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It's a crying shame that I spent so long disliking peas.
Yes, I'm sorry to say that the majority of my childhood was spent avoiding peas at all costs. Even when my grandma made her delicious peas & dumplins, I would serve myself two or three dumplins...and two or three peas.
I'm not sure when my conversion occurred, but now I enjoy the peas more than the dumplins and am always on the lookout for dishes containing the little green orbs. I guess I'm making up for lost time.
I thought this pea puree would be tasty, but it far exceeded my expectations. The mint, which I don't believe I've ever used in a savory dish before, was absolutely delightful and the perfect complement to the pea flavor. The addition of the red pepper flakes was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and it was a good one. What can I say, I love to set my mouth on fire.
Admittedly, this may be a bit too pea-quant (get it?? get it??)(it's okay to groan) for some folks, but like I said--I'm making up for lost time.
Spicy Pea Puree with Mint
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
salt and red pepper flakes, to taste
Cook the peas in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain and pour into a food processor. Add the milk, mint, salt, and red pepper flakes and puree. Taste and re-season as needed.
Apparently, this type of thing makes a wonderful accompaniment to lamb and various types of fish. Frankly, I enjoyed it by the spoonful.
September 23, 2008
YumLabels: sides and snacks
52 comments:
- Michele said...
peas and mint were meant for each other. I'm going to have to try your grandmother's peas and dumplins...they look divine!
- September 23, 2008 at 7:37 AM
- Robin said...
Whoa! I never heard of this before but sounds tasty! I do like peas with mint, a great combo!
- September 23, 2008 at 7:41 AM
- Peter M said...
For starters...kids don't like green food.
Secondly, this is beautiful and mint's a natural. You may now eat two bowls and play pea-catch-up. - September 23, 2008 at 8:17 AM
- alexandra's kitchen said...
i love peas. i love a recipe with only four ingredients. the spice and mint sound like nice touches.
- September 23, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Jessica@Foodmayhem said...
I love peas, and did even as a kid. They are so cute....but I'm not a huge fan of mint. Still, your pic does look tempting.
- September 23, 2008 at 8:54 AM
- Prudy said...
That looks pretty and very easy. I started to like peas as an adult myself. My mom used to make split pea soup about once a month when I was growing up plus chocolate malts for dinner. She would only let us have a malt if we would eat our soup. I suffered through it for that chocolate malt. Also, she'd make onion cheese bread that night, and we'd devour that with no problem at all.
- September 23, 2008 at 9:11 AM
- Lucy..♥ said...
I've always love peas, and this sounds so good & loving the flavor of mint.. I've got to make this real soon :-)
- September 23, 2008 at 9:16 AM
- kat said...
I've always loved peas yet always seem to stay away from pea purees, soups or mush I'm not sure why since I'd probably love them
- September 23, 2008 at 10:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
Hehe I love the title...spiced puree..how nice is that!
- September 23, 2008 at 11:16 AM
- Deborah said...
I love peas, but I do have to admit that I had minted peas in London years ago and I wasn't a fan. Maybe I need to try them again, and I just may fall in love with them this time!
- September 23, 2008 at 11:39 AM
- Pam said...
I love simple recipes that are packed full of flavor! I am a pea fan - especially fresh from the garden.
- September 23, 2008 at 11:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
This looks really good! I made a pea pesto stuffing for my quail in the Great Gilroy Garlic Cookoff.
- September 23, 2008 at 12:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love peas, and the mint sounds perfect. My old roommate used to make pureed peas with ginger- also a surprisingly good combination. By the way the peas and dumplins look wonderful too.
- September 23, 2008 at 12:08 PM
- Maria said...
Peas were never my favorite. I don't like the texture, but they are growing on me!!
- September 23, 2008 at 12:55 PM
- Albany Jane said...
Mmm. I just had mint in a pasta salad. I can see it going with peas.
And at first I thought this was an "I hate peas, so here's guac" post. - September 23, 2008 at 1:19 PM
- krysta said...
still don't like peas... i'm willing to try them over and over again but i still don't like them.
- September 23, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
Give peas a chance! :) I'm not a huge fan, but they look good.
- September 23, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- Sandie said...
I detest peas too. Stems from having to suffer through creamed peas on toast as a child. Really, who does that? Ick.
That said, we were at a restaurant recently. Garlic peas with mushrooms (and other ingredients) were the vegetable du Jour.
I can't believe I'm about to type this, but those peas were EXCELLENT. I ate my portion, plus my kids' portions too! My family stared at me like I had lost my marbles.
"You don't even like peas," they said.
"I like THESE peas," I answered.
All that's just to say I understand your recent pea conversion.
Maybe we should make up some T-shirts that read, "Former Member of the Pea Haters Club." What do you think? In pea green? Is it a million dollar idea? ...lol - September 23, 2008 at 2:22 PM
- Nic said...
Oooh no, not for me - I can only suffer about 6 or 7 peas on my plate, and then they have to be the petit pois ones.
Well at least you put red pepper flakes in Grace! - September 23, 2008 at 3:02 PM
- OhioMom said...
LOL! No one in my household will eat peas, so if I make this at least I won't have to share :) - September 23, 2008 at 3:14 PM
- Beth (jamandcream) said...
I was a bit like that when I was a kid - now I can't get enough of peas!! Shame my daughter doesn't agree - perhaps she'll grow out of it too?!
- September 23, 2008 at 3:29 PM
- La Bella Cooks said...
Now this is a take on peas that might convert me completely. I think my kids would laugh hysterically if I put this on their plate with the command to eat, though.
- September 23, 2008 at 3:40 PM
- Laura said...
I LOVE peas. But I must confess I don't usually like to puree them--I think that happy pop! in my mouth when I bite one is part of the attraction.
- September 23, 2008 at 4:38 PM
- Marjie said...
Remember in Ralph S. Mouse, where the food is "Pellets....green pellets"? Well, at least one of my daughters feels that way.
I always simmer my peas with mint and butter only, and a touch of sugar instead of salt. Divine! - September 23, 2008 at 5:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
Sounds like an easy and delicious dip. I should try making it one day. Thanks:)
- September 23, 2008 at 5:24 PM
- pam said...
I've seen something similar to this from Nigella and Jamie Oliver and I've always been curious. If you say it's good, I'll give it a try.
- September 23, 2008 at 7:56 PM
- Y said...
Pea puree sounds lovely. I never used to like having to chase individual peas around the plate. Too much effort for too little returns, I say!
- September 23, 2008 at 8:08 PM
- KJ said...
Welcome aboard the pea love train. They have always been one of my favourite vegetables. I love the sound of this pea puree!
- September 23, 2008 at 8:50 PM
- Leslie said...
I too used to HATE HATE HATE peas!
But now I love em!!!!
This looks so very yummy! - September 23, 2008 at 9:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
I hated peas too, now I love them. I bet with the mint, this is amazing! Thank you.
- September 23, 2008 at 9:29 PM
- Bunny said...
My niece calls peas...little balls of posion! I think it's just a kid thing, diliking peas. My family prefers fresh peas and will eat them till they come out they're ears, i'll have to try this one!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:33 PM
- Thistlemoon said...
That looks great - so beautiful and green!
- September 23, 2008 at 9:50 PM
- giz said...
It's kind of like finding a whole other part of yourself. The colour is gorgeous but admittedly, peas, unless they're off the vine have rarely received recognition - unless of course I felt like torturing Psychgrad.
- September 23, 2008 at 10:35 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love peas, but hmmm...I've never tried them with mint. Interesting indeed!
- September 23, 2008 at 10:47 PM
- Sandy said...
Looks like quacomole. I like anything GREEN!
- September 23, 2008 at 11:02 PM
- Paula said...
I love how you would take 2 or 3 peas to go with your dumplings! I love raw peas, pea soup, pea salad, etc., but haven't crossed the bridge to have a mound of peas on my plate. This caught my attention because they're creamed along with red pepper flakes. I think you have converted me!
- September 24, 2008 at 12:06 AM
- Emily said...
Hmmm, I think we're thinking alike. I've had my mind on peas all week! I had a lovely pea soup - it was delicious!
This sounds good. You could make a pea hummus! Eh? - September 24, 2008 at 1:06 AM
- Marilyn said...
Oh for the love of Birdseye, why am I always at the end of the chorus? Lovely and simple recipe, Grace - peas and mint are a perfect combo, two shades of green that belong together. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
- September 24, 2008 at 1:15 AM
- Anonymous said...
Mmm mint and peas.. classic combination. Good call on the red pepper.
- September 24, 2008 at 1:23 AM
- Gigi said...
peas and mint are a classic. never out of style and always tasty.
- September 24, 2008 at 2:55 AM
- Natalie Que said...
Living in a country that seems so heavily British influenced has had me thinking about 'mushy peas' -terrible name {but not worse than when Ben's Mom calls Cream of Wheat 'Mush'} too! I think I really will try this one out! It sounds perfect!
- September 24, 2008 at 6:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
I feel that way about brussel sprouts although I was never forced to eat them as a child but I suppose that's why I've never reconciled with them. I love anything that pops in my mouth (peas, corn, caviar) but I know that I'd adore this pea mash too!
- September 24, 2008 at 8:07 AM
- LyB said...
Oooh, I love that color, so fresh! I love mint in savory dishes; I make these great veal meatballs in a minted tomato sauce, they're really good.
- September 24, 2008 at 8:13 AM
- Olga said...
at first I thought it was a picture of guacamole. Great idea: I've always loved peas--fresh, canned, frozen, etc.
- September 24, 2008 at 9:29 AM
- Anonymous said...
Peas and mint are a great combo if you like peas. I never got over my childhood pea/lima bean trauma. Though the husband would eat these!
- September 24, 2008 at 12:17 PM
- Veronica said...
Oh my-it looks so good...I'm a bit pea-phobic...I'm working on my veggie fears though.
- September 24, 2008 at 5:48 PM
- eatingclubvancouver_js said...
I also didn't like peas as a child (something about that green sweetness was offputting to me), but had an e-pea-phany about three years ago when I tasted fresh peas. This looks absolutely fabulous and something I have to make soon. Bookmarked already. Thanks!
- September 24, 2008 at 11:14 PM
- Alicia Foodycat said...
e-pea-phany?! You should be ashamed vancouver!
Anyway - this sort of pea puree is one of my favourite things with fish - preferably a tranch of salmon panfried so the skin is really crispy. - September 25, 2008 at 2:36 PM
- Jeanne said...
Pea-quant... oh dear, I fear we share the same sense of humour :) Funnily enough, peas were one of the few vegetables I WOULD eat as a child - but only if they were tinned petit pois... Love the sound of this puree and the intense green colour.
- September 27, 2008 at 7:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
Pea puree with mint, what an amazing combo. So glad to read that peas won't haunt you any more Grace! I could eat a whole big tub of this, along with 3 bags of chips!
- September 28, 2008 at 6:10 PM
- Vera said...
Peas and mint are meant for each other. Puree looks yummy!
- September 30, 2008 at 10:29 PM
- Cara said...
I didn't start liking peas until recently either! I once made a curried pea soup and sprinkled some mint on it - delicious! Also, split pea soup with shortribs braised right in it intead of the traditional ham = awesome :)
- October 1, 2008 at 8:26 PM


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Praise be to Allah.
It is a serious crime and a reprehensible action to prevent a Muslim woman from wearing hijab as enjoined by Allaah and forcing her by law to uncover her head and face and go out unveiled among people.
The Muslim has to adhere to the rulings of sharee'ah and "there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator." The Muslim woman's hijab is one of the duties that she is obliged to fulfil. The harm that a woman imagines will befall her or her family may be baseless, or it may not be extreme, and it may be something that can be put up with. So she has to continue to adhere to correct Islamic dress.
If the harm is extreme and certain, or it is most likely that it will happen, then the woman can take off her hijab in order to protect her honour and religious commitment, but she has to remain as covered and as modest as she possibly can. In this case it is not permissible for her to go out of the house except when absolutely necessary, and there is no concession allowing her to go out to study or to buy things that someone else can bring to her. What we mean is that she should only go out for essential needs that cannot easily be dealt with at home, or for some shar'i action that she cannot forsake, and so on.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
In some countries Muslim women may be forced to take off their hijab and leave their heads uncovered. Is it permissible for them to do that, knowing that whoever refuses to do that is faced with consequences such as losing their jobs or being expelled from school?
The Shaykh replied:
This calamity which is happening in some countries is one of the things by means of which a person may be tested. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]
2. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested.
3. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allaah knows all that before putting them to test)"
[al-'Ankaboot 29:1-3]
What I think is that Muslim women in these countries should refuse to obey people in charge (the rulers) in this evil action, because obeying those in authority in doing something that is wrong is not allowed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority"
[al-Nisa' 4:59]
If you think about the meaning of this verse, you will note that Allaah says "Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority" – but the verb (obey) is not repeated in the third case with regard to those who are in authority. This indicates that obedience to those in authority is secondary to obedience to Allaah and obedience to His Messenger. If their command is contrary to obeying Allaah and His Messenger, then they should not be listened to or obeyed in that which goes against obedience to Allaah and His Messenger. "There is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator."
The persecution that a woman may face in this regard is something that has to be borne with patience, and she should seek the help of Allaah in being patient. We ask Allaah to guide those in authority to the truth. I do not think that this forcing her not to wear hijab can take place unless the woman leaves her home, but if she stays at home no one can force her, so she can stay in her house so that she will be safe from this thing. With regard to studies that will lead to her committing sin, this is not permissible, rather she should study whatever she needs for her religious and worldly interests. This is sufficient, and this can usually be done at home.
As'ilat al-Usrah al-Muslimah, p. 22, 23
And Allaah knows best.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nicki Minaj is in The Myx! Partners with New Moscato Wine Beverage: Myx Fusions
BACK TO NEWSNEW YORK, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Myx Fusions, the fruit-infused, single serve moscato wine beverage, announces a partnership with Nicki Minaj today. The pop superstar is not only a part owner of the brand but will also be the face of the new distinctively bottled, ready to drink moscato as it expands in the U.S. market and abroad. Myx Fusions will launch a fully integrated marketing campaign that will include print, radio and television as well as exclusive events and social media messaging.
"I am so excited to team with the Myx brand," says Minaj. "I have no doubt that it will be number one. It's a great-tasting, amazing product that people will love. It's not even a hard sell. Myx Fusions gives us an opportunity to revolutionize the wine industry."
"The collaboration between Nicki Minaj and Myx Fusions is a game changer," said Mona Scott-Young, part owner and Chief Marketing Officer for the brand. "Nicki is an innovative trendsetter and has the ability to energize the masses. She embodies everything that Myx Fusions represents - style, spontaneity and the desire to push the envelope and inspire change. Both brands are perfectly aligned."
"Myx is a great new innovation in a category that is exploding," says Peter Reaske, Myx Fusions CEO. "Moscato has done wonders for wine consumption and Myx Fusions will do the same for moscato. Myx appeals to a broad base of wine-drinking and non-wine drinking consumers. We believe that Nicki Minaj's partnership combined with the appeal of the Myx product will have a ground-breaking impact on the wine industry."
Myx Fusions, a product of Myx Beverage LLC, is currently available in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas and is coming soon to a retailer near you. For locations, please visit us online at www.myxfusions.com.
Follow Myx on Twitter at @MyxFusions and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/MyxFusions.
About Myx Fusions
The next evolution in the wave of moscato mania sweeping the country, Myx Fusions leverages the explosive popularity of moscato wine and improves on the experience of drinking it. All natural and refreshingly carbonated, the three delicious flavors - coconut, peach and original moscato - are packaged in a sleek, perfectly sized 6.3-oz signature cobalt blue bottle. The easy to open, twist off cap provides the casual occasion of beer, while the beautifully designed package and premium quality beverage deliver the elegance of wine. Get the best of both worlds...Get in the Myx!
About Nicki Minaj
Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter and actress, Nicki Minaj, is currently the most charted female rapper in the history of music. Minaj has sold over 60 million singles as a featured artist alone, 20 million singles as a lead artist and almost 5 million albums worldwide. She is the first female rapper to chart in five countries and have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. She led nominations for rap musicians at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards with seven nominations and three wins including "Top Rap Artist," "Top Streaming Artist" and "Top Rap Album." Minaj recently re-released her second studio album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up" in November 2012, seven months after releasing her second studio album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," which debuted number 1 in five countries including the US. Since then, the album has become one of the best-selling albums of 2012, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her debut studio album, "Pink Friday," also achieved record-breaking numbers in 2010, by becoming certified Platinum only a month after its release. In addition to her No. 1 US debut, the first-time Grammy Award nominee for best new artist is thriving internationally, snagging the #1 spots in the UK, Japan and Canada and debuting in the Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Ireland. With her #1 debut in the UK, Minaj has been named the highest charting solo female rapper in history with the UK's Official Albums Charts. Minaj's rapping technique has been hailed by critics. Equally well-known for her unique sense of style, her use of colorful wigs and outlandish costumes ranks her as one of the world's leading fashion icons. Currently focusing on acting, Minaj is in NY filming the 20th Century Fox comedy, The Other Woman, opposite Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann.
About Myx Beverage LLC
Formed in 2013, Myx Beverage, LLC is the parent company for Myx Fusions beverages. The company is comprised of strategic partners committed to taking the growing moscato wine industry by storm. #GetInTheMyx
Peter Reaske / CEO- has over 30 years of experience in the marketing and distribution of beer and alcoholic beverages. He was the former Vice President for Foster's Americas and Global Commercial Director of the Foster's Beer Group. Prior to Fosters, Peter was with Molson Breweries USA where he served as Vice President of Allied Brands and Marketing and was responsible for increasing sales volume by almost 150% over 3 years, the successful launch of new brands and the strategic positioning of the company for its sale to Phillip Morris.
Mona Scott Young/ CMO - has over 20 years of experience in marketing and branding. She is also founder of Monami Entertainment, a multi-media company that specializes in film and television production, talent management as well as brand and product development. Mona's business and philanthropic achievements have garnered recognition from a variety of prestigious organizations and her many accolades include Marketer of the Year by Ad Age Magazine.


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Arla targets high protein yoghurt trend
Once the near-exclusive realm of bodybuilders and athletes, whey protein ingredients to boost overall protein consumption are now gaining attention from ordinary consumers, the company said. It has introduced two whey protein ingredients, dubbed Nutrilac YO-5369 and YO-5088, for inclusion in stirred and drinking yoghurts respectively.
Dairy application specialist Torben Jensen said in a statement: "Our message to regular yoghurt manufacturers is that they can easily be part of this trend."
He said that the new ingredients have tackled sensory issues commonly associated with added whey protein, such as excessive viscosity and a sandy texture, and can increase the protein content of yoghurt from a standard 4% to 7 to 8%.
"The taste and texture of the final product will be unchanged," Jensen claimed.
High protein yoghurt has caught the attention of the US market in recent years, where the low fat, high protein Greek-style yoghurt category has grown dramatically, increasing its share of the overall US yoghurt market from just 1% in 2007 to 35% in mid-2012, with consumers attracted by its thick, creamy texture as well as its low fat and high protein content.
Earlier this month, the biggest player on the US market for Greek-style yoghurt, Chobani, said it intended to dominate the UK market in the same way as it conquered the United States, where it accounts for around half of all Greek-style yoghurt sales.


text:
The spillover effects of Mexico's drug war are taking a grim toll in Central America. The region has the highest homicide rate in the world, according to a new U.N. report, as traffickers move more and more U.S.-bound cocaine through Central America's struggling and weak states.
Nick Miroff has this story from Honduras, with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
NICK MIROFF, BYLINE: Operation Lightning is Honduras's response to the murder problem.
MIROFF: Police armed with Israeli-made Galil assault rifles ride on the backs of motorcycles and search cars at checkpoints here in San Pedro Sula, Honduras's second largest city and a major drug trafficking center.
There were 82 homicides per 100,000 residents in this country last year, the highest murder rate in the world, and more died in the San Pedro Sula area than anywhere else.
MIROFF: U.S. officials here say 95 percent of suspected drug flights, from South America to Central America, now land in the jungles along Honduras's lawless Caribbean coast. Entire villages of men, women and children work for the traffickers unloading the lucrative cargo. As the cocaine continues on to Guatemala and Belize and into Mexico, it generates great wealth and even more violence.
Honduran Police Commander Luis Alonso Savas said more and more of the cocaine is staying behind, as local traffickers get paid in raw product.
LUIS ALONSO SAVAS: (Foreign language spoken)
MIROFF: Our country used to be just a trans-shipment point and a stop along the route, said Savas. Now we're also a market for the drugs, and that's making things worse.
More drugs on the street mean more murders in San Pedro Sula, a manufacturing hub where the global recession has led to layoffs at the low-wage assembly plants here, that churn out sportswear and other clothing for export to the United States.
Ada Cantarero is a sociologist who directs a research center tracking the local murder count, likely to pass 2,000 this year.
ADA CANTARERO: (Foreign language spoken)
MIROFF: Most people in San Pedro Sula have migrated here from somewhere else, Cantarero said. They've been uprooted from their hometowns and often don't even know their neighbors, which makes community violence prevention strategies even more difficult.
Drug trafficking doesn't explain all of the killing here. But it has created a climate of corruption and impunity that seems to be fueling even more violence. Journalists, gays, and left-wing activists are also being slain in elevated numbers, researchers say. Others are dying in robberies, carjackings and petty feuds.
U.S. Ambassador Lisa Kubiske said the fear and insecurity have a destabilizing effect on the entire country.
AMBASSADOR LISA KUBISKE: If you have a country where people don't think they can find a job, or that the only job they can find is with the drug trade, and if you think that people are fleeing the country because of security - which is something we're beginning to hear about anecdotally now - where do they go? They...
KUBISKE: ...frequently, in this case, go to the United States.
MIROFF: The U.S. has spent some $50 million on security assistance to Honduras since 2008, with hundreds of millions more allocated by Congress for regional anti-narcotics aid. Armed U.S. agents play a lead role in the drug fight here, launching helicopter raids on jungle landing strips with Honduran police.
But since 2008, the number of suspected drug flights into the country has quadrupled. And earlier this year, police busted a cocaine-processing lab near San Pedro Sula, the first of its kind detected outside South America, and a sign that the cartels are digging in deeper.
MIROFF: At the Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church in this middle-class neighborhood of San Pedro Sula, the families of murder victims gather before Mass to unburden their grief. Many were left without husbands or sons in killings that seemingly had nothing to do with the drug trade.
Nancy Paz's husband was shot on his way home from work last year.
NANCY PAZ: (Foreign language spoken)
MIROFF: Something changed in me that afternoon when the police gave me the news, Paz said. I got in the car with my children to go see their father's body, but I turned around and took them home. I couldn't let them see their father like that, dumped in a ditch like a dog.
Paz's support group had 10 families when it started three years ago. Today it has 60. And of all their murder cases, they say only one has been solved.
For NPR News, I'm Nick Miroff. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
by Stephen Smith
There have been two Bigfoot sightings this year in Tallapoosa County in Eastern Central Alabama. Both were along Alabama State Road 22 near the town of New Site. The two sightings occurred approximately four miles apart from one another, the first on March 11 and the second on April 4. The witness, who wished to remain anonymous, described the beast to Jim Smith of the Alabama Bigfoot Society, as "very large, thick shouldered and tall. At least seven feet tall… [and] very dark brown."
Though the lion's share of Bigfoot sightings take place in the Pacific Northwest, Alabama is a surprising hotbed of Sasquatchian activity. Jim Smith told the Birmingham Free Press that most of the sightings in Alabama occur around Mt. Cheaha and in the nearby counties of Tallapoosa, Talladega, Clay, and Randolph. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a bar in Waldo, AL called the Bigfoot Lounge, so named because of sightings in that area. The earliest recorded Bigfoot sightings in Alabama were in the early 1960s.
According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), there have been over 60 sightings in the state since 1980. Nationally there have been over 3700 Bigfoot encounters in the same period, the majority of which have been in the last decade. That's a lot of Bigfeet.
Smith believes the sightings are becoming more common because of logging activity in the Bigfoot habitat. He thinks there may be as many as 50-60 Bigfoot creatures in the forests of east Alabama.
Scientists remain skeptical of the existence of Bigfoot due to a supposed lack of physical evidence, but according to the BFRO, "[p]hysical evidence is found every month in various areas across the country. Distinct tracks that do not match other animal tracks, hairs that match each other but no known wild animals, and large scats that could not be made by any known species."
It's worth remembering that the gorilla was considered mythological until its existence was verified in 1902. The number of gorillas was estimated to be around 100,000 until another 125,000 were discovered in 2008 in the Republic of Congo. New species of mammals "discovered" in the past decade include the Annamite striped rabbit, the Arunachal monkey, the Australian snubfin dolphin, the blond capuchin, the Sunda clouded leopard, the collared peccary, the Dingiso, Goodman's mouse lemur, the grey-faced elephant shrew, the highland mangabey, Jackson's mongoose, the Laotian rock rat, the leaf deer, Lowe's servaline genet, the Manicore marmoset, Mittermeier's mouse lemur, the mountain brush-tailed possum, the Prince Bernhard titi, the Pygmy three-toed sloth, the Sambirano woolly lemur, the saola, the tube-lipped nectar bat, and the unfortunately named goldenpalace.com monkey. In addition to the nearly 100 mammals identified in the 21st century, Dr. Ian Poiner of the Australian Institute for Marine Science has estimated that there are at least 750,000 undiscovered species on this planet alone. Given the reality of the situation, the whole Bigfoot thing doesn't seem that far-fetched.
There are a number of Native American Bigfoot legends. The term "sasquatch" is an anglicized derivative of one of the 60 or so native-American names for "big man" or "hairy man." People that report sightings are by no means charlatans or particularly gullible. According to the BFRO, "[t]he patterns among eyewitnesses are not demographic, they are geographic—they are not reported by certain types of people, rather by people who venture into certain areas. This simple pattern suggests an external cause."
What exactly Bigfoot is remains a mystery. Artist and Bigfoot researcher Charles Middleton believe the creature is "a relic of primitive man. Some think Homo erectus, some Homo heidelbergensis. As far as pure ape—no!" Jim Smith appears to agree, saying, "It may be an undiscovered ape, but I believe it will be an early evolution humanoid. My reason being it is much too intelligent."
Whatever one believes concerning the Bigfoot phenomenon, there is certainly no lack of evidence, anecdotal or otherwise. Past hoaxes have made the scientific community gun-shy but we here at the Birmingham Free Press want to believe.


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The 1960's
The 1960's begin with the continuing development and expansion of the festival, in accordance with the artistic plan set in motion after the war.
The 1960 edition will be remembered as the most contested review in the history of the festival, for not awarding the Golden Lion to an extraordinary film by Luchino Visconti, Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers), in favor of the film by French director Andre Cayatte Le Passage du Rhin (The Crossing of the Rhine). The public in attendance whistles during the entire presentation ceremony and screening of the winning film. It was the second great disappointment of the director, who was mocked once before in 1954 when the festival had presented Senso.
At the beginning of the decade, the festival promotes profound works of a new film renaissance. Numerous sections are created in order to diversify screenings and to widen the field of action. Important films of the English Free Cinema are introduced, until then not very well-known, like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1961) by Karel Reisz, A Taste of Honey (1962) by Tony Richardson, or Billy Liar (1963) by John Schlesinger, as well as films of the French Nouvelle Vague, presented thanks to Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Resnais.
Some young Italian directors are screened for the first time before an eager public: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, Paolo and brother Vittorio Taviani, Vittorio De Seta, Valerio Zurlini, Marco Ferreri, Florestano Vancini, Marco Bellocchio, Giuliano Montaldo, Tinto Brass, while others reveal just how far they have progressed since their debuts in the 1950's, directors of the caliber of Francesco Rosi, Ermanno Olmi and Gillo Pontecorvo.
After the controversies of 1960, consecutive awards are credible and there is no whistling: the following year the winner is L'Année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad) by Alain Resnais, while in 1962 the prize is awarded ex aequo (equally) to Valerio Zurlini and Andrej Tarkovskij, respectively with Cronaca familiare (Family Diary) and Ivanovo detstvo (My Name Is Ivan).
In 1963 the winds of change blow strongly during "professor" Luigi Chiarini's directorship of the festival, an era lasting until 1968. During the years of his presidency, Chiarini aspires to renew the spirit and the structures of the festival, pushing for a total reorganization of the entire system. For six years, the festival follows a consistent path, according to the rigid criteria put in place for the selection of works in competition, and takes a firm stand against the political pressures and interference of more and more demanding movie studios, preferring the artistic quality of films to the growing commercialization of the film industry.
A key point of Chiarini's management is the continuous and useful comparison of various generations and schools of directors. Established and Emerging are alternated on the screens of the festival, masters and students: Jean-Luc Godard, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ingmar Bergman, Arthur Penn, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Robert Bresson, Akira Kurosawa, Roman Polanski, François Truffaut, Roberto Rossellini, Joseph Losey, Milo? Forman, as well as Carmelo Bene, John Cassavetes, Alain Resnais, Luis Buñuel, winner in 1967 of the Golden Lion with Belle de jour, a film decidedly less avant-garde than those from the period of his collaboration with Salvador Dalì.
Italian film is the true industry hallmark during this period of the festival, thanks to the spotlight on new emerging stars, like Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni and Monica Vitti, but above all for the exceptional series of four consecutive victories of the prestigious top prize: 1963, Le mani sulla città (Hands Over the City) by Francesco Rosi; 1964, Il deserto rosso (Red Desert) by Michelangelo Antonioni; 1965; Vaghe stelle dell'Orsa (Sandra of a Thousand Delights), the much awaited victory of Luchino Visconti; finally, in 1966, La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers) by Gillo Pontecorvo.
The social and political unrest of 1968 also have strong repercussions on the Venice Biennial due to a legislative act still in place from the fascist age. Consequently, this affects the festival. The staff of the review, looking to break with traditional lines of thought during the age, endures heavy and continuous protests. From 1969 to 1979 there is still a review, but no prizes are awarded and it is returned to the non-competitiveness of the first edition. In 1973, 1977 and 1978, the festival is not even held. The Golden Lion does not make its return until 1980 when, paradoxically, there is a pair of statuettes, one for each of the ex aequo winners of Louis Malle and John Cassavetes.


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Unique MIIS Development Training in Rwanda Will Blend Fieldwork with Instruction
The Monterey Institute's Development Project Management Institute (DPMI), an intensive professional certificate program, will launch its first training program in Kigali, Rwanda from January 14-23, 2014.
The DPMI Rwanda program blends practitioner-led instruction with client-based fieldwork to prepare participants to design and contribute to projects that address health (specifically HIV/AIDS), gender and education issues. Participants will gain practical knowledge in social marketing for development, design thinking, facilitation, organizational development, and partnering. As part of the training, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with local organizations including Partners in Health, an international social justice and health organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Paul Farmer.
Paul Farmer: I believe in health care as a human right
The DPMI Rwanda 10-day program will be led by Dr. Beryl Levinger of the Monterey Institute and Marie Kagaju Laugharn, former staff member with the UN Development Programme and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
"I am thrilled to be able to take this program to Rwanda, where anyone can witness firsthand how a country could rise from its ashes and how it continues to strive for excellence and better conditions for its whole population," said Laugharn, who was born and raised in Rwanda.
Additionally, a three-week intensive DPMI training is offered every winter in Monterey, California and every spring in Monterey and Washington, D.C. The next DPMI Monterey certificate training will be held this January 6-24, 2014. Interested professionals are encouraged to register for both January DPMI trainings by October 31, 2013. Past participants include graduate students, development practitioners, career-changers and those interested in pursuing a career in international development and social change.
For More Information
Jason Warburg
Eva Gudbergsdottir


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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Scientists have developed a unique compound that in laboratory tests blocks inflammation-causing molecules in blood cells known to fuel ailments like cancer and cardiovascular disease without causing harmful toxicity.
Past attempts to identify new compounds that tamp down so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules in cells have been complicated by toxicity issues and a lack of specificity in targeting molecular processes. Researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report in the Feb. 24 Chemistry & Biology (a Cell Press publication) they have overcome this problem.
They did so by using computer-assisted drug design – verified by laboratory tests on human and mouse inflammatory cells – to precisely target a single component of an enzyme network called NOX2. The enzyme network drives ROS production in immune system white blood cells known as neutrophils. The eventual goal, researchers say, is establishing new small-molecule inhibiting drugs that can stop excessive inflammation and treat a number of inflammation-mediated diseases that need improved therapies.
"Drugs that potently and specifically target ROS production by NOX2 enzyme are an unmet clinical need that will have far-reaching implications for treatment of disease," said Yi Zheng, PhD, a lead investigator on the study and director of Experimental Hematology/Cancer Biology at Cincinnati Children's. "The lead candidate we developed, Phox-I, shows promising inflammation inhibiting activity in cells and mouse models."
The production of ROS in cells is a normal part of the body's immune system, as oxidative enzymes are generated by white blood cells to attack illness-causing microorganisms. In a number of pathologic conditions, however, various environmental stressors (like acute ischemia, chronic infections, etc.) can help trigger an overabundance of biochemical signaling. The signaling occurs through a regulatory pathway involving Rac GTPases, a family of intracellular signal transducers that amplify ROS production by the NOX2 enzyme network.
Normally, Rac GTPases maintain cell growth and survival programs in the body, including the NOX enzyme network and its activation of ROS production in cells. When signaling miscues occur they cause an unusually high burst of ROS production and release harmful superoxide chemicals. This up-regulation creates excessive inflammation that damages tissues and drives the onset of diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, ischemia-induced lung and brain damage and hypertension, among others.
Previous attempts to create compounds that target and stop harmful ROS production, including an earlier compound developed by Dr. Zheng's laboratory, have been able to reduce inflammation in cells. Unfortunately, the compounds were not specific or efficient enough in targeting the Rac GTPase regulatory pathway. This meant the compounds inhibited several different cellular processes – including some that are necessary and beneficial – leading to toxicity.
Zheng and his colleagues achieved greater specificity and efficiency through their design of small molecular inhibitors they named Phox-I1 and Phox-I2. The inhibitors precisely target and block the binding of a signal sensor for the NOX2 enzyme called p67-phox to Rac GTPase. P67-phox has to bind with Rac GTPase to activate the oxidase enzyme complex of NOX2 (known as NADPH) that produces superoxide and causes inflammation.
In laboratory tests involving normal human blood cells, leukemic cells and mouse blood cells, Phox-l1blocked p67-phox binding with Rac. It did so in a dose-dependent manner with enough precision to shut down ROS production without causing unwanted toxicity in the cells, the researchers report. In unpublished test results on mouse models of lung inflammation, Zheng said the investigators found that the Phox-I lead compounds are effective in blocking neutrophil mediated inflammation and damage.
The results are part of a patient application filed by Cincinnati Children's with the United States Patent Office for Phox-I inhibitors. The medical center's Center for Technology Commercialization is exploring opportunities to rapidly advance continuing research and development of the compounds that could possibly accelerate their transition to future clinical testing.
Zheng said that although the study data describe an innovative approach that shows promise, a significant amount of additional research is needed before the Phox-I can be tested in humans. The research team continues to experiment with structural alterations to Phox-I to make the compounds more potent in inhibiting excessive ROS and superoxide production without being toxic to normal cells. Researchers are also expanding their tests in mouse models to see how effective the compounds are in safely shutting down the onset of simulated human diseases caused by inflammation.
The research was funded by an innovation grant from CincyTech USA, and a National Institutes of Health Small Business Technology Transfer Grant.


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Head West!
Discover the best of the west on these spectacular Cosmos tour packages throughout the Western U.S. Explore the rugged beauty of the most famed national parks—from the desert landscapes of Bryce, Zion, Arches, and Grand Canyon to the lush playgrounds of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. For value-minded travelers, the west also offers vibrant cities, scenic countryside, and small beach and mountain towns. Ride historic trains; try your luck in Las Vegas; or travel along historic Route 66. Pack your bags and get ready for a value-packed western U.S. vacation like no other.
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South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
On-line version ISSN 2222-3436
Print version ISSN 1015-8812
S. Afr. j. econ. manag. sci. vol.13 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2010
On merger simulation and its potential role in South African merger control
Liberty Mncube; Hardin Ratshisusu; Bhekithemba Dlamini
Competition Commission of South Africa
This paper simulates the price effects of the proposed Ferro Industrial Products (Ferro) and Powder-Lak merger in order to suggest the role that merger simulation models should play in South African merger control. Merger simulation can provide support to the Commission's analysis by: focusing parties' attentions on verifiable economic arguments; making transparent the values of the key parameters and assumptions in the Commission's analysis; producing quantitative estimates of the results of a given transaction; and indicating the amount of resources to allocate to proposed merger cases. However, it offers only one piece of evidence in a case and its results must be interpreted with an understanding of the potential limitations.
Keywords: Merger simulation
"Full text available only in PDF format"
BERRY, S. 1994. Estimating discrete-choice models of product differentiation. Rand Journal of Economics, 25. [ Links ]
BERRY, S., LEVINSOHN, J. & PAKES, A. 1995. Automobile prices in market equilibrium. Econometrica, 63. [ Links ]
BUDZINSKI, O. & RUHMER, I. 2009. Merger simulation in competition policy: a survey. Journal of Competition Law and Economics. [ Links ]
FEDDERKE, J. & SIMBANEGAVI, W. 2008. Price elasticities and pricing power in emerging markets: the case of petrochemicals derived plastics in South Africa. ERSA Working Paper, No. 78. [ Links ]
FROEB, L., SCHEFFMAN, D. & WERDEN, G. 2004. Whither merger simulation? The Antitrust Source, May, http://www.abanet.org/antitrust/source/05-04/ whither.pdf. [ Links ]
HAUSMAN, J. & LEONARD, G. 2005. Using merger simulation models: testing the underlying assumptions. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 23. [ Links ]
HAUSMAN, J., LEONARD, G. & ZONA, D. 1994. Competitive analysis with differentiated products. Annales dEconomie et de Statistique, 34. [ Links ]
HAY, G. & WERDEN, G. 1993. The horizontal mergers: law, policy, and economics. American Economic Review, 83. [ Links ]
IVALDI, M. & VERBOVEN, F. 2005. Quantifying the effects from horizontal mergers in European competition policy . International Journal of Industrial Organization, 23. [ Links ]
MCFADDEN, D. 1974. Conditional logit analysis of qualitative choice behavior. in Zarembka, P. (ed.) Frontiers in econometrics. New York: Academic Press. [ Links ]
NEVO, A. 2000. A practitioner's guide to estimation of random-coefficients logit models of demand. Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 9. [ Links ]
PLEATSIKAS, C. & TEECE, D. 2001. The analysis of market definition and market power in the context of rapid innovation. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 19. [ Links ]
SHAPIRO, C. 1996. Mergers with differentiated products. Antitrust Law Journal. [ Links ]
STAVINS, J. 1995. Estimating demand functions in differentiated product industry: The personal computer industry. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Working Paper No. 95-9. [ Links ]
VERBOVEN, F. 2008. Quantitative analysis for competition policy. CRESSE Summer School Lecture. [ Links ]
WALKER, M. 2005. The potential for significant inaccuracies in merger simulation models. Journal of Competition Law and Economics, 1. [ Links ]
WERDEN, G. 1997. Simulating the effects of differentiated products mergers: a practical alternative to structural merger policy. George Mason Law Review, 5. [ Links ]
WERDEN, G. & FROEB, L. 1994. The effects of mergers in differentiated products industries: logit demand and merger policy. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 10. [ Links ]
Accepted October 2009
1 In addition, there remains no obvious and commonly accepted simulation approach which means that it remains important to continue thinking about carefully applying the market definition approach.
2 Without understanding the limitations of such models and the circumstances under which they can and should be usefully applied, they may not just be useless, but dangerous in the sense of providing possibly spurious results with spurious claimed accuracy (see Walker, 2005).
3 The Volvo experts criticised the study for the following reasons, namely, the use of list prices, IIA property of logit type models, common parameters across countries and heteroskedasticity. Despite these criticisms, the EC concluded that even though the merger evaluation will not be solely based on the findings of this study, the results of econometric work can be a valuable supplement and add insight into merger analysis.
4 For a brief review of the Oracle/People Soft merger and the Volvo/Scania merger see Budzinski and Ruhmer (2008)
5 This was an intermediate merger transaction, which in terms of section 14(1)(b) of the Competition Act No. 89 of 1998 (as amended) the Commission takes the ultimate decision, unlike for large mergers.
6 Courtlauds was founded in the UK in 1816 and was involved in the powder coatings business through International Paint & Pinchin Johnson.
7 Case No IV/M.1363.
8 See case number IV/M.1182 (1998).
9 Case No IV/M.1363.
10 See Case No 62/LM/Jul05.
11 See Motta, M. 2004. Competition policy: Theory and practice, p: 105. Church & Ware. Industrial Organisation, p: 611.
12 The pre-merger Herfinfindal-Hirschman Index (HHI) was 3094 points while post merger it was going to be 4424 points thus yielding a change in HHI of 1330.
13 Imports are mainly from companies such as Jotun (based in Dubai), PTL and Colour Blast (based in China), Rapid Powder Coating and Nice Coatings (based in India) and Oxyplast (based in Canada)
14 For instance, one major white goods manufacturer had switched to imports but immediately switched back to the local product due to quality problems.
15 Case number: 89/LM/Oct00
16 See page 20. 'where efficiencies constitute "real" efficiencies and there is evidence to verify them of a quantitative or qualitative nature, evidence that the efficiencies will benefit consumers, is less compelling. On the other hand, where efficiencies demonstrate less compelling economies, evidence of a pass through to consumers should be demonstrated and although no threshold for this is suggested, they need to be more than trivial, but neither is it necessary that they are wholly passed on... When we talk of real economies we would, without proposing an exhaustive list, include dynamic efficiencies, production efficiencies ranging from plant economies of scope and scale to research and development efficiencies that might not be achieved short of merger. Pecuniary efficiencies would not constitute real economies nor would those that result in a mere redistribution of income from the customers, suppliers or employees to the merged entity.'
17 Put differently, some customers will stop buying product 1 if its price increases, the diversion ratio from Firm 1 to Firm 2 is the percentage of those displaced customers who end up buying product 2. This is roughly the percentage of Firm 1's marginal customers who view Firm 2 as the next best alternative.
18 Table 4 in the Appendix shows diversion ratios in the proposed Ferro/Powder-Lak merger. Mathematically, the diversion ratio is shown below;
19 The establishment of basic merger simulation procedures by Werden and Froeb (1994) and Hausman, Leonard, and Zona (1994) has led to the growth of many studies exploring the strengths and weaknesses of simulation models to merger analysis.
20 For example as cited in Stavins (1995) 'economists have employed various means of estimating demand and supply for differentiated products or individual attributes, There is still no agreement as to the best way to estimate demand elasticities for products differentiated in several attributes. ...A large number of products forces the analysts to place strong restrictions on demand to avoid estimating thousands of elasticities. In most of the studies, models are assumed to compete only with their two nearest competitors. However, a sufficient drop in price could presumably make consumers move to a different market segment, making the assumption too stringent. Cross-elasticities are often estimated only after the market is aggregated to two general types of products.'
21 It is noted that products are differentiated because consumers perceive differences in the products. Included are instances where two products may be physically identical, and yet significant numbers of consumers are prepared to pay more for one than for the other. This scenario can arise where products are strongly branded, possibly through advertising, and consumers form preferences for one product over another, perhaps for intangible product characteristics such as image or reputation. Another product characteristic that can be varied, and hence can cause differentiation, is the geographical location of outlets.


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"Humboldt County's Community Band"
Scotia Band c. 1937 Scotia Band c. 2010 (photo by T. Gonzalves) |
Since its formation in 1935 by a group of individuals in The Pacific Lumber Company town of Scotia, California, Scotia Band has continuously served Humboldt County communities. This spirit of dedicated public service enriches all those whose lives are touched. The band symbolizes the ideals and traditions that have made America great. The next time you hear the Scotia Band playing in the park, remember you are listening to a part of America's heritage. |
Click to hear The Scotia Band March by composer Michael McClimon as it was premiered at the Winema Theater in Scotia on 4-24-2010: The Scotia Band March
Mission Statement
The mission of the Scotia Band is to enrich our community by providing high quality traditional and contemporary concert band music and educational experiences.
Vision Statement
Scotia Band ("Band") provides an opportunity for musicians in the community to assemble and play traditional and contemporary band music, and to entertain and educate all those in attendance.
In support of this vision, the Band will:
- Perform concerts as "Humboldt County's Community Band"
- Secure a location for storage and maintenance of music, archives, uniforms, and other physical assets of the Band
- Conduct fundraising necessary to cover budgeted operational expenses necessary for the successful, long-term conduct of Band activities
- Foster relationships with school music departments within our community to promote recruitment for the Band and to support programs in need
- Encourage individual achievement through participation in music, and will promote music education through college scholarship
- Strive to educate the public through performance and instruction the benefits of music on our lives
Website design by D. Bongio, 2002, and D. Bongio & M. Genzoli, 2009


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General Motors Co. said Thursday it will invest $331.8 million into four powertrain plants in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to help it build more fuel-efficient engines and an eight-speed transmission. In addition, the company also is adding $46 million to previously announced investments at two other Michigan plants.
GM North America Manufacturing Manager Arvin Jones said the investments would not create any new jobs, but are expected to retain 1,650 jobs.
The investments are part of the $1.5 billion GM said it would invest in North America plants this year. The company so far this year has announced investments totaling $1.2 billion.
"We are investing in technologies and manufacturing capabilities that produce high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles and components for our customers," Diana Tremblay, vice president of GM North American manufacturing, said in a statement. "Today's announcement demonstrates GM's commitment to growing the business and strengthening the plant communities where we receive so much support."
Flint Engine Operations will get the bulk of the new money — $215 million — to build a small Ecotec gasoline engine and to upgrade tooling for production of a current V-6 engine.
Jones would not comment on what size engine will be built in Flint, or whether it will serve as a global engine for the automaker. GM did say the new engine would be part of a new family of engines that includes three-cylinder and four-cylinder variants with displacements ranging from 1 liter to 1.5 liters.
GM said the new gas engine is part of a global engine family that could produce more than 2 million engines annually by the end of the decade. The company said they would offer better mileage and performance and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The automaker's Toledo Transmissions Operations will receive $55.7 million to boost capacity and for new tooling to produce an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission and a six-speed transmission that already is produced there.
In May 2011, GM announced it would invest $204 million at its Toledo Transmission Plant to build the 8-speed transmission. GM said Thursday the new eight-speed transmission will be used in "numerous GM vehicles by the end of 2016."
Bay City Powertrain also will receive $31.7 million, including $19.2 million to make components for the new V-6 engine and $12.5 million to make components for the small gas engine.
GM's Bedford Powertrain plant in Bedford, Ind., will receive $29.4 million, including $19 million to make components for the small gas engine and $10.4 million for components needed for the eight-speed and six-speed transmissions.
The company also said a new V-6 engine also will be built at the Romulus Engine Plant, which is receiving a $5 million boost to its November 2011 announcement of a $385 million investment for a new fuel-efficient engine. Saginaw Metal Casting Operations also is getting an extra $41 million to make castings for the new V-6. That's in addition to a $215 million investment announced in October 2011 at the plant.
"The selection of these plants and the opportunity for the United Auto Workers to build the next generation of engines and transmissions reflects the great efforts of our workforce," UAW Vice President Joe Ashton, who heads the union's GM department, said in a statement. "This investment goes a long way to ensuring GM remains a marketplace leader and our members can continue to support and share in the company's growth."
Since 2009, the Detroit automaker has announced nearly $1.8 billion in investments for the six facilities, Jones said.
Jones would not comment on how soon the automaker would begin making the new investments, nor how soon consumers would see the new engines in vehicles or in which vehicles.
"For competitive reasons, we tend not to share our strategy where our product's going and in what applications and the timing," he said.
GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said on an employee call last summer that the automaker was behind the competition on some engines and transmission development.
"We think the investments we're making will give us a competitive advantage and position us very well," Jones said.
Crosstown rival Chrysler Group LLC is using eight-speed and nine-speed transmissions in vehicles.
GM builds three-cylinder engines in global markets. The company's smallest engine built in North America is the 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine built in Flint.
Ford Motor Co. announced last year that its 1-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine would be offered as an option in the redesigned 2014 Ford Fiesta. Ford builds the engine in Germany.
MELISSA BURDEN, The Detroit News.


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Yesterday, I talked about how John Derbyshire's "advice" to White parents on what to say to their kids about black people was the right idea with the wrong messenger. You can see my column here.
And while Derbyshire's racist suggestions got him fired from the National Review it doesn't mean that most White parents out there are doing a particularly good job to talking to thier kids about race.
So, I know you've all been waiting patiently to see … drum roll please:
The Talk for White Parents to their White Kids about Black People
In this day and age of Black presidents, a Black First Lady that still makes a White man's head explode and George Zimmerman killing a defenseless Trayvon Martin in cold blood, you'll need it. It will come in handy White people, so read carefully. Don't just open for emergencies, depending on what's an emergency to you. But, this should work for:
1) The first time your kid asks why there's a Black history month
2) The first time they come to you asking about the word "nigger;" and
3) Just about any other time you're stumped by a Black/White race issue and don't know what to say.
Dear White son or daughter [INSERT NAME HERE], here's what you need to know:
1) Black People and White people are different but that doesn't mean one is better than the other. Black people look different, often eat different foods, communicate and socialize in ways that may seem strange or odd for you. But just because something is different doesn't mean it's bad, or that the way you do things is better. Always remember that.
2) If you don't know something about Black people ask a lot of them. Your Black friends don't speak for all Black people. It's perfectly okay to not know something, because honestly unless you ask every Black person in America you really don't know. Do you?
3) White People as a group have done terrible things to Blacks in this country – and just because they are black (not to mention Asians, Latinos, and American Indians). This is a fact. You may not be personally responsible but you benefit from this fact and therefore have some responsibility. No: you never enslaved anybody, neither did your mother or I, but lots of white people did. Once slavery was over, White people spent about 100 years mistreating Blacks because they couldn't figure out how to send them all home after that whole nation-building thing. This means that Black people used to get killed just for trying to vote, weren't allowed to live where they wanted to, and even today some White people refuse to hire Blacks just because they are black. And while those types of things are illegal, people still do it. You benefit from this. So before you ever judge a Black person remember that other White people worked for centuries to make sure you'd be okay and Black people would stay poor.
4) Saying "nigger" is the same thing as saying "bitch." Even though you may hear it in music, or with your friends at school you know perfectly well that you shouldn't use that word regardless of who is in earshot. And really, why is it so important to use it anyway?
5) Always remember there is a difference between a Black neighborhood, a bad neighborhood, and a poor neighborhood. Just because an area has lots of Black people doesn't mean they're poor or that there's lots of crime. There are plenty of places where black people live that are nicer than our neighborhood. You should avoid any group of people that seem dangerous because of their behavior or activities, whether that's in a trailer park or an inner-city ghetto. You can get robbed by anybody.
6) No matter who your sister/brother has dated, or what your friends have told you, or how many episodes of Chappelle Show you've watched you do not KNOW Black people. Who or what you listen to, read, or sleep with does not make you Black. Acting like you know everything about Black people because you have some Black friends or enjoy rap music is ignorant.
7) Black people are not pets, so don't touch them without permission, or change your voice when you're around them, or worse: automatically try to set them up with any Black person you know. This never works out. If you're curious about their hair just ask, you'd be amazed at some of the stuff Black folks hear all day.
8) And finally: the best way to get along with Black people is to not be oblivious. Nothing annoys Black people more than White people who pretend racism doesn't exist and then proclaim ignorance in the face of overwhelming evidence. Just because you don't see it, or don't want to see it, doesn't mean Black people are paranoid or making things up. If you think about lesson 3 you should be good at this.
I know this talk has made you uncomfortable, but your mother/father and I believe that it's better for you to hear this at home than learning about it on the streets or from your friends. Now go out to the park and make some Black friends! But just promise me you won't cut through those trailer parks. I heard those people are all single moms and sell crystal meth.


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"About 120 protesters outside Mullingar station Ming Flanagan, Maura Harrington, etc. Supporting McCabe. M" - Ex-Garda Commissioner Callinan
"You can judge a man by his friends" Brian Purcell - SG of Dept of Justice
"Some shower Brian" Callinan
When the inland gas refinery near Rossport was proposed in the late 1990s, many local people welcomed the project. But when they did some research, they quickly became extremely concerned. They discovered this was an experimental project; nothing like it had been tried anywhere in the world.
Raw, unprocessed gas would be carried at extremely high pressure, directly from under the sea-bed, through a pipeline in an unstable bog where landslides are common. The proposed pipeline for Rossport is nothing like the gas pipelines people live close to in other parts of Ireland:
• the pressure would be 144 bar, and possibly higher, compared to a maximum 5 bar in a domestic pipeline;
• the gas would still contain chemical impurities that corrode pipes and are highly explosive – these are removed at the refinery;
• it would not contain the odour that alerts residents to a leak – this is added at the refinery.
At the Bord Pleanála hearing in June 2009 into this onshore pipeline route, Shell consultants admitted that, in the event of a leak, "houses within 230 metres of the pipeline could burn spontaneously from heat radiation" and that "houses within 171m would be at risk if the gas pressure was at 144 bar" (Irish Times, 04/06/09), the reduced pressure level Shell was forced to retreat to by earlier protests. There are about 33 houses within this "kill zone". Also, the pipeline would pass just 1.4 metres below fields and roads.
Waste water from the refinery would flow into Carrowmore Lake, the source of drinking water for 10,000 people in Erris.
Since 2000, local people have been demanding that the gas is processed at sea, before it reaches residential areas, as is standard practice worldwide. They have never objected to gas being piped ashore in the normal way.
The above text comes from the Dublin Shell to Sea 'All the facts' leaflet. If you'd like copies of that leaflet to distribute contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 086-7362417
In detail
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, commissioned a company to produce what was called an "Independent Safety Review" of the pipeline. After the company produced its report, it emerged that it was jointly owned by Shell and British Petroleum. Dempsey denied the report was compromised but agreed to commission another. The second review was strongly criticised by those opposed to the project for failing to consider alternatives to refining the gas onshore. Another company, Accufacts Inc., also produced a report on the pipeline for the Centre for Public Inquiry, it was highly critical of the current plans for the pipeline, and skeptical of the assurances given. It said:
"It should be fairly obvious by now that past information on this project has been less than complete. Much of this information appears to be of a propaganda nature intended to spin public relations to an ill informed or misinformed public or government. In today's information age this is a tactic fraught with risks as the deceptions are uncovered. Regarding the proposed onshore pipeline route, serious challenges should be raised as to any risk analysis that fails to adequately address the issues raised by the production pipeline, as the thermal impact zones for this very unique high pressure pipeline are quite large with a high probability of mortality..."
"If the Gas Processing Plant site location were to remain as proposed, we advise a reroute of the proposed pipeline incorporating safety buffer zones of 200 metres for dwellings and at least 400 metres for unsheltered individuals."
"Placement of a Gas Process Plant on a shallow offshore platform would substantially reduce production pipeline rupture impact zones associated with specific pipeline design modifications. A transmission pipeline from such an offshore facility could be operated at lower pressures, move much higher quality gas, and permit appropriate cleaning and smart pigging programs that would reduce the potential impact zone associated with a gas transmission pipeline failure."
Other experts have also cast doubt on Advantica's claims. Some contend that the safety zone around the pipeline should be at least 500 metres (the norm in the United States) from any dwellings. With the midified route houses are 140m from the pipeline. In Scotland, which has a long history of regulating refineries, it is unheard of that a refinery should be built within the catchment area of a drinking water supply, as Shell intends for Bellanabo.
The Irish Times reported on 4th June 2009 that the An Bord Pleanála hearing had been told that
"SHELL EP Ireland consultants have conceded that safe shelter in the event of a rupture and explosion has not yet been identified for residents living close to the proposed Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
The consultants also told the An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in north Mayo yesterday that houses within 230 metres of the pipeline could "burn spontaneously" from heat radiation if gas in the pipe was at full pressure.
Residents would have just 30 seconds to escape from thermal radiation if gas within the pipe was at full pressure, the team acknowledged in response to Mr Wright's examination.
Houses within 171m would be at risk if the gas pressure was at 144 bar – the pressure level agreed by the developers after a State-commissioned safety review – the Shell team admitted when it was put to them in questions.
Both 171m and 230m are greater than the minimum separation distance of 140m from houses allowed for in the pipeline route, Mr Wright observed."
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Show All Answers
The Town Manager is a hired employee chosen by the Town Council.
The Mayor is the Town's top elected official.
You can go here to find out more information
The Town of Mansfield operates under the council-manager form of government, in which the Town Council functions as the legislative and policy-making body, and the Town Manager handles all municipal operations.
The Town Manager may be contacted by:
Phone: 860-429-3336
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
No, all of that is handled by:
No, the Town Council is responsible for that aspect as well as the State and Federal legislators:
State Legislators:
Federal Legislators:
You can register to vote at either the Registrars of Voters Office or the Town Clerk's office in the Town Hall. Voter registration forms are also available through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Registrars of Voters may be contacted at 860-665-8516 or 860-665-8517. If they are not available, you may contact the Town Clerk's Office at 860-429-3320
That information can be found here
They are two different people. The Mayor is an elected, volunteer position whereas the Town Manager is chosen by the Town Council and is regarded as a municipal employee.
Every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 PM.
Generally, depending on the issue, the Town Manager's Office will refer requests to the respective department. If the issue or question cannot be handled by the respective department, the Town Manager's Office is available to review the situation and further follow up.
Yes. Requests to the Town Council can be addressed to:
Town Council, 4 South Eagleville Rd, Storrs Mansfield, CT 06268.
You can also email firstname.lastname@example.com


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A new article in the Fall 2017 issue of the Bulletin of the History of Medicine may be of interest to AHP readers. Full details below.
"Entitled to Addiction? Pharmaceuticals, Race, and America's First Drug War," by David Herzberg. Abstract:
This article rethinks the formative decades of American drug wars through a social history of addiction to pharmaceutical narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants in the first half of the twentieth century. It argues, first, that addiction to pharmaceutical drugs is no recent aberration; it has historically been more extensive than "street" or illicit drug use. Second, it argues that access to psychoactive pharmaceuticals was a problematic social entitlement constructed as distinctively medical amid the racialized reforms of the Progressive Era. The resulting drug control regime provided inadequate consumer protection for some (through the FDA), and overly punitive policing for others (through the FBN). Instead of seeing these as two separate stories—one a liberal triumph and the other a repressive scourge—both should be understood as part of the broader establishment of a consumer market for drugs segregated by class and race like other consumer markets developed in the era of Progressivism and Jim Crow.


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Sep '06 - Dec '09
Today we started Buildings Texts and Contexts listening to a 1966 broadcast from Radio Caroline.
The subject: Architecture as Megastructure
The reason for the radio broadcast: looking at the role that pirated radios had in making the new "electronic environment" theorized by Marshall McLuhan apparent. The ships and offshore artillery forts were outside of English jurisdiction, but within reach to be able to be listened to in major cities. An early example of media completely becoming its own thing with its own identity, rules, and spaces. The media becomes more important than the architecture, making Archigram's idea of architecture as simply the hardware that allows for (constant ?) changes of media. I wasn't aware of these radio stations and wanted to share.
One question: what is our relationship with our media and hardware today? Has it changed?
Offshore Radio in England
Radio Caroline
Artillery Forts
Walking City
Plug-In City
Man, another cool post.
In the early 1940's, Sir Henry Tizard was one of a handful of English scientists who ran over to MIT (a group that included luminaries like Alan Turing as well as the inventors of the code-brekaing "BOMBE" and the Colossus Computer) to meet with members of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, the U.S. Government's "Nerd Trust" that developed advanced weapons systems for the United States Army and Navy. The "Tizard Mission," was of vital importance because this was one of the first technology interchanges between the United States and Britain in times of war. This exchange led to the development of advanced radar/sonar technologies as well as the OBOE/GEE programme, a radio-beacon navigation and targeting system that would "guide" planes to their targets in Germany. It was called "OBOE" because once the pilot was in range of the target, they would hear a faint, reedy sounding signal in their headsets, indeed reminiscent of an oboe.
Thus, an example of a system of aural communication that plays according to its own rules. This is very reminiscent of Friedrich Kittler's writings, who views artistic output as borne from "Discourse Networks," i.e. technologically-mediated systems that outgrow the potential of their human inventors. He cites Friedrich Nietzsche's first dabblings with typewriters as the first instance of this ... in other words, the act of using a technology forever changes the media, and thus the technology "writes" its own history (in German, "Discourse Network" is translated as [i]Aufschreibe Systeme;/i], literally, a system that writes itself). Kittler also famously declared that "There is no software" -- in other words, the last authorial act was the coding of microprocessor software ... the idea is that everything else since then is much more about the computer software than the author.
Weird stuff, but wholly compelling.
"Every writer creates his own precursors."
-Jorge Luis Borges
what if the country moved into the city?
would we have wolves chasing after fashionistas? CEOs stepping in cow patties? or would everything get sanitized?
gingham, baskets, and cupcake candles at the four seasons.
Buy Prestige Marvel Glass Top 4 Burner Gas Stove, Manual Ignition, black online at low price in India on Amazon.in. Free Shipping. Cash On .
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Fish Surveys at Tryon Creek Confluence
Nov 13, 2012 at 8:37 AM 0 Comments
Environmental Services has partnered with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to collect information on fish species community and abundance within Tryon Creek between the Willamette River confluence and the Highway 43 culvert. During a recent survey last September, 45 fish were captured using a seine net at the large pool below the culvert, including cutthroat and steelhead trout, Chinook and coho salmon, sculpin, and whitefish.
The Tryon Creek Confluence Habitat Enhancement Project was completed in 2010 to improve fish and wildlife habitat conditions at the confluence of the Willamette River, and involved partnerships with Metro and the City of Lake Oswego. The work enhanced about 900 feet of Tryon Creek, and builds on prior fish and wildlife habitat restoration work performed by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). In 2008, ODOT completed stream enhancements and modified the Highway 43 culvert to improve fish passage into the 645-acre Tryon Creek State Natural Area, an area well suited for coho salmon and steelhead production.
This intensive fish survey work will be conducted on a monthly basis every other year through 2017, with an annual survey conducted in the in between years. In addition, temporal use surveys of Tryon Creek by juvenile salmon and steelhead will be conducted weekly for three months in the spring/summer during the years when the intensive monitoring efforts are being conducted. The data gathered will help determine the effectiveness of the restoration efforts at the confluence and upstream to the natural area.
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