text:
(Click the image above to get the preview of photos in the cookbook.)
I am extremely thrilled to announce that my debut cookbook "Easy Chinese Recipes" launches today, in bookstores nationwide, and online at Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Book Depository (free shipping worldwide), and Barnes & Noble. If you are a fan of my work, remember to pick up a copy of my cookbook or click on the links above and BUY NOW.
This cookbook is a collection my all-time favorite dishes that are simple and easy to cook and eat at home. Highlight recipes from the book include familiar favorites like Tasty Lettuce Wraps, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Pot Stickers, Yangzhou Fried Rice and Chinese takeout favorites like Simple Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, and Beef with Broccoli. There are also authentic Chinatown favorites such as Siu Mai (steamed pork dumpling), Crispy Shrimp Dumpling, Cantonese BBQ Pork Char Siu, Roast Duck, Flaky Egg Tarts, and more! Simply put, the recipes read like the menu of your favorite Chinese restaurant, and so much more!
The cookbook has already garnered rave reviews on Amazon and it's currently #2 on Amazon Best Sellers Rank in Chinese cooking. The book is 144 pages, full color with over 200 photos. Each recipe comes with a color photo and many of them with step-by-step picture guide. For the preview of the pictures (styled and photographed by me) that grace the pages of Easy Chinese Recipes, click on the gallery above.
To celebrate the official launch of my cookbook, I have lined up many exciting and fabulous giveaways from my friends and sponsors—one (1) Chinese Wok Star Kit, one (1) ManPans 10″ wok steamer set, two (2) Zojirushi rice cookers, three (3) Chinese ingredients and food bundles, three (3) gorgeous Chinese aprons, and five (5) signed copies of my cookbook (enter to win now!). These giveaways are going to help you cook the recipes in my cookbook immediately.
It's going to be fun, so stick around as I unveil the giveaways one by one. For now, please get a copy of Easy Chinese Recipes at a book store near you, or buy online now!


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"I have just read that bonds aren't a good investment right now. Should I sell my bonds?"
This is a question I've heard almost every week since the beginning of the year. To me, here is what that question sounds like, "I've just heard green vegetables are bad for you. Should I stop eating green vegetables?"
Sounds silly right? I actually have read that some types of green vegetables in excess can cause problems for people with certain medical conditions (too much Kale for someone with hypothyroidism, for example). But that doesn't translate into "Don't eat green vegetables." The same is true for bonds.
Bonds are a stable, income producing financial vehicle. So why are they getting such a bad rap? It's just like the green vegetable analogy. There are economic circumstances where certain types of bond funds may lose value for some people. Instead of interpreting this as if all bonds are bad, what you need to do is take the time to understand those circumstances and determine if they apply to you.
There are three things you need to know about bonds to interpret all the noise you hear in the news: The difference between individual bonds and bond funds, the variety of bond types, and figuring out how this type of investment fits in with your goals.
1. Bond funds vs. individual bonds
You hear a lot of talk in the news about rising interest rates and how that will affect bonds. But will it have any effect on you? It might. It depends on how you own your bonds.
When you own an individual bond, you can hold it to maturity and you know exactly what you will get. Let's say you buy a bond for $10,000. It matures in five years and pays a 3% coupon rate. Next year interest rates go up. Your bond has four years left until maturity, and the going rate on four-year bonds is now 4%. If you try to sell your bond at this point in time, you will receive less than you paid for it, because its coupon rate is lower than the going rate. But if you hold your bond to maturity, it doesn't matter — you'll get your $10,000 back.
In a bond fund, however, it doesn't quite work this way. Bond funds own hundreds, sometimes thousands of bonds. If a large number of mutual fund shareholders decide to exit out of the bond fund within a short time frame, the bond fund manager has no choice but to sell existing bonds, sometimes at a loss, in order to raise enough money to return funds to shareholders.
This means the media itself can cause a self-fulfilling prophecy in bond funds. People read they should sell bonds because they might lose money. People sell them in mass. The mutual fund is forced to sell bonds at a less than optimal time. The bond fund's share price goes down.
Even this however is a simplification, because like dogs, all bonds and all bond funds, aren't alike

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Emergency water damage restoration and repair services for Colorado Springs . We provide 24 hour disaster cleanup for any type of flooding problem, by certified techs. We are a local Colorado based contractor and have the right tools, equipment and manpower to tackle any size flood damage job. Professional and certified techs will extract water and dry out your home or business, set up the necessary drying equipment and get your property quickly back to normal.
Call 800-692-7440 – Emergency Flood Damage Services Colorado Springs Colorado
Experiencing flood damage can leave any homeowner devastated, and the last thing they will want to do is start the search for a professional restoration company to come in and help them repair. Luckily, you can end the search here! The Restoration Pros of Colorado have the experience and expertise needed for a successful restoration on your home or business. We have been in the business for over 30 years; helping residents in Colorado restore their homes and their lives after a tragic flooding incident. We have all of the right tools, including manpower and equipment, to get the job done for you in a safe and time efficient manner. All of our equipment is pre-loaded in our trucks, waiting for your call! Our technicians are IICRC certified, meaning that they have gone through rigorous training to ensure that they not only meet, but surpass all industry standards. We know that disasters happen every day and are not always convenient, and that is why we are! The Restoration Pros of Colorado Springs are available for your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. We want to be the ones you call in your time of need.
Flood Damage Cleanup By Professional and Certified Restoration Techs
With water damage, it is of the utmost importance to call in a timely manner after finding out. This is important because the longer that you wait, the more risk there is of damage worsening. When stagnant water sits in a building structure, it weakens the constructive materials needed to hold its' weight. Also, your personal possessions or carpentry and upholstery can be severely damaged. Mold may even begin to grow on your property if the water is sitting there for a long period of time. No homeowner wants to deal with the extra hassles when they can be avoided! When you call soon after finding out of the damage, we can take the contents of your home to our offsite facility and have them looking as good as new in no time. In most cases when you call the Restoration Pros, we can be out to your location within the hour to begin assessing the damage and writing you a claim. A benefit from working with the Pros is that our technicians are trained to spot things that an untrained eye may miss. This means a better claim for you, and more money in your pocket at the end of the process.
The first thing we will do when we arrive to your property is to assess the damage. From there, we will set up a personalized restoration plan with you. Once we get the green light, we will bring in the rest of the team and begin the process. Our company is fully licensed, bonded, and insured. We are also FEMA authorized, and can be found on the scene of a disaster in your area. Customer satisfaction is our number one goal, so we will do anything we can to achieve it! If that means working around the clock to ensure your satisfaction, than that is what we will do. We will work alongside you and the insurance company to ensure that you are receiving the maximum claim benefit as well. If you are looking for excellent service that you can count on, The Restoration Pros of Colorado is the team to call!
De-humidification Drying – Water Removal and Extraction – Mold – Reconstruction Services from Storms, Broken Pipes, Hurricane Disasters In Colorado Springs
Our professionals also work directly with most of the homeowner's insurance companies and can file claims for you. When these companies fill out the forms, they do so accurately and the entire process flows smoothly and your claim is processed quickly without any delay.
Additional Resources For Colorado Residents National Hurricane Center
Colorado Department of Insurance


text:
Raja Yoga Meditation Course
Three Consecutive Thursday evenings 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Raja Yoga Meditation is an exploration of the nature and qualities of the soul and the divine. Moving from theory, to practice, to experience, the student 's original qualities of deep peace, pure love, and inner power are awakened and cultivated. Students may wish to practice Raja Yoga simply to bring more clarity, peace and positivity into their lives, or they can move to more advanced courses and practice, which provide a foundation for profound self transformation and world service.
The class starts on the date noted above, and meets once a week for three consecutive weeks. Please inquire about alternative class timings.
Your voluntary donations are appreciated.
Contact Information
Please Call to Visit
820 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, California 94949 USA
Book Shop
Please visit our online shop.
Click here.


text:
I'm just looking for this dang hat.
[Written with our panel audience at ConBravo 2016]
Appearing: graham stark, james turner, alex steacy, Bartleby
"0 to Comedy in 60 seconds" The Crapshots are bizarre sub-minute shorts from the minds of the LRR crew. This is where we keep all the little ideas that can't be allowed to live on their own. Crapshots are for your own protection.
Crapshots Ep647 - The Eight Step Program
It's changed my life.
Crapshots Ep646 - The Review
Briefly Brian here with a brief update.
Crapshots Ep645 - The Construction Project
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Crapshots Ep644 - The Level Up 2
The original ruleset is exhaustive.
Crapshots Ep643 - The Hosiery Store
Firmest brassieres north of the Mississippi!
Crapshots Ep642 - The Brews
Back in my day, you were lucky to get a warm lager.


text:
In case Pennsylvania lawmakers need to get creative with their vanity license plates, NO1 SEN and BESTREP are still available, at least for now.
Members of the state's General Assembly and congressional delegation could find themselves in a scrum for work-related vanity plates, thanks to a proposal from state Rep. Thomas Murt (R-Montgomery) that would eliminate the official legislative license plates, which dozens of current and retired lawmakers flaunt on their vehicles.
Murt said he wants to introduce legislation banning the plates after constituents expressed concern they could be a "license to speed" and might make police reluctant to stop them.
"There's really no legislative purpose for an elected official to be driving around with a special license plate," Murt said. "You don't get diplomatic immunity from the motor vehicle law or anything like that. At least you shouldn't, and the mere appearance of this is an area for concern."
While embarrassing ethical lapses within the General Assembly and state agencies have continued to grab headlines, lawmakers have been moving toward reform, such as efforts aimed at banning cash gifts.
Other changes have been simpler — making sure House members have at least a day to think over legislation before casting a final vote, for example.
Murt said his proposal is part of that push for reform, but at least one good-government activist doesn't see the plates as a pressing problem.
Eric Epstein, founder of Rock the Capital, cracked that he has no issue with them "as long as convicted politicians sitting in prison make the license plates and politicians pay the same fee as everybody else."
"This is a distraction from meaningful reform," Epstein said. "Pennsylvanians want to revoke the Legislature's license to plunder, rob and steal from taxpayers."
Bill Patton, a spokesman for House Democratic Caucus, said it's not a matter that's been on the members' minds, but he understood why some people might see a chance that lawmakers could get a free pass on the road.
"I have not heard of those concerns before, but I suppose that might come to somebody's mind," Patton said.
Officially, though, the plates don't give lawmakers special privileges. Judging by the number of legislators who complain about parking tickets in Harrisburg, the plates haven't proven to be a perk, said Steve Miskin, a House GOP spokesman.
Murt, though, said he's heard at least one first-hand account of a sitting legislator bragging after evading a ticket by flashing his legislative ID.
The plates identify vehicles as belonging to either a state senator or state representative and include the lawmakers' district numbers. Plates are also available to retired lawmakers, though Murt said that term is ambiguous, considering somebody could have been voted out of office instead of leaving on his or her own volition.
Thirty state senators and 48 state representatives use the legislative license plates, while another 52 retired lawmakers have them, said Jan McKnight, a spokeswoman with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Like other vanity plates, the legislative license plates cost $20. That price will jump to $76 in July as part of a sweeping transportation funding bill passed last year.
No lawmakers who have the plates now would be grandfathered in under the proposal, said Murt, who does not have one. He wants the legislation to pass, but he's not optimistic.
"It has not gotten a real warm reception from some of my colleagues," Murt said. "They have the license plates, they like them and it may be a piece of legislation that they are not going to embrace warmly."
Andrew Staub can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow @PAIndependent on Twitter for more.
The Pennsylvania Independent is a public interest journalism project dedicated to promoting open, transparent, and accountable state government by reporting on the activities of agencies, bureaucracies, and politicians in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is funded by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a libertarian nonprofit organization.


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To run the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) on Directory Proxy Server, you must either use a self-signed certificate or a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solution.
The PKI solution involves an external Certificate Authority (CA). For a PKI solution you need a CA-signed server certificate, which contains both a public key and a private key. This certificate is specific to one Directory Proxy Server instance. You also need a trusted CA certificate, which contains a public key. The trusted CA certificate ensures that all server certificates from your CA are trusted. This certificate is sometimes called a CA root key or root certificate.
For information about how to create a non-default self-signed certificate and to request and install a CA-signed certificate, see the following procedures.
When you create a Directory Proxy Server instance, a default self-signed certificate is automatically provided. If you want to create a self-signed certificate with non-default settings, use this procedure.
The procedure creates the public and private key pair for a server certificate, where the public key is signed by Directory Proxy Server. A self-signed certificate is valid for three months.
You can use DSCC to perform this task. For information, see Directory Service Control Center Interface and the DSCC online help.
To create a non-default self-signed certificate for Directory Proxy Server, type:
$ dpadm add-selfsign-cert instance-path cert-alias
where cert-alias is the name of the self-signed certificate.
For example, you could create a certificate called my-self-signed-cert as follows:
$ dpadm add-selfsign-cert /local/dps my-self-signed-cert
For a description of all command options, see the dpadm(1M) man page or type dpadm add-selfsign-cert --help at the command line.
Self-signed certificates are useful for test purposes. However, in a production environment, using trusted Certificate Authority (CA) certificates is more secure.
You can use DSCC to perform this task. For information, see Directory Service Control Center Interface and the DSCC online help.
Request a CA-signed server certificate.
$ dpadm request-cert instance-path cert-alias
where cert-alias is the name of the certificate that you are requesting. Certificate Authorities might require all of the options of the command to identify the server. For a description of all command options, see the dpadm(1M) man page.
The process for obtaining a CA certificate depends on the CA that you use. Some commercial CAs provide a web site that allows you to download the certificate. Other CAs will send the certificate to you in email.
For example, you could request a certificate called my-CA-signed-cert as follows:
$ dpadm request-cert -S cn=my-request,o=test /local/dps my-CA-signed-cert -----BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- MIIBYDCBygIBADAhMQ0wCwYDVQQDEwRnZXJpMRAwDgYDVQQDEwdteWNlcnQ0MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3 DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQC3v9ubG468wnjBDAMbRrEkmFDTQzT+LO30D/ALLXOiElVsHrtRyWhJ PG9cURI9uwqs15crxCpJvho1kt3SB9+yMB8Ql+CKnCQDHlNAfnn30MjFHShv/sAuEygFsN+Ekci5 W1jySYE2rzE0qKVxWLSILFo1UFRVRsUnORTX/Nas7QIDAQABoAAwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEEBQADgYEA fcQMnZNLpPobiX1xy1ROefPOhksVz8didY8Q2fjjaHG5lajMsqOROzubsuQ9Xh4ohT8kIA6xcBNZ g8FRNIRAHCtDXKOdOm3CpJ8da+YGI/ttSawIeNAKU1DApF9zMb7c2lS4yEfWmreoQdXIC9YeKtF6 zwbn2EmIpjHzETtS5Nk= -----END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
When you request a certificate by using the dpadm request-cert command, the certificate request is a PKCS #10 certificate request in Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format. PEM is the format specified by RFCs 1421 through 1424. For more information, see http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1421.txt. The PEM format represents a base64-encoded certificate request in ASCII format.
When you request a CA-signed certificate, a temporary self-signed certificate is created. When you receive and install the CA-signed certificate from the CA, the new certificate replaces the temporary self-signed certificate.
Save the certificate request for future reference. You may need it while renewing the certificate.
Send the certificate request to the CA, according to its procedures.
After you have sent your request, you must wait for the CA to respond with your certificate. Response time for your request varies. For example, if your CA is internal to your company, the response time can be short. However, if the CA is external to your company, the CA can take several weeks to respond to your request.
Save the certificate that you receive from the CA.
Save your certificate in a text file, and back up the certificate in a safe location.
To trust the CA-signed server certificate, you must install the certificate on a Directory Proxy Server instance. This procedure installs the public key of a CA certificate to the certificate database on Directory Proxy Server.
You can use DSCC to perform this task. For information, see Directory Service Control Center Interface and the DSCC online help.
See if the trusted CA certificate for this CA is already installed.
To do this, list all installed CA certificates, as described in To List CA Certificates.
If the trusted CA certificate is not installed, add it to the certificate database on the Directory Proxy Server instance.
$ dpadm add-cert instance-path cert-alias cert-file
where cert-alias is the name of the trusted CA certificate and cert-file is the name of the file containing the trusted CA certificate.
Install the CA-signed server certificate to the certificate database.
$ dpadm add-cert instance-path cert-alias cert-file
Where cert-alias is the name of the CA-signed server certificate and cert-file is the name of the file containing the CA-signed server certificate.
The cert-alias name must be the same as the cert-alias used in the certificate request.
For example, you can add a CA-signed server certificate named CA-cert to the certificate database on/local/dps as follows:
$ dpadm add-cert /local/dps CA-cert /local/safeplace/ca-cert-file.ascii


text:
SociableShops is a hosted deal-site platform with a managed service component that allows you to have a customized, fully branded deal-site up and running quickly. We setup, or link, to your existing Authorize.net gateway and fulfillment house to streamline your sales. You send us product info weekly and we do the rest, but you're also welcome to use our administrative interface to view stats and manage your shop.
We manage and nurture your subscriber lists and send out regular deal updates on your behalf.
PCI compliant credit card processing, merchant accounts, and payment gateways.
Professional designs and fast load times result in high customer retention rates.
Our team constantly monitors effectiveness to ensure your site is performing optimally.
"We always enjoy working with SociableGroup. Their near flawless customer support and zeal for perfection makes every project a huge success in process and execution. We would encourage any of our contacts to utilize their industry leading products and services."
"Upon having my brand selected to be featured on Jill's Steals and Deals, I realized the need for a high traffic website to support the sale. I chose SociableShops, and I couldn't be more satisfied with their level of client service. I recommend them to any brand in need of e-commerce solutions."
"Thank you so much for all your work... It looked beautiful and you managed the inventory perfectly. All time zones had a chance to purchase and we also sold out! You really helped make it an extremely successful event! Thank you!"


text: Why drink Joe from a normal mug when you can tease coworkers with this hilarious gravity-defying fused three-cup stack day after day, and get more coffee per serving while you're at it? Who knows, maybe this will serve as the icebreaker you need to chat up that latte-swilling hottie in Finance. If this were ours, we'd always go for the top-cup grip for maximum gravity defiance—and for $12 this dishwasher-safe little baby might be ours soon. [Loft Party via Neatorama]


text:
Justin Bieber Searched by Puerto Rico Security
Justin Bieber cannot stay out of trouble! The singer was searched by security at the airport in San Juan Puerto Rico as he was getting ready to exit the country. He was in town for a gig.
But he wasn't searched because he was behaving badly or bein' all bratty. It was reportedly a routinely conducted search.
The authorities inspected the 'Hold Tight' singer's bags. They were looking for any sort of contraband that he might be, uh, smuggling. It was an inconvenience for the teen, since was delayed for an hour while his bags were searched. That's never, ever fun while traveling.
Sources told TMZ that it was described as a random search. However, it seems as though The Biebs was singled out due to the volume of luggage with which he was traveling.
Once the authorities were done sorting through his stuff – we hope that smelly underwear wasn't involved — he was allowed to leave the country…on a private jet, of course. That type of accommodation likely took the sting off having security mess with his junk.
No, not that junk, either!


text:
By MissGracieRocks - Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:13 pm
- Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:13 pm #59677
I haven't modded this truck much, yet. I did rewire the throttle to a momentary switch on the steering wheel using 12Vwiz's diagram because Miss Gracie's legs are parylized. We had a custom decal set made to make the truck more girly. I just ordered a programmable buzzer to make a custom horn. There are plans to mod in a rack and pinion to make less work of steering, hopefully we'll get going on it this weekend since there's rain in the forecast for the next week. I'm a stay at home Mom who is an aspiring modder. I no longer have the time to work on vehicles, I think PW are the perfect hobby to fill that void:) Those are NOT handicap symbols on her back windows, they are the logo for wheelchair motocross athlete Aaron Fotheringham who also has Spina Bifida like my Gracie.
Monster Traction F150 in the works
6V PW Harley Jeep converted to hand controls
6V PW Harley Jeep converted to hand controls


text:
It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
Do you enjoy shopping, luxury and delicious food? Book flights to Singapore and be amazed by the countless attractions the city has to offer. Discover the vibrant Chinatown and wander through the streets of old Geylang. Children will have the time of their lives at Universal Studios and Singapore Zoo. In the evenings, you won't be bored either as Singapore has an exciting and varied nightlife. You can for instance take a walk through the beautifully lit Gardens by the Bay.
Read more
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text:
The African bead art of ndwango from a South African all-women artists' community is being showcased at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum.
"Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence'' is one of two new exhibits open at the museum through September.
The bead art exhibit includes 31 pieces from Ubuhle women, which means beauty. The museums says the artists have transformed traditional beading techniques to a contemporary medium by using tiny colorful glass beads, hand sewn in patterns on black cloth canvasses.
The pieces reflect themes drawn from the artists' lives, including cattle, gardens, the death of loved ones, and a massive African "Crucifixion.'' It is composed of seven panels commissioned for the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity, an Anglican cathedral in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.


text:
Brownstone 2019 Toyota Camry LE FWD 8-Speed Automatic 2.5L I4 DOHC 16V Fa10 Ash Cloth.
28/39 City/Highway MPG
New 2019 ToyotaCamry LE SedanFor Sale in Latham, NY
- Stock: T77442
18 views in the past 7 days
- Fuel Economy
- 28.0/39.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- Brownstone
- Interior Color
- Ash Fabric
- Body/Seating
- Sedan/5 seats
- Transmission
- 8 speed automatic
- Drivetrain
- front-wheel
- Engine
Toyota Camry
Highlighted Features
- Lane departure
- Distance pacing cruise control
- Emergency communication system
- Wireless phone connectivity
- Exterior parking camera rear
- Auto high-beam headlights
- Split folding rear seat
- Remote keyless entry
Detailed Specifications
Dealer Notes
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 4.0
Great Car with a Horrible Transmission
By Sergio on Tuesday, May 15, 2018Ive wanted the 2018 Camry XSE since the first time I saw it. It took me about 3 months before I bought it, because I wanted to make sure I was making a good purchase. I paid a great price for my car and I find the car very good. It is efficient, has many security items, but there is something that is bothering me so much, that is the transmission. The gear changes are slow and accelerating the Camry soon after a slowing down is a terrible thing. The transmission is always hesitating to change gears. I complained about this problem in the Toyota Dealer and was given the wonderful solution to avoid using the ECO mode and always use the SPORT mode. I confess I was surprised that the solution given by the Toyota Dealer because I believe that Toyota Engineers are a little smarter and able to design a better transmission than the one in my car. I have prayed a lot for Toyota engineers to find a solution to this problem, otherwise Ill have to change my Camry for an Accord.
- 5.0
Driver Seat
By Lisa on Wednesday, July 17, 2019This is an overall excellent car with 1 exception, the driver seat. I would not recommends this car for anyone dealing with low back pain. If you are short, like me, it is hard to get out of due to the slant in the seat. Driving is comfortable, however; getting in and out is another matter. Seat needs to have more padding and be level, eliminating the slant. At first, I had no problem, but after about 3 months of ownership, I became aware of this on a more daily basis.
- 5.0
Loaded with features found on cars 10k more
By CFL on Monday, March 04, 2019I have a 2019 Camry SE - For the price, it has features found on cars $10K more sticker price. A host of safety features with a very well-balanced driving experience immediately captures you. 28 MPG city! Nice to know as gas just rose 25 cents per gallon overnight. I am very happy.
*Discount includes rebates from Toyota and Northway Toyota. All NYS dealers charge a $75 dealer documentation fee. Sales prices do not include sales tax, title registration, or documentation fee. Eligible customers may qualify for additional rebates, see dealer for details. Not responsible for typographical errors.


text:
WASHINGTON, July 11 (UPI) -- Over rancorous Democratic objections, the Republican-led U.S. House passed a farm bill Thursday that does not include reauthorization of the food stamp program.
The vote was 216-208. No Democrats voted for the bill.
During the nearly seven hours of debate on the legislation, Democrats repeatedly called their Republican counterparts heartless, callous and cruel for their efforts to pass a farm bill with nutrition programs stripped from it.
The bill, called by Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., as the "farm bill farm bill" would change federal agricultural policy and conservation programs, and includes language that would end direct subsidy payments to farmers.
However, it says nothing about funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, which drew sharp rebukes from House Democrats and a veto threat from President Obama.
"It's no secret that I wanted to pass the full farm bill last month but that didn't happen," Lucas said of a failed effort to pass a farm bill that saw 62 Republicans vote no. "Today's bill is a step toward getting a five-year farm bill on books this year."
If representatives are serious about reducing the cost of government, providing regulatory relief to farmers and ensuring a safe, affordable and reliable food supply, "then vote for the bill," Lucas said.
Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, said he reluctantly urged defeat of the bill, saying if the Agriculture Committee's previous bill had been left intact once it hit the floor, it likely would have passed with bipartisan support.
"We were doing fine until we got here on the floor and the leadership screwed it up," Peterson said. "Now you've got to make this a partisan bill. I told my caucus, this is something I never thought I'd say -- you now managed to make me partisan."
"This is a bad bill," Peterson said. "It should be defeated."
The House spent two hours debating whether to even consider the 608-page bill because it was presented only Wednesday and was placed on the calendar for debate Thursday. House rules stipulate that a bill be available for three days before it is considered.
Republicans tried to assuage the opposition by assuring Democrats there would be votes on a separate bill concerning food stamp funding later in the month.
"Let me give you my personal pledge," Lucas said in closing. "The [Agriculture Committee] will work to craft language" on the nutrition programs.
"I can't guarantee you what the product will look like coming out of committee or coming across the floor," he said. "I just can't give you that kind of guarantee."
Democrat after Democrat said the separate consideration of nutrition programs would, in effect, kill them.
"You are taking food out of the mouths of your own constituents," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. "The audacity to split off the nutrition parts of this bill is so stunning."
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said a vote on the split bill would be the "death knell of the food stamp program. It is immoral."
Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, who was a floor manager on the debate to consider the bill, said it was the Republicans' hope that the bill and a "following opportunity" could be passed so the matter could go to conference with the Senate, which already passed a bill.
After more than two hours of debate, the House voted to proceed to debate the bill, 225-195.
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said the measure was the only way to proceed.
"The agriculture industry needs certainty; farmers need ability to plan," he said.
"If we fail today, I'm not sure we're going to get another chance," said Rep. Rodney David, R-Ill.
Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said the issue was about hunger.
"There is no proof, no documentation that we'll ever get to the SNAP program," she said. "The only thing we will carry home today is a sound bite ... that I cut the budget [and] threw the children under the bus."
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., was one of many Democrats who decried the "hijinks" by Republicans to bring the bill to the floor so quickly.
"There is a reasonable center here if we will stay here and work at it," Takano said. "What's the rush to get out of town?"
In his closing remarks Peterson said Democrats were at the ready to work on crafting a bipartisan bill that included farm and nutrition elements.
He also noted several conservative groups, including Club for Growth, opposed the original bipartisan bill.
"The idea of splitting this bill is brainchild of conservative groups," Peterson said. "Ironically, now that they split the bill, they don't support it."
Republicans beat back a last-minute Democratic effort to amend the bill to include food safety issues, 198 in favor and 226 against.


text:
Rather Good Cake Video
I rather like it.
Be sure to check out Rather Good for more general hilarity.
Oh, and Josh, one question: how would one go about getting one's spouse to STOP WHISTLING THIS &%@!$ TUNE?!? That is, if one had such a whistling spouse. You know, like, in theory.


text: The Two-Way House OKs Bill To End Air Traffic Controllers' Furloughs April 26, 2013 The Senate passed the legislation on Thursday. President Obama will sign it, the White House says. This means the FAA will be able to shift funds so that the number of air traffic controllers on duty no longer needs to be reduced in order to satisfy sequestration.


text:
Inspired by "Mix It Up" designer Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts
Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke
1/2 yard total assorted dark brown prints (blocks, outer border)
3/4 yard total assorted light to medium prints in brown, tan, rust, and green (blocks, border)
1/2 yard total assorted blue prints (blocks, outer border)
3/4 yard brown tone-on-tone (inner and outer borders, binding)
1-5/8 yards backing fabric
31x56" batting
Finished table runner: 25x49-1/2"
Finished block: 6" square
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.


text:
Celebrate The Little Things Printable Journal Page
Celebrate The Little Things Printable Journal Page
Easy and insightful 10-minute journaling. All you have to do is print and write!
This printable journal page is offered in four pages sizes: letter, half letter, A4, and A5. See below for download information and printing tips.
*This 10 Minute Journal Page was originally listed in my Etsy shop. If you've purchased pages there in the past, you may already have it!
This printable journal page is a digital product, which you can download and print at home.
After checkout, you'll receive a secure link to a PDF file containing one journal page in four different page sizes: letter, half letter, A4 and A5. Once you click the link, you will have 24 hours to download the file to your computer before the link expires.
To print your printable journal page:
Open the PDF file in your PDF reader. (Adobe Reader is available for free at www.adobe.com .)
Scroll to the page(s) that matches your paper size. (Page 1 - letter, Pages 2 & 3 - half letter, Page 4 - A4, Pages 5 & 6 - A5.)
Select "File", then select "Print".
Under "Pages to Print", enter the page number(s) you'd like to print in the "Pages" box.
Select "Print" to print your page(s) and start journaling!
A note about my copyright: These printable guided journal pages are for your personal use only. Purchase of these pages does not constitute a transfer of copyright. Pages cannot be used for any commercial purpose.
© 2018 Christie Zimmer. All rights reserved.


text:
- About us
- Blogs
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- Chapters
- Papers
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- Code of Conduct
- Google SoC
- Recent posts
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After another great year of Google Summer of Code 2015 and another 7 successful student projects, The Honeynet Project and students world-wide were eagerly waiting to hear if Google would decide to run GSoC again. Well the good news is that Google officially announced that Google Summer of Code 2016 would definitely be happening. Go Google!
The GSoC 2016 programme starts in February with the first major milestone being the deadline for Mentoring Organization applications by 19:00 UTC on Friday February 19th. We really enjoyed our experience as a successful mentoring organization (Org) in Google Summer of Code 2009, Google Summer of Code 2010, Google Summer of Code 2011, Google Summer of Code 2012, Google Summer of Code 2013 and Google Summer of Code 2015 so we are very happy to announce that we have once again applied to participate as a mentoring organization in GSoC 2016.
Google will be reviewing mentoring organization applications over the coming days then announcing the official list of participating mentoring Orgs for GSoC 2016 on their web site at 19:00 UTC on February 29th. Usually 300-500 potential mentoring organizations apply, with only 150-200 lucky Orgs being selected, so Org applications are highly competitive.
In the mean time, potential mentoring Orgs will be improving their public project ideas pages, preparing mentors, fielding student questions and keeping their collective fingers crossed in the hope of being selected. Potential GSoC students and other interested parties can view our still under development list of possible project ideas and potential mentors. As in previous years, this list of proposed project ideas is not definitive and (assuming we get selected to participate) will remain a work in progress until GSoC 2016 student applications officially start on March 14th. We are also still open to receiving and mentoring interesting, novel and relevant project ideas received from students, including informal contact before official student applications begin. We will also probably post a public survey link here and on our main blog to allow anyone interested to suggest project ideas too. So if there is a research topic you are interested in working on this summer, please suggest it, or get in touch to discuss it further.
The third and fourth GSoC 2016 milestones (after Org application and Org selection) will be student applications and acceptance. GSoC 2016 student applications begins on March 14th at 19:00 UTC and close on March 25th at 19:00 UTC. Please make sure you check the official GSoC 2016 timeline carefully if you plan on applying. To avoid disappointment and missed deadlines, if you are a student applying to GSoC this year, please make sure you submit your student application well in advance and don't leave it to the last minute! A good idea is to begin talking to us as soon as Google announces the official list of GSoC 2016 mentoring Orgs. The sooner is usually the better, although since GSoC is highly competitive for both students and Orgs, we obviously cannot guarantee we will be selected to participate this year. Please bear that in mind when making contact.
On April 22th Google will officially announce the list of approximately 1000 lucky students who will be accepted to participate in GSoC 2016. We very much hope that many of you reading this page will be among that number and about to start working for the summer on another exciting information security project with The Honeynet Project.
You can find our in progress GSoC 2016 ideas page here:
Often students ask us what kind of projects we are likely to be offering in a coming year. If you want to get an idea of the kind of projects ideas we proposed and the accepted projects we ran during GSoC 2009-2015, you can view these here:
If you are looking for tips for getting started with GSoC and the Honeynet Project, or want to maximize your chances of success, check out our Student GSoC Application Tips section written by ex-GSoC student and now mentor/org admin Max.
You could also watch previous students Sebastien Popleau present on his Ghost USB Honeypot, Claudio Guarnieri present on Cuckoo sandbox or Maximilian Hills talk on using his HoneyProxy for man-in-the-middle traffic analysis at recent public workshops.
If you have any questions, please drop by in our #gsoc-honeynet IRC channel on irc.freenode.net and say "hi" (note you may need to idle there for a few hours before you get an answer to a specific question, as our members do have to sleep and come from timezones all over the world, so please be patient and wait a few hours before chasing a response).
We still have our public mailing list for interested prospective GSoC students to get in touch and discuss project ideas for GSoC with the Honeynet Project - see https://public.honeynet.org/mailman/listinfo/gsoc for details. Please sign up if you have any questions about getting involved with the Honeynet Project in GSoC 2016.
Our GSoC 2016 organisational administrators this year are:
So with the US, Europe and Asia covered we can hopefully offer students and mentors round the clock support again this year!
You can find copies of past presentations by our Chief Research Officer David Watson on our achievements during GSoC 2009 to GSoC 2012 or GSoC 2009 and GSoC 2010, which hopefully provide a good introduction to the Honeynet Project and our collective activities from recent GSoCs.
You can also read/watch David's presentations from two of our recent annual workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area (2012) or Paris (2011) too.
To get a feel for how previous successful GSoC student projects are advancing our knowledge and capabilities and generating benefits in the read world, see:
GSoC is not the only way you can become involved in the with honeynet technologies and open source software - check out our current or historic series of forensic challenges. Or learn more about the practical, real world application of honeynet technology in our popular series of "Know Your Enemy" whitepapers, which now include projects and tools output from previous GSoCs students or mentors such as PicViz, Glastopf, Qebek or Conficker.
Feel free to contact us at https://public.honeynet.org/mailman/listinfo/gsoc or [email protected] at any time.


text:
German, Italian, Japanese, etc.
3rd December 2017, 07:26 PM
American, French, British, etc.
A few k-bar's
24th February 2017, 07:35 PM
Bargain SVT bayonet
9th January 2011, 05:46 PM
Any period that precedes or comes after WW-2 /
Military items from other countries
Postwar German Paratrooper...
5th April 2014, 04:29 PM


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PLUS Program Staff
"The staff of the PLUS Program helped build in me the confidence to allow me to reach my goals and live out a dream despite a learning difference."
PLUS Program Staff
Under the administrative oversight of the Vice President of Academic Affairs is a highly trained staff that includes an Executive Director, Administrative personnel and a full complement of adult Learning Consultants and Learning Associates.
The success of students in the PLUS Program can be attributed in part to the highly qualified, professional, adult Learning Consultants and Learning Associates who engage students in Learning Conversations blended with explicit and systematic Embedded Learning Strategies instruction.
All professional Learning Consultants and Learning Associates have Bachelor's or Master's degrees. Learning Consultants and Learning Associates are selected for their academic preparation across the various disciplines, their ability to build strong positive relationships with students, and their interest in, and appreciation for, working one-to-one with students with unique learning profiles. The staff to student ratio is about 1:10.
An in-house training program assures staff are proficient in the blended Embedded Learning Strategies and Learning Conversation approach.
PLUS staff members regularly participate in in-service educational opportunities directed toward enhancing effectiveness in Embedded Learning Strategy instruction and implementing the Learning Conversation approach resulting in increased understanding of the needs of students with learning differences and employment of proven educational tools with which students can manage their learning.
For more information, please contact the PLUS Program office by phone at 740-826-8280, by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com or by mail to Walter Hall, Muskingum University, New Concord, Ohio 43762-1199.


text:
Servicios Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares en Google
SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
versión On-line ISSN 2078-5135
versión impresa ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.100 no.10 Cape Town oct. 2010
Impact of the South African Mental Health Care Act No. 17 of 2002 on regional and district hospitals designated for mental health care in KwaZulu-Natal
Suvira RamlallI; Jennifer ChippsII; Maurice MarsIII
IMB ChB, FC Psych (SA). Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
IIBSc (Nursing), BSc (Psychology), MPH (Univ NSW). Department of TeleHealth, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
IIIMB ChB, MD. Department of TeleHealth, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban
BACKGROUND: The South African Mental Health Care Act (the Act) No. 17 of 2002 stipulated that regional and district hospitals be designated to admit, observe and treat mental health care users (MHCUs) for 72 hours before they are transferred to a psychiatric hospital.
METHODS: Medical managers in 49 'designated' hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) were surveyed on infrastructure, staffing, administrative requirements and mental health care user case load pertaining to the Act for the month of July 2009.
RESULTS: Thirty-six (73.4%) hospitals responded to the survey; 30 (83.3%) stated that the Act improved mental health care for MHCUs through the protection of their rights, provision of least restrictive care, and reduction of discrimination; 10 (27.8%) had a psychiatric unit and, of the remaining 26 hospitals, 11 (30.6%) had general ward beds dedicated for psychiatric admissions; 16 (44.4%) had some form of seclusion facility; and 24 (66.7%) provided an outpatient psychiatric service. Seventy-six per cent of admissions were involuntary or assisted. Thirteen of the 32 (40.6%) state psychiatrists in KZN were employed at 8 of these hospitals. Designated hospitals expressed dissatisfaction with the substantial administrative load required by the Act. The Review Board had not visited 29 (80.6%) hospitals in the preceding 6 months.
CONCLUSION: Although 'designated' hospitals admit and treat assisted and involuntary MHCUs, they do so against a backdrop of inadequate infrastructure and staff, a high administrative load, and a low level of contact with Review Boards.
'Mental health is an integral and essential component of health.'1 Neuropsychiatric disorders contribute significantly to disability and health care cost in society,2 and rank third in their contribution to burden of disease in SA.3 To ensure adequate access and treatment for mental health care users (MHCUs), human, social and financial resources are necessary.4 Internationally, 32% of 191 countries surveyed did not have a specified budget for mental health,5 and 36% of countries spent less than 1% of their total health budgets on mental health.6 Scarce resources, inequity of distribution and inefficiency of resource use characterise mental health services in low- and middle-income countries.1 Mental health was a low priority on South Africa's public health agenda, the lack of an action plan being one of the shortcomings.7
Historically, mental health services in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) had been centred on a few large mental hospitals and stand-alone clinics. The Mental Health Care Act No. 17 of 2002 (the Act)8 introduced radical changes. Selected regional and district public hospitals were designated under the Act to perform 72-hour observations on involuntary and assisted MHCUs. These 'designated hospitals' (DHs) would ensure increased accessibility and availability of mental health care services locally and reduce the need for premature or unnecessary transfers to psychiatric hospitals, as well as allowing screening for medical conditions presenting as psychiatric disorders, which could be as high as 24.2%.9 KZN has 8 specialist psychiatric and 63 district and regional hospitals; 50 (70.4%) of the district and regional hospitals have been designated to provide mental health services and admit involuntary and assisted MHCUs for 72-hour observations.
Local stakeholders have raised concerns that this 'designation' has not been accompanied by a dedicated budget, implementation plan or increase in staff and facilities. Petersen expressed concern that de-institutionalisation and comprehensive integrated mental health care in South Africa were hampered by a lack of resources for mental health care as well as the inefficient use of existing mental health resources.10 In KZN, 0.03% of the total health budget is spent on mental health, a figure that has not increased in the last decade (personal communication, KZN Department of Health). Local psychiatrists in South Africa have raised concerns on implications of the Act, specifically on the requirement for 72-hour observation and admission.11,12 Moosa and Jeena feared that the implementation of involuntary treatment within a health care service that was plagued by human resource and infrastructure constraints could threaten the very rights of patients that the Act sought to uphold.13
Another major change in the Act was the appointment of Mental Health Review Boards. These boards are 'quasi-judicial authorities', 14 tasked to uphold the human and health rights of people with mental illness and intellectual disability. Their role is to assist in promoting and protecting international, regional and nationally determined human rights of people with mental disorders and intellectual disability.14 The first Review Board appointments in KZN were beset with delays in the appointment process and provision of offices and administrative support, which frustrated the functioning of these boards. In addition, the Act stated that 'A Review Board may determine its own procedures for conducting business'. In KZN, prior to the publication of a standard operating procedure manual in 2007,14 the roles and responsibilities of the Review Board were unclear. The term of office of the first set of appointed boards came to an end in August 2009.
There has been no formal survey of the impact of the Act on the designated hospitals. An audit of the Act conducted in 2002 in the Western Cape revealed that many general hospitals were unable to provide mental health data,15 but the findings were not published owing to a low response rate (personal communication). We aim to describe the influence of the Act on designated hospitals in KZN in terms of: (i) caseload; (ii) infrastructure and staffing to provide mental health care services; (iii) administrative load of the Act; (iv) the level of relevant training received by staff; and (v) the role of Review Boards.
A quantitative survey of the medical managers of 50 designated hospitals in KZN was conducted for a randomly selected month (July 2009). Psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric chronic care facilities (N=8) were excluded. One designated hospital was also excluded as it has a psychiatric hospital attached to it (N=49). Participation was voluntary, and medical managers of designated hospitals were requested to complete a questionnaire that assessed the capacity of their hospitals to provide mental health services and the administrative impact of the Act. Opinion was sought on helpful activities that could assist the hospitals to improve service delivery. The content of the questionnaire was based on South African and international indicators and norms for mental health services.15-24 The study received ethical clearance from the Human and Social Sciences Research and Ethics Committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Research Committee of the Department of Health in KZN. All data were treated as confidential, and no individual district or hospital has been identified.
The study yielded quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15.0 (2006). Qualitative data were coded according to commonalities. Estimates include 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and associations were tested using two-sided Fisher's exact tests. The capacity to provide services was measured in terms of the MHCU caseload on these hospitals, the availability of appropriate physical infrastructure, and the presence of staff trained in psychiatry. MHCU caseload was measured through MHCU attendances in psychiatric outpatient services and MHCU admissions to the designated hospitals. Support was measured in terms of the availability of staff trained in psychiatry, perceptions of adequacy of support received, and relevant training of medical and nursing staff.
Thirty-six (74%) of the 49 hospitals responded - 9 regional and 27 district hospitals. Hospitals varied in size from 245 to 1 200 beds (median 453 beds) and from 80 to 531 beds (median 212) for regional and district hospitals, respectively. All percentages are based on the 36 responding hospitals.
Thirty (83.3%) hospitals stated that the Act improved mental health care for MHCUs by protecting their rights, providing least restrictive care, and reducing discrimination. Of these 30 hospitals, 7 (23.3%) were regional, 23 (76.7%) had no psychiatric unit, and 25 (83.3%) had no resident psychiatrist.
Psychiatric inpatient facilities
Inpatient facilities
Twenty-three (63.9%) hospitals reported that they did not have appropriate or adequate facilities to provide psychiatric services as required by the Act. Five of the 23 were regional hospitals, of which 3 had resident psychiatrists. Common complaints related to the lack of sufficient beds, staff and seclusion rooms to accommodate the clinical demand, and the challenges of managing disruptive patients in a general hospital setting. MHCUs were either admitted to a psychiatric unit or a bed in a general ward.
Fifteen hospitals (41.7%) admitted MHCUs to general medical or surgical wards; 10 (27.8%) had a psychiatric unit in the hospital and 11 (30.6%) reported having beds designated for MHCU admissions. One psychiatric unit was vacant as funds to commission it were unavailable. Four hospitals with psychiatric units had additional beds designated for MHCUs within general surgical and/or medical wards to cater for overflow admissions or the opposite gender. The 21 hospitals with units and/or designated beds provided a total of 289 beds for admission of acute MHCUs in the month of July 2009. Of the 289 beds, 207 (71.6%) beds were in the 10 hospitals with psychiatric units, (181 in the units and 26 in general wards in 4 of the hospitals).
Seclusion facilities
Sixteen (44.4%) hospitals reported having some form of seclusion facility: 6 of the 10 hospitals (60%) with psychiatric units and 7 of the 11 hospitals (63.6%) with dedicated psychiatric beds. Three of the 15 (20%) hospitals with no dedicated beds reported having access to a seclusion facility. Those with seclusion facilities reported dissatisfaction with the infrastructure or the number of facilities. In 5 hospitals, existing wards were inadequately refurbished seclusion facilities or medical isolation wards were doubling up as 'seclusion' facilities.
Psychiatrists based at designated hospitals
Twenty-five (69.4%) hospitals reported that they did not have the necessary medical and/or nursing staff to provide required services. Six of the 25 hospitals (24%) were regional hospitals, 3 of which had units and 4 of which had resident psychiatrists. At the time of the study, 13 (40.6%) of a total of 32 state psychiatrists were resident at the designated hospitals: 12 at 7 hospitals with psychiatric units and 1 in a regional hospital with no unit.
MHCU caseload
Twenty-four (66.7%) hospitals, of which 6 had resident psychiatrists, reported providing a dedicated psychiatric outpatient service. Of the 20 hospitals that provided data on outpatient services, a total of 8 341 MHCUs attended in July - an average of 417 (range 184.6 -649.5) attendances per hospital (median 277).
The profile of admissions is shown in Table I.
Administrative load of the Act
Three hospitals (8.3%) did not have the necessary admission forms available, of which 2 reported admitting involuntary or assisted MHCUs in July. Staff at 24 hospitals (66.7%) were perceived to be reasonably proficient in completing MHCA forms. Twenty-six (72.2%) hospitals had a Commissioner of Oaths available in the hospital to authenticate mental health applications under the Act; 16 (44.4%) reported that forms were not being forwarded to the Review Boards; and 12.5% of hospitals had psychiatrists compared with 62.5% (15/24) without psychiatrists (p=0.04). A major concern was that the administrative burden of the Act was considerable. Comments ranged from the large number of forms to complete, to the strictly defined time-frames within which these had to be completed and forwarded to the various structures, e.g. 'Too much paperwork.' 'Too much paperwork leads to confusion and frustration.' 'Staff do not have time to fill forms in.' Additional concerns were a lack of dedicated administrative personnel, and insufficient photocopying machines to ensure copies were sent timeously to managers, MHCUs, families and review boards.
Staff training and support
Eleven (30.6%) of the hospitals stated that their staff had received adequate support to provide 72-hour observation. Hospitals with psychiatric units and those without were significantly different; 60% (6/10) of hospitals with psychiatric units agreed that they had adequate support, compared with 19.2% (5/26) of hospitals with no units (p=0.04).
Twenty (55.6%) hospitals agreed that they had received adequate training in the Act, specifically those with psychiatrists (87.5% v. 46.4%, p=0.05) and hospitals with psychiatric units (90% v. 42.3%, p=0.02). Training in the Act was received by nurses at 26 (72.2%) and doctors at 19 (52.8%) hospitals, and training in the management of MHCUs by nurses and doctors at 25 (69.4%) and 15 (41.7%) hospitals respectively. Of supportive activities, training was identified as potentially useful.
Review Boards
Reported visits by the Review Board were infrequent; 7 (19.4%) hospitals reported visits in the preceding 6 months, and 10 had either never been visited or were last visited more than 2 years before the survey. Four hospitals reported that when visits did occur, they were useful, with the Review Board providing guidance and management on the care of MHCUs.
The experience of most hospitals with the Review Board was unsatisfactory. Comments included: 'No Review Board exists', 'Is noticeable by its absence', 'Difficult to communicate with Review Board', 'Not very useful' and 'Review Board is very critical rather than helpful, and visits only occurred on weekends and public holidays'.
Even when visits did occur, it was felt that their usefulness was limited: 'To date, the visits by the Review Board has served no constructive or useful purpose'. 'Usefulness is hindered by their inability to compel the Minister of Health to provide dedicated psychiatric structure and staff establishment for psychiatry'. The 'main problem is a lack of beds which the Review Board has no control over'. Another major concern expressed was the response lag in receiving final Review Board authorisation and High Court approval, questioning the capacity of the Review Board or judiciary to intervene timeously in the event of a violation of the Act.
Five years since the implementation of the Act, integration of mental health services into the district health system appears to have been facilitated, but concerns remain about the capacity of these hospitals to meet the requirements of the Act. This study highlights the hiatus between the intention of the Act and the capacity of designated hospitals to meet the legislative requirements.
One in 5 people is estimated to suffer some form of mental illness.4 With only 66.7% of designated hospitals offering outpatient services, their effectiveness in addressing the burden of mental illness must be questioned. In addition, designated hospitals admitted over 75% of the MHCUs as involuntary or assisted patients, catering almost exclusively for the most severe of the mentally ill population. This fact was also highlighted in a KZN rural district site where it was found 'that the decentralization process in Primary Health Care Clinics remains largely limited to emergency management of psychiatric patients and ongoing psychopharmacological care of patients with stabilized chronic conditions'.10
In such conditions, the shortage of specialist facilities, admission beds and staff trained in psychiatry is of concern. Even though 75.6% of psychiatric admissions to the 36 designated hospitals were involuntary or assisted, only 10 hospitals reported having a psychiatric unit. The availability of dedicated resources, such as a psychiatric unit, positively influenced admission rates, the provision of outpatient services and the appointment of appropriately trained psychiatric staff. The characteristics of the physical environment in which MHCUs receive care affect their outcomes and satisfaction, safety, staff satisfaction, staff efficiency and organisational outcomes.25
With 15 (41.6%) hospitals having no dedicated beds at all for psychiatric patients, and only 44.4% of all the hospitals having dedicated facilities for seclusion, their admission of acutely disturbed MHCUs represents a potential hazard and increases the risk of violent and destructive incidents that will perpetuate the misconception that all MHCUs are dangerous.26
While 7 of the 10 hospitals with psychiatric units had dedicated psychiatrists, the others relied on staff from general medical wards with minimum experience of handling MHCUs. Capacity must be developed in health personnel at all establishments to manage MHCUs effectively and safely. Nearly half of the hospitals ranked training in the Act and management of MHCUs as potentially helpful. In a climate of significant shortages in clinical staff, a critical review of the administrative burden of the Act must also be undertaken, without compromising the rights of MHCUs or the strengths of the Act.
Administration of the Act
'The Act goes a long way towards improving the human rights of people with mental illness and intellectual disability; however, it is only in the successful implementation of the law, including proficient Review Boards, that these rights will become concrete reality for people'. 14 Review Boards should guide and support the hospitals and protect the rights of MHCUs.8 Although the Act does not stipulate that Board members have to visit hospitals, the procedure manual states: 'Review Board members may consider it necessary to visit health establishments acting as "protectors" of the rights of people who have been committed ... This may involve investigating conditions at facilities ...'. 14 The low frequency of Board visits to hospitals in the first 6 months of the year raises concerns. Firstly, although paper reviews are permitted by the Act, this implies that decisions of the medical staff at these hospitals were accepted by the Board without investigation, and that these hospitals lodged no complaints or appeals. Secondly, the sub-optimum (qualitatively and quantitatively) inpatient facilities reported by the majority of hospitals have not invoked the concern of the Review Boards in these areas, even though they are tasked with investigating 'abuse, neglect and exploitation' of MHCUs.8 Thirdly, the Review Board is strategically placed between consumers and clinicians, and the Ministry of Health and the judiciary, to advocate mental health. The low level of interaction with designated hospitals suggests that this opportunity has not been exploited. Designated to perform a 'critical and legally-specified role', 14 the Boards must function optimally and be available and accessible at all times to MHCUs, mental health care practitioners and the public.
Even though the presence of mental health policies does not ensure resource allocation, policies should initiate a process of change.5 The Act appears to have improved access to mental health care services in the province, but the study suggests that significant gaps in infrastructure, staffing, training and administrative requirements still must be addressed before implementation can be deemed a success.
1. Saxena S, Thornicroft G, Knapp M, Whiteford H. Resources for mental health: scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency. Lancet 2007;370:878-889. [ Links ]
2. WHO. The Global Burden of Disease: 2004 Update. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2004. [ Links ]
3. Bradshaw D, Norman R, Schneider M. A clarion call for action based on refined DALY estimates for South Africa. Editorial. S Afr Med J 2007;97:438-440. [ Links ]
4. WHO. The World Health Report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2001. [ Links ]
5. Saxena S, Sharan P, Saraceno B. Budget and financing of mental health services: baseline information on 89 countries from WHO's project atlas. J Ment Health Policy Econ 2003; 6(3): 135-143. [ Links ]
6. WHO. Mental Health Atlas. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005. [ Links ]
7. The Mental Health and Poverty Project. Policy Brief 3. The Current State of Mental Health Policy in South Africa. Cape Town: Mental Health and Poverty Project, University of Cape Town, 2008. [ Links ]
8. Mental Health Care Act, No. 17 (2002). Government Gazette. Pretoria: Government Printing Works, 2002. [ Links ]
9. Saloojee S. Routine pre-admission laboratory screening investigations in aggressive patients who require sedation in the emergency department - necessary or unnecessary. South African Journal of Psychiatry 2009;15:67-71. [ Links ]
10. Petersen I, Bhana A, Campbell-Hall V, et al. Planning for district mental health services in South Africa: a situational analysis of a rural district site. Health Policy Plan 2009;24(2):140-150. [ Links ]
11. Szabo CP. The Mental Health Care Act: challenges and opportunities. South African Psychiatric Review 2006;9:1-5. [ Links ]
12. Burns JK. Implementation of the Mental Health Care Act (2002) at district hospitals in South Africa: Translating principles into practice. S Afr Med J 2008; 98(1):46-51. [ Links ]
13. Moosa MYH, Jeena FY. Involuntary treatment of psychiatric patients in South Africa. African Journal of Psychiatry 2008; 11:109-112. [ Links ]
14. Mental Health Review Board Orientation Guideline and Training Manual. Pretoria: South African Department of Health, 2007. [ Links ]
15. Lund C, Kleintjes S, Kakuma R, Flisher AJ. Public sector mental health systems in South Africa: inter-provincial comparisons and policy implications. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2010; 45(3):393-404. [ Links ]
16. Lund C, Flisher AJ. South African Mental Health Process Indicators. J Ment Health Policy Econ 2001;4(1):9-16. [ Links ]
17. Lund C, Flisher AJ. Staff/bed and staff/patient ratios in South African public sector mental health services. S Afr Med J 2002;92(2):157-161. [ Links ]
18. Lund C, Flisher AJ. Staff/population ratios in South African public sector mental health services. S Afr Med J 2002; 92(2):161-164. [ Links ]
19. Lund C, Flisher AJ. Community/hospital indicators in South African public sector mental health services. J Ment Health Policy Econ 2003; 6(4):181-187. [ Links ]
20. Lund C, Flisher AJ, Lee T, Porteus K, Robertson BA. A model for estimating mental health service needs in South Africa. S Afr Med J 2000;90(10):1019-1024. [ Links ]
21. Lund C, Flisher AJ, Porteus K, Lee T. Bed/population ratios in South African public sector mental health services. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2002; 37(7):346-349. [ Links ]
22. Lund C, Stein DJ, Flisher AJ, Mehtar S. Challenges faced by South African health services in implementing the Mental Health Care Act. S Afr Med J 2007;97(5): 352-353. [ Links ]
23. McEwan K, Goldner EM. Accountability and Performance Indicatorsfor Mental Health Services and Supports: A Resource Kit. Vancouver: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2001. [ Links ]
24. Muller L, Flisher AJ. Standards for mental health services in South Africa. The South African Psychiatry Review 2006;9(1a):1-40. [ Links ]
25. Smith R, Watkins N. Therapeutic environments. Washington DC: Academy of Architecture for Health, 2008. [ Links ]
26. Saville S. Petrol junkie: Psychiatric patient runs amok damaging cars at Northdale Hospital. Natal Witness 20 February 2010. [ Links ]
Accepted 16 July 2010.
Corresponding author: S Ramlall (email@example.com)


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After a visit to Phoenix to get a first-hand look at evidence collected by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his investigative team, former Margaret Thatcher policy adviser Lord Christopher Monckton says he is convinced that the document presented by the White House as Barack Obama's birth certificate is fraudulent.
Monckton, known internationally for his climate-change skepticism, told WND he didn't pay much attention to the controversy surrounding Obama's birth certificate until he watched Arpaio and his team present their preliminary findings at a March 1 news conference. The sheriff's Cold Case Posse has concluded there is probable cause that Obama's birth document and his Selective Service registration are forgeries.
Monckton's interest in Arpaio's investigation came out in an interview last week on Dennis Miller's nationally syndicated radio show.
At the invitation of a mutual friend with Arpaio, Monckton came to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on Monday to examine the evidence gathered by the team of retired law-enforcement investigators.
"My assessment is that they are right to be worried," Monckton said in a video interview at the end of the day with WND's Jerome Corsi. "That document is not genuine."
The Obama birth certificate case appealed to Monckton's instincts as a fraud detector. In his role as a policy adviser to Thatcher in the 1980s, Monckton reviewed fraud cases and developed single-page briefs with an action plan for the British prime minister.
Monckton, who has a BA and an MA from Cambridge University, is a former newspaper editor. He was a member of Thatcher's Conservative Party but now serves as the head of the policy unit for the U.K. Independence Party.
Arpaio's chief investigator on the eligibility case, Mike Zullo, said he thought that he and the sheriff "proved our point" to Monckton during the visit Monday.
"We went deeper today with Lord Monckton than we did in the press conference, and for him to come away comfortable with our findings, and validating our findings, is a validation for the sheriff," he said.
Zullo affirmed that the sheriff's office will continue to make its resources available to Monckton.
"One of the concerns of the sheriff is the media blackout that is surrounding him and this investigation, and we're hoping that through this visit, that might change," Zullo said.
Monckton said that he has researched some of the arguments made by people who insist that the document posted online by the White House April 27, 2011, is a valid birth certificate.
"It's really very clear that they are unable to account for the manner in which the document, now purported to be a birth certificate, on the White House government website, has been fabricated," he said. "They can't replicate that fabrication by any natural or normal means."
Monckton said it appears that the document was cobbled together in layers, pointing to evidence that three date stamps and a registrar's stamp were superimposed on it from another document.
Why go to all that trouble, he reasoned, "if there was an original document in some form that could simply be scanned and copied as a single entity?"
"Clearly, the suspicion must be aroused as to whether or not any such document in reality exists on the file in Hawaii," he said.
If there is no such document, he concluded, "then the implications for those who have perpetrated what appears, at least on the face of it, to be a serious fraud, are very grave, indeed."
WND has compiled a list of the many other high-profile personalities and leaders who have raised questions about Obama's eligibility.


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Port Charlotte Beach
Port Charlotte Beach along the Peace River is highlighted by its beach complex, which features a beach club with boat ramp, a very long fishing pier, barbecue grills, a pool and sporting activities such as tennis, volleyball, basketball and horseshoes.
The white sand along the river provides a perfect place to lay in the sun and soak up some rays. The Charlotte County park complex also features a public swimming pool and a snack bar.
Article Photos
Boca Grande beach.
Across the harbor from the beach complex you will see the quaint shops and tantalizing restaurants - and the boats - of Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda.
Boca Grande Beach
The Boca Grande Public Beach is often compared to Caribbean beaches and attracts beach-goers from around the world.
The State of Florida charges a $2 admission fee.
At the beach is the famous Boca Grande Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Museum, which features a look back not only at Boca Grande but the reason for the lighthouse in the first place.
From your lounge chair in the bleached-white sands, you can spot exquisite seashells and watch dolphins swim and jump freely through the lightest of green waters. The best beaches are at the far south end of Gasparilla Island, located along Gasparilla Road.
They're worth a visit, as is Amory Chapel, one of the first churches in this area. It has been restored by local residents and many functions are held there oceanside.
Gasparilla Island is located in both Charlotte and Lee counties, but the state park beach is in Lee County at the south end. If you use a public access way to the Gulf of Mexico or the bay, please respect private property rights. Lee County cleans and maintains the rights-of-way.
Laishley Park
In downtown Punta Gorda, this waterfront area offers places to sit and watch the boats go by. You can also suntan, but as far as sand, it's not here.
(Check the playground at Gilchrist Park, other side of U.S. Highway 41.) Laishley is a waterfront area and still attracts many seekers of rays.
Englewood Beach
Beautiful Englewood Beach is located on the Gulf of Mexico near the Charlotte and Sarasota County line in the city of Englewood. Here beach-goers will find great warm sand and wild sea oats growing along the dunes. A path leads to a more secluded white-sand beach that exposes trees, vegetation and wildlife.
The county has undertaken extensive renovations to modernize the facility and upgrade it to world-class resort status with many amenities.
The county-owned beach is the largest for miles around and is popular among tourists as well as visitors.
Chadwick Beach is a must for beach-lovers. Ample parking is provided, but beach-goers must pay a modest parking charge on the "honor" system.
Stump Pass Beach
Another popular Charlotte beach is Stump Pass Beach. At Stump Pass Beach, the most popular activity is just walking in the sand and the clear water, but the shallow bay side is also popular, and visitors can see many shorebirds among the mangroves.
Water lovers also can get to Stump Pass Beach via boat or personal watercraft. Water skiing is another popular sport on the bay side in "Ski Alley."
Stump Pass is part of the Gasparilla Island state park system. Call (941) 964-0375.
How to get there:
Boca Grande Beach, Gasparilla Boulevard, SR 776
Englewood Beach, SR 776, I-75 Exit 167 or 170
Port Charlotte Beach, From I-75, Exit 167
Stump Pass, SR 776, I-75 Exit 167 or 170
* 4500 Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte
For information:
Pool: (941)629-0170
On the Peace River, offers basketball, BBQ grills, boat ramps, boccie, canoe/kayak, fishing, horseshoes, picnic shelters/pavilion rentals, picnicking, playground, recreation building, restrooms/Port-O-Lets, room rentals, swimming pool/beach, tennis courts, volleyball courts.
Parking: 75 cents per hour, annual parking passes available.
Room rental starts at $31.25-$50 per hour for seven tables/60 chairs.
* Englewood Beach/Chadwick Park
On the Gulf of Mexico
2100 North Beach Road, Englewood
Facilities: Basketball, barbecue grills, fishing, horseshoes, picnic shelters/pavilion rentals, picnicking, playground, restrooms/Port-O-Lets, swimming pool/beach, volleyball courts.
Parking: 75 cents per hour.
Pavilion rental: $10 per hour up to 48 people capacity; $20 per hour for up to 128 for private and non-profit. For commercial use the rate is double.
*Boca Grande Public Beach
At the south end of Gasparilla Island
Boca Grande Lighthouse and Lighthouse Museum are located there.
Admission to the beach: $2 charged by State of Florida
Other beaches are along Gasparilla Road, also at the southern tip.
* Stump Pass Beach
Go across Tom Adams Bridge to reach the southern tip of Manasota Key. Sea shells and shark teeth are found there and fishing is abundant. A hiking trail goes through wildlife habitat. For Information about Stump Pass Beach State Park: (941)964-0375. Admission: $2 for up to eight people per vehicle.
Sources: Lee and Charlotte County


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Novo Nordisk invests further in China by opening new, bigger research and development centre
(24 Sep 2012)
As the first multinational company to open a research centre in China in 1997, Novo Nordisk now reaffirms its long-term commitment to the country by investing an additional 100 million US dollars to expand its state-of-the-art science facilities in Beijing.
The new 12,000m2 centre will make it possible to increase the number of science employees from the current 130 to 200, with extra space available to accommodate additional future growth. With this expansion, Novo Nordisk also fulfils its key strategic objective to ensure the full range of protein research capabilities in China.
"We see the investment in this new R&D facility as a win-win opportunity for both Novo Nordisk and China. Novo Nordisk recognises the strong science being performed in China and we want to bring innovation from Chinese scientists into our company to help tackle the growing burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases throughout the world," says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief science officer and executive vice president, Novo Nordisk.
The site in Beijing has already contributed significantly to the company's research and development portfolio in both diabetes and biopharmaceutical target disease areas. The new, expanded facility will enable even stronger contributions from the science team in China across the range of Novo Nordisk's protein technology, biology and pharmacology research activities.
Novo Nordisk's global research organisation, including its other sites in Denmark and the US, is set up to facilitate best practice-sharing and scientific sparring between employees at the different locations to ensure the most efficient and successful pipeline innovation and development.
About Novo Nordisk R&D in China
Novo Nordisk was the first international biopharmaceutical company to establish R&D in China in 1997. The previous Novo Nordisk R&D Centre China in Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Beijing was established in 2002, and has evolved into a centre of excellence for Novo Nordisk in molecular biology, protein chemistry and cell biology. Currently, the R&D organisation in China employs around 130 scientists and the new site, located on a 12,000m2 campus in the same science park, will accommodate a doubling of that number with further expansion potential.
About Novo Nordisk in China
China became a Novo Nordisk business region in 2011, and the company has had an affiliate in China since 1994. The headquarters and R&D Centre are located in Beijing, the production site is in Tianjin, and local offices are located in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Wuhan, Jinan, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Currently, Novo Nordisk employs around 3,000 people in China.
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 89 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. For more information, visit novonordisk.com.
For broadcast standard video supporting this press release please visit our Broadcast room on novonordisk.com – Media
Further information:
Katrine Sperling
Kasper Roseeuw Poulsen
Tel: (+45) 44 42 67 18
+45 44 42 43 03
Frank Daniel Mersebach
Tel: (+45) 4442 0604
Lars Borup Jacobsen
Tel: (+45) 3075 3479
In North America:
Ken Inchausti
Jannick Lindegaard
Tel: (+1) 609 514 8316
Tel: (+1) 609 786 4575


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Observing Student Connections
|Introduction | Hexominos | Sorting Hexominos | Student Work | Problem Reflection #1 | Hexominos Into Cubes | Problem Reflection #2 | Classroom Practice | Observe a Classroom | Your Journal
A fifth-grade class was given a problem involving hexominos as an individual problem-solving assessment. The class had investigated hexominos earlier in the year and had worked all year to improve their writing about mathematics. The teacher wanted to see what connections students could independently make to prior learning, to other problems and situations, among the Process Standards, and across mathematical strands. Some students made surprisingly sophisticated observations. This is the Sorting Hexominos problem they were given:
Before you look at how the students approached this problem, you may want to explore it yourself. You may use grid paper to sketch hexominos, or use six squares that you can rearrange. Think about how you would explain that you are sure that you have found all possible 4-line hexominos.
|Teaching Math Home | Grades 3-5 | Connections | Site Map | © |
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Monday, October 31, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Pen Studies
Posted by Figuredrawing.info at 1:37 PM 3 comments:
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Anatomy Tools March 2017 Workshop
(Example demos from the "Body Worlds Exhibit" - Day 3 of the Level 1 Workshop)
I'm excited to announce that I will be returning as a guest instructor to Anatomy tools in March, 2017. This workshop is a 5 day, 10 hour a day intensive led by anatomy expert and fine artist, Andrew Cawrse.
Speaking from personal experience I've never learned more or had a better time than when studying with Andrew and couldn't recommend taking a class from him highly enough. For my part, I will be teaching drawing as a compliment and aid to students as they learn anatomy and apply those concepts to sculpture. My approach to drawing has always stressed the importance of 3-dimensional thinking which is why I think sculpture, and Andrew's teaching, is such an important and natural carryover for students looking to push their skills.
(Sculpture demonstration by Andrew Cawrse)
Posted by Figuredrawing.info at 9:13 AM No comments:
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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
6: Valuing Diversity in Learners
Check out these additional resources to explore the topic further.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. National Standards in Foreign Language Education Collaborative Project. Yonkers, NY: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 1999. (To purchase the Standards document, go to www.actfl.org or call 1-800-627-0629.)
Barr-Harrison, Pat, and Cathy P. Daugherty. "Multiple Realities of the Classroom." In Agents of Change in a Changing Age, edited by Robert M. Terry, 79-105. Northeast Conference Reports. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Co., 2000. (This text is available in the Before You Watch section.)
Haley, Marjorie Hall. "Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students: Refocusing the Lens." ESL Magazine (November/December 2000): 14-16.
Haley, Marjorie Hall. "Understanding Learner-Centered Instruction From the Perspective of Multiple Intelligences." Foreign Language Annals 34, no. 4 (July/August 2001): 355-367. (This text is available in the Before You Watch section.)
Haley, Marjorie Hall, and Patricia Rentz. "Applying SLA Research and Theory to Practice: What Can a Teacher Do?" TESL-EJ 5, no. 4 (March 2002): A-2.
Haley, Marjorie Hall, and Sabrina Wesley-Nero. "Dialogic Construction and Reflective Practice: A Teacher Educator's Action Research Study of Teacher as Learner." Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education 7, no. 1 (Fall 2002): 131-150.
Ladson-Billings, G. "But That's Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy." Theory Into Practice 34, no. 3 (1995): 159-165.
Schwarz, Robin L. "Learning Disabilities and Foreign Language Learning: A Painful Collision." Learning Disabilities Online.
Taggart, Germaine L., and Alfred P. Wilson. Promoting Reflective Thinking in Teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 1998.
U.S. Department of Education. A Guide to the Individualized Education Program.
Valdés, Guadalupe. "The Teaching of Minority Languages as Academic Subjects: Pedagogical and Theoretical Challenges." The Modern Language Journal 79, no. 3 (1995): 299-328.
|6: Valuing Diversity in Learners >
Introduction | Before You Watch | Analyze the Video
Examine the Topic | Put It Into Practice | Action Research Project | Reflect on Your Learning
Resources | Library Videos Chart | Printouts | Assignments
Foreign Languages Workshop Home | © | About This Workshop | Glossary | Site Map
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COLUMBIA — A Columbia ultra-marathoner is going the distance for penguin conservation — all the way to Antarctica — but he'll make a stop at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden on Saturday, Dec. 10, to run with the beautiful birds on Penguin Coast.
Dean Schuster will be running all day on a treadmill at the Zoo's penguin exhibit to raise money for Oceanites — a nonprofit organization that does real-world penguin research and conservation on the Antarctic Peninsula. Schuster will actually run about 50 miles during the course of the day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to supporting the ongoing work of the Oceanites project to protect Antarctic penguins, a portion of the funds raised by Schuster will be donated to the Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund, allowing for a member of Riverbanks' staff to participate in another important field conservation initiative protecting Humboldt penguins in Peru.
"Conserving the natural world is a sacred responsibility. I've enjoyed the Zoo as a visitor for over 15 years; now I'm working with Riverbanks to support real-world conservation," said Schuster. "I feel extremely lucky to be a part of something that's so important and close to my heart."
As part of his commitment to this important cause, Schuster is training to run the Antarctica Marathon on March 9, 2012. Proceeds from the 26.2-mile race will benefit Oceanites' ongoing research and conservation field work.
Guests are invited to stop by and talk with Schuster throughout his day-long run at the Zoo. Penguin Coast is located inside the Birdhouse at Riverbanks.
To keep track of Schuster's journey, follow him on Twitter at @deanguin or online at www.runningwiththepenguins.com. To make a donation in support of the Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund, visit www.riverbanks.org and click on Donate.


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- From "Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented," by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
A couple of stunningly innovative books on baking and a new Bundt pan for creating delicious, well-defined Bundt cakes, are among the gifts any baker would love to find under the Christmas tree this year. (Look for more gift ideas the next week). Bundt cakes are not only easy to bake, but are also beautiful to behold. With ridges and deep grooves, the classic design produced by Nordic Ware's Original Bundt Pan is so recognizable, so distinctive, that no matter the flavor or filling, any cake baked in a Bundt pan, is simply called a "Bundt."
Introduced in 1950, heavy cast aluminum Bundt pans are built to last "a lifetime," so some many vintage pans are still in use. While older pans are certainly serviceable, they don't offer the same easy-release, easy-clean features of today's generation of Bundt pans, which are lined with better-than-ever non-stick coatings. Bundt cakes baked in pans like these virtually slip right out of the pan, leaving every detail of the pan sculpted right onto the cake. As a gift, Nordic Ware's Original Bundt Pan is as thoughtful as it is practical and, sentiment aside, it is often sensible to retire a well-used piece of kitchenware with something equally good, if not better, for the job. With Nordic Ware President David Dalquist (son of company founders Dave and Dotty Dalquist) sharing that there are "nearly 60 million Bundt pans in kitchen's across America" it's no wonder that talented bakers/cookbook authors Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, owners of Brooklyn, New York's Baked Bakery, would feature Bundt cake recipes in all three of their "Baked" cookbooks, including Marble Bundt Cake and Root Beer Bundt Cake, from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking;" Mom's Olive Oil Orange Bundt and Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake with Caramel Rum Frosting (featured in this column in 2010), from "Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Revisited;" and Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze, Tunnel of Hazelnut Fudge Cake, Vanilla Bean Malt Cake and Triple Rum Black Pepper Cake, from their latest cookbook, "Baked Elements: Our Ten Favorite Ingredients" - a book arranged by favorite ingredients lemon and lime, caramel, booze, pumpkin, malted milk powder, cinnamon, cheese, chocolate and banana. For further information on "Baked" books, including sources for purchase, visit www.bakednyc.com. Folks interested in learning more about Nordic Ware's history, products and more, are invited to visit the company's website at www.nordicware.com.
Sue Ade, a Lowcountry resident since 1985, is a gourmet baker and collector of vintage cooking utensils and cookbooks. She can be reached at email@example.com or 683-0375.
Recipe courtesy of "Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients," by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito; photographs by Tina Rupp. Stewart, Tabori & Chang publishers, www.abramsbooks.com. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
"The traditional homemade rum cake recipe (at least the one that is in mass circulation, passing from one handwritten recipe card to the Internet and back) is quite good. It's a boozy holiday treat with tropical leanings, though it is almost universally made using yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding. Neither of us is anti-cake mix. Betty Crocker was a virtual pinup during our teen years, and she remains a nostalgic patron saint. Our rum cake is a not so much a reinvention of the ever-present box-mix recipe, it is simply reinterpreted with a "from scratch" format. And we upped the rum quotient. If you are going to make a cake with rum, you might as well make a cake with a lot of rum. (Subtlety, though sometimes appreciated, is not always required with us.) That said, indulgence requires balance, and we think the ground black pepper adds a little bit of edge to the otherwise smooth rum flavor. The crumb is tender with a holiday heart. It's a party in a cake, though you most certainly don't have to wait until the end of the year to bake one."
Baked note: Sorry, there are no real alcohol-free substitutions for this cake. However, if you want to cut down on the rum, you could probably skip the glaze altogether or change it to something chocolaty like a straightforward ganache.
For the Rum Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
¾ cup good-quality dark rum
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Rum Syrup
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½ -inch cubes
1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup good-quality dark rum
For the Buttered
Rum Drizzle
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons good-quality dark or spiced rum
Make the Rum Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray the inside of a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it thoroughly, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating for 10 to 15 seconds after each addition, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again for 10 seconds. Pour the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup, add the rum and vanilla, and whisk or stir vigorously until combined. Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat for 10 to 15 seconds after each addition, or until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for 10 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Use a small knife or a very small offset spatula to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Turn the cake out onto the rack and let it cool completely. Wash and dry the Bundt pan.
Make the Rum Syrup
In a medium saucepan with high sides, gently stir together the butter, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat to medium-high and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves and the butter is melted. Stop stirring, increase the heat to high and allow the mixture to gently boil for about 3 minutes (if the bubbling mixture starts to reach the top of the pan, reduce the heat). Remove the pan from heat, transfer the mixture to a pourable glass measuring cup or bowl, stir vigorously to reduce excess heat, and stir in the rum. Place the cake back into the Bundt pan and use a toothpick or skewer to poke the bottom several times. Use a spoon to slowly drizzle a little bit of the rum syrup over the cake (you might not want to use all of it, but you certainly can-if you don't use it all, leftover syrup tastes great on French toast and ice cream). Let the cake stand, bottom side up in the pan for at least 3 hours, then invert it onto a serving platter and remove the pan.
Yield: One 10- or 12-cup Bundt cake
Non-stick cooking spray with flour (like Baker's Joy)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups dried sweetened cranberries
4 ounces chopped white chocolate
¾ cup toasted chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Pan* with cooking spray with flour. Cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Decrease the speed to medium and add in eggs, on at a time, sour cream, orange zest and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Mix batter well. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cardamom and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine. Fold in cranberries, white chocolate and walnuts.
Pour batter into prepared pan, pushing batter in all crevices with a spatula and smooth top. Gently tap the batter on center rack and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out almost clean. There may be a few moist crumbs. Remove cake from oven when done and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack and cool completely. Mix confectioners' sugar with cinnamon and dust on top of cake before serving. *Kitchen Ade Note: Although this recipe calls for using an Anniversary Bundt Pan, which has a capacity of 12 to 15 cups, I used 12-cup Bundt pan with good results.