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Sponsored By
Wilkins Sworn In As U.S. Appeals Court JudgeA judge who was the plaintiff in a landmark Maryland racial-profiling case has been sworn in as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
O'Malley Appoints Arentz To House Of Delegates Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed the Queen Anne's County Commission president to fill a vacancy in the House of Delegates.
Gov. O'Malley Appoints Fraser-Hidalgo DelegateGov. Martin O'Malley has appointed David V. Fraser-Hidalgo to fill a vacant seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.
O'Malley Appoints PSC Chairman To JudgeshipGov. Martin O'Malley has appointed the chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission to be a judge on the state's intermediate appellate court, and the governor has named a new director of public affairs for his administration.
Rawlings-Blake Names New Finance DirectorBaltimore is naming a former Richmond, Va., financial official as its new director of finance.
Baltimore City Schools' Appointments AnnouncedGov. Martin O'Malley has joined Baltimore's mayor in announcing that Marnell A. Cooper has been appointed to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.
Peter O'Malley Leaving Md. Party Chairman PostMaryland Democratic Chairman Peter O'Malley is leaving the post to be Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's chief of staff.


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So you've seen the posters, you've seen the trailers, you've even seen the reviews but you're still not convinced. Here's where i'm more than willing to step in and tell you why you should go to the cinema and watch Guy Ritchie's latest film without hesitation.
The Style
The style of this film is simply amazing, absolutely great cinematography throughout. The artistic view we see of the film is in tune with the fashion, right down to a tee. It's nice to see a film like this set in the 60's instead of chucking it into the 21st century with s**t loads of amazing technology. It does have a James Bond feels to it, but not at all in a bad way. More of an inspiration, in terms of being a good old fashion agent and completing your mission. Who needs an exploding pen?
The Location
I can't remember the last film I watched that I wanted to jump right into (even knowing scenes were filmed a few minutes from my house). The various locations for the film are a sight to see in the 60's which was refreshing. But Italy was definitely the stand out location. The whole place just looked amazing, I wanted to be there with a cocktail in my hand and my perfect circle sunglasses. Even when they are around the ruins in Italy, it still manages to look amazing. It's not a sight to miss.
The Action
As stylish as the the film is, it doesn't lack any action. The best part of the action is that part of it probably contains the best comedy. You won't find things too serious in this film, you'll enjoy it all the way through. Even while I was kept on the edge of my seat in case they were to ever blow their cover; it seems the characters themselves kept a kind of composure I couldn't have in my own home. Watching trained CIA and KGB agents never get's old I guess.
The Actress
I have to say, I'm so glad for Alicia Vikander, as I remember seeing her in Anna Karenina thinking she was brilliant even though she payed a small role. However, instead of a corset in 19th Century Russia, she's in the most chic outfits in this film and shows she can do comedy as well while still giving a great performnce. But you'll see in the film, she's not just a pretty face, and not one to be messed with…
The Man of Steel
Henry Cavill really surprised me in this role. I suppose i've only ever seen him in Man of Steel, and I don't really feel Superman is challenging as a character. But seeing him here, was great. Wit, charm, sex, and calm all in one. It was really great to see him do something different. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him in a swell performance. (Especially with his cheekbones).
The Soundtrack
I don't know what it is, maybe it just complements the tone and style of the film so much, but there is something about the soundtrack that makes you want to tap your feet, even at the most awkward of scenes. You'll be on Spotify when you've finished watching it saving every song on to a playlist. Daniel Pemberton has done an unimaginable job with the soundtrack! This film really is "Mr. Cool". Watch out for the above dance scene in the hotel, it's not one to miss! Armie Hammer definitely deserves a mention for a vey controlled performance.
I've done it, i've told you! Now it's your turn to go to your local cinema, and go back in time…
D. x

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Hotel Lonac
The Hotel Lonac was erected from the ground up in 1998 and renovated in 2012.
Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, our newly built hotel will meet the standards of even the most sophisticated guests.
Located directly in front of the hotel is the restaurant "Balkanhof", which can harbor both small and large parties, and where our guests are able to enjoy a wonderful lunch or dinner.
We will be delighted to welcome you as our guest soon.
Ana & Ivan Lonac


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Heart Factory
An event every week that begins at 11:59pm on Tuesday, repeating until Tuesday October 1, 2019
Heart Factory is the home-grown Tuesday night at HEART Ibiza, where an ever-changing roster of international guests are invited to take over the creative space in the centre of the marina.
From early evening, the innovative restaurant and performance-art venue hosts the nightly dinner extravaganza, courtesy of the world-acclaimed Adri Brothers and Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque de Soleil. But as midnight approaches, the tables vanish and the room transforms into an atmospheric nightclub full of hidden surprises and a quickly-filling dancefloor of late-night revelers. Pop-up performances continue through the night, and a glittering roof terrace overlooking the harbour, provides the perfect spot for people-watching. In just a few years, this eclectic space has been taken to the heart of the island, and it's easy to see why.


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Today, women are more educated and financially empowered than any past generation. More and more women are responsible for handling their family's finances, and according to a study done by the Insured Retirement Institute, less than half are confident they are doing a good job of preparing financially for retirement.
The Insured Retirement Institute also reports that only 15 percent of women rate themselves as extremely, or very, knowledgeable about investing. Women are increasingly responsible for planning major life events either alone or jointly with their spouse: this may include college planning, family needs, starting a business, starting over after divorce or becoming widowed. The report goes on to say that securing a guaranteed income in retirement is the number one concern for women today.
Regardless of age, lifestyle or marital status, I feel it is beneficial for women know what important things they should do regarding their finances.
The study also reports that women typically outlive men by at least three to four years, which means for those who are married and not involved in the financial planning process, they will be forced to live with the decisions made by their spouses. In addition, because women typically live longer than men, some specific financial planning challenges may be even more important to address, such as decreasing rates of return on social security contributions, the accelerating demise of defined benefit pensions, the rising cost of health care, and the potential impact of inflation.
Due to these issues, women may want to be especially careful to secure a lifetime of secure income. Based on longevity alone, women may need to accumulate more wealth to finance their retirement needs. But, this doesn't mean that women are likely to favor investments that carry additional risk in an effort to capture greater growth.
Skillful advisors can help provide the appropriate strategies to create the desired amount of income to last throughout the remainder of your life, as well as offering strategies to provide attractive legacy options.
Gail Scurry, RICP®, Investment Advisor Representative
Gail brings 20+ years of unique entrepreneurial and corporate experience to her position as Investment Advisor Representative for A4 Wealth Advisors, and holds Series 6, 63 and 65 licenses as well as "Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP)" designation. She is licensed to sell all types of insurance products including life, annuities, health, disability, and 401k retirement plans and is also currently pursuing her CFP designation.
Her unique experience and skillset includes co-founding and managing a successful construction company in the Charlotte area that she helped grow to 125 people and over $20M in revenue. After company sale, she successfully transitioned into her second career as a Financial Advisor for Prudential where she was awarded the "Annuities Masters Council" for 4 years running.
Gail lives in Huntersville with her husband and two German Shepherds and enjoys all spectator sports, gardening, and helping her valued clients.


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So SSG has a date tonight.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
SSG Goes on a Date
10 comments:
- BellaDella said...
You give me butterflies just thinking about it. I hope you get them too.
- June 9, 2009 at 3:43 AM
- Anonymous said...
"I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes..." Have FUN tonight!
- June 9, 2009 at 6:23 AM
- Molly said...
I was about to be all hearts and flowers, but I decided humor was called for:
He thought her a bit over-rated
She firmly pronounced him out-dated
Yet, odd to discover,
They married each other
And they blissfully live—syncopated
The gal was enjoying her date
Till her escort became quite irate.
He assaulted a waiter,
Then said, "See ya later."
I suppose it was something he ate.
Have a great night!
- June 9, 2009 at 7:49 AM
- Living on the Spit said...
Keep an open mind and whatever else have fun and be your wonderful self.
Can not wait to hear all about it and have a wonderful time!
- June 9, 2009 at 8:01 AM
- Frita said...
Oh my dear, I spark for you whenever you are near, who can he not? ... :o)
Remember,I didn't almost go out with Bob again. So glad I did!
Hope you have a lovely, sparkly, evening!! Can't wait to hear about it!! Love you.
- June 9, 2009 at 8:25 AM
- ab said...
Can't wait to hear how it goes! And if you wanna read some fun dating stories, check out my friend's blog from a little bit over a year ago. She made up names for her dates based on their characteristics. For example, "Jazz Hands" and "Shifty Eyes". Very entertaining.
- June 9, 2009 at 8:36 AM
- Lys said...
Hope you had a blast SSG!
- June 9, 2009 at 9:37 AM
- Anonymous said...
Remember that the most important thing is to have fun! And if he doesn't float your boat, no biggie. This may just be a dress rehearsal for the real thing : )
- June 9, 2009 at 3:36 PM
- Predo said...
Meow! I am now back, and dripping with anticipation!!!
Who, What, Where, When, and How often are sitting right on the tippy top of my tongue!
What is on top of your tongue?
- June 9, 2009 at 3:57 PM
- mom x 2 said...
Have fun! Can't wait to hear all about it :)
- June 9, 2009 at 4:31 PM


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Students must earn a minimum of 80 credits in required and elective courses in order to meet the Ministry of Education graduation requirements and receive the Provincial Dogwood Graduation Diploma. Below is an overview of what is needed to graduate:
- 48 credits from required courses
- 28 credits from elective courses
- 4 credits from Graduation Transitions
- A minimum of 16 credits at the grade 12 level
By engaging in as many opportunities as possible, students broaden their educational experience and are better prepared for life after secondary school. Students are encouraged to aim well above the minimum credit level.
Students going on to post-secondary need to fulfill the exit requirements for graduation as well as the entrance requirements for their specific post-secondary program. Students are advised to check with their chosen post- secondary institutions early and often as these requirements are subject to change.
REQUIRED COURSES: 48 credits SUBJECT AREA: MINIMUM CREDITS
Physical Education 10 4 Planning 10 4 English 10 4 A Mathematics 10 4
Science 10 4 Social Studies 10 4 English or Communications 11 4
A Mathematics 11 4
A Social Studies 11 or First Nations Studies 12 4
A Fine Arts or Applied Skills 10, 11, or 12 4
A Science 11 or 12 4 English or Communications 12 4
ELECTIVE COURSES: 28 credits
Students must earn at least 28 elective credits from courses numbered 10, 11 or 12.
GRADUATION TRANSITIONS: 4 creditsGraduation Transitions is intended to prepare studentsfor a successful transition to life after secondary school.
OVERALL TOTAL: 80 creditsFor complete information visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation
Characteristics of the ideal BC graduate:
In their intellectual development, graduates should achieve:
-Knowledge of both a first and second language.
-An understanding and appreciation of artistic and aesthetic expressi
In their human and social development, graduates should achieve:
In their career development, graduates should achieve:
The Graduation Program is designed to support every graduate to acquire these attributes.
See www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation for details and policies.


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Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man ... cannot be exempt from the common destiny.
Cite this Page: Citation


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Native Instruments co-founder Stephan Schmitt, and a self-taught programmer Volker Hinz saw the potential in computers to become powerful enough to synthesise real-time audio. They developed two modular synth programs for PC (Generator and Transformator) which were soon re-packaged as REAKTOR. It became the very bedrock on which NI is grounded as a company today. "I became fascinated [with] how people could continuously make new instruments," explained NI co-founder Stephan Schmitt, recalling REAKTOR's developmental stages. "With that shared sentiment, we grew along with the internet." And as the webspace grew, REAKTOR completely recast the creative boundaries for any musician with a computer. All of a sudden, you were not limited by anyone else's design decisions –– you could create the instruments and sounds yourself. The possibilities became infinite.
Twenty years since its conception and now into its sixth generation, REAKTOR continues to democratise music production globally. REAKTOR 6 introduced a major development in Blocks: a new rack-style modular framework in Reaktor that allows users to explore the speedy patching and flexibility of modular hardware, with all the benefits of digital. In essence, Blocks allows you to build a modular synth inside your laptop for a fragment of the price of a full Eurorack system. As every individual module and component is represented graphically, its ease of use is more welcoming than ever for newcomers looking to grip the software for the first time.
Praised for its boundless versatility, REAKTOR stands proudly as the modern torchbearer for experimental sound processing. From Radiohead to Squarepusher, and Merzbow to The Flaming Lips, read on to uncover artists' testimonials of ten big musical works to which Reaktor formed the creative backbone.
Download your free REAKTOR player below, to access a world of new instruments and demos.
1/ Haxan Cloak Excavation
Haxan Cloak demonstrates his hardware love in his Excavation opus, always opting for the modular stuff over MIDI controllers – synths by Analogue Systems Apprentice and Harvestman, Doepfer sequencers, and the OP1 and pocket synth by Teenage Engineering. HC explains, "I tend to draw everything in by hand, sampling and building a lot of stuff from scratch with REAKTOR." This notion complements his belief that "music comes from your brain" rather than a program. "Just because you buy a Jaguar, you're not going to sound like J Mascis. Just because you buy REAKTOR, it doesn't mean you're going to sound like your electronic heroes."
2/ Liars WIXIW
"REAKTOR has an online user library where people build unique pieces of equipment, and you can further alter them within REAKTOR – so it's almost like a user friendly MAX/MSP for synths," says Aaron Hemphill. "It's not as technically demanding. So, really, we didn't rule anything out including guitars later on. It was a pretty wide range of things."
3/ Objekt Flatland
Objekt uses REAKTOR frequently for instruments and effects, rather than sequencing. "I always separate programming from music-making," he explains. "The two are totally incompatible workflow-wise. Usually I'll save a completed ensemble, load it into an instrument rack and then assign all the parameters to Ableton macros so I can control it directly from there."
4/ Radiohead Kid A
Radiohead's millennial Kid A marked their fourth studio album – and a seminal one at that. It was recently confirmed the entire album has REAKTOR all over it, as personally confirmed by producer Nigel Godrich himself.
5/ Squarepusher 'Abstract Lover'
On his 2010 Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator album, Squarepusher explained, "I created a bass effect patch doing pitch‑shifting in the Orville, and then going into a frequency divider/distortion patch on REAKTOR software."
6/ Mark Fell & Gabor Lazar The Neurobiology Of Moral Decision Making
"I first got into REAKTOR around 2006 I think. Then I went into MaxMsp around 2010. With these combined together I realised that I can do things which would be very complicated, almost impossible and even boring to do in a time-line based music editor software. So I kept developing my own interface in MaxMsp in combination with the sound quality of REAKTOR ending up with a customised REAKTOR ensemble which still runs perfectly on my very old computer. I used this ensemble for all of my albums and recorded all the tracks directly from REAKTOR without editing. Each album represents a musical and a technological idea at the same time which is basically the way how I'm thinking about music in general: being innovative but somehow traditional at once. By listening through all of these albums in chronological order – I.L.S. / EP16 / The Neurobiology Of Moral Decision Making in collaboration with Mark Fell – you can get an impression of the process of the development and of the possibilities of the environment I made using REAKTOR and MaxMsp." –– Gabor Lazar.
7/ Alva Noto Xerrox Vol. 2
Through his five-part Xerrox series, Alva Noto (born Carsten Nicolai) elevated noise music and abstract sound design to hypnotic new highs. With parallels drawn to Fennesz' hyper-emotive explorations into noise, Nicolai shared that the 11 parts of Xerrox Vol. 2 included samples from far-spanning sources: Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, screen composer Michael Nyman, and even a malfunctioning Continental Airline inflight program. Both in found sounds and technical attributes, the Xerrox series also drew heavily from REAKTOR – notably Metaphysical Function 1 and 2. These tools assisted Nicolai in his sample-manipulation process of "removing any semblance of their former selves," correspondingly making the music highly abstract, with "slow sweeping melodic oscillations, transcendent digital noise, electronic pulses, clutches of static and brooding bottom end."
8/ Max Richter The Blue Notebooks
"A lot of the synth-like sounds on The Blue Notebooks have a soft, warm analogue quality to them," states Richter, despite having no analogue synths visible in his work room. People often misjudge the work as not an electronic work, "but it is. It's just that the electronics aren't shiny. People associate electronic sounds with shiny and sparkly colours, but I'm not interested in that." Richter goes on to explain how he built mail order synth kits and analogue keyboards as a kid. Regardless of the the fact that he no longer opts for that realm of music-making, the effect that it had on Richter is still prevalent. "I now tend to roll of a lot of the high end in my music's electronics, and this makes them sound very vintage-like. REAKTOR and the Virus Pro Tools plug-in are my main synths. Grittier than the fourth edition, REAKTOR 3 is my synth of choice."
9/ The Flaming Lips The Terror
Dave Fridman confirmed that there's some REAKTOR sprinkled all over The Terror. "I'm a big fan of the Native Instruments stuff. It works great and sounds great." Again opting for the Metaphysical Function, "anything that has a 'random' button, then I'm a big fan," he laughs. "I just tend to crack it open and hit random until something happens."
10/ Merzbow Turmeric
Recorded in 2005 and released the following year, Turmeric marked Japanese noise musician Merzbow [Masami Akita]'s return to metals and feedback to make music, after his temporary switch to computers. The album exhibits an array of musical oddities – with sounds made by a small tin box, a piezoelectric microphone and Akita's pet silkie chickens (a type of chicken with black skin and bones) pecking at objects. "Deaf Composition" was made by "randomly operating REAKTOR patches without monitoring."
This article was originally published on Boiler Room.


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The term deadbeat parent is heard a lot in Ohio. it is often used to refer to fathers who do not pay their child support. However, the legal definition of the term is a bit more involved and takes into consideration more factors. Because this term is derogatory and can be quite damaging to a person, it is important for you to fully understand what it means.
What is the true definition of a deadbeat parent?
What are some common misunderstandings about child support?
If you pay child support in Ohio, there may be many things you are not certain about. Even if you pay your support on time every time, there may still be things you wonder about. The system is complex and often confusing, so it can help to get some clarity on different points.
Changing a child support order in Ohio
If you currently pay or receive child support in Ohio, a time may come when you wish to have the amount given to or paid by you amended. Maybe you now make significantly less money than you did when the order was enacted, or maybe you had a change in circumstance that leaves you needing more financial assistance from your child's other parent. At Kroener Hale Law Firm, we have a comprehensive understanding of the process involved in requesting a change to an Ohio child support order, and we have helped many clients who pay or receive support request an administrative review.
Factors which determine spousal support
There are many factors you consider when you get a divorce in Ohio. You may not have thought about spousal support, though. At Kroener Hale Law Firm, we know it is important for couples to understand this part of the divorce proceedings.
What are some common questions about child support?
Ohio child support can be a tricky topic. It is not always easy to understand the process, especially if you have just got started with it. Add to that the left over emotional turmoil and other issues from the divorce process and you may feel at your wit's end. Luckily, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services offers plenty of answers to common questions about the child support system in the state.
What happens if my ex-spouse does not pay child support?
While you may think that negotiations and Ohio courtroom arguments are over once your divorce is declared final, the truth is that an uncooperative spouse may force you to take legal action in order to secure child support. If your ex-spouse is not making payments, you may need professional help. We at Kroener Hale Law Firm are here to assist you with your divorce as well as any issues concerning child support that may arise in the future.
The basics of child support in Ohio
If you are a parent going through a divorce in Ohio, you likely have concerns about what the judge's decision will be. Alimony, child custody and support are all worries that divorcing parents have. Understanding the basics about child support can help you prepare and understand what might happen. We at Kroener Hale Law Firm have provided this guide to educate you on the state's policies for child support.
Changing a child support order in Ohio
Divorce or separation brings many significant changes to an Ohio family, and financial changes can continue to impact one or both parents for years to come. In some cases, one parent may find it difficult to continue to meet the financial obligations set forth by the original child support order.
Child support enforcement affected by Ohio Supreme Court ruling
For divorced parents in Batavia who have custody of their children, the child support they may be receiving from their ex-spouses may be the only way that they are able to meet their families' most basic needs. If the parents obligated to provide financial support in these situations stop making payments, the welfare of their exes as well as their children may be seriously hindered. In such cases, the threat of criminal prosecution has been a tool that state agencies have been able to rely on as a method of enforcement. That, however, may be changing in the near future.


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OKEECHOBEE, Fla., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Florida teacher Catherine Jones was suspended without pay but never arrested or criminally charged for allegedly being so drunk in her classroom at Yearling Middle School in Okeechobee County that she could barely stand up.
Apparently that's because what Jones allegedly did was technically legal in Florida.
CBS 12 reported that the State Attorney's Office in Okeechobee said that it is not a criminal offense for a public school teacher to be drunk on the job.
Assistant State Attorney Ashley Albright told CBS 12 that a "teacher could be charged with child neglect or disorderly intoxication if that teacher is drunk and hurts someone or damages property."
Jones was never given a breathalyzer or sobriety test.
"All of South Florida thinks Okeechobee is a joke, amen we are," said parent Felicia Maxwell. "She can go to work and drink while my child is sitting in her class, and they don't arrest her for public intoxication it amazes me."
According to a Sheriff's Office report, deputies consulted with Albright about what to do with regard to Jones. "The Sheriff's Office did everything legally they could," Albright said.
Albright refuted allegations that there was a cover-up. "Absolutely not that I know of, had there been evidence of a statute that was violated I know the deputies involved would have arrested her and I would have absolutely prosecuted her," Albright said.


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This biannual publication provides a set of indicators showing the level and structure of the efforts undertaken by OECD member countries and seven non-member economies (Argentina, China, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Chinese Taipei) in the field of science and technology.
This site is powered by Keepeek 360, Digital Asset Management Software for business.
|Link to this publication:
|Link to this publication with cover:
|Link to this page:


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Hybrid is a genetic term that refers to an offspring resulting from the mating of two different species. They are very rare to find, especially in the animal kingdom because most animal species mate with their own. But a closer look at several species has proven that just hybrids are possible. The following are the top 10 hybrid animals that most people probably do not know off:
10) Blood Parrot Cichlid
The hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding of a Midas and a Redhead Cichlid was discovered in Taiwan in 1986. Colored bright orange, the blood parrot cichlid are just like any fish except for its vertical mouth. This is the reason that most scientists discourage the creation of blood parrot cichlid. More especially, the hybrid may become one day extinct because of its male species' infertility.
9) Zebroid
Essentially a half-zebra, the zebroid is a result of the cross-breeding of a male zebra and a female member of the equidae family. They are easily recognizable because of their stripes covering only a specific part of their body. Definitely something that does not occur naturally, the zebroid creation is strongly discouraged because it may lead to several sicknesses that may be inflicted to the hybrid: dwarfism, infertility, etc.
8) Dzo
Also known as yakow, a dzo is a bovine hybrid: a product of the combination of the genes of a yak and a domestic cow. Given these genes, the dzo is relatively more productive in terms of milk and meat production. Usually bred in Tibet or Mongolia, the dzo are used for field works especially since they have the strength double than its animal origins.
7) Cama
Created in an actual laboratory, the cama is a hybrid result of cross-breeding the Dromedary camel and the Lama. The hybrid can only be conceived via artificial insemination as the camel is six times bigger and heavier than the lama. The main reason for such a hybrid conception was to come up with a species that had the same strength and size of a camel but the temperament and wool production ability of the lama. But unlike other hybrids, the cama are always fertile due to the dromedary camel and the lama having exactly the same amount of chromosomes. However, there have only been six (6) successful hybrid of this type.
6) Grizzly-Polar Bear
Unlike most hybrids, the grizzly-polar bear is not always conceived through scientific procedures. With reported sightings since 1964, the grizzly-polar bear—or grolar, as it is commonly called—have long since bred in the wild and very seldom in captivity. Scientists assume that the hybrid is a result of the polar bears, who like ice and water, being forced into the lands where grizzly bears breed. The grolars are a fertile hybrid with even a second generation grizzly-polar bear, which was reported shot in Victoria Island. This second generation was revealed through DNA testing as mothered by a grizzly-polar bear and fathered by a grizzly.
5) Coywolf
A hybrid of a wolf and a coyote, the coywolf is almost always created naturally. In fact, all known red wolves are found to have coyote genes. Aside from the previous guesses that Red wolves hybrid has always occurred, there are also speculations that this is a result of humans driving the wolves into a limited natural habitat. Causing a great confusion in the Canid taxonomy because hybrids are not always considered as a different species, conventions have taken to considering the red wolves as sub species and therefore are given Latin names excluding its coyote genes.
4) Savannah Cat
Accepted in 2001 by the International Cat Association, the Savannah is a modern domestic cat creation. It is the result of cross-breeding a domestic cat and a wild African Serval. Physically, the Savannah is larger than most domestic cats and has a very slim bodice. Personality-wise, it is more sociable than domestic cats and a fierce sense of loyalty that may be compared to dogs. They come in different colors, just like the domestic cats from which they have come, and always have spots or a marbled appearance like that of a cheetah. The Savannah cats are also dubbed as the highest jumpers and the tallest cats although their size will depend on their generation.
3) Wholphin
An amazing under the sea hybrid, the wholphin is the result of cross-breeding of a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. The false killer whale is not an actual whale but a very large dolphin. Remarkable in the wild, there are only two known wholphins in captivity at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii: Kekaimalu, who was very fertile and gave birth at a young age; and Kawili Kai, Kekaimalu's third and only living child after the first two siblings died. Kawili Kai is now two months old and is living with her wholphin mother and bottlenose father.
2) Killer Bees
Africanized honey bees, or killer bees, are what science considers as hybrid mistakes. In 1957, a replacement bee keeper accidentally sets free 26 Tanzanian bees in a farm in South Eastern Brazil. These hives belonged to biologist Warwick E. Kerr, who had originally intended to cross-breed European and South African bees to create a strain that would produce more honey and adapt to tropical seasons. The killer bees can now be found in South America and through most of North America. They are highly aggressive, moving in massive swarms and attacking in large numbers.
1) Liger
Coming from a male lion and a female tiger, the Liger is a member of the genus Panthera. They are bigger than most cats, almost at par with its parents' size. Ligers' attitudes are a combination of tigers' love for swimming and lions' social behavior. Presently, ligers thrive in captivity because of territorial issues. Although long since thought as sterile, a 15-year-old liger made history in 1953 when it successfully mated with a male lion and gave birth to a cub. The largest liger in Guinness World Record is named Hercules, which resides at a theme park in Miami called the Jungle Island. He weights 410kg and is happily living its long life.


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Over the past 3 years we've had the pleasure of working closely with some of the most talented VPs of Sales in the world as well as great coaches like Craig Elias – the million dollar quota smasher.
One thing that we've spent a great deal of time talking about is getting new sales reps up to speed faster. Since I manage a few talented sales people myself these days, this hits even more close to home!
Here's why. According to a report by Accenture and CSO Insights, nearly 50 percent of new sales reps took ten months or longer before they were able to contribute to company goals. By some estimates, that can translate into missed opportunities at an average rate of $50,000 to $200,000 a month.
As the manager, you can actually visualize the dollars passing you by — sort of like a bad version of sheep hopping over a fence keeping you up at night.
But, as the leader you've got it to take ownership – Extreme Ownership.
Put that monkey on your back and get to work.
Here are three tips to help you get sales reps onboarded — in a lot less time.
1. Use mobile sales tools. You know I had to go there. We build these things for just this reason all the time.
Why you should care – You'll be able to get new reps up to speed much quicker with mobile sales tools that are configured to address the challenges they typically face.
By using a mobile sales tool that allows reps to easily access documents with the tap of a button — no matter where they are — you're eliminating the barriers that can make sales transactions more cumbersome. Not only that, with mobile access to training materials as well as company sales sheets, presentations and collateral, they will be able to study your products and services during downtime or off hours.
2. Train with visuals. Studies show that 65 percent of us are visual learners. They also say most of us retain more information when it's presented visually. Make liberal use of videos and highly visual learning materials to get your new team up and running sooner. It's also a great idea to pair tips #1 and #2 by integrating those visual sales materials in a mobile app.
By making the training materials easy to digest — through visuals — as well as easily accessible, you're providing new sales reps the ability to use them as quick references in between and during appointments.
3. Look beyond the sales department. Of course, you likely have a process in place that provides new sales reps the opportunity to join senior reps on sales calls. You more than likely will give them plenty of your own time.
However, it can be even more effective to talk to employees in other departments, including Customer Success and Product Development, to gain further insights into opportunities, case studies and product details. The sooner they can understand your products and services, the more quickly sales reps can confidently explain them to prospects.
We first wrote about this topic in our in-depth series on mobile hacks used by marketers to ACTUALLY drive revenue with a mobile sales tool. You can access the first part of the article here.


text: September 18, 2014 at 6:00 AM Census: Seattle saw steepest rent hike among major U.S. cities Posted by Gene Balk Click to enlarge Seattle apartment-dwellers: You thought your rent was high — well, you're right. Data released Thursday by the Census Bureau rank Seattle — for the first time — among the 10 most-expensive cities for renters. To achieve that dubious honor, we had to claw our way past Oakland and Long Beach, Calif., on the list of high-priced places to live. So… More Comments | More in Demographics, Government Data | Topics: apartments, Census, Renters


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Can We Build A Human Colony In Mars Through Advancements In Space Farming?
By Lucy Clark, 5th Apr 2017 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsScience
What is the future of the human race? Scientists have found out that if human beings are to survive in the near future, we will have to explore and colonize other planets. Whether we finally decide to make the earth completely uninhabitable with the growing levels of global warming or if we simply deplete its natural resources, one day we will be forced to search for a new home!
Can We Build A Human Colony In Mars Through Advancements In Space Farming?
What is the future of the human race? Scientists have found out that if human beings are to survive in the near future, we will have to explore and colonize other planets. Whether we finally decide to make the earth completely uninhabitable with the growing levels of global warming or if we simply deplete its natural resources, one day we will be forced to search for a new home!
Although there are a lot of exoplanets which orbit other stars that could serve as a good replacement for the earth, the best habitable destination is, in most cases, going to be Mars. So how can we use our advancements in space farming to create a human colony here? Let us look at some key considerations!
The Process of Creating a Human Colony in Mars through Space Farming:
- Creating a habitable environment
- Use of liquid lifeline
- Energy farming
Creating a Habitable Environment
It is only natural that while establishing a human settlement, the first thing to consider is creating a self-sustaining environment. This habitat should be able to perform a given amount of tasks. For example, maintain air pressure, oxygen levels, and proper temperature. Besides, it should also protect the people living in it from radiation. Therefore, the structure should be large and quite heavy!
Launching large and bulky objects into space is rather costly, but we have discovered an alternative means. Simply carry a small 'toolbox' from earth. Go on to create the habitat using locally produced resources. Here, we have found out that a good method is using 3D printers. These devices can be used to transform minerals from the local soil into physical establishments or structures. NASA has used the space farming technique in zero-gravity environments so as to make spacecraft objects in space.
Use of Liquid Lifeline
Once we have built the habitat, what next? The colony will require an endless supply of water, energy, and oxygen if the plants are to survive. It will also need food to feed its inhabitants. Water is a very crucial element of day to day living but its uses are rather diverse. It can be used to make propellant or for radiation shielding.
In the International Space Station (ISS), efforts have been made to prevent wastage of water. You are likely to find that all liquids such as sweat, urine, and even tears are put to good use. However, this is only conservation. A colony also needs to extract its own water! Consider using the best aquatic chillers for this process.
In Mars, water is found in underground liquid supplies. Besides, it is also got from the ice found on asteroid surfaces. With water comes oxygen which is generated through a process referred to as electrolysis. The main purpose of this is to separate it from the hydrogen in water.
Energy Farming
Thanks to the photo-voltaic solar panels, producing energy has turned out to be the technological aspect of starting a human colony. However, depending on the planet location, the technology needs to be improved further. Remember that Mars is further from the sun as compared to earth. Therefore, it receives a lower electrical (solar) power.
Mars also has a thick layer of atmosphere that partially blocks the rays from the sun. For proper farming to take place, a colony needs to produce its own energy resources. For example, crops can convert carbon dioxide in the air to oxygen. It may appear easy on the earth, but growing crops in Mars or other planets is not so simple.
One good solution that has been used on earth to grow garlic and radishes is hydroponic farming. It involves planting in a nutrient filled aquatic environment.
It is now clear that in future when the earth's resources are minimal or depleted, there is a viable solution! With the advancements in space farming technology, we can go on to plant, harvest, and store radishes as well as other vegetables and crops rather easily. Hoping that you have learned something from the above information, let us know what you think of this idea. Is it achievable? How much can we accomplish with advancements in space farming?


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Welcome to Good Eats Summer Share!
Your first pick-up is tomorrow (Wednesday, June 22).
I write the weekly Good Eats newsletter that you will receive every Tuesday evening with farm updates, the week's share contents, storage and use tips, localvore information and recipes and anything else we think you might find interesting or useful. Pete will often chime in with farm updates, thoughts and pleas for feedback.
The picking for the weekly share begins on Monday and the packing of shares is finished late Tuesday afternoon. Although we try to get the newsletter out just as early as we can, we do like to wait until the share is finalized. Sometimes there are last minute changes to the contents and we want to make sure that you've got the right information to accompany your pick-up. If there are changes to the share, which happens occasionally, that occur after the newsletter has been sent, you may receive a follow-up email Tuesday night or Wednesday.
If you have any feedback on the newsletter, recipe contributions or just general questions about the CSA, feel free to email me. We also post each newsletter on our blog. It generally gets posted sometime on Wednesday. There's a good history there for recipes, farm stories and share contents.
Please add email@example.com to your address book to limit the possibility of having newsletters filtered as spam. Feel free to contact me anytime about with questions or comments about Good Eats. ~ Amy
Summer Share
The Summer Share is full for the moment. We will accept new members in 2-3 weeks once we get further into the growing season. Visit the Summer Share page for more info.
This Week's Vegetable Share Contains:
Bag of Mesclun Greens; Spinach; Head Lettuce; Mustard Greens; Garlic Scapes; Bunch of Beets; 1 Bunch of Herbs (either sage or oregano), Potatoes and ..... Frozen Sweet Red Peppers
Localvore Offerings Include:
Elmore Mountain Bread Foagies Vermont Butter and Cheeese Fresh Chevre Pa Pa Doodles Farm Fresh Eggs 5 lbs Quebec Oats
Picking Up Your Share
If you are unsure of your pick-up times or site location, please visit our website's Pick-Up page. If you have any questions about your pick-up please email Amy Skelton. The quickest way to reach me is email, but you may leave a message on voice mail at 802.586.2882 x2.
Share Pick-Up Instructions! Please review.
You may be a seasoned CSA share member or new to Good Eats. It's important to review the pick-up instructions before you head out to your site.
• Clipboard #1 - Find your name on the pick-up list and check it off. The first clipboard contains a list of all share members at your site. Note that only one name is listed for each share. If you can't find your name on the list, look for your share partner's name. Checking off your name lets us know who has picked up and is extremely helpful in solving any mysteries at the end of the day. If you can't find your name or your share partner's name, please don't take a share! Call or email Amy and we'll figure it out.
• Check your share type on the list. Share types are Localvore, Localvore Vegetarian, Veggie Only, Pete's Pantry. If you are listed incorrectly, let Amy know via email.
• Clipboard #2 - Select your items by following the Pick-up Instructions. These are posted on the second clipboard. Follow the specific item list/instructions to assemble your share. The top section of the pick up list describes what to select for the vegetable portion of both the Vegetable Only and the Localvore share.
The bottom section of the Pick-up Instructions list the localvore (non-vegatable) items that only the Localvore or Pete's Pantry members should select. If you are sharing a share with someone - coordinate with your share-mate to make sure that you DON'T take double the amount of any items. All shares at the sites are whole shares.
Please note that the first Meat Share pick up is not this week, it is July 6th.
What To Do If You Have a Problem at Pick Up
Although we do our best to make sure that every delivery and pick-up goes smoothly, there are the occasional shortages and disappointments. Should you arrive at your pick-up spot to find that your name (or share partner's name) is not on the list, one or more of your items are missing or that some of your produce is in unsatisfactory condition, please let us know right away! Our goal is 100% satisfaction.
If you email Amy (or call if you can't email) as soon as you discover the problem, we may be able to resolve it the same day or the following day. If you would like to receive an item that you missed at pick-up, you must contact Amy by Thursday morning. If we have not heard from anyone, by Thursday afternoon our site hosts are instructed to donate leftover food, assuring that they don't end up with bad food on their hands. If we can't resolve your issue right away, contact Amy via email to arrange a replacement or substitution the following week.
Pete's Musings
Thanks for joining us for this share period. It has been an interesting several months since our barn burned on Jan 12. We've experienced incredible support from the community. We did not realize that what we do is so important to so many people and this knowledge will inform and inspire our work as we go forward.
We have planned and mostly built a new barn. One that is much more appropriate for storing, washing and packing produce and that will also contain our offices and commercial kitchen. Our old barn was a big old dairy barn with low ceilings. The lower floor, built into the bank, housed all our vegetable washing and cooling space. The second floor was our supply and equipment storage. And we were halfway through building a large much needed addition to the main barn. Our new building is actually only slightly larger in footprint than the combined area of all the old spaces. But the new barn has something the old didn't - height. We can store things vertically where before we didn't even have a full 8 ft of height in our working areas. The combination of a well planned and designed workspace, with the ability to use shelving to stack vertically is going to greatly enhance both efficiency and useable space. We are excited about the potential of this new building to expand access to local food throughout Vermont.
The support we received from our community has been vital to getting us operational again. Along with the insurance we received from the barn, the donations of $150K have helped to carry us through a long 6 months of tiny sales, supporting our staff and allowing us to plan and begin building when other funds were not yet available. Because this money was so critical and was given with such generosity and love, we decided we wanted it to do good work again, helping other farms in need of financial assistance. So we are treating these donations as a loan. In a couple years, when we are on solid financial footing we will pay the money back into the newly created Vermont Farm Fund, whose mission is to support other Vermont farms who are in crises or who need funding for a sustainable local food project.
We are estimating that our new barn will cost $750K. The tractors and equipment and supplies we need to replace add significantly to that figure. Since the insurance money and donations we received fell far short of what we needed to rebuild, we secured two loans for $600K. Having a large debt load is new to us, but we are committed to our mission and confident in the future of good healthy food.
In addition to planning for an efficient barn, we have been working hard to develop our crew for the future. One that is better trained in food safety, organization and general farm operations. We are excited about the potential of this team.
We have been farming through a pretty dismal spring - lots of rain, little sun. I know 70 year old farmers who say they have never seen a tougher spring. Fortunately things have really turned around the last couple of weeks and our crops are coming along well. This week we're transplanting storage cabbage and prepping land for storage carrots and beets. Last week we baled 1200 bales of winter rye straw. We hadn't done that in a few years and it was a lot of fun. Baby greens are at absolute peak quality right now. We are growing them on some new land in a high, windy spot and the greens love those conditions. We're still washing and packing produce in our little commercial kitchen, but will be moving into our new building in another week or two. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the share. ~ Pete
The old barn had nearly the same amount of square footage as the new barn will have, but it was broken up between upstairs, downstairs, the new addition, and some auxiliary freezers. There was no ease of movement between these spaces. Note the greenhouses in the distance... The washhouse in the old barn was far from where the food was grown and also not attached to the kitchen where some vegetable processing takes place.
Storage and Use Tips
Mountain Mesclun Greens - Our greens probably need no introduction. A healthful mix of many varieties of lettuces, baby kales and mustards, baby tatsoi, chards, arugula, endives, spinach, garden cress. Store loosely wrapped in plastic in your crisper drawer.
Head Lettuce - A mix of head lettuces is going out to sites, your site may receive only one kind or a couple. You may receive panisse, green butterhead, red butterhead, or romaine or something else entirely! One head per member. Store loosely wrapped in plastic in your crisper drawer.
Green Mountain Garlic Scapes - The tall, curly seed stalks that a garlic plant sends up at this time of year are a short season delicacy. Garlic scapes are trimmed from the garlic plants so that the plant will put energy into fattening the garlic cloves in the ground, not making seed. Garlic scapes have a nice garlic flavor, without the bite of garlic cloves. These scapes are young and tender and they may be eaten raw or cooked. You can chop and add to stir fry recipes, pasta dishes, guacamole, salsas, and vegetable dishes. This year our garlic scapes are not our own, and instead are coming from Bob and Cindy Maynard's Green Mountain Garlic in Waterbury. Bob and Cindy's backyard garden has evolved into this new business and they will offer 15 varieties of garlic for sale this Fall. Harvest is in September and you can order their garlic online. Store loosely wrapped in plastic in your crisper drawer.
Green Wave Mustard Greens - Related to kale, cabbage, and collard greens, mustard greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant. Store loosely wrapped in plastic in your crisper drawer.
Herbs - This week you will receive either oregano or sage. Herbs can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, the oregano in plastic, the sage appreciates a paper towel and plastic. You can keep herbs longer in fridge by stripping leave s and placing them in olive oil in the firdge. Oregano also freezes very well in a plastic bag.
Mixed Beets - Beet bunches will be mixed today and you may receive chiogga (these are candy striped inside), red, gold or white beets or a mix of these colors. I store my beets with the tops off. I store the greens loosely wrapped in plastic and the roots in a separate bag.
Photo at right
Annie and Socorro pulling beets for Good Eats on Monday.
Frozen Peppers - As we await this year's harvest of sweet peppers, we can enjoy last year's. If you have never had frozen peppers hanging around in your freezer, you are in for a treat. I love having them on hand to toss into a dish that suddenly calls for them. Leave peppers in the freezer til you are ready to use them. Then take out the peppers you will use for the dish you are making, and cut them as required for your recipe while they are still frozen, or just starting to thaw. As they thaw they will soften and become harder to chop neatly. These peppers can be used in any recipe that calls for cooking peppers. Chop them and toss them onto a pizza, or into a pasta dish, in a casserole, or alongside onions when grilling your meats. You will find many uses for them once you get used to pulling them from the freezer.
Changes to Your Delivery?
If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let me know at least 1 week before the change. You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or I can stop your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.
Localvore Lore
I am excited to include Elmore Mountain Bread "Foagies" for this first week of the share. These delightful foccacia breads have been a mainstay at our house the last few weeks. I have been splitting them, toasting them, smearing them with fresh chevre and/or olive oil, and stuffing them with garlic (or chopped scapes), tomato, herbs, greens, and sometimes cucumbers. Sometimes I toast the whole thing again once loaded just to make it all meld together. Yum. They are made with Quebec Milanaise Organic Unbleached Wheat, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Yeast.
The "foagies" or focaccia-hoagies is a bread that was developed out of our relationships with several local restaurants. Our friend and former chef of the Cliff House at Stowe, Jeff Egan came to us looking for a bread or rolls that would be suitable for sandwiches and hamburgers. Rolls were something that we wanted to stay away from, but we were very interested in classic Italian Focaccia style breads. After much trial and error, we came up with the"foagies". It was very well received and before long we were working with many local chefs on developing their own custom versions. Grill it like a panini, make an egg breakfast sandwich, or eat it with your favorite local cheese and fresh seasonal veggies; it will soon be your favorite sandwich bread! ~ Blair Marvin
Our Good Eats eggs are laid each day by "the girls" at Pa Pa Doodles Farm. Deb Rosewolf is one of our team at Pete's Greens and a couple of years ago Pete talked her into keeping a flock of hens to supply the CSA (actually he talked her into taking the farm's small flock over to her house). Deb now has 400 hens and supplies eggs 2 weeks out of 4 weeks for the share. Last March, Eva Sollberger visited Deb's Farm and shot a video for the Seven Days Stuck in VT series. Watch it now for a first hand look at where your eggs come from! You'll have to scroll down a bit to find the video.
Allison Wolf, owner of Vermont Butter and Cheese Co sent along fresh chevre this week to start off the share. She reached out immediately following the fire offering to help in some way. Thanks Allison! I send this cheese out usually once a share because I love it and I find so many uses for it. I consider it to be a staple because a small amount added to so many dishes turns them into something a little special. The cheese keeps quite a long time in the fridge unopened, it will last several weeks after it's been opened. And if you won't use it right away it will freeze beautifully. It's a little crumbly after being frozen but that can actually be nice when crumbing for salads or into various dishes.
Localvores will also receive a 5 lb bag of rolled oats from organic grower Michel Gaudreau, across the border in Quebec. Michel grows quite a few different grains on his farm and mills grains for organic growers in his area. He has a great operation in a beautiful setting surrounded by his fields. Michel's mill (Golden Crops)makes many organic grains available locally that we might not otherwise have local access to and we are grateful for his commitment. These are beautiful, clean organic rolled oats ideal for oatmeal, granola, cookies, streusel toppings etc. Click here for either a solid granola recipe or one for oatmeal.
Mesclun Salad
There might be a few of you who would like a salad recommendation, so here's mine for this week's share. And, it's salad season so I am offering up my favorite dressing to start off the share.
Mesclun greens
Chopped Garlic scapes
Raw beets sliced very thin
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Toasted Foagie croutons
Other veggies as you have them to add
Toss the above with a good drizzle of Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (below).
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 T maple syrup
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper Taste – it should be strong flavored – NOT BLAND. If it needs more zip add a bit more garlic, or more black pepper, or more Dijon or all three.
Spinach, Goat Cheese, Red Peppers, and Lemon Pasta
This recipe adapted from Epicurious.com would be perfect for a picnic or an addition to a summer BBQ.
1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound spinach or a combo of spinach, beet greens, and mustard greens
1 cup red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano plus more for garnish
1 4-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)
Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)
Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add spinach and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and spinach together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, oregano and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and spinach to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.
Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto
A quick and easy recipe that can be used on sandwiches, tossed into pastas or stored in the freezer to use later in the season.
(Makes about 1/2 cup)
5 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/4 finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
2-3 TB slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/4 cup olive oil Sea salt
Put the scapes, cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest. Delicious!
Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and Goat Cheese
From the February 2007 issue of Bon Appetite. If you like the sounds of this recipe but hate to use up all of your goat cheese, it would also be delicious with shaved Parmesan substituted for the goat cheese.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped mustard greens/mizuna
4 ounce chilled soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add beets and onion. Cover; cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in rice. Add broth and vinegar. Increase heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until rice and beets are just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with greens and cheese.
Greens With Garlic and Chile
Here's a simple classic you can use this week with beet greens, kale or the spinach in the share.
1 bunch (about 1 lb.) greens of your choice
1 Tbsp. salt (for boiling water) plus more to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 to 3 whole, small dried chiles (such as arbol) or 1 fresh red chile such as fresno, sliced
Lemon juice (optional but delicious)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, clean greens and cut off any tough stems. Chop greens into fairly large pieces and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. salt and chopped greens to boiling water (except for spinach, you can skip this step if using spinach). Cook until greens wilt, 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on toughness of the greens you're using. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water until cool.
Use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible from the greens. Set aside. Heat a large frying pan or saute pan over high heat. Add oil, garlic, and chile. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add greens and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and flavors combine, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve greens hot, warm, or at room temperature.


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I was far off in the choir loft, desperately trying to sightread alto notes and decipher the copy of a copy of a copy of phonetic Greek–all these things without the benefit of coffee-when I noticed the lovely greenery that adorned the iconostasis at a sister parish. Lime green hydrangeas, wispy ferns, and unidentifiable floral beauties atop the arch, heralding the Feast of Pentecost.
Off to the side was a table flanked by ornate silk flower arrangements. My eyes wandered along with my mind, looking for more silk arrangements, the type that needs dusting and replacing, but always looks ready to be seen and ready to be admired. The type that isn't real, but is convenient. The type that can be closeted, then brought out again.
It was then I remembered something that long ago drew me to the Orthodox church–the appeal of the real. Early on, a priest emphasized that the things we use and see in the Church are real: real flowers, real candles, real oil, real wine, real bread, real water. All these things are touchable and common. All these things are transformed by an encounter with the Divine. All these things remind us of Christ's reality, His coming to earth, His taking on flesh, His becoming real.
The real things that we see, taste, smell, and experience in church not only remind us of the power and mystery of the Incarnation, they also remind us that we too are called to be real. Like the wax candles that bring light to the darkened church; like the holy chrism that bestows the power of the Holy Spirit; like the wine and bread that co-mingle, becoming the body and blood of our Lord; like the water that joins us to the body of Christ–all these real things transforming us into who Christ calls us to be: real human beings.
When my kids were little, one of my favorite books to read to them was The Velveteen Rabbit. Without fail, I teared up when Rabbit meets Skin Horse, who tells him a beautiful truth:
"Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'
'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.
'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'
'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'
'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
Perhaps because we are surrounded by so much that is not real and not true, these real things, these simple things, seem primitive and almost silly. It is, however, through the small, humble gifts, that God comes to us–starkly real–and calls us to also be real and true in response to His own reality.


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The facts are fairly simple. I was driving home from work and upon slowing to give right of way to a bus at a fairly blind stretch discovered that sometimes road signs pass us by, sometimes we drive a little impatiently and sometimes we drive straight into the back of blue sports cars driven by redheaded columnists. The other driver admitted liability and I wasn't seriously injured.
But I was injured. Aside from the fact that my much loved little Mazda is a write-off and I experienced the unsurprising shock that accompanies big black BMWs smashing into the back of you, I have what my GP has signed me off with a the rather vague sounding but nonetheless painful 'muscular and soft tissue injury.' I have now come to terms with the fact that I'm going to be making a personal injury claim when I loathe the whole idea of personal injury claims – prescriptions are expensive and while I can get a certain number of lifts to work, there are some expensive taxi journeys I simply don't have the money for on my rota at work. In short, I can't afford my value system at the moment and getting better and getting to work is going to cost money.
Oddly what changed my mind about making a claim were two absurdly incidental factors that I won't be claiming compensation for. Firstly, I had my hair highlighted a short while back. A full head of highlights takes time and my back injury means I can't sit still for prolonged periods and so I have dyed my hair back to its original colour for the first time in what is approaching three years (I wasn't able to get to a shop selling much in the way of a variety of colours). My hair is a deeply personal thing but I've had to change it (or live with roots) through entirely external factors. Secondly, the boyfriend and I had our first date at Alton Towers. It was romantic, fun and the perfect date. A year later my birthday present was two consecutive days at theme parks. It was ridiculous and perfect. The biggest sign of why he is the guy for me is that rollercoasters and snogging were made a pact that every September we would spend a day on rides and eating bad food and just being each other's best mate. Back injuries don't really go with rollercoasters. I had already booked my Birthday off work but there'll be no Thorpe Park for me. It's silly but it reflects how the repercussions of an accident will affect my life (not that the boyfriend and I will break up if we don't have our annual date but that I'm missing out on something really important to me).
All this was pretty distracting but it isn't such a big deal. I'm confident I'll have the issue resolved soon enough.
What I was left with however, was the realisation that certain old insecurities were raising their head.
I panicked. New in my job I was terrified what the implications of taking time off would be. In fact, I'd been in a mild state of panic since I started the job. Not that I ever let that get in the way of doing my job. No, I turned up each day, did the best job I could and then came home to let it wreck my personal life and wake me in the middle of the night.
But this week I realised, or rather acknowledged, something. I always do this! I think people are taking mad risky chances on me and then feel guilty about the idea of letting them down. Obviously this is insane as the people involved are usually smart and capable people with experience in their field. I was getting some files from the spare bedroom earlier and an article caught my eye. At the front of a magazine folder were a collection of papers, fronted by an analysis of peasant uprisings in Vietnam. Ok, so that's random by anyone's standards but bear with me.
The route to my Masters Degree was a little indirect and I always felt under qualified. Durham University generally required a first class degree in order to pursue postgraduate work. Because I received a double first on my undergraduate dissertation, I was admitted to do an MA by research. Had I wanted to do a taught MA then my 2.1 wouldn't have been sufficient. The important thing to note however is that I never wanted to do a taught MA, I was all about the research (which was probably why my dissertation was brilliant but my exams distinctly average). I anguished throughout the process, feeling huge amounts of concern that I'd let down the supervisor who had taken me on (the same supervisor who , I hasten to add, oversaw my dissertation and has never been anything but supportive and encouraging).
Of course I passed the Masters and as I paused in front of the bookcase, I realised that while the process terrifies me, I have a need to push myself to the extreme. You see, I didn't just do a Masters, I decided that the current options for evaluating my topic of choice were inadequate and so I created a new theory. Ironically given the nature of this column, I called it Confidence Theory.
The mad risky chances are clearly in my head and I feed them by being ambitious. I'm daunted by elements of my new job but I wasn't hired by idiots. Furthermore, this new job is just like the MA. Applying standard marketing practises to the heritage industry would be like analysing Vietnam with statistics instead of confidence theory. You'll get results but they won't be the best possible results.
What I realised, as I stood staring at that discourse of revolutionary peasants (in my quiet-life middle class way) was that I wasn't hired because I misrepresented my skills or abilities and therefore risked letting people down but because I accurately represented myself and the person I am is what my employers wanted. They know exactly what I have and haven't done because I was completely honest on my CV. They saw someone creative and a little left of field and thought that the best way to promote their business was to place me as their marketing manager.
It's a trust issue and not an obvious one. This isn't about trusting myself not to fail but trusting that others sometimes see me more clearly than I see myself and if they have faith in me then I shouldn't question that and instead just get on with things. Speaking of which, I have a marketing plan to write and y'all know it's gonna be something special!


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Everything was always about you.
Inconsiderate and self-indulgent without a clue.
How is it possible for someone to be so mindless?
Selfish, cruel, absent, and careless?
I thought the day will never come where I'd be able to say "Goodbye."
But, finally, it came and I did.
For once, it's about me.
For the very first time, I'm thinking about my well-being, not yours.
How was it that everyone else could see it, but you?
I'd be remiss to say that you were the only blind one.
I, too, turned a blind eye to your repugnant disposition.
Not anymore, though.
Never again.
You reeled me in like a fish on a hook.
Much like a fish without water, I was helpless.
I've rendered to you full control.
Manipulation was your game.
You played with people's hearts and minds like a chess piece on a board.
So crafty were your lies that you had everyone begging for more.
To those who knew you, and who were well informed of all that you did,
you were known as a black hole. A selfish black hole of a creature that did nothing but take.
You will no longer take a thing from me.
Not my livelihood, not my happiness, not my smile, and not my pride.
You are the past and, as of today, I see no place for you in my future.
Who a person loves is beyond their control, but I can only hope that one day this love, much like the tendency of your presence and loyalty has done with me, fades just as quickly.


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then you will know how to live" -Goethe
Lately... there have been a whole lot of circumstances where I have been forced to make some very difficult choices.Really difficult!! Ones that involve lots of complicated factors, ones that have no simple answers...yet...they simply have to be addressed; they aren't going to disappear!! Ones that deal with real people...good people...with hopes + dreams + hearts. Now...here's the thing! I'm a firm believer that
*everything happens for a reason
*the exact people + circumstances manifest in your life to teach you life lessons
*these life lessons will continually show up (under different guises) until we learn how to resolve them.
So here I sit...having to sift and sort, sift and sort...to arrive at what I know in my heart of hearts is the very best for my family. And it's difficult...there are hurts and tears + hard realities. There is trying to balance compassion with honesty; reason with hope. And there are no easy answers!!! There is no book I can pick up that can give me the perfect Zen answer; one that resolves the situation without hurt hearts. So...what do I do???
* talk from the heart
* learn how to be (very) direct
* learn how to listen (again...with my heart)
* try to balance kindness + compassion with firmness
* ask for what I want
* accept that I can only do so much
* boundaries, boundaries, boundaries!!
I realize that I bring all of my stories and unresolved pieces to my present; I know that we all do. So...with this mantra playing in my head..."be kind + firm. be kind + firm. be kind + firm"...I go forward... Knowing that we are all teachers to each other; all on this journey of life.


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Submitted by Administrator on Fri, 03/02/2017 - 15:09
Following on from the success of last year's inaugural Teaching Forum, I am pleased to announce that registration for the 2017 Teaching Forum is now open. The conference will be held at Churchill College on Thursday 23 March 2017.
There are eight speakers who will be covering a range of topics related to teaching and learning in the HE context: the TEF; blended learning; transition from school to university; education in research-intensive universities; learning gain.
Ant Bagshaw, Assistant Director, WONKHE
Dr Giovanna Biscontin, Geotechnical and Environmental Research Group, University of Cambridge
Nick Daymond, Head Teacher, Parmiter's School, Watford
Ange Fitzpatrick, Information and Library Services Manager, Cambridge Judge Business School
Professor Dilly Fung, Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and teaching, UCL
Dr Sonia Ilie, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Dr Karen Ottewell, Director of Academic Development and Training for International Students, Language Centre, University of Cambridge
Dr Michael Ramage, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge
To register for a place please go to the Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning's website: http://www.cctl.cam.ac.uk/events/teaching-forum
The Forum is open to everyone involved in teaching at the Collegiate University.


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A National City police officer is being recognized for his key role in Christopher Dorner investigation.
Dorner, an ex-LAPD officer-turned-fugitive accused of killing four people during a revenge-fueled crime spree earlier this month, spent time in National City before fleeing to Big Bear, where he would eventually die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a fiery cabin.
Now, the careful police work of local Officer Paul Hernandez has come to light as crucial in linking Dorner to the Feb. 3 murder of Irvine couple Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence – Dorner's first victims.
After the murder of the couple, officials say Dorner headed to San Diego, passing through National City, where a surveillance camera filmed him throwing a few personal things away in a dumpster behind a store on Feb. 6.
Timeline: Revenge-Plot Slayings | Map: LAPD Manhunt
Those discarded items included body armor, bullets, a military belt strap and an LAPD uniform.
That's where Officer Hernandez's role in the investigation came into play. With some quick thinking, he was able to put a few of puzzle pieces together.
Hernandez told NBC 7 he was just doing his job when he found the LAPD equipment tossed by Dorner inside that National City dumpster.
The dumpster happened to be near police headquarters.
Hernandez said he had no idea his discovery would start a massive manhunt for an armed and dangerous suspect.
At first, Hernandez thought the LAPD uniform and other equipment had been stolen from someone in the LAPD.
Until, that is, he took a closer look at the evidence.
"They wear similar uniforms to ours, however, they actually say 'LA Police' on the buttons. And then [the uniform] had a similar nametag to mine, but it had Dorner's last name on it," recalled Hernandez.
Dorner's name – which, at that point, was still unknown to law enforcement and the public, as the manhunt had not yet begun -- was also found on an officer's notebook, as well as Dorner's serial number.
The name and serial number of Sgt. Teresa Evans was also on the notebook.
Hernandez immediately called Sgt. Evans by phone to ask a few questions.
Evans told Hernandez how she knew Christopher Dorner. In fact, Evans was one of the LAPD officers named in Dorner's online manifesto, which would be highly-publicized a short time later.
"She had been working under him as a training officer and said that he had gotten terminated several years ago," said Hernandez.
After their conversation, Evans pointed Irvine police in Dorner's direction as a possible suspect in the murders of Quan and Lawrence, who had been gunned down in the parking structure of their apartment complex.
From there, police found Dorner's now-infamous online manifesto, which vowed revenge against LAPD officer and their families.
Many of those LAPD families went into hiding and were under 24/7 police protection while Dorner remained at large.
The international manhunt for Dorner followed, until the fugitive's death in the Big Bear area on Feb. 12.
But, it was the critical bit of work from Officer Hernandez that helped get the ball rolling -- and may have even saved the lives of more innocent victims.
"I was happy to see that [through] the stuff we had located here in our city, that they were able to link things up and give it to other officers in the field, and hopefully prevent any other incidents from happening," said Hernandez.
Still, some parts of the Dorner investigation remain a mystery.
National City police still can't explain why Dorner circled their police department building three times before tossing his items in the dumpster right across the street. They also wonder why Dorner chose to deposit that evidence so close to the police station.


text:
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This insanely tiny 2.4GHz diversity receiver available from TBS is the next big thing in miniaturization of racing craft. Weighing in at under 2g, this receiver is perfect for those racers who are looking to lower their AUW. These are rated to
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text:
Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday inaugurated the 8.7-kilometre long stretch of the Ring Road from Niazi Chowk to Mehmood Booti.
The CM said the first phase had been constructed at a cost of Rs 3 billion. He said Rs 80 billion would be spent on the entire project.
He said he had ordered the authorities concerned to buy land at market rates for the project. The Ring Road will link Allama Iqbal Airport, Wahga Border and the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway. He said the project would promote business and industrial activity. It would also improve flow of traffic, he added. He said the government had constructed six underpasses in the city, which improved flow of traffic.
The CM said Bakkar Mandi would be shifted outside the city after Eid.
He said the government would restore the Walled City and improve sewerage and sanitation facilities there. The construction of the Circular Road and the Ravi Road was under progress, he added.
He said Shahdara was a part of Lahore and it would be made a 'satellite city'. He said the government had closed down the toll plaza on Saggian Bridge Pul and asked the National Highways Authority (NHA) to get rid of the toll plaza at Begum Kot.
He said the government had given proprietary rights to the people living in slums. He said the government would give Rs 10 million to each union council (UC) for development projects.
He said Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had come into power twice, but left the country in social and economic turmoil. The PML had made the country politically and economically strong, he added.
Mr Elahi said the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and its allies would re-elect President Pervez Musharraf in uniform for the next five years on October 6.
He said the opposition should respect the Supreme Court decision on the president holding two offices. Some lawyers were working against their profession and democracy by opposing the SC decision, he added.
The CM said, "Security was tight in Islamabad on September 27 and September 29, but political opponents had restored to violence." He denounced the clashes between the police and lawyers, journalists and political workers in Islamabad on September 29.
Courtesy: Daily Times


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The Miami Dolphins are loaded with young, highly-skilled running backs and wide receivers. It really is among the best young stable and corps in the NFL. But a closer examination of the Dolphins' Top 10 players under 25 reveal glaring needs in the 2017 NFL Draft. In particular, the defensive line and linebacker groups must be replenished.
Of the 10 players on this list, seven play offense, including the best six.
There are reasons for hope below. The Dolphins are mostly (not counting veterans like Cam Wake and Mario Williams, the latter of whom should soon be gone) an inexperienced, ascending roster.
Here is The Daily Dolphin's Top 10 Miami Dolphins under 25:
- Jarvis Landry, WR, 24 years old — Worthy of that contract extension.
- Jay Ajayi, RB, 23 years old — Led the NFL in broken tackles.
- Ja'Wuan James, OT, 24 years old — Very strong recovery from slow start.
- Laremy Tunsil, T/G, 22 years old — Very impressive debut season.
- DeVante Parker, WR, 23 years old — So, so much athleticism and potential.
- Kenny Stills, WR, 24 years old — Terrific deep threat; but the 3rd WR on list.
- Xavien Howard, CB, 23 years old — The Miami corner most likely to succeed.
- Jordan Phillips, DT, 24 years old — Inconsistent but skilled enough to move higher.
- Kenyan Drake, RB, 22 years old — Slight edge over Damien Williams due to KR's.
- Tony Lippett, WR, 24 years old — The Miami corner with a crazy ceiling.
Also considered: Damien Williams, RB, 24; Bobby McCain, CB, 23; Matt Darr, P, 24.
Plays of the year: Ten moments that defined a memorable Miami Dolphins season
The truth, according to former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph
Report: Miami Dolphins assistant line coach Washburn headed to Bears
Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl champs tattoo? Is this guy a comedian? (Actually, he is)
Ex-linebackers coach Matt Burke named Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator
Will Laremy Tunsil be moved to left tackle in 2017?


text:
Sarrica, M., Michelon, G., Bobbio, A., & Ligorio, S.
Employer branding in nonprofit organizations. An exploration of factors that are related to attractiveness, identification with the organization, and promotion: The case of Emergency
This paper explores the application of the Employer Branding model in nonprofit organizations. We focus on attributes of the organization that may affect its attractiveness, identification with the organization, and promotion. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey on actual and potential aid-workers from Emergency, an Italian charity that offers free medical assistance to war victims. The questionnaire included measures of organizational identification, attractiveness, symbolic and instrumental attributes and intentions to promote the organization. Results showed that the attractiveness of the organization depended on symbolic rather than instrumental attributes. Unlike previous research on Employer Branding, however, instrumental attributes did not influence the attractiveness of the organization and, additionally, decreased promotion. These findings may contribute to extending the Employer Branding model by including a psychosocial perspective and also suggest important management implications for nonprofit organizations.Back
Click here to buy an article


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|Living Room
|What a tidy little package!
|A doorway connects two rooms
|The view from above
Update on April 3rd:
I ended up making Harry his own version of this craft, but instead of a doll's house, we'll call his a zoo. (Thanks to my Auntie Carlene for the suggestion!)
This version is slightly smaller with 4' square rooms and it has a zoo theme, featuring hand drawn giraffe and monkey exhibits, a Zoo entrance sign and directional signage too. I've added a couple of miniature plastic animals in his carry-on bag to play with. Emme caught sight of this version earlier today and was already asking to play with it so I think they'll both go over a treat!
|Do Gorillas & Chimpanzees usually hang out together?!
|Which way to the Wild Safari?
|I couldn't BARE to have only made a dollhouse for Emme!
|Viewing from a safe location!


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Are your students' research reports weak in the trait of voice? Sure, they are restating the facts they have learned in their own words, and combining information gathered from several sources, as you have guided them to do. However, do the final drafts often can lack that quality of writing that keeps the reader (usually the teacher and other students!) truly engaged? Even when children are excited about the topic they are researching, their enthusiasm doesn't always come through in their writing. How, then, can teachers help students breathe life, and VOICE, into their research writing?
The trait of Voice is that quality of writing that makes the text interesting and grabs the reader's attention. When writing is strong in the trait of Voice the reader makes a connection to the text, and wants to keep reading. Voice is a"deep text trait", meaning that it usually takes a major revision to turn a "voiceless" piece of writing into one that the reader doesn't want to put down. One craft move that students can use to improve the voice in their pieces as they revise or draft is writing from a different point of view.
An engaging piece of writing pulls the reader into the piece and helps the reader make a connection. Judy Allen does this in her series of Backyard Books. The titles in this series include Are You a Snail?, Are you a Bee?, Are you a Butterfly?, Are you a Dragonfly?, Are you a Grasshopper?, Are you a Ladybug?, and Are you a Spider?
She writes in what might be considered the second person. As the title suggests, she asks the reader, "Are you a snail? If you are, your life began in an egg like one of these." Allen continues to provide factual information in this style. For example, rather than writing that one of a snail's predators is a fox, she writes, "Watch out for foxes. Foxes are dangerous. Hungry foxes eat snails, and they don't mind the slime either." The narrator is talking directly to the reader, asking questions and explaining what one's life would be like as a snail.
After sharing this mentor text, have students write a draft in this format, telling their audience what life would be like if they were indeed that creature. For a Social Studies report, they might write what to expect if you were a child living in colonial times. A great mentor text for this might be a title from the If you Lived... series.
Students could also try to turn the facts they have collected into a first person account. The teacher could model this by turning research notes into a narrative that might sound like this, "I am a snail. When I go out at night, I always watch out for those hungry foxes..."
This craft move could be used when researching a famous person. For example, a report on the life of Susan B. Anthony written in the first person might include, "I knew I had to do more than talk about women's right to vote. I had to do something! That is why my sisters and several of our friends dared to vote in the presidential election that year, even though it was illegal to do so."
The answer to how to help students add voice to their research writing may be found in trying a new point of view. This craft move is sure to breathe life, and voice, into the standard research report!


text: Requests for home visits should be made before 10 am to allow planning of visiting schedules. Home visits are for patients who are unable to attend the surgery because of their medical condition. Please be prepared to answer a few questions so that we can assess the urgency of the call. A doctor may ring you back to ask further questions or to give advice.


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It has become a sacred truth that fragmentation holds back peacebuilding. Integration, coherence, and whole-of-government are good. Silos, turf wars, and tactics-without-strategy are bad.
Yet we have seen a full decade of initiatives to blow up silos, and the ambitions that we held at the beginning have not been realised. In fact, it is difficult to resist the conclusion that we have gotten better at collaborating on certain specific tasks, but failed to change much at all at the policy level.
Within the UN system, I recall an early task force on "rule of law" assistance to fragile states. This was consumed with mapping exercises and workshops for several years, identifying who should do what and harmonising standards. Then at the end of the process the Chair conceded in retrospect that, as it turned out, "no UN agency had developed experience or expertise in how to build adequate capacity".
Larger-scale change initiatives fared little better. I have worked on several generations of "integrated mission planning" to link up peacekeeping missions with development and humanitarian agencies. After ten years of skirmishes over process, management lines, and humanitarian space we came to a quite uncomfortable realisation. We were, as the head of UN peacekeeping during this period described it, "still a long way from being able to provide credible responses" on key priorities.
His successor, still in-post, has noted that "our expertise is not very deep in critical peacebuilding areas". A high-level panel has gone one better and stated categorically that "many of the civilian capacities most needed by conflict-affected communities were not to be found within the United Nations".
In short—we were either unable or unwilling to execute on many of the key priorities that we had identified as crucial to "peacebuilding". As one early enthusiast of "multi-dimensional" approaches to fragile states has noted:
Too often, unrelated problems are misdiagnosed as coordination failures because they manifest themselves, superficially, as disorderliness or ineffectiveness in the field, whereas in fact they reflect deeper frustrations, tensions and uncertainties in the statebuilding enterprise.
More polemically: the G7+, a group of countries classed as fragile by their donors, has complained that "aid delivery, interventions and programs instigated by international actors are often inapplicable, unsustainable and incompatible with our in-country national agendas".
Taken as a whole, these are emphatic rebuttals to the idea that more coordination will fix the problem. They suggest that our instinct is to talk about "coherence" exactly because it is a neat problem of process, rather than a messy problem of priorities and values.
Adjucating values
Such growing unease is leading us to tear down "coordination" and replace it with another idol: "politics". The recent high-level panel on UN peacekeeping made its keystone assertion that "politics must drive the design and implementation of operations". The policy manifesto of the G7+, the New Deal for Fragile States, revolves around a "country-owned one vision, and one plan".
These measures will, we are led to think, redress the "frustrations, tensions and uncertainties" of international engagement. But this idea of political leadership as deux ex machina seems hard to reconcile with the common-sense observation of how governmental decision-making actually works.
One of the best such accounts is a classic study of Cabinet decision-making in the United Kingdom by Hugh Heclo and Aaron Wildavsky.
After exhaustive interview research, the authors took their starting point from a former head of the civil service, who told them straightforwardly that "The first thing to be noted about the central government is that it is a federation of departments".
What he meant by this was that Cabinet discussions required adjudication of competing claims and expectations that had all become broadly legitimate in the period since World War II.
In such a setting, officials working in the departments "expected Ministers to support the large objectives with which their lives were identified". Opposing ministers did not challenge core objectives, but rather worked by a sort of reciprocity. The Treasury department, as the main "integrator", prided itself on mastering the brief and providing a common-sense test for departmental demands. Meanwhile the Prime Minister's Office tried to articulate electoral consequences as a sort of bottom-line for decision-making, but got only so far as their storyline was convincing.
The net result for Heclo and Wildavsky:
We have therefore interpreted our subject matter, not in the usual terms of relative power and divisions of responsibility, but in terms of community and policy. There is no escaping the tension between adapting actions and maintaining relationships, between decision and cohesion, between governing now and preserving the possibility of governing later.
In fewer words, government policy was a composite product—whose production "resembled the labours of Sisyphus more than the thunderbolts of Zeus". Changes were incremental, and based on mutual adjustments rather than decisive mandates.
Real-world "political" solutions
Things have changed considerably since Hugh Heclo was wandering around Whitehall taking notes. Yet his account remains instantly recognisable in the public policy and budgeting world—and this should be rather disquieting for the peacebuilding and counter-insurgency enthusiasts calling for "integrated" master plans.
Talking amongst international agencies won't resolve value judgments about what's important, or gaps in what we're prepared to provide. And by asking for a "political" solution they are simply throwing the exact same problem to a different set of interlocutors, only with much higher stakes and often weaker capacity.
The Cabinet model is thus interesting because it suggests what a best-available solution may look like. In short, when we talk about coherence we could perhaps just be looking for:
- a community of decision-makers who are equipped and expected to make mutual adjustments;
- a facilitator who tries to understand the whole picture and can make a compelling case for the bottom line; and
- a supporting team with mastery of the technical details.
Would international agencies be better served by calibrating their expectations in this way? Do we do ourselves a disservice by expecting a level of finality / clarity in policy debates that is rarely achieved in even very stable political systems?


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Welcome to a pink world! Candiss is an untraditional female choir that prioritize the show and on-stage charm as much as the high musical quality. Candiss perform both outside and inside Samfundet, where they also hold a concert once each semester.
Every two years Candiss performs a new UKE-show before each galla during the UKA festival.
During the festival Candiss also perform a concert in Sangerhallen, in addition to participating in Trippelkorkonserten along with the Knaus choir and Pirum.
Contact: Oda Kristine Karlsen
Phone: 944 35 166
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.candiss.no