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Why are women more likely to donate a kidney than receive one?
For years, doctors and researchers studying organ donations have noted a trend consistent around the world: women are more likely to donate a kidney than to receive one.
The reasons behind that gender imbalance are not always easy to pinpoint, but experts say kidney donations from women are often tied to economic and cultural factors.
To mark World Kidney Day on Thursday, which coincides with International Women's Day, the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations is highlighting the unique challenges women face when it comes to kidney disease and transplants.
According to data provided by World Kidney Day organizers, 62 per cent of kidney transplant recipients in Canada are male, while only 38 per cent of recipients are female.
Women make up 58 per cent of living kidney donors, while 42 per cent are male. In the U.S., that gap is even wider, where living kidney donors are 63 per cent female and 37 per cent male.
Several studies have also noted gender imbalances among living kidney donors in some European countries.
"Women are much more likely to be living donors for kidney transplant than men and that is a statistic that we have known for quite a while," said Dr. Adeera Levin, professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia and the executive director of the BC Provincial Renal Agency.
"This seems to hold no matter where we look … so it is a worldwide phenomenon," she told CTV News.
Dr. Levin said there a number of reasons why women might be more likely to donate a kidney than men.
She said that in some cultures, women are expected to help family members in need and that includes donating a kidney to their ailing husbands or children. In societies where men are typically the breadwinners and women don't have full-time jobs, women are seen as being in a better position to give a kidney to their husband.
Dr. Levin said women are also often in better health than men as they age, which makes them better candidates for organ donation.
Some researchers have also suggested that women might be "more vulnerable to subtle pressures" to donate a kidney to a family member.
Dr. Kathryn Tinckam, a transplant nephrologist at the University Health Network in Toronto and the chair of the kidney transplant advisory committee for Canadian Blood Services, said some people may interpret the data on kidney donation as an indication that women are more altruistic or caring. But she said that's not necessarily true.
"I think we have to be very careful in avoiding those stereotypes and recognize that we still have a lot of living donors who come forward that are men," Dr. Tinckam told CTV News.
She said there are often biological reasons for the gender disparity among living kidney donors.
Men are more likely to be kidney recipients because they are more likely to be on dialysis and require a transplant, she said. And conditions that can exclude someone from being a living kidney donor, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, can occur more often in men.
One study published in the Lancet a decade ago suggested that transplantation of male donor kidneys into female recipients was more prone to failure.
Dr. Tinckam said that women face additional barriers while waiting to be matched with a kidney donor.
"Because of pregnancy, women have a greater chance of having their immune system make antibodies that could make it more difficult to match a donor," she said.
Whatever the reasons, the gender imbalance means that ailing women often wait longer for a kidney transplant. Georgina Kinney, a 62-year-old patient in Vancouver, is among them.
She currently undergoes dialysis four times a day and has been waiting for a kidney transplant since 2004.
"It nearly caused my death. Without dialysis, I wouldn't be here," she told CTV News.
No donor match has been found for Kinney yet.
"I keep hoping every day that somebody comes up," she said. "My biggest fear is not being able to get the transplant and dying. I don't think I'm that old – I'd like to live a little longer and I'd like to see my grandchildren grow up."
Chronic kidney disease
World Kidney Day organizers are also highlighting the fact that women are more likely to suffer from advanced stages of chronic kidney disease or CKD. That's because women with serious CKD tend to live longer than men and it takes them longer to reach the critical stage of disease where a transplant is required.
An estimated 12 per cent of the general population worldwide has chronic kidney disease. While there are more men than women on dialysis for reasons that "are not fully understood," data from different countries, including Canada, U.S. and the U.K. show that higher proportions of women live with advanced CKD.
Researchers also note that women with CKD who want to have a baby face increased health risks, including preterm delivery and preeclampsia (high blood pressure complications during pregnancy).
Women with CKD often require daily dialysis during pregnancy, but that's not always possible for those living in developing countries, researchers say.
With a report from CTV's medical affairs specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip


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Our Business Model
Store: The location of a Presents of Mine franchise is very important to the success of the business. Our business model is based on our stores being located in 'destination' areas where people spend 2-5 hours shopping, eating, meeting, or hanging out with friends.
Sales: The average item in the store sells for $30-$35. Every store will have a unique range of products, so based on what your customers buy, your average could be higher or lower. Each franchise sets their own prices. The sales of our initial store can be found in our FDD in item 19 as well as some other key indicators.
Key Differentiator: With our stores being located at locations with active shoppers, product turnaround is a key component of our model. POM's process and model relies on our typical turnaround time being 1-2 hours and therefore shoppers enjoy more of an 'impulse' purchase and the shopper can continue to shop, eat, or run errands while their personalized items are being made. Most personalized stores takes 2-3 weeks for turnaround of similar products.
Staffing: Typically there needs to be a 1:1 ratio of employees who work in the front end of the store working with customers and taking orders and the number of people who work in the back of the store making the products. The store is staffed with either the owner or a store manager (for semi-absentee ownership models or multiple store franchisees) and a pool of part time associates.
Fun and Simple Business Model: Working with customers designing and making personalized gifts is a very fun and rewarding business. Customers love their products and as a result there is a lot of repeat business and a very loyal customer following.
Franchise Opportunities in Embroidery & Personalization
Franchisee Friendly Model: Our franchise opportunities start with a low franchise fee of only $35,000 and a low royalty of 4.5% plus a low national advertising fee of .5%, this model is designed to help franchises get to profitability faster and is very attractive for franchisees who want to open multiple stores.
Personalization Techniques
Laser Engraving

subset: commoncrawl


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The Mill can only hope that Ashley Cole's tedious - yawn - transfer saga has been done and dusted by next week so that the bashful hermit can once again have some privacy. The young recluse even failed to appear in Arsenal's new season squad photo yesterday; a sure sign he's either body dysmorphic, or on his way to Stamford Bridge. Which we already know. But the latest is that Cole may have to sacrifice his £1m bonus with the two clubs locking antlers and refusing to budge, which means plans to purchase a new leopard-print-clad mansion in Cobham may have to go on hold. Donations from concerned benefactors can be made via the Red Cross.
Still, at least Ashley has a roof over his head - unlike Pascal Chimbonda. Wigan's wantaway World Cup diva has been served notice on his northern abode. The landlord wants the 27-year-old out by the end of August, piling on the pressure for Pascal to find another place to play (try saying that with a mouthful of cream crackers).
Which brings us neatly on to Andy Reid, still somehow a £3m target for Sunderland boss Niall Quinn. Not to be outdone, Newcastle are lining up a £2m bid for burly brute Thomas Gravesen.
On a more light-footed note, Lord Ferg is hoping Owen Hargreaves will want to swap bratwurst for chip butties and mosey on over to Old Trafford for £7m.
Meanwhile, down at Craven Cottage, Steed Malbranque is busy doing for his popularity rating what Annabel Croft did for Celebrity Wrestling. The 26-year-old is now insisting on undergoing a groin operation which will sideline him for three months and squish his imminent move to West Ham, who were set to pay him a paltry £28k a week. A season in Fulham's reserves still beckons.
And finally, doze for a little on this final bit of tattle: Spurs are hoping to sign Ajax left-back Thomas Vermaelen. Gzzzz.


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Mental Health and Your Workplace
Today is World Mental Health Day, so here's a mental health fact: more than 18% of American adults – about 43.7 million Americans – has some sort of mental, behavioral or emotional disorder. That means that if you employ just five people, one of your employees might well have some sort of mental illness.
This isn't necessarily just a personal problem, though. A 2015 American Psychological Association survey found that while Americans reported being more stressed than ever before, the two causes for their stress have remained the same since 2007: money and work. In fact, nearly two-thirds of respondents said work was one of their main sources of stress.
Put another way: work is contributing to some people's mental health problems. That is the bad news. The good news is that, with just a few small changes, you can help provide a positive environment that gets the best out of your employees without stigmatizing anyone's illness, all while making sure they get the support they need to thrive.
Mental Health America have helpfully pulled together ten easy ways to make sure your workplace is as healthy as possible for your employees' health.
1. Have a productive atmosphere.
This means the workplace itself is clean and well-lit, but it also means employees don't feel bullied, harassed or fearful of talking to higher-ups about problems.
2. Provide a livable wage.
If your employees aren't getting paid enough to survive, those problems will follow them everywhere – including your business.
3. Accommodate employees' needs, to a reasonable extent.
A more diverse workforce makes a company more productive. If you're willing to shift a physical space, provide specially adapted equipment or even allow an employee to structure their own schedule to suit their physical or mental needs, the rewards will vastly outstrip any inconveniences.
4. Provide health insurance that encourages healthy lifestyles.
Get a plan that has programs to encourage people to stop smoking, to exercise more and to eat better. After all, healthier people tend to feel less stressed than their less healthy counterparts.
5. Have open communication.
Openly communicate between managers and employees. Transparency helps employees feel more invested in the company, which makes them feel more positive about their work.
6. Hold employees to account.
Expect employees to support each other and come to work with a positive attitude. Some won't be able to from time to time, but if others support them, then the whole team continues to thrive.
7. Hold management to account.
Employees should be able to call out management when it is failing them. If this process needs to be anonymous to make employees feel safer in coming out with complaints, then do that.
8. Encourage a work/life balance.
That means leaving work on time. No emails or calls during the weekends and evenings. It even means flexible working arrangements so employees don't have to choose between the work that pays the bills and the personal life that helps them recharge.
9. Have clear and positive company values.
Try to take your mission statement and turn it into a single sentence, or a bullet point list. Get your employees to help. Then clearly and consistently stick to those values.
10. Get fit.
You can do this in lots of ways: gym memberships, a space for doing short bursts of exercise at work, joining a corporate sports league or even volunteering to do some physical labor in your community. Make it easy for your employees to stay physically fit, and it will improve their mental health.
These steps may be tricky to implement, and it may make you feel uncomfortable to be so upfront about mental health, but the alternative – the status quo – won't make your business stronger or more productive. In fact, the opposite is true. Mental illness among employees costs US businesses $80-$100 billion in indirect costs. The 2013 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index estimated that businesses lose $23 billion annually, just because of absenteeism caused by diagnosed depression.
Tackling the causes of mental illness in the workplace clearly aren't just going to give you more satisfied workers; it's going to give you more productive, happier ones, too.


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In an anonymous-looking brick built shed on a Cheshire industial estate stands the personal "museum" of a businessman who recently claimed to be the highest-paid chairman of a private company.
It's a place where uber rare luxury cars stand bumper to tail with a replica Spitfire and the actual steam engine which was until only recently the pride and joy of the legendary Bolton steeplejack Fred Dibnah.
And every single one of these over-sized boy's toys trinkets was bought with the proceeds of a lifetime selling valves.
Michael Oliver's valves, to be precise.
Britain can lay claim to a rich history of creative engineers, whose inventions have helped to keep the wheels of industry moving around the world.
Michael Oliver can be added to that list.
It is his track record as as entrepreneur and salesman which has made Knutsford's Oliver Valves a £50m turnover business.
And it has made the fortune of the 72-year-old chairman, who is refreshingly open about what motivates him.
Mr Oliver said: "The company is very clear about its objectives. We are in the business of making money, not necessarily making valves.
"But if we don't make world-beating valves and deliver them on time every time, we can't make any money.
"We are a high gross margin player. We know to the penny the costs of the goods coming in, so we can very easily calculate our gross margin to arrive at the selling price.
"We won't take on an order if we don't have the target gross margin.
"That allows us to grow the business without asking the bank for money."
That philosophy has been in place since the genesis of the business in 1980, when he founded Oliver Valves from a one car garage in Hale.
"I had been sacked three times. I had a wife and two children in school, but I had no money," recalls Oliver in an office similarly filled with the trappings of his success.
"We were very poor, but I had built up a terrific wealth of experience in every discipline needed to run a business and I had a great idea for a new valve.
"My first order was for 580 valves for a gas plant in China.
"I shipped them in cornflake boxes which my wife got from the local supermarket."
More than five million of that original valve design have now been made, but the journey from cottage industry to global player was far from smooth.
"After three years, I was ready to throw in the towel because things were so tough.
"I was working from 5am to 11pm.
"I had an appointment with my bank manager to wind up the business, but I was talked out of it by my then wife Ann and my accountant Anthony Leon.
"They saved the company.
"At the time I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.
"Now I drive down the road in my Rolls Royce and I don't feel guilty!
"I am very proud of the way we have made this company a recognised international brand."
That reputation for excellence means Knutsford-based Oliver Valves is now an approved supplier to all the world's major oil and gas operators, including Exxon, Shell and BP.
He said: "A lot of work goes in to getting on to those approved vendor lists. Sometimes it can take up to five years.
"If a valve fails then the implications for safety are massive and downtime is hugely expensive.
"And it is getting more difficult to remain on the lists, because since the Gulf of Mexico disaster BP has decided to to add a huge amount of additional testing requirements.
"There is paranoia in the industry. I have never seen such a change as I have in the last year.
"We embrace change, and we have the capability to fulfil their requirements, but I do think a lot of it it is over the top."
Mr Oliver, a father-of-two who is married to Jennifer, is very clear about his current role as chairman.
He said: "My job is to develop strategy, not to get involved in the detail.
"I have assembled a team of very capable executives that run the company along the guidelines that I lay down.
"We recruit people all over the world who know the local market. It is important to be in the same time zone as the customer and to speak the same language.
"This is a people company. Around 80% of our cost base is people."
Today Oliver Valves employs 260 people in Knutsford, and another 600 indirectly in Europe and India.
And Mr Oliver's trust in his staff, many of whom have been with him for decades, means he is comfortable in taking time out to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
His 'modest' private museum includes cars made by Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Bentley and Aston Martin and motorbikes made by BSA, Norton and Ducatti.
There are two traction engines and a historic horse-drawn coach used in the coronation of George V.
There's also an engine from a Lancaster bomber built in Trafford Park and a McLaren Mercedes which he has driven at 200mph on the test track used by Top Gear.
And he's still expanding his collection.
He recently went to an exhibition of Harley Davidson motorcycles at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry... and bought one of the bikes on display.
One of the more personal "exhibits" is a MG sports car, which was bought for Michael by his father as a 21st birthday present.
He sold it for £200 to buy a one-way ticket to America after qualifying as an engineer.
Mr Oliver said: ""I was impatient and wanted to see the world.
"The first job I got was designing the world's first gear rolling machine for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, which is still standard all around the world.
"Then I got drafted into the US army at the height of the Vietnam war, so I came home to England."
After stumbling across the car many years later in a hotel car park, he pursued the owner for three years to buy it back.
Money is not a taboo subject for Mr Oliver, who is happy to report that he was the highest-paid chairman of any private company in the region, pocketing more than £5m in 2009.
All that has been achieved despite failing his 11 plus exam and leaving school at 15-years-old.
His flair for engineering was uncovered when his father - "a fabulous engineer" - took him to work with him at David Brown machine tools in Salford.
Michael's new employer sent him to technical college, where he excelled.
But despite his proficiency as an engineer, committed Manchester United fan Mr Oliver still retains a distinctly low-techapproachh to certain aspects of the business.
He said: "I have never sent an email in my life. I don't even know how to turn a computer on."


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The Kiss Cam is a time-honored jumbotron tradition at sports games and a 100% fool-proof way to tell who's dating, who's just friends, and who's brother and sister. It also happens to occassionaly produce hilarious results, assuming you weren't one of the four people involved in this disaster at Wednesday's Wizards v. Hawks game.
Source: honk4me69
It could have been worse, I mean, at least she wasn't eating nachos.


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Teach >> Speaking Skills: Featured Recording
Get help teaching speaking skills to your English learners. Each week we feature one of the 26 recordings of English students from the archive of recorded interviews and presentations. The speaking topic or task relates to the weekly Splendid Speaking Task Sheet, which you can download from the link on the right. Along with the relevant transcripts, this provides you with a complete package for your speaking class. You can listen to or download the recording from the link below.
Please note that if your students are using the recording during self-study they can subscribe to the Splendid Speaking newsletter to get access to the transcripts through their email.
Teaching speaking skills to exam classes?
If you're teaching speaking skills to exam classes and need tips or practice activities, don't miss our Exam Guides page.


text: I absolutely love what I do! Tiffanie and I had a ball capturing the wedding day of Kimberly & Antonio. They are such a beautiful, fun, and easy-going couple … We started the day with the bride getting dressed at the Hilton Baltimore, which has awesome views of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor. The ceremony was held at Martini Lutheran Church followed by the reception at the Baltimore Museum of Industry… Kim & Antonio — thanks so much for allowing us to share your special day!


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Archive for the 'Asian' Category
Puto Maya (Sweet, Sticky Rice), Sushi-Style
Posted in Asian, Breakfast, Dessert, Filipino food, Grains, Rice on May 4, 2009| 36 Comments »
Taste & CreateXI: Chicken Cooked In Yoghurt (Dum Ka Murgh Zafrani)
Posted in Asian, Meat, Poultry, Taste And Create on June 22, 2008| 8 Comments »
It's that time of the month again. Time for Taste & Create, a monthly blogging event where partipating bloggers are partnered off with one another; the partners browse each other's blog and then they each have to cook their recipe of choice from their partner's blog. Cool huh? This blog was authored and is hosted by Nicole of For The Love Of Food.
My partner this time is Swati of Chatkhor. She's from Bangalore, India and so naturally, all of her recipes are for Indian food. She is a vegetarian, but she's started to venture into cooking chicken for her non-veg hubby. I'd say that's love right there. I enjoyed reading her posts. I can tell she's a fun person, who enjoys cooking so much. And her personality is obviously reflected in her cooking too. Swati, it's a pleasure to be partnered with you.
Now, what to cook? Obviously, we are not vegetarians, but I do cook vegetarian dishes once in a while. There are a number of recipes that I want to try from the blog, but unfortunately, a lot of the the spices the recipe call for are something that I doubt I'd be able to get here in Miami, as I don't know of any Indian specialty store around here. I also don't know what to substitute them with…
So in the end, I decided to do the recipe that Swati herself suggested – dum ka murgh zafrani, or chicken slowly cooked in yoghurt (check out the recipe here)… Doesn't the Indian title alone intrigue you?
Looking at the recipe, I knew right away that it would be a very rich dish. What with all that butter, yoghurt, milk and cream required… whew! So I had to tweak the recipe, just to control the fat content just a little bit. First of all, I used a skinless, boneless chicken breast. We usually don't eat the chicken skin anyway so there's no point in having it in this dish. Also, instead of using 1 cup of clarified butter as called for, I decided to only use 2 tbsps of butter, mainly for flavor, and a couple tbsps of olive oil. For the milk, I opted to use 2% instead of the full cream milk. Also, the yoghurt I used was non-fat. I had to do all these because Mr. J is watching his cholesterol level, so this is important if I were to feed him this dish. And for the fresh cream, I substituted it with heavy whipping cream using only half of what's required. And I have to admit.. I cheated a little bit too. I chose to use canned, peeled and crushed tomato instead of pureeing one from scratch. Not only did I saved a fraction of time, but I've also got lesser dishes to wash this way. I thought that was smart of me, wasn't it? :o)
I don't think the changes I made affected the flavor of this dish at all. In my humble opinion, it's really all the spices that make this dish. The sauce still came out thick and creamy due to the addition of the almond paste and the pureed tomato. At first, I was kind of iffy about the almond paste. I thought almond paste is only for desserts. I never knew that it could be added on to savory dishes as well, but now I know better.. haha! The paste added a slight almond taste to the dish, but not overpowering. And it made this dish a bit sweeter as well, which is a nice balance to all the different spices going on in this food.
As it is only Mr. J and I at home, I decided to cut the recipe down into half. But even with half a recipe, it still made a lot, especially the sauce! But you know what, this food tastes better the next day, so I am not complaining.
Cooking this dish transported me back in time when I was hanging out with pals from New Delhi (India) and Katmandu (Nepal). Almost 10 yrs. ago, I was in a scholarship program in Germany, which was sponsored by the German government. I got close to my colleagues from India (there were 2 of them) and Nepal. The smell of this dish as it cooked made me remember those good ol' times when my friends would cook dinner, or at other times, when we would have Indian theme nights. We would go out to eat at Indian restaurants (in Germany), and watch Indian movies afterwards. Oh, I miss those fun times with them. I still communicate with these friends up to now, actually.
Anyways, before I get carried away too much….. This dish is similar to curry, except that there is no curry in it. It had all the spices that one would expect in an Indian dish. The chicken was creamy and dreamy and I served it with plain boiled jasmin rice garnished with cilantro… Yum! My husband, who thought it was spicy, was surprised because the dish is milder than he had expected and slightly sweet. He actually liked it…Life is good…. Thanks, Swati, for a great recipe!
Steamed Pork Wonton Dumplings (SioMai)
Posted in appetizer, Asian, Filipino food, Meat on June 7, 2008| 4 Comments »
SioMai (shoo-mai) commonly known as steamed dumplings, is one of the dishes brought to the Philippines by the Chinese immigrant, Ma Mon Luk. I told you about his inspiring story two posts ago. If you didn't get to read it, check it out here.
This food is a dimsum staple in China or Hongkong. What I like about this dish is the fact that it is steamed. Steaming leaves the ingredients' essential flavors and textures intact. Also, it is a healthier way to cook, yes?. It does take lot of time to prepare, so as a warning, do this way ahead of time when your tummy has not began churning yet. The actual steaming of these wonderful little bites don't take time, it's the stuffing and wonton wrapping action that does require a bit of patience.
As you know, Asian cuisine is characterized by a lot of chopping, dicing, wrapping or rolling. Really, it's the preparation part that is more time consuming than the actual cooking in itself. But hey,if you love Asian food, then it's going to be worth your effort.
You can serve these dumplings as appetizers, but my hubby and I often eat these for dinner, with a simple noodle soup perhaps. These yummy little things are light but filling.
The recipe below really is for you to learn the method more than anything else. These dumplings are so versatile that you can change up anything from the meat, to the vegetables and the topping.
Here, I used shredded carrots and boiled eggs as toppings. But you can also use shrimps, mushrooms, crabmeat, chopped scallions or quail eggs, or anything that might strike your fancy.
You can eat these with or without the dipping. But I love dips and sauces, so I chose to make a simple dip to go with my dumplings. There are many options to use as a dipping sauce. There is the bottled Thai/Chinese sweet chili sauce, or just the Hoisin sauce. What I did this time is a mixture of Hoisin sauce thinned out by a bit of lite soy sauce, and I added a bit of the garlic-chili paste for a little kick. If you want your sauce to be a little bit sweeter, you can either add more Hoisin, or add just a touch of honey.
Steamed Pork Wonton Dumplings
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1 (5 oz) can water chestnuts, strained
1/4 cup scallions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger, coarsely chopped (about 1-inch size)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (optional)
1 (16-ounce) pack wonton wrappers
Savoy or Napa cabbage for lining *
1. Throw in the food processor the carrots, garlic, ginger, chestnuts. Pulse a few times until vegetables are finely minced. You can also do the mincing by hand. The important thing is that thye veggies are minced finely.
2. Pour the processed vegetables in to a large bowl. Add the scallions, sesame oil, egg, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili sauce (if using). Mix well.
3. Add the ground pork to the bowl and mix thoroughly, making sure that the spices and veggies are thoroughly incorporated. Do not overmix meat.
4. Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, (cover the rest with a damp paper towel to prevent from drying), spoon about 1 tsp meat mixture to the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with water.
5. Gather up and crip the edges of the wrapper around the filling; lightly squeeze to adhere to filling, leaving top open. Place your topping on top and gently press into the filling. Place dumpling on a baking sheet; cover loosely with damp towel. Repeat procedure.
6.Line your steamer with the cabbage leaves. Arrange dumpling over the leaves, 1 inch apart
7. If using a bamboo steamer, add water to skillet,about 1 inch deep; bring water to boil. Place steamer in pan and steam dumpling for 15 minutes or until done.
8. Remove dumplings from steamer. Serve warm with the dipping sauce. Discard cabbage.
*NOTE: Lining the steamer with cabbage leaves ensures the dumpling won't stick to the bottom of the steamer.
Pinoy Bistek (Filipino-Style Beefsteak)
Posted in Asian, Filipino food, Meat on May 23, 2008| 7 Comments »
Filipinos in general, like the rest of the Asian countries, are not heavy meat eaters. Most of our dishes are prepared with lots of vegetables or noodles in them. Or, when we eat meat, we eat a matchbox-sized piece with lots of rice. (Yes, we love rice. We eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and yet, most Filipinos are petite. So rice really cannot make one fat!)
I can only attribute the way we eat to the Philippines being a third world country, i.e., poor. Majority of the people cannot afford to have meat dishes on a daily basis. For a famiy of seven (the average size of a Filipino family), they can become real costly. Thus rice, vegetables and noodles are thrown in to extend the dishes and make a big meal out of a little piece of meat.
This is true, even to my family. But occasionally, my mother does prepare meat dishes, like this one. This happens to be one of my Dad's favorite as well. This dish is called "bistek", or the Filipino-style beef steak. It is not like the steak that you would think it to be here in the U.S. They're smaller pieces of beef sliced thinly and marinated in "kalamansi" (key lime), soysauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Some say, "bistek or bistec" refers to the Hispanic style of cooking a dish with a sauce. This is most probably true, considering that our culture is heavily Hispanic-influenced.
I remember hating this dish when I was younger because I didn't like the pieces of the meat that get stuck in between my teeth. I would be crying by the end of our dinner. But thankfully, this is not the case anymore. In fact, this has become one of my favorite Filipino dishes.
Now that my Mom has passed on to be with the Lord, this dish brings back loving memories of her and my family as I was growing up.
Pinoy Bistek
1 lb. beef (round, sirloin or tenderloin), sliced 1/4-inch thick
6 tbsp. of kalamansi (key lime) juice
1/2 c. dark soy sauce
3 tsp. garlic, minced
black pepper, freshly ground
2 large onions, sliced into rings (I used red onions)
2 tbsp vegetable cooking oil, or more if needed
flour, for dredging
1. Slice the beef. Take a piece of plastic wrap and cover the meat. Pound the meat mallet or a heavy skillet. Do this carefully so as not to tear the meat. (This is to ensure that the meat would be tender, but you can skip this step).
2. In a bowl, mix the next 4 ingredients (from the kalamansi juice thru pepper). Mix well and let the meat marinate in it for at least 30 minutes. (My opinion, the longer the marinating time, the better the meat tastes)
3. When ready, bring a heavy skillet up to temperature. Add the vegetable oil. Fry the onions lightly, just until tender. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
4. Take the meat out but reserve the marinade. Dredge the meat lightly with flour, carefully shaking off the excess.
5. Add oil to skillet and heat until smoking. Pan-fry the meat until brown (in batches if you have to). When the beef is done, add the marinade into to the skillet and let it boil for a minute or two. Then add the beef back into the skillet. Mix until all pieces are coated well with the sauce. Add the fried onions. Simmer for another minute or two.
6. Serve immediately with white rice. Enjoy.
Singapore Style Noodles
Posted in Asian, Pasta on May 10, 2008| 8 Comments »
Well, it seems like I've been giving you a tour in Far East with my Asian-themed dinners recently. Believe me, this wasn't planned at all. It just happened. What can I say, I'm originally from the Philippines, therefore, I'm Asian by race.
Growing up in the Philippines has naturally exposed me to the varied kinds of Asian noodles, mostly Chinese. One of the earliest settlers in the Philippines are the Chinese, and so you will notice that there's a huge population of Chinese-Filipinos in our country. Consequently, Chinese cooking has made a huge impact in our cuisine. I would say that the food and spices are among the best legacies of the early Chinese settlers in my homeland.
Anyway, this time I am doing the Singapore Mai Fun or the Singapore rice noodles. (I've been to Singapore three times, and I believe this is one of the cleaner, if not the cleanest country in the whole wide world). This noodle is unique, in that it calls for curry powder. If you love curry like I do, then this is for you.
This dish is pretty healthy too.Traditionally, this is done with skinny rice noodles, but I have the flat/wider kind in my pantry so I used that instead. But if you want to try this recipe, I suggest you use the skinny ones. That way, your dish would look more like the traditional one.
Singapore Mai Fun
1 (6 oz) package skinny rice noodle ( I used the flat/thicker one as I said above)
1/2 cup chicken broth*
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce*
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1 tbsp peanut oil*, divided
1 large egg*, lightly beaten
1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/5 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast thinly sliced
1-1/5 lbs med shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup snow peas
1 cup green onions, sliced into 1-inch
1. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Omit salt and oil. Drain.
2. Combine broth, soy sauce, sugar and salt; stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or Wok, if you have) over medium high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 tsp oil. Add egg; stir fry 30 seconds or until soft scrambled, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.
4. Wipe clean the skillet. Heat the remaining 2 tsps oil in pan over medium high heat. Add bell pepper strips, snow peas, garlic and crushed red bell pepper. Stir fry for 15 seconds.
5. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes, or until done.
6. Add curry and shrimp; stir fry for another 2- minutes.
7. Stir in noodles, broth mixture and egg. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
*NOTES: You may certainly use fat-free, less sodium chicken broth if you prefer. Reversely, you can use regular soy sauce instead of the low-sodium, but I suggest that you omit adding the salt. As for the egg, I used egg-beaters (egg substitute) in mine and it worked out well.
Seoul-ful Chicken With Minted Cucumber
Posted in Asian, Chicken, Meat, Salad on May 9, 2008| 6 Comments »
I am always interested in educating my palate, that's why I was eager to try this recipe that I happen to find when scanning an issue of Cooking Light magazine – chicken and cucumber done Korean style.
Kimchi is pretty much all I know about Korean food, and I'm sure that there's more to it than kimchi. It is one of the least familiar cuisine to me among the Asian countries, so I'd be glad to get to know a bit more of Korean cooking.
So here's something that resembles that of a korean dish (I hope). The chicken calls for ingredients common in Asian cooking, of course. As for the cucumber salad, it's some kind of a kimchi-type accompaniment, very similar to your cucumber salad with vinaigrette but with a slight difference in the prepartion. Find out how…
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp shallots
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp season rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1. Place cucumber slices in colander; sprinkle with salt, tossing well. Drain 1 hour.
2. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
3. Combine cucumber, shallots, and next 6 ingrediets (thru chile) in a large bowl; toss gently. Cover and set aside.
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast*, about 1-1/4 lbs
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 c green onions, thinly sliced
4 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1. Place the chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness.
2. Combine soy sauce and the next 5 ingredients (thru garlic) in a large zip top plastic bag.
3. Add chicken to soy sauce mixture in a bag, seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
4. Heat grill pan over medium high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
5. Remove chicken from the bag; discard marinade. Cook chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until done.
6. Serve chicken with 1/2 cup of cucumber; sprinkle salad with green onions, and chicken with sesame seeds.
NOTE: Recommended meat is chicken thigh (boneless,skinless), but we prefer the breast. You may certainly use chicken thigh if you want, which is actually a juicer and more tender meat.
Red Curry With Chicken & Bamboo Shoots
Posted in Asian, Filipino food, Meat on April 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Although curry originated from India, this spice is widely used among the East Asian as well as the South East Asian cuisine. Its color tells you how spicy it is – with red being the most spicy (from red chilies), green-medium (from green chilies) and yellow, mild (from cumin and turmeric). I like 'em all but prefer having them cooked Thai-style, which means, with coconut milk. Combining the curry with coconut milk tends to be more aromatic, it seems to me.
My husband and I love red curry. There's a small Thai-Chinese restaurant we go to when we're craving for Thai food. It's a hole-in-the wall place, but man, their chicken with red curry is the best. I've been craving for red-curry chicken these past days, but this time, I resolved to make it myself. And boy did I enjoy this dish. It's even better the next day!
Red Curry with Chicken & Bamboo Shoots
(recipe adapted from templeofthai.com)
1.5 lb boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 pcs garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp green onion, chopped
1 can (16 oz) bamboo shoots, sliced
1-2 tbsp red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn (if you find Thai sweet basil, much better)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsps lime zest (approx 1 lime, or 3-4 kaffir lime leaves)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, sliced
Cilantro & basil, for ganish
1. Heat oil in pan. When hot, saute onion 'til translucent. Add garlic.
2. Then add chicken pieces. Saute till chicken have turned white.
3. Add red curry paste and stir till curry is well incorporated and oil comes to surface.
4. Then add half of the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar,bamboo shoots. Go easy on the salt, as remember, the fish sauce is already salty.
5. Then, let the chicken simmer in coconut milk for about 3-4 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
6. Then add the rest of the ingredients: red & green peppers, green onions,the rest of the coconut milk. If using kaffir lime leaves, add them at this point. Adjust seasoning. Simmer for 1 minute more.
7. Before serving, garnish with basil leaves and/or cilantro.
8. Serve with steamed rice.
***NOTE: 2 tbsps red curry paste might be too much, so I suggest you start by adding 1 tbsp first. I got carried away and added 2-1/2 tbsps. My hubby found it a bit too spicy. He added a more sugar to balance the heat.


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Jayma Mays was also making her return to the red carpet yesterday evening – for the first time since the 2013 SAG Awards – when she attended the PaleyFest Icon Award presentation at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California yesterday evening.
The 'Glee' actress wore a Paper London Spring 2012 dress.
Her sporty dress with colourful neon panelling and a pointy collar was styled with simple nude pumps; I wish she had opted for the same orange Casadei 'Blade' pumps as Miranda Kerr.
A wavy ponytail and glossy lips completed her look.
You may remember that Pippa Middleton wore this same dress to the US Open last year.
Credit: Style.com & Getty


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BOSTON – On a day filled with firsts for the Suffolk men's soccer team, the Rams were up against one of the stronger teams in the nation in Husson. Suffolk put together a complete game filled with edge of your seat moments, but ultimately fell to the Eagles, 3-2, Tuesday afternoon at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park.
The Rams (0-1) controlled the pace of play early, but it was the Eagles (1-0) who asserted themselves, combining a stingy defense and pressing attack. Husson fired an early shot on junior Ianis Teixeira, but the attempt was too high, before capitalizing with a shot from Phil Frost, who was given the go-ahead pass from Josh Bellomo, to put the Eagles up 1-0, at the 12:05 minute mark.
The Eagles nearly gave themselves a two-goal cushion just three minutes later as Cam Libbey fired a shot, but senior captain Ben Daniels made a defensive save to keep it a one-goal game. The teams traded shots on target with both goalies turning them away as the Rams headed into the locker room trailing, 1-0.
After the break, the Husson offense kept its pace, as Ian Lee netted a score off Josh Bean's corner thrown in from the left side of the field and to notch his collegiate goal. No more than three minutes ticked off the clock before Lee and Bean teamed up for their second goal of the day. This time, Bean made a corner thrown-in on the right side of the field and Lee was there to pick up the pieces and snuck his second career goal past Teixeira to give the Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead.
Costantini nearly got one back for the Rams, but the junior midfielder's shot flew over the goal post and Suffolk continued to battle from behind. With the clock winding down Suffolk rallied, however, and got things rolling off a good penalty kick by sophomore midfielder Eugenio Ottino at the 68th minute.
Determined to put on a show for their home crowd the Rams battled for every minute and Alvin Di got the fans on their feet at the 74th minute mark. The freshman midfielder stormed up the midfield, weaving in and out of players and fired a shot past Andrew Wicklund to make it a 3-2 game.
First-year Jordan Casey pulled Wicklund out of the net with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation and had an opportunity to even the game, but Martin Lindholm made the defensive save to keep the Eagles ahead and seal the win for Husson.
Suffolk is back in action Saturday, Sept. 5 when it hits the road for the first time as it visits Pine Manor for a 3 p.m. game.


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State Department Shuts Down Email After Suspected Hack
It is being reported that the State Department has shut down its entire unclassified email system after a suspected intrusion or compromise of the system.
Suspicious activity was detected on the system around the same time of the recent White House network intrusion that occurred in October. At that time, there was no indication that the State Department was impacted.
The State Department is claiming that no classified systems were affected. The department shut its email system on Friday to upgrade security and is expected to have the system back up and running Monday or Tuesday.
This comes after a number of other government agencies have reported compromises including the U.S. Postal Service and NOAA. As this is the fourth agency that has announced a compromise in the past few weeks, there may be others that have been compromised but have not made any information public.
As of now, there has not been any announced link or official attribution to the attacks at this point.
It seems like hacking groups, either independent or state-sponsored, are in reconnaissance phase, probing government agency networks to identify vulnerabilities and what data they can access. Although no damage has been inflicted on these systems, the outages do have an impact and could be a precursor to a more organized attack.
Apparently, the State Department has switched to Gmail for the day, as a result of the system being down.


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"When we applied for the grant from the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, the panel's greatest concern was historic preservation," said Luisi. "The train station that is now our museum was built in 1924 by the Atlantic Coast Railroad. I shared my concerns and vision for the expansion with Rod Collman, President of sdg Architecture, and he understood. He set about designing a gift shop and new entryway that added only three walls with no noticeable difference in the design of the building. The fourth wall inside the gift shop is the original exterior east wall of the station with the original windows, roof and Dunedin railroad sign under the new roof structure," he said.
right: Original train station building with addition on far end
right: Sculptures in front of new entry and gift shop
right: New entry area and gift shop enclosed with east exterior wall of original train station
above: 1926 train station living inside 2018 entry and gift shop
"The result was these three guys working together," said Luisi. "It was a dream team. The City Commissioners and staff were so confident in the project's planning and management, they rarely needed to check or supervise our progress. They had it covered."
Luisi is proud of the new level of presentation in the museum's exhibits. Because of the funding that became available for showcasing the museum's collection and the objects borrowed for temporary exhibits, the design, fixtures and layout of the galleries is more visually and physically sophisticated than ever before. The City of Dunedin allocated $400,000 with half of that earmarked for the extension of the project for exhibits and completion and outfitting of gallery space. The State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs allocated $400,000 and the museum raised $60,000 in private funding to supplement exhibits.
This is what I call a Legacy Project. This is a very special project carefully planned to honor and celebrate the history and people of the past, present and future. I've had the pleasure of working on other such projects as the Dunedin Fine Art Center, the Dunedin Community Center and the Largo Public Library. I'm very happy to be a part of providing future generations of visitors and school children with such a wonderful resource and tribute to our city.


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Being a breastfeeding mom is hard enough. The sore nipples, endless feedings, sleepless nights, and feeling that your body will never be yours again. While most of these things get easier in time, the criticism breastfeeding moms so often receive can be the most challenging. Sometimes, it can downright suck.
Celebrities aren't immune from this kind of judgment either. Jade Roper Tolbert, former Bachelor in Paradise star and mommy to 5-month-old Emerson, recently felt the heat over some of her breastfeeding choices — and she's fighting back.
It all started last week when Tolbert shared a gorgeous photo of herself on Instagram looking down at her happy, satisfied daughter right after nursing in paid partnership with ThirdLove.
Yeah, the photo looks to be somewhat posed. (I mean, she's trying to sell the bra, right?) And sure, Tolbert looks a whole lot more put together than I usually was after a long day of nursing and mothering my little ones. But who cares, really?
Well, apparently lots of Instagram users did.
Tolbert received a ton of negative comments about the photo, with users accusing her of not presenting a real portrait of motherhood. They complained that the photo looked too "staged" because she was wearing makeup and looking like a model, rather than a real mom.
Um, hello? She IS a celebrity, and the photo is an ad. Also, WHO CARES? If she has the ability to look fantastic and mother her daughter as she sees fit, what does it matter to anyone else? Her job is not to make us all feel better about our unwashed hair and unmade faces (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Tolbert took to Instagram this past Monday to respond to the whole debacle in her Instagram Story. While it may have only lasted 24 hours on the site, her sentiments continue to ring true days later.
"I had some comments about the picture I posted of me and Emerson after I was breastfeeding and people telling me they don't look like that when they breastfeed and that I was setting up a standard that was impossible to live up to," explained the mom.
She then tried to put the whole incident in context so her fans would understand not only what the intent and circumstances of the photo were, but how this was not what a typical day with a newborn looks like — even for her.
"The truth about that picture is I had a photo shoot the day before and I hadn't taken my makeup off, so that's literally the day before's makeup," Tolbert shared. "And it was slightly staged — we positioned Emerson just right to make the picture [work], but that was literally right after I had fed her and she had fallen asleep on me and we do have those moments where we snuggle, so I don't get what's so unreal about it."
Seriously. Aside from the makeup and perfectly positioned boobs, she looks like any happy, sleepy, proud breastfeeding mama.
"If you guys feel like I'm portraying some kind of falsehood of motherhood, this is my real life," she said. "This is me on a Monday morning. I've already used my shirt as a spit-up rag. I have clothes everywhere that have not been washed."
Tolbert also took a minute to address another "controversial" photo she'd shared on Instagram (that she has since removed) where she is nursing her daughter at restaurant under a cover.
"Yesterday, I posted a picture of me breastfeeding at the table in a restaurant because it was the first time I had actually done it," Tolbert said. "I have always gone into the bathroom to breastfeed because I felt like I couldn't do it in public."
And while we might not all make that same choice when it comes to breastfeeding in public, apparently we all are supposed to dig into anyone who doesn't make the same exact same choices we do as a mother.
"People were telling me that I shouldn't cover up and I was actually getting flack for putting a cover over my baby, which I just don't understand," the new mom said. "Why that would be something people would give me s— about?"
I wish I knew; I really do. It seems that whatever we moms do, we just can't win. I, personally, was never one to cover up while breastfeeding, but that was because I was comfortable with that. I would never criticize another mom who felt differently. Her body, her choice.
Thankfully, Tolbert's message is getting good reception, with many fans reassuring her that she didn't do anything wrong by sharing her personal reality and experience with motherhood.
The new mom took to Instagram again yesterday to thank her fans for the outpouring of love she received.
The new mom then posted a pic herself and Emmy from a few months ago, along with a message of gratitude to those who supported her amidst all the negativity she received earlier this week.
The mom explained that the comments had been so triggering for her, as she enjoys breastfeeding her daughter. "I was very emotional earlier and I think it's because my nursing relationship with Emmy is one of my most favorite mommy experiences," she shared. "Thank you for letting me be myself and express how much I love being a mom and thank you for letting me express myself when I feel like I'm failing as a mom (or failing others) or I feel unsure of myself," she says as she ends her heartfelt post.
That's what it's all about, really.
The way you breastfeed or parent your child may look different than how I do it, but that's OK. We're all just trying to get through our days the best we can.
h/t: People


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This Wedding Makes a Great Case for the Nearby Countryside Destination
Twelve years after their civil wedding, Dina and Paolo Tantoco tied the knot a second time at the Montecito Chapel in Nuvali. We talk to the bride.
Tell us how you and Paolo met.
We first met in middle school at International School Manila but never dated. We were friends, however, and hung out with the same friends who remain our friends today, most of whom were part of our wedding. In college, I visited my cousin over Thanksgiving in Boston and we all hung out—but this time Paolo and I saw each other differently. After that visit, we started talking on the phone. I started working in New York after graduating from college, and while I was there he would visit me, and I would visit him in Boston. That's when we started dating seriously.
Walk us through your lives together.
In 2006 we had a baby and decided to get married civilly. We lived in Boston, got a home mortgage, and both of us worked. We split our responsibilities and had a great time starting off our lives together there. We decided to move back home to join our families in 2008. Although we miss the States, we love being with all of our family here. Since then we've had two more kids, and now our kids are aged 10, 6, and 5.
Why did you decide to have a second ceremony?
After a few years in Manila, we felt it would be great to get married in church and receive the grace of God through the sacrament of marriage. We realized last year that it was the 10th anniversary of our civil wedding and decided we wanted it to coincide with our church wedding. No matter how busy we were, we decided to just do it!


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The Ladder
How it Works
Whenever our children are displaying the positive behaviors we are working on, the marker (magnet on The Ladder) moves up. Although, when those evil naughty dragons are allowed to reign free, the marker goes down.
Moving Up
1. Complete a Task Well & Fast (2 rungs)
2. Doing something the 1st time asked
3. Notice someone else being nice (can't ask for self)
Moving Down
1. Counting to get one's attention
2. Having Instructions Repeated
3. Taking too long to complete a Task (2 rungs)
The Ladder Meets The Bean Jar
Well, it all started with us following the teachings of Dianne Jeppson (in A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion) by implementing a reward system with The Bean Jar. However, our Bean Jar was being neglected. And not for purposeful reasons...far from it! It was just so hard to keep up with its ever so increasing appetite.
You see, The Bean Jar gets fed every time someone does something good. And when you have a lot of good behavior going on in your home (because everyone wants to go get ice cream once the jar is full), that's a lot of feedings for a WIDE MOUTH Mason jar. And instead of relying on the children to feed this little friend, I was the one in charge of the beans. Mind you, it was because I didn't want a bunch of beans ending up all over the floor from an over-zealous 2 year old thinking that The Bean Jar was REALLY hungry. So thus, The Bean Jar sat, collecting dust and starving on the top of the bookshelf.
Best Friends Forever
But as we all know... friends just don't always get along.
Some days these two have a difficult time staying on track (or in this case - on the positive numbered rungs). Which leaves, one in the negative and us no other option but to starve the other ultimately making it difficult to reach our goal. Which, might I remind you, is not just ANY ice cream... but Cold. Stone. Creamery. ice cream...with a topping of choice (of course).
Synergy or Working Together
We know that through obedience comes faith. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come (D&C 130:19). And, really, that is what it is all about: the spiritual knowledge we gain here in our temporal lives. And what better than to do it as a team, together as a family, working together towards one goal: a trip to Cold Stone Creamery or even grander...Eternal Glory!
We think that hard work, obedience and finding the good in others are all worthy attributes that will help us obtain Celestial Glory. Don't you?


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Will and I slept in separate beds last night.
Is our marriage on the rocks you wonder?
Are we prematurely settling into a seniors' style arrangement?
Actually it's because the guy at my husband's work, with a newborn at home, is having better sleeps at night then he is.
It's our two year old that's causing the commotion.
He seems most comfortable spread eagle between the two of us, giving regular yelps and groans, that startle us into semi-consciousness. All the while giving us knees and kicks to the back, while he dreams.
There is also my personal favourite: as he strokes my hair for comfort, running his fingers through my long locks, he encounters a tangle and pulls, which hurts like the dickens and jolts me awake!
I am contemplating a drastic hair cut.
The trick with our precious boy is this: if I muster the energy to pick him up and carry him next door to his own bed one of two things happen:
1- His eyes pop open, he starts yelping "Mom's bed!" and wakes up our eight year old.
2- He comes trotting back to our bed a short time later (usually just after I've drifted off again).
Basically, he just wears us down in the middle of the night. It becomes a contest of determination and energy, who has the greater willingness to sacrifice sleep for the goal? The parents or the two year old?
I think most parents have been in a similar situation with one or more of their children at some point.
What's your opinion?
A.) Be more consistent in your efforts. Keep working on getting him sleeping through the night in his own bed. (Increase sugar and or caffiene intake to achieve energy levels, if needed)
B.) He'll grow out of it in five years or so. Enjoy the family bed and deal with sleep interruptions.
C.) Embrace the separate beds. Let your husband get a good night's sleep and you sleep with the toddler and determine plan of action (or non action).
D.) Call in super nanny and plead for help.
The accused:
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
It Was Killer
Armed with jackets and umbrellas, we saw dolphins (now Olive's favourite), killer whales (now Seth's favourite) and rode many a ride (now Ezra's favourite).
(Will you judge me harshly if I confess that this was the above mentioned children's first time on a roller coaster?)
My favourite part of doing marineland in the rain? NO LINES! NO CROWDS! That's the way, my dearies!
(Disclaimer: my friend and fellow dolphin viewer was chilled and soaked and ended up getting a crazy illness ....link it if you must)
Awesome Points I Collected
1. 10 points: We stayed allllll day.
2. 25 points: Ezra was chosen as a volunteer during the show (I helped draw attention to his volunteer-ish abilities by pointing and cheering during the choosing escapades)
3. 100 points: I lost my mind on the way out and bought each of the kids an overpriced, stuffed marine animal in the gift shop (I usually say no). They were thrilled.
4. ...and 39 bonus points for not falling asleep whilst driving home.
I will let you add it up and come to your own conclusions.
(Katie's whisper heard behind your right ear... "I roooooock")
Posted by Katie at 4:47 PM 2 comments:
Thursday, June 20, 2013
A View from Here on a Random Day in June
Here are a few pictures of the final student concert. I only took a few because the camera is way too loud for the occasion....
Here is the couch with slip-covers on the bottom and back cushions. I am leaving the sides for now - maybe in the fall I will attempt it, but I don't mind it with two tones for now.
Abbie learned to ride a two wheeler!! She just decided to take the training wheels off and with a tiny bit of help from David and I, she was riding all by herself within a day or two.
Abbie with a couple of her friends.
Isaac & Maddie dressed up for twin day at school (they also added identical moustaches when they were at school). I couldn't get over how similar they look! Our principal was surprised they weren't at least cousins.....although who knows... They won first place!
Abbie and Grace dressed up for twin day too. I was pretty impressed with Grace for being willing to dress up with her little sister. They looked so good!
Kristina & Steven's new baby: Juniper
Emma at her Highland Dance Recital:
(notice how she tied her plaid around her head!!! she wasn't really supposed to....)
Dad on Father's Day 2013
A few shots of David from his grade 8 slide show photoshoot. I can hardly believe that he's going to be in highschool in the fall.
Posted by Jane at 12:52 PM 1 comment:
Sunday, June 2, 2013
I Am A Salmon
Me: Guess what my next post is called?
M: What?
Me: I am a salmon.
M: I like that... Is it because you're swimming upstream?
Me: No.
M: Because you're pink?
Me: No.
M: Because you're really tasty when you're all buttered up?
Me: Wow.
Many salmon are anadromous — meaning they live in the saltwater of the ocean but return to freshwater when it's time to invite the next generation onto the scene. Scientists don't really know how salmon find their way back to the exact stream in which they were born (instinct, smell, inner GPS?), but they do.
A young salmon will stay in the river where it was born for the first 1-3 years of its life. It then heads for the great, wide ocean where it matures. Amazingly, this salmon will then migrate back to it's original home sweet home to spawn. The journey to get there can be hundreds of miles upstream against rapids and currents, and filled with big, bad, hungry bears.
Why, salmon? What's the big deal?
As I recall, I was ready to move away from home when I was 14. I managed to create a "choose your own adventure" high school experience and did a decent amount of traveling, working, studying and creating. I learned and matured a lot.
Since marrying and having children, I find it interesting that I've never felt we've found our long-term home. We've covered 4 provinces and 10 years- following education and job opportunities. We put down little baby roots and plugged into the community, made lasting friendships and connected with neighbors. But I planted trees and raspberry bushes knowing someone else would be benefiting from the shade and harvest.
And that's okay.
Now there are some options opening to us and we've been trying to figure out what we're looking for in our permanent home. Here's where the salmon kicks in. Since becoming a mother, something in me has been drawn to my native habitat. My childhood experience is the standard by which I judge. I want all the good things from my childhood to be part of/valued by my children. Is this a common feeling? Is it a Darwinian thing? The salmon being alive, being adult, means something went well. Am I hoping to give my children a "chance of survival" based on the patterns that fostered my survival?
Family, water, beauty, time, quiet, freedom, work, nature, the smell of a cedar hedge, a walk to the post office, knowing everyone in the neighbourhood by name. Most of this I ached to get away from in my teens. I wanted to DO something! All this quiet, all this simplicity of living- did people know what was happening in the world?!
After high school, I lived and taught in Cuba. This time in my life showed me that the way we change the world is by changing ourselves and raising healthy (in every sense of the word) children. The Cubans I loved were living that same simple life- feeding, cleaning, teaching, creating a home, talking about ideas, dancing, laughing, working, reading, growing. That first lesson has been reconfirmed to me over and over. Here is our power. A healthy home, community, world, whatever... is made up of healthy individuals. Want peace in your home? Community? Be peaceful. (It's not as easy as it sounds!)
So... now the salmon in me is wanting to go back to my little stream and surround my little fishies with all the goodness I can find. And anadromous or not, I can smell cedar and it's pulling at my heart.
Posted by Katie at 5:37 PM 3 comments:
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Jazz Reunion Gig
Recently Jazzwise published their list on 'ones to watch' for 2012 - FIVE of the musicians on the list attended Alton College. 4/5ths of the World Service Project: Tim Ower, Neil Blandford (who are now also instrumental staff at the College), Dave Morecroft and Conor Chaplin, together with trumpeter Laura Jurd. If you would like to see tomorrow's stars today, then why not come along to one of our forthcoming concerts.
An opportunity to unwind by listening to this year's Big Band, Jazz Band, Alton College Jazz Collective and last year's ACJB. Special guests will include ex-Alton College jazz musician Tom Mason, together with at least three of Jazzwise's 'ones to watch for 2012'. We will also be inviting any ex-student that has played jazz at Alton College to join in with a mass jam.
The Gentleman Jim, 31 Raven Square, Wooteys Way, Alton, GU34 2LL
Free of charge
For further details contact: email@example.com


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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Maryland tried to mix things up right from the start Saturday, trying a flea-flicker on its first offensive play. Ohio State linebacker Dante Booker wasn't fooled. He sacked Max Bortenschlager for a 4-yard loss.
Matter of fact, the Buckeyes had little trouble with the Terrapins all game.
"We stopped the run, and we didn't give them many opportunities," Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis said. "We just came out and played good fundamental defense."
Quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the first half for Ohio State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten). Ohio State beat the Terrapins last year 62-3.
Ohio State overwhelmed Bortenschlager, holding the Terrapins to 16 passing yards and only six first downs. Bortenschlager, who was promoted to a starting role after injuries to the top two QBs, was only 3-of-12 passing.
He didn't complete a pass until the second quarter and was sacked four times before being shaken up and leaving the game in the third. He was hit in the head by cornerback Damon Arnette while sliding on a scramble, resulting in Arnette being kicked out for targeting.
Caleb Henderson played the rest of the way, and Maryland managed a meaningless touchdown against Ohio State's backups late in the game.
"The line of scrimmage, we just dominated," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.
Barrett, a fifth-year senior and holder of most of the school's passing records, was 20 for 31 for 261 yards before taking a seat near end of the third quarter. Barrett threw scoring passes to Binjimen Victor , Austin Mack and Terry McLaurin.
J.K. Dobbins ran the ball 13 times for 96 yards and a touchdown for Ohio State.
Maryland: The Terps may be improved — they beat Texas and Minnesota this season — but not enough to compete with Ohio State's athletes. And it's going to be a harder road if Bortenschlager can't come back.
"We had some opportunities early in the game where we needed to make a play and respond, and we didn't," Maryland coach D.J. Durkin said. "We didn't play well as a team. When the offense needed to pick up the defense, they didn't. When the defense needed to pick up the offense, they didn't. We were out of sync."
Ohio State: Buckeyes continue to handle lesser teams, pad the stat sheet and march toward the Oct. 28 showdown with No. 4 Penn State. They've done everything they were supposed to do since losing to Oklahoma in the season's second week, showing improvement with each game.
"I wouldn't say that we are exactly where we need to be, but I definitely like where we are at," H-back Parris Campbell said. "We are making progress week by week, and I think we are getting better, but I think we still leave too much on the field."
Ohio State's starting right guard, Brandon Bowen, was lost for the season when he broke his left leg in the second quarter.
Meyer said he'll have surgery. Matthew Burrell stepped into his spot and likely will start next week.
Ohio State's glaring weakness is special teams.
Maryland's Ty Johnson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, the Buckeyes allowed a 47-yard Sean Nuernbergerfield-goal attempt to be blocked by Maryland's Chandler Burkett.
And Meyer has complained about short kickoffs all season, replacing Blake Haubeil with Nuernberger for kickoffs this week.
"We're the only team in the country that can't kick the ball down the field," he said.


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Find missing Donnie Martin!
He is considered endangered missing with medical needs.
He was last seen on foot after after work.
This is uncharacteristic of him.
Where is Donnie? What happened?
Find Missing Donnie Martin III!
Find missing Donnie Martin III!This missing man, 31 years old, was last seen on August 3, 2017. He was last seen in Madison Heights, Michigan. Martin's case is classified as Endangered Missing. At his disappearance, Donnie was 31 years old. He was born in 1986. He is a Caucasian male. He is described as an even 6'0″ tall and he weighs 230 pounds. His hair is short and brown and his eyes are blue. When last seen, Donnie was wearing a red shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. His face and lip are pierced. Martin has right arm sleeve tattoos. The latter D is tattooed on his ring finger. An tattoo is found on his neck and the name "Martin" is tattooed on his back.
Find Missing Donnie Martin III!
This is a limited information case. Here is what we do know. Donnie went missing on foot after work. He has never done this before, according to his family. And it's out of his character. Donnie struggles with addiction and may have needle marks on his arms. They fear he may be using drugs. He may be in need of medical attention. Reportedly, is cell picks up after one ring to voicemail. Other than this, the circumstances under which Donnie went missing are unclear.
On August 8, 2017, photos were posted of Donnie on the Facebook page set up for him. We are urged to look at these photos.
Find Missing Donnie Martin III!
Help Bring Him Home
Drugs may be involved in Donnie's disappearance. He is a missing man. These are two reasons his case is unlikely to get attention, priority, or resources. These are normally poured into missing children and women, especially where foul play is suspected. Donnie is considered endangered, which should help. Many missing persons aren't even considered or classified as endangered. Donnie's family want him home. Let's blitz his story until he is found. Do you have information that can locate Donnie Martin III? You are urged to contact the Madison Heights Police. Request Detective Hartunian at: (248) 585-2100. Seen Donnie? Call 9-1-1!
Case # 1714371
NamUs: pending
A Facebook page has been set up for Donnie's awareness and search. Use Facebook? Consider clicking to "like" this page.
Donnie's family shared an article on the above-mentioned page. Click here to read the article.
The above images and additional information are courtesy of LostNMissing, Inc.,


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Organizers of this year's US Go Congress recently launched a new design for the Congress website, where you can subscribe to the Congress mailing list to stay up to date on Congress news and be among the first to know when registration opens. The 2018 Congress runs July 21 – 28 at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. "If you've never been to Williamsburg, you're in for a treat," reports Congress Co-Director Nate Eagle. "The beautiful, tree-lined campus of William & Mary is directly next to Colonial Williamsburg, where you can step directly into a recreation of 18th-century American life. I spent a couple weekends down there in the Fall and am looking forward immensely to seeing some of those beautiful grass lawns filled with go boards and sprawling go players, locked in combat." Registration is expected to open later this month.
photo (l-r): Congress directors Diego Pierrottet and Nate Eagle "duking it out while Lord Bortetourt suppresses his urge to kibitz."


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Raise your mighty hand
And stop the flood of tears,
And Fear.
Exalted Engineer of Life,
Restore the soul to its strength.
Knit the bones
Back together,
Mend the gentle mind
That still cowers
At the lurching memory
Of looking into
The jaws of
Suture the wounded spirit,
Spread the salve
Of your love
Over the burning stitches.
As the turning of day into night
Gives rest to your Creation,
Let it restore
Of mind,
Body, and Spirit
To the one whose pain
Is more than my frail heart
Can carry.
Heal her,
Care for her,
Revive her,
Hold her
In the
Great Embrace
Of your Presence.
i stand by,
A whispered prayer,
A jagged breath,
A gasp of love,
Holding vigil
In the darkness of
The fluorescent desert.
--Mr. Gobley


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Our goal is to help each patient achieve clear vision that will last a lifetime. We are committed to delivering exceptional eye care that is rewarding, comfortable and beyond expectations for each patient. You will find that we offer a unique experience at our office — combining traditional ophthalmic treatment with advanced techniques and innovative medical care … whether you need glasses or contact lenses … treatment for glaucoma or cataracts … or surgical treatment.
We pursue excellence in all that we do — from going the extra mile for our patients and creating a friendly office atmosphere, to advancing our knowledge of eye care through continuous training.
Routine Treatment
Routine eye exam, nearsightedness/farsightedness, contact lenses, eyeglass prescriptions
Medical Treatment
Providing treatment for corneal abrasion, pink eye, glaucoma, dry eye, iritis, and retinal vein occlusion


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Plea deal could be in the works for woman accused of embezzling $250,000
A plea deal may be in the works for the Lima Township woman accused of embezzling $250,000 from A2 Auto Glass last year.
Janice Lee Molden, 45, appeared before Judge Archie Brown in the Washtenaw County Trial Court very briefly Wednesday. After a bench conference with the judge and prosecutor, Molden's attorney, Assistant Washtenaw County Public Defender Laura Dudley, hinted at a plea deal before asking to set a trial date.
"We will probably come to a resolution sooner," Dudley said.
Still, a final pretrial date of Jan. 12, 2013 and a trial date of Jan. 28, 2013 were scheduled.
On May 7, 2011, Molden was charged with embezzling $100,000 or more, embezzling $25,000 or more, embezzling more than $999 but less than $20,000 and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
Molden is accused of embezzling the money from the auto glass company where she worked as a bookkeeper in Scio Township over a period of three-and-a-half years.
She remains free on a personal recognizance bond.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Fri, Sep 7, 2012 : 11:34 a.m.
The best solution would be to see if she filed income taxes on all that extra money she (earned from stealing) and let the IRS del with her. It's obvious that our justice system is only going to give her a slap on the hand and tell her not to do it again like the previous cases.
Fri, Sep 7, 2012 : 12:31 p.m.
That will be the next shoe to drop - the IRS monitors crimes and will be sending her a tax due letter shortly
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 11:04 p.m.
I wonder what the sentence would have been if she wasn't a white, middle-class woman.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 9:28 p.m.
Yep, this sounds brilliant!! Who is going to hire her? Her plea deal will probably be something along the lines of agreeing to pay back the $250K--$1,000 per year over the next 250 years
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.
What kind of deal would they need from her? Business as usual in the courts system.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.
Plea? Really.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 5:22 p.m.
"Hang a thief when he's young, and he'll no steal when he's auld." — Robert MacQueen, Lord Braxfield, Lord Justice of Scotland, 1776 - 1799
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 3:21 p.m.
Let's see....nice white-collar crime.....I'm going to go with anywhere between 3-10 years probation......restitution to pay back what she owes....."minor" fines. Get angry about it all you want......she doesn't need to be in jail when she will be owing so much in restitution. She needs to be out and working so she can pay that back. Jail isn't punishment kiddies....jail is to keep dangerous people away from the rest of us "law abiding citizens"...or at least that how jail is SUPPOSED to be used...
music to my ear
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:51 p.m.
and that is what will happen just watch this story as it unfolds she ll get probation will only haveing to pay back a little more than she took (supposely) like 5 years probation but she will have a felony the rest of her life. its what happened to an ex boss of mine who embezzled.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 2:45 p.m.
Is taking money from the "RICH" a crime? Remember, the owner needed help to make his business work-our roads, our taxes etc!
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 2:36 p.m.
Why a plea deal? The justice system is totally screwed up.
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 2:42 p.m.
Saves the taxpayers money that would be spent by going to trial.


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News | April 19, 2001
Any Earthlike Planets Out There? Free Lectures Explore the Idea
How did we get here? Are we alone? These tantalizing questions are addressed in two free, public lectures called "The Hunt for Earthlike Planets," at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Thurs., November 29, and at Pasadena City College on Fri., November 30.
Dr. Charles Beichman, chief scientist of astronomy and physics at JPL, will discuss NASA's Origins Program, a series of missions on the ground and in space designed to find planets orbiting other stars that might harbor life.
Scientists will hunt for planets with the same conditions that make Earth such a cozy habitat for life -- water, the right temperature, size, density and chemistry. With current technology, we can find very large planets, which probably don't have life. The Origins program is developing powerful new telescopes to find smaller, Earthlike planets in a similar "Goldilocks zone" around other stars -- not too hot, too cold, too big or too small. Sophisticated instruments will look for the telltale chemical signatures of life.
"We are looking initially for simple forms of life" Beichman said, "but with this information we will be able to assess the chances of someday finding intelligent life elsewhere in the universe."
Beichman continues to serve as chief scientist for the Origins Program at JPL. Previously, he was director of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, NASA's premier institute for infrared astronomy, jointly operated by JPL and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Beichman also headed JPL's astronomy program in the mid 1980s. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. He received masters' degrees in astronomy and physics, and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Hawaii, Honolulu. Beichman has been honored with two NASA awards and has published more than 150 scientific and popular articles.
Both lectures begin at 7 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The lecture will also be Webcast on Thurs., Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. Pacific time. The lecture at JPL, located at 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, off the Oak Grove Drive exit of the 210 (Foothill) Freeway, will be held in the von Karman Auditorium. The Friday lecture will be held in Pasadena City College's Forum at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.
For more information, call (818) 354-5011. Information on the von Karman lecture and Webcast is available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures/nov01.html. JPL, a NASA center, is a division of Caltech.


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..... of the last few days (38-39c) culminated in a big storm in the early hours of this morning. It lasted about an hour, and there were some violent gusts, but fortunately everything survived intact, if not exactly in its customary position!
Today has been equally hot, but consequently humid, which is not as pleasant. Thank goodness for the pool in these conditions. The water has crept up to 34c now, which is hot enough - hopefully the next few days will be a little cooler.
The plentiful supply of water and warm conditions is suiting our melons, although they are rather late once again, despite my best efforts to start them off early this spring. Unfortunately, in my absence, things did not go according to plan, so the early start didn't happen. Anyway, it seems we may get a small crop, if the good weather continues.


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GHRD ended up in the middle of the Swedish media battle last week when investigating a murder in Bangladesh. Ashit Biswas, 32, disappeared in 2005 and the remains of his body were found last week – elucidating another uninvestigated crime in Bangladesh. Usually, the 'West' show little interest in what's going on in Bangladesh.
But this case is different. The suspect, Joy Rahman, is something of a media celebrity in Sweden, where he spent eight years in prison for murder, before being found innocent by the Supreme Court. It was the scandal of that time. Rahman cried out in media, a victim of a racist prejudiced justice system. He moved back to Bangladesh and started a foundation for the money he was given as compensation. Not that money could ever compensate eight years of declined freedom! But it helps. Especially in Bangladesh, where money is the answer to all problems, including legal ones.
Now, everyone wanted their share of this story. The question of guilt – and victimization is central and divided the Swedish and Bangladeshi press. In Sweden, they are eager to portray Joy Rahman as another victim of corruption and illegality in a non-existent Bangladeshi justice system. In Bangladesh, some media want to see Joy Rahman hanged by tomorrow, whether there is evidence or not.
As for me, I am referring to the rule of law, to objective reporting and to respect Rahman's right to presumption of innocence whilst searching the truth about Ashit's death. Media cannot, and should not, determine guilt. In Western Europe, most of us are skeptical to the 'facts' produced by media, but rely on a court verdict.
But when working in Bangladesh, this perception of 'truth' is challenged. Here, police investigations and verdicts are for sale. The police fabricate charges, plant evidence and force through confessions under torture on routine. Meanwhile, many media in Bangladesh are opposing this corrupt system, struggling to work independently to expose the truth.
So what do we know? Well, whereas many criminals escape trials; innocents are also convicted, imprisoned and executed. The question now is; to which category does Rahman belong? And says who?


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The Edwin collection continues to arrive with one lone addition this evening, the Jonas Shirt.
A simple denim shirt crafted from orange selvage chambray with a twisted pocket detail, contrast overstitching and placket selvage detail. Finally it has been given a dirty bleached wash for that sunsoaked look.
Get yours HERE


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Benefits to Cemetery Providers
The world is running out of burial space
Not only are there benefits for the family and friends of a loved one who has passed, Urn Towers offer many advantages to providers of final resting places;
- Increased Cemetery Capacity by using ground previously considered unsuitable
- Allows for a broader selection of new cemetery sites as interment is above ground
- Reuse capability – in the event that a limit is placed on the duration of use the urn can be removed and a new urn placed into the Urn Tower
- Modular – The Urn Tower can be installed as per demand in single or multiple unit configurations thus saving up-front investment in large capacity facilities
- Reduced Maintenance – the material used in the construction of the Urn Tower is designed for outdoor use. Also cemetery maintenance is reduced due to small foot print of the Urn Tower
- The Urn Tower can be installed in different configurations. From a 1 – Person Urn Tower up to a tower that can hold 4 Urns.
- The Towers can also be replaced with towers of higher holding capacity if required.
The Urn Tower is a secure standalone device which allows for the storing of Urns holding cremated remains. The details of the contents of the Urn Tower are displayed on the outside of the Urn Tower thus providing both a means for holding Urns and providing a dignified commemorative memorial for those remains interred inside. The Urn Tower can be installed in a variety of locations such as cemeteries, homes etc. The Urn Tower is securely attached to a foundation using a set of holding bolts from inside the Urn Tower.
Urn Towers can be reserved for same family or used to hold remains of different families. The Urn Tower can be replaced with a higher holding capacity if required. Identification details are engraved using a Laser engraver. This is done on a removable plaque which is then securely attached to the outside of the Tower. Only restricted individuals will have ability to open holding bolts which are used for attaching Plaques and for opening/closing lid to add/remove Urns from the Tower.
The following four images depict how a plot looks before and after Urn Towers are installed.
Urn Towers will be available in your area soon. Subscribe to our Newsletter at the bottom of this page and we will post details of where the urn towers are installed.


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Want to become a Kingdom Builder?
At St. Thomas More Catholic Academy we plant seeds of greatness in our students that manifest outcomes that transform society. St. Thomas More is currently seeking funding for scholarships, as well as funding to initiate technology programs that will enable our students to have a more interactive classroom experience. Every time that you give, you become a valued partner in the success of our
students and our community.


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WATCH: New The Comet Is Coming
Eoin Murray
, April 18th, 2017 11:17
New video for 'Start Running' comes from new EP, out for Record Store Day. Homepage photo by Fabrice Bourgelle.
London psych-jazz outfit The Comet Is Coming will release their new EP Death To The Planet this Saturday 22 April as part of Record Store Day. To whet our appetites before release, the trio have unveiled a tripped out video for new single 'Start Running', streaming above.
As with debut LP Channel the Spirits from April 2016, Death To The Planet will be released via The Leaf Label.
A hypnotic, pulsating video painted and shot by Tilly Mint and Roman O'Toole and edited by visual artist Morgan Beringer, accompanies the meandering, galactic movements of the single.
Speaking of the single and the visual collaboration the band said: "The track sounds pretty fiery, like a crackling and smouldering soundtrack to the apocalypse. 'Start Running' seems to us like the arrival of the comet—either literal or metaphorical—and the darkness of that realization, the sadness but also resolve."
"It is also the grit to stand up to adversity, to snap into focus and get moving, to escape or evolve into new realms of possibility. Celestial impacts and explosions are realized in the microcosm of the art in abstract form."
Read tQ's interview with The Comet Is Coming here.
If you love our features, news and reviews, please support what we do with a one-off or regular donation. Year-on-year, our corporate advertising is down by around 90% - a figure that threatens to sink The Quietus. Hit this link to find out more and keep on Black Sky Thinking.