidewalk. Day by day, they become friends, enemies, and everything else in between. Desperation, dreaming, donuts.
Chris Fowler, Susan Sjodin, Tim Steinmetz, Nora Lise Ulrey
Ashleigh Bowers (Sound Designer), Delena Bradley (Costume Designer), Scott Dickens (Props Designer), Danica Horton (Dramaturge), Sarah Lewis (Set Designer), Zoë Mikel-Stites (Lighting Designer), Fred Pelzer (Video Designer)+, Claire Shavzin* (Stage Manager), Emelia Zuckerman* (Production Manager)
*Denotes Company Member
+Video by Cloud Gate Productions
September 12th - October 5th
Fridays & Saturdays 7:30pm - Sundays 3:00pm
The Den Theatre (1333 N Milwaukee Ave)


text:
Hallmark Gets Record for Christmas
Hallmark Channel original movie A Boyfriend for Christmas set a ratings record for the network.
The film's Nov. 27 debut scored a 2.7 Nielsen Media Research household rating, placing it at No. 2 in its time period among the 54 ad-supported cable networks, as well as giving it the top spot among adults 25-54 and women 25-54, Hallmark said.
More than 1.75 million households and 3.5 million unduplicated viewers tuned in to the two-hour "Tylenol Exclusive Event," the network added.
"I am delighted to say that our sponsorship-solutions unit has scored another huge win for a client," Hallmark executive vice president of national advertising sales Bill Abbott said in a prepared statement.


text:
We both baked 12 Dutch crunch rolls, using the simple white bread recipe we'd provided to the group and, of course, the Dutch crunch topping. I also baked some special treats for dessert: Irish carbomb cupcakes from smitten kitchen.
When our guests arrived, we laid out our sandwich spread -- meats, cheeses, vegetables, pickles, and more -- which Sara and Will had kindly picked up earlier in the day.
Silence settled in the room as everyone chowed down, enjoying their sandwiches and some out-of-season Christmas Ale courtesy of TJ. And after that, a cupcake.
Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!
Preparation time:
Dutch Crunch Topping: 15 minutes active time, 15 minutes passive time
Soft White Roll: 20 minutes active time, 2 hours passive time
Brown Rice Bread: less than 1 hour active time; 2-3 hours passive time
Equipment required:
Small bowl
2 large bowls, or a large bowl and a stand-mixer bowl
Stand mixer with paddle (or whisk) and dough-hook attachments (optional)
Wooden and regular spoon(s)
Knife or dough cutter/scraper (optional, depending on your recipe)
Bread pan(s) or baking tray(s)
Plastic wrap or something else to cover the dough while it rises
Dutch Crunch Topping
Servings: This recipe should make sufficient topping for two 9x5 loaves (23cmx13cm) or 12 rolls. If you make only 6 rolls in the first soft white roll recipe, you can cut the topping recipe in half.
You should not prepare the topping until the bread you've selected to bake is almost finished rising (~15 minutes from baking).
2 tablespoons (2 packets) (30 ml) (15 gm/½ oz) active dry yeast
1 cup (240 ml) warm water (105-115º F) (41-46°C)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (30 gm/1 oz) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
½ teaspoon (2½ ml) (3 gm) salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (240 gm/8½ oz) rice flour (white or brown; NOT sweet or glutinous rice flour)
(increase by 1 cup or more for home-made rice flour)
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk; beat hard to combine. The consistency should be like stiff royal icing – spreadable, but not too runny. If you pull some up with your whisk, as shown below, it should drip off slowly. Add more water or rice flour as necessary. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Coat the top of each loaf or roll with a thick layer of topping. We tried coating it with a brush but it worked better just to use fingers or a spoon and kind of spread it around. You should err on the side of applying too much topping – a thin layer will not crack properly.
3. Let stand, uncovered, for any additional time your recipe recommends. With the Soft White Roll, you can place the rolls directly into the oven after applying the topping. With the Brown Rice Bread, the loaves should stand for 20 minutes with the topping before baking.
4. When baking, place pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake your bread as you ordinarily would. The Dutch crunch topping should crack and turn a nice golden-brown color.
Soft White Roll
Servings: Six sandwich rolls
This recipe approximates the quintessential white sandwich roll found throughout the Bay Area. The recipe is simple, quick, and addictive.
1 tablespoon (1 packet) (15 ml) (7 gm/ ¼ oz) active dry yeast
¼ cup (60 ml) warm water (105-110º F) (41-43°C) (No need to use a thermometer – it should feel between
lukewarm and hot to the touch).
1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (105-110º F) (41-43°C) (We've tried both nonfat and 2%, with no noticeable
1½ tablespoons (22½ ml) (20 gm/ ⅔ oz) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil (plus additional olive or vegetable oil for greasing bowl during rising)
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (9 gm/⅓ oz) salt
Up to 4 cups (960 ml) (600 gm/21oz) all purpose flour
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer or large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water, milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit for about 5 minutes (The mixture should start to bubble or foam a bit and smell yeasty).
2. Add in vegetable oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. Using the dough hook attachment or a wooden spoon, mix at medium speed until the dough comes together. (The photo to the right is with the first 2 cups of flour added).
3. Add remaining flour a quarter cup at time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, as shown in the photo below (For us, this usually required an additional 1½ to 2 cups of flour).
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
5. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled (or more) in size (see photo comparison).
6. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 equal portions (if you'd like to make rolls) or 2 equal portions (if you'd like to make a loaf) (using a sharp knife or a dough scraper works well). Shape each into a ball or loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (try not to handle the dough too much at this point).
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.
8. Coat the top of each roll or loaf with the topping as described above. While the original recipe recommends letting them stand for 20 minutes after applying the topping, I got better results by putting them directly into the oven.
9. Once you've applied the topping, bake in a preheated moderately hot 380ºF/190°C/gas mark 5 for 25-30 minutes, until well browned. Let cool completely on a wire rack before eating.7
Brown Rice Bread
Servings: Two 9x5 inch (23cmx13cm) loaves
If you're up for more of a challenge, this recipe creates an interesting bread that incorporates cooked brown
rice—something that was new to us. The resulting loaf has, as Hensperger describes, a "nubbly" texture and a
very light almost-sweetness to it. Great for toasting.
1 cup (240 ml) warm water (105-115ºF) (41-46°C)
2 tablespoons (2 packets) (30 ml) (15 gm/½ oz) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar or honey (we used sugar, which worked great)
1 cup (240 ml) warm buttermilk (105-115 ºF) (41-46°C)
½ cup (120 ml) honey
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (plus additional olive or vegetable oil for greasing bowl during rising)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (20 gm/⅔ oz) salt
2 cups (480 ml) (200 gm/7 oz) cooked and cooled short-grain brown rice
5½ -6 cups (1440 ml) (840 gm/30 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
1. Pour the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over surface. Stir to dissolve and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the work bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, honey, oil, and salt. Add the rice and beat until smooth.
3. Add the yeast mixture and 2 cups flour. Beat hard until smooth for 3 minutes.
4. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, until a soft, bulky dough that just clears the side of the bowl is formed.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes, dusting with flour 1 Tbsp. at a time as needed to prevent sticking. This dough will be slightly sticky. If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand.
6. Place the dough in a greased deep bowl. Turn the dough once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours.
7. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Grease two 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13 cm) loaf pans. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Form the portions into loaves. Let rest 15 minutes.
8. Coat the top of each loaf with the topping as described above, including letting them stand, uncovered, 20 minutes, until dough rises level with the tops of the pans.
9. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to moderately hot 380ºF/190°C/gas mark 5. Place the pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing
Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips: Store as you would any bread – in a bread box, a paper bag, or loose plastic wrap. Both varieties suggested are best in the first couple of days. The loaves or rolls can also be frozen in plastic – simply toast to reheat.
Recipe Sources: The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping came from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible. The recipes for the breads we've suggested came from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on Baking Bites.


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I have a site using eCart and it does not seem to be posting to Authorize.net. I get the check failure page. I have put the response tags on the page but nothing displays. So I do not know where the error is located.
I have attached the appropriate files/code in the attached zip. Could someone please take a look and let me know where I am going wrong please?


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The Housekeeper
In this romantic comedy, a lonely sound engineer, Jacques (Bacri), hires a housekeeper, Laura (Dequenne), to take care of his Paris apartment after his wife leaves him, even though she's never done a day of housework in her life. As the two spend more time together (as he is there while she's cleaning), they become close, and so Laura turns to him when she needs a place to stay.
1hr 35mins long
M Contains low level offensive language.
Jean-Pierre Bacri
Jacques Frantz
Emilie Dequenne
Claude Berri
Brigitte Catillon
Axelle Abbadie


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Latest News
Hilmar volleyball has dreams of playing Christian Bros. in section final
HILMAR -- Lindsay Miguel tipped the ball just over the Merced block for a kill.
The Hilmar senior sheepishly smiled as she turned to her coach Mike Alvernaz sitting on the bench.
Miguel knew what was coming.
"Hit the ball," Alvernaz said.
"It worked," Miguel quietly answered back.
"That won't work against Christian Brothers," said Alvernaz, referring to the Sacramento private school that has knocked his team out of the playoffs the last two seasons.
"Practice now."
After two straight Western Athletic Conference championships, Alvernaz's girls come into this season with lofty expectations.
With five returning senior starters, a third straight WAC title is obviously on that list.
However, to a girl, Hilmar wants to make a deeper run in the playoffs.
"We'd love it if we could play Christian Brothers in the final round (of the section playoffs) at U.C. Davis," three-year starter Cailtlin Benning said.
"We've been talking about that since summer league and even before school started. We want to get to U.C. Davis."
There's no questioning Hilmar's talent.
Benning is one of the top middle blockers in the area and leads the team with 61 kills and 16 blocks.
Miguel and Natalie Grubb are threats from outside and third-year setter Madison Harris runs the offense as well as any setter in Merced County.
"It's amazing watching her," Benning said. "When I'm out of the game, we'll sit on the bench and just talk about Madison and her amazing sets.
"She has the greatest hands I've seen around, by far."
Junior Stesha Brazil has given Avernaz a power hitter at the net.
"She came up from the JV team with raw power," Alvernaz said. "It's nice to have a little finesse game and power to go with it."
What's it like to have five returning senior starters, including three third-year starters?
"It's a nice problem to have," Alvernaz said. "It's nice to have third-year starters outside, in the middle and at setter. They know each other.
"For awhile, we kind of flew under the radar. We were a quiet small town that beat a few bigger schools.
"Now everyone is looking at us and they're not shocked at what we're doing. Our role has changed."
Alvarnez has done what he can to get his team ready for the type of teams Hilmar will see in the playoffs.
Hilmar (15-5) has played five Central California Conference teams this year.
Four of the five losses have come to bigger schools and the fifth to small-school power Ripon.
"In league, we'll get some good games from Patterson, but our toughest competition is going to be Orestimba," Alvarnez said.
"We picked up some of the bigger schools. We like to play as much competition as we can.
"Our girls want to push themselves to the next level."
Alvernaz and his girls all hope it leads to a trip to U.C. Davis at the end of the season.


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-We forewent our usual Saturday hike, and traded it for a day at the Oakland Zoo. We grabbed the best bagel sandwiches from a bagel shack on the way there, and then spent the afternoon climbing the hills of the zoo. We were able to be incredibly close to almost every animal we saw, and the staff was really informative when telling us the background of each of the larger mammals. We're animal people. And my heart was happy knowing almost all of the animals in that zoo were rescued from less fortunate circumstances. It was also amazing to see a zoo that gives their animals so much roaming room. Their exhibits were huge, and the animals seemed happy.
-I met and shot some maternity photos (that I love) for a photographer friend, more can be seen on her blog - here.
-LDS conference was this Sunday. It was accompanied by brunch, featuring the most scrumptious blueberry streusel muffins (recipe) & about every other carb we had in the house. And bacon. My favorite talk was this one by Elder L. Whitney Clayton. Religious or not, it gives some top-notch advice on marriage.
-We've also been working on the nursery. Little by little. Filling it with treasures that we love, marking things off our list a bit early. I can't help but sit in there every day, and just dream about her. My heavens, I love this girl.
-Also pictured, pilates. I had been feeling pretty crappy about my body the more it has stretched these past few weeks. The weight gain has definitely picked up speed. Granted, it's my fault for poor eating choices and little activity level. I had it in my head that if I can't do something like Insanity, there's no point in working out at all. Boy, was I wrong. Just a 20 minute strength training work out (low intensity, of course) and a 2 mile walk each evening has done wonders for my spirit already. I feel so much better about my body & my energy has resurfaced. Trimester two, I like you.
Spring has been so refreshing for me. I feel good. The weather is gorgeous, and everything seems to have come alive around me. Not to mention, I get to meet my daughter in the season after this one.
I have said it before and I will say it again, the life I live is a good one.


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As much of the world knows, last night was Fashion's Night Out. Though I was leaning toward reading about the evenings madness on my Twitter timeline, one of my good friends is in town from Miami and I decided not to be anti-social. So we headed out.
The night began and ended with lots and lots of traffic. We were headed to a VEVO event, then noticed that we mistook the event address for the after party address after letting the cab go. We ended up having to walk to the event...grabbing a slice on the way (starving!)
As irony would have it after woofing down a slightly gross slice, we arrive at Vevo only to learn it's a sit down dinner with a pretty fabulous looking menu, Robin Thicke is to perform. Etc. Etc.
Instead of wasting time at a dinner for which we weren't hungry, we left and joined the mayhem that was the Meat Packing District.
Here's what I wore...easy, comfortable. What I loved most is my "newish" Rebecca Minkoff hot pink snake skin printed bag. Complete with delicious gold chain shoulder strap and hardware *swoon*. I say "newish" because I got it this summer and just started using it last week at a dinner with friends. You will be seeing this bag a lot, ob-sessed. I have another Rebecca Minkoff bag which I rarely wear I don't know what my problem is but I'm practicing a new habit of wearing my things not just staring at them prettily arranged in my closet.
And so we ran around popping in and out of pop-ups and boutiques. A few standouts: The Tracy Reese store was hilarious. People "booty dancing" in the store windows, music blaring and inside, kind of like a bizarre nightclub. After surfing through the hair flailing and grinding couples, I spotted a really cute cape (see above) which made me smile (see above). Note: the chick on the blackberry is my friend Franny who...was getting her work/party combo on.
Another good time had was at Elizabeth Charles, a fab high-end boutique featuring all Australian designers. She was a client of mine about (mumble) years ago. I launched the original store location on Perry Street when she was bringing major brands like Sass & Bide to the US. So great to see her, stop by there if you want exclusive designer finds from the land of down under.
We ended up at Calypso and Catherine Malandrino...but CM was closed so sad, the party we actually went down there for. Still a good time, bumped into the lovely Lauren Ruotolo from Hearst and her boo snapped some cool pics for me, I hope to see them soon! The END- ha.


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I really enjoy the first Star Trek film by Director J. J. Abrams in 2009. If you miss the first one, I would first suggest you watch that first before watching this. It's not paramount to the overall story, but it's a nice introduction to the new Star Trek universe from the original series where Captain Kirk was played by William Shatner.
Star Trek Into Darkness which came out this weekend can be explained as a coming of age story for the new Captain Kirk (Chris Pines). Young, brash and highly illogical, he learns humility when a villain targets Star Fleet Command and tries to instigate a war with the Klingons. I continue to be fans of Chris Pines as well as Zachary Quinto as Spock and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Simon Pegg in particular has some of the best scenes as far as comedic lines in the movie bringing humor to an otherwise dark movie. With a large cast, unfortunately John Cho who plays Sulu of the main crew gets the least screen time. Spoiler in the next two paragraphs, highlight it to read it.
[Spoiler Alert] Besides Simon Pegg, the other character I really enjoy is the villain of the film Khan played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Khan played by Ricardo Montalbán in the 1960s series and 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan left big shoes for Benedict to fill. Benedict doesn't fill the shoes entirely but does a more than adequate job. His fight scene on the Klingon world is one of the best action scenes in the movie.
With all the good things about the film, though, you can't help but be a little disappointed that a lot of stuff in the movie has been done before. As certain scenes is just a little too close to the 1982 film. What I like about the first Star Trek in 2009 in that it was a completely different direction than the original series. Often I don't like reboots but J. J. Abrams did a great job in my opinion. Yes the overall plot is different between Into Darkness and The Wrath of Khan, but the biggest peeve I have is the sequence of one of the characters being killed in the warp reactor due to radiation. That should sound familiar to those that have watched The Wrath of Khan.
Overall, I would still recommend the film especially if you enjoyed the first film. And yes, I would recommend watching it on IMAX 3D.
The film is rated PG-13 and is out in theaters already. The run time is 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5.0 Stars
- Chris Pine as Commander/Captain James T. Kirk
- Zachary Quinto as First Officer Spock
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Commander John Harrison
- Karl Urban as Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, chief medical officer
- John Cho as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, third officer and helmsman.
- Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, communications officer.
- Alice Eve as Dr. Carol Marcus/ Science Officer Carol Wallace
- Anton Yelchin as Ensign Pavel Chekov, navigator.
- Simon Pegg as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, second officer and chief engineer.
- Bruce Greenwood as Rear Admiral Christopher Pike
- Noel Clarke, as Thomas Harewood, a Starfleet employee, working within Section 31
- Nazneen Contractor as Rima Harewood, Thomas' wife
- Peter Weller, as Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus, Dr. Carol Marcus' father