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Baked Acorn Squash Filled with Italian Sausage and Rigatoni Pasta
- 4 medium acorn squash, halved and cleaned
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup sliced red onion
- 4 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
- 1/2 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked until tender, tossed in olive oil and cooled
- 1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Black pepper
- Pinch sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Season the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, flesh side up and add 1/2 cup water to the pan. Cover with alluminum foil and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, brown the sausage and onions, about 6 to 8 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the sausage and onions with the tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Spoon the pasta mixture into the cavity of each squash. Place the filled squashes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the squash is heated through and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
Place the filled squash in the center of each plate. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions, garlic, salt, and white pepper 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil; cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in stock and 18 turns black pepper; simmer 2 minutes. Season with sugar if acidic and cook 1 minute.
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2000
CATEGORIES:View All
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Cheese-Crusted Squash
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen


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China is in no mood to have its own long-awaited development curtailed.carbon dioxide each nation will be permitted to emit into our common atmosphere. At the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference – scheduled for Dec. 7-18 – the abyss must be crossed between the developed countries, whose industrialization is now largely behind them, and developing countries like China, which are still trying to find their rightful place in the sun.
Premier Wen Jiabao says developed countries 'should alter their unsustainable lifestyle.'responsibilities. But what China will finally be willing to put on the table in Copenhagen will be conditioned to a significant extent by what the developed world itself is willing to commit to in advance of the conference. For if there is one thing China's leaders have tirelessly repeated, it is that they expect the developed world — and especially America — to take the lead in this daunting global challenge.
Global warming will not be arrested without a commitment by China to reduce its emissions.What leaders in Beijing fear is that any strong Chinese effort to limit greenhouse emissions could compromise China's economy, which could in turn lead to unemployment and social and political instability. So much of the Communist Party's political legitimacy has come to be based on delivering economic success, that if the choice is between domestic instability and global warming, Party leaders will invariably lean towards the former.

subset: commoncrawl


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High | Low
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It may be your kids, grandkids, a neighbor, a fellow student, or a co-worker. No doubt there are folks in your life who know less Scripture and fewer biblical principles than you do. There lies your challenge—your responsibility, really: to encourage and equip those younger believers.
But is that something any Christian can do? Don't you need to be a pastor or a longtime student of the Bible to offer that sort of help?John MacArthur's Advice to a Young Disciple gets to the heart of those questions. Based on 2 Timothy 2, this study can help you be the teacher you never knew you could be, and can give you the strength and perspective you need to press on for Christ—even in the face of struggles.
August 16, 1987 2 Timothy 2:1-2 55-5
Free Download: High Low
August 23, 1987 2 Timothy 2:3-7 55-6
August 30, 1987 2 Timothy 2:8-9 55-7
September 6, 1987 2 Timothy 2:10-14a 55-8
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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
versión On-line ISSN 2411-9717
versión impresa ISSN 0038-223X
VAN DYK, L.D et al. Gas-phase extraction of lead and iron from their oxides in a fluidized-bed reactor. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. [online]. 2012, vol.112, n.6, pp.461-465. ISSN 2411-9717.
The extraction of iron and lead from their oxides with a volatile organic ligand such as acetylacetone in the gas phase offers potential advantages of lower energy consumption, recycling of the extractant, recovery of pure metals, and a reduced environmental impact compared with conventional extraction processes. The influence of reaction temperature, ligand flow rate, and metal oxide levels on the extraction and rates of reaction of iron and lead from single metal oxide (synthetic haematite (Fe2O3) and synthetic massicot (PbO)) systems in a fluidized bed was studied. It was found that at the investigated acetylacetone flow rates, the influence of mass transfer was limited, but that the reaction suffered from reactant starvation. When the metal load increased the effect of starvation on the rate of reaction also increased. The reaction kinetics increased with an increase in temperature for both systems. At low metal oxide concentrations more that 80 per cent of the iron and lead could be extracted from their respective metal oxides after only four hours.
Palabras clave : gas-phase extraction; leaching; iron(III) oxide; lead(II) oxide; acetylacetone.


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Hopefully U.S. Action Does Not Start Another War
To the Readers' Forum:
Why should our veterans beg for help when our secretary of state goes to Egypt and gives them a grant for a quarter of a billion dollars. We already promised them fighter planes and tanks. The only foe they have in the region is Israel.
The very people that blew up our vets are close friends of Egypt. Our vets lost limbs, received headtrauma and severe burns.
Hope our actions and help won't start another war.
James Thompson


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Day and Night Fade Creams
Fade Brown Spots and Lighten Skin In Just Weeks
Day and Night Fade Creams
Fade Brown Spots and Lighten Skin In Just Weeks
These mild yet effective day and night fade creams help even skin tone on your face, hands, and body, fading brown spots in just a few weeks. Because the active ingredient, hydroquinone, is in a natural vegetable oil—rather than the usual mineral oil—base, skin absorbs it more quickly and deeply. The day cream has an SPF 15, PABA-free sunscreen to help protect against damaging sun rays. Each, 1.5 oz. jar. Use both for fastest results.
- Hydroquinone lightens skin and brown spots
- Botanically-based hydroquinone absorbs more readily
- Day fade cream contains an SPF 15, PABA-free sunscreen
- Lightening agent in night fade cream reacts to sunlight; use only at bedtime
Day and Night Fade Creams
Danger: Children under age of 12 should not use this product. Do not use near eyes, over cuts and irritations. Test for sensitivity in small underarm area. No animal ingredients or animal testing done.
Night Cream:
Purified Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Monostearate,
Isopropyl Palmitate, Hydroquinone, Glycerin (veg), Stearic
Acid, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Citric Acid
Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Potassium Sorbate,
Sodium Benzoate, Natural Oil Fragrance.
Day Cream:
Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Oxybenzone, Hydroquinone 1%,
Demineralized Spring Water, Mulberry Extract, Glyceryl
Stearate, Wheat Germ Oil, Steary Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol,
Stearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Lime Extract, Sodium
Metabisulfite, Sodium Bisulfite, Citric Acid, Caramel,
Simethicone, Glycerin, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate,
Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose, Cellulose Gum,
Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Essential
Oil Fragrance.
Shelf Life: 3 Years
Manufactured In: USA
Material - Country Of Origin: USA


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Get an overview of this hotelPalatial 1910 resort hotel overlooking Lake Como
Views of Bellagio
Adjacent to the famed 17th-century Villa Carlotta gardens, this hotel in the resort town of Tremezzo lies 28 kilometres from Como and faces the picturesque town of Bellagio across the lake.
Rest and relaxation
Guests can cool off in the heated pontoon pool on the lake, which is bordered by sand sunbathing terraces; a range of massage and beauty treatments are available at the onsite spa.
Century-old style
Guestrooms feature lake or park views, and classic details such as high ceilings, richly coloured carpets, molded stuccos, and marble bathrooms. Satellite TVs come with DVD players.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Amenities at Grand Hotel Tremezzo include 2 restaurants, 3 snack bars, complimentary buffet breakfasts, complimentary wireless Internet access and free outdoor parking. Garage parking is available for a surcharge.
The T Spa has an indoor heated pool, aqua-fitness whirlpool, swim-against-the-current option, relaxation area, sauna, steam room, spa tub, infinity-effect view of the lake and massage rooms. The fitness offers views of the lake, cardiovascular equipment, and 2 dressing rooms with saunas. A floodlit clay tennis court and 2 outdoor swimming pools are also available.
- Private beach nearby
- Poolside bar
- Sauna
- Free breakfast
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Bar/lounge
- Restaurant
- 24-hour front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Number of floors - 5
- Laundry facilities
- Arcade/game room
- Tennis on site
- Elevator/lift
- Wedding services
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Full-service spa
- Airport transportation
- Rooftop terrace
- Snack bar/deli
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Business center
- Concierge services
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Total number of rooms - 98
- Library
- Babysitting or childcare
- Meeting rooms
- Porter/bellhop
- Beach umbrellas
- Pool sun loungers
- Spa services on site
- Health club
- Free WiFi
- Number of outdoor pools - 2
- Pool umbrellas
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Garden
- Year Built 1910
- Outdoor tennis court
- Smoke-free property
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- Indoor pool
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Minibar
- DVD player
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Bidet
- Bathrobes
- Hair dryer
- Slippers
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- In-room safe
- Satellite TV service
- Desk
- Individually decorated
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Free bottled water
- Free WiFi
- In-room massage available
- Designer toiletries
- Room service (limited hours)
- Flat-panel TV
Where to Eat
Grand Hotel Tremezzo offers various options to its guests:
La Terrazza - Features a special menu created by famous Italian chef Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi, in collaboration with Executive Chef Osvaldo Presazzi. Meals served on an enchanting terrace overlooking Lake Como.
L'Escale Fondue e Wine Bar - For an informal dinner based on grills, fondues, and Italian wines.
T Pizza - Starring Italy's iconic dish for lunches or private parties in the very heart of the park.
T Bar - A romantic lounge offering signature cocktails by candlelight.
Beach T - Serving light snacks in the sunshine on the lake shore.
Nearby Things to Do
Guests can choose from three pools and sunbathing areas furnished with cushioned sun loungers. La Piscina dei Fiori is immersed in the quiet of the park, surrounded by centuries old trees, ideal for relaxing immersed in the nature. Water on the Water is a crystal-clear water break in the blue of the Lake. T SPA Pool is the indoor swimming pool with infinity effects and a lake view from the outdoor jacuzzi.
A flood-lit clay tennis court in the park is available to guests. The T Fitness is in a dedicated sporting area few steps from the main palace; naturally lit and with view on the lake, it consists of a gym with Technogym cardiovascular and kinesis equipment; two dressing rooms complete with saunas and a relaxation area.
The Health Walk, up on the hill of the 20,000-square-meter park, is a path perfect for early-morning joggers.
The indoor heated pool offers an aqua-fitness whirlpool trail (air bubble beds, water jets, and waterfall) and a special "swim against resistance" option.
After active water treatment, the fully equipped massage rooms propose three different lines of body and facial treatments: the Ayurveda Body Works, the Relax Treatments, and the full range of Ligne St Barth treatments.
Front-desk attendants can arrange for water skiing (surcharge) in front of the hotel and for hired boats, bicycles, and scooters to be delivered to guests. Recreational opportunities also include miniature golf (three kilometres away), horseback riding (eight kilometres away), and sailing and windsurfing (15 kilometres away).
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Personal motorized watercraft on site
- Sailing nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Pilates classes on site
- Playground on site
- Tennis lessons on site
- Water skiing on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Golf lessons available nearby
Spa Services
T Spa features an indoor heated pool, an aqua-fitness spa tub, sauna, steam room and a relaxation area with views of Lake Como. The spa's treatment rooms offer various types of massage, body scrubs, beauty services, and facial and body treatments, including Ayurvedic treatments. Guests under 16 are not allowed in the spa and reservations are required.
- Hot stone massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Swedish massage
- Prenatal massage
- Steam room in spa
- Sports massage
- Body scrubs
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Minimum age to access spa is 16
- Massages
- Ayurvedic treatments
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 2.50 per person, per night for adults; EUR 1.25 per night for guests up to 11 years old.
Optional extras
- Fee for in-room high-speed Internet (wired): EUR 10.00 per 24-hour period (rates may vary)
- Self parking fee: EUR 25 per night
Hotel Name
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo
- Grand Tremezzo
- Hotel Tremezzo Grand
- Tremezzo Grand Hotel
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo Italy - Lake Como
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo Tremezzina, Italy - Lake Como
We should mention
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport. Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation. Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Awards & Affiliations
- The property is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.


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Let us know which design you like best and we will add it to our Gallery!
Not interested in any of them? Choose Option #5 and send us our feedback. Our designers will incorporate your ideas into the next round of designs.


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yo whats good changoloco? im in kb too and at tha grib every weds and indakline on thurs who are you i bet we mostlikly know each outher
What is your real name Gnar? There is a possibility that I know you. Have you ever been to any shows that I have played? I play all over NLT/Truckee. Lately I have been playing with some guys and we call the project BassHeavy.
What's up man? I noticed that you were from Truckee. I live in Kings Beach. It's good to know that there are some Coachella junkies in the basin.
Send an Instant Message to GnarVee Using...
Slave to the Rave
Old Gay Guy


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MorningWord: 3/5/12: The real story last week was the divergence between large and small cap stocks, the Russell 2000 closed down about 3%, while the SPX gained about 30bps. Chart below displays this divergence fairly clearly while also shows the Russell about to re-test a key support level from last spring/summer.
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MorningWord: 3/1/12: Well people, we almost had it yesterday…..IT being a real sell off. Yesterday's action in Gold down almost 5.5% was its worst day since late September and almost unerved the entire market. The SPX closed 90bps off of the morning highs, near the lows of the day, and we actually started to feel a little panicky. Key word being little.
Waking up this morning though, all is well in the world again, European equities are up across the board, with the DAX near the highs of the day up close to 1%, Euro down a tad, Gold bouncing a bit, crude practically unchanged and our futures rebounding 30bps.
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MorningWord: 2/29/12: Doug Kass kind of nailed it on Fast Money a couple weeks back, "We are seeing a market that is far too focused on a few names – most importantly Apple – it's an NBA market – nothing but Apple." The SPX was up 34 bps yesterday while AAPL was up 1.84% and I think it is safe to say without AAPL's out-performance and signaling the all clear for other large cap tech names like MSFT up 1.66% on the day and GOOG up 1.49% on the day that there is a good chance the broad market would have been down. But the financial press loves round numbers and AAPL closing the day a billion shy of $500b in market cap and the Dow Jones closing above 13k for the first time since mid 2008 was like Christmas come early for those charged with telling us why the markets did what they did.
You guys know where I stand on this, I presume that you are not a frequent reader of this space because you are looking for the conventional consensus view, you won't find that here. I keep getting questions from friends, colleagues, readers, oh and perfect strangers whether I am just swimming up stream?? Well of course I am for now and the truth is I would be an absolute monkey if I just threw in the towel and reversed course. Throughout my career I have never nailed a top (or a bottom for that matter) within 1% , it's almost impossible and if one did it would likely have to do more with luck then skill. The point here is that I have always been early and always will, and as a rule I tend to be contrairian, so I won't be part of the herd. Here is the thing, I don't run a hedge fund or mutual fund, I don't have a benchmark, like a lot of you, I just have my wife or husband looking over the monthly pnl reports! But the name of the game is capital preservation, and as I have said here for most of the year, when wrong on direction, you need to be even more mindful of sizing…..my positions have become smaller and smaller so no one wrong bet puts me on the sidelines for a bit……and when the time is right, when most of the inputs that you use to inform your trading/investing decisions signal to pounce, then you do, with defined risk…….this is what I am in business to do is look for the most cost/risk effective ways to make bets in the market, I am not here to sell some BS long only mutual fund that after fees will likely lag its benchmark, or try to sell some hedge fund that promises great riches in a good markets and "less bad" returns in bad markets. So if you want to hear the bull case pounded on an hourly basis, just turn the tv on, or read most financial press, and this wouldn't be the site for u unless u want a little bit of skepticism to water down all the fluff out there.
So I think the important thing is to recognize the ideas that we speak about on the site are not meant to be an investment portfolio. I look for situations where the market under or over-appreciates a situation and look for a defined risk way to play, or look to reduce exiting risk. Think of RiskReversal as on add on to your existing reading that is not likely to follow the herd. There I got that off my chest. IN the next couple weeks we will be introducing a new full time writer to the site who will hopefully be able to balance a lot of my stubbornness, stay tuned.
As for the "NBA market" I think at the multi year highs AAPL now serves as a bigger impediment than a catalyst for higher highs. Next week (march 7th) the company will hold their iPad3 event, and if the product launch is disappointing I can only imagine this stock re-tests $500 quickly and possibly back the lows made in the mid $480s from that reversal mid month. This is the most crowded to trade the planet has ever seen, and trust me we have seen this movie before, I can't tell you when it is going to end but I sure Know How It Will. Just remember people, when you start hearing daily that it is "different this time" it may be time to "Think Different".
MorningWord: 2/28/12: Yesterday's reversal was just downright nasty if you were short and looking to finally press a move that appeared to be coinciding with a "risk off" opening. Crude, Gold, Euro, equities the world over were all down, with bonds up and the VIX up 10%……… it appeared for the first time all year we would have a little sell off reminiscent of summer/fall 2011. The combination of a New Home Sales number that was better than expected and the German Parliaments vote in favor of funding the 2nd Greek Bailout after the European close and BAM, the lows were in……the SPX closed at new 52 week highs, while the DAX closed almost 1.5% off of it's lows. Equities clearly have a bid to them as they approach levels not seen since the pre 2008 financial crisis, and it appears that it will take a bit more than some tough talk from the G-20 to get equities down and keep them down. This morning our futures and European equity markets have reversed on the one two punch of the worst Durable Goods Orders print in almost 3 yrs, coupled with weaker than expected housing data from Case Schiller. Our futures are down about 50 bps from earlier highs while the DAX is down about 1% from the morning highs.
Yesterday I posted on the IWM appearing at least on the open to be losing a bit of momentum relative to large cap stocks (read here) and breaking below its 20 day moving average. This was massive head fake and similar to that of Dec 19th, a date in which it made a similar move below the short term momentum indicator, and since then the index has been up a little more than 24% (not exactly proving the point). I am going to keep a close eye on momentum, breadth and volume as we approach multi year highs, with out a single pullback this year of more than 57 bps, something has to give and soon, the whole rally feels a bit bubbly to me.
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Visitors to the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport on Friday would have seen this: the first half of an engine swap on the Spirit of Tuskegee, a PT-13 Stearman biplane conveyed to the Smithsonian by Matt and Tina Quy. After buying the airplane as a wreck, they discovered that it had been used in 1944 and 1945 to train Tuskegee Airmen at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Ala. Since its restoration was completed, they've been using the airplane to honor the airmen; a number have flown in the airplane and dozens have signed the inside of its baggage hatch.
Less than a week earlier, Quy took the plane to Moton Field in Tuskegee, revisiting its first duty assignment after being built by Boeing in 1944. His passengers included Leroy Eley of Atlanta, an 84-year-old Tuskegee Airman who drove to Tuskegee to see the historic aircraft.
For the past month, Quy–a captain in the U.S. Air Force–has been making his way to Washington with the airplane. On the trip his stops included the Air Force Academy in Colorado; EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh; Moton Field in Tuskegee, Ala.; and Andrews Air Force Base, the latter for the 7oth anniversary reunion of the Tuskegee Airmen. Quy discussed the airplane and his journey with AOPA Live during AirVenture. Dik Daso, a National Air and Space Museum curator, accompanied Quy on the flight from Tuskegee to Washington, and blogged about the experience.
The Spirit of Tuskegee made its last flight on Friday, Aug. 5, when the Quys flew it to Washington Dulles International and taxied to the Udvar-Hazy Center. Even then, however, the airplane continued to make history: It's the first artifact to be worked on in the museum's new Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, a just-opened, 235,000-square-foot facility where visitors can watch restoration projects from elevated viewing areas. Among other details, Quy and the Smithsonian crew are swapping engines and brakes on the airplane, to return it as closely as possible to its original appearance.
The Spirit of Tuskegee will be displayed temporarily at Udvar-Hazy; in 2015, it will move to the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture in downtown Washington, D.C. It will be the only aircraft displayed in the museum. Look for a story on this historic airplane in an upcoming issue of AOPA Pilot.
Tags: air-to-air, Matt Quy, National Air and Space Museum, Stearman, Tuskegee Airmen, Udvar-Hazy Center


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Back in 1985, Jerry Pallotta was an insurance salesman, looking for creative ways to teach his children their ABCs. At the age of 32, his imaginative ideas led to him to write and publish his very first book, The Ocean Alphabet Book. He has since created more than 20 alphabet books, and has expanded into creative books for teaching basic math as well.
Items Added to Cart:
1 Paperback
2 Hardcover
1 Teacher's Edition
$48.99 Subtotal


text: The fishy cups are from www.purepuer.com...A pair came with the gaiwan...they are sweet cups, but the shape doesn't work for me...they were too nice to keep "locked up" so I put them up for swap. I was thrilled when geekgirl got them...I knew she'd put them to good use!!! Hopefully, those little fishies will swim by in another picture someday!


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Pink Rose Heart Wreath
- Summary
Our handmade wreath sends a warm, long-lasting message of affection. The heart-shaped design showcases delicate blooms in shades of pink and white, crowned by two pale-pink roses that have been freeze-dried to preserve their beauty and softness.
- 16" diam.
- Composed of freeze-dried roses, pink hydrangeas, larkspur, strawflowers, sinuata and caspia with eucalyptus leaves and ferns for greenery.
- Arranged on a base of woven birch twigs.
- Protect from weather.
- Made in USA.
- Use & Care
- Upon receipt, carefully cut the cable ties securing the wreath and gently remove it from the box.
- Woven of dried natural materials, this wreath is intended for display indoors or in a sheltered outdoor area. Avoid direct sunlight and excessive heat, which will cause the materials to fade and become fragile.
- If you choose to hang your wreath outdoors, protect it from the sun, wind and rain.
- It is normal for natural materials to shed. The extra fullness of our wreath is intended to compensate for any unavoidable shedding during shipping. To minimize shedding, it is best to not move the wreath once it has been placed.
- With proper care the wreath will last up to one year.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
Please allow up to two weeks for processing and delivery of perishable items, which are shipped two-day delivery to ensure freshness. Perishable items are not eligible for rush shipping.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination.
Return Policy
At Williams-Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned. View Full Return Policy.


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Thursday, January 20, 2011
Green peas Dhokla /Mutter dhokla
What do you do when your child especially a teen refuses to eat a particular vegetable, fruit ....You search for recipes that would morph the ingredient in its true nature and give all the goodness associated with it and yet be palatable to their choice. Well one such ingredient is peas and my daughter detests it, dunno why!!!!!
You may ask, why not leave her alone with her choice, well!!one of those compelling MOMMY feelings that you are depriving your child of some precious nutrient.And in search of a peas recipe where the peas is not seen in the final outcome, i saw this particular recipe in TARLA dalal's WEBSITE
You can see the original recipe here.I tweaked it a little to suit my dear daughter
Gram flour 1 1/4 cup
Green peas puree 3/4 cup
Ginger chilli paste 2 tsp
Citric acid 1/2 tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Fruit salt 1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
For the seasoning
Oil 2tbsp
Mustard seeds 2 tsp
Green chilli finely chopped 3
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
For garnishing
fresh grated coconut 3 tbsp
Coriander 3 tbsp finely chopped
In a bowl mix peas puree, gram flour, ginger chilli paste, sugar, salt, and citric acid.
Make a batter by adding water, i needed 3/4 cup(should be of dropping consistency)
Grease the plate and keep it aside
Add fruit salt to the batter with a tbsp of water. It will start frothing up. Mix well and immediately transfer it to the prepared plate and steam for 15 minutes.
Now take a frying pan, add oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the green chillies and saute for a sec. Switch off the flame and add 2 tbsp of water to this. Pout this on the prepared dhokla.
Garnish with fresh coriander and grated coconut
Serve and rest be assured it will be loved by everyone
Sending this Torview- food palate series -green
Time to see the dishes of these bloggers who are on a blogging marathon all this month!!!!!!!!!!SRIVALLI, PRIYA SURESH, REVA, SOUMYA, AZEEMA, AYEESHA, PRIYA VASU, JAY, PJ, MONIKA, Gayatri,Usha
Posted by veena krishnakumar at 7:18 PM
Labels: Blogging Marathon, citric acid, dhokla, fruit salt, peas, snack
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Stock Futures Dip Ahead of Earnings Season Kickoff
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Stock futures were lower Monday as investors awaited the start of earnings season, excitement over the "fiscal cliff" deal faded and as the next leg of the battle over the country's financial future is about to begin.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 18 points, or 38.21 points below fair value, at 13,328. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 2 points, or 5.12 points below fair value, at 1455. Futures for the Nasdaq were down 4.75 points, or 10.74 points below fair value, at 2708.
"With the beginning of earnings season this week, investors will be looking closely at company commentary in light of the recent fiscal cliff crisis and the upcoming debt ceiling fight," said Mike Simmons, managing director and partner at HighTower's Simmons Wilkes Investment Advisors. "We believe the debt ceiling debate will be one of the major determinants of market performance in coming weeks."
Major U.S. stock averages ticked higher Friday after upbeat December jobs and services-sector growth reports.
No major U.S. economic data releases were expected on Monday.
The U.S. macro calendar will be relatively light this week. However, Federal Reserve officials are expected to make a number of speeches. Bank of America economists expect the doves to reiterate a need for additional accommodation amid a subpar recovery. The Bank of America economists advise fading the comments from the most hawkish members.
Earnings season begins with Alcoa's (AA) fourth-quarter earnings report on Tuesday. The markets will be very interested in what companies have to say with regards to the recent fiscal cliff worries and the debt ceiling battle.
Gold for February delivery was rising Monday by $6.30 at $1,655.20 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, while February crude oil contracts were off 31 cents at $92.78 a barrel.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury was down 2/32, raising the yield to 1.907%. The dollar was up 0.08%, according to the U.S. dollar index.
The FTSE 100 in London was slipping 0.40%, while the DAX in Germany was down by 0.54%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng finished down 0.01% and the Nikkei Average in Japan closed off 0.83%.
In corporate news, Bank of America (BAC) shares were tacking on more than 2% in premarket trading after the bank announced that it has reached a $10 billion settlement with Fannie Mae to resolve agency mortgage repurchase claims on loans originated and sold directly to Fannie Mae through Dec. 31, 2008.
Nationstar Mortgage (NSM) shares were surging by more than 18% after the company announced it is buying about $215 billion in mortgage servicing assets from Bank of America.
Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) unveiled a handheld game console on Sunday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.


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This chapter comprises a brief description of the basics of spectral fitting, their application in XSPEC, and some helpful hints on how to approach particular problems. We then provide more details on the way XSPEC provides flexibility in its approach to the minimization problem. We also describe the data formats accepted.
Although we use a spectrometer to measure the spectrum of a source, what the spectrometer obtains is not the actual spectrum, but rather photon counts (C) within specific instrument channels, (I). This observed spectrum is related to the actual spectrum of the source (f(E)) by:
Where R(I,E) is the instrumental response and is proportional to the probability that an incoming photon of energy E will be detected in channel I. Ideally, then, we would like to determine the actual spectrum of a source, f(E), by inverting this equation, thus deriving f(E) for a given set of C(I). Regrettably, this is not possible in general, as such inversions tend to be non-unique and unstable to small changes in C(I). (For examples of attempts to circumvent these problems see Blissett & Cruise 1979; Kahn & Blissett 1980; Loredo & Epstein 1989).
The usual alternative is to choose a model spectrum, f(E), that can be described in terms of a few parameters (i.e., f(E,p1,p2,...)), and match, or "fit" it to the data obtained by the spectrometer. For each f(E), a predicted count spectrum (Cp(I)) is calculated and compared to the observed data (C(I)). Then a "fit statistic'" is computed from the comparison and used to judge whether the model spectrum "fits" the data obtained by the spectrometer.
The model parameters then are varied to find the parameter values that give the most desirable fit statistic. These values are referred to as the best-fit parameters. The model spectrum, fb(E), made up of the best-fit parameters is considered to be the best-fit model.
The most common fit statistic in use for determining the "best-fit" model is, defined as follows:
where σ(I) is the (generally unknown) error for channel I (e.g., if C(I) are counts then σ(I) is usually estimated by ; see e.g. Wheaton et.al. 1995 for other possibilities).
Once a "best-fit" model is obtained, one must ask two questions:
1. How confident can one be that the observed C(I) can have been produced by the best-fit model fb(E)? The answer to this question is known as the "goodness-of-fit" of the model. The statistic provides a well-known-goodness-of-fit criterion for a given number of degrees of freedom (ν, which is calculated as the number of channels minus the number of model parameters) and for a given confidence level. If exceeds a critical value (tabulated in many statistics texts) one can conclude that fb(E) is not an adequate model for C(I). As a general rule, one wants the "reduced " to be approximately equal to one . A reduced that is much greater than one indicates a poor fit, while a reduced that is much less than one indicates that the errors on the data have been over-estimated. Even if the best-fit model (fb(E)) does pass the "goodness-of-fit" test, one still cannot say that fb(E) is the only acceptable model. For example, if the data used in the fit are not particularly good, one may be able to find many different models for which adequate fits can be found. In such a case, the choice of the correct model to fit is a matter of scientific judgment.
2. For a given best-fit parameter (p1), what is the range of values within which one can be confident the true value of the parameter lies? The answer to this question is the "confidence interval" for the parameter.
The confidence interval for a given parameter is computed by varying the parameter value until the increases by a particular amount above the minimum, or "best-fit" value. The amount that the is allowed to increase (also referred to as the critical ) depends on the confidence level one requires, and on the number of parameters whose confidence space is being calculated. The critical for common cases are given in the following table (from Avni, 1976):
To summarize the preceding section, the main components of spectral fitting are as follows:
· A set of one or more observed spectra with background measurements B(I) where available
· The corresponding instrumental responses
· A set of model spectra
· These components are used in the following manner:
· Choose a parameterized model which is thought to represent the actual spectrum of the source.
· Choose values for the model parameters.
· Based on the parameter values given, predict the count spectrum that would be detected by the spectrometer in a given channel for such a model.
· Compare the predicted spectrum to the spectrum actually obtained by the instrument.
· Manipulate the values of the parameters of the model until the best fit between the theoretical model and the observed data is found.
Then calculate the "goodness" of the fit to determine how well the model explains the observed data, and calculate the confidence intervals for the model's parameters.
This section describes how XSPEC performs these tasks.
C(I): The Observed Spectrum
To obtain each observed spectrum, , XSPEC uses two files: the data (spectrum) file, containing D(I), and the background file, containing B(I). The data file tells XSPEC how many total photon counts were detected by the instrument in a given channel. XSPEC then uses the background file to derive the set of background-subtracted spectra C(I) in units of counts per second. The background-subtracted count rate is given by, for each spectrum:
where and are the counts in the data and background files; and are the exposure times in the data and background files; and , and are the background and area scaling values from the spectrum and background respectively, which together refer the background flux to the same area as the observation as necessary. When this is done, XSPEC has an observed spectrum to which the model spectrum can be fit.
R(I,E): The Instrumental Response
Before XSPEC can take a set of parameter values and predict the spectrum that would be detected by a given instrument, XSPEC must know the specific characteristics of the instrument. This information is known as the detector response. Recall that for each spectrum the response is proportional to the probability that an incoming photon of energy E will be detected in channel I. As such, the response is a continuous function of E. This continuous function is converted to a discrete function by the creator of a response matrix who defines the energy ranges such that:
XSPEC reads both the energy ranges, , and the response matrix from a response file in a compressed format that only stores non-zero elements. XSPEC also includes an option to use an auxiliary response file, which contains an array that is multiplied into as follows:
This array is designed to represent the efficiency of the detector with the response file representing a normalized Redistribution Matrix Function, or RMF. Conventionally, the response is in units of cm2.
M(E): The Model Spectrum
The model spectrum, , is calculated within XSPEC using the energy ranges defined by the response file :
and is in units of photons cm-2s-1. XSPEC allows the construction of composite models consisting of additive components representing X-ray sources (e.g., power-laws, blackbodys, and so forth), multiplicative components, which modify additive components by an energy-dependent factor (e.g., photoelectric absorption, edges, ...). Convolution and mixing models can then perform sophisticated operations on the result. Models are defined in algebraic notation.
For example, the following expression:
phabs (power + phabs (bbody))
defines an absorbed blackbody, phabs(bbody), added to a power-law, power. The result then is modified by another absorption component, phabs. For a list of available models, see Chapter 6.
Fits and Confidence Intervals
Once data have been read in and a model defined, XSPEC uses a fitting algorithm to find the best-fit values of the model parameter. The default is a modified Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm (based on CURFIT from Bevington, 1969). The algorithm used is local rather than global, so be aware that it is possible for the fitting process to get stuck in a local minimum and not find the global best-fit. The process also goes much faster (and is more likely to find the true minimum) if the initial model parameters are set to sensible values.
The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm relies on XSPEC calculating the 2nd derivatives of the fit statistic with respect to the model parameters. By default these are calculated analytically, with the assumption that the 2nd derivatives of the model itself may be ignored. This can be changed by setting the USE_NUMERICAL_DIFFERENTIATION flag to "true" in the Xspec.init initialization file, in which case XSPEC will perform numerical calculations of the derivatives (which are slower).
At the end of a fit, XSPEC will write out the best-fit parameter values, along with estimated confidence intervals. These confidence intervals are one sigma and are calculated from the second derivatives of the fit statistic with respect to the model parameters at the best-fit. These confidence intervals are not reliable and should be used for indicative purposes only.
XSPEC has a separate command (error or uncertain) to derive confidence intervals for one interesting parameter, which it does by fixing the parameter of interest at a particular value and fitting for all the other parameters. New values of the parameter of interest are chosen until the appropriate delta-statistic value is obtained. XSPEC uses a bracketing algorithm followed by an iterative cubic interpolation to find the parameter value at each end of the confidence interval.
To compute confidence regions for several parameters at a time, XSPEC can run a grid on these parameters. XSPEC also will display a contour plot of the confidence regions of any two parameters.
The sections above provide a simple characterization of the problem. XSPEC actually operates at a more abstract level and considers the following:
Given a set of spectra C(I), each supplied as a function of detector channels, a set of theoretical models {M(E)j} each expressed in terms of a vector of energies together with a set of functions {R(I,E)j} that map channels to energies, minimize an objective function S of C, {R(I,E)i}, {M(E)j} using a fitting algorithm, i.e.
In the default case, this reduces to the specific expression for fitting of a single source
where runs over all of the channels in all of the spectra being fitted, and using the Levenberg-Marquadt algorithm to perform the fitting.
This differs from the previous formulation in that the operations that control the fitting process make fewer assumptions about how the data are formatted, what function is being minimized, and which algorithm is being employed. At the calculation level, XSPEC requires spectra, backgrounds, responses and models, but places fewer constraints as to how they are represented on disk and how they are combined to compute the objective function (statistic). This has immediate implications for the extension of XSPEC analysis to future missions.
New data formats can be implemented independently of the existing code, so that they may be loaded during program execution. The 'data format' includes the specification not only of the files on disk but how they combine with models.
Multiple sources may be extracted from a spectrum. For example, it generalizes the fitting problem to minimizing, in the case of the statistic,
and j runs over one or more models. This allows the analysis of coded aperture data where multiple sources may be spatially resolved.
Responses, which abstractly represent a mapping from the theoretical energy space of the model to the detector channel space, may be represented in new ways. For example, the INTEGRAL/SPI responses are implemented as a linear superposition of 3 (fixed) components.
Instead of explicitly combining responses and models through convolution XSPEC places no prior constraint on how this combination is implemented. For example, analysis of data collected by future large detectors might take advantage of the form of the instrumental response by decomposing the response into components of different frequency.
Other differences of approach are in the selection of the statistic of the techniques used for deriving the solution. Statistics and fitting methods may be added to XSPEC at execution time rather than at installation time, so that the analysis package as a whole may more easily keep apace of new techniques.
XSPEC is designed to support multiple input data formats. Support for the earlier SF and Einstein FITS formats are removed. Support for ASCII data is planned, which will allow XSPEC to analyze spectra from other wavelength regions (optical, radio) transparently to the user.
The OGIP data format both for single spectrum files (Type I) and multiple spectrum files (Type II) is fully supported. These files can be created and manipulated with programs described in Appendix E and the provided links. The programs are described more fully in George et al. 1992. (the directories below refer to the HEAsoft distribution).
l Spectral Data: callib/src/gen/rdpha2.f, wtpha3.f
l Responses: callib/src/gen rdebd4.f, rdrmf5.f, wtebd4.f, wtrmf5.f. The "rmf" programs read and write the RMF extension, while the "ebd" programs write an extension called EBOUNDS that contains nominal energies for the detector channels.
l Auxiliary Responses: callib/src/gen rdarf1.f, and wtarf1.f
XSPEC also includes an add-in module to read and simulate INTEGRAL/SPI data, which can be loaded by the user on demand. The INTEGRAL/SPI datasets are similar to OGIP Type II, but contain an additional FITS extension that stores information on the multiple files used to construct the responses.
The INTEGRAL Spectrometer (SPI) is a coded-mask telescope, with a 19-element Germanium detector array. The Spectral resolution is ~500, and the angular resolution is ~3°. Unlike focusing instruments however, the detected photons are not directionally tagged, and a statistical analysis procedure, using for example cross-correlation techniques, must be employed to reconstruct an image. The description of the XSPEC analysis approach[1] which follows assumes that an image reconstruction has already been performed; see the SPIROS utility within the INTEGRAL offline software analysis package (OSA), OR, the positions on the sky of all sources to be analyzed are already known (which is often the case). Those unfamiliar with INTEGRAL data analysis should refer to the OSA documentation. Thus, the INTEGRAL/SPI analysis chain must be run up to the event binning level [if the field of view (FoV) source content is known, e.g. from published catalogs, or from IBIS image analysis], or the image reconstruction level. SPIHIST should be run selecting the "PHA" output option, and selecting detectors 0-18. This will produce an OGIP standard type-II PHA spectral file, which contains multiple, detector count spectra. In addition, the SPIARF procedure should be run once for each source to be analyzed, plus one additional time to produce a special response for analysis of the instrumental background. If this is done correctly, and in the proper sequence, SPIARF will create a table in the PHA-II spectral file, which will associate each spectrum with the appropriate set of response matrices. The response matrices are then automatically loaded into XSPEC upon execution of the data command in a manner very transparent to the user. You will also need to run SPIRMF (unless you have opted to use the default energy bins of the template SPI RMFs). Finally, you will need to run the FTOOL SPIBKG_INIT. Each of these utilities - SPIHIST, SPIARF, SPIRMF and SPIBKG_INIT - are documented elsewhere, either in the INTEGRAL or (for SPIBKG_INIT the HEAsoft) software documentation.
There are several complications regarding the spectral de-convolution of coded-aperture data. One already mentioned is the source confusion issue; there may be multiple sources in the FoV, which are lead to different degrees of shadowing on different detectors. Thus, a separate instrumental response must be applied to a spectral model for each possible source, for each detector. This is further compounded by the fact that INTEGRAL's typical mode of observation is "dithering." A single observation may consist of ~10's of individual exposures at raster points separated by ~2°. This further enumerates the number of individual response matrices required for the analysis. If there are multiple sources in the FoV, then additional spectral models can be applied to an additional set of response matrices, enumerated as before over detector and dither pointing. This capability - to model more than one source at a time in a given Chi-Square (or alternative) minimization procedure - did not exist in previous versions of XSPEC. For an observation with the INTEGRAL/SPI instrument, where the apparent detector efficiency is sensitive to the position of the source on the sky relative to the axis of the instrument, the statistic is:
run over instrument pointings and detectors;
I runs over individual detector channels
j enumerates the sources detected in the field at different position
E indexes the energies in the source model
xs parameters of the source model, which is combined with the response
xb parameters of the background model, expressed as a function of detector channel
Examination of this equation reveals one more complication; the term B represents the background, which, unlike for chopping, scanning or imaging experiments, must be solved for simultaneously with the desired source content. The proportion of background-to-source counts for a bright source such as the Crab is ~1%. Furthermore, the background varies as a function of detector, and time (dither-points), making simple subtraction implausible. Thus, a model of the background is applied to a special response matrix, and included in the de-convolution algorithm.
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[1] This is one of several possible analysis paths. The most commonly used method involves the SPIROS utility in spectral extraction mode, which leads to a effective-area corrected, background subtracted "pseudo-count" spectra. A (single) customized XSPEC RMF is then applied to approximate the photon-to-count redistribution for model fitting.


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2013-08-22 / Princeton News
Cultural council workshops
The Princeton Cultural Council will hold a workshop on how to apply for Cultural Council grants at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, in the Town Hall Annex. Local cultural council grants are provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council's Local Cultural Council program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities and sciences. Each year, local councils award more than $2 million in grants to more than 5,000 cultural programs statewide.