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Let's celebrate mum with #motheringmarch
Mums are great. They're there whenever you need them and a quick cwtch from mum always make you feel better.
So why do we celebrate our mums and grandmothers on just one day a year on Mother's Day – Mothering Sunday? Instead, let's make it #motheringmarch . A month to celebrate and show our mums just how much we love and care for them?
Here at Bluestone we're urging mums, grandmothers, sons, daughters, husbands and partners throughout the UK to use #motheringmarch on their social media sites to gain support and demonstrate just how much appreciation they deserve. With all the work, care and love given by our mums we believe everyone should give their mums and grandmothers a month of pampering instead of cramming it into a single day.
Whether it's a treat in a spa, going out fine dining, a spring short break holiday or even some more extreme fun finding mum's "wild thing." Make a month of it and support #motheringmarch .
To celebrate and demonstrate our support for all those mums out there we're offering #motheringmarch opportunities with weekend and mid-week short break holidays for families to enjoy the free range fun that Bluestone has to offer. And giving mum the chance to chill, relax or even find her wild side with some fun activities. Spring deals are available, with complimentary use of the Blue Lagoon water park and all-weather Adventure Centre, great meals out at its restaurants and even more fun in the Steep Ravine or on the Tournament Field.
Categories:Family, Celebrations


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The Highlander is roomy, versatile, and easy to drive and live with. - Kelley Blue Book
People hate the car buying process. We get it. That's why we hire people just like you to help sell them. You want someone you can trust when you're talking about spending a lot of money, right? And then those people "just like you" need to work for someone they can trust. We get that, too.
Prices shown are manufacturer suggested retail prices only and do not include taxes, license, or doc fee ($85). Please contact us with any questions.
While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at (949) 347-5619 or by visiting us at the dealership.
**With approved credit. Terms may vary. Monthly payments are only estimates derived from the vehicle price with a 72 month term, 4.9% interest and 20% downpayment.
MPG Disclaimer
Based on 2019 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
*Number of views in last 30 days
† Based on 2019 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
(949) 347-5619Call Now
22722 Avenida Empresa • Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 9am-8pm
Open Today! Service: 7am-7pm
Open Today! Parts: 7am-6pm
Phone: (949) 347-5619http://maps.google.com/?q=22722%20Avenida%20Empresa%2C%20%20Rancho%20Santa%20Margarita%2C%20CA%2092688

subset: commoncrawl


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A University of Vermont fraternity has been suspended while school officials, national organization leaders and the police investigate allegations that a survey was circulated among members asking them who they would like to rape.I've learned to believe everything that fits into the "patriarchy exists to oppress womyn" nonsense. But I have also learned that there is an awful lot of really awful behavior going on an universities where young men have no adult supervision.
Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary.
Email complaints/requests about copyright infringement to clayton @ claytoncramer.com. Reminder: the last copyright troll that bothered me went bankrupt.
Email complaints/requests about copyright infringement to clayton @ claytoncramer.com. Reminder: the last copyright troll that bothered me went bankrupt."And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Rom. 8:28
Monday, December 19, 2011
Decline and Fall of American Civilization
3 comments:
- The Comedian said...
It was a while back, but here's some other bizarre ways they pass the time at UVM.
- December 20, 2011 at 7:29 AM
- Windy Wilson said...
I recall reading about a survey done by a University psych department a few decades back asking college-aged men/boys whether they would rape if there were guaranteed no repurcussions, and as I recall a distressingly large majority said they would.
This latest news report sounds really bad, but a) why were they asking, b) what were the results, and c) are the results out of line with the national average?
- December 20, 2011 at 6:05 PM
- w said...
Don't forget that from these frat boys (at all schools) will come our future leaders in business and government! Me thinks we are damned!
- December 20, 2011 at 6:24 PM


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The gem's images are not touched-up with photoshop nor taken in a professional studio.
They are pictures taken indoors and outdoors, with and without light or flash, so you can get an idea of the gemstone as realistic as possible.
Certified Pailin Rough Ruby and Sapphire.
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VANCOUVER - Laurent Brossoit had some explaining to do at last spring's Memorial Cup tournament in Shawinigan and the questions weren't necessarily about his play.
The Edmonton Oil Kings goalie was besieged with interview requests by French-speaking reporters covering the event, most of them assuming he could handle the language. Laurent Brossoit? What could be more French than that?
Sadly for them, Brossoit had to reveal the family history. He was born in Port Alberni and moved to Cloverdale when he was seven. His dad was from Port Alberni. His mom was from England. Neither of his parents spoke French. His grandparents were the true Francophones in the family with grandpa from Montreal and grandma from a French village in Albertville, Sask. Laurent had learned some French in immersion classes at school but hadn't used it since Grade 9. He simply didn't feel comfortable.
"It was kind of tough to bring it all back just like that," he said Wednesday, prior to starting against the Russians for Team WHL in the Subway Super Series at Pacific Coliseum. "But I told them I'd give it a try at the end of the tournament. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the end."
Brossoit and the WHL champion Oil Kings were eliminated 6-1 in the tie-breaker by the host Cataractes, who went on to capture the tournament. Now Brossoit, 19, is trying to make an impression on Team Canada selectors for next month's world junior tournament in Ufa, Russia.
At 6-3 and 200 pounds, he has the size and maturity. He was outstanding in the Oil Kings' run to the WHL title but faltered in the Memorial Cup (1-3-0) and had an audition last summer in the Canada-Russia challenge that wasn't to his liking (6-5 loss).
He is facing stiff competition for a Team Canada spot from Belleville's Malcolm Subban, Jordan Binnington of Owen Sound and Etienne Marcoux of Blainville-Boisbriand. Brossoit was a sixth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2011.
"I didn't have the outing that I had hoped for in that game," Brossoit said, referring to the 6-5 setback. "So I am hoping to come back and get a little bit of revenge in this series. There is a little bit of extra motivation."
Brossoit's biggest fan, not surprisingly, is Oil Kings coach Derek Laxdal, who is also serving as an assistant to Don Nachbaur for the Super Series. Brossoit was 42-13-2-3 for the Oil Kings last season and is 9-2-1-2 this year.
"He's got the right make up," Laxdal said. "He's got size, which you can't teach, he's strong, which you can't teach, and he's athletic. Obviously his performance in the final against Portland was outstanding. He's also got a great technical game and great puck-handling skills.
"He's the type of kid who battles," added Laxdal. "He's passionate about being a great WHL player and he wants to be an NHLer. He's very focused on what he wants to be and how he wants to get there. Obviously he's been a big part of the Edmonton Oil Kings and he's got an opportunity to perform well here and get a chance at the world junior tryouts. That's what he's looking for."
Brossoit actually didn't begin playing hockey until he was 10, which put him four or five years behind most WHL stars. He played soccer and was a midfielder. Once he turned his attention to hockey, it didn't take him long to make an impression. He even had overtures to perhaps switch from Cloverdale minor hockey to the powerhouse North Shore Winter Club. He opted to stay home.
"I had a pretty good minor hockey career in Cloverdale," he said. "The North Shore Winter Club did talk to me but I never ended up going there. I liked it in Cloverdale and played with Ty Wotherspoon (Portland Winterhawks). I am pretty close with him."
Wotherspoon is also on Team WHL for the Super Series but wasn't in Wednesday's lineup. He is scheduled to dress for Thursday's series finale in Victoria.
ICE CHIPS: Brothers Griffin and Sam Reinhart were both in Wednesday's lineup, marking the first time they have played on the same team since Griffin was in major midget and Sam was a callup during the 2009-10 season. The boys are separated in age by a little more than 21 months.


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If you observe a suspicious object or potential explosive device on campus, DO NOT TOUCH THE OBJECT. Clear the area where the object is located and utilize the fire alarm to evacuate the building. Use exits as far away from the object as possible. Call Public Safety at x3177.
You should also follow these basic guidelines:
- Any person receiving a bomb threat should attempt to keep the caller on line long enough to obtain, and record in writing, the following information:
- Date and time of call.
- Exact location of the bomb (building, floor, room, etc.)
- Type of device (explosive, incendiary).
- an explosive device, such as a pipe bomb, causes damage by concussive force.
- an incendiary device, such as a Molotov cocktail, causes damage by fire.
- Time bomb is set to detonate.
- Method of detonation.
- Accent, speech pattern and distinguishing characteristics of the caller (age, intoxication, anger, etc.).
- Background noise.
- Critical statements made by the caller.
- Immediately notify Public Safety at x3177.
- Realize that those who work in the building are more likely to recognize suspicious objects. You may be asked to assist in a building search.
- If the threat of an explosion is imminent, evacuate the building immediately. Activate the fire alarm to evacuate others.
- Once outside, move to a clear area at least 500 feet from the fire building. Do not block access or operations of emergency vehicles and personnel.
- Do not return to an evacuated building unless authorized to do so by Public Safety.


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Carl's Jr.®
Spread Holiday Cheer with Carl's Jr. Gift Certificates
Nov 14, 2005
Booklets Available at Participating Restaurants
CARPINTERIA, Calif. - Nov. 14 - Super Star® burgers, crispy French fries —and everything nice! Carl's Jr.® gift certificates have arrived just in time for the holidays. The popular $1 certificates are sold in booklets of five, and may be redeemed for any menu item.
Carl's Jr. gift certificates are a great idea for everyone: stocking stuffers for the little ones to enjoy Cool Kids Combos®, munch money for hungry guys with visions of The Six Dollar Burger® dancing in their heads, and a hearty winter-morning treat for Loaded Breakfast Burrito™ lovers. Burger connoisseurs can treat themselves to the gourmet stylings of The Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger™ while heartier appetites will accept the challenge of a classic Western Bacon Cheeseburger® with fries.
Gift certificates can be purchased at participating Carl's Jr. restaurants. To find a Carl's Jr. near you, go to www.carlsjr.com or www.ckr.com. Non-profit agencies and school fundraisers can contact Great Lakes Scrip Center (800-727-4715), Scrip Advantage (888-296-7274) or UnitedScrip, Inc. (864-653-7300) to order by phone.
Carl's Jr. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the second fiscal quarter ended August 15, 2005, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,159 franchised or company-owned restaurants in 43 states and in 13 countries, including 1,032 Carl's Jr. restaurants, 2,011 Hardee's® restaurants and 100 La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill® restaurants. For more information, or to find a Carl's Jr. near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.carlsjr.com.


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Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882 / Boston / United States)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Two Rivers
Thy summer voice, Musketaquit,
Repeats the music of the rain;
But sweeter rivers pulsing flit
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Jennifer Lopez is getting closer to moving on.
The two-time American Idol judge says she has other things she wants to do instead of returning to the Fox series for a third season.
The single mom of two finally confirmed what E! News first told you—J.Lo wants out because the show takes up too much time to do anything else.
"Maybe it's time for me to go," Lopez said this morning on the Today show. However, she did leave some wiggle room to change her mind. "It's been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine," Lopez said, adding, "And now it's like, do we continue on this journey? I've loved it so much. I enjoy the show so much...It's a tough decision either way."
She also said, "At the end of the day, whichever way, it's a heartbreaking decision if, um, I'm going to have to go."
Lopez said she's put other projects "on hold" for Idol.
She even posted the Today show interview on her website with the headline, "It's a tough decision."
As E! News exclusively told you earlier this week, producers have apparently been looking at Adam Lambert to become a judge, as well as Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Nicky Minaj, Fergie and will.i.am.
Multiple sources also tell us that Randy Jackson's and Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler's futures on the show are still up in the air.
(Originally published on July 12, 2012 at 9:35 a.m. PT)


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PavlovianModel146 wrote:Cherries, Grapes, Plum, Banana
UrGod wrote:Does dinner count here?
MagsJ wrote:A morning coffee, followed by a 6 piece salmon sashimi brunch.
Fixed Cross wrote:Now Im waiting on " Dejeuner du Comte"
MagsJ wrote:3 scrambled eggs, and a black Lavazza Creme coffee..
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Maps meetingFOSDEM lines up pretty well with the GNOME release cycle, in that after the conference we have about a month of time to get the last stuff in before the next 6 month development cycle comes to an end. With that in mind we had a quite quick and informal Maps meeting on what the immediate priorities where for the release and what we wanted to do after that.
Transit routing
We want to merge Marcus transit-routing branch this cycle. This will not add anything if there is no OpenTripPlaner server available. But our plan is to be able to add one to our service file so this can be turned on if we get some sponsorship or in any other way manage to solve the infrastructure needs. This will also be a way of disabling the functionality if we lose infrastructure, such as with our MapQuest tiles previously.
Geocoding / search as you type
We now have a Mapbox account. We could use the Mapbox geocoding API instead of Nominatim that we currently use. And with that we could achieve search-as-you-type functionality. The timing is right for a switch like this, since Collabora recently landed a patch bomb on geocode-glib to make it handle custom backends through an interface. So we could write a Mapbox interface in Maps.
I did some prototyping with this during some FOSDEM talks and the (buggy) result can be seen in the video below.
An issue with using Mapbox geocoding service that I do not yet know if we can solve is that there does not appear to be a link between the id you get for a resulting place and the OpenStreetMap id. This makes it really hard for us to support editing the nodes you find.
Tile styles
Also since we have a Mapbox account it would be possible for us to make our own styles. For instance an hi-contrast style, a custom print style or a general GNOME style. This is a daunting task. But if anyone feel up for it, please let us know.
Mapbox GL Native
Thiago Santos from Mapbox held a talk about Mapbox GL Native which is a hardware-accelerated map rendering engine. It is written in C++-14 and has recently been ported to QT. Thiago talked about what is needed to port Mapbox GL Native to new platforms, and specifically called out GTK+ and GNOME Maps. Saying that it should be possible to make Mapbox GL Native work with our infrastructures.
Mapbox have written a blogpost outlining what needs to be true about a platform for Mapbox GL Native to be ported to it. Porting Mapbox GL Native to GLib land might be a nice GSoC or Outreachy project for GNOME/GTK+.


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August is meant to be hot, sunny. Y'know, summer. Didn't quite happen, did it? In fact, this summer is the wettest on record, so I read in this morning's paper. But the inclement weather hasn't damped the spirits of the DiS review team any – we've had plenty of smashing records to keep our stay-inside selves occupied with over the last four-and-some weeks.
Like what, you ask? Well, this being A Month In Records, we've only gone and outlined our picks below. Kind? Yep, you could say that. That, or predictable. Whatever. We're off to our party now and we'll cry if we want to (at all your barbed comments below).
Here's to September not sucking ass. And Di never returning as a butler-munching zombie. Actually, that would rule.
Super Furry Animals
Hey Venus! (Rough Trade)
Says Gareth Dobson: "Hey Venus! is the most concise album in the band's history, and after a series of ever-stretching forays to their creative boundaries, it sees them refocusing on the themes and sounds that originally put them amongst the pantheon of musical scholars. They are quite the Plato of pop, if you will. Cynicism asks how much farther SFA can keep going while maintaining such a high standard. Sergei Bubka would be proud, however, as Hey Venus! smartly clears the bar they've set themselves with ease."
Read the full review here
Good Arrows (Full Time Hobby)
Says Mike Diver: "Tunng's third album, and second for the Full Time Hobby label, skirts around subject matter most horrid in a fashion that feels paradoxically perfect. Gentle and steady, Good Arrows reveals itself via a series of vignettes, a procession of stripped layers, each another insight into the collective mindset of an outfit tied to folk traditions archaic but progressive enough compositionally to cut it with the movers and shakers of the most contemporary maverick circles."
Read the full review here
Liars (Mute)
Says Samuel Strang: "Soft-skulled and cut from caring with little more than a smeared porn pullout and half a bottle of brandy from their father's secret drawer, Liars have packed their bags and left home in pursuit of something better. Whether Huckleberry Finn, Holden Caulfield or Henry Chinaski, Liars taps into the same sense of youthful isolation, escapism, liberation and sweaty palmed lustfulness that made these literary characters so poignant. It shifts perceptions in the way most have come to expect, but with the dense conceptual themes and boundaries limited…"
Read the full review here
Richard Hawley
Lady's Bridge (Mute)
Says Rob Webb: "As a follow-up to a wonderful record in Coles Corner, then, Hawley's latest set more than holds up. It's arguably his most varied collection yet, and in 'Valentine', 'Serious' and 'Tonight The Streets Are Ours', Lady's Bridge contains some big, bold moments that ought to earn its maker yet more critical acclaim. Nobody was expecting a bad record, but a few people might be surprised by the exceptional pedigree of Richard Hawley's fifth full-length."
Read the full review here
Kala (XL)
Says Sam Lewis: "With its mix of Tamil pop, Baltimore beats and, yes, funk carioca, Kala succeeds best in pulling genres together to make something both unique and identifiable - a 'hip-hop' record that explores what it means to sing about "hip-hop things". It acutely understands that music is a shared currency that, like anything else, is seeped in politics."
Read the full review here
Asobi Seksu
Citrus (One Little Indian)
Says Jordan Dowling: "Asobi Seksu are a band possessing talent and ability far beyond their years and with Citrus they have fully realised their potential in a particularly short time. It is difficult to see how they will be able to better this sophomore release, but you wouldn't bet against them having a few trump cards left up their collective sleeves."
Read the full review here
Wooden Wand
James And The Quiet (Ecstatic Peace)
Says Him Tall: "This is a superbly rounded batch of songs which benefits from Toth, aka Wooden Wand, taking a trip down the classic rock country road. Bring on the live show is all we can say. He's stepped up to the plate with this collection, and if 2007 has seen the third (or is it fourth?) Summer of Love postponed due to bad light, this is the album to ease us warily into a mellifluous autumn."
Read the full review here
Eugene McGuinness
The Early Learnings Of… (Double Six)
Says Mike Diver: "Forget all your talk of promise and potential, so often preceding muted fanfare for another breaking-through artist with songs enough to warrant praise-worthy attention. It's so non-committal, so fence-straddling. For once, swallow the lump and take the plunge. For once, realise that what's in front of you has exceeded the level of acts – peers generically or entirely otherwise – so usually clumped together as Ones To Watch, whatever. Forget keeping them peeled in the future and focus the peepers right now: Eugene McGuinness is the finished, fantastic article."
Read the full review here
Monster Bobby
Gaps (Hypnote)
Says Billy Hamilton: "Strikingly detached from his make-up clad protégées quickie-up-the-back-of-an-alley songsmithery, Gaps is a brittle collection of tear rendering vignettes and dazzling electronic dreamscapes that evokes the stirring sentimentality of summertime loving. He may not live up to the gusto of his philandering persona, but when it comes to crafting beautiful shimmering melodies Monster Bobby doesn't fail to perform."
Read the full review here
The Polyphonic Spree
The Fragile Army (Gut Records)
Says Ben Patashnik: "There's a pleasing strand of experimentation running through The Fragile Army that, even though it could have been developed slightly further, suggests that the Spree are more than a one-trick, um, choir. 'Mental Cabaret' has a stomping disco shimmer and 'Light To Follow' starts off disarmingly naked before building itself up into a familiar crescendo. It's by no means a reinvention of the wheel, but as a simple reminder that sometimes the world isn't purely gash, it's hard to beat. Hipsters need not apply, though."
Read the full review here
May Your Heart Be The Map (Make Mine Music)
Says Mike Diver: "Erratic, ethereal, engrossing: myriad adjectives can be applied to Epic45's May Your Heart Be The Map, but few really sell it to the uninitiated in the manner a purple-hued piece of prose such as this should. Enticing? Enveloping? True and likewise, but there are subtleties to this carefully arranged and skilfully executed – understatement being the key factor in its recording – that words will never coherently convey. This is music that goes nowhere and does little; it's not full of peaks and dips; it doesn't set the skin tingling at the prospect of a potential breakdown a la atypical post-rock records (a pigeonhole you could just about shoehorn Epic45 into, if you need such lines drawn about your review content). But something makes it impossible to quit playing…"
Read the full review here


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|If tranquility is easily found, there will be no
need to find the time to fulfill the missing parts, to travel far
away to untouched beaches. The view of endless sea, white sand
lining up on a long beach, light from the sunset, soft odor of the
breeze and the sound of gentle waves are the final answers for
everyone's needs.
Koh Chang is one of Bangkok's nearest islands where nature remains and serenity is found. It's the largest island in Trat and the second largest island of Thailand after Phuket.
Kooncharaburi Resort is located on the private beach of over 90,000 Square Meters with the verdant and tranquil oasis. It is surrounded with the lush nature, scrubby hill and the white long beach in the soothing atmosphere of Kong Kang Bay. Implement your real peace holidays with the various styles of recreations and full-equipped facilities, making Kooncharaburi Resort the destination for tranquility seeker.
Deluxe Hillside / Deluxe Seaview49 rooms of 47 Sq.m. Mountain View and Sea View are offered with private balcony, allowing guests to enjoy the beautiful surrounding.
Hillside Villa / Sea View Villa26 units of 50 Sq.m. Separated villas, Mountain View and Sea View with spacious outdoor balcony, allowing guests to enjoy the beautiful surrounding.
Pool Villas Sea ViewThree separate bedrooms each 65 Sq.m. with private swimming pool, allowing guests to touch every degree of pleasure and privacy.
Executive Suite Sea View5 Separate units of 110 Sq.m. consisting of bedroom, living room, private terrace and pavilion, allowing guests comfort and flexibility.
|Resort provides both
Thai and international cuisines. Located nearby the big fishing ports, guarantees
fresh seafood, allowing you to relish the various kind of superb
Our chef cooks delicious traditional Thai food and can accommodate milder taste for foreigners. For more varieties, international dishes are served in Club House.
With over 90,000 Square Meters of land, Kooncharaburi Resort supports the various forms of activities.
For adventurous devotees, our resort offers hikes through the forest to the waterfall, kayaking through mangrove forest and sail boats in the open sea.
|Swimming Pool
|Sun lounges along soft sandy beach
|Thai traditional massage
|Foot Massage
|Relax with nature
|Beach Party
|Meeting Room
Kooncharaburi Resort
is located on the Kong Kang (mangrove) Bay,
off the eastern coast of Thailand in the Gulf of Siam. The distance
from Bangkok is 315 kilometers.


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News from the world of Maths
>It may be Sunday but that's no excuse for resting your brain. Plus has been grappling hard with the strange weirdnesses of quantum mechanics lately, and we think that you should too. So get ready to be mind-boggled.
What would Christmas be without the unlimited eating? And even though you can't taste it, there's plenty of maths in food. Here's some yummy examples.
Is maths always true?
Find some animal maths behind door number 8.
There are nearly 7 billion of us now, but how many will there be by Christmas 2111? Find out behind door number 7...
Our new postcards are too lovely to keep to ourselves! Look behind Door 6 and find out how to get your own set...
It's Cyber Monday and apparently this lunchtime we will all be shopping online. In case you are hunting for presents today, you can find our mathematical suggestions behind Door 5.
The auspicious date of 11/11/11 saw the launch of a brand new YouTube channel dedicated entirely to numbers – it's hiding behind Door 4!


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Visitor's Visa2005-08-12
Do you need a visitor visa to enter Canada? That depends on your citizenship. If you are a citizen of one of these countries, then you will require a visa prior to entering Canada for a visit or holiday. That means you have to apply for a visitor visa at the Canadian consulate responsible for geographic location before you can come to Canada. You should enquire at the consulate because each one often has different procedures and different document requirements.
Why do people from the above countries require a visitor visa? Simple – history has shown that visitors from these countries tend to stay in Canada after arriving and CIC requires a method for tracking the in flow of people from these countries.
What does the Visa officer consider when considering an application for a visitor visa? The primary question is this: "Is the applicant seeking admission to Canada for a temporary purpose?" In other words, is the applicant a bona fide visitor, or does the applicant have other intentions to remain in Canada after the visitor visa expires?
Generally, an applicant must show that he or she:
– is not criminally or medically inadmissible
– has a valid travel document or passport valid for the length of the visitor visa
– will return to his or her country at the expiry of the visa.
How do you show that you will not overstay your visa in Canada? You should supply as much documentation as you can showing your ties to your country including:
– sufficient funds for your stay in Canada (or a letter from a relative if you are staying with family in Canada stating they will be responsible for your living expenses)
– return airline tickets
– evidence of employment in home country
– proof of assets such as a property or bank accounts
– evidence of family in your country
– any other evidence which helps to show ties to your country
Canada immigration law does recognize a dual-intention to visit and to apply for permanent residency. Such a dual intention will not prevent a visitor visa from being issued, so long as the applicant can convince the Visa officer that he or she will leave Canada once the visitor visa expires.
Nearly all rejected visitor visa applications are rejected because the applicant could not show an ability and willingness to leave Canada once the visa expires, or could not show sufficient funds to support himself or herself once in Canada.
You should always remember that a misrepresentation or failure to disclose material facts could lead to an immediate refusal of a visitor visa and remaining inadmissible to Canada for the following 2 years.


text: Created in 1980, SFO Museum was the first cultural institution of its kind located in an international airport. An ever-changing schedule of exhibitions on a diverse range of subjects provides an educational and cultural experience for the more than 58 million passengers who use the Airport annually. SFO Museum has become an integral part of the San Francisco International Airport, and its exhibitions are an established tradition enjoyed by frequent visitors from the San Francisco Bay Area and travelers from all over the world.


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Wednesday it will restructure its defense, space and security business and cut 30 percent of management jobs from 2010 levels as part of a broad cost-cutting drive.
Boeing, the Pentagon's second-largest supplier, said it also will close some facilities in California and consolidate several business units in an effort to trim $1.6 billion in costs by the end of 2015, on top of $2.2 billion in reductions achieved since 2010.
"We are raising the bar higher because our market challenges and opportunities require it, and our customers' needs demand it," Dennis Muilenburg, chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, told employees in a memo obtained by Reuters and confirmed by Boeing.
He said the total savings of $4 billion would make the company healthier and better able to deal with an increasingly complex and challenging marketplace.
"Even with the uncertainty ahead of us, we are charting a positive course, and we are committed to excellence, execution and investment," Muilenburg said. "I like Boeing's competitive position and our approach - facing into it aggressively and with a sense of productive urgency - and not 'hunkering down.'"
The sweeping measures come as all U.S. weapons makers are under pressure to cut costs and preserve profit margins amid dwindling defense spending in the U.S.
Boeing shares pared early losses after news of the restructuring. Early in the day, the stock was down as much as $2.27, or 3.2 percent, at $69.31, partly on concern about dwindling defense spending following President Barack Obama's re-election.
Boeing said the changes were not a direct response to the threat of additional, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect on January 2, or the outcome of U.S. elections, but marked another step in its long-term effort to be more competitive.
Muilenburg said the company's strategy had already helped it take market share from competitors, pioneer new innovations and win orders around the world.
Muilenburg said Boeing would trim executive jobs in its defense business by an additional 10 percent by the end of 2012, eliminating many vice president and director-level jobs and resulting in a 30-percent overall cut in executive jobs over the past two years.
In addition to this "tough, but necessary work," Muilenburg said Boeing also planned to increase the ratio of non-managers to managers to a more affordable 12.5 to 1 from 9.7 to 1 now.
Together, the measures would result in a 10-percent cut in the cost of management, he said in the message to employees.
Boeing said it could not project exactly how many workers would lose their jobs because it would try to place people in its growing commercial business or other areas.
A company spokesman declined to say how many jobs had already been cut from the 2010 level.
Boeing and other top weapons makers such as Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Raytheon Co have focused heavily on cutting costs and drumming up foreign sales to maintain profits as they prepare for a sustained period of weaker defense budgets.
Lockheed reduced its management ranks by about 25 percent in recent years after announcing a voluntary buyout.
Boeing said it would also expand efforts to cut supply-chain costs by working closely with its suppliers, but did not provide details.
Defense consultant Loren Thompson said the changes were needed to ensure Boeing's continued profitability.
"Many investors focus on Boeing's commercial operations," Thompson said, referring to the jet-making business.
"But defense provides 40 percent of the company's revenues and returns, so controlling costs there is crucial to maintaining the company's overall profitability."
Phil Finnegan, an analyst at the Virginia-based Teal Group, said Boeing and other companies were taking steps to deal with growing pension obligations and maintain profit margins.
"They're trying to stay ahead of the coming defense cuts ... and the way to do that is to cut costs," Finnegan said.
As part of the restructuring, Boeing appointed five women to new, senior positions, two heading newly reorganized divisions.
Leanne Caret will be vice president of the vertical lift division, which will include the Chinook and V-22 rotorcraft programs.
Debbie Rub will be vice president of the global strike division, which manages F/A-18E/F and EA-18G fighter jet programs.
Boeing plans to merge its current mobility division with a separate surveillance business.
It also said it would consolidate its missiles and unmanned airborne systems, while weapons programs such as the small diameter bomb would shift to the global strike business.
Unmanned systems would continue reporting to Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, but support functions would be shared with other divisions, Boeing said.
Boeing also planned to merge its electronic and missions systems business with a separate unit focused on information solutions to create a leaner operation.
The company said it would further cut facilities, which are already down 10 percent since 2010, including two sites in Seal Beach, California, and other locations in the state.
Additional reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Alwyn Scott, Carol Bishopric and Andre Grenon


text:
Family Trees Index
Over the years a lot of 'family tree' data has been deposited with the Society. These documents are stored in a series of Folders (prefixed F) and wooden Boxes (prefixed B) which are found in one of the glass fronted bookcases in our Research Room at the Bristol Records Office. Within each folder there are numbered wallets and in each box there are numbered booklets. This index lists all the surnames contained therein and identifies each Folder and/or Box and wallet or book. You can visit the Research Room to examine the original documents. Make a note of the reference numbers shown; you can also check the data in this on-line index using one of the computers in the Research Room.
Thanks are due to Margaret Smith for organising the files and updating the original card index, to Anne Adams who is continuing to update the card index and to Geoff Cole and Pat Hunt for transcribing and checking all the data (some 14,000 records).
- M after the surname means this is the 'MAIN' family name shown in the document.
- Name variations have been listed together.
- If there is no Folder or Box number shown, this refers to the book/booklet which is stored separately in one of the bookcases.


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Dec 04, 2018 Jim Franco
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Capital District Transportation Authority - CDTA
8 hours ago
Have you nominated for your Community Champion yet? Tell us who makes a difference in your community and you could both win! www.cdta.org/cdta50 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook Have you nominated ...
I already nominated him, but Brian baker should be nominated. He's very professional, kind, respectful, and a very generous guy. He drives 286 currently
12 hours ago
PIC of the D A Y!! ... See MoreSee Less
1 day ago
Where is your favorite place to bike in the Capital Region?🚲
Let us know in the comments and be entered to win a seasonal @cdphpcycle membership! ... See MoreSee Less
Pic of the D A Y! ... See MoreSee Less
2 days ago
Join us for Sunrise Yoga tomorrow 8am on lawn by gazebo. Class is free! ... See MoreSee Less
PIC of the DAY!! ... See MoreSee Less
3 days ago
Maintaining our personal wellness is an important part of keeping an active lifestyle. Two online programs this week with AGS address some wellness topics that may interest you:
Keeping a Journal During these Difficult Times - Where to Begin and practical tips presented by Judith Fetterley, SUNY Albany Professor
Wed. 7/15/2020, 1:30 - 2:30 zoom conference
Caregiver Health and Wellness - This interactive workshop will focus on YOU, the caregiver. Taking care of yourself is part of the caregiver experience. Presented by Natalie Turner LMSW, CDP Albany Medical Center
Thurs. 7/16/2020, 1:30 - 2:30 zoom conference
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Call AGS at 518-434-2140 to register or visit them online. ... See MoreSee Less
New service changes are underway. CDTA CEO Carm Basile outlining the changes with WRGB CBS 6 News, Albany Tune in tonight for full details. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook New service changes ...
It sucks that you took my bus stop away 🤬.
I dare any "bigwig" from CDTA to address my grievences and complaints!
When I spoke with Customer Service Rep., Chantell on July 2, she blantently LIED to me saying that the #451 will still go from Ballston Spa to Hospital.
After the Federal Government has agreed to give CDTA multi-millions of dollars to enhance/upgrade the CDTA Bus Service. Ballston Spa has gotten the WORST treatment ever. Did it all go to ALbany? Scenectady? Troy? Where is it going?
Where's Jaime Kazlo Watson...😉
The "suits" at CDTA have got to be kidding. The removal of Route #451 from Ballston Spa to Price Chopper, Ballston Ave., is outrageous! People have doctors and dentists along Geyser Rd. What happens to them? What about going straight thru from Ballston Spa to Saratoga Hospital?People DO go there for treatments/blood work etc. Now we have to transfer to/from #450 bus. Time lapse between transfers can be as long as 45minutes to 2 hours to make a transfer. In this heat?? What happens in the winter time??? No shelter from shade or seating area. Plus now you will charge 2 fares to get to/from Ballston Spa/ Saratoga Hospital/ Train Station. Totally WRONG!
4 days ago
Look for these beauties out in the neighborhood. ... See MoreSee Less
We have new service changes beginning July 12. For a full list of changes, visit: www.cdta.org/news/service-changes-begin-july-12 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook We have new service ...
Grafton is great! Expanding to any other lakes?
So does this mean they will start accept fares on the 12th
Is the 214 on the normal schedule again?
Is the 522 coming back any time soon?
Are the rides free
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text:
Until recently the way Gazpacho instantiates widgets was using their python class. For example, for a GtkWindow I had the <type 'gtk.Window'> class, that is what you usually get when typing:
import gtk; print gtk.Window
The problem was when loading a .glade file. Then when you have to instantiate a widget you don't usually know the module where this widget has the class in. For example, let's see this (fake) glade file:
<?xml version="1.0" ?> <glade-interface> <widget class="GtkWindow" id="window1">
Now, how do I get the gtk.Window class from the 'GtkWindow' name. Well, if we just work with gtk+ widgets it's easy. All I have to do is to strip the 'Gtk' prefix from the name, and look for 'Window' in the gtk module.
Ok, that's cheating, and certainly doesn't work as soon as you start working with other modules, like kiwi.
So I tried another approach: getting the gtype from the class name and building the widgets with gobject.new:
>>> gobject.type_from_name('GtkWindow') <GType GtkWindow (136052312)> >>> gobject.new(_) <gtk.Window object (GtkWindow) at 0xb72e22ac>
Looks like this works perfectly but actually, it doesn't. The problem now is that when you create your widgets in pure python (as kiwi does) you __init__ method is not called anymore when using gobject.new(). Seems like a bug but it is not, since this is the expected behaviour. Even when it's the behaviour I don't want at all.
Sooo, back to the classes. Let's sumarize: I don't have an easy way to get the class object from the class name and I can't use gobject.new to construct the object. So let's get the class object from the gtype. That's the best solution and it would also be great if pygtk would support this :-(
Here is my workaround function that I hope I can remove as soon as this bug is fixed:
def class_from_gtype(gtype, module_list): for module in module_list: for name, klass in inspect.getmembers(module, inspect.isclass): if gtype == getattr(klass, '__gtype__', None): return klass
Note how easy is to get the gtype from a python class: it's on the '__gtype__' attribute.
Update: new version of class_from_gtype function thansk to Johan:
def class_from_gtype(gtype, module_list): def is_gobject_subclass(k): return isinstance(k, type) and issubclass(k, gobject.GObject) for module in module_list: for klass in filter(is_gobject_subclass, [getattr(module, n) for n in dir(module)]): if gtype == klass.__gtype__: return klass


text:
Kirrily Robert has been involved in open source software since 1993, as a Linux user, Perl developer, and community leader and advocate. She is best known for her work in the Perl community, where she has been a CPAN contributor, author, speaker, and trainer. She has worked extensively in the Open Source and Internet industries since the mid 90s, as a developer, sysadmin, and community manager. She has presented and given tutorials at many conferences, including OSCON, Yet Another Perl Conference, linux.conf.au, the Open Source Developer's Conference (Australia), and has also spoken to numerous user groups and at BarCamps and unconferences.
Kirrily has recently been working on several projects related to women in Open Source and other geek communities. In 2008 she launched the Geek Feminism Wiki, and more recently she has been contributing to and writing about two large open source projects with majority female developers: the Dreamwidth journalling platform and the Organization for Transformative Works' "Archive Of Our Own." Her interests also include free culture, open data, and technology for social justice.
Kirrily currently resides in San Francisco, where she works for Metaweb Technologies as Community Director for Freebase.com, an open, creative-commons-licensed, API-accessible, structured database of the world's information.
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text:
Class of 2012 to be enshrined on Oct. 13
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University will honor its athletic heritage this fall when six new members are enshrined into the PSU Athletic Hall of Fame
This year's honorary festivities, set for Saturday, Oct. 13, will mark the 28th group to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame. The contingent honors the best of Panther athletics over the last four decades, representing the sports of basketball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.
The 2012 inductees are:
* Cheryl Chase Peabody ('85), former Panther women's basketball player and captain who has coached high school and youth basketball and volleyball in New Hampshire for a quarter century.
* Nate Kittredge ('05), former four-time All-New England wrestler and a two-time New England champion and NCAA qualifier who is the only wrestler in school history to record 100 victories (105-23).
* Kelly Landry ('06), a four-time First Team All-Little East Conference volleyball player who recorded more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs and led the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
* Kelsey MacDonald ('07), former two-sport all-star for PSU who was two-time All-Conference in soccer and earned three straight Player of the Year honors in lacrosse while setting NCAA national records.
* Magnus (Eriksson) Thelning ('02), former soccer All-American (2000) who was a three-time All-New England and four-time First Team All-Little East who led the Panthers to a pair of NCAA berths.
* Dave Webster, former Panther head coach in three sports, leading the men's ice hockey and lacrosse teams to winning records for more than 20 years as well as women's tennis for seven seasons.
The Hall of Fame activities on Oct. 13th will include a breakfast reception at the PSU Welcome Center & Ice Arena and recognition at halftime of the PSU football game. The evening events at The Common Man Inn in Plymouth, adjacent to the PSU campus, include a reception at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 7:00 p.m. This year's group increases the total number in the Hall since it began in 1985 to 160 individuals and six teams.
The entire list of inductees and profiles on each member, as well as a nomination form open to the public, is available on the PSU Athletics Website at athletics.plymouth.edu. For tickets or more information, call 603-535-2770. To register on-line for the Hall of Fame Weekend, click here.
CHERYL CHASE PEABODY ('85): A former four-year women's basketball player and two-year captain at Plymouth State, Cheryl Chase Peabody was a leader on the Panther teams of the early 1980s under coaches Chris Rizzieri and Bonnie Foley. Chase Peabody was a senior captain and third-leading scorer in 1984-85 when the Panthers finished with a 16-8 record, at the time the best record in school history.
A native of Milton, N.H. (Nute HS), Chase Peabody has made her mark on coaching in the New Hampshire Seacoast area since graduating from Plymouth State. She served nearly two decades as girls' basketball coach at Farmington High School (1986-91, 1993-2007) as well as volleyball coach at Farmington (1985-92, 2003) and a stint as Athletic Director (1990-92). She was named Foster's Daily Democrat Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1992.
Chase Peabody also has been active on the youth sports scene. She was an AAU basketball coach for more than 20 years (1986-07) and was instrumental in the growth of the NHAAU, serving as the organization's president in 1990. She has been a coach and on the Board of Directors for NH Seacoast Volleyball since 2000, and has been involved with an elite travel volleyball team and girls basketball in Barrington since 2008.
NATE KITTREDGE ('05): A four-time All-New England wrestler and two-time New England champion for Plymouth State in the early 2000s, Nate Kittredge enjoyed four outstanding seasons under coaches Dave Carlson and Donnie Perrin. Kittredge won at least 23 matches every season and never lost more than eight, finishing with a sparkling career record of 105-23, the only wrester in school history to record 100 victories.
A native of Vergennes, Vt., Kittredge broke onto the scene as a freshman in 2000-01, taking second place at the New England Championships at 197 pounds and finishing with a 26-6 record. After a year off, Kittredge returned in 2002-03 to capture his first New England Championship at 184 pounds. He qualified for the NCAA National Championships but an injury kept him from competing and he wound up with a 25-4 season record.
Kittredge earned All-New England honors again as a junior, placing fourth at New Englands at 174 pounds and posting a 23-5 record. He made the most of his final season in 2004-05, racking up a 31-8 record, capturing the New England championship at 184 pounds, and advancing to the NCAA National Championships. Kittredge also won four regular-season tournament titles in his career and was a place-winner 10 times.
KELLY LANDRY ('06): A former all-star outside hitter for Plymouth State's volleyball teams in the mid-2000s under coach Moira Long, Kelly Landry is one of the top all-around players in the program's history. She was a four-time Little East Conference First Team All-Star, a former LEC Player of the Year, and is one of just two players in school history who recorded more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in their careers.
A native of Nashua, N.H., Landry was a standout from the beginning, when she earned First Team All-Conference honors as a freshman in 2002 after helping the team to a 25-11 record and the program's first ECAC post-season berth. She duplicated her efforts as a sophomore after helping the team return to the ECAC Tournament and post a 29-8 record. Landry blossomed as a junior in 2004, earning LEC Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the team to a 28-12 record and its first Little East Conference Championship. Landry was LEC Tournament MVP, leading PSU to the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
Landry went on to earn her fourth straight All-LEC First Team selection as a senior in 2005 after helping the Panthers to a 23-17 mark and their fourth straight post-season appearance. Landry set PSU records for career kills (1,691) and digs (1,735), and still ranks second in both categories. She owns school standards for service aces in a match (16) and kills in a season (560).
KELSEY MACDONALD ('07): A former four-year starter in two sports at Plymouth State, Kelsey MacDonald was a two-time All-Conference selection in soccer but will be most remembered for her achievements in lacrosse. She was a three-time Little East Conference Lacrosse Player of the Year and set NCAA Division III national records for ground balls and caused turnovers while helping the Panthers to a four-year mark of 57-17.
A native of Oak Bluffs, Mass., MacDonald was a star midfielder for PSU Lacrosse, beginning with her freshman season in 2004 when the team won its first 17 games, including the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Regional final before finishing 17-1. This was the first of four post-season appearances for PSU during MacDonald's career in a Panther uniform, including an LEC Championship and another NCAA Tournament berth in 2006 and ECAC Tournament Championships in 2005 and 2007.
MacDonald was a dominant player all over the field, winning draws, causing turnovers and scoring goals against opponents bigger than her. She was an All-Region selection in 2006 and was named Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year once and Defensive Player of the Year twice. MacDonald still holds NCAA Division III career records for ground balls (387) and caused turnovers (222) and ranks second in draw controls (313). She established all PSU standards for ground balls and draw controls, and ranks fourth on the school's career scoring list with 156 goals, 56 assists and 212 points.
MAGNUS (ERIKSSON) THELNING ('02): A former All-American sweeper for the Plymouth State men's soccer team, Magnus Eriksson Thelning was a four-year standout for the Panthers under coaches Shawn Griffin and Keith Byrnes. He was a three-time All-New England selection and helped the Panthers to a combined record of 58-21-2 and four straight post-season berths, including two NCAA Tournament appearances, two ECAC Tournaments and one ECAC championship.
A native of Arjang, Sweden, Thelning earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-New England honors as a freshman in 1998 for a Panther team that was ranked as high as 10th in the nation in Division III and advanced to the NCAA Regional Final, finishing with a 17-1-2 record. He led the team to 12 shutout victories, including seven in a row, and helped prevent no more than one goal in a game until the regional final.
Thelning went on to be named Third Team All-America, First Team All-New England and Little East Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2000, after leading the Panthers to the LEC regular season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA National Tournament. He capped his career as a senior with his fourth straight First Team All-LEC honor and Second Team All-New England selection, leading the Panthers to the ECAC Championship. While defense was his calling card, Thelning also contributed six goals and seven assists in his 78-game career.
DAVE WEBSTER: A former head coach for three Plymouth State sports teams, Dave Webster served more than 20 years as Panther men's ice hockey and men's lacrosse coach in addition to seven seasons as women's tennis coach. Webster led the three programs to a combined record of 382-308-17 over his 21-year career and retired as the all-time winningest coach of all three programs.
A longtime resident of Moultonborough, N.H., Webster took over the Panther ice hockey program in 1976 and guided the team for 20 seasons, accumulating a record of 208-172-16 with five ECAC post-season berths. He led the 1985-86 team to a berth in the ECAC Championship game and a 19-7 record, which still exists as the program standard for wins in a season. He coached the men's lacrosse team to a 129-113 record in 21 years as coach (1978-98), including an 11-6 mark his final season that was one win shy of the school record for victories in a season. He also posted a 45-23-1 mark in seven seasons (1989-95) as women's tennis coach, including a 9-3 mark in 1990 that matched the school record for wins in a season that lasted until 2011.
Webster also started the varsity lacrosse program at Laconia High School and led the team to three state titles, and he was the recipient of the Walter Smith Coaches Award from the New Hampshire Union Leader. Six of Webster's former Plymouth State athletes have been inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
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text:
what the hell happened
General brewing information, questions and discussion. Topics that do not seem to fit elsewhere.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
what the hell happened
After the first three batches my partner and I were ready to go into business but we tried to double brew to batches together. They were a extra pale ale, and a bavarian wheat the fermentation temps were between 60 and 72 degrees. We hit a hot spell and my basement got up to 78 for the first 48hours. Would this be enough to destroy the beer, turning it into an undrinkable mess.
many will disagree.....
before i got my "brew fridge" i had no choice but to ferment at whatever the ambient temp was, this would raise the temp of some of my brews to approx 85f. Law has it that this produces off flavours or yeast bite. I never experienced any of these problems and enjoyed every drop. I recently tried a beer brewed at over 80f some 7 months after bottling and it had just started to turn sour, but it has to be said that 4 weeks ago the beer was fine. Fermentation will race at these temps and your beer will be ready much sooner but it will have a limited shelf life, so drink young! Actually, now i think about it I did experience a slight off aroma in one beer, but it is only one in about 40 or more. Then again i'm sure many would say i'm wrong.
no problem for me
I have had several batches, mostly pale ale or stout, ferment at 75-80 degrees and have never really tasted a difference. When I have to I bottle condition at those temps for a few weeks also.
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3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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You are here
Get to Know Your Greens
Lisa Shin
Collard Greens
"Most people use the same rotation of lettuce and spinach," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "so they miss out on some of the tastiest, most nutritious vegetables." Our greens guide is here to help.
Collard Greens
This mild staple of Southern cuisine may be better at lowering artery-clogging cholesterol than broccoli or spinach, research has shown.
Fresh ideas: Try a lighter take on collards, which are traditionally cooked with pork fat: Remove the stems and slice the leaves into two-inch pieces; meanwhile, fry turkey bacon in olive oil. Crumble bacon and sauté it with the collards and garlic. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the greens, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for an hour, or until tender. "Cooking collards for a long time breaks down the tough fibers," says Aliza Green, a chef in Philadelphia and the author of Field Guide to Produce. Finish the dish with a splash of apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes.
Collards resemble wide, flat cabbage leaves. Look for a deep green hue.
Lisa Shin
Curly kale, shown here, is deep green with ruffled edges. Tuscan kale, aka dinosaur or black kale, has bumpy blue-green leaves.
This earthy, bitter green is sweeter in winter, but it's packed with nutrients year-round. Just one cup of raw kale supplies a day's worth of vitamins A and C and six times the daily requirement of bone-boosting vitamin K.
Fresh ideas: Make chips by stripping the leaves off the tough, inedible stems and tearing them into one-and-a-half-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and salt and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy. For a simple no-cook side dish, slice kale into one-inch ribbons, add a tablespoon each of olive oil and lemon juice and a dash of salt; then gently massage with your fingertips until the leaves are wilted. Top with freshly ground black pepper, nuts or seeds for crunch, and either avocado slices or a sprinkle of pecorino.
Lisa Shin
Avoid leaves that are wilted or yellow or have slick dark green patches.
When you cook turnips, don't throw out the tops, which have a strong flavor and cabbagelike texture. "They're loaded with fiber and vitamin K," says Maggie Moon, RD, a nutritionist for the New York City-based online grocer FreshDirect. One cup of the cooked greens fulfills 20 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin B6.
Fresh ideas: "Blanch turnip greens to soften their bite," Green says. "Then sauté them in olive oil with garlic and finish with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar." Or sauté garlic, onion, and lemon zest in olive oil; add turnip greens and white wine and simmer until soft. Then puree in a blender and serve as a dip with crusty bread.
Lisa Shin
Bok Choy
Choose thick, firm stalks and bright leaves. Bok choy is also called Chinese cabbage or pak choi.
This mild, slightly sweet cousin of cabbage is a super source of calcium because it's low in oxalate, a compound in many greens that blocks absorption of the mineral. The veggie also has 25 kinds of cancer-fighting antioxidants called polyphenols, one study found.
Fresh ideas: Small, tender baby bok choy is great in stir-fries or tossed with oil, salt, and black pepper and roasted at 400 degrees for five minutes. If you're cooking the regular-size kind, make a side dish by chopping the stalks and sautéing them in oil with garlic, ginger, and reduced-sodium soy sauce for three to four minutes. "Then add the greens a few minutes before serving, so that the stalks are tender and the leaves are just wilted," Moon suggests.
Lisa Shin
The small, oval-shaped leaves should smell peppery.
Watercress packs a healthy punch of vision-protecting carotenoids and compounds that may inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumors.
Fresh ideas: Trim the stems, then add the leaves to sandwiches, frittatas, and salads. "Pair watercress with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette," Giancoli says. Or transform a simple supper into dinner party fare by using fresh leaves as a bed for roast chicken or beef. To make soup, sauté a cubed potato and a diced onion, then simmer them in two cups each of low-fat milk and chicken stock for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add two cups of watercress (leaves and stems), cook five minutes more, and puree until smooth. Garnish with fresh watercress leaves and low-fat sour cream.
Lisa Shin
Swiss Chard
Eye-popping red, yellow, orange, or white stalks signal freshness.
This somewhat salty relative of the beet is a top source of vitamins A and C. And one cup of cooked Swiss chard delivers more than 20 percent of your daily quota for iron.
Fresh ideas: "The stalks and the leaves are edible," Green says. To soften the leaves, blanch them by immersing in boiling salted water for a few minutes; then sauté with olive oil and garlic and toss with golden raisins. Or wrap seasoned fish fillets in the blanched leaves and bake. For a side dish, cook the stalks: Chop each into three or four pieces and boil in water with a squeeze of lemon juice for five minutes. Toss with olive oil and Parmesan; then broil for 10 minutes.
Lisa Shin
Seek out tightly packed unblemished leaves.
It looks like romaine, but escarole's firm texture, paler color, and slightly bittersweet taste set it apart. At just eight calories per uncooked cup, this nutrition superstar supplies fiber and heart-healthy folate, along with vitamins A, C, and K.
Fresh ideas: "The inner leaves are sweet and mild, so they work well in salads," says Julia Sullivan, the chef at Haven's Kitchen, a cooking school and specialty food shop in New York City. To prep, use a paring knife to cut off a thin slice on the stem end, then remove the core. "Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and top with shaved Parmesan," she says. Add the outer leaves to minestrone and turkey chili for texture and flavor.
Alice O'Brien
Prep School
When you get home from the supermarket or farmers' market, use this plan of action to make leaves last.
STEP 1: Trim
Chop off the stems or slice out the core, if there is one, and tear apart the leaves, discarding any that are brown or bruised.
STEP 2: Wash
To remove sand from sturdy greens, such as kale and collards, put them in a large bowl or clean sink filled with cold water. Swish vigorously to loosen grit, then scoop out the leaves; dirt will sink to the bottom. For delicate leaves, like watercress or bok choy, simply rinse carefully under running water.
STEP 3: Dry
Use a salad spinner, or spread a single layer of leaves on a clean towel. You want them only slightly damp, or they'll wilt.
STEP 4: Refrigerate
Roll up the towel and place it in a plastic produce bag from the grocery store; if you used a spinner, put dry leaves directly in the bag. Store greens in the crisper drawer, away from fruit. Certain fruits, like apples, pears, and avocados, emit ethylene, a gas that can hasten spoilage.
STEP 5: Revive
Although greens should last up to a week in the fridge, they may wilt. To perk them up, place them in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, June 2012.


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Update of an article which originally appeared in Zenith Online in April 2012, when it seemed that all Mauritania's sources of discontent were erupting at once. But protests are nothing new in this land where a coup has been the answer to every political ill, whether real or imagined, for decades.
Operating in a Constitutional Vacuum
The coup in which the Aziz regime seized power in 2008 created a wave of protest, which continued despite General Aziz switching to civilian garb and claiming a democratic victory in the 2009 presidential election. After a year in which they failed to complete national registration, failed to maintain dialogue with the opposition, and postponed legislative, parliamentary and municipal elections indefinitely, the Aziz government is no longer teetering on the brink of legitimacy: it fell off that precipice back in November 2011 when the mandate of the government expired. The only legally elected official in Mauritania is now the president, Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz. Many of those who accused the junta of merely paying lip-service to democracy in order to add a veneer of respectability and secure regional and international acceptance (and funding) are now feeling fully vindicated.
Anti-government protests which resurfaced last year gradually increased since February 2012 to become a daily occurrence in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and other towns further afield. Incidents of strikes have also increased, with actions by fishermen, mining workers, teachers, college professors and students. Even a group of administrators for the national registration programme threatened a strike over pay and conditions. Throughout all this, the junta continues to impose constitutional and legislative changes, and to enter into financial and trade agreements with foreign investors, lenders, and trade partners.
Neighbourhood Watch
Geographically, Mauritania is a foreign invention. The uncomfortably angular shape of Mauritania's north eastern borders were decided long ago by colonial powers in London and Paris. There are few links with London now, although last October, William Hague did become the first the British Foreign Secretary to visit. But deep ties with France persist, and many are watching to see how Hollande's victory in the French presidential election will impact the country. The neighbours who inhabit the other side of those awkward borders are also subject to the vagaries of Mauritania's fickle nature. Western Sahara lost it's southern region to Morocco when Mauritania decided to withdraw from occupation after being outclassed by the POLISARIO rebel force in 1979. This land that only time remembers, and which the world tries to ignore, now presses in awkward silence against the north-western border, a permanent reminder of Mauritania's humiliating defeat, tribal hegemony and political naivety.
During the relatively brief 1989 conflict with Senegal, tens of thousands were forcibly expelled or repatriated between the two countries. The enmity was eventually resolved, but there is no great bond between them, as the April2012 crackdown on Senegalese workers and residents in Nouadhibou demonstrates. While Mauritania worked with the UN HCR to repatriate some of the Senegal refugees, a process which was declared complete only in March 2012, those in Mali were never even counted. In a peculiarly schizophrenic episode, tens of thousands of refugees displaced by the unrest in Mali are now being sheltered in Mauritania. In Mali's case, there is an almost total lack of respect for its sovereignty: Mauritania maintains close associations with the MNLA (Mouvement National pour la Libération de l'Azawad) and conducts frequent military sorties supposedly targeting AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) – even if those targets turn out to be civilians. With the introduction in May 2012 of a new residency tax for all foreign nationals of 30,000 MRO per person, including children, Mauritania now appears to be in breach of two clauses of its 1963 accord with Mali, which prohibits both taxation on citizens and uninvited military presence.
As a member of the Arab League, Mauritania has always had close relations with the Gulf States, although we are encouraged by unreliable media sources to consider some, for example Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, as being closer than others. Once deeply indebted to Muammar Gaddafi's patronage, Mauritania was an unexpected choice as chair of the African Union's special committee on Libya during the 2011 uprising. It was also one of the last of the Arab states to officially recognize the National Transitional Council, and entertained visitors from both sides during last year's conflict. This year finds Mauritania playing host to former Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, after an improbable arrest (which France claimed to have a hand with) and showing no signs of releasing him from "detention" any time soon.
Islamic in Moderation
One of only four Islamic Republics in the world, Mauritania might be expected to enjoy close relations with Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but this is not the case. Relations with Iran did seem warm last September, when they received Ahmadinejad and his entourage on the way to and from the UN General Assembly in New York, then seemed to have cooled by March, when Mauritania voted in favour of extending the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur's mandate. But by early April, Iran had "repatriated" former Al Qaeda strategist Mahfouz Ould al Walid aka Abu Hafs al Mauritani, who arrived to join his family, already returned from Iran. For company, they have one of Osama bin Laden's former wives and her children, while Mali is fast becoming the Al Qaeda time-share capital of Africa.
Mauritania is reportedly keeping al Walid in detention and there are unconfirmed reports that he has refused visits and food in protest at being pressured to meet with delegations from "foreign powers". Such reports have all the hallmarks of a smokescreen intended to dampen observers' inclinations to link his presence in Mauritania with reports of increasing AQIM activity in the Sahel, or indeed with the recent spate of allegedly successful US drone attacks on Al Qaeda leadership figures. By all accounts, Mauritania is firmly against terrorism, and its preferred brand of moderate Islam is jihad-free. In fact the government has carved out a cosy niche as a player in the global war on terror, with its lucrative funding opportunities. This might get a boost due to the level of hysteria about Mali. For development funding, the EU remains an important source of funds and is joined by Japan, Spain, China and others. All of these donors surely know that their funds are being sieved through a mesh of corruption but they seem unperturbed.
Not Just Desert
Despite it's massive land area of over 1 million km2, the majority of Mauritania's population – which is roughly the same as that of Berlin – is concentrated in the capital Nouakchott, and the port of Nouadhibou. These cities lie on the West coast where the Sahara desert meets Mauritania's vast fishing grounds in the Atlantic ocean. While the sea provides a wealth of fish, not much reaches land: most of it is destined for export after processing in huge factory ships. The European Union recently ordered its fleet to cease fishing in the waters, as the quota has been reached and their agreement expires in July 2012. Meanwhile, China has moved in as another pelagic fishing partner in a deal that was denounced as unfavourable and suspect.
The vast desert, though inhospitable, is also rich in natural resources such as iron, copper, gold and gypsum. One of the major criticisms levelled at the government concerns mining rights sold to foreign companies, such as Canada's Kinross, on terms which fail to provide a reasonable return. Mining workers appear to be trapped in a cycle of industrial action and broken or half-kept promises, although an unprecedented and costly 5-day strike by 1500 Kinross workers in early June appears to have improved their situation.
Decades of desertification and increasing frequency of severe drought have pushed people from a life of humble self-sufficiency as smallholders in rural villages to the cities. It's a race for survival, with the edge of Africa as the finishing line. But there are few opportunities for skilled workers or university graduates in the cities, fewer still for semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers with only a rudimentary education. The towns were not built to cope with such dramatic increase: essential support infrastructure is lacking, and plans to create or improve it are failing to keep pace. This situation is the basis for a raft of social issues – unemployment, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, education, social welfare – a constant source of domestic tension. Another source of social friction is racial discrimination, inescapable in a country with such a mixture of "white" and "black" Moors as well as black Africans and all possible variants. Racial division is a "hot button" and the regime is highly skilled at applying pressure whenever it suits.
Sowing Division, Reaping Chaos
In April 2011, when the new population census and biometric registration programme was launched, there was an outcry over allegations of racial prejudice against citizens of black African heredity. This year, it was the turn of slavery to grab headlines. Recent media focus on slavery actually garnered little attention inside the country until a Saudi cleric suggested Muslims could seek atonement by purchasing the freedom of slaves, who he said were readily-available in Mauritania. This was followed by a comment from the cleric Cheikh Dedew, who is also the patron of the Islamist party, Tewassoul. Dedew made a statement along the lines of "slavery does not exist in Mauritania". In turn, this provoked Biram Ould Abeid, president of anti-slavery group "IRA" to hold his own Friday prayer meeting on 27 April, and afterwards burn several volumes by Islamic scholars which he said condone slavery through Islam.
The response was immediate and significant, some might even say orchestrated. Angry protesters marched to the Presidential palace the next day, and president Aziz came out to meet them in full traditional dress instead of the usual couture suit, promising to defend Islam. Biram Ould Abeid and 9 of his associates were arrested that evening. Protests against Biram's act continued for a time, with demands ranging from an apology to expulsion, and even execution for apostasy. Mauritania does include some precepts of Islamic "Sharia" law, but has not actually executed anyone for many years. Whether knowingly or not, Biram Ould Abeid's attempt to demonstrate a link between Islam and slavery provided a golden opportunity for Aziz to stifle the slavery debate and restore his flagging reputation by championing the one thing all people in Mauritania have in common: Islam.
As the indignation began to wane, regular Saturday protests by supporters of Biram and his fellow-prisoners began, and were immediately and repeatedly repressed by police with customary violence. Biram's wife Leyla was attacked several times, and on one occasion shot in the face with a tear gas grenade. On 9 June 2012, a young man – who was not part of the protest, but a shopkeeper on one of the roads where police were clashing with the unarmed protesters – died from tear gas suffocation. As has been the case with previous incidents, officials denied any wrongdoing and claimed the youth died from a pre-existing medical complaint. Biram has in fact published an apology but he and six others, including a journalist, remain in custody.
Now Mauritania appears to be entering a new phase in its ever-evolving struggle. Last week there was a visit from the UN representative for West Africa, fresh from talks with ECOWAS* about the situation in Mali. He met with leaders of the the political opposition coalition for about half an hour before meeting with Aziz. Former transitional leader Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, a cousin of Aziz, provided some distraction by allowing himself to be quoted making outlandish and insulting comments about the 1989 atrocities. This got the abolitionists and anti-racists nicely worked up, while Massoud Ould Belkhair, leader of the more compliant opposition, worked on COD leaders by making overtures about dialogue. For the hat-trick, the failed group which was created last year to call for a national unity government was brought out of cold storage.
In the background, the illegal Aziz government pressed on with its agenda. Unqualified diplomats have been dispatched to various international locations. Unqualified candidates have been assigned to a new Electoral Commission, and the former Chief Justice Ould Ghilani was removed from his post and replaced by a very junior and inexperienced jurist. Legislative elections are still not scheduled, but the country's jurists are forming a union of sorts, just to keep themselves occupied. Next for the arbitrary chop could be the Chief of the Bar Association, Ould Boubehna, who is talking far too much sense these days, echoing constitutional law expert Lo Gormo's 3 March pronouncement on the government's lack of legitimacy.
Eventually, all these issues must be resolved. It is not possible to continue like this indefinitely. The lack of comment or concern over this constitutional imbroglio from international partners, and their willingness to enter into legal agreements, provide aid, and accept and extend invitations to a government which has remained in power through a "coup by default" is at best puzzling and at worst hypocritical.
*Mauritania is not a member of ECOWAS.


text:
Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath steel'd,
Thy beauty's form in table of my heart;
My body is the frame wherein 'tis held,
And perspective it is best painter's art.
For through the painter must you see his skill,
To find where your true image pictur'd lies,
Which in my bosom's shop is hanging still,
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done:
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me
Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,
They draw but what they see, know not the heart.
Sonnet 24: Translation to modern English
My eye has taken the role of the artist and engraved an image of your beauty on my heart. My body is the frame that surrounds it, setting its proportions in that space. It is through the painter that one may see how art depicts nature, and where the best image of anything is, and yours hangs in the studio of my heart, which has your eyes as its windows, forever. Now see what a good turn your eyes and mine have done each other. My eyes have drawn your form and yours are the windows of my heart, through which the sun loves to peep, to look at you in there. But eyes lack the artistry to show what lies within the heart; they draw only what they see and cannot know what's in the heart.


text:
Anyway, I am just filled up with my work schedules and every now and then, when I have several days off, I try to chill myself out , going out with my friends, going out shopping, and running errands. I have just getting my car washed and detail-waxed! Love how it turns out like a new car that has just coming out from a showroom :)
Just want to share to you lovelies of the recent purchases that I've just indulged... As I told you before I am a shoeholic , so this time , I just got another pairs added to my shoe collections :) It's from Bottega... Along with that, of course, the famous new bracelet knot.. FYI, every store like ZARA, Madewell, GAP, H&M, American Eagle, and Nordstrom have been having summer bracelets displayed on every mannequin or in accessories sections! So grab them fast before they're gone.. I loveee accessories too <3
So lemme know what you lovelies think about my new babies.... ;)
sunnies from foreign exchange- phyton sandals from charles&keith- top print from H&M- leather shorts from H&M, knot bracelet from bottega- vintage bling skeleton watch from mom
isn't the color wonderful? it's a private collection,where the salesman had to take it out from his hiding closet LOL i was so lucky to be offered these pairs of shoes! they only come in limited quantity and sizes... :) and they were not put on displays ;)


text:
These were 500 people at First Unitarian Society who'd showed up for a talk organized by the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin — on "the role of interfaith communities in the labor movement."
Feingold said that interfaith groups will play a key role in healing the current partisan divide in the state. He said he saw that dynamic in action while in the Senate.
"Whenever we had a really tough fight," said Feingold, "we'd bring in the clergy. They seemed to just briefly lift us from our egos, our own infighting politics. They seemed to momentarily elevate us to talk more about fundamental values that underlie the political effort in this country."


text:
A few years ago, Billy Malkin decided there was a lack of high-quality sushi delivery along the Baltimore waterfront. So he convinced a friend, Eugene McDowell, to partner with him on a place of their own.
Before opening the Sushi Place in Fells Prospect last July, Malkin and McDowell were not restaurant-industry veterans. They were sushi lovers and businessmen; both own local construction companies. Their business acumen shows. With personable service and a menu stacked with creative, well-executed sushi and Asian food, the Sushi Place has earned its considerable popularity.
Scene On a recent Thursday night, the restaurant was packed by 7:30. The Sushi Place currently occupies one floor of its Fleet Street building. The black, white and red space, adorned with Asian fans and samurai swords, is on the small side, but plans are in the works to open dining areas upstairs, which will more than triple the number of seats.
Creative control is the hands of the chef, Carlos Reyes. Using fresh ingredients, Reyes' technique is strong: Rolls were tight and neatly sliced and the arrangements of cooked dishes were lovely.
Appetizer We started with Spam masubi ($3), a Hawaiian specialty that's something of a novelty on the East Coast. Thick slices of Spam (yes, the notorious canned ham) were wrapped tightly in rice and seaweed then sliced into enormous portions.
One bite of masubi proved just how much sushi flavor owes to the quality of its rice and seaweed — the concoction tasted more like a traditional sushi roll than a ham stick. Dipped in wasabi-spiked soy sauce, the fatty ham and sticky rice was an appealing treat.
Tako tempura slaw ($10) was as refreshing as the Spam was rich. Slices of octopus, dipped in tempura batter and fried, were crunchy, tender and well seasoned. Set on a bed of carrots and greens tossed with a lively sauce of garlic, yuzu and miso, the bright salad hit all the right notes.
Boneless wings ($8) covered in a sticky, sweet and spicy chili sauce, were tender and tasty — a great go-to for a friend who doesn't like sushi.
Entree The Sushi Place offers a wide variety of rolls — including both cooked and raw fish — and sashimi. We tried the obi roll ($10.50), an elegant combination of spicy tuna and asparagus topped with seared albacore and sweet pickled onions.
Tidy and well built with appealingly fresh ingredients, the roll was a welcome combination of textures and tastes. The topping — a sprinkle of tart onions atop tender albacore — made the roll.
The teriyaki chicken bento box ($12.50) was attractive and a great deal, though less exciting than the rest of our meal. We started with a heady bowl of miso soup, followed by a bowl of rice served alongside a neatly packed box including sliced teriyaki chicken, a California roll, two gyoza (steamed dumplings filled with pork and vegetables) and a pile of tempura-fried shrimp and vegetables.
The box's centerpiece, the chicken, was sweet and salty but also overcooked. Fortunately, the rest of the box was better; highlights included the neatly wrapped sushi roll, stuffed with avocado, crab and cucumber, and beautifully fried tempura shrimp and veggies.
The shrimp was sweet and tender and a piece of broccoli, steamed briefly before dipping in batter, was so lightly fried that we convinced ourselves each bite was healthy.
Service Throughout dinner, a friendly waiter, clad in a Natty Boh-meets-sushi-chef t-shirt, kept our water and iced tea glasses filled; the Sushi Place is BYOB with no corkage fee. However, Malkin says he may try for a liquor license at some point.
Bottom line When businessmen open a restaurant in the hopes of filling a local need, a million things can go wrong. But Malkin and McDowell knew what they were doing. They found a great, central spot for the Sushi Place and relinquished control of the food to an expert.
The result: top-notch sushi in the Fells Point-Canton area. Problem solved.
The Sushi Place
Back story: Billy Malkin and Eugene McDowell opened the Sushi Place in July 2012, after realizing that the Canton/Fells Point area lacked good sushi delivery options. The restaurant stays busy with in-house guests, too, serving creative and well-made sushi alongside cooked Asian dishes.
Parking: Street parking
Signature dish: Don't miss the tako tempura slaw appetizer. The octopus is dipped in tempura batter and lightly fried then sprinkled over a carrot and lettuce salad tossed with a bright yuzu and garlic dressing. The combination is crunchy, slightly chewy and tangy all at once.
TVs: One currently; more will be added when upper floors open
Where: 2224 Fleet St., Baltimore
Contact: 443-453-9772; sushiplacebaltimore.com
Open: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Credit Cards: All major
Reservations: Accepted
Rating: 2.5 stars
[Key: Superlative: 5 stars; Excellent: 4 stars; Very Good: 3 stars; Good: 2 stars; Promising: 1 star ]


text:
If people who love technology are called techies, and people who love food are called foodies, then people who enjoy words must be wordies. I'm a wordie.
Words are not only intriguing but revealing. Words and phrases are to language what bread crumbs were to Hansel and Gretel. They say something about where we've been and where we're headed.
A new phrase getting a lot of traffic these days is "low-information voter." I like it. But I always wonder exactly who they are and whether they know who they are. This could be a case of everybody thinking it is everybody else.
Artisanal is a very trendy word right now, too. It means anything made by hand using a traditional method. Various cheeses and wines are touted as artisanal. Artisanal sounds earthy, warm and inviting. Artisanal bread can elicit audible gasps. It can be plain old white bread, but if it has an artisanal label, you can expect foodies to pay a couple bucks more.
An awkward phrase gaining momentum is "Shop this outfit." It used to be people would shop the stores or shop the mall, but now we shop the outfit. It hints of aggressive tactics and reckless credit card use.
Another newbie that is rapidly becoming engrained is BOGO. It means buy one, get one (free). There's something about it that prevents instant processing. Whenever I see BOGO on a reader board, my first thought is that someone misspelled POGO.
The phrase "have a good day" is long gone (thankfully), having been replaced by "have a good one." An even newer greeting, or farewell rather, is, "Be well." Clerks at a particular chain drugstore routinely say it. The first time I was told to be well, it seemed sincere and thoughtful. Two hundred times later it approached grating. I keep hearing "be well" because I keep going to the drugstore to pick up medications for family members who haven't been well. To keep telling me to be well is nearly a taunt.
"Be well."
"You be well! If we were well, we couldn't keep coming to the pharmacy."
The standout newcomer to our ever-changing lexicon, bar none, is "health sinner." A health sinner is someone who smokes, is obese or overweight, or eats any sort of food the food police have condemned. Health sinners are about to be flogged in the public square as the new health care plan takes hold.
Clearly, the health righteous are eager and willing to berate the health sinners. All of which leads me to ask the following: If you're not certain such labels are helpful, does that make you a health agnostic?
We'll see. In the meantime, be well.


text:
The application page of the Obamacare website — stricken with glitches for weeks — will go offline daily while a technology team works to resolve problems, the government said Sunday.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick visits Meet the Press to discuss his state's public health care program and how his experiences with it affects his opinion on Obamacare.
The Health and Human Services Department said that the application page of HealthCare.gov will go offline from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily. During those times, people will not be able to apply or enroll through the website.
"Additional down times may be possible as we work to make things better. The rest of the site and the Marketplace call center remain available during these hours," HHS said in a message on its home page.
People still can apply for coverage through the health marketplace call center — 1-800-318-2596. That's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
HealthCare.gov locked up the day it went live on Oct. 1 and has had glitches ever since, fueling criticism of the Obama's health care insurance program in Congress and elsewhere.
President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have apologized for the website's failures.
The administration has said it's aiming to have HealthCare.gov humming along by the end of November.
A spokesperson for HHS told NBC News that the administration has always been clear that the website could be down during off-peak hours. But this is the first time, that announcement has appeared on the website's homepage.
HHS officials said last week that tech gurus from Google, Oracle and Red Hat have joined the effort to help the beleaguered website.
Health website restored once more as feds open up about tech whizzes