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The general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops states that the current proposed revisions of the Obama Administration's contraceptive mandate are "an unprecedented … violation of religious liberty by the federal government" and must be changed.
The statement is in comments filed Wednesday regarding the mandate, which requires most health plans in the United States to cover abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, sterilization procedures, and related education and counseling.
The comments, made on the USCCB's behalf by Anthony R. Picarello, USCCB associate general secretary and general counsel, and Michael F. Moses, associate general counsel, note a number of continuing problems with the regulations, which had been the subject of earlier rulemaking and comment by the USCCB. The comments state:
First, like earlier iterations of the regulation, the latest proposal requires coverage of items and procedures that, unlike other mandated "preventive services," do not prevent disease. Instead, they are associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes, including conditions that other "preventive services" are designed to prevent.
Second, no exemption or accommodation is available at all for the vast majority of individual or institutional stakeholders with religious or moral objections to contraceptive coverage. Virtually all Americans who enroll in a health plan will ultimately be required to have contraceptive coverage for themselves and their dependents, whether they want it or not.
Third, although the definition of an exempt "religious employer" has been revised to eliminate some of the intrusive and constitutionally improper government inquiries into religious teaching and beliefs that were inherent in an earlier definition, the current proposal continues to define "religious employer" in a way that, by the government's own admission, excludes (and therefore subjects to the mandate) a wide array of employers that are undeniably religious. Generally the nonprofit religious organizations that fall on the "non-exempt" side of this religious gerrymander include those organizations that contribute most visibly to the common good through the provision of health, educational, and social services.
Fourth, the Administration has offered what it calls an "accommodation" for nonprofit religious organizations that fall outside its narrow definition of "religious employer." The "accommodation" is based on a number of questionable factual assumptions. Even if all of those assumptions were sound, the "accommodation" still requires the objecting religious organization to fund or otherwise facilitate the morally objectionable coverage.
Fifth, the mandate continues to represent an unprecedented (and now sustained) violation of religious liberty by the federal government. As applied to individuals and organizations with a religious objection to contraceptive coverage, the mandate violates the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
"We are willing, now as always, to work with the Administration to reach a just and lawful resolution of these issues. In the meantime, along with others, we will continue to look for resolution of these issues in Congress and in the courts," Picarello and Moses write.
— — —
Full text of the comments: http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/2013-NPRM-Comments-3-20-final.pdf.


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subset: commoncrawl


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December 26, 2012
As we showed you in a recent slideshow, some NASA scientists envision astronauts making whatever they need out of local materials on Mars or the moon via 3D printing. While technology from organizations like Contour Crafting has made this theoretically possible, now, Washington State University (WSU) engineers have actually used moon rocks to print some simple-shaped objects -- on Earth.
Real moon rocks are too rare, so researchers are using an imitation moon rock called lunar regolith simulant. Regolith is a mixture of loose dust, rock, and soil that covers solid bedrock on earth, as well as other planets, the moon, and some asteroids. The simulant is formulated to approximate the real lunar regolith's chemical and mineral properties. There are several versions. The WSU team used about 10 lb of one version that contains silicon, aluminum, calcium, iron, and magnesium oxides.
A team that includes Amit Bandyopadhyay and Susmita Bose, professors at the university's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has demonstrated the printing of parts from the raw, artificial moon rock. NASA is working with several organizations, including Contour Crafting, to develop the technology for fabricating simple tools or replacement parts, but Bandyopadhyay's group is the first to demonstrate the ability.
Previously, Bandyopadhyay and Bose had used 3D printing to create bone-like materials for use in orthopedic implants. Their current work uses Laser Engineering Net Shaping (LENS) technology, specifically, LENS-750 systems. These are based on laser sintering, the most common additive manufacturing method. The team published its results in an article in the Rapid Prototyping Journal.
According to the article abstract, the team produced dense parts with no macroscopic defects, which they characterized to evaluate how laser processing affected the lunar regolith simulant's microstructure, constituent phases, and chemistry. Characterization was done using X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Although the laser processing did cause marginal changes in the material's composition, after some trial and error, the researchers managed to produce parts that did not crack when they solidified.
The team has sent its results to NASA. Other team members include Vamsi Krishna Balla, also with WSU's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering; Luke B. Roberson, of NASA's Kennedy Space Center; Gregory W. O'Connor, of Amalgam Industries; and Steven Trigwell, of ASRC Aerospace Corp. The research was supported by a $750,000 W.M. Keck Foundation grant.
In the video below, Bandyopadhyay shows the regolith material and explains that the technology can also be used onsite to repair broken parts. The achievement, he says in the video, is a first-generation work that will probably not be ready for commercial use for another 50 years or so.
I suspect it may not take that long, considering how fast this technology area is advancing. NASA is already working on 3D printing rocket engine parts, and other researchers have figured out how to 3D print entire personal electronic devices. The two biggest challenges in printing objects from moon rocks seem to be figuring out the best combination of laser sintering processing and moon rock material, plus, making small printers that will work in a zero-gravity environment.
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(The milestone was reached at 2:14 p.m. ET.)
With the addition of some steel columns, 1 World Trade Center has reached a height of symbolic importance.
At 1,271 feet (and growing) it is 21 feet taller than the observation deck on the Empire State Building.
So, for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that destroyed the North and South towers of the World Trade Center — killing more than 2,700 people — a skyscraper at the tip of Manhattan is arguably taller than the famous midtown landmark.
We only say arguably because if you count the antenna atop the Empire State Building, that skyscraper is 1,454 feet tall, as the New York Post shows.
There's some disagreement among experts about whether antennas should or should not be counted, however. As USA Today writes, "purists say anything that can be removed, such as an antenna, should not be counted."
Once 1 World Trade Center reaches its full height, however, there won't be anything left to debate. Within a few months, The New York Times says, it will reach "1,368 feet at its rooftop parapet, identical in height to the first 1 World Trade Center. ... The ultimate topping out will be the completion next year of an antenna that will bring the structure's overall height to 1,776 feet."
There's much more about the World Trade Center at its website. Our friends at WNYC have a Web package on the "World Trade Center Construction, In Pictures."
Dubai's Burj Khalifa, at 2,716.5 feet, is the world's tallest building.
Update at 2:14 p.m. ET. The First Column Is In Place: As the live feed from atop 1 World Trade Center shows, workers have just put the first of the new steel columns in place, which gives the skyscraper it's new bragging rights.
Update at 2:06 p.m ET. Another View: CNN is streaming video from a camera that looks to be atop the skyscraper.
Update at 2 p.m. ET: MSNBC is streaming from the 71st floor of the building, where Port Authority officials are about to hold a news conference.
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Updated 2016
The Germans themselves consistently rank Munich as the country's most livable city and once you visit you'll see why. With a relatively mild climate and sprawling parks and gardens the city has quite a different feel than most of Europe's other major cities. Munich is the capital of the southern state of Bavaria and is probably most famous for its yearly Oktoberfest celebration and its consistently successful football club, but there is obviously a lot more to it than that.
What to do
The city is centered around Marienplatz and its impressive old town hall. From there you can walk along the cobblestone streets and through the city's main shopping district to check out the famous Hofbrauhaus, which is touristy as hell, but still a very worthwhile scene on your first visit. Speaking of beer, Munich's world famous Oktoberfest actually runs for 16 days starting in mid September and ends on the first Sunday in October. It's a blast, but avoid visiting the city during that time if you aren't intending to imbibe because it gets crowded and expensive during the festival.
For a sample of the good life that the locals lead, head to the Englischergarden, which is very similar New York's Central Park, but this one has great outdoor dining in the center as well as a huge beer garden. Not far away is the BMW Factory and Museum, which is open for tours. Just on the outskirts of town you canvisit the Dachau concentration camp. It may not sound like fun, but it is as unforgettable as it is sobering and is highly recommended.
Munich has a compact center, but then spreads out quite a bit from there. Fortunately they have an excellent public transportation system, and it's also the sort of city you might consider renting a bike or taking an organized bike tour.
Read: Guide to Munich's Oktoberfest.
Getting there
Flights to Munich International Airport can be reasonable, but at times you might find a better deal by flying into larger Frankfurt Airport and then taking the train to Munich. The airport is not near the city center, but it is connected to the S-Bahn transport system so for a reasonable fee you can take that into the main city train station in about 40 minutes.
Where to stay
The area surrounding the main train station is filled with both hotels and hostels in all price ranges. It's a fairly safe area so it's not a bad place to stay, particularly if you are arriving in Munich by train. There are accommodations all over town, but in such a large city it's important to weigh price with accessibility to the things you want to see. A cheap hotel suddenly isn't such a bargain if it's 30 minutes outside of the city center.


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It's like music to my eyes. Really.
Ok, not really.
Hey, a print-out of the entire Wikipedia source file still counts as a picture, right? Right?
When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong.
AMAZING -- every one of them is spelled correctly!! Monogram, congratulations... wow.
I'll have to remember that last one for lawyer hubby's birthday.. I could use a sheet of his letterhead with legal babble. No hours of piping a decoration!
*snort* Gotta love breakfast with Cakewrecks.
...wow, I need my eyes checked.
I thought that second one was supposed to be 'Mammogram', not monogram. There's not even two N's to even LOOK like M's.
What on earth is on my mind?
Oh my! That lawyer cake is all kinds of awesome! And what's up with the 2 removed roses in the upper right corner?
WV: ement - ement to put them in the bottom right corner, I guess!
Love that the top 2 roses on the lawyer cake are smashed too!
OMG! It just amazes me each time I see instructions piped on a cake. These people actually believe their finished product is what the customer is expecting!!
I shudder when think this is the result of our educational system and/or the low standards in hiring policies. How embarassingly funny!
I love am breaks w/ CW.. my coworkers love them. Keep them coming:p
All I can say is "lazy!"
Actually... stupid works too. For each and every wreck!
That last one made me laugh and laugh! I mean, come ON people! Does ignorance know no bounds???
OK, the first one is a wreck anyway, but the others are well-done at least. The polka dots and the guitar are nice! Too bad they were a wee bit literal.
And as for the last one... um, wreckerators? *not* a good idea screwing up cakes for lawyers!!!
I cannot believe how many times a bakery will print out a page with a picture on it and slap that on the cake. Unbelievable. Do they NEVER think to call and verify "You want a page printed from wikipedia stuck to your cake, right?"
My co-worker refuses to believe that the lawyer cake wasn't done on purpose. I showed him the Jump Drive Cake incident.
At least the Wikipedia print settled any questions about source rights.
These are all awesome! I can't decide which is my favorite today. Either the very non-sequetor Mickey cake, or the VERY literal last one. Sometimes I'd like to know where these come from. Not the specific bakery, but the city at least.
I think the Wikipedia cake needs to be the cover for your next book!
wow. to think monogram could have been mammogram.
Seeing these cakes today confirms the suspicion that these decorators don't speak English as a first language.
These hurt me inside.
I'm still trying to figure out the Mickey Mouse one. Was it a break up cake gone wrong? Was Mickey Mouse breaking up with Michael? Are they the same person and just breaking up with some unidentified party? Just what is the story with that one!
I have a postcard on my desk from the artist/humorist Ashleigh Brilliant (http://www.ashleighbrilliant.com/) that just sums up what's wrong...well, brilliantly: "Communicate! It can't make things any worse."
When I do something and I'm not sure if it's right, I ask someone! Wonder why these folks didn't. Granted, they're keeping Cake Wrecks in business, but still. One wonders.
I too am disappointed it's not a mammogram cake; every woman deserves one afterwards 'cos it HURTS!!!!
Wow I really heart the last one its on that other level of specialness :)
I thought the first cake was a death threat. We're taking you to see Mickey and then it's curtains for Michael.
I too thought the second cake said Mammogram -- but couldn't figure out why the nipples covering the cake were brown and blue instead of pink and brown. Every woman should get a mammogram cake (and every man a "turn your head and cough cake" just to be fair).
wv: badruc That first cake is a badruc, but that last one is a really badruc.
seems to me that the cake order forms need some tweeking some how to avoid directions ending up on the cake. sigh!
I'm sure glad that I haven't had to buy one of these.
Those made me giggle! Tee-hee!
Man I wish I had gotten the lawyer cake when I graduated law school!
Robert, you are special!
I've never had a cake wrecked because of the instruction box. However, I did have a rubber stamp come out wrecky.
I needed a stamp with a specific company name. Most people wrote it wrong because they put periods after letters (ya know, like I.B.M.) My client was tired of this and rather touchy about the subject.
So, in the instruction box for the first line, I (stupidly) put (these are fake initials, my client suffered enough):
U(no period)S(no period)A(no period)
In the very special instruction box I wrote: "Do not put periods after the capital letters in the first line. Call me at . . . if you have any questions."
Well, can ya guess what my rubber stamp said???
Can ya?
Can ya?
Sigh, it's good to know that cake decorators can get night job working at rubber stamp factories.
Unfortunately, they made me give back the bad one before they would replace it after I had a very lawyerly screaming hissy fit in front of the manager.
Perhaps Michael is a new Wikipedia editor, and he's being congratulated for his excellent mediation skills in that capacity.
wv: Whom do dee fink deefulen, these wreckerators?
You just made my day
*shakes head*
I made my first wreck-hunting tour of the grocery store bakery this morning, and oh did I wish I had my camera. There was a smiley-face cake with plastic sunglasses stuck right into it (and no eyes underneath)!
I am assuming that last cake is Creative Commons licensed because it's using Wikipedia material. So you can share, modify and redistribute this cake under the same terms and conditions. Good to see CC licenses put to other uses :P
You know, I wondered why my local grocery store bakeries never display decorated cakes. Sure, they have ones out with pretty flowers and borders, but never with writing on them. After reading CW for a few months, I guess I finally know why. They are afraid their work will show up here, posted by cell-phone wielding shoppers.
So Amber is taking up the guitar now? How nice for her.
I thought it was supposed to be mammogram too, Druston. And what about the fact that it's AMBER, you know, like the high school dropout and pole dancer?
Am I the only one distracted by those balloons on the Mickey cake? I mean what is the meaning behind the sloppy pink stars? And what's up with the white "one of these things is not like the other ones" balloon/seashell?!
Ellen C.
We're a Real Mickey Mouse operation....
Mickey Mouse! We aren't even Betty Boop!
How can this keep happening? Are all cake decorators being replaced by robots from outerspace? Only a computer could be this literal with directions!
@Jon-Michael: You know, I wouldn't put it past superstore chains these days to actually outsource taking cake orders to third-world countries. I forget the details, but The World Is Flat mentioned that companies are outsourcing simple, non-physical tasks like that. Sort of micro-outsourcing if you will (my term, not his).
Although it the case of the picture one it could just be a matter of confusion arising from the printing computer being unable to open SVG files.
and there are two finger dents in the lawyer cake. bleh!
Wikipedia Creative Commons has never been so delicious.
congratulations was even spelled right - you'd think I was visiting a normal blog or something :)
instruction cakes are some of my faves :)
OMG... those literal ones never cease to amaze me. Are these people really that dumb? Or have they just been screamed at so many times for not following directions that they would rather risk looking like a moron than making an inference?
@Terri Koop - that is hilars. How big was the stamp? Bwahahaha!
These are my favorite wrecks. I can't believe there are people in bakeries who really think the majority of customers want the directions on the cakes. I know thanks to this blog making deliberate wrecks are getting popular but the other 95%...they want Mickey Mouse's face and notes on their cakes, darn it!
Oh my. I just love the mess up on the lawyer cake. Can't believe the decorator thought the email was the photo for the cake.
What exactly is Mickey Mouse going to do to poor Michael? Is it a possessed mouse that is going to take the kid away? Poor child lol and I assume that was for a birthday but with those balloon things it's hard to tell. Honestly what are these people thinking? Scary bakeries these..
The Mickey Mouse one is amusing because they used the castle out of a Cinderella kit. And then added crappy balloons with sugar shapes on them.
I recently made a shopping list wreck-I was supposed to write ground mustard for a spice rub I was making, but I wrote ground movement instead :p
The lawyer's cake would make an excellent visual for cake decorating school.
"Alright, class. How many errors can you find on this cake?"
Let's see ...
border broken upper right
roses moved
stain left where roses removed
"leaves" left where roses removed
finger marks on fondant
grad cap moved leaving mark
"Robert" squeezed in
stupid use of email
Too bad they didn't misspell something to make for a perfect classroom example.
When I read the first cake I thought it was someone who had a run in with Mickey Mouse, who has decided he's old enough to use the adult version of his name. Picture if you will...
Person For Whom The Cake Was Made: "Oh wow it's Mickey Mouse. Hi Mickey!"
Mickey Mouse: (sounding dignified) "My name is Michael."
PFWTCWM: "Michael, then. Goodbye." (Storms off in a huff.)
Looks like Off the Mark was a day off for honoring this type of work. http://comics.com/off_the_mark/2010-07-08/
What's with the first cake and having 5 point stars? Scary! And they had to do bold or very stupid to mess up a cake for a law firm geeez
Wanted to say THANX for aaalll the trouble u go to..just to make us laugh like this.
It is just all wwwaayy tooo funny!
Love it.
Thanx again.
hahaha...just love the designs...its totally a cake wreck! ;)
Adorei o post. Parabéns!!! ;)
Soooo funny... the email one is PRICELESS!
check out my blog: nikkiscakery.blogspot.com
Oh my, I have tears of laughter rolling down my face!
Isn't messing up a cake for a law office just asking for trouble? I mean, EVERYONE who got one of these cake wrecks deserves and apology and refund, but a law office can sue without incurring lawyer's fees.
I've wondered for a long time, when they go to pick up the cake and they see these disasters, do they PAY for the cake? Or do they just point out the idiocy of the cake decorators? I mean, are there people who argue back that they were supposed to put "Mickey Mouse then, goodbye"? I just wondered how this goes in real life. Meanwhile, I'll keep laughing my butt off at other people's expesnse. HA HA HA
Guitar can recall
the *words* to "Happy Birthday."
Can't carry the tune.
wv: beact
Beact the way you want to beacted.
Barnes & Noble
Borders |
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)
We don't have any copies of Cake Wrecks for sale here, autographed or otherwise. We decided the shipping and handling costs would be too high to make it worth your while. So instead, buy your copies locally or online and then order personalized bookplates: it's cheaper, easier, and I think even looks a bit nicer.
Payments must be made through Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. Sorry, but that means no checks or MOs or barter-based chickens.
We ship everything first class USPS, and will do our best to have your package in the mail within 2 days of your order.
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The towering giant sequoias at Yosemite National Park would go unprotected from visitors who might trample their shallow roots. At Cape Cod National Seashore, large sections of the Great Beach would close to keep eggs from being destroyed if natural resource managers are cut.
Gettysburg would decrease by one-fifth the numbers of school children who learn about the historic Pennsylvania battle that was a turning point in the Civil War.
As America's financial clock ticks toward forced spending cuts to countless government agencies, The Associated Press has obtained a National Park Service memo that compiles a list of potential effects at the nation's most beautiful and historic places just as spring vacation season begins. [Full memo PDF embedded below]
"We're planning for this to happen and hoping that it doesn't," said Park Service spokesman Jeffrey Olson, who confirmed that the list is authentic and represents cuts the department is considering.
Park Service Director Jon Jarvis last month asked superintendents to show by Feb. 11 how they would absorb the 5 percent funding cuts. The memo includes some of those decisions.
While not all 398 parks had submitted plans by the time the memo was written, a pattern of deep slashes that could harm resources and provide fewer protections for visitors has emerged.
In Yosemite National Park in California, for example, park administrators fear that less frequent trash pickup would potentially attract bears into campgrounds.
The cuts will be challenging considering they would be implemented over the next seven months — peak season for national parks. That's especially true in Yellowstone, where the summertime crush of millions of visitors in cars and RVs dwarfs those who venture into the park on snowmobiles during the winter.
More than 3 million people typically visit Yellowstone between May and September, 10 times as many as the park gets the rest of the year.
"This is a big, complex park, and we provide a lot of services that people don't realize," Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said. "They don't realize we're also the water and wastewater treatment operators and that it's our job to patch potholes, for heaven's sake."
The memo says that in anticipation of the cuts, a hiring freeze is in place and the furloughing of permanent staff is on the table.
"Clear patterns are starting to emerge," the memo said. "In general, parks have very limited financial flexibility to respond to a 5 percent cut in operations."
Most of the Park Service's $2.9 billion budget is for permanent spending such as staff salaries, fuel, utilities and rent payments. Superintendents can use about 10 percent of their budgets on discretionary spending for things ranging from interpretive programs to historic-artifact maintenance to trail repair, and they would lose half of that to the 5 percent cuts.
"There's no fat left to trim in the Park Service budget," said John Garder of the nonprofit parks advocacy group the National Park Conservation Association. "In the scope of a year of federal spending, these cuts would be permanently damaging and save 15 minutes of spending."
For years Congress has been cutting funding to the National Park Service, and in today's dollars it is 15 percent less than a decade ago, said Garder, who is the nonprofit's budget and appropriations legislative representative in Washington, D.C. Park spending amounts to one-fourteenth of 1 percent of the federal budget, he said.
One in five international tourists visits one of America's 398 national parks, research shows, and the parks are one-third of the top 25 domestic travel destinations. If the cuts go though, the memo shows national parks will notice fewer services, shorter hours and the placing of some sensitive areas completely off-limits to visitors when there are too few staff members to protect resources.
The Park Service also writes that communities around parks that depend on tourism to fill their hotels and restaurants would suffer.
Cape Cod National Seashore would close the Province Land Visitor Center, shutting out 260,000 people from May through October. Without monitors to watch over nesting birds, large sections of the Great Beach would close to keep eggs from being trampled.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close five campgrounds and picnic areas, affecting 54,000 visitors.
The more than 300,000 visitors who use Grand Teton's Jenny Lake Visitor Center in Wyoming would be sent to other areas of the park. The park's nonprofit association would lose a quarter million dollars in sales.
In Yosemite National Park, maintenance reductions mean the 9,000-foot-high Tioga Pass, the park's only entrance from the east, would open later in the year because there would be no gas for snow plows or staff to operate them. The town of Mammoth Lakes in the eastern Sierra depends on Yosemite traffic to fill its hotels and restaurants.
Even programs important to the long-term environmental health of spectacular places are in jeopardy. In Yosemite, an ongoing project to remove invasive plants from the entire 761,000 acres would be cut. The end of guided ranger programs in the sequoia grove would leave 35,000 visitors unsupervised among the sensitive giants. And 3,500 volunteers who provide 40,000 hours on resource management duties would be eliminated for lack of anyone to run the program.
Glacier National Park in Montana would delay the opening of the only road providing access to the entire park. When the Going-to-the-Sun Road has closed previously, it meant $1 million daily in lost revenue, the memo said.
Even Declaration House in Pennsylvania, the place where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, wouldn't be spared. Nor would comfort stations on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.
"We remain hopeful that Congress is able to avoid these cuts," said Olson, the national parks spokesman.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Tags: dot, labor, lahood, parks, politics, sequester
Photo credit: Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Matt Chalup, left, hands park information to one of the first visitors to the park at the Nisqually entrance near Ashford, Wash. Elaine Thompson / Associated Press


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Programs for Kids & Teens
Great Ideas for Programming for Kids & Teens
Teen Advisory Group Allows teens to be involved with and have a voice in their library. Encourages communication between teens and librarians, and allows teens to provide input as to what they'd like to see in the way of programming, events, or collection additions in the library that they frequently use.
Teen Advisory Group Tips Go to the teens with a passive program to introduce the public library in a non-threatening manner. I go to the high school once or twice a month and set up a table outside the cafeteria during the lunch hour. On the table I have information about programs, discarded books that the teens can take for their mandatory 20-minutes of reading in class, and sometimes a guessing game with a ballot box, and often some hard candies. It was scary to do at first, but the teens responded really well, and now they come to the table to ask what is going on. From there, we were able to form a relationship with the teens -- and held the Public Library Teen Advisory meetings during lunch, at the school until things were more established. We are a small town, with one high school so it works.
YouMedia Youmedia is a digital learning initiative for high school-aged teens, designed to motivate youth to create, innovate and active learners in digital and traditional media. YouMedia is considered a "new Media" source thanks to the basic idealogy of Mizuko Ito a cultural anthropologist at the University of California-Irvine who in 2006 studied how teens use "new media". Three years after the experiment her team concluded that most kids shift between three stages of consumption and creating media such as composing music, editing photos or shooting a video. YouMedia was designed as a "hanging out" space, where anything is possible and creativity is everywhere. The YouMedia experiment first begin in Chicago.
The Chicago YouMedia- YouMedia in Chicago is an experimental project between the Chicago Public Library, Depaul University and the Digital Youth Network. Youmedia is a digital learning initiative for high school-aged teens. The Chicago Public Library was the first to launch this initiative with the support of the e John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.YouMedia is physically located at the Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago. The Chicago YouMedia space is a 21 Century teen learning space. It is considered a digital Media Lab. YouMedia teen participants have access to librarians and library staff who participate with the in technology. Teen participants have also access to mentors and instructors. The mentors and instructors have expertise in the tools, in tapping into creativity, or in just listening to the teens. The goals are to help teens find their voices, their talent by hanging out, exploring and discovering the use of technology. It is also serves to help youth become more social and unites them through digital media.
The Miami YouMedia - YouMedia made its way into the Miami-Dade County Public Library System during the Fall of 2011. YouMedia was first introduced in Chicago Public Libraries and because of its overwhelming success the Knight Foundation has agreed to provide Miami-Dade County Public Libraries with $805,755 in order to fund the installation of a YOUMedia program at North Dade Regional Library. YouMedia requires teens being able to use technology but also requires that they be given structure, guidance, and training. Library staff and technology specialist are vital to the success and growth of the YouMedia program. YouMedia allows teens to learn technology related skills that go beyond word processing and passive internet browsing. YouMedia is designed to provide access to technologies that teens would not be exposed to in the hopes of better promoting information literacy. To see some videos on Youmedia please click on the link to Chicago YouMedia [1]and to Miami YouMedia [2].
Success Stories
Boys' and Girls' Summer Book Groups: A Success Story and What We Learned
At my rural branch library (Greene County Branch of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Virginia) we've had a boy's summer book group for two summers and a corresponding girl's group for one summer. These were half book groups and half activity clubs...
Youth Services Success with Boys' Program
I am absolutely new to this (wikis, THIS wiki), but would like to start out by saying I'm a NON-LIBRARIAN ("clerk" and "library assistant" are job titles I've held), working 20+ years in public libraries, mainly in Youth Services. I've been a long-time library user (long before working in one) and am a parent of grown children (thus, the time to participate in this wiki, and take classes toward an LTA certificate).
Over the years, getting kids (especially grade school age boys) to read for pleasure (and to come to the library for programming) has been a challenge. This year, my library was awarded a grant for the purpose of bringing boys back to books.
The programming involved hands-on use of "building" materials, such as Lincoln Logs, erector sets, and a program (hired-out) involving designing your own video game. WOW! Was it ever successful (and yes, girls were included). We purchased some books to go with the programs (such as the "Wright Three" series as well as books about Frank Lloyd Wright, when we hosted an architect & people from the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust to talk and demonstrate building techniques using Froebel blocks, etc.). Parents (and kids) are still talking about our programs and hoping for more.
I'd be interested to hear other success stories involving boys and books and libraries. -- Alice Majka
Community Mural
We developed a beautiful mural with teens for a community project. We surveyed the public for suggestions, hired a muralist to create and guide the process, found teens through one of the charter schools, requested funds through our friends program and developed and created the mural over a period of about three or four months. We walked the teens through the project, starting with art books and ideas and then mural instruction. The teens got to be a part of a community project for the library, and the library and community got a new mural.
Blogs/Websites to Watch
- EZ Library Program Database from the Mid-Hudson Library System.
The Imaginary Librarian a Blog filled with YA Programming Ideas, Pictures and Instuctables
S'More Stuff Swathmore Public Library Programs a blog that is valuable for the scope of programming at a small library with a smaller budget. A wonderful template to follow for programming for children with links to sign-up forms and calendars.
[3] a collaborative Pintrest Board discussing teen programming in libraries. YouMedia


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Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding, or coagulation, disorder. Children with hemophilia lack the ability to stop bleeding because of the low levels, or complete absence, of specific proteins, called factors, in their blood that are necessary for clotting. Proper clotting of blood helps prevent excessive bleeding.
There are many factors in the blood that are involved in the forming of clots to stop bleeding. A child with hemophilia is missing, or has a low supply of, one of the factors needed in order for the blood to clot. Two common factors that affect blood clotting are factor VIII and factor IX.
Hemophilia is classified by its level of severity. Hemophilia may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the level of the blood clotting factors in the blood.
The three main forms of hemophilia include the following:
Hemophilia A. This is caused by a lack of the blood clotting factor VIII; about 9 out of 10 people with hemophilia have type A disease. This is also referred to as classic hemophilia or factor VIII deficiency.
Hemophilia B. This is caused by a deficiency of factor IX. This is also referred to as Christmas disease or factor IX deficiency.
Hemophilia C. Some doctors use this term to refer to a lack of clotting factor XI.
von Willebrand disease. A large glycoprotein called von Willebrand factor binds to factor VIII to prevent it from being degraded in the circulation. The von Willebrand factor also binds to platelets (blood cells that control bleeding) and helps the platelets attach to the lining of a vein or artery. If von Willebrand factor is malformed, decreased, or absent, there is prolonged bleeding time because the platelets are unable to attach to the wall of the vessel and form a plug to stop the bleeding. If von Willebrand factor cannot bind to factor VIII, then factor VIII is rapidly degraded and becomes deficient in the circulation. This disease is similar to hemophilia, but is not usually called by this name. It is more common and usually milder than hemophilia.
Hemophilia types A and B are inherited diseases passed on to children from a gene located on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. A female carrier of hemophilia has the hemophilia gene on one of her X chromosomes. When a hemophilia carrier female is pregnant, there is a 50/50 chance that the hemophilia gene will be passed on. If the gene is passed on to a son, he will have the disease. If the gene is passed on to a daughter, she will be a carrier. If the father has hemophilia but the mother does not carry the hemophilia gene, then none of the sons will have hemophilia disease, but all of the daughters will be carriers.
In about one-third of the children with hemophilia, there is no family history of the disorder. It is believed that, in these cases, the disorder could be related to a new gene mutation. Tests are available to possible carriers to help determine whether or not they, in fact, carry the abnormal gene.
Carriers of the hemophilia gene usually have normal levels of clotting factors but may bruise easily, may bleed more with surgeries and dental work, and/or have frequent nosebleeds or excessive menstrual bleeding.
Hemophilia C usually does not cause problems, but some patients may have bleeding after surgery.
In von Willebrand disease, the genetics are more complicated. With von Willebrand disease, the missing protein, von Willebrand factor (vWF), is not on the X chromosome, but on a chromosome that is not gender determined; so, the disease can affect both males and females equally. Its inheritance is autosomal dominant, which means that a parent with the gene has a 50/50 chance to pass it on. In an autosomal dominant condition, if the gene is passed on to a child, the child will likely develop some symptoms.
Children with von Willebrand disease may have inherited the disorder or it is possible to have had the disease caused by certain medications, autoimmune disorders, kidney problems, and certain forms of cancer.
Because hemophilia is a bleeding disorder, the most common symptom of the disorder is excessive, uncontrollable bleeding. Children with hemophilia do not bleed faster than normal children; they bleed for a longer time.
The severity of hemophilia is determined by the amount of clotting factors in the blood. Those affected with hemophilia that have levels greater than 5 percent (100 percent being average for unaffected children) usually experience bleeding only with major surgeries or tooth extractions. These children may not even be diagnosed until bleeding complications from a surgery occur.
Severe hemophilia is when the factor VIII or IX is less than 1 percent. Bleeding can occur in these children, even with the minimal activities of daily life, and bleeding may also occur from no known injury. Bleeding most often occurs in the joints and in the head.
Other symptoms of hemophilia include:
Bruising. Bruises can occur from small accidents, which can result in a large hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin causing swelling). For this reason, most diagnoses occur around 12 to 18 months of age, when the child is becoming more active.
Bleeds easily. A tendency to bleed from the nose, mouth, and gums with minor trauma, teeth brushing, and/or dental work is often an indication of hemophilia.
Bleeding into a joint. Hemarthrosis (bleeding into a joint) can cause pain, immobility, and eventually deformity if not medically managed properly. This is the most common site of complications due to hemophilia bleeding. These joint bleeds can lead to chronic, painful, arthritis, deformity, and crippling with repeated occurrences.
Bleeding into the muscles. Bleeding into the muscles can cause swelling, pain, and redness. Swelling from excessive blood in these areas can cause increased pressure on tissues and nerves in the area, resulting in permanent damage and/or deformity.
Bleeding in the brain from injury or spontaneously. Bleeding from injury, or spontaneously in the brain, is the most common cause of death in children with hemophilia and the most serious bleeding complication. A brain hemorrhage can occur from even a small bump on the head or a fall. Small bleeds in the brain can result in blindness, retardation, a variety of neurological deficits, and can lead to death if not recognized and treated immediately.
Other sources of bleeding. Blood found in the urine or stool may also be a symptom of hemophilia.
The symptoms of hemophilia may resemble other blood disorders or medical problems. Always consult your child's doctor for a diagnosis.
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, your child's doctor may perform numerous blood tests including clotting factor levels, a complete blood count (CBC), assessment of bleeding times, and/or DNA testing. Your child's doctor may also request details about your child's family history.
Specific treatment for hemophilia will be determined by your child's doctor based on:
Your child's age, overall health, and medical history
Extent of the disease
Your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
Expectations for the course of the disease
Your opinion or preference
Treatment depends on the type and severity of the hemophilia. Treatment for hemophilia is aimed at prevention of bleeding complications (primarily head and joint bleeds). Treatment may include:
Immunizations may need to be given under the skin (subcutaneous) instead of in the muscle (intramuscular) to prevent deep muscle bleeds.
Joint hemorrhages may require surgery and/or immobilization. Rehabilitation of the affected joint may include physical therapy and exercise to strengthen the muscles around the area.
Before surgery, including dental work, your child's doctor may recommend factor replacement infusions to increase the child's clotting levels prior to the procedures. Your child may also receive the specific factor replacement infusions during and after the procedure to maintain the clotting factor levels and to improve healing and prevention of bleeding after the procedure.
Your child's doctor may also recommend the discontinuation of aspirin, and aspirin-containing products, since these products have been linked to bleeding problems.
Blood transfusions may be necessary if significant blood loss has occurred.
Proper dental hygiene is a preventive measure.
Prophylactic self-infusion of factor VIII or IX can allow a child with hemophilia to lead a near normal lifestyle.
The use of gene therapy to replace the defective genes that cause hemophilia is under study, and clinical trials are being conducted, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Hemophilia is a lifelong disease. With the advances of specific clotting factors in laboratories, prevention and treatment of bleeds is improving.
With careful management, informed decisions, and recognition of complications, many children with hemophilia can live relatively healthy lives with a normal lifespan.


text:
Dolphin To My Mom I Love You - Dolphin Ornament (Printed On Both Sides) 1122
Dolphin To My Mom I Love You - Dolphin Ornament (Printed On Both Sides) 1122
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We process and ship orders within 1-3 business days, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
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You will receive a confirmation email with a tracking link so that you can follow your order all the way home! Please allow 3 days for the carrier to scan your package into their system.
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Returns and Exchanges:
We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase, and we accept returns and exchanges within 10 days of the purchase date. Please see our Returns and Exchanges page for more information about our policies and procedures here: Return & refund policy
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We have a 10-day return policy, which means you have 10 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You'll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.
To start a return, you need to contact us first at email@example.com to receive confirmations and return guide.
If your return is accepted, we'll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
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We will notify you once we've received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you'll be automatically refunded on your original payment method within 10 business days. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
If more than 15 business days have passed since we've approved your return, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Fiverprints LLC
Head office: 289 Khuat Duy Tien Street, Trung Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi 100000,Vietnam
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Phone: +1(707) 414-8189
Delaware state business registration number: 4586092
- The product is printed on 2 sides, front and back are the same, with 1 side customizable
- The product is made from acrylic or plywood
- The printed design is clear to ensure no color is faded
- All the molds will be put into 3.5×3.5 inches acrylic/wood sheet for cutting
- A hole and wires attached to the strap
- Ornament is used to display as home decoration or meaningful gifts for friends and relatives on special occasions such as Christmas, Valentine, birthday…
- All blank products are in stock and will be printed after customer personalization. We guarantee that the product you receive will be as described on the website, otherwise we will send you a free replacement or 100% refund


text:
What Would Nature Do?: Culture Shift
- 5 Parlor Games to Make Your Gatherings More Fun
- Share
5 Parlor Games to Make Your Gatherings More Fun
Spoons, sardines, telephone charades, and other activities to put a boost in your get-togethers.
1. Spoons
Our favorite part of family holidays is after dessert, when we clear the table for a game of "SPOONS." Our family dynamic is well-suited to this simple, fast-paced game. There are half-hearted attempts at cheating, affectionate name-calling, and exaggerated tales of misconduct. We are loud, lively, and slightly offensive. Alas, our games often end when these traits get the better of us: it's impossible to carry on because we're laughing so much, something breaks, or occasionally, someone bleeds.
We "kids" have grown up since we first played the game a decade ago, but it still allows us to let loose after the annual rituals of the holidays. Whether we only make it through three rounds or complete an entire game, we pack up with some reluctance, grab a Band-Aid or a roll of duct tape, apologize to the neighbors, and resume our mild-mannered ways. —L.B.
You'll Need:
One deck of ordinary playing cards, or multiple decks to suit the number of players.
One less spoon than the number of people.
Corks may be substituted for spoons—advisable for unruly players if your silverware has pointed or squared ends.
How to play:
1. The objectives are to get four of a kind and, most importantly, to have a spoon in hand at the end of every round.
2. The spoons are set in the middle of the table. Each player begins with four cards.
3. The dealer passes one card from the deck at a time, face down, keeping the cards coming as fast as possible.
4. The next player may keep the card or pass it, but must pass a card to the next player, retaining only four cards. Players continue to pass cards around the circle to the dealer.
5. The first player to collect four of a kind takes a spoon (discreetly) from the center, but continues to pass cards. As soon as players notice a spoon missing they must obtain one for themselves. A mad grab ensues, leaving one player empty-handed.
6. At the end of each round the player who failed to retrieve a spoon is assigned a letter: S, P, O, etc. Players are ejected from the game once S-P-O-O-N-S is spelled to completion.
7. Remove a spoon when a player leaves the game. The final round involves two players competing for a single spoon.
2. Sardines
Sardines is a hiding game that is best when played indoors. While one player hides, the others count to a hundred, then spread out to find him. As each player discovers the hiding place they too must squeeze in, often to comical effect. The last player to discover the hiding place becomes the hider in the next round.
3. Shadows
This Victorian parlor game creates an amusingly mysterious ambience. One player sits facing a wall or a smoothly hung sheet; behind her on the opposite side of the room, a lit candle or lamp is placed on a table. All other lights are extinguished. Taking turns, each player saunters, shimmies, or creeps across the room between the lamp and the seated person, disguising their silhouette in any way they can. The player facing the wall tries to guess the identity of the person behind the shadow. If she guesses correctly on the first try, that person must take the seat. The game goes on for as long as players can think of new ways to distort their shadows.
4. Shush
Shush is a word game suitable for adults and chatty children. One player leads by choosing a small, common word—perhaps "the," "but," "an," "with"—as the forbidden word. By turns, the leader then asks the other players questions at random, and the players must answer without using that word. Ideally, the questions should demand answers with plenty of explanation, like "How did you get your holiday cakes so fluffy?" or "Why do you believe in the Tooth Fairy?" Any player who uses the forbidden word or hesitates too long with their answer is out for the round. The last player to remain speaking leads the next round.
5. Telephone Pictures
This is a game of interpretation for groups of five or more. Each player needs a pencil and a pile of scrap paper with as many scraps of paper as there are players.
The game begins with each person thinking of a short saying. It might be a proverb or something made-up, like "Aunt Cora's garlic breath will kill us all slowly."
Everyone writes their phrase on the paper at the top of their pile. Then they pass their entire pile to the person on their right. Each player silently reads the saying they've been handed, puts it at the bottom of their stack, and attempts to illustrate it—without letters or numbers—on the next blank paper. Piles are passed to the right again, and each player translates their newly arrived drawing into words, writes this on the next paper, and puts the drawing at the bottom of the pile.
Papers are passed to the right again, and the process of drawing or writing alternates until each player receives a completed stack containing the words they first wrote. Hysteria abounds as each player shows the group how their saying was mangled along the way. —F.T.
Fabien Tepper is a freelance animal policy journalist, translator, painter, pedicab driver, and dog walker based in Boston.


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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Asian-Style Chicken and Water Chestnut Rissoles
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Dinner tonight was based on a family meal we had in Thailand. While it hints of the Orient, it is a better example of fusion rather than Asian cooking. My family, young and old, enjoyed the rissoles which I served over a gingered noodle salad. Many will question why I used the food processor to chop the chicken when it can be purchased already ground. It has to do with the texture of the finished patties. Rissoles made from ground chicken offer little resistance to the tooth. Texture can be controlled when you chop your own meat. This recipe was designed to use ingredients that can be found in any large grocery chain. So, you'll find that the heat in the patties comes from jalapeno peppers rather than bird chilies, and that water chestnuts rather than Daikon radish provide the surprising crispness. This is a wonderfully inexpensive meal to feed a gang. If you have time, or are into spearing food, the patties can be formed into small meatballs and threaded onto skewers. I prefer not to do that and, instead, make small patties and simply place them on top of the salad. I have ,in my long life, seen too many sword fights that result from the over-active imaginations of the very young who have bamboo skewers at their disposal. The patties, which are pan-fried, have wonderful color. I cheat to get that. I fry them in a mixture of ghee and canola oil, which allows me to cook the patties at a higher temperature for better color. I have a friend who lightly dusts the patties with an instant-blending flour to get the same affect. You'll notice that no binder is used in this recipe. The patties will hold together without one, but they'll be easier to form if you keep your hands wet as you shape them. Turn these only once. If the bottom side is golden brown the patties can be safely flipped without falling apart. If you have a food processor, these are simple to make and can be in the pan in less than 15 minutes. To be honest, I wouldn't bother with this recipe if I had to do the chopping by hand. I've become spoiled. Here's the recipe for those of you who are tempted to give these a try. I know you'll like them. I'll feature the salad tomorrow.
Asian-Style Chicken and Water Chestnut Rissoles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet Magazine
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 (8-oz.) can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained in several changes of water
1 cup chopped scallions, white and tender green
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh minced jalapeno chile, including seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1) Working in 2 batches, pulse chicken cubes in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add water chestnuts, scallions and jalapeno to bowl of processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to chicken along with cilantro and salt. Stir together, using your hands, until just combined.
2) Use a 1/4-cup measure or ice cream scoop to form 12 patties. Transfer patties to a baking sheet.
3) Heat oil and butter or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat until it is hot. Working in batches, add patties to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Yield: 6 servings.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spanish Chicken Kebabs - Deb's Kitchen
Shish Taouk: Grilled Chicken Kebabs - Chicho's Kitchen
Chicken Kebab Burger - Pham Fatale
Turkish Ground Chicken Kebabs - The Garden Web
Low Fat Chicken Kebabs - One Life to Eat
Grilled Chicken Kebabs - The Parsley Thief
84 comments :
- From the Kitchen said...
Mary: If I had to choose one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Thai. It satisfies every taste bud!! I've become close friends with the owners/chefs of our nearby Thai restaurant and have enjoyed so many wonderful dishes, many of them not on the menu. Thanks for sharing what I know is a delicious recipe.
Bonnie - August 10, 2010 at 12:02 AM
- The Urban Baker said...
This is right up my alley! These no only look delicious, but they are so healthy and I know my kids would devour these. To me, they resemble the filling of a won ton with out the won ton nor the deep frying. Can't wait to make these!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:35 AM
- Mary | Deep South Dish said...
Sounds delicious Mary!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:39 AM
- RamblingTart said...
You made me grin with your description of skewer sword fights. :-) Just like my brothers when they were little. This looks SO good, Mary! I love fusion flavors!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:39 AM
- Teresa said...
Oh Mary!
My hub would LOVE me forever and ever and ever and kiss me for days if I made these for him!
Lovely recipe!
xo - August 10, 2010 at 12:40 AM
- GLENDA CHILDERS said...
I lived in Thailand for a very short while as a kid, and love their food. Thanks for sharing another winner.
Do you cook dinner every night?
Glenda - August 10, 2010 at 12:46 AM
- Houdini said...
These must be wonderful paddies, almost as specially made for my taste buds. Love Asian food, Thai over all.
- August 10, 2010 at 1:07 AM
- Ginny Hartzler said...
Oh, how yummy looking!! Do you have a fushion pan? I bought one a few months ago, but haven't tried it yet. I'm going to steam salmon with an infusion of cinnamon water. Unfortunatly, there's not many other things I can think of to make with it!
- August 10, 2010 at 1:22 AM
- chriesi said...
I have never had water chestnuts, but I bet this dish is yummy!
- August 10, 2010 at 1:33 AM
- 3 hungry tummies said...
The water chestnut is the perfect touch! Looks wonderful as usual.
- August 10, 2010 at 2:04 AM
- penny aka jeroxie said...
I love this dish! Shall have to make some as well. Maybe I wont fry in ghee... summer is coming.
- August 10, 2010 at 2:20 AM
- MaryMoh said...
My family would love these.....very good with chili sauce...mmmm. Have a fun day!
- August 10, 2010 at 2:27 AM
- Ana Powell said...
I would really love these.
Delicious patties ♥ - August 10, 2010 at 3:07 AM
- Nisha said...
Sounds really delicious
- August 10, 2010 at 3:17 AM
- Diane said...
I just love Thai food and this sounds just the sort of thing we both would like. Diane
- August 10, 2010 at 3:37 AM
- Bakericious said...
this is so mouth watering, yummy!
- August 10, 2010 at 3:44 AM
- Sanyukta Gour(Bayes) said...
mary this is imply superb..very innovative dish...looks fantabulos..
- August 10, 2010 at 3:45 AM
- Chele said...
Oh boy do they look good and sound so tasty too. Ordinarily I'm not a fan of water chestnuts but I would try them in this form!
- August 10, 2010 at 5:42 AM
- Inspired by eRecipeCards said...
Now that's a beautiful thing. Wonderful description (but I love (and usually start) the light saber duels with skewers)
- August 10, 2010 at 6:08 AM
- Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul said...
Very interesting dish!
Carmen - August 10, 2010 at 6:56 AM
- Martha said...
As always, you come up with great recipes. BTW, I have healed nicely and am back in the kitchen!
- August 10, 2010 at 7:13 AM
- Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...
Mary, this sounds so refreshing and perfect for summer time. I bet the water chestnuts gave it a nice bit of crunch.
I totally agree on chopping your own chicken. It only takes a moment, but it's well worth the effort.
Sam - August 10, 2010 at 7:21 AM
- Sutapa said...
Thai foods are just so good and this one is fabulous!
I would love to try it as soon as possible! - August 10, 2010 at 7:23 AM
- Sarah said...
Course chop the water chestnuts. Otherwise this is the best burger I have ever had. Thanks for the recipe
- August 10, 2010 at 7:43 AM
- Joanne said...
I love Asian fusion food, especially Thai! And if they are family-approved - even better.
- August 10, 2010 at 8:10 AM
- Sushma Mallya said...
looks delicious mary..
- August 10, 2010 at 8:34 AM
- Cathy said...
This looks so tasty and easy to assemble. I'm looking forward to your salad recipe that goes along with these patties.
- August 10, 2010 at 8:42 AM
- tata | bonitafood said...
Oh Mary, these rissoles now make my tummy grumbling T_T
- August 10, 2010 at 9:02 AM
- Allie and Pattie said...
This is intriguing Mary and I, too, would love the noodle salad recipe
xoxo Pattie - August 10, 2010 at 9:04 AM
- Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...
These rissoles sound wonderful Mary:D
- August 10, 2010 at 9:16 AM
- Julie said...
Mary...Another beautiful and interesting dish! I love fusion dishes. I need to title a folder in my bookmarked recipes "One Perfect Bit Recipes".
Thanks for another wonderful one! - August 10, 2010 at 9:17 AM
- Unknown said...
I've never had these before and I love Thai food... They look and sound so delicious!!! Thank you so much for sharing, can't wait to try them!
- August 10, 2010 at 9:32 AM
- Susi's Kochen und Backen said...
The skewer "sword fight" made me laugh. I have to say I've never heard of Rissoles and they look and sound great. I bet my kids would really like them!
- August 10, 2010 at 10:24 AM
- Monet said...
Isn't it amazing to be able to recreate meals you had on travels? It is such a special way to remember all those wonderful experiences. Thanks for sharing!
- August 10, 2010 at 10:44 AM
- StephenC said...
I'm glad you used thigh meat, better moisture and texture than breast. Next time I make chicken burgers I'll incorporate some of your ideas. Thanks.
- August 10, 2010 at 10:55 AM
- Chef Dennis Littley said...
that chicken looks so very very good! I did not realize it was chopped at first! wow, I bet all those flavors incorporating into the chicken really made it delicious!
thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe! - August 10, 2010 at 11:08 AM
- foodcreate said...
Yummy! sound so delicious ..and healthy can't wait to try..
- August 10, 2010 at 11:10 AM
- Angie's Recipes said...
Love Thai cuisine too. These chicken cutlets look wonderful.
- August 10, 2010 at 11:52 AM
- Chef E said...
Oh I am sooo making this Mary! I have been wanting some croquets, and not fond of other fish, but chicken sounds perfect!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:33 PM
- Jeannie said...
Mary, these looks so delicious! I can so eat the whole plateful! Yummy!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:39 PM
- Katerina said...
I am sure they must taste great. I will try them, only I will decrease the amount of jalapenos. My stomach is really very sensitive.
- August 10, 2010 at 12:52 PM
- James said...
This looks so delicious and authentic. I'm envious of your world travels!
- August 10, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Suman Singh said...
chicken patties looks amazing..liked the use of chesnut rissoles in it..must be super yummie!
- August 10, 2010 at 1:51 PM
- Adelina said...
Fusion dishes can surprise and amaze indeed!
- August 10, 2010 at 2:23 PM
- scrambledhenfruit said...
I've neither had nor heard of rissoles, but they sound delicious. Sword fight would definitely have been a part of a skewered meal when my three boys were small. (And probably even now that they've grown!) Thanks for the recipe and the smile.
- August 10, 2010 at 2:57 PM
- Jennifer said...
Wow, I learn so many new things here! I have never heard of a Rissole but I think I am going to make them for my hubbies graduation party! Thanks for sharing!
- August 10, 2010 at 3:23 PM
How wonderful, and what a great idea to use waterchestnuts in the rissoles/patties! Thanks Mary
- August 10, 2010 at 3:41 PM
Oh, these look breathtaking. Crunch, heat... UGH! Now i am starving!! Saving!
- August 10, 2010 at 4:21 PM
- Eliana said...
Love all the flavors in here mary - especially the cilantro, my favorite herb.
- August 10, 2010 at 4:27 PM
- PeggyR said...
Another winner of a recipe!
- August 10, 2010 at 4:28 PM
- Unknown said...
I like fusion cooking and I just know I'll enjoy these rissoles. I like the tip for mixing ghee with canola oil for better colour. Thanks Mary.
- August 10, 2010 at 4:46 PM
- Carla and Michael said...
There are such simple ingredients in these. They are beautifully tempting patties though. I'll have mine wrapped up in some bibb lettuce please ;D
Thanks. - August 10, 2010 at 5:02 PM
- Melinda said...
These sound really yummy!
May need to try these.
Melinda - August 10, 2010 at 6:14 PM
- Rita said...
Thai is always a winner at our house and your recipe is really giving me ideas to cook Tahi this week.
Rita - August 10, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- Annie said...
Mary this is a very delicious dish and the water chestnuts are perfect.
Have a nice day - August 10, 2010 at 7:11 PM
- Faith said...
Food is such a wonderful way to remember a vacation, isn't it? This recipe looks delicious with all the flavors and the water chesnuts for a little crunch!
- August 10, 2010 at 7:33 PM
- A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...
Mary~ They looks fantastic! What great flavors--LOVE Thai food!
- August 10, 2010 at 7:36 PM
- Chef Fresco said...
We just had Thai the other night! I love it and these rissoles look delicious!
- August 10, 2010 at 7:57 PM
- Simply Life said...
oh those look like they came out perfectly!
- August 10, 2010 at 8:26 PM
- Simply Life said...
oh those look like they came out perfectly!
- August 10, 2010 at 8:26 PM
- My Little Space said...
Mary, your risoles recipe sounds fantastic! And yes, water chestnut is sweeter & yummier than daikon radish. You can also use this recipe to make fried stuffed tofu or eggplant. I'm sure it taste as good. Hope you're having a wonderful day.
Cheers, kristy
p/s oh your kids & grandchildren are coming over today! So, enjoy your day. - August 10, 2010 at 8:33 PM
- Juliana said...
Yummie, I love this combination...looks delicious, SO SO tasty :-)
- August 10, 2010 at 8:43 PM
- Nancy said...
I can not wait to try this recipe!
- August 10, 2010 at 9:18 PM
- Julie M. said...
Mary, You always create the most beautiful and tasty dishes! This looks amazing. I wish I had traveled to half the places you've been, what an amazing journey you've been on!
- August 10, 2010 at 9:32 PM
- petite nyonya said...
These are amazing looking chicken patties! Look really delicious! The addition of water chestnut is a great idea too.
- August 11, 2010 at 3:59 AM
- Linda Starr said...
We ate at a great Thai restaurant in Sequim Washington and one in Auburn, California and now one near here in Beverly Hills florida, I love Thai food, this looks like a great recipe to try. thanks.
- August 11, 2010 at 4:20 AM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
I love anything Thai and I like how you have opened it up to people who can't get all the ingredients but using more common supermarket items. These look delicious!
- August 11, 2010 at 4:38 AM
- Natasha in Oz said...
This looks absolutely divine! I am a huge fan of Thai food so I will be bookmarking this right now!
Best wishes,
Natasha. - August 11, 2010 at 4:46 AM
- Salsa Verde said...
Hi Mary,
Amazing recipe. My mouth is already watering!!
Lia. - August 11, 2010 at 7:07 AM
- Gabby said...
My hub would LOVE me forever and ever and ever and kiss me for days if I made these for him!
- August 11, 2010 at 8:03 AM
- Valérie said...
This sounds fabulous (and who cares if it's more fusion than Asian, as long as it's a success?). Thanks for the tips on texture and frying!
- August 11, 2010 at 11:14 AM
- Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...
Such simple ingredients but it looks delicious!! Can't wait to see the salad!! Thanks!
- August 11, 2010 at 11:30 AM
- La Bella Cooks said...
The flavors here are divine. These look so healthy and the color just draws you in. Love it!
- August 11, 2010 at 11:35 AM
- Patti said...
These sound fabulous. I am definitely going to be trying them...and the gingered noodle salad. (However, in order to do this, I have to get the kitchen away from my daughter, who loves to cook and plans to go to culinary school. She has recently taken over all the kitchen duties in our home, as cooking is her passion.) I guess I'll have to beg her to allow me to use "her" kitchen.
Thank you for these great recipes.
PS Your grandsons are handsome young men!! - August 11, 2010 at 12:46 PM
- Unknown said...
These look perfectly made and I love the ingredients, what a great idea for dinner, thanks!
- August 11, 2010 at 7:06 PM
- FOODESSA said...
Mary...the ingredient combination minus the heat sounds wonderful to me. Maybe, I'll try to bake these and see what happens ;o)
Ciao for now and flavourful wishes,
Claudia - August 12, 2010 at 4:50 AM
- PranisKitchen said...
just like the cutlet we used to make.. really delicious one and perfect appet.. good one Mary
- August 12, 2010 at 1:17 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Jenny, water chestnuts and scallions are an integral part of the recipe. I can't imagine why you bothered if you weren't going to use them. I do not post comments that are spam or advertisements. I viewed yours as an advertisement.
- August 22, 2010 at 10:17 AM
- Mariah said...
This is a really tasty recipe for a burger-like entree. I was surprised by the meaty consistency and I think the recipe could also be turned into a tasty vegetarian meatloaf.
- August 22, 2010 at 9:34 PM
- Jane said...
Very good! Used 1/2t ground ginger in place of the ginger root.
- August 31, 2010 at 11:22 PM
- Islington static guarding said...
I was shocked at how good these were!!! I really only made them because I am doing the low...
- September 23, 2010 at 12:12 PM
- railroad track maintenance said...
Wow. With a few changes, this recipe is one of my favorites. Instead of scallions, I used sugar snap peas. Added a great crunch and structure to the patties. (Besides, the gingered noodle salad also calls for scallions, which I did use there.) No need for the skewers. As I formed the patties, I placed them on waxed paper and coated them in panko. I ran my scissors between the patties to make wax paper squares. That made it super easy to handle the patties to the pan. I found the non-stick skillet didn't brown these properly. Instead, I sprayed an iron skillet with cooking oil and then added a tiny bit of hot water to the pan as it got too dry. No sticking and they weren't too oily.
- October 9, 2010 at 1:47 PM
- vinyl siding installation richmond said...
I made this tonight for guests. I pretty much followed the recipe and would add more jalapeno next time. Served with the noodles, a very nice combo. I think the patties will also make a good wrap or work well on a salad for lunch tomorrow.
- October 14, 2010 at 9:10 AM
- Loopbaanadvies said...
We LOVED this recipe. It was quick, easy but, most importantly, delicious. We did not have cilantro on hand, so did not use. We eliminated the skewers as we did not feel the need. Followed the directions otherwise cooking patties individually in a large skillet. Served them with the Noodle Salad w/ Mango and Gingered Cucumber and some sugar snap peas. Yum.
- November 4, 2010 at 1:45 AM


text:
Chapter 5
Jesus heals an invalid on the Sabbath—He explains why men must honor the Son—Jesus promises to take the gospel to the dead—Man is resurrected, judged, and assigned his glory by the Son—Jesus obeys the divine law of witnesses.
1 After this there was aa feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, aRise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made awhole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the bsabbath.
10 ¶ The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the asabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed awist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews apersecute Jesus, and bsought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 ¶ But Jesus answered them, My Father aworketh hitherto, and I bwork.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his aFather, making himself bequal with God.
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he aseeth the bFather do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21 For as the Father araiseth up the dead, and bquickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath acommitted all bjudgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should ahonour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that bhonoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and abelieveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting blife, and shall not come into ccondemnation; but is passed from ddeath unto elife.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the adead shall bhear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall clive.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the aSon to have blife in himself;
27 And hath given him aauthority to execute bjudgment also, because he is the cSon of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the agraves shall bhear his voice,
29 And shall acome forth; bthey that have done good, unto the cresurrection of life; and they that have done devil, unto the resurrection of edamnation.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is ajust; because I seek not mine own bwill, but the cwill of the Father which hath sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 ¶ There is another that beareth awitness of me; and I know that the bwitness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto aJohn, and he bare bwitness unto the truth.
34 aBut I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining alight: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his blight.
36 ¶ aBut I have bgreater witness than that of John: for the cworks which the Father hath given me to finish, the same dworks that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath esent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne awitness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor bseen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye abelieve not.
39 ¶ aSearch the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which btestify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have alife.
41 I receive not ahonour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the alove of God in you.
43 I am come in my aFather's bname, and ye creceive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive ahonour one of another, and seek not the bhonour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed aMoses, ye would have believed me: for he bwrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his awritings, how shall ye believe my words?


text:
You'll love this week's roundup of pictures on the topic of "Responding With Sensitivity" over at Natural Parents Network. See the way parents answer their children's needs, whatever their age.
at my super-cool collection of Wordless Wednesday linkies,
and let me know if you have one to add.
You can also link up a thumbnail from your post below!


text:
Thursday, October 25th, 2012. The OWS-Marxist-Leftists met outside Federal Hall to demand a "Day of Action" and to call for "Justice for the Holy Land Five!" "Release the Five Now!"
Accusing Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, of horrid crimes while ignoring the very real crimes of these five men who supported terrorism. Most Freedom Loving Americans and certainly Israelis fee that Justice was served when these five were CONVICTED of supporting Savages and Terrorism.
So, RELEASE the "Holy Land Five" so they can continue to "donate" to Fakestinian 'charities'?
I found familiar anti-Israel Leftists and commies gathered outside the Federal Building in Lower Manhattan…. along with OWS "Fellow-Travelers" and their media-team…
Commie-agitator – Bill Doar – looking closely at my I.D.
Comrade-bully, Andy Pollack ( in green cap)
Ann Shirazi, marching in circles with her anti-Semitic chums, Jenny Heinz and Joan Pleune (Code Pinkos and Grannie "Peace" Brigaders). Spent about 20 minutes watching them walk …slowly…in circles….
Ann tried to hand a hate-the-Jews flyer to a Vet passing by:
And, of course, Lauri Arbeiter … on the right… arrived with her very black "We Will Not Be Silent" placards (as Andy and Joan go circling by)
Commie-Chums, Caleb Maupin of the Workers World Party (with flyers and the long red-hair) as Bill Doar goes passing by…
BTW- you might find this interesting. Caleb's you tube speech HERE ….from Oct 2011…
A Workers World Party forum entitled "Socialism In the United States: Is It Possible?" directed at members of the Occupy Wall Street movement who had become interested in Marxism-Leninism and Socialism.
My associate, TTD, points out that the Workers World Party is a front group of Ramsey Clark's International Action Center (aka the "Cancer from ANSWER"). And they are marching not for Freedom and Peace but, instead, in support of Terrorism!
At this link you can read more on why they were supporting the release of these terrorist-enablers. The writer warns, ominously:
"…the ongoing law enforcement spying on Palestine solidarity activists in Boston and New York, and this is what you get: a process of criminalizing Palestine solidarity activism. Taken together, these measures could having a chilling effect on people wanting to get involved in this type of activism."
One small pleasure, as I covered these savage hate-mongers, it was a NOT a large gathering!
A VIDEO of anti-Israel chants as they sloped-by in a circle:
Even though I have heard these professional agitators, OWS-Marxist-Leftists, complain about Obama not meeting their "Dreams", on November 6th most will vote once, twice, three times, if possible, while dragging every illegal, felon and the "long-dead" to stuff the ballot-boxes for NoBama… They are that dedicated to the Take-Down of America AND ISRAEL.
Hoping that America will rise-up in large enough numbers to stop this insurgency from succeeding in winning the White House… AGAIN.
A slide show of a few more pictures:


text:
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text:
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text:
It's Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
And I'm David Greene. You would think Russia would want to ease tensions with its large Muslim minorities, since in February it will be hosting the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a town in the Caucasus Mountains that's close to large Muslim populations. But over the weekend, mobs of Russian nationalists, some of them visibly drunk, vandalized a Moscow market and attacked Muslim migrants who were working there. Many rioters were arrested, most released. But then the police turned to the victims, detaining around 1,500 migrants - many from the Caucasus region.
We spoke with NPR's Corey Flintoff to learn more. Corey, good morning.
COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: Good morning.
GREENE: What exactly seems to have happened here?
FLINTOFF: Well, we only have the bare outlines from the police report, but a 25 year old man was stabbed to death as he was walking home with his girlfriend. He was an ethnic Slav, you know, that is to say, this sort of light skinned, blond haired person.
GREENE: Mm-hmm.
FLINTOFF: The police have been circulating surveillance camera footage of a suspect that they say appears to be a migrant from the North Caucasus. And the stereotype there is a dark skinned, dark haired person from Chechnya or Dagestan. So that report was apparently enough to set off this riot by several thousand people and they're Russian nationalist, soccer hooligan types who attacked a market area where these migrants worked.
And there was the usual. There was looting of the market, there were cars overturned, rocks and bottles at the police and attacks on migrants, things like that. Police arrested several hundred people who were involved in that, but the next day, they did the sweep of the neighborhood, as you mentioned, and detained more than a thousand migrants - for no other reason than that they might be involved in criminal activity.
GREENE: These are people who are ethnically Caucasian, from this predominantly Muslim region of southern Russia. Why the outbursts against migrants?
FLINTOFF: Immigration in Russia is a lot like immigration in the United States. Russia needs workers, especially in these sort of unskilled and semi-skilled jobs, so it's a big magnet for people from south Russia and from Central Asia. They have high rates of poverty there, very high unemployment, especially for young men.
These immigrants typically don't have a lot of education. They often don't speak Russian. Most of them are Muslims. So to the nationalists, these sort right-wing, skinhead groups, the immigrants, are the other, the sinister foreigners they can blame for all kinds of things.
And it's worth noting that the neighborhood where the riots took place is this tough, gritty industrial suburb in south Moscow, where nobody's getting along very well. So it's a place that's just sort of ripe for this kind of violence.
GREENE: And to see the authorities actually target the migrants, I mean the people who seem to be the victims of this, what does that say about the authorities? I mean are they trying to get political support from nationalists? Or what's going on here?
FLINTOFF: I think they simply don't know what to do. We're hearing a lot from people in the parliament about cracking down on migrants, but we're not hearing anything much about how this migrant labor might be incorporated into the society. So I think this is kind of lashing out. This is a kind of authoritarian response to a problem that needs a coherent, governmental solution.
GREENE: Corey, thanks a lot for talking to us.
FLINTOFF: Thank you, David.
GREENE: That's NPR's Moscow bureau chief Corey Flintoff. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Imagine Human Flight • American Photographer Mark Fisher • Theory Of Design
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text:
When the weather forecast calls for rain, and no rain shows up, it feels like you've cheated the system and gained a bonus day. It's exhilarating, and each moment feels like, "I'm not supposed to be seeing this right now!" Weather forecasts in San Francisco for Saturday said a 40% chance of rain...and even though there were patches of blue in the sky, grey clouds lingered throughout view, and given the downpour that occurred the previous night, it was a safe bet that at some point Saturday's weather was going to go south.
When our class met at Baker Beach, the first few drops of rain began to fall... the outlook wasn't great, but thankfully it stopped and we were able to begin the orientation on schedule, and with the sun beginning to shine, too.
Our orientation gave everyone a chance to get to know each another and our instructors, Brian Rueb and Alicia Telfer, who got the chance to find out what the students' experience levels were and what they wanted to focus on during the day. Students come to us with a variety of skill levels and equipment, and it's always fun to learn where everyone is at in their photographic journey, and then work towards moving them to the next levels.
Normally we try to start on Baker Beach, but even though the rain had stopped, a steady wind was blowing and we made a change in the plan to put us in a position to still get nice photos without the blowing sand. So we made our first stop at the outskirts of Fort Point, where we had a wide angle shot of the bridge and the fort, along with a view of the really old rusted chains that line the edge separating the road from the churning sea.
This spot offers the opportunity for teaching a lot of different techniques. The first, don't turn your back on the ocean, ever, was learned quite quickly by a few of the students.
This location is great in that it provides a nice wall for the waves to crash against, which sends ocean spray high into the air and onto the roadway. A few students got a kiss from the sea as they got out of the van and set up to shoot. So once everyone had safely assembled back from the spray, we began the lessons.
We worked with students to bump up ISO to allow for faster shutter speeds in order to capture a wave crash in action. Using this technique, we got great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, and a wave crashing through the air... giving us a new and exciting version of a classic San Francisco scene.
We also worked with students on how to get a shallow depth of field to focus on the part of the old rusted chain, while leaving the iconic Golden Gate blurred in the background; this gives the image a sense of place while shifting the focus. The class had fun trying to go near and far from the water and grab a shot or two before the waves crashed back in and sent them scattering. The chains also provided a very nice "leading line" in compositions that helped guide the viewer's eye through the image from foreground to background.
When we finished with this vantage point, it was time to drive 50 yards to the actual Fort Point and set up for our second stop. Fort Point is a great civil war era brick fort. We entered the fort through the main gate and then broke into two smaller groups. Brian and Alicia each took a group through the fort and showed them a few of their favorite spots for teaching some valuable lessons.
One of the spots we visit at the Fort is the Powder room. The small, dimly lit room is filled with row after row of old replica gun powder barrels. It's a good spot to work on a lot of different photographic techniques, the first being the use of repetitive shape in images. Repetitive shapes are great for composition. They add interest and allow for compositions that fill the frame with the same colors and shapes.
We also worked with how to fill a frame with very symmetrical objects and where you cut them and place them in a frame, and how to use the lines on the floor and shelves to help guide a viewers' eye through the frame. This spot is also prime for working on very shallow depths of field where the student focuses using the lowest f-stop, and then allows the rest of the image to blur, further adding focus to the spots selected in the image.
We typically spend about 30 minutes maneuvering the mini maze of the Powder room before we head upstairs to the officer's quarters. This area is a long hallway filled with doorways that seem to go on forever. It's a great way, again, to work on symmetry in an image and on how to photograph it and change it up. We also cover white balance in this room - the lighting is quite different in that it's filled with natural light from the windows as well as artificial light from the bulbs in the rooms. It's fun to see how the light changes when we play around with the settings. Sometimes we also have a bit of fun creating ghosts in our images by standing still for the first two seconds of the exposure then moving out of the way the last two seconds.
The final spot we show the class in the fort is the old brick-lined archways in the far wing. These archways give more examples of symmetry with the added bonus of being able to show how a graduated neutral density filter can be useful. The arches are all lit by natural light, which streams in from the left side of the frame and creates a much brighter section that is often blown out in images. We can use the filter here, turned sideways to help balance the exposure and give a more pleasing overall appearance.
Once the instructors have covered these first areas, we turn the class loose to go explore and find their own unique visions. While they explore, Alicia and Brian go to each student and help provide tips and pointers. Towards the end of this exploration period, the class got down to ground level to capture some great reflections in the puddles that were left behind in the courtyard area from the previous night's rain. It was a new perspective on the area, which gave an almost surreal quality to the images.
Our time at the fort ended, and the sky was still behaving wonderfully, so we pressed on to Sausalito to have lunch and take a break before we headed out to Rodeo Beach to work on capturing a sunset.
The storm system had put a high surf advisory in effect for the entire weekend, and it was not clear whether we would be able to get out to our usual location for sunset. But, like the weather forecast for the day, the high surf warning was a bit off as well, and we were lucky to not only be able to walk out to the lovely sea stacks and rocky shoreline, but actually have plenty of room for the class to spread out and set up their own shots.
The beach is a great spot to help people see the value of a polarizer and graduated neutral density filter on an image with high contrasting light like a sunset or sunrise. The filter helps hold back several stops of light from the bright sky, while allowing the foreground and beach more exposure, which creates a pleasing and evenly exposed image. The lower the sun drops, the longer the exposures get, and the more we see students start to light up as they see the nice silky smooth water images they are getting on their cameras. Even though the sky never lit up electric pink or purple, we had some really nice warm tones to work with, and it was certainly a pleasant sight to behold.
Everyone got some nice images and was happy the rain had held off and we were going to be able to make one last stop - the high vantage point of the Golden Gate Bridge, from the top of the Marin Headlands.
While this class is not a specific class geared towards night photography, the view is too good to pass up, and we always make the stop and work with the class to get an image of this iconic shot. We work up the f-stops, add long exposures and play with white balances to cool down the artificial city lights and make very nice night shots of the bridge. For those who didn't have cable releases or remote controls for their cameras, we notched up the ISO to make the sensor more receptive to light, and then set them for 30 second exposures that still yielded very similar results.
The forecast had said there would be a storm in the area, which meant that we shouldn't even be seeing the bridge... but we did, and that's what made it so beautiful. The forecast was wrong.
Until next time,
Brian, Alicia, and the rest of The Aperture Academy Team
P.S. If you'd like to join us at one of our workshops, you can find the schedule/sign up here.
NOTE: You can see more workshop photos below the comments here.
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