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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Art and the U.S. Air Force
Groups of artists associated with the S.I. were invited to visit various Air Force bases around the world and create a pictorial documentation of what they saw and experienced. One of those who participated and was most prominently featured in the AA article was Alex Ross.
Not only did the editors of American Artist chose one of his paintings for the privilege of being the only image reproduced in colour...
... but he was further featured with an extensive presentation of his sketches and rough drawings for another painting he did on this trip.
I'm a huge fan of Alex Ross' work. Below, I've provided close-ups of all the images from that particular spread so that you can get a better look at these marvelous sensitive drawings and painting sketches.
Now here's were things get really interesting:
Fast forward five years - to 1960 - and National Geographic does an extensive story on the S.I./ U.S. Air Force trips. The article features 24 illustrations by various artists in full colour. The painting chosen to open the article... Alex Ross' piece from the American Artist spread, five years earlier.
All of that would be interesting enough - but wait - there's more... the images we'll be looking at this week from that May 1960 issue of National Geographic come from an unlikely source: my 12 year old nephew, Will.
One day last year in Will's Grade 6 English class, the teacher brought out stacks of magazines for a 'cut-and-paste' project. Among all the magazines presented for scissoring were some that Will noticed looked pretty old... the sort of magazines he knew his uncle Leif enjoyed looking through. With the permission of his teacher Will rescued those magazines from the knife. The following Sunday, at our regular family dinner, young Will brought me a gift. Its from one of those issues rescued by Will that I scanned the image above and its thanks to Will that we will be able to enjoy the remaining 23 images, painted more than half a century ago by the likes of Robert Fawcett, Stan Galli, John Pike, James Bama, Louis Glanzman and many others.
Its with genuine gratitude and tremendous affection that I say thanks to my thoughtful young nephew, Will!
8 comments:
Can't wait! The Air Force Art program is very alive and well, with new generations and missions ongoing...ReplyDelete
Wow, really? Thanks for the heads-up on that Melanie. And talk about timely - readers should visit Melanie's blog right now - the top post shows some gorgeous sketches done by Melanie on her own Air Force adventure: http://bit.ly/bLCkcTReplyDelete
What a great story and very cool that you're nephew saved those magazines for you. Talk about a simple twist of fate!ReplyDelete
I think you can find info on the Air Force Art Program on the SI West coast website. I know that Victor Juhasz has posted about his experience there.
Here's a link:
Leif, your friend and mine, Murray Tinkelman, has had the grand tour of the air force collection of originals, up close and personal. His description is quite amazing.ReplyDelete
Great story, smart kid:)ReplyDelete
Leif, thanks for the articles on the Air Force Art Program. There are some really incredible pieces created every two years. I am the west coast chairperson for the program through the Society of Illustrators/Los Angeles and a member of the Air Force Art Program since 1978.ReplyDelete
Anyone interested in participating, I am the one to call. Just have to be a member of SILA...you don't have to live on the west coast to participate. After thirty years in SoCal, I returned to the bayou, but I am still a member.
Totally enjoy your blog site and the great tributes you've done on American Illustration.


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How about, I'm tired.
The problem with social media is its instantaneous. Granted this is also one of the great things about social media. The problem is its given us a platform for things we don't filter and can never take back.
Currently, my sweet Monkey is acting like an asshole. I know, *GASP SHOCK HORROR", I used 'asshole' and my kid in the same sentence but let's call a spade a spade. Tantrums, not listening, deliberately doing things I've told her not to. NOT GOING TO BED. I'd be much better equipped if I had some quiet time to regroup before 11pm.
Currently, a woman I follow on twitter is saying goodbye to her 2 week old son, whose heart condition is taking him from his family. A family who already has seen so much loss and too many babies go to heaven.
Currently, the world is offended, shocked, outraged by Miley Cyrus (Yes, Hannah Montana is no longer a country bumpkin folks). Her raunchy, confusing, almost pornographic performance at the MTV Video Music Awards has people asking "WTF?" for many reasons, like "WTF was Robin Thicke thinking agreeing to this?" and "Is Robin Thickes wife fully immunized?".
Currently, people are celebrating the truth and creation of music that isn't just for the head nodding factor. That isn't created in some studio but inside of people's hearts and souls. Music that says something, that moves people.
All these things are happening simultaneously. Life and death are walking side by side. Neither more important than the other, both causing reactions involuntarily. Life. Marches. On.
It's all on a circle, some how connecting each and every thing that is currently happening. Does Miley know about Diana, Sam and Bella? Does Monkey know about the impact of music? Does Diana and her family know about my deep frustrations and pain? No. No, these things are all completely separate and yet all on the circle happening simultaneously.
The issues affecting your life are no more or less important than the issues affecting anyone else's life. To each person something that seems insignificant to someone else can seem life shattering to you.
Maybe somewhere, a girl just saw her hero in a whole new light.
Maybe somewhere, a family prays and holds each other together... For now.
Maybe somewhere, the recognition of music with a message and the message being rewarded and celebrated brought someone away from the brink.
And here? Well here, I've kissed my sleeping child and hoped with everything I have for an easier day tomorrow. For grace, for patience, for a break from the madness.
Tomorrow I will add more things to the circle, and again everything will be connected without ever knowing it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, July 4, 2013
Valley of Wonders...Limone
13 comments:
Jhakaas जूते, Jacket and चश्मे..
And post written by?
- July 4, 2013 at 7:29 PM
- Ambika said...
Honeymooners are sure going to maul the place. Sad! It should be your own private gateaway;
- July 4, 2013 at 8:14 PM
- Abhirami Muthu said...
God, after reading your description of each and every aspect of this decadent place, I am ready to sell an arm and a leg just to experience this place for one night. You live a charmed life :) More than that, you look happy as a kid in a toy store.
On a different note, have you considered doing a travel documentary for TLC? I think it would suit you perfectly.
- July 5, 2013 at 7:18 AM
- Jogeshwar said...
Nice picture, could you please post some more pictures of Limone complementing your write-up.
- July 6, 2013 at 10:26 AM
- Ashok Roy said...
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- July 6, 2013 at 2:51 PM
- udbuzz said...
Ms De I think you saw a different movie. So I don't blame you for the scathing review that you wrote for the movie 'Raanjhanaa'' Because the other million people who saw the movie, seemed to have quite liked it.
I will send you tickets to the Hindi movie Raanjhanaa, as you seem to have perceived the movie to be South Indian, considering you thought the name Raanjhanaa was the way the South Indians say Zoya. Wow, racist much? Ignorant much?
I'd assume, since you are a renowned writer and an 'aware' person, that you would have known that the movie title, Ranjhanaa is just simply another way of saying Raanjha. (the popular male counterpart of a well-known love story, Heer- Ranjha). There's always Google ( a well-known search engine, that spews answers to simple questions like – Raanjhana meaning.
One of the funnier moments in the movie had khadi-clad, jhola-totting students from a popular university, discussing their opinions on various social causes over cups of masala chai. Ms, De, I think I saw you amongst them. Were you that lady clad in that designer sari with artfully done hair and sharing your views and opinions on " why Kundan is a chor"? You should've pointed out that it was you, the director would've at least rolled your name in the credits.
So for the rest of the million of us who got teary-eyed at Kundans sacrifice, and who liked the movie (of course there were bad moments in the movie -- like the not-one, not-two, but three wrist-slitting incidents) you are saying that we don't have the brains and the intelligence to see the movie for what it is and you are the only one with the required brain power and social consciuousness. Aaah you were just trying to say that you are superior.
Yes, the movie was intense, the political drama could have been edited, the slashing of the wrists is a definite no, but I really don't think that you need to add yourself to the slashers' list just yet. Relax Mrs. De, and have a masala chai, it's just a movie. It may have not been your kind of movie, for us mere mortals, it was a love story. Tragic or candy-floss romantic, we Indians love our love stories. And we liked Raajhanaa.
- July 6, 2013 at 9:20 PM
- teju said...
@ udbuzz, you were too decent in your comments about this bitch's sleazy opinion of everybody and anybody if they are not in her good books. Looks like she has been offered a free ride to this Italian place and visible clearly that she was paid for her views which ofcourse stinks, like her wrinkled pussy. I will treat anybody and everybody the day she stops writing and its high time she stopped testing our tolerance level
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BV Treatment Diet
DIY 48 Second Test for Candida
Did you know 65% of peopleAmerica todayhave Candida overgrowth, which is a yeast overgrowth,an infectionyour body thatplagues you, people don't even know they have it. I'm here with Crista Orekio, and she makespeople feel a lot better that necessarily don't know they ever have it, and she tellsthem exactly what to do, and she lays out step by step program that you can get ridof Candidayour body well. So on today's tutorial, she's actually going to show us a selfdiagnostictool that you could do from homea simple as whaté 2 minutesé Less than that. For 6daysa row to really know if you have Candida. I'm gonna do it. I'm actually a little bitnervous coz your telling me that 3 of the
foods that people eat all the time that actuallyfeed these nasty creaturesyour body righté Yah. people have it all the time. And I thinkit's on your list when your consuming this food huhé Definitely except for one of them,i'm not really a big beer inker. Did I actually give one of them awayé You did. Alright. It'salright. So let's talk about the other one. The food that's feeding your Candidaamoment let's talk about those. But first, tell me really how dirty and grimly this littlethingyour body, could you paint a real vivid picture for meé Yah. Well Candida isa, it's a chronic infection. It's something out livingyour system that needs to befed. Yah. and when we get this overwhelming
food cravings, it's not really us cravingthe food, it's Candida organisms that's over grown and these is not just limited to women.A lot of times you hear it with women, but its men too. All you have to do is have aone round of full spectrum antibiotics through your life, and you can get this Candida overgrowth,and I said i've seen it among 2 of every 3 of my clients. And it contributes to aenalfatigue, chronic exhaustion and digestive complaints, lifelong digestive complaints,weather its constipation, bloating and depression. 'Coz digestive health and mental health areinextricably connected, and also, on thyroid health. There are 2 Million Americans withthyroid problems, can be healed by getting
rid of these crazy organisms. Did you say75% reductiongetting colon cancer soon as you get rid of Candidaé Yah. you can slashyour lifetime chances of colon cancer by getting rid of Candida by 75%. So let's talk aboutthe test, test you for Candida, what do you thinké Your doing this on cameraé were doingit on camera. I'm a little bit nervous. I'm not. Well your asking these guys to test sohere we go. Here we go. ew's gonna be the guinie pig. And if you get me offended byspitting on a cup, close your eyes. Okay. So here we go. Okay so what do we have todo, first thingthe morning, you go ahead and spit, first thing when you wake up inthe morning, is you fill up a glass of water,
halfway, before you eat or ink anything,before you brush your teeth, and then you spit, about a dime size amount, that's abouta quarter righté Yah. Your a cheater. So you spita glass and then you watch it 2 or3 times for 45 minutes before your getting ready for work. You wanna know if it sinksto the bottom, yah, if it does, there's more of them than you, does it grow legs, or doesit stay for a long timeé if it does anything but floating on top, then you should probablyclean yourself of Candida. But you have to do it 6 daysa row, of here included, butyou can put out and clean them. So if your going to commit to this, hit the green buttonon orfitlife.tv, wherever your
viewing this, because were gonna see if wehave this. Were gonna do this for 6 days. It's looking right, we got some legs, growthhere, you just stick around, were gonna come back to thata moment okayé Now let's getinto what foods people eat that they don't know feed this little critters that are takingaway your lifeyour world andyour joyyour health okay. And 3 food, or theseare inks that you may be craving, that maybe it's the Candida craving it, and not necessarilyyou. Its adding to these infection that just won't go away. Yah and one of them is a kicker.Like one of them I ink everyday that I didn't even know that feeds Candida. That soundsto be a healthy ink and stuff. It shocks


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Why RIM's Days Are Numbered
In 1999, Research In Motion (NAS: RIMM) invented the smartphone and revolutionized the mobile industry. Ten years later, 50 million BlackBerry devices had been sold and RIM's stock was soaring. Fast-forward to 2012, and shares are down more than 90% since their mid-2008 highs -- and for good reason.
The once mighty BlackBerry maker's failure to adapt, paired with a string of bad decisions from top-management, sent RIM spiraling out of control. Shareholders who were along for the ride have lost billions in the process. According to Bloomberg, at the end of February short interest in RIM reached the highest level since 2004. Still, some investors are counting on a turnaround. My advice to such wishful thinkers: Don't hold your breath.
RIM's chance of recovery is slim
I want to believe in RIM but the company is making it impossible. Until it revolutionizes something other than its management, it will continue to lose market share to competitors Apple (NAS: AAPL) and Google (NAS: GOOG) . Apple recently conquered the BlackBerry maker on its home turf, selling more iPhones in Canada than RIM sold BlackBerrys. Meanwhile, Google still trumps both RIM and Apple in sales, because the Android system is not limited to a single smartphone maker, the way that RIM and iOS are.
It's not as if RIM landed itself in this position overnight. The company's been losing market share for years, while management idly stood by. After nearly two decades of running the business into the ground, joint-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis finally resigned. Following their exit, RIM's share of the U.S. smartphone market plummeted, hitting an all-time low of 15.2% in the three months ended in January. Now with a new CEO in place, the company is doing more of the same.
When smartphones get stupid
RIM's lead in the mobile market was a result of its stronghold on corporate enterprise. Flash back to 2007, when BlackBerrys dominated the business world -- a time when no self-respecting executive was ever without his or her "crackberry." Today, that's changed. More global businesses are offering employees alternatives to the company BlackBerry.
For starters, Apple recently inked an enterprise deal with Halliburton, one of the world's largest oilfield-services companies. Under the agreement, Halliburton employees will swap their BlackBerry devices for iPhones. With its next-generation iPad on the market, Apple's on its way to the enterprise big time. And I suspect we'll see more companies like Halliburton transitioning to the iOS platform in the near future.
RIM, on the other hand, managed to drive millions of loyal BBM-ers into the arms of the competition. This outcome was inevitable, considering the company failed to update its platform, while others innovated. And let's be honest: Unless RIM creates a smartphone that doubles as a Roomba to clean up the mess the company has made, consumers and businesses are going to keep choosing iPhone and Android devices over Blackberrys.
A eulogy
Both of the lead mobile-platform companies have something that RIM does not: rich ecosystems of applications. Apple has the App Store, while Google has dubbed its new marketplace Google Play, and both are locking in meaningful sales along the way. RIM has attempted to step up its defense with the new BlackBerry 10, but even that has been delayed. I don't think RIM will ever fully recover, even if it's able to launch BlackBerry 10 before Apple's iPhone 5 launches later this year.
While I'm not shorting the stock here, I'm surely not buying shares on the false hope of a comeback. Apple and Google are winning because they understand that a device is only as valuable as a consumer's experience of it. Instead of playing catch-up, RIM needs to get back to its roots and start innovating. I've lost all confidence in RIM, which is why I'm giving the stock an underperform rating on my profile in Motley Fool CAPS.
Instead of waiting for this turnaround story to come to fruition, I invite you to read a special free report from The Motley Fool's leading analysts, titled "3 Hidden Winners of the iPhone, iPad, and Android Revolution." With smartphones and tablets selling faster than traditional PCs, there are enormous opportunities for investors in this market. In this free report, you'll be surprised to learn which stocks are really cashing on the massive growth in the smartphone industry. Get instant access to the report -- it's free.
At the time this article was published Fool contributor Tamara Rutter owns shares of Apple. Follow her onTwitter, where she uses the handle@TamaraRutter, for more Foolish insights and investing ideas. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Google and Apple and creating a bull call spread position in Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
So little time left...
...and still so much to do - and so many Christmas related illustrations still to share with you! I guess I'll have to save them for next year.
Everywoman's Christmas '55 calendar has some hilarious suggestions that are woefully out of touch with these modern times... "Stag Party (!) with dishes for men to cook themselves" is suggested for December 8th.
"Start Christmas house-polishing" on the 7th and "complete basic house-polishing" on the 16th. If that's the basic house-polishing I wonder how long the deluxe house-polishing would take!
Did 50's moms read through this list and roll their eyes, thinking, "Yeah, right"? Or was it really a Leave It to Beaver world back then?
December 18th: "Serve a Reunion Brunch for college students after church"
Yeah, right!
For the legible version got to my Flickr and click on the "All Sizes" tab.
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Concentration in Journalism
You don't have to be a news junkie to consider the Journalism program at Evangel. Though news reporting through the various media is an important aspect of journalism, there are many related areas that a good journalist needs to know. At Evangel, we prepare you to be a well-rounded journalist who is ready to work in publications, broadcasting, and the Web. The concentration is for the student wanting more than an academic minor has to offer.
The Journalism concentration includes training in communication, writing, desktop publishing, layout, photography, video, and Web design. Journalism students learn how to report for various media – not just print. While at Evangel, the journalism student works in newspaper production through our student-produced newspaper, magazine-style production through Evangel's yearbook, broadcast news on cable, radio news over the campus station, and Web reporting through the student website. Journalism internships are also an important part of the program.
Program Plan (pdf)
|Want to see exactly what classes you will take? The Program Plan (sometimes called a degree sheet) includes all specific requirements - including University proficiencies, Frameworks courses and degree requirements.
Each of Evangel's academic programs is made up of a set of core curriculum, program requirements and electives. The courses listed below are just a small sample of courses that might be taken as a part of this specific program.
|News Reporting and Writing
|Exposure to concepts of news values and intensive training in the methods of gathering and writing news. Also includes the theory and practice of editing copy, writing headlines, and designing newspaper pages.
|Electronic Journalism
|Application in preparing and writing news copy for television, radio, and Internet communication. Students are introduced to broadcast writing style guidelines, video production techniques in news programming, and preparation of copy and graphics for web presentation.
|Feature Writing
|Practical experience in writing and developing feature materials for newspapers and magazines.
|Web Design
|Introduction to the development of computer media on the Internet using text, visual, animation, audio, and video.
|Desktop Publshing
|Emphasizes the designing and laying out of publications on the computer. Includes a study of basic design principles, typography, and relevant computer software.
Evangel University's world-class faculty is made up of caring, Christian professionals who are distinguished in their fields and dedicated to the development of tomorrow's Christian leaders.
Melinda Booze: Assistant professor of communication and The Lance adviser
Melinda Booze joined the Evangel faculty in 2006, where she currently teaches communication courses and serves as adviser for The Lance, Evangel's student newspaper. Booze is the founding editor of the Assemblies of God's On Course magazine, a position she held for 10 years. Along with writing for On Course, Booze has written articles for […] read more
Nancy Pace-Miller: Assistant professor of communication and Excalibur yearbook adviser
Nancy Pace-Miller is a 1984 graduate of Evangel. A proud "OKIE," she came from Oklahoma to Missouri to attend Evangel and never left. Pace-Miller has worked in the field of advertising and public relations for 30 years and began teaching at Evangel in 1989 as an adjunct instructor. She took a full-time position at Evangel […] read more
- Newspaper reporter
- TV reporter
- Multimedia journalist
- Sports writer
- Editor
- Photographer
- Columnist or analyst
- Layout artist
No special requirements for this program.
General Undergraduate Requirements
The following are general requirements for all students beginning an undergraduate program at Evangel. For more information visit Undergraduate Admissions Requirements.
|Graduation from high school, or having the equivalent of a high school diploma such as the General Education Development (GED) examination.
|Core Subjects
|A minimum of a 2.0 GPA in core college prep classes (English, math, social sciences and science with a lab) or high school final GPA if no college credits have been earned.
|Standardized Tests
|>Entering freshmen should take the ACT or SAT test. The codes for Evangel are as follows: SAT: 6198. ACT: 2296.
Campus Blogs
When it comes to life at Evangel, there's always something happening on campus and there are always new lessons to learn, even outside of the classroom...Learn More
Visit Campus
Join a tour with parents, a group of friends or register for an official EU Visit. There are visit options to fit any schedule....Learn More


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A wallet and two wedding rings were reported stolen from 874 Pleasant Ridge Road, Needmore, between November 1, 2009, and March 22, 2010. Victims include a 65-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman, both from Needmore. Anyone having additional information pertinent to this case of theft should contact Fulton County Crime Solvers at 717-485- 5771 or Trooper Sprague at 717-485-3131.
Truck Crashes Into Fence
A Harrisonville man faces charges of driving under the influence and driving on roadways laned for traffic after his northbound 1994 Ford Ranger crashed into a fence row along Tollgate Ridge Road. Driver Lance J. Mellott, 24, sustained minor injuries during the Saturday, March 20, crash in Thompson Township. He was not wearing a seat belt when the accident occurred at 3:45 a.m., state police concluded.
Assault Charges Filed
Nineteen-year-old Tyler Christian Hoffman of McConnellsburg has been cited by state police through the office of Magisterial District Judge Wendy Mellott for an incident that occurred on Monday, March 22, in the parking lot of Giant Food Store. Hoffman has been charged with simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.
According to reports, at 10 p.m. Hoffman allegedly threatened several victims with a knife and attempted to strike another vehicle with his own automobile. Victims include a 16-yearold girl, a 20-year-old man and two 18-year-old males, all from McConnellsburg.
DUI Arrest Made
Fifty-year-old Oakland, Md., resident Melissa Anderson was arrested by state police for driving under the influence following a 5:28 p.m. traffic stop along the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on Friday, March 19.
Garage Door Windows Damaged
Two garage door windows were damaged behind Carbaugh's Laundromat between 2 p.m. on March 20 and 11 a.m. on March 21. Damage has been estimated at $100. Anyone having further information regarding this case of mischief should immediately contact Fulton County Crime Solvers by calling 717-485- 5771 or Trooper Johns at 717-485-3131.
Man Accused Of Harassment
A McConnellsburg man has been accused of harassment in connection with an argument at Hillside Estates in Todd Township. State police reported Robbie D. Daniels allegedly grabbed a 33- year-old McConnellsburg woman on Thursday, March 18, and then pulled her during the 7 a.m. argument.
Skid Of Boards Stolen
A skid holding 2-by-6 boards measuring 16 feet in length was stolen at a location along Interstate 70 near the Amaranth exit between 7 p.m. on March 24 and 6:30 a.m. on March 25. State police added in their report that based on the tracks found at the scene a type of skid loader was utilized during the theft. The stolen boards have been valued at $1,300.
Two Charged In Incident
Two individuals face a variety of charges following a dispute at 208 Cliff Creek Lane in Thompson Township on Friday, March 26. According to state police, Christopher Lynn Shives, 22, of Needmore has been charged with terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment through the office of Magisterial District Judge Wendy Mellott. In addition, 20- year-old Renee Alyse Spade of Crystal Spring was cited through Magisterial District Judge Carol Jean Johnson with harassment.
Troopers reported Spade allegedly slapped Shives in the face at 11:30 a.m. The argument between the duo escalated and ended with Shives reportedly threatening to kill Spade while possessing a baseball bat.
Purchase Made On Walmart Web Site
The bank information of a 48-year-old Needmore man was fraudulently used to make a $150 purchase online at Walmart.com on Saturday, March 13, at 11:57 a.m. Anyone having additional information pertaining to this case of identity theft is asked to contact Fulton County Crime Solvers at 717-485- 5771 or Trooper Hibner at 717-485-3131.
Seven Cited For Disorderly Conduct
Seven individuals from McConnellsburg were cited for disorderly conduct following a disturbance along East Market Street near the intersection of Third Street in McConnellsburg Borough. State police reported that on Saturday, March 27, at 12:57 p.m. the group became involved in a verbal altercation, during which numerous threatening and obscene words were utilized. Those cited include a 16-year-old male, two 14-year-old females, a 15-year-old female, a 17-year-old female, 33-year-old Gail Lynn Bohrer and 20-yearold Andrew Lee Little.
Man Accused Of Harassment
Fifty-three-year-old Walter Edwin Branche of McConnellsburg has been accused of harassment as a result of a verbal dispute at 295 Heritage Drive in Todd Township. According to state police, Branche allegedly threatened to harm a 64-yearold McConnellsburg woman during the argument on Friday, March 26, at 9:41 p.m.
Trailer Taken During Theft
A black 6-foot-by-7-foot trailer with 12-inch sides and a grate bottom was stolen from the 5400 block of Pleasant Ridge Road in Belfast Township between February 2010 and March 28, 2010. Anyone with additional information related to this case is urged to contact Fulton County Crime Solvers at 717-485-5771 or Trooper Remeikas at 717-485-3131.
Juveniles Suspected In Mischief
Several juveniles are believed to be responsible for a case of criminal mischief that occurred sometime March 26 or March 27 on the 3400 block of South Madden Road in Taylor Township. During the mischief, a lawn ornament was struck with several paintballs before being knocked over. Anyone with further information concerning this incident is asked to call Fulton County Crime Solvers at 717-485-5771 or Trooper Remeikas at 717- 485-3131.
Burglary Reported
A 32-year-old woman reported to state police burglars broke into her home at 243 Lincoln Way West, McConnellsburg, on Tuesday, March 16, at 2:20 a.m. During the burglary, unidentified items were broken. Damage has been estimated at $10. Anyone having further information regarding this case should immediately contact Fulton County Crime Solvers by calling 717-485- 5771 or Trooper Barnett at 717-485-3131.
Charges To Be Filed In PFA Violation
State police, McConnellsburg, are scheduled to file charges through Magisterial District Judge Carol Jean Johnson regarding the violation of an active protection-fromabuse order. Ryan W. Smith, 36, of Warfordsburg allegedly violated the PFA when he caused a disturbance at 8053 Great Cove Road, Needmore, on Thursday, March 25, at 10:45 p.m. and then contacted the victim, a 33- year-old Needmore woman, via telephone.
Drug Charges Pending
Possession of a small amount of marijuana and driving-under-the-influence charges are pending the results of an analysis from the state police crime lab and blood test results from Fulton County Medical Center.
According to state police at the McConnellsburg substation, Christopher Terrell, 34, of Six Mile Run, was stopped for a traffic violation at 2:49 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, along Route 30 in Brush Creek Township. Terrell allegedly provided troopers with false identification and appeared to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Terrell was also reportedly found to be in possession of marijuana during a search.
Hustontown Man Found With Drugs, Paraphernalia
A 27-year-old Hustontown area man was allegedly found in possession of two baggies of suspected marijuana on February 23, at 10:16 p.m. along Six Mile Run Road in Broad Top Township, Bedford County. Nathan Sheffield was also reportedly in possession of drug paraphernalia, state police in Bedford reported.
Window Air Conditioners Stolen
A total of four window air conditioners were stolen from 111 Lincoln Way East, McConnellsburg, between 11 p.m. on March 28 and 10:30 a.m. on March 29. The stolen items, according to the 69- year-old male victim, have been valued at $325. Anyone having additional information pertaining to this case of theft should call Fulton County Crime Solvers at 717-485-5771 or Trooper Barnett at 717- 485-3131.
Drug Charges Pending Against Altoona Man
Pending the receipt of reports from Fulton County Medical Center and the state police crime lab, charges may be filed against a 28-year-old Altoona man. State police reported on Friday, March 26, Joshua Clayton Johnson was stopped along Old 126 in Brush Creek Township for a traffic violation.
During the 8:21 p.m. stop, troopers determined Johnson was wanted on an active warrant in neighboring Bedford County. A search of his vehicle resulted in troopers finding suspected marijuana. Johnson was in turn transported to Fulton County Medical Center to undergo blood testing.
Woman Falsely Claimed Baby's Ashes Stolen
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) – A western Pennsylvania woman has been charged with falsely reporting that a burglar stole her dead baby's cremated remains.
The district attorney says the ashes were actually from a cremated cat.
Thirty-four-year-old Carey Toth, of Johnstown, faces a preliminary hearing April 22 on charges of making false reports to law enforcement and unsworn falsification for statements she made to police. The burglary was April 17.
Toth doesn't have a listed phone and her attorney didn't immediately return a call Friday.


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- Burgers
- 1 pound Black Angus ground chuck
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- cup ¼Italian dressing (premixed dressing out of the bottle not dry mix)
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese
- 6 whole wheat Kaiser rolls buttered and grilled
- Mix meats together and add Italian dressing. Mix together and form six patties.
- Grill outside, stove top, or under the broiler.
- Add cheese and heat till begins is melt.
- Serve, smothered in Susan's warmed Pizza Sauce, on prepared Kaiser rolls.
- Other toppings you might add: sauté mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tiny pepperoni in butter and garlic 'til veggies are soft, then put on top of cooked burger/sauce and cheese.
- Susan's Famous Homemade Pizza Sauce
- 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
- ¾ cups warm water
- 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/8 cup honey
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper
- Salt to taste
- Combine all ingredients and mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
- Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Make MORE and make it easy: Multiply ingredients dry by 8 and store in the refrigerator.
- When you're ready to use the sauce, mix together wet ingredients and add one tablespoon of premixed dry ingredients to complete the sauce.
Terri's Notes
~ One of the BEST recipes I've ever posted.
~ The secret's in the sauce! Susan said it best: "I was looking for a new recipe to serve my family and came up with this concoction one night…it was a big hit. One of our favorites, yummo! The sauce is scrumptious and great for pizzas too!"
~ Need a party snack? Make the meat mixture into meatballs. Keep them warm in a crockpot with the sauce added or served on the side as a dipping sauce.
Share this Recipe


text:
Have you ever been to Amsterdam? If you have, then you surely remember this apple tart that was on offer everywhere - in pubs, in cafés. I definitely remember that, although I'm pretty sure it was called simply appeltaart and not Hollandse appeltaart there :) It's a delicious apple cake with a moist apple-raisin-cinnamon filling that's decorated with a criss-cross pattern of pastry strips. Pretty pretty, I'd say :)
Serve it with a generous dollop of whipped cream, or if you're feeling more glamorous, then some delicious home-made vanilla custard.
Dutch Apple Tart
(Hollandi õunapirukas)
Serves 8
300 g plain flour/all-purpose flour
200 g cold butter
125 g caster sugar
a pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly whisked
3 to 4 large cooking apples (Antonovka, Granny Smith)
100 g caster sugar
30 g currants (dark seedless raisins)
30 g golden seedless raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp breadcrumbs
First, make the pastry. Whisk flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of your food processor, add cubed cold butter. Blitz until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Add most of the egg (leave some for brushing), blitz once again. Using your hands, press the pastry together into a flat disk. (Avoid overworking the pastry, as it'll become tough). Wrap into a clingfilm and put to the fridge to relax for about half an hour.
Make the filling. Peel and core the apples, cut into smaller chunks. Rinse and drain the raisins, add to the apple pieces alongside sugar and cinnamon.


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Monday, April 7, 2014
Equal Exchange Dark Bars: Raspberry, Lemon Ginger, and Coconut
Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate with Raspberries 60% is part of the Equal Exchange line of chocolate bars.
They're 3.5 ounces and priced competitively with other premium chocolate bars. Equal Exchange (I reviewed some Easter items on Friday) is a cooperative using fair trade standards to create a whole store filled with chocolate, coffee, tea and other goods.
This bar features organic freeze dried raspberries in organic and fair trade dark chocolate. The cacao is sourced from fair trade cooperatives in The Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador and Peru with sugar from Paraguay and vanilla from Madagascar. There's no soy lecithin and it's considered gluten free though it may contain traces of milk, hazelnuts, cashews and coconut. Equal Exchange makes their chocolate in Switzerland.
The bar is wrapped simply, in thin foil and then a thicker paper overwrap (the inside had all the sourcing details about the bar).
The bar is glossy and attractive, with some bumps on the bottom from the raspberry bits. The molding is good as is the temper, it's very consistent and I noticed no voids or swirling in any of the bars (which can happen with inclusions). It smells rich, though barely sweet. Like cherries, coffee and honey. Once snapped in half though, the raspberry scent, with its floral notes becomes much more noticeable. The chocolate is sweet on the tongue and has a good, cool melt with a creamy texture. The raspberry bits are crunchy and tangy, though the seeds in the center can be a bit tougher.
It's a very easy to eat bar, with a lot more acidic tang than most other 60% bars. I don't care much for the grassy, woody note of the seeds, but that's berries for you.
The Equal Exchange Organic Lemon Ginger Chocolate with Black Pepper is 55% cacao, so it's the lightest chocolate intensity of the bunch. The package gives the identical sourcing info for the major ingredients but doesn't say where the lemon, ginger and black pepper is from, though they're all organic.
It's nice to see lemon used with chocolate, it's not as common as orange, but can still combine well, especially with dark chocolate. The addition of ginger and black pepper makes this the most unconventional flavor in the Equal Exchange line. This package looked the same on the outside as the other bars, but instead of a foil inner liner, it's in some sort of compostable mylar. I also noticed that the nutritional panel listed this one at only 200 calories a portion, not 230 ...which actually sounds more plausible. (But calorie calculations are fraught with error, as the basis for it is over 100 years old, so really they're just a guide.)
Though the bar contains no milk, it doesn't look like a particularly dark chocolate bar. It smells woodsy and fresh, with a little note of rosemary and cedar.
The melt of the dark chocolate is very smooth, but I did start to detect a bit of sugar grain ... this was from the crystallized ginger in the bar. The lemon is a bit strong, rather astringent at first, but it dissipates. The chocolate is mild, woodsy and of course creamy. The ginger and black pepper hit come in slowly as a hint of warmth in the throat. The sugar from the crystallized ginger rather disguised the ginger kick at first, then it came forward.
It's a satisfying bar.
The final bar is the Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate with Coconut 60%. Like the Raspberry bar, this one has a thin silver foil wrapping.
It is also 60% cacao content and contains only one additional ingredient to the chocolate, the organic coconut flakes.
This bar reminded me most of Passover, which I've often thought of as Macaroon Season, as coconut macaroons (often dipped in chocolate) are a typical treat since they can be made without only coconut, chocolate, egg whites and sugar to follow the Kosher for Passover rules.
The bar has a lot of coconut in it, and the silky chocolate goes well with it. There are cherry and raisin notes to go with the more tropical scent of the coconut and hints of the Madagascar vanilla bean.
The exciting development this year for Equal Exchange is their new designation of their dark chocolates as Kosher for Passover. Equal Exchange chocolates that are marked pareve (the 3.5 oz or 100 g line and dark chocolate minis) may be purchased before Passover and consumed on Passover according to Rabbi Aaron Alexander, Associate Dean, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University. The specific bars from Equal Exchange that qualify for this designation are: Organic Chocolate Espresso Bean Bar, Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds Bar, Organic Ecuador Dark Chocolate Bar, Organic Mint with a Delicate Crunch Bar, Organic Orange Dark Chocolate Bar, Organic Panama Extra Dark Chocolate Bar, Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bar, Organic Lemon Ginger with Black Pepper, Organic Dark Chocolate Minis.
It's interesting that before this, there were no certified fair trade chocolates that were designated Kosher for Passover. Which is odd, because Passover is all about the commemoration of Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt. The best news is that these are tasty and come in a pretty wide variety of flavor options.
CNN has been covering modern day slavery, including in the cocoa trade in a series of articles, segments and documentaries.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:36 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Equal Exchange • Chocolate • Coconut • Ethically Sourced • Ginger • Kosher • Organic • 7-Worth It • 8-Tasty • Switzerland •
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Ginger Zingers Blood Orange and Chai
I couldn't resist the look of these tins for Ginger Zingers made by Big Sky Brands. Not only are they a cute format, they also feature one of my favorite flavors: Ginger.
I've had quite a few "mints" from Big Sky Brands over the years, and appreciate their approach to their candies even if their flavor combinations don't align with my tastes. The Ginger Zingers line (called Ginger Delights on their website for some reason) come in four flavors: D'Anjou Pear, Mango, Chai and Blood Orange. I picked up the last two, as they were the most appealing to me.
The back of the tin explains the candy:
They aren't kidding when they say it's packed with ginger. The ingredients list pure cane sugar first, then ground ginger root.
The Blood Orange Ginger Zingers has a very faint orange cast to it but definitely smells like an orange gelatin dessert. The flavor on the tongue is immediately a sweet orange, but a little later this candy gets intense. The ginger is very warm and has a strong black pepper hotness. I found them too intense and the orange didn't have any zest or tang, just the sweet juice note.
The Chai Ginger Zingers feature a full list of the spices on the package, which I really appreciated. Star anise (pictured on the box), cinnamon, cardamom, clove and black pepper are the chai to go with the ginger. This combination smells like vanilla at first, or more like a poundcake, with a sweet baked sugar note. The ginger is far from the intensity of the Blood Orange variety, but still warming. I caught a note of the anise, black pepper and a little clove, but it was a nice mellow blend. I found these very easy to eat one after another.
Each tin holds about 30 pieces of candy, about 1 ounce total. I picked mine up for $1.99 a package. They're a bit pricy for mints, especially if I gobble them up. But the flavors were distinct and uncommon enough that I could see getting the Chai again, especially if I were looking for something to help with motion sickness. In the mean time, the tin is the ideal size for stowing my earbuds.
The package specifies that these are made with a vegetarian sourced magnesium stearate, but there's no notation on whether the sugar is considered vegan. They are kosher and gluten free.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:20 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Big Sky Brands • Ginger • Kosher • 7-Worth It • 8-Tasty • Canada • Cost Plus •
Friday, May 3, 2013
Trader Joe's Organic Gingermints
Trader Joe's always selects their confectionery products with a bit of an atypical flair. Sure, they have some organic mints in tins at the check out counter, but they're also offering these Trader Joe's Organic Gingermints as well.
The tin is cute and bold, featuring orange and salmon accents and some wasabi-green highlights. The mints are Kosher and made with organic ingredients, gluten free and vegan. The steel, hinged box holds 50 "mints" though they're really just ginger flavored ... no peppermint or spearmint flavors in there.
The ingredients are simple:
They're rather creamy looking, just slightly off white which could be from the maple syrup or ground ginger root. They're also very gingery. They're smoother than Altoids, less of a chalky quality to them. When I let it dissolve, it was a little syrupy instead, kind of like a slippery elm lozenge. Mostly I crunch them, which means that I get a big kick of the ginger immediately. They're sweet, but it's more earthy and clean with a lingering heat from the ginger. They're spicy, but the burn doesn't accumulate, so I didn't have trouble eating three or four in a row.
I suspect that these are just repackaged VerMints which are also made in Canada and have the same agar and gum tragacanth ingredients, but that's fine with me these are certainly easier to find. Trader Joe's also sells a straight Organic Peppermint tin as well.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:16 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Trader Joe's • Ginger • Organic • 7-Worth It • Canada •
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Haribo Hot Sticks
I saw these Haribo Hot Sticks first on the Candy Gurus site and knew I had to have them.
They're a strange combination of flavors, at least to the American palate. The package describes them as Fruity-Spicy & Liquorice. They're sugar crusted gummis in three flavor combinations: Hot Orange + Liquorice, Ginger-Lemon + Liquorice and Raspberry-Jalapeno + Liquorice.
Haribo is a global confectionery brand, but this package is for the German market, with the majority of the package information in German and a smattering in English.
There are three flavors, but I have trouble telling them apart. The raspberry was easy, since it was pink, but the orange and lemon versions were more difficult.
The texture is soft and bouncy, the sugar crust is fine and adheres well to the candy, so well that there was barely any in the bottom of the bag. Each has a licorice end, and that flavor was consistent across all the pieces. It was very sweet with a mild anise flavor. I'm not usually the keen on Haribo's licorice, but this gummi version was mild and traditional.
Hot Orange + Liquorice - the orange end had a little tangy citrus note and at first, I had trouble detecting anything else, but soon the warming spice of what I can only guess is hot pepper started. It was really just the heat, there wasn't much of the vegetable note to it. The licorice combined well with it, mostly evening it all out and providing a more lingering sweetness.
Ginger-Lemon + Liquorice - this was the flavor that drove me to find the Hot Sticks. I love Haribo's Ginger Lemon gummis, so the addition of licorice sounded great. The earthy flavor of the ginger balanced very well with the herbal notes of the anise-licorice. The tartness of the lemon cut the sugary sweetness of the grainy coating.
Raspberry-Jalapeno + Liquorice - I have to admit that jalapeno is not one of my favorite flavors. The raspberry and jalapeno flavors were well balanced here. The tangy and floral berry notes came right out, but so did the green vegetable flavors of jalapeno along with the very warm notes of the pepper. When I just ate a bite from that flavored end, I found it slightly too hot for me. However, when eating as a whole candy, with the soothing woodsy note of the licorice, it's interesting ... still, it was a bit chaotic. Of all the flavors here, this one was the least successful. But it could just be that I'd never tried that combination before and it was too jarring for me to appreciate.
Overall, it's a really fascinating mix. Each bite is different, and because the flavors are separated on different ends, you can kind of control how much of a mix you get. I'll probably stick with the much more mundane Lemon Ginger, but the addition of licorice, especially this particular version of a gummi licorice, is quite good.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:26 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Haribo • Ginger • Gummi Candy • Licorice Candy • 7-Worth It • Germany • Mel and Rose •
Monday, January 28, 2013
Eat with your Eyes: Chocolate Covered Ginger Fudge
I picked up this Darrell Lea Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger Fudge at Cost Plus World Market last year along with some other Darrell Lea items from Australia. The fudge is sweet, not terribly buttery but has numerous pieces of candied ginger in it. Overall, it was earthy and got a nice boost from the woodsy and smoky dark chocolate.
I don't have a full review for the item, but after I bought this one, I didn't see them in the store again until last week. I'm inclined to buy it again, partly because it's a unique combination. (Full wrapper photo, if you're on the prowl for it.)
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:32 am Candy • Darrell Lea • Chocolate • Ginger • Australia • Highlight • Photography • Cost Plus •
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Niederegger Marzipan Classics
In December I went on a grand tour of Germany. It was a junket sponsored by German Sweets, an export organization. Their goal was to improve awareness of German confectionery in North America.
One of the places that sealed the deal to get me to attend was Lubeck, home to Niederegger Marzipan. If there was a candy that I was introduced to through the blog that changed my mind about a long held prejudice, it was Niederegger's Cappuccino Marzipan bar.
Lubeck is actually home to many marzipan makers. At one time there were dozens, now there are a handful, but enough of them that there is a strict standard they must follow if they wish to be called Lubecker Marzipan. Kind of like sparkling wine can't be called Champagne unless it's from Champagne. How Lubeck became a center of marzipan creation when they don't actually grow the sugar or almonds necessary for its creation is kind of an odd tale.
Lubeck is a Hanseatic City, which means it was a member Dudesche Hanse, an economic alliance of cities and merchant guilds in Northern Europe starting in 1358 until the 1860s when it was one of the last remaining members. As a center of trade Lubeck had access to the almonds and sugar it needed to make marzipan and the shipping routes to export it.
In 1806 Johann Georg Niederegger purchased Maret Confectioner, where the current Niederegger Cafe stands to this day. The company is still family owned, in its seventh generation.
Niederegger is widely regarded as one of the best marzipans from Germany. It's characterized by its consistent texture and high quality. The marzipan is made in one facility, just outside of town in the traditional style of open copper pots.
The almonds sourced for Niederegger are from Spanish, mostly Marcona almonds though at times they also source from Italy. To start the almonds are cleaned and then blanched and then the fibrous peels are removed. There's a lot of hand work involved in the entire process, as workers pick over the almonds after the blanching process to keep the quality high.
The almonds are then mixed with sugar and ground and cooked in open copper pots. The staff were hesitant to give us exact times for how long these processes take, but it's probably more than an hour and less than a day.
The cooking and mixing is carefully supervised by the cooks. The day we were there it was cold and rainy and it's pretty much assured that the room was probably not heated and it was quite balmy. I can't imagine what it's like in there even with air conditioning in the summer. The pots generate quite a bit of steam and moisture.
Once the marzipan is finished multiple pots are dumped into a large one and quickly cooled with dry ice. The last step is the addition of rosewater, which I believe has a touch of alcohol in it. The marzipan is then molded into blocks and sent along to other parts of the factory for different purposes.
Though Valentine's Day isn't as big of a deal in Europe as North America, the Niederegger Hearts are extremely popular year round but do show up in American stores for special holidays.
All enrobed chocolates had the Niederegger name embossed on the bottom.
Because the company makes such a huge variety of shapes, sizes, varieties and packaging styles, much of the work is done by humans, who are far more adaptable. This also helps to account for the higher price of Niederegger products.
In addition to the machine made products, some are molded by hand and then hand decorated. Though no photos were provided, we visited one room where they did custom molded pieces, especially for corporate clients as well as favors for weddings that can be personalized for the couple.
Though many of the Niederegger products are expensive when priced out by the pound, there are plenty of items available for less than a buck. They have stick or log versions of their bars which are usually about one Euro and their little loaves are about 35 cents or so. The box above is their Klassiker which featured pistachio, orange, pineapple and espresso. I think this assortment is about 6 Euros. It's one of the products I see for sale in the United States around Christmas but often for somewhere more in the neighborhood of $9 or $10.
The loaves are enrobed, like the hearts in the factory photos above. I generally prefer enrobed chocolates, I like the way the coating adheres to the fillings better than molded products.
At the end of our tour, the Niederegger folks gave us a sampler tray of their most popular current products. (Later we also went to their cafe and shop where I bought about 40 Euros more of stuff.)
I think the little loaves are my favorite. The chocolate is quite thin and the foil is always cute. They're barely an inch long, so it's not even two full bites. Since there's little chocolate, it's very much about the marzipan. There's not as much sugar in the Niederegger marzipan as in some other varieties. Also, it has a more rustic grind to it, it's not a smooth dough or paste like some. Think of it like peanut butter cookie dough - it holds its shape but has a slight grain. The sugar is completely integrated though. There's a toasty flavor throughout.
The trick with the little loaves though is that they get dried out quickly. I found that there's no point in hoarding them, they should be eaten within 3 months if possible, and be sure to keep them in a sealed tin or zippered bag.
The long bars solve that dryness problem with a thicker chocolate coating and a fully sealed plastic wrapper. Those seem to seal the moisture in much better. The Espresso Marzipan is by far my favorite of their standard flavors. So much so that I pick them up whenever I see them at a trade show, gourmet shop or when in Europe.
The marzipan is generally sweet, but the dark toffee flavors of the espresso really balance it out and even give it a little bitter edge that pairs well with some of the bitter note of the almonds.
In that big assortment from the Niederegger folks I got to try something new, their liqueur marzipans:
Rum Truffel - this was the most traditional and perhaps the most boring of the set. The reservoir center had a little slab of rum infused chocolate truffle. It was sweeter than the others, but had a nice little kick to it.
Orangen Liqueur is moister than most of the other Niederegger marzipans I've had. It's hard to tell if there was a liquored up center, which was a little darker than the rest of the marzipan, or that was just where the stuff concentrated itself. The scent has a light touch of orange zest to it. The flavor of the marzipan is delicate, the chocolate creamy and only a very thin shell of it to seal in the marzipan and cut the sweetness. The bite of the liquor isn't intense or harsh, just a light warming. I liked this one quite a bit, and tasted it compared to the classic Orangen piece as well. The liqueur does add a little more zest and less juice flavor to it, and the alcohol's ability to make me blush probably gives me the impression that it's said something flattering.
Armagnac Pflaume - is a plum brandy. The idea didn't really sound that appealing to me, but I know that I've enjoyed many of the things that the Japanese have done with plums and confectionery, so I thought I'd give it a chance. This piece has a little ribbon of plum jam of some sort in the center. The flavor is a little like brandied prunes, tangy and with deep cherry and raisin notes. The alcohol was quite distinctive and hit me high in my chest, between my collar bones.
Williams Christ is a Pear William brandy puree in the center of the marzipan. Though it looked rather like the Armagnac one, it definitely tasted distinctly of pear and a little like ripe bananas.
Eier Liqueur - is made with an egg liqueur. This is one of those drinks that I've never actually had except in confections (all German) so it's hard for me to compare it to anything else. It's like a creamy vanilla pudding center, with a slight rum buzz to it. I liked it, though the idea of egg cream in a candy is a little strange at first, and then I remember my love of nougat and custards.
One of the newer flavors I was really excited to pick up in Germany was their Niederegger Vodka Fig Marzipan. They're wrapped in bright purple foil and came in a long package like the sticks, but really just a strip of the loaves.
Again, freshness was the key here. The center had a definite grain alcohol blast to it. The figs were well supported by the delicate flavors of the almond paste and the vodka did a good job of helping disperse that flavor throughout.
On the whole, I'm not sure I needed the vodka, just a fig marzipan would be fine with me. And when I say fine, I mean, I wish there were fig marzipans available easily. I might have to make my own.
The last box I bought was called Niederegger Marzipan Weihnachtskofekt and I think I paid 6 Euros for it. It was a combination of three different winter flavors for Christmas. (Remember, I was there in December.)
The box was very simple, as are most of their packages. It was a paperboard box with a metallic gold plastic tray with little sections for each piece of candy. It protected the pieces extremely well (this was early in my trip and had to go on and off the bus every day for nearly 1,000 kilometers plus the flights home). So the inside did well, but the exterior got quite dinged up.
Since it was a seasonal product it was extremely fresh, the centers were soft and moist.
Arabisch-Mocca - toasty flavors of coffee and a little hint of chocolate in the center. The marzipan has more of a toffee and coffee flavor than anything almond. The dark chocolate shell seals it all up and has a nice bittersweet component that also gives it a creamy start.
Dattel-Honig is the only milk chocolate piece of the set. It smells like ripe bananas. In fact, it tastes like ripe bananas. Like actual fermented bananas, with a light alcoholic and tangy note towards the top. The milk chocolate and the dates keep it all rather sweet. I didn't catch much on the honey side of things.
Ingwer is one of my favorite bars from Niederegger. The little pattie version is a gem as well. The ginger is soft and glace style, the dark chocolate keeps it all from being to sweet or sticky. There's less chocolate in this version than the bar, and more of an alcoholic bite as well.
I know I have oodles more photos of the store, the cafe and the products I bought. But it's more of the same. The ingredients are simple and great and I think Niederegger has very high standards for what they'll produce. They make some other nougat (gianduia) products which I haven't sampled extensively. They do great marzipan, one of the other marzipans that I've ever tried that I truly love, so I'm always eager to try more of those. I've noticed that no matter what kind of store I was shopping in, a department store like Kaufhof or a grocery store like Rewe, the prices were always the same. So no sense in going bargain shopping, the trick for me when traveling was finding a store that carried the size and format of the flavors that I liked.
(Disclosure Note: The trip to Germany was sponsored, so I did not pay for my airfare, ground transportation, accommodations or food while I was there. At the factory tours we were given generous samples to consume on site as well as some to bring home. Any reviews of those products will be noted as to that fact. But I also brought a couple hundred Euros with me and spent them liberally and almost exclusively on candy both from the companies we were introduced to as well as many other Germany/European products that I found in my prowlings of grocery stores, department stores and the factory outlets.)
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
David's Signature Beans Jelly Bean Sampler
In 1976 David Klein began selling a new kind of jelly bean he commissioned at a small ice cream parlor, Fosselman's, in Alhambra, California. It was different in a lot of ways than the jelly beans folks usually sold. They were sold as individual flavors and included new flavors like Root Beer and Cream Soda along with the traditional fruity flavors like Very Cherry and Green Apple plus the required Black Licorice. This was the start of Jelly Belly and a revolution in the way that Americans viewed their sugar candy. Notably, it got people interested in intense and more unusual flavors as well as moving the bar on how much someone would pay for a pound of jelly beans.
The collaboration of David Klein with the Herman Goelitz Candy Co. came to an end when Klein was bought out. His settlement meant that he was paid a royalty for every bean sold (with a yearly cap) but couldn't compete in the jelly bean category until that contract came to an end. Since its recent expiration, Klein has been collaborating with Marich Confectionery with family members of those that developed the original Jelly Belly in the 70s. The new line of David's Signature Beyond Gourmet Jelly Beans are now available.
The beans are made with real fruit, flavorings and all natural colors. It's a little frustrating to find out definitive information about the product line, the Leaf website has a couple of press releases, but no standard product information. The Facebook page for the product has a picture of their flavor offerings, which include wasabi, habanero, Thai chili and chipotle, but those weren't in my sampler.
I found this sampler box on Amazon (sold by Oregon Trail Foods) for $16.95 for a half pound assortment of 16 flavors (plus shipping). I ordered it on Thursday and it arrived the following Monday. The box is a bit problematic, the little sections of the tray allow the beans to hop from one bin to another when the box is tipped, so when I opened mine I had to re-sort my beans. This was difficult for several of the colors which were extremely similar.
While the beans inside look great, I was disappointed at the flimsy and generic package that really didn't entice me or create any excitement about what was inside. For something over $32 a pound, I expect a little of it to go into packaging.
David's Signature Beans are unbranded and look like little pieces of polished glass. Each one was nearly perfect and consistently shaped. They're a little larger than the Jelly Belly, which is on the right above. (The flavor on the left is cranberry, the one on the right is the Jelly Belly Snapple Cranberry-Raspberry, which is also all natural.)
Black Cherry is the flavor I heard that was really startling in this mix. The color is quite dark, a milky maroon color. The shell is firm and crunchy with a light and consistent graininess right beneath that.
The flavor is a little bit tart and a little bit sweet. But it's nothing like real fresh cherries or fake cherries to me. It reminds me of cherry juice, in that it's a deep and has a sort of boiled berry jam note to it, but nothing distinct.
The construction of the beans is very consistent. The centers were mostly colored, though not with some sort of imposed artificiality, it's just whatever the combination of real fruits made them.
In some cases the centers matched the shell like the Black Cherry. In other cases they were colorless.
Blueberry is really blue. The combination of coconut, blueberry and pomegranate is very patriotic looking.
The flavor is floral, at first it's like a raspberry flavor, but then it gets that little kick that I associate with blueberry. It's a tannin note, kind of like tea. It's a rather confused tasting bean though, because it ends with a little creamy note, almost a vanilla. So think of it more like a blueberry smoothie.
Coconut is like a perfect little white bead.
The shell is crisp, but not thick. The flavor is a very strong coconut milk, sweet and with that aromatic nuttiness. There's no actual shredded coconut in the center, but the flavor is really authentic. It didn't have that oily note that brings to mind hot and humid days by the pool with suntan oil, it was a bit cleaner than that.
The bean varieties are interesting. A mix of standard, tried and true flavors as well as a few exotics and novelties.
Bacon is something I consider a novelty.
Bacon is also not a food I eat. I'd say it's because I don't eat pork, which is true (though I do eat candies with gelatin) but to go further, even as an omnivorous kid I didn't like bacon. I don't want a jelly bean that tastes like bacon. I'm not eating it.
Cranberry is very tart and bracing. There's a light vanilla note to it as well and maybe a little hint of concord grape. I really like a good puckery cranberry, and I think if I were designing them, I'd make it even more sour.
That said, it's still pretty well rounded and tastes more like dried cranberries than some sort of cranberry fruit juice cocktail.
Ginger is fascinating. It's a bit of a tougher bean, the shell seems a little crisper. The flavor is immediately rooty, with lots of woodsy notes and less of that lemony tang that fresh ginger juice can have and more of the deep honey notes of ginger ale.
I would buy a bag of these, they also went well with the lemon, which is good, because they look nearly the same.
Grape was a good flavor, it was like grape juice, but missing that concord note that the Japanese seem to have pegged really well in many of their candies.
Green Apple was also very authentic, it was like unsweetened apple sauce, a cooked apple flavor without as much sour zing as a fresh apple.
Himalayan Sea Salt was one of the weirdest and least successful in the bunch. Other folks at the office who tried them ended up spitting this one out 100% of the time.
I don't know quite why I'd want to eat salted sugar, but there it is. I can understand a salted caramel jelly bean, but just a salted jelly bean is mystifying. It was a cross between eating cake batter and licking my own sweat off my arms. It was kind of like a sports drink, but without the actual flavor of fruit juice.
Lemon is exactly what I'd expect from a lemonade flavored jelly bean. It's all tartness and a sort of pasteurized juice flavor.
I didn't catch much in the way of zest, which is too bad, because I think that would have sent this one over the top.
Though I wasn't as keen on this one as I'd hoped, it paired very well with other beans such as strawberry and ginger.
Orange Punch is quite a deep tangerine color. This one describes the flavor better than the lemon, as this did taste more like an orange beverage than an actual orange.
Again the zest notes were missing, so it was more like a really good glass of Tang with an extra spoonful of the concentrate added to it.
Of course if this was called Fanta Orange, I'd want to add it to my soda pop mix and call it fabulous.
Peach was mind-blowingly good. In most instances I do not care for peach candies, though I love fresh peaches. Here the flavor was well rounded without some sort of artificial note on top.
It's a combination of apricot and peach, with a lot of tartness, quite a bit of "fuzz" flavor and a clean finish. It reminded me of baby food, really good peach puree.
Pomegranate was nearly impossible to tell apart from cranberry on sight and for a while I wasn't even sure I was tasting the right flavor since they all got mixed up in the box.
I think what distinguishes pomegranate from cranberry is the floral notes for pomegranate. It was quite reminiscent of raspberry with a sort of dry finish like Key limes have when compared to Persian limes.
Root Beer is fantastic. All root beer candies should take a hint from this one. It certainly puts the other root beer jelly beans to shame, it's far more intense and vibrant. There's a lot of flavor without that artificial red aftertaste that I can get from Root Beer Barrel hard candies.
Of course this makes me wish for a whole set of soda flavored beans in exotics like tonic water, birch beer and guarana.
Strawberry is easy to tell apart from the other beans, as it's speckled. Of course just being pink would have been sufficient to distinguish it.
It's sweet and tangy, but missing a bit of the floral note that I get with many other strawberry flavors. Instead this was more like jam than fresh strawberry. But these also varied, some were larger than others and some were tarter than others.
It's best in combination and actually went well with coconut.
Vanilla Bean was also great. The vanilla flavor was creamy and rich with a lot of dimension. There's the sweet and soft note of the vanilla extract and then the deeper bourbon notes of the vanilla beans.
There were real little bits of vanilla seeds from the pod which stuck with me for a while. That's fine because vanilla went well with most of the other flavors, including ginger, root beer and strawberry.
Overall, they're wonderfully vibrant even if I'm not fond of the direction of each of the beans. However, the price is prohibitive and not quite justified by the product. While I like the use of real, whole ingredients, the packaging was not worthy of a product that's so expensive. My guess is that if they do catch on they economies of scale might bring things more into line with my expectations ($10 a pound is still steep in my world). The thing that would set them apart though would be the quirkier flavors such as ginger and perhaps other spices. I am curious to try the other more exotic flavors, but I'll wait to find them in stores when I'm not paying shipping on top.
Other bean flavors I am interested in, if someone wants to make them: cola, lemon cola, rum, gin, molasses, peppermint, cucumber, celery, spearmint, cardamom, lavender honey and an intense all natural black licorice.
You can read more about the history of David Klein and Jelly Belly on MSNBC.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:51 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Leaf Brand Candy • Coconut • Ginger • Jelly Candy • 7-Worth It • United States •
Monday, December 26, 2011
Haribo Ingwer-Zitrone Gummis
When I went to Germany last January to attend the ISM Cologne sweets trade show I spent about as much time shopping at the local stores as I did prowling the show floor for traditional, new and different candies.
One candy that I was actually on the look out for was the Haribo Ingwer-Zitrone gummis. They're ginger and lemon flavored and perhaps a little less mainstream and kid-oriented than many of Haribo's other offerings. I found them at a Rewe market and bought two bags. When I returned to the States I carefully moderated myself to make them last as long as possible. Sadly, they were gone by September.
When I went to Germany a few weeks ago, these were definitely on my list. I didn't find them at the first Rewe (grocery store) I visited but did find them at Kaufhof in Berlin (a huge department store with a large food section) ... I bought everything on the shelf, six bags (they were only .99 Euros each).
The package says that they're erfrischend scharf (refreshingly sharp) which would probably be because it's made with real ginger and lemon.
The pieces look like medallions of candied ginger, complete with a sanding of sugar (well, it's not exactly sugar, it's a sweet and sour sanding mix).
The start out like an ordinary fruit gummi. They smell at a little like lemon peel and have a soft and flexible texture. They're easy to chew and the sweet/sour sand fades away pretty quickly. The lemony flavor isn't very sour, mostly a juicy flavor with a lot more zest in it than most of the other kid-oriented flavors. The flavor of the ginger is subtle at first, just woodsy and maybe even a little bitter. But then it kicks in with a slow and warming heat. The ginger lasts for a while, with a strong finish that kind of burns for a while. They're barely sweet, I don't feel sticky eating them at all - and perhaps the ginger is even good for my tummy.
I know this isn't for everyone, you really have to like both the gummi texture and the spicy combination of citrus and ginger. It's my ideal gummi, probably my favorite thing this year and will go on my list of all time favorite candies.
I even returned the next day to Kaufhof to see if they restocked, but it looks like these five packages I have left are going to have to last me a while. GermanDeli.com sells them, but they're $2.99 a bag plus shipping and their $25 minimum order - that would average out to more than $4 a bag. I'm in love, but not that desperate ... yet.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:46 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Haribo • Ginger • Gummi Candy • 10-Superb • Germany •
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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In February, Adrian's Red Hot Rockers were approached to provide some volunteer dancers for a series of events at Aveo Retirement Villages. I coordinated volunteers for 3 retirement villages, Mingarra in Croydon, Fountain Court in Burwood, and Domaine in Doncaster. As entertainment for the residents, and also marketing for the villages, a "Summer Rocks Tour" with rock and roll afternoons were held in the community centers at these villages, with a live band "The Cadillacs", finger food, drinks, and dancing. The staff were dressed up in Summer Rocks t-shirts, they had great decorations, prizes for the best dressed in 50's and 60's gear, and raffles as well as the live music and dancers. A fun afternoon for all involved. The volunteers danced for much of the afternoon as entertainment, as well as encouraging the elderly residents to get up on the dance floor and move around. Many of the residents got up and had a bit of a dance, with many telling the dancers about their experiences of dancing in their younger years.
Thank you to the following who volunteered their time:
Linda, Joe, Alex, Sue, David, Jeanette, Gina, Keith, Fun, Peter, Charles, Esther, Graeme, Naomi, Sam
Volunteering to dance at a retirement home and spending a few hours entertaining and chatting to the elderly residents is always appreciated by both the staff and residents. It gives you a warm feeling to have brightened up their day and gives the residents something to break up their everyday routine. Watching the smiles on faces, the toe tapping, singing along, and then dancing with those who are able to get up and join you on the dance floor is a great feeling. I danced with a 93 year old lady who enjoyed telling me about her dancing days and the fun she had. It was lovely to see her moving to the music and remembering her past.
If you would like to have a go at entertaining the elderly at your local retirement home / hostel / nursing home, all you need to do is contact the activities supervisor and volunteer. Pick a suitable time, get a few friends together, take along some music to dance to (rock n roll plus some slower ones the elderly can sway along to - Glen Miller always gets a great reaction), and spend a couple of hours bringing some joy to the elderly. You'll be well rewarded by the smiles on their faces, and go home with a warm fuzzy feeling that you have brightened up the day for them. As an added bonus joining in for a cuppa and a chat will often uncover some great stories too. Give it a go sometime and I'm sure you'll get great satisfaction out of volunteering.


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Women's rights: Turning point in India, triumph in Manila
Women's rights have been in the forefront of international concern over the last few weeks.
Making the biggest headlines were the massive demonstrations in New Delhi and other cities in India provoked by the brutal gang-rape by six men of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in a moving bus in the Indian capital. The crime, which saw the victim suffer extremely serious wounds in her genitals and intestines, proved to be the trigger for the release of popular anger that had built up over the years over the rise in violence against women.
The statistics are horrific. According to government estimates, almost every 20 minutes, a woman is raped in India. In New Delhi, dubbed the "rape capital of India," the incidence of rape rose from 572 in 2011 to 661 so far in 2012. Of the 256,329 incidents of violent crime reported for 2011, a total of 228,650, or close to 90 percent, were committed against women.
What accounts for what one writer describes as the "increasingly predatory sexual culture"? For some analysts, the rise in sexual aggression is related to male resentment of the erosion of the traditional subordination of women in India's patriarchal society by women's increasing role in the work force, their increased mobility, and their growing social and economic empowerment.
Also a major factor has been police laxness in dealing with rape reports and increased impunity by rapists owing to the victims' feeling that the legal processes are stacked against them and their wish to avoid the stigma associated with being raped or abused. India is, in this regard, much like other societies, and is little different from, say, the United States, which analyst Shenali Waduge, citing government estimates, says tops the rape chart.
Yet the current protests may turn out to be a turning point, for while much of the media reporting has focused on spontaneous demands like the death penalty or chemical castration for rapists and sex offenders, the recent developments may well mark the emergence of a massive militant mass movement in India that will focus on confronting head-on the patriarchal norms propping up the social subordination of women that is at the root of much sexual violence.
Historic triumph against patriarchy in the Philippines
Even as India's gender equation may be in the process of transformation, the women's movement registered a historic victory in the Philippines with the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. The law, which makes family planning an obligatory policy for the current administration and for future ones, was passed Dec 17 in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the teeth of ferocious opposition from the super-patriarchal Catholic Church hierarchy.
Key provisions of the new law include, among others, the provision of free or cheap contraceptives to poor couples, institutionalization of sex education for students from the sixth grade up, the establishment of maternal care facilities in state-run hospitals, and provision of reproductive health counseling and treatment for women in all hospitals, including those suffering from post-abortion complications, while ensuring respect for the rights of health professionals who cannot offer these services owing to religious belief.
The passage of the RH bill was seen widely as an enormous debacle for the Catholic Church, to which some 80 per cent of the population nominally belong. For 14 years, the Church hierarchy had thrown everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, at the campaign to have the bill enacted into law. How did the RH advocates manage to beat an institution that has been a massive force in Philippine society for nearly 500 years?
Well, first of all, the Church was fighting a rearguard battle whose outcome could not be in doubt in the long run. Survey after survey had shown large majorities of the population favoring family planning and that these majorities got larger over time. Whereas 61 per cent of respondents in a Social Weather Station survey conducted in 1990 agreed with the statement that "the choice of family planning method is a personal choice of couples and no one should interfere with it," by 2011, respondents agreeing with it came to 82 per cent.
Yet the passage of the bill could have taken longer had it not been for strategic shift in the discourse of the pro-RH forces. Population management has long enjoyed widespread popular support, with some 90 percent of respondents in an October 2008 Pulse Asia survey agreeing with the statement that it was important to "have the ability to control fertility or plan a family" for the "welfare of the country." However, in the early years of the family planning debate, the Church and its allies managed, with some success, to paint a sinister side to population management, depicting it as an American plot to contain the Philippines population to serve the interests of the United States as well as a scheme to create a market for the big western contraceptive manufacturers.
The pro-RH coalition was made up of forces that saw unrestrained population growth as a major cause of poverty and underdevelopment and women's groups that focused on the reproductive rights of women. In the early years of the family planning debate, the discourse was heavily weighted on the side of population management. In the last few years, however, the discourse shifted heavily towards emphasizing the reproductive rights and welfare of women.
While the Church and its political allies continued to portray the bill as a foreign-inspired attempt to control the population of the country, the pro-RH forces were able to popularize the bill to politicians and to the public as one that would allow women and their partners free and informed choice in deciding the size of their families and the spacing of their children in order to achieve a better quality of like by providing them access to free or low-cost contraceptives.
While the Church and its allies denied that the family size was positively correlated with poverty, RH advocates produced convincing statistics that showed that the larger the family, the lower its income. They also produced reliable studies that showed that over 22 percent of Filipino couples wanted to limit their families to escape poverty but were prevented by lack of access to contraceptives and lack of familiarity with family planning, from doing so.
While the anti-RH forces claimed that promoting contraception would inevitably lead to legitimizing abortion, the pro-RH forces turned the argument around and argued that providing access to contraceptives would greatly reduce the incidence of abortion, which is now estimated at 400,000 to 500,000 a year. The anti-RH forces also found it difficult to counter the pro-RH coalition's claim that greater reproductive health care would greatly reduce the mortality rate for Filipino mothers, which increased from 162 per 100,000 live births in 2009 to 221 in 2011.
While the Church tried hard to present the program as a top-down population control program on the part of the state, the pro-RH forces argued successfully that a decline in the fertility rate at the macro level would be an "incidental result" of voluntary family planning at the micro level–though a very important incidental result, since failure in the near future to reduce the country's currently high Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3.1 would guarantee a population of some 200-250 million or more at the end of the century, which most economists and ecologists agreed would be unsustainable.
In the end, the Church hierarchy and its allies were reduced to becoming, like their counterparts in the climate front, denialists—that is, denying flat-out the results of surveys, medical statistics, and demographic calculations. Or they were cornered into making fallacious arguments such as the claim the RH bill was unconstitutional because it was anti-life, uttering silly statements like the classic assertion of one congressman that "contraception is abortion," or trotting out outrageous remarks like that of Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who compared President Benigno Aquino III to the shooter Adam Lanza, who massacred 27 children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut.
Two steps forward, one step back
The events in India and the Philippines are steps forward in the struggle against gender oppression and for women's rights. Yet that the road ahead promises no easy struggle for women is underlined by recent developments in the African country of Swaziland, where, according to a Agence France Presse report, police "have banned women from wearing miniskirts and midriff-revealing tops, saying they provoke rape." The article goes on to quote police spokeswoman Wendy Hleta as saying, "The act of the rapist is made easy, because it would be easy to remove the half-cloth worn by women." Further, according to Hleta, "women wearing revealing clothing were responsible for assaults or rapes committed against them."
Swaziland may have gone farther than other societies in banning what its ultra-conservative authorities regard as unacceptable women's wear. But the blaming-the-victim syndrome they exhibit is still far too common an attitude among men, whether in the United States, India, Africa, Europe, or Latin America.
More broadly, misogynist and patriarchal attitudes are not only resisting stubbornly. In many societies, they are making a comeback. Witness recent developments in Egypt, formerly one of the Arab world's most secular societies, where Islamists in power are pushing hard, as in Iran, to resubordinate women to traditional gender roles.
Women throughout the world are on the march, but the struggle against sexual oppression and gender rights will continue to be a difficult one, where significant steps forward will be matched by occasional steps back.
Walden Bello is representative of the party Akbayan in the Philippine House of Representatives. http://akbayan.org.ph
Feminist Flashmob for Women's Rights (Philippines)
During the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2012, a feminist flashmob dance to the tune of "I am Woman" led by World March of Women - Pilipinas was held at Plaza Miranda (in front on Quiapo Church, Manila), at noon.
Women dancers-activists first blended with the vendors, with some holding balloons, as fortune-tellers, beggars, etc. Three dancers started clapping to the tune of the music, then seven dancers joined releasing purple balloons bearing the logo of the World March of Women. They were joined by another 20 coming from the crowd, until it grew to 70.
The last batch of dancers, students from the University of the Philippines --Manila made it a throng. On the last minute of the song, as steps turned to hip-hop, dancers took off their costumes, revealing white shirts which defiantly bore words "RH Now" in the face of continued delay in its passage in Congress. Some shirts shout "Climate Justice!", in the face of ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar and the devastation of typhoon Pablo in Mindanao. Other shirts carried slogans such as "Women Need FOI!", "Secure Jobs for All!" and "Scrap VFA!"
Around 100 participated in the flashmob from Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Bagong Kamalayan, Batis Center for Women, Buklod, Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA), Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Focus on the Global South, Foundation for Media Alternatives, KAISA - Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan - UP Diliman, KAISA-KA, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK), Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Sarilaya, TIGRA Philippines, UP Manila students, WomanHealth Philippines, Women's Crisis Center (WCC), and Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality (YSAGE)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ANvbHoc2GyM#!


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Actually, that's not fair to Assenmacher, who was better than Al Hrabosky, at least as a Brave. And he was more affordable than the Mad Hungarian, signed to a ridiculous (at its time) 5-year, $2.2 million contract prior to the 1980 season.
Geno flopped as the Braves closer in '79, but Hrabosky wasn't much better for the Royals. He had a 1.662 WHIP and saw his strikeouts drop from 60 to 39. But Ted liked personalities and was willing to overspend to get one.
Unfortunately, jerks don't sell tickets, and neither do middling set-up men. Three Braves had more saves than Hrabosky in 1980, including the late Larry Bradford. Hrabosky was released halfway through his contract and never pitched in the majors again.
His two most memorable moments as a Brave say it all: