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Gymnast embraces role as 'Fierce' advocate for abuse victims
(AP) — The people come forward to Aly Raisman almost daily now. Random strangers. Men and women of various ages, races and backgrounds. They see the six-time Olympic medal-winning gymnast out in public and approach with a hug to give and a story to tell.
It was jarring at first, if Raisman is being honest. When she pitched her autobiography "Fierce" to publishers last summer shortly after the 2016 Olympics, she intended to focus on her journey from tenacious prodigy to champion. And while all of that is in there, the part of her experience that's resonated the most since the book's release earlier this month is the one she wasn't sure she'd be able to share.
It's Chapter 22, titled "The Survivors." In it, Raisman outlines how she was abused by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, how he "groomed" her by presenting himself as a friendly ear and how she feels he was empowered to continue over the course of years by those in charge at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics.
Raisman spent weeks working on the section, revisiting it again and again, trying to get it just right. Or at least as close to right as she can get.
"I put in a ton of thought whether how I wanted to come forward about this," Raisman told The Associated Press. "What I realized at the end of the day is that I want change and I want people to understand what exactly abuse is. It's very complicated. It's very confusing. I didn't know that I was being abused because I was manipulated so horribly."
In the process, Raisman discovered the abuse Nassar committed against other female athletes – including allegations from Olympic teammates McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas – is a very small part of a much larger problem that extends far beyond the actions of just one man. It's why she took those painful memories and put them on paper, to share with the world that, as she says over and over again: "It's not OK. It's never OK."
The 23-year-old's new calling makes thinking about a return to competition in time for the 2020 Olympics seem trivial.
"This is the focus," Raisman said.
A focus that has turned her into an unexpected symbol of strength for others who share their experiences.
"Unfortunately sexual abuse is far too common," Raisman said. "I've realized how many people are affected by it and it's disgusting. That's why I want change."
Raisman has become an increasingly outspoken critic of USA Gymnastics, blaming the governing body for a lack of oversight on Nassar's conduct. The 54-year-old spent nearly 20 years as the team doctor for the U.S. women's elite program, often working with athletes one on one. Raisman declined to get into specifics about the abuse she was subjected to, but her experience falls in line with what many other have claimed against Nassar: that he touched them inappropriately while describing it as proper treatment.
Nassar pleaded guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault in Michigan on Wednesday and will face at least 25 years in prison. He still faces additional criminal charges and has been named in more than 125 civil lawsuits filed by former athletes. Nassar's downfall began following reporting by the Indianapolis Star in 2016 that highlighted chronic mishandling of abuse allegations against coaches and staff at some of USA Gymnastics' more than 3,500 clubs across the country.
Raisman has not taken any legal action against Nassar, though she's not ruling it out. Her larger concern is educating young athletes and their parents on the warning signs while loudly clamoring for change. She has seen a familiar pattern repeat itself over the last 18 months: another gymnast comes out claiming abuse by Nassar, and USA Gymnastics follows with a news release attributed to no specific individual that praises them for their courage.
One of the most decorated Olympic athletes of her generation doesn't just want words. She wants action.
USA Gymnastics has taken several steps in recent months. President and CEO Steve Penny resigned under pressure in March and was replaced by Kerry Perry, who takes over on Dec. 1.
The organization hired Toby Stark, a child welfare advocate, as its director of SafeSport over the summer. Part of Stark's mandate is educating members on rules, educational programs and reporting. The federation also adopted over 70 recommendations by Deborah Daniels, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw an extensive independent review.
It's not enough for Raisman. She points out Penny wasn't fired but instead forced out. Though Nassar's relationship with USA Gymnastics officially ended in 2015 after an athlete came forward about potential abuse, he was still allowed to continue working at Michigan State University while also volunteering at a USA Gymnastics-affiliated club.
"That is just unacceptable to me," Raisman said. "(That gym) is a part of USA Gymnastics. USA Gymnastics is responsible for kids at that gym. Instead of doing their job, they let Larry keep working there."
Raisman would like to see more extensive change in leadership at USA Gymnastics. She never imagined being an agent for change as she dreamed of the Olympics while growing up in Needham, Massachusetts, but she's embracing the role as she comes to grips with her own victimhood.
Chapter 22 wasn't the end, only the beginning.
"I'm still, as you see, processing it," she said. "I'm still at a loss for words. I'm having so many people come up to me, telling me they had similar experience, that they filed a complaint and it was ignored. I will do everything I can to make sure those people are heard."


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Sen. Murkowski Reiterates Call to Lift Federal Ban on Oil Exports
Increased Domestic Production Offers Opportunities to Expand Energy Trade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today reiterated her call for the Obama administration to end the prohibition against exporting crude oil produced in the United States to spur job creation and increase the nation's energy security.
(Click for video of Sen. Murkowski's opening statement.)
"The architecture of U.S. energy exports must be renovated if our nation is to lead the world on issues of trade, the environment, and energy," Murkowski said. "The prohibition on crude oil and condensate exports threatens record-breaking U.S. oil production and American jobs by creating inefficiencies, gluts, and other dislocations."
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday held the first hearing in 25 years on the federal government's prohibition on exporting domestically produced oil.
"We should send a powerful signal to the world that the United States is ready to reassert its role as a leader on energy," Murkowski said.
Murkowski said the Obama administration has the authority to lift the export ban without congressional action. The U.S. Commerce Department can authorize a swap if domestic crude cannot be marketed in the United States. The president can also issue a national interest determination. Murkowski recently wrote the president offering to work together in a bipartisan fashion to address the export ban before it becomes a problem.
"The International Energy Agency has warned that maintaining the ban may actually result in shut-in production, which would be to the detriment of the nation's livelihood," Murkowski said. "Lifting the ban is about increasing domestic production and creating jobs."
Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, recently released a white paper on updating the nation's energy trade policies. Analysis supporting energy exports by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service is available here.
"The impact on American consumers is critical. Opening up world markets to U.S. crude oil will lower the global price, which will in turn lower the global prices for petroleum products," Murkowski said. "All things equal, the American consumer will benefit from this interaction, as will those Americans employed directly and indirectly as a result.
Full video of Thursday's hearing is available on the energy panel's website.

subset: commoncrawl


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Florida Gators assistant to VCU
UF assistant basketball coach Shaka Smart will follow in the footsteps of Anthony Grant as head coach of Virginia Commonwealth.
GAINESVILLE -- Well, nice knowing you, Shaka Smart. The young-and-upcoming Florida assistant basketball coach is leaving the Gators to be the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth, according to multiple reports.
Smart, 32, coached one season with the Gators after a two-year stint at Clemson. Smart follows in the footsteps of former UF assistant Anthony Grant, who left UF in 2006 to be the head coach at VCU. Grant, 42, was recently hired as the head coach at the University of Alabama.


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The Bertram 54 represents the venerable builder's embrace of good ol' American boatbuilding know-how. And that's precisely why this iconic brand is once again riding the rails at full steam.
The muddled voices around me contained welcoming southern twangs, while whiffs of diesel exhaust floated over the docks. Pockets of conversation focused on the upcoming season of tournaments, where the fish were going off currently, big diesels, and a few tall angling tales. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was certainly different about this particular Thursday afternoon in Ft. Lauderdale.
Then I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Here I was standing in the middle of the Ferretti USA showroom, a powerhouse of Italian boatbuilding and design consisting of iconic brands such as Riva, Pershing, and of course Ferretti, yet these across-the-pond siblings were a thousand miles away from this gathering. This was Bertram's day in the spotlight, showcasing American boatbuilding—and the 54 was the star attraction.
Those who have followed the peaks and valleys of this venerable brand over the years will appreciate how special a moment this was for any boating nut. Believe me, I love all things Italian. I love the people, crazy politics, cars, and the boats. Indeed, I have actually tried to hug a 27-foot Riva Iseo. (I admit, I came on a little strong.) Furthermore, the Ferretti Group's founder, Norberto Ferretti, is one the industry's leading innovators and product developers. Yet winning over my affection on this January day was the "new" Bertram 54 Convertible and the team that built and designed this sweet ride.
If you're scratching your head wondering if the 54 is "new," well, yes and no. An Italianate version was introduced in 2008 at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, creating a few raised eyebrows from diehard sportfishing circles. I understand why. After spending some time on this 54, it was as if the boat was a bulky American trying to fit into a slim-cut Italian suit. You wanted to like it, but something was a little offputting.
Sure, there were a lot of nifty interior treatments. The aft galley arrangement and forward windshield were practical and made a lot of sense when put on a piece of paper on another continent. However the pros of the accommodations plan primarily fell in the cruising and entertaining categories. And Bertram's heritage lay firmly embedded in the tough, salt-stained battlewagon category.
Another issue on the first few hulls of that 54 was the handling—mainly the steering. In my opinion, she felt a little squirrelly and less responsive than I would have liked. Enter noted naval architect Robert Ullberg, who joined Bertram as vice president of product development and engineering in 2012. Ullberg is a heavy-hitter in the sportfish-design world. After starting his career with noted naval architect Tom Fexas, he went on to work with industry leaders such as Roy Merritt, John Bayliss, and Mike Rybovich. (And he's the designer of the new Garlington 49, Osprey, reviewed on page 48 of this issue.) In my opinion, hiring Ullberg was a hell of a move by Bertram management. Not only does he get what's going on below the waterline, he has a superb eye. Then top off this skill set with an infectious passion for sportfishing boats and performance. (Shh, I got a sneak peak of a few future Bertram projects from Ullberg's drawing board that will undoubtedly generate a lot of buzz. All I can say is wow!)
Sitting in the 165-square foot cockpit of the latest version of the 54 while the Cats warmed up, Ullberg and I discussed the aforementioned handling issues and rudders. It was refreshing how honest and matter of fact he was about some of the previous shortcomings. "The modifications to the 54's steering system were primarily a reshaping of the rudder to make it more balanced and to optimize the blade for higher speeds," wrote Ullberg in a follow-up e-mail. "The secondary modifications were to tune the geometry of the installation in order to make the boat more responsive to steering input both at slow and high speed." He implemented a few other tricks he prefers to keep to himself. I've been on the boatbuilding side myself and know this type of fine-tuning is constant as a model evolves.
The end result was an improved ride compared to the first few 54s. Not that the earlier hulls had significant issues, but when you have a boat with the same model designation as one of the best-riding convertibles on the water—the original Bertram 54—it better kick ass. And now it certainly does. The twin 1,700-horsepower Caterpillar C32 ACERTs provided impressive acceleration and torque propelling us to a top speed of nearly 40 knots. The line of sight from the aft-oriented helm was superb, allowing me to easily see the action in the cockpit or over the bow. During our sea trial there was zero wallowing or excessive smoke as I put her through her paces. And the helm response? Bingo! Ullberg and the Bertram team nailed it.
The single fuel tank is on the centerline in the engine room. (I like single-tank installations that eliminate the need for often-complicated fuel-manifold systems.) The builder also got the weight distribution right and we achieved a plane effortlessly without touching the tabs. Pulling the throttles back to about a 67-percent load produced an easy 20-knot-plus, low cruising speed and a range of a little more than 300 miles with a 10-percent reserve.
The Bertram 54 is not a particularly light boat, tipping the scales at a bit more than 83,000 pounds, she is a little heftier than some of her competitors. Yet I felt the benefit when pounding through some stacked seas off Ft. Lauderdale. Man, this was a fun boat to drive, with no excessive rattling or shaking. Dominican Republic here I come!
The 54's cockpit is designed to appeal to active anglers and benefits from a generous 18-foot, 2-inch beam. Mezzanine seating provides a comfortable perch to watch your baits. No more sitting for hours on top of a bait station with a life jacket wedged under your bum. Two large fishboxes and a livewell complete the package. Bertram also offers some versatility in the cockpit fit out and gives the option of a bait center or an additional freezer. A lazarette absorbs buckets, brushes, and various supplies.
The eight-step ladder between the cockpit and the flying bridge is built at an angle that nearly allows a forward-facing transition while stationary. On the bridge, a huge U-shaped settee is forward of the helm and is more than comfortable. Access to the backside of the electronics is well thought out and should please the most vocal installers.
Another refreshing nod to Americana boatbuilding practices is the interior option of a forward galley. As I stated previously, there is nothing inherently wrong with the aft galley arrangement, and in fact Bertram still offers the plan. However the team realized that the majority of their diehard clientele preferred the more traditional galley forward layout, sans windshield, allowing for extra stowage and a very workable layout. Plus, in a way, it sends the message that a true Bertram remains a kick-ass, hard-core fishing machine, not a fluffed-up cruiser. I hear you!
The stateroom arrangement remains the same. Check out the accommodations plan on page 41 and you'll see a very functional plan for your fishing buddies or family. The forward guest stateroom can be ordered with an over/under berth arrangement as well. The interior joinery—finished by a subcontractor—was well executed.
I need to give further credit where credit is due. The man responsible for ensuring Bertram stayed true to its roots, hired the right folks, and recharged the current staff is boatbuilding veteran and sportfishing enthusiast Alton Herndon. Herndon joined Bertram as president three years ago, complementing an impressive 40-year marine-industry career, including working as president of Hatteras Yachts until 1996.
"The 54 is key to Bertram's business," he said during our sea trial. And so is the new waterfront factory in Merritt Island, Florida. Bertram outgrew their Miami facility many years ago and implemented a variety of workarounds that included building larger boats under temporary shelters and launching these boats at high tide. Herndon led the charge for the new facility that offers room for future expansion and navigable water.
"I heard from a longtime dealer who said his new 64 was the best delivery he had in 10 years," said Herdon referring to the first boat completed at Merritt Island. Hmm, maybe I need to find an excuse to see the next 54 completed entirely at this factory. Hey, I need to take this baby for a ride again. Although after taking a peek behind the scenes at what Bertram has lined up, I think I may be down in Merritt Island a bunch more times in the foreseeable future. Bertram is back, baby.


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Date Published
February 15, 2012
More Money Available for Certification Cost Share! CCOF is excited to announce that the 2012 Certification Cost Share Program, which will cover 75 percent of certification costs up to $750, will now apply to each National Organic Program (NOP) scope of certification you have achieved. Applications are being accepted for any entity certified between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012.
There are four applicable scopes under the NOP: Crops, Handling, Livestock, and Wild Crop. The scopes you are certified for appear on your certificate. This applies to all states. In California, the CDFA has sent all registrants an updated application. More information, applications, and easy CCOF certification and cost verification tools are available.


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Do Hmong deported by Thailand face danger in Laos?
| Bangkok, Thailand
In a defiant move, Thailand has sent back to Laos more than 4,500 ethnic Hmong who fled their homeland in recent years and many of whose elders fought for the CIA during the Vietnam War.
The US government has strongly condemned the mass deportation of displaced Hmong, who have claimed persecution at home and sought refugee status. Thailand says that the vast majority are economic migrants and are assured fair treatment by Lao authorities.
The expulsions began early Monday at a military-run camp in northern Thailand. Truckloads of Hmong were later driven to a bridge over the Mekong River that divides the two countries, and handed over to Laos. All have now been returned, according to Thai and UN officials.
Human rights groups say Thailand's refusal to allow UN officials to visit the camp and interview asylum seekers means that many Hmong may have been sent back to a country where they have a well-founded fear of persecution – the legal definition of a refugee.
While it has hosted large refugee populations along its borders, including in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Thailand has never signed the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. Security officials are wary of lenient policies that could attract more refugees from its unstable neighbors.
Successive groups of Hmong who fled Laos after the Communist takeover in 1975 have resettled in the US, mostly in St. Paul, Minn., and central California. The largest recent program in 2003 accepted around 14,000 Hmong who had taken shelter at a Buddhist temple in Thailand.
After that program ended, Thai authorities took a tougher line on Hmong living in Thailand, some of whom claimed kinship with pro-US fighters and sought unsuccessfully to join the US resettlement program. More than 3,000 have been deported to Laos since 2005.
Monday's expulsions included a group of 158 Hmong, held separately in a border town, who were granted UN refugee status in 2006. The US and other countries had agreed to resettle members of this group, says Ariane Rummery, a spokesperson for the UN High Commission on Refugees.
But Thailand insisted that the 158 refugees must be sent back to Laos along with the other, larger group, despite last-ditch efforts by US officials to stall the process. UN officials and human-rights activists said that the deportations were involuntary and defied humanitarian norms. Around 5,000 unarmed soldiers took part in the operation, according to Thai press reports, though most news media were barred from the site.
"The forcible return of refugees to their country of origin is a violation of international law," Ms. Rummery says.
Thailand: West slow to take on refugees themselves
Thai officials say genuine asylum seekers, including the 158 deportees, can be processed in Laos and resettled in the US and other countries. The Lao government has said that this can happen within 30 days, says Thani Thongpakdi, a spokesperson for Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"We've been given assurances by the Lao government that the Hmong who have returned to Laos will not be persecuted," he says.
A senior Thai military official said that Western countries critical of Thailand's treatment of displaced Hmong had been slow to offer solutions, prompting Thailand to take matters into its own hands. "Nobody has paid attention to looking after them or taking them to their own countries," he says.
Human rights groups say the treatment by Communist-ruled Laos of Hmong is questionable, particularly in the case of groups of Hmong insurgents still fighting in remote mountain areas under military control. Some of the deportees are linked to the insurgents, who have support from exiled Hmong in the US and are believed to be only a few hundred-strong.
"There needs to be some sort of credible monitoring process on the Lao side of the border," says Benjamin Zawacki, a researcher in Bangkok for Amnesty International.
Thailand screened the 4,300 Hmong at the camp and found that a small number belonged to a "sensitive group," says Mr. Thani, who declined to classify them as refugees. The remainder were economic migrants who would be given land and housing in Laos according to an agreement between the two countries.
But Ms. Rummery said Thailand's decision to deport asylum seekers who had already been approved for resettlement could be problematic, as UNHCR has until now been unable to open an office in Laos.
Critics say Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, who took office a year ago with military backing after royalist protests against the previous government, is reluctant to stand up to the military on sensitive issues like national security and refugee camps.
In January, Thailand's military was accused of pushing several boatloads of Muslim refugees from Burma out to sea on ships without motors or adequate food and water. Hundreds were later rescued after their vessels washed up India and Indonesia, while others drowned at sea. Under international pressure, Mr. Abhisit promised an enquiry but failed to reprimand any of the military officials implicated in the program.


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AMAZING illustration by Shirley Ng-Benitez & it's available for free download at We Love to Illustrate.
definitely check it out, the other artists created fantastic downloads as well. so good, so so good!!!
happy thursday!
AMAZING illustration by Shirley Ng-Benitez & it's available for free download at We Love to Illustrate.
definitely check it out, the other artists created fantastic downloads as well. so good, so so good!!!
happy thursday!
of the brand spanking new issue of Etzcetera Magazine?
this issue is jam-packed with gorgeousness upon gorgeousness....and i'm incredibly honored to be a part of it! (actually "incredibly honored" is an understatement...when Kim e-mailed me asking if I'd be interested I completely freaked out!) so yes, you'll even see little ol' me in this amazing magazine...
i know i cannot wait to try my hand at Kim's sweet little felt tree and i'm dying to make the "shabby stocking", such a gorgeous project by the fabulous mardi winen...and a million other things...this magazine is chock full of inspiring ideas & how-to's...definitely just the creative spark i needed!!!
be sure to get your copy here!!!
happy Thursday!!
it was one of those things that just came out of left field...
over a foot of snow...on October 29th.
Now, yes, we do live in a part of the country very familiar with big snow storms...we've been through many a nor'easter...
but over a foot of snow 2 days before Halloween???!!! This was a huge surprise for us.
and when the snow began falling it was magical...so beautiful. we watched the snowflakes fall, and it was gorgeous to see the white stark against all the trees still decked out in their Autumn splendor. First snows always have that extra special quality...that little bit of magic...
The kids grabbed their boots & head out into this magic, out of place, winter wonderland. They built a snowman, caught snowflakes on their tongues, they threw snowballs. I brewed coffee, made chili in the crockpot, turned on some Adele...it was a welcome, relaxing, fun, albeit surprising, snow day...
And then the power went out. Fun time over...no more magic...whining ensued...
Luckily, we have great friends who have generators so we weathered the storm sharing appetizers and a nice glass of red while the kids ran around like crazy and we are lucky to have other clever friends who hooked up our very own generator so we were showered & had clean dishes & were able watch DVDs and have a nice warm house...what a blessing!!!
And now we begin November...a month to reflect on what we are thankful for...our blessings...and it couldn't have come at a better time...
And I am so thankful for family and friends and warmth and electricity and running water...
And even magical first snows that come way too early and cause havoc...
Happy Wednesday!!
I've always been curious about curry. They are so exotic & colorful. And despite knowing curry is an Indian culinary staple, I for some reason always associate a curry with being fabulous and British. I think it's because years ago when I read "Bridget Jones Diary" she talked about getting "take away curry". I think I have some secret desire to be fabulously British...
Anyway....so when this crockpot veggie curry recipe turned up, I was really looking forward to giving it a try. The crockpot bit sealed the deal, I love those "pop everything in the crockpot & let it go" meals.
It turned out pretty well. I definitely took a lot of the advice left by the numerous reviewers & added more spice than called for in the recipe. I didn't have a serrano chile so I used a jalapeno, used 2 cans of chickpeas...both adjustments worked great. I also swapped out the baking potatoes & green beans for sweet potato, red sweet peppers & zucchini since that is what I had on hand. The red peppers & sweet potato were definitely a score, their sweetness and color added so much to the final dish (they also pumped up the nutritional value a bit :). I will definitely be keeping this recipe in the short file, love it's versitlity that enables you to use what is super gorgeous at the farmer's market that week AND the crockpot bit. So definitely a keeper :)
I'm looking forward to the leftovers :)
What new cuisines or recipes have you tried lately?
Happy Thursday!!
I took my photo right before I placed the lid on the crockpot. Veggie heaven!!!
i was searching for images this morning & came upon this layout i did last year for the pencil lines book and it brought back a lot of fond creating memories.
i remember when i finished it i was so proud of it and had really enjoyed the whole creative process. it was created solely from the bits & bobs that laid out on my desk. it was a kind of a self-imposed "use it or loose it" challenge and it was so fun pulling it all together. i always tend to save everything (like that teeny strip of blue & white striped fabric) from projects...it's a sickness really.
& now that i think of it, i've imposed that sort of "make something out of what is laying out on the desk" challenge quite a few times and really loved the results. these other projects come to mind...
& there are a bunch more now that i come to think of it. seems i create best when there are few options or the necessity to clean. :)
it's been quite a while since i've had that creative rush...especially with scrapbooking. i do have a messy fabric bin to contend with...
hmmm...maybe the creative bug will strike?
happy thursday!
I love this time of year and today we had one of those absolutely gorgeous, sunny, big blue sky days. I stopped by my local farm this afternoon & spied these gorgeous peppers and immediately put a box in my bag.
Now to figure out what to do with them....
I'll have to have a look around pinterest. I may even just keep it simple & saute them with olive oil & some fresh herbs. Maybe add in some goat cheese. Mmmmmmm...I'm getting hungry already! Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!
Happy Wednesday!
above illustration by shirley ng-benetiz found on we love to illustrate
if you haven't visited the we love to illustrate blog yet...oooh today is your lucky day! It is a wonderful site featuring a group of amazing women who illustrate for the children's market and each month each artist contributes an illustration based on a chosen theme. & lucky for us, this month is not only Halloween, but cupcake toppers!!!
gah! they are all sooooooo super cute!!! I think the colorful bunch shown above, illustrated by shirley ng-benetiz would look so great atop the marshmallow icing of these s'mores cupcakes. my kids will flip.out!!
happy downloading!
it's been crazytown around here since....well, since forever, i guess. and the one thing that seems to derail even my most accomplished list-ticking-off day is dinner. i do not know why it completely surprises me every single solitary day...but it does. you can set your clock to it, really. because at about 4:46pm every day one of my kids (or mike) looks at me & asks "what's for dinner?" & i'm all "uh...wha? yikes! it's dinnertime AGAIN!??!!!!"
so i really depend on recipes that i can make ahead of time & pop in the fridge for when that inevitable "what's for dinner?" question comes.
and this stuffed peppers recipe is one that i've depended on for quite some time. it is super easy & quick to make, needs only 1 pot (no sink full of dirty dishes) and is sooooooo good.
definitely one to keep in the rotation. especially when those gorgeous, huge red peppers are bountiful at the farm market. like i mentioned earlier, I like to make this dish earlier in the day (through step 3), cover it & pop it in the fridge so it is good to go when 5pm rolls around. My photos were taken at nice & calm prep time, just before i poppped 'em in the fridge. the house was quiet & i felt all june cleaver-ish having dinner all set to go. so yeah the peppers don't have that final touch of delish melted cheese, but trust me....they.are.so.good!!
the basic recipe is from my trusty ol' better homes & gardens cookbook but i change it up a little bit adding in some more tomatoes & fresh spinach to pump up the veggie content and i add lots more cheese. also i do not pre-cook my peppers because i like them to maintain a bit of crunch. To round out the meal, serve with some garlic bread. yum!!
so here ya go! hope you & your family enjoy!!
Stuffed Peppers:
oven 375
2 large gorgeous red peppers
3/4 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken or sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup long grain rice
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspooon Italian seasoning
2 big handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (Muenster, cheddar, Monteray Jack)
1. Halve peppers, removing stem ends, seeds & membranes. Rinse & put in baking dish.
2. In a large skillet cook meat & onion till meat is brown & onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, water, uncooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, 1/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 15-18 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese & chopped spinach.
3. Fill peppers with meat mixture.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until heated through (if you've made your dish earlier in the day & had them in the fridge, up the baking time to about 20-25 minutes to make sure they are heated through). Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese & pop back in oven until cheese is melted. Serve & enjoy!
happy thursday!!
sometime today, please stop & say a prayer for my sweet friend, tamar. she was just diagnosed with breast cancer and today meets with her oncologist for the first time.
thank you :)
so cool!!!! so excited for this learn to crochet class from craftyminx. the class begins this Sunday, October 1st.
I learned to crochet last year using meet me at mike's video tutorials but it's been a while since i've picked up the hook & wool. looking forward diving back in again.
join in!!! it's free!!
happy wednesday!


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Mixed media landscapes
Selected works
About the work & the artist
Materials & Framing standards
Selected works 2017
Landscape L1019
Field Sloping Down to a Line of Trees, The Chiltern Hills
18 x 15cm. 2017.
Mixed media: graphite, colour pencil, soluble crayon, acrylic, conte crayon and pastel on white paper.
Signed and dated on reverse.
firstname.lastname@example.com | All rights reserved ©2016


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Yes. If you use any water, you must get a permit from the State Engineer`s Office in Cheyenne. All applications for surface water (irrigation and reservoir, etc.) and/or ground water (wells/springs) can be obtained through the State Engineers` Office in Cheyenne, WY by calling 307-777-7354 or by mailing a request to the State Engineers` Office at:
4th Floor, East
Herschler Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Show All Answers
All water is owned by the State of Wyoming.
Not necessarily. All water belongs to the State of Wyoming, but water rights also go along with the land. You can call the State of Wyoming Surface Water Division for specific information about your property. You will need the physical description of your property, by way of: Section, Township, Range.


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HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, affects all nurses in how we obtain and handle patient information. As patient confidentiality is a sacred trust, it is the duty of the Nurse to protect the integrity of the nurse-patient relationship. Come here to learn strategies on how to communicate with family members who demand information, how to check yourself as well as fellow colleagues and ensure accountability, discuss what is and is not acceptable information to release, and/or how to avoid disclosure pitfalls.
Nurses HIPAA


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The Love Bug (1968)
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Genres - Comedy, Fantasy, Children's/Family |
Sub-Genres - Family-Oriented Adventure, Family-Oriented Comedy, Fantasy Comedy |
Release Date - Dec 23, 1968 (USA) |
Run Time - 108 min. |
Countries - United Kingdom, United States |
MPAA Rating - G
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Those who worried that the Disney studio would collapse without the presence of the late Uncle Walt were put at ease when the profits starting rolling in for The Love Bug. The "star" is Herbie, a lovable little Volkswagen with a personality all its own. Abused by a bad guy race-car driver (David Tomlinson), Herbie is rescued by a good guy racer (Dean Jones). Out of gratitude, Herbie enables the luckless good guy to win one race after another. The real fun begins when the ruthless hot-rodder connives to get Herbie back through fair means or foul. Based on a story by Gordon Buford, The Love Bug inspired two equally lucrative sequels, Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.
race-car, race-car driver, friendship, auto-racing, racer, winner, on-the-road, rescue
High Historical Importance


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Radiant 14
Price on Request
The Digital Emblem Series is an observation of shape and pattern reduced to a silhouette rendered in composition printed on watercolour paper. It is both a study of colours and patterns. En masse they are a collection that does not attempt to categorize but to celebrate the density of visual phenomena in our lives.
:: Digital print on watercolour paper.
:: 12" W x 12" H
:: Print is shipped flat & unframed.
:: Moss & Lam Collection 2016.


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You may submit a valid public information request by one of the following methods:
Online: http://www.baytown.org/city-hall/city-clerk/public-information
E-mail: email@example.com
Fax: 281-420-5891
Mail or In Person: City Clerk's Office - Baytown City Hall, 2401 Market Street, Baytown, Texas 77520
**Note: requests sent to any other location or email will not be processed**
Show All Answers
Backyard recreational fires must be:
Discharge of fireworks within the city limits of Baytown, or within 1,000 feet of the city limits, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000. Fireworks stands are located outside the enforcement zone, so any use of fireworks should take place even farther out.
You can NOT burn yard waste. Only recreational fires are allowed using the guidelines listed in the previous question.
You may contact our Public Information / Public Education Coordinator, Casey Cook, at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 281-420-7116 to schedule a speaker / tour / event / or firehouse visit or browse our webpage, Baytown Fire Department Programs, to discover what programs we have to offer.
Emergency medical technicians (EMT) receive approximately 150 hours of initial training in basic life support practices. These include providing patients with oxygen when needed, acquiring vital sign measurements, managing injuries, and providing CPR.Paramedics provide the highest level of out-of-hospital care and receive approximately one year, 1700 hours, of training to achieving national certification. Paramedic training includes approximately 700 hours of classroom education, 300 hours of in-hospital training and experience, and 700 hours of experience working on a medic unit.
As a fire burns, it moves upward and outward. Breaking the windows and/or cutting holes in the roof (called ventilation) stops the damaging outward movement and enables firefighters to fight the fire more efficiently and safely.
It does not cost you anything when you call 911 for a fire or EMS emergency. There is a fee if the ambulance transports you to the hospital. The City of Baytown Municipal Codes list the charges for specific response types.
You may have your blood pressure checked at any fire station or the fire administration building. However, crews may not be available at all times depending on call responses and trainings. Please call 911 for emergencies.
Baytown Fire Department received an ISO Class 1 rating on September 1st, 2018. The list of fire station locations on our website can help you locate the closest station to your home.
The City of Baytown website also provides a GIS mapping tool. The map tool has a fire hydrant layer. You can search your address in the GIS, with the fire hydrant layer on and it will show you any fire hydrants near your home.
No. Medicare/Medicaid regulations require ambulance providers to transport to the closest hospital. The Baytown Fire Department transports patients to Houston Methodist Baytown, unless there is a need for specialized care not provided by the hospital.
BFD responds to far more than fires. The fire department responds to medical emergencies, hazardous materials responses and rescues and a variety of hazardous conditions. In addition to responding to over 13,000 incidents per year, the fire department keeps busy with many other activities. When not responding to emergencies you may find us testing hoses, testing our apparatuses, attending trainings, cleaning/conducting maintenance on the fire stations, and performing fire prevention activities such as building inspections or fire safety classes.
The safest and most effective way to ensure a key is available to first responders is to install a KNOX Residential Box. You can find more information on how to acquire a KNOX Residential Box on our website.
The City of Baytown has a medication take back box located at 220 W Defee Ave. 77520, in the lobby of the Baytown Police Department Community Service Bureau.
The City of Baytown has a needle and syringe disposal box located at 220 W Defee Ave. 77520, in the lobby of the Baytown Police Department Community Service Bureau
No, the Baytown Fire Department does not fill swimming pools.


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About Us
Welcome to Reliant Dallas...we are a hospital that changes lives with progressive care and positive outcomes. If you or your loved one has suffered a life-changing illness or injury involving a physical or neurological disability, we provide the care you need to get your life back to normal. Our experienced and compassionate team is dedicated to your recovery. Each and every day, we come to work with one goal in mind – to do all we can to provide a comfortable stay while we help you reach your maximum levels of productivity, independence and mobility. Read more
Mission Statement
Everything we do is infused by our enduring mission to...
- Inspire hope in the mind, heart and body
- Provide a welcoming and encouraging environment for our patients, employees and physicians
- Restore quality of life
- Make a difference in the lives we affect


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Trustees request funding from Governor and Legislature to 'buy out' 2011-12 increase
The California State University Board of Trustees approved a two-step tuition increase on November 10, 2010 needed to sustain enrollment, classes and services for current students. The Trustees approved a mid-year increase of five percent – or $105 – for 2010-11 that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011 for the winter/spring terms. In addition, the Trustees adopted a 10 percent – or $444 – annual increase for the 2011-12 academic year that would become effective for fall 2011.
However, due to financial aid, an estimated 180,000 students – approximately half of all CSU undergrads – will be fully covered for the tuition increases. Additionally, tens of thousands of students not fully covered by financial aid will also benefit from newly expanded federal tax credits available for family incomes of up to $180,000.
"While we appreciate the funding that we did receive in this year's budget, the reality is our state support is roughly the same as it was five years ago and we have 25,000 more students," said Dr. Benjamin F. Quillian, CSU executive vice chancellor for business and finance. "In addition, part of the funding we received – $106 million – was one-time federal stimulus money that is being used at the state's direction to admit 30,000 more students. These students will be on our campuses long after this one-time funding has been exhausted, and we have to ensure that we have the ongoing resources to support them."
Due to the uncertainty of the state's fiscal outlook, and also to provide students and parents with additional time for financial planning, CSU is also planning a tuition increase for 2011-12. The Trustees indicated that they will request the state funding needed to "buy out" the proposed 2011-12 tuition increase. If approved by the governor and legislature, these funds would make it possible for the CSU to rescind the tuition increase.
The CSU Trustees voted 14 to 2 to adopt the mid-year tuition increase with Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado and student Trustee Nicole Anderson voting against the increase. Trustees voted 13-3 to adopt the 2011-12 tuition increase with Melinda Guzman joining Maldonado and Anderson in voting against the proposal.
Mid-Year Tuition Increase
In January of this year, the Governor's 2010-11 proposed budget assumed a 10 percent raise in CSU student tuition as part of an overall partial restoration in funding. In June, the Board of Trustees adopted a five percent increase after reviewing an Assembly budget proposal that would have provided funding for the remaining five percent. However, the additional funding was not included in the budget finally adopted by the legislature and the governor, leaving CSU resources approximately $64 million short of the governor's budget plan for 2010-11. The mid-year tuition increase will allow the CSU to significantly restore services across the system including the addition of approximately 3,000 course offerings for winter/spring 2011. That number is expected to double in the 2011-12 academic year.
The five percent increase will take effect for the winter/spring of 2011 and will raise tuition by $105 per semester for undergraduate students, $123 for credential program participants and $129 for graduate students. Tuition will rise from the current $2,115 to $2,220 for the spring semester for full-time undergraduate students.
Tuition Increase for 2011-2012 Academic Year
The Trustees also approved a recommendation to increase tuition by 10 percent for the 2011-12 academic year. The recently approved 2010-11 state budget provides partial restoration of about $260 million in state General Fund support for the CSU. In addition, the CSU received $106 million in one-time federal stimulus funds with the assumption that the funding will allow the university to serve a sharply increased level of enrollment. The planned 2011-12 tuition increase would generate approximately $121.5 million in revenue (net of financial aid). This would ensure that CSU can provide adequate courses and sections to students, and allow campuses to make decisions that are needed now to support enrollment, student services and class offerings for next fall.
Full-time tuition will increase by $444 per academic year for undergraduate students, $516 for credential program participants and $546 for graduate students for fall 2011. Undergraduate tuition will rise from $4,440 to $4,884 per year.
The tuition for the CSU Education Doctorate program is linked by law to the University of California graduate student tuition rate.
Finally, the board will ask the governor and the legislature to "buy out" the tuition increase by providing adequate funding in the 2011-12 state budget for CSU, allowing the university to rescind the tuition increase.
Financial Aid Available to Students
One third of revenue from tuition increases will be set aside for financial aid. Through the awarding of State University Grants, Cal Grants and CSU tuition and fee waivers, approximately 180,000 undergraduate students – about 50 percent of all CSU undergrads – do not pay tuition and have their tuition covered completely by financial aid. The CSU is also the largest recipient of Federal Pell Grants. Students with higher income or dependent students with higher income, may still qualify for many forms of financial aid and federal tax credits.


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For Sellers
Backed by an impressive portfolio of innovative programs and tools, professional support, and the combined resources, services and knowledge of over 20 offices, I'm ready to put my extensive expertise to work for you.
At Macdonald Realty, we understand that selling your home can be an emotional undertaking. If you choose to work with me, my goal is to ensure you have all the market information at your fingertips to make the best possible decision. I'll make the process as seamless as possible.
Here's how the process works:
- Let's meet up to discuss your goals. From there, we can have a professional consultation and enter into an agreement to list your property, and if you're happy to move forward, we'll enter into an agency relationship
- Once I've advised you on how to optimize showings, we'll implement a marketing plan to start advertising your home
- Once we've started showing the home to prospective buyers and agents, you'll be presented with offers. I'll advise how to negotiate an offer that is best for you
- From here, we'll enter into negotiations, and accept the offer that you're happy with
- Next, there'll be an inspection and/or an appraisal, and I'll liaise with the buyer or agent to satisfy subject clauses
- The sold sign is up! From here, you'll need to arrange for movers, cancellation of utilities, insurance & forwarding of mail, and you'll complete the closing documents and title transfer with a lawyer or notary
- Completion date! You'll receive the funds from the sale of your home
- Possession date! I'll deliver the keys to the buyer
Get in touch to receive a complimentary market analysis or estimated valuation.


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A lot of other blogs are linking here, and a lot of articles are linking to the wiki or recent post. A selection: ipodindia, dualiko, the-informer.info, ajun.org, inteeer gadgets, freegadgetnews, spotgadgets, gps-navigation, wiredpen, ontorebd.
Internationally : e-day.it and pasteris.it, and a few German-language posts
Yama posted one of his inimitable essays, pony and all, on the blog that everyone can edit.  John Paczkowski wins the prize for the catchiest post.
Comment here if you want your own thoughts added to this list. I've also seen a few good threads for pulling out more 'best of OLPC commentary' quotes… some of them with helpful reflections. Those are worth listing, as well.


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Series 60 Core Block - SingleCore Blocks are a true all round solution. A tuned 2-stage bearing system provides excellent performance across the full working load range with an integrated thrust bearing feature and the resilience to handle high dynamic or static loads. Acetal sheave, alloy cheeks and stainless fixings complete the durable package. For reliability and a long service life, these blocks are the right choice for sheets, halyards and control line applications for cruising and racing.Universal BearingDynamic and high static load performanceThe Ronstan Universal Bearing incorporates our proven 2-stage bearing systemStage 1 - Under moderate loads, Acetal ball bearings ensure minimum friction.Stage 2 - Under heavy loads, where deformation of ball bearings alone would result in increased friction, a sliding Acetal bearing on a polished stainless steel race takes over, maintaining low friction performance.Additionally the ball bearings are configured to act as a thrust bearing between the sheave and cheeks, preventing the sheave from rubbing on the cheeks and causing friction when the line lead in and out of the block isn't perfect. Particularly important for cheek blocks.Alloy Cheek PlatesBlock cheeks are manufactured from the highest quality alloy for maximum strength. Material optimisation and the cut-away design minimises weight and allows easy fresh water rinsing of salt and debris from the bearings. Cheek design has been further styled with flaring at the block throat and reduced gap between the cheek and sheave, minimising rope wear.Universal headThe head assembly incorporates a brass bearing washer to provide smooth 360 rotation of the post and shackle. A set screw arrangement allows the head to be locked at 0 or 90.Shackles are high quality forged grade 316 stainless steel.Features:
- $96.90


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Challenging the Home Secretary's review of the way payments are calculated for asylum seekers (R (Nyamayaro and Okolo) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department)
An asylum seeker lost 30 per cent of her financial support after the Home Office changed how it calculates payments. She raised a Judicial Review, which was unsuccessful. She appealed. We intervened in the case because we were concerned that the Home Secretary hadn't given enough consideration to the impact on human rights or equality laws.
Challenging the Home Office's Removal Notice Window (RNW) policy (R ((1) FB & (2) Medical Justice) v SSHD)
We intervened in a challenge regarding a Home Office policy, which gave people sometimes as little as 72 hours' notice before they can be deported from the UK without further warning. The policy was ruled to be unlawful by the courts.


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Roofing North Dallas
Roofing Company Archive. Main page.
Let's have a look at the problems that can arise from the storm damage.
Although Texas doesn't experience severe winter weather like in the north parts of the country, the residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area face other severe weather conditions like storms or hail and they cause storm damage or hail damage. It always depends on the severity of a storm or hail. But in most cases, hail damage (storm damage) must be fixed immediately in order to prevent it from causing more problems that will lead to the roof replacement.
Roofing Company Archive. Main page.


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Invited to a vegan dinner, the Hooters Angel owl and Devil owl sit on our heroes shoulders unable to watch as men with hipster moustaches suck on soy-sausages and women with unshaved armpits pass the beans. This man would not be able to deal with real issues, poor thing.
Agency: Fitzgerald + Co
Agency Producer/HOP: Christine Sigety
Creative Director: Evan Levy
CCO: Noel Cottrell
SR. AD: Patrick Campbell
Management Supervisor: Allison Sherrill
Production Company: Caviar
Executive Producer: Michael Sagol, Jasper Thomlinson
Producer: Luke Ricci
Director: Jody Hill
DOP: Mark Williams
Production Designer: Lauryn Leclere
Editorial Company: Arcade Edit
Executive Producer: Damian Stevens
Editor: Geoff Hounsell
Producer: Denise Hutton


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Budweiser US brand health grows but market share falls: AB InBev CEO 'not happy'
Reporting its Q3 and nine month 2012 results last Wednesday, AB InBev reported revenues up 9.1% year-over-year to $11.291bn in Q3 (and 6.7% up in 2012) although volumes fell 0.3% in the quarter.
Q3 EBITDA grew 10.6% in Q3 to $3.077bn, while nine month EBITDA rose 6.9% to $11.123bn; the respective net profit figures were $1.864bn (+7.7%) and $5.492bn (+22.3%).
Sales did not meet expectations...
Although Budweiser grew 6.2% globally in Q3 and year-to-date, AB InBev CEO Brito told analysts on an earnings call last week that Budweiser did not meet quarterly expectations in the US, "partly due to ship and retail execution focus from our teams to our innovations".
"However, we're pleased with the improvements we're seeing the brand health scores among the important 21 to 27-year-old core consumer group, the so-called millennials," he added.
Brito said AB InBev felt the time was ripe to release Budweiser line extensions to show the "craftsmanship, the history, the roots of the brand", and mentioned a summer limited edition whereby 12 US brewers created a tribute to Budweiser beers that led a limited-edition release.
But despite brand health scores pointing upward, Brito said that AB InBev was slightly disappointed that it had not yet clawed-back market share.
"We think this year, in particular, it's because of all the focus we gave to the new innovations that…had a great yield in terms of volumes and industry impact. But, of course, something had to give, and that something ended up being Budweiser a little bit," Brito told analysts.
Finessing these points later in the call, he said that retailers and AB InBev's commercial staff had focused on the firm's innovations in 2012, due to higher margins and faster sales, with Budweiser losing out in terms of store features and displays as a result.
Budweiser's strong global growth
In its Best Global Brands 2012 report released last month, Interbrand's analysts warned that, as Budweiser's global market grows, it continues to lose ground at home, and is now the third brand in its category in the US, behind Bud Light and Coors Light," the analysts wrote.
"Although the rate of its US decline has reduced recently, can Budweiser become the world's number one beer if it is not number one at home?" they asked.
Nonetheless, AB InBev remained committed to Budweiser (the firm's No.2 brand behind Bud Lite), Brito added, due to its history and global growth, while the company wanted to reinvigorate the brand with music, for instance, which helped cement Budweiser as an iconic US brand in the first place.
Discussing AB InBev's broader decision to sacrifice volume for value share, Brito told Lauren Torres from HSBC Research Division that, "in the old days, there was a big temptation to rebalance the share equation with better brand activity".
"Now that door is pretty much closed and we have to do the Bud Lite Platinum…the [Bud Lite] Lime-a-Rita, the Shock Top, the Stella Artois to rebalance share," he said.
He added that AB had cut an annual loss of 0.5-0.6% over the past two years to 0.26% in the year to date, with "much better" pricing and mix.


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Steve from the Inventoids weblog loves the Moleskine hacked for GTD, but he hates the floppy page-marking tabs that "get bent, or pushed out of place, or lose their stick." So instead of sticky tabs protruding from his notebook, he's cut innie tabs at the first five pages of every section similar to what you see marking new letter sets on dictionaries. The idea isn't terribly groundbreaking, but if you're sick of messy tabs sticking out from your notebooks, this might be your solution.
moleskine indexing hack tool [Inventoids via MAKE]


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This was supposed to be the month I redeemed myself. After being an utter Slacker Babe for the past three months, I wanted to get back into the good graces of the (ever-gracious and never-guilt-tripping) Bread Baking Babes with these Oatmeal Twists. I'm sorry to say I have failed.
They look nice, but in case you were wondering if the bread-is-very-difficult-to-overbake principle also applies to rolls: it doesn't. Or perhaps it does, and I have acheived the near-impossible. In any case, Elle (FeedingMy Enthusiasms) selected a wonderful recipe for us, her adaptation of Farine's Morning Cuddles. Thanks to about 15 superfluous minutes in the oven, mine were nothing like a cuddle at all. Try morning whack upside the head.
I promise you, the flavor of these twists is just lovely. So I encourage you to be a Bread Baking Buddy by 1) reading the recipe more carefully than I did, and 2) sending the photo of your cuddly-soft twists to Elle by June 29.


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Sweet Cherry Pie with Amaretto Whipped Cream.
Or, where I show you that I can't cut pie slices to save my life.
Seriously, there was a reason that mother lovett put up one heck of a fight when anyone else attempted to slice her cakes or pies. No one could do it like she could. And it's probably because I don't have any PATIENCE.
Oh hi. I made you this pie for almost 4th of July! No, but seriously, I woke up on Monday morning and was just like… I feel like making a pie. I'm not going to do anything else today but make a pie. I can't really even make a pie (okay I did once) but I feel like doing it. And I have $35 worth of cherries in my fridge, so why not? Sure, they aren't really the cherries that you're supposed to make pie with, but with a few quick google searches I came out with the idea that I could use these cherries for pie. So what if they aren't sour cherries? Because I'm going to tell you a secret.
In all honestly, I would never ever ever order a slice of cherry pie anywhere. I'm pretty sure I never even tasted any of mother lovett's cherry pies (don't worry, she made more than enough other flavors I lost my mind over like apple and coconut cream and pumpkin and PEANUT BUTTER OMG) because it's just never been something I'm into.
Until I told my cousin, "hey I think I'm going to make a cherry pie today" and she was all "I want to make a cherry pie!" and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even like cherry pie either, so there must be something to making your OWN cherry pie.
There is there is. It's true.
I just wanted to make my own then sit there with a fork and eat it straight from the dish.
I'm well aware that it looks like I did that, but alas… I did not. I just am the worst at making pie crusts and forming them and then cutting the pie to look somewhat presentable. THE WORST.
But that doesn't matter when you have some freshly whipped amaretto cream to top your square-looking slices with. The more amaretto cream, the better. Makes you forget about the non triangles of pie.
Also not even joking about the $35 worth of cherries. Come Monday morning I had three giant bags in my fridge because I can't stop eating them. At this time, the tips of my fingers are STILL permanently stained with cherry juice from pitting so many. Even in all my showers, hand washes, lemon soaks and cotton pads covered in nail polish removed – the cherry juice is still there. This is worse than pomegranate season.
I cannot even with this pie. It's syrupy cherry insides and buttery crust and those stars on top that I kept picking off one by one and dipping into the syrupy inside and topping with whipped cream. UGH. It was like making my own personal star pie bites. Maybe this will be my thing now, like making one pie per season. Perhaps. If I can get all the guts to do it. It sort of takes everything out of me but that's okay because I refueled with pie.
All day long.
Sweet Cherry Pie with Amaretto Whipped Cream
crust: as a note, this makes 3 pie crusts
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (3 sticks or 24 tablespoons)
- 2 pounds fresh sweet/bing/black cherries, pitted
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- sugar for sprinkling
amaretto whipped cream
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons amaretto
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse just until combined. In a small bowl, whisk mix together the egg, vinegar and water. Add the cold butter pieces into the food processor and pulse until small coarse crumbs remain. Sprinkle the water/egg mixture over the flour and pulse again until the dough comes together.
- Remove the dough with your hands and wrap it in plastic wrap. This dough makes enough for 3 pie crusts, so you can either separate it into 3 sections now, or separate it after it's refrigerated. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For this pie, I did happen to roll out one of my doughs, place it in a 9.5 inch pie plate and blind bake it for 15 minutes. Roll the pie crust out into a 12-inch circle (if you're using a 9.5-inch pie plate). Fold it in half to pick it up and gently place it in the plate, unfolding as you go and trimming any excess off of the edges – you can also use a fork (or another decorative idea!) to press the edges down. I placed parchment paper on the dough and covered it in dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes and remove!
- As a note, I took a second crust out of the fridge, rolled out it to about 1/4-inch thickness and used a star cookie cutter to make cut shapes. I think having a few different sizes would be fun too!
- In a large bowl, combine the pitted cherries, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla paste in a bowl, tossing well to coat. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes (at this time I usually blind bake the crust or cut the stars) before using. Once the crust is blind baked, place the cherry filling inside the crust, spreading it out evenly. Place the crust cut-outs of stars on top – there is no rhyme or reason, just place them on there so they cover the pie. Refrigerate the pie for 1 hour (this is in mother lovett's cherry pie recipe, I tried it and I think helps the cherries stay together more?) then remove from the fridge. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar (fine or coarse works).
- Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes. At this time, it's up to you if you want to cover the edges of the crust with foil strips in case they brown too much. I choose not to, and just check the pie halfway through. At any time you can place foil on the edges to keep them from browning. Let the pie cool for at least two hours or so before serving, you can even stick it in the fridge – if you want to be able to cut it into pretty slices. If not, go to town! Serve with the amaretto whipped cream.
amaretto whipped cream
- Add the cold heavy cream and amaretto to the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until peaks form. Add in the sugar and extract and beat until it is incorporated and creamy.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
I'm stuffed.


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Everybody knows Razor is the new view engine ASP.NET Web Pages, so we thought we could write about some Razor syntax you may not be aware of. The three methods we'll be focusing on today are RenderBody, RenderPage and RenderSection. You'll need to understand how each of these work if you want to get know the Razor syntax intimately. This code also works in WebMatrix if you're using it. Before moving on, you need to download ASP.NET MVC 3. Click here to download and install them using the Microsoft Web Platform Installer. Open studio 2010 and create a new ASP.NET MVC 3 Web Application (Razor) project. Now it's time to start coding! we'll begin with the RenderBody method. RenderBody The RenderBody method resides in the master page, or in Razor this is commonly referred to as the Layout page. There can only be one RenderBody method per Layout page. If you're from Web Forms world, the easiest way to think of RenderBody is it's like the ContentPlaceHolder server control. The RenderBody method indicates where view templates that are based on this master layout file should "fill in" the body content. RenderPage Layout pages can also contain content that can be filled by other pages on disk. This is achieved by using the RenderPage method. This method takes either one or two parameters. The first is the physical location of the file, the second is an optional array of objects that can be passed into the page. Add a new cshtml file to the Shared folder and call it _Header.cshtml. We've prefixed this file with an underscore because we don't want this file to be called outside of RenderPage. By default, ASP.NET will not serve pages beginning with an underscore. Here's the code we're adding to the _Header.cshtml page.
Header Here
 And to use this in the layout, it's as easy as this. RenderSection Layout pages also have the concept of sections. A layout page can only contain one RenderBody method, but can have multiple sections. To create a section you use the RenderSection method. The difference between RenderSection and RenderPage is RenderPage reads the content from a file, whereas RenderSection runs code blocks you define in your content pages. The following code illustrates how to render a footer section. RenderSection expects one parameter and that is the name of the section. If you don't provide that, an exception will be thrown. Views can add data to sections by using the following code. If you ran the website now it'll run without error. If on the other hand you don't include the section footer in the view, you'll get an error. That's because by default, sections are mandatory. To make sections optional, just add the second parameter, which is a Boolean value. Now things will run just fine. These three methods you will use time and time again when you're using the Razor view engine. This code works both for ASP.NET MVC 3 and also WebMatrix. Have fun!
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Rachel Ralph headed down to the Tenderloin just before Christmas to check out the Donate Your Skate benefit show at The Book & Job Gallery here in San Francisco. This one night show/ benefit was thrown to collect donated skateboard equipment from the city's skate scene to help Bay Area kids in need for the Holidays.
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Tributes and Cover Compilations, Summer 2013
(Bach, Motown, Stephen Foster, The Postal Service, Damien Jurado & more!)
There's a lot of great new stuff bubbling up through the ether out there. Today, we dig into a few warm-weather months of mailbag offerings to reveal a carefully vetted mid-year set of new and impending album-length coverfolk collections sure to tickle the coverlover's fancy.
The 8 song reinterpretations on The Music of Stephen Foster, a new homage to the "Father of American Music" from midwestern "acoustic folk and electroacoustic musician" Nathan Edwards, are quite diverse, when you get down to it, ranging from James Taylor orchestral to echoey electroacoustic indiefolk. Yet the warm vocal tones, exquisite instrumentation, and loving research which underlie this small-yet-ambitious project provide a unifying force that transcends mere songbook commonality.
The result is seamless: a truly transformative yet eminently honest set that succeeds in its promise of updating the old songs for modern ears, finding the indiefolk, Americana, country and soul in songs long embedded in our national psyche. Stream two tracks below, and preorder here in digital or hardcopy for a July 16 drop date.
- Nathan Edwards: Beautiful Dreamer (orig. Stephen Foster)
- Nathan Edwards: I Would Not Die In Springtime (orig. Stephen Foster)
If we're late to the party on Sam Amidon's newest covers-and-tradfolk release, it's because Bright Sunny South is startlingly complex, with deep exploration that grates as easily as it glorifies, and a shift in tone from track to track that seems, at times, less a journey than a yawing catalog of inner voices. Indeed, at its most experimental, Bright Sunny South is hard to listen to, and maybe that's the point: Sam's shaky voice, like a raggedly bowed saw blade, remains creaky and primordial; most reviewers have complained about his Mariah Carey cover, which seems overly gentle and abstract for its concrete and commercial lyrics, and the smashing electric feedback session that closes the otherwise pensive tradsong He's Taken My Feet, while compositionally adept, seems too confrontational every time.
But if Bright Sunny South is a (purposefully) mixed bag, it's an amazingly mature one, with stunningly smooth, shimmery production finally allowing the frail and often meager instrumentation that Amidon brings to his interpretations to finally sound less lo-fidelity and more deliberately broken. Some tracks are melodic, others, like As I Roved Out, are more wholly deconstructed, – their lyrics collapsed and reshuffled, their fragments of tradition echoing through in pastiche – but each has a tension that reveals and reveres. Call it a thinker's album, and give him the Grammy already, for nowhere else this year have we heard such intimacy, such clear recognition of the myriad paths of shapenote hymns and old-timey folk brought forcefully into the 21st century.
- Sam Amidon: My Old Friend (orig. Tim McGraw)
- Sam Amidon: Bright Sunny South (trad.)
(from Bright Sunny South, 2013)
- Sam Amidon: As I Roved Out (trad.)
I'm still not sure how to categorize If You Wait Long Enough: Songs of Will Stratton, a benefit tribute album for the young indie singer-songwriter and composer whose cancer diagnosis last year illuminated the conflicted plight of artists in a world where medical bills are often unaffordable for those working outside the world of 9 to 5 employment. The ingredients for folk, or at least a sort of honesty generally sprung from the modern roots inheritors, are all there: though many tracks include a grungy wash of electric guitar undercurrent, most are spare and acoustic at heart, and there's dreamscapes galore, which certainly suits Stratton's generally witty and self-effacing lyrical phrases. But to shelve this album as even predominantly folk is to both ignore the synth-driven indie pop and rock elements of Kid in the Attic's beat-heavy Do You Remember the Morning and Jesse Rifkin's club-ready Katydid, and to mistake performance for genre.
Greatness will out, however. What this album decidedly is, is an honest, cohesive, organic introduction to the works of an undersung artist in need of support from a set of artists who clearly care for both that body of work, and the body of the man who produced it; as such, it stands easily among the better tributes we've heard this year. So check out the more primitive tracks, such as the swirling banjo-driven climb from sadness into subdued promise brought by Brattleboro-based acoustic string explorer Sam Moss and the Ineligible Bachelors (with Corey DiMario of Crooked Still on upright bass, and Amidon sibling Stefan of Sweetback Sisters on percussion), and Louisiana-born, Brooklyn-grounded songcrafter Zachary Cale's tender and pensive Bluebells, then stream and buy on Bandcamp to support Will's recovery and treatment.
- Sam Moss and the Ineligible Bachelors: The Relatively Fair (orig. Will Stratton)
- Zachary Cale: Bluebells (orig. Will Stratton)
As an addendum to the above, fans of Sam Amidon and/or primitive folk would do well to check out The Parlor Is Pleasant on Sunday Night, Sam Moss and fellow Vermonster Jackson Emmer's eminently fragile late 2012 duo collection of old-time songs of "jubilation…and defeat": while not new, my thread-pulling discovery of the collection while researching the above made me an instant fan.
We often complain of mass market mixed-genre tribute albums, even as we celebrate the folk tracks therein. But if the approach taken by Never Give Up: Celebrating 10 Years of The Postal Service, a new multi-artist tribute produced in honor of the joint ten-year anniversary of curating blog Independent Clauses and seminal Postal Service album Give Up, seems much more listener-friendly – with its 21 track setlist divided into discrete folk and indiepop "albums" – who are we to argue when the result is easily more than an album's worth of great covers?
Which is to say: if not every track is to our taste on either disk, well, that's to be expected when working with unknowns; there are more hits than misses here, with multiple coverage of well-recognized songs allowing the listener to choose sides, and hipsters to defend theirs endlessly. Perhaps that's the point: I'm wholly in love with the ability to line 'em up, and utterly lost in the way Venna's hope and heavenly harmonies play against the bouncy brush, bass, fiddle and banjo Seven Handle Circus bring to their own version of well-known indie shout-out Such Great Heights, a pairing which will play consecutively in the player below. And that's just the folk side, which says something about the hard edge on the indiepop end of things.
Suggesting strongly that blog-born coverage collections may be a bit more fan-friendly by definition, similar curative circumstances result in a similarly sprawling yet surprisingly strong Damien Jurado tribute from Slowcoustic, which, like the well-produced J. Tillman tribute Slowcoustic produced earlier this year, has been slowly released over the last week. More cohesive by design – blog host and Yer Bird label founder Sandy focuses on a much narrower spectrum of lo-fi "slow acoustic" music, making for more commonality of sound and approach in his mix – the new Jurado homage is nevertheless deliciously imperfect, and overstuffed with double and triple takes on some of the indiefolk darling's most poignant compositions, each one rawer than the last. As always, we're thrilled with turnouts from Cover Lay Down faves Hezekiah Jones, Doc Feldman, and Lotte Kestner, and pleased to find some new love and appreciation in the mix from Kim Janssen, Jeremy Squires, and more; for a track-by-track breakdown of contributing artists and the choices they've made in coverage, head directly to Slowcoustic's 5-part treatment of the collection, without passing "go".
Finally, from the edges of folk but still firmly grounded in the roots of American acoustic music come two genre coverage collections, one Motown soul, one eminently old-school classical. First, Chris Thile's all-classical, all-Bach album, wherein a collection of sonatas and partitas translate into masterfully crisp mandolin tunes without losing a drop of bravado, thus proving once again just why this artist recently received a MacArthur "Genius" Grant; the album doesn't drop 'til August, but pre-orders are ongoing, and the video below is a great teaser. And second, Decoration Day, Vol. 2, a new EP-length multi-artist covers compilation from the indiefolk collective at Mason Jar Music, which takes a funky 60's era Motown approach on songs originally by Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Taylor, and Bill Withers, plus a Beatles tune and a Willie Dixon number, bringing the collection into the millennium with an ear towards the acoustic and the "new Americana" melting pot. Fledgling NYC label Mason Jar's mostly-Brooklyn tradfolk collection of stormsongs after Hurricane Sandy was one of our favorite albums of 2012; finding their Decoration Day EP series ongoing is a delight, especially after their first volume brought such wonderful talent and folk stylings to 200 years of popular American song; as a bonus, we get to celebrate sweet up-and-coming soul-meets-singer-songwriter Emily Elbert again, which is always wonderful.
- Chris Thile: Sonata No. 1 in G Minor
Cover Lay Down features new thematic songsets and artist-focused entries twice weekly throughout the year thanks to patrons and supporters like you. Coming soon: more mailbag coverage from up-and-coming artists, and a new Single Song Sunday collection uncovers the path a Rolling Stones tune takes in becoming an outlaw country classic.
Category: Chris Thile, Sam Amidon, Tributes and Cover Compilations 2 comments »


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Assemblies to Council Committees act in an advisory capacity, reviewing documents and issues, representing unit and committee interests and reporting back to units and committees.
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More Passwords, More Problems
It's easy to remember one username and password. Keeping five or 10 straight is much harder. Password overload has long afflicted techies, but as we all spend more time doing everything from shopping to banking to playing games on the Web, it's become a more widespread problem.
A number of companies are trying to combat the problem. Approaches range from password managers that secure your login details with one master password to methods that eliminate the need for multiple passwords in the first place.
A 2007 study by Microsoft Research explored the strength, frequency, and usage of passwords belonging to 500,000 computer users. The study found that each person had an average of 6.5 passwords that they used for 25 different online accounts—meaning each password was being recycled about four times.
Five years later, most of us have many more accounts that we access across desktop computers, smartphones, and tablet computers. But we're probably no better at coming up with secure passwords—ones that can't be easily guessed or cracked using a computer—and, as high-profile security breaches at websites like LinkedIn and eHarmony show, weak passwords put our online identities at risk.
The most common tool for organizing a glut of passwords is the password manager, but few people use them, says Cormac Herley, an author of the 2007 Microsoft Research study. A startup called Dashlane is hoping to change this, with a simple password management and automated form-filling tool that it says can make it easier to shop online. Dashlane encrypts and stores passwords on a user's computer or smartphone. Then only the master password—which is not stored on Dashlane's servers—can be used to access the information.
The company emerged from a private beta test in April, and Daniela Perdomo, Dashlane's director of user growth, says it currently has hundreds of thousands of users who have collectively stored 1.5 million passwords with its desktop and smartphone software (most are using a free version of the service). She claims Dashlane's auto-form-filling technology is accurate about 90 to 95 percent of the time.
The weak spot here, of course, is forgetting your master password. But the approach also makes it more difficult for others to gain access to your data simply by stealing your device. And setting up a password manager could inspire you to make your individual passwords more secure, knowing that now you'll only need to remember that one master password to access all your accounts on your computer. Perdomo acknowledges that most people aren't ready to be proactive about weak or identical passwords. "The average person doesn't care until they get hacked," she says, echoing the opinion of several security experts.
Another key drawback of password managers is that they often need to be installed and synched on each device you use to access your accounts. This might be convenient if you're on your home or work computer, but less so if you're at a friend's house.
Chances are that you'll have your smartphone on you, though. It, too, is coming into play as a way to balance login security and convenience. That's the idea behind PhoneID, which software engineers Mike Thomas and Vahur Roosimaa created in early September at a hackathon—a marathon coding event where programmers come up with new ideas—hosted by tech blog TechCrunch. Currently a prototype, PhoneID lets you log in to websites with your desktop computer by using your smartphone to scan an on-screen QR code, Thomas says. This way, you would never have to type in a username and password.
The first time you visit a participating website on your desktop computer, a QR code would pop up on the screen. Scanning it with your phone would prompt your computer to ask for your phone number, and PhoneID would send your cell phone an SMS that could be clicked to log you in to the site and authenticate you. On subsequent visits, scanning an on-screen QR code would immediately log you in.
PhoneID requires a website to add several lines of code. And while it could be set up to work with sites where you already have an account and password, it's currently geared toward setting up a new account on a site. Thomas says the approach could save websites from having to store and guard password information, and save consumers from remembering their login credentials. "Even for someone who's technically savvy, keeping track of all your passwords is difficult," he says.
Gartner analyst Gregg Kreizman thinks solutions like PhoneID will become more common as companies take advantage of the cameras, sensors, and geolocation capabilities of smartphones. These features could help by providing other ways of authenticating users, he says.
But what if we could just cut down on passwords altogether? The most popular existing examples of this approach are Facebook Connect and Sign in with Twitter, two services that let you log in to websites with your Facebook or Twitter credentials. This makes things convenient for users, while also granting sites access to some of your personal information. It's not all that secure, though. Another approach came recently from Intel, which, at the Intel Developer Forum, announced a futuristic-sounding plan to authenticate people by reading vein patterns.
A startup called OneID has a different idea. It requires websites to use its login method, which uses public key cryptography—security technology that encrypts and decrypts data using two kinds of "key" belonging to each party, one kept secret and the other published openly—and knowledge of the devices you use to securely sign you in with a single click.
OneID founder Steve Kirsch, who also founded the search engine Infoseek, says that when a user hits a OneID button on a website, the site sends his or her public "key" to the user's computer. That key is then forwarded to a OneID server, which can make a swift determination based on the website's specifications and user's preferences about what needs to happen next—if additional authentication is required, or if the user can simply be allowed to enter the site.
OneID users don't need to set a password. A smartphone app that approves higher-risk activities like making online purchases requires a PIN, though. While someone could still steal your computer and then gain access to some low-security websites that don't require two-factor authentication, you could disable that device's OneID access remotely to stop the breach.
OneID is in the process of rolling out its technology, though the company could not name any sites that are using it. Kirsch says the company is going after sites, such as e-commerce businesses and banks, that require high security. "As they give it a shot and people see the results, then more and more people will give it a shot," Kirsch says.
Moxie Marlinspike, a San Francisco-based computer security researcher, says single sign-ons that focus on security are a tough sell. "Most of those sites don't see the convenience of not having to manage a username and password as a real benefit," he says, and if they choose to enable one they'll typically go with the Facebook or Twitter options since that will give them access to some of a user's social information.
Marlinspike thinks that in order to get users to change their behaviors, developers will need to keep working to make security as invisible as possible. But, he says, passwords will likely be with us for a while.
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I arrived in Kansas City, Mo., today and wasn't here more than three hours when someone handed me a recent letter headlined "Bishop's Annual Appeal." The bishop who is doing the appealing, of course, is Robert Finn, recently convicted in county court for failing to report suspected child abuse and spared a fine and jail time under an agreement worked out with prosecutors.
It was somewhat amusing, then, to see the line just under that heading:
"Honoring Bishop Emeritus, Raymond J. Boland – 25 Years As A Bishop."
Boland was hardly a hero when it came to policing sex abuse crimes. He demonstrated the same lapses as was the case with many members of the hierarchical culture of his generation. But on other matters he was, in temperament, management style and pastoral approach, quite a different bishop from Finn, who within days of taking over undid by fiat virtually everything that had been put in place by Boland and several of his immediate predecessors. Generally speaking, Boland was respected; in the same degree, it might safely be said, Finn sets teeth on edge.
Whether or not Boland gave permission for his name to be used this way, it seems clear that Finn — having violated not only civil law but also church law in the form of the charter fashioned by the U.S. bishops themselves, and having made the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph a source of embarrassment and derision nationwide — had to find some sympathetic figure on which to hang his fund raising ambitions.
Earlier in the week I spent a day at the meeting of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore, watching them run through the beginning of an agenda that appeared to be a playbook for an institution in deep denial. The church is bleeding people faster than any other religious institution in the country (its bottom line saved only by immigration, largely from Mexico and the rest of Latin America); the priest shortage continues apace; the number of parishes and schools continues to dwindle. It is evident that the persuasive power, not to mention teaching authority, of the U.S. episcopacy has bottomed out, if the results of the recent elections are any indication. The president so vociferously disparaged by some of the bishops won a convincing victory. And all of the ballot initiatives in four states regarding same sex marriage were decided in ways favorable to the gay and lesbian communities.
I watched as Baltimore Archbishop William Lori gave a largely self-congratulatory presentation about the bishops' religious freedom campaign and the fortnight for freedom, an effort judged largely a flop anywhere outside the bishops' meeting room.
I listened as Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, in his address as president of the conference, gave a rather interesting talk on the need for personal repentance on the part of even bishops. But on the most public of sins — the bishops' role in covering up the ongoing sex abuse crisis – he made only one reference, and that had to do with an event in Ireland.
All the while, sitting in the room, was Finn, perhaps the most glaring contemporary exhibit of the bishops' total disregard of their own promises of transparency and accountability. Not once was he mentioned, nor was mention made in that meeting of the fact that a sitting bishop had been convicted of a crime that, were he a priest, would disqualify him from ministry. The fine print in the charter — rather the script written in invisible ink — must read: None of the above applies to bishops.
Back in Kansas City, Finn revives the bishop-as-victim theme by noting, in a paragraph that obliquely refers to his criminal conviction:
"In the days following the long legal struggles that not only confronted the diocese and me, but all the people of God in our Catholic community, we try to get past our own hurt."
The arrogance and deflection of the truth in that statement is simply breathtaking. The hurt the church endures is none other than Finn's insistence on staying in office. The "legal struggles" that confronted the diocese and Finn had nothing to do with the People of God, a phrase that, given his ultra conservative ecclesiology in every other circumstance, is a purely opportunistic use of the populist notion of that Vatican II phrase. Finn, the Opus Dei priest and doctrinal stickler, suddenly becomes victim and Vatican II liberal in one fell swoop.
Perhaps Finn feels some pain asking the People of God for their money, knowing that implicit in handing over their money would be a certain trust of his stewardship of the diocese. And he has done everything possible to obliterate that trust.
In the end, it is Finn, not Boland, who signed the letter. We know that the two men have little in common other than the title "bishop." We know from extensive interviewing for a story done the year after Finn took over, that the two communicated almost not at all and that during the year in which Finn served as coadjutor, he had no questions for his predecessor. He didn't need to ask. He was soon to demonstrate that he thought he had all the answers.
What he demonstrates now is that he doesn't need answers because he has a rationale for every occasion. So, convicted of child endangerment for his inexplicably inept handling of a priest who stored and produced child pornography, the bishop turns on the personal piety, calling on the name of Christ, to whom one must always say "yes." He also turns the spotlight on his predecessor, hoping that a reservoir of goodwill for Boland will result in a successful fundraising campaign. Raising money becomes a way of "recognizing his service to the church."
The diocese is long overdue for new leadership it can trust. And the former bishop deserves better for his 25th anniversary than to be used as a fund-raising attraction.


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Palo Alto has a bike lock problem, and a pair of software developers and a designer took a shot at trying to solve that problem in 24 hours in New York this weekend.
Eugene Tonev, Alexander Sivura and Yuri Dymov — currently at health startup HealthTap — put together a model of the kinds of bike racks you might see on the streets of Palo Alto. But this rack has a connected lock on it, paired with a social network, that can activate on demand. It's part of an app called BikeParking.Club, which is a network for bikers that might install structures and locks like this to make sure they always have a spot somewhere nearby for their bikes. All this was thrown together and actually worked onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt New York's hackathon this year.
"You always need to carry all these chains, or buy two chains and leave one in office or one in home," Tonev says. "You always have a lock around your places. So, if you have chains everywhere, why share them [to make sure you always have a spot somewhere]."
The prototype they showed onstage was a mock-up of pipes and plumbing pulled from Home Depot nearby — but it's something that resembles what a lock network might look like in the real world. Users connect to the app, which helps them find a nearby open spot and then gives them the ability to lock their bike on the rack. The three bike to work every day, and that's why they figured it's a problem that probably needs an answer at some point.
The big problem is twofold, Tonev says: having enough spots around that bikers can access; and not having to carry locks around everywhere to make sure those bikes (hopefully) stay in those spots. So when a user installs a lock, they'll automatically get access to the parking network around the city while always having access to a spot in the lock they installed.
"The lock is an entry point, after that — If even half of the [tens of thousands of cyclists] will install that [in Palo Alto], we'll immediately have something like 350,000 parking lots for bikes."
It's a hack, of course, but according to the trio, HealthTap encourages them to try out new ideas. Opening up the biking universe might not be such a foreign idea for a healthcare startup, though the software developers suddenly having to deal with a hardware problem was a bit of a taller order. So, who knows where it goes, but at least when they fly back to the Bay Area they'll have another neat project to throw on their portfolios.


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Nutritional deficiency anemias develop when micronutrients needed for RBC formation are not present in adequate amounts. Anemia develops gradually and may initially be regenerative but ultimately becomes nonregenerative. Starvation causes anemia by a combination of vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as a negative energy and protein balance.
Deficiencies most likely to cause anemia include:
cobalamin (B12)
pyridoxine (B6)
vitamin C (important only in primates and guinea pigs)
vitamin E
Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency seen in dogs and piglets but occurs less commonly in horses, cats, and ruminants. Iron deficiency is rarely nutritional in origin—it most commonly occurs secondary to chronic blood loss Blood Loss Anemia in Animals Markedly regenerative anemia with frequent large polychromatophilic erythrocytes (reticulocytes) and increased anisocytosis in canine blood. A nucleated erythrocyte (metarubricyte) is present... read more . Young animals have minimal iron stores, and milk contains very little iron. This can be especially important for piglets that grow rapidly and are often raised indoors with no access to iron. Oral or injectable iron supplementation is indicated as treatment for iron deficiency; any source of blood loss must be eliminated.
Copper deficiency can develop in ruminants fed forage grown in copper-deficient soil. Copper is necessary for the metabolism of iron. Copper deficiency may occur secondary to high dietary molybdenum or sulfate in cattle and can develop in pigs fed whey diets. Low blood copper concentrations or low copper concentrations in liver biopsies (more definitive) are diagnostic. Treatment is oral or injectable copper supplementation.
B vitamin deficiencies are rare. Certain drugs (anticonvulsants, drugs that interfere with folate metabolism) have been associated with development of folate or cobalamin deficiency, leading to a normocytic, normochromic, nonregenerative anemia. Cobalamin malabsorption has been reported in Giant Schnauzers, Beagles, Border Collies, and Australian Shepherds (their enterocytes are unable to absorb cobalamin). These dogs respond to parenteral supplementation with cobalamin. Ruminants also develop a secondary cobalamin deficiency when grazing on cobalt-deficient pasture. Treatment with oral cobalt or parenteral cobalamin is indicated.
For More Information
Also see Pet Health content regarding nutritional deficiency anemia in dogs Nutritional Deficiencies Anemia occurs when there is a decrease in the number of red blood cells, which can be measured by red blood cell count or hemoglobin concentration. It can develop from loss, destruction, or... read more , nutritional deficiency anemia in cats Nonregenerative Anemias Anemia occurs when there is a decrease in the number of red blood cells. It can develop from loss, destruction, or lack of production of red blood cells. Anemia is classified as regenerative... read more , and nutritional deficiency in horses Nonregenerative Anemias Anemia occurs when there is a decrease in the number of red blood cells, which can be measured by red blood cell count or hemoglobin concentration. It can develop from loss, destruction, or... read more .