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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Banana Cake-Bars with Dark Chocolate Chips (Still Lovin' that Spelt Flour!)
Given that I've been cozying up to the delicate sweetness of spelt flour lately, I thought it was high time to post another recipe that makes use of it. (My maiden voyage with spelt can be found here, in case you're interested.) Though spelt flour is made from the whole grain, it bears only slight resemblance, in my opinion, to whole wheat flour in terms of flavor and texture. I think it may be the golden ticket for home bakers who aren't completely thrilled at the idea of sweets containing any whole grain flour, yet who want to begin incorporating healthier flours into at least a few of their baked goods. It works really well mixed in with unbleached white flour, and I figure that's the best jumping off point. Give it a whirl on a small scale before you fully commit.
Bite into one of these treats and, from the texture angle, you won't even be able to tell that they're not made entirely with white flour. In fact, these banana cake-bars are so cakey I really couldn't get away with calling them just banana bars. These guys are more like soft little cake slices. With fragile golden crumbs that tumble off here and there when you pick them up, they cry out for clean white napkins and big tumblers of ice cold milk. They'll do those ripe bananas proud.
About this recipe . . .
I adapted this from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains. This was the first whole grain baking book I ever really liked. I've baked from it many times, and most of the results have been surprisingly good. I've noticed that many of the older whole-grain baking cookbooks out there, from past decades, often include formulas for almost concrete-like breads, cookies, and cakes. I'm relieved we're finally seeing a lighter approach in volumes like this one, and in Good to the Grain, which has a whole chapter devoted to baking with spelt.
The original recipe called for semi-sweet chips but, honestly, I think that would have made them too sweet. Plus, I'm a maniac for dark chocolate so I used that instead. I also substituted canola oil for butter, I drastically reduced the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg and, as noted above, I used a mixture of white and spelt flour instead of using spelt alone.
My kids really liked these, which I must admit kind of surprised me. Nathan (the now-15-year old), who is always my willing guinea pig whenever I bake something new, adored them. I thought the boys would become uninterested the second they heard the word spelt come from my mouth, but it didn't phase them. In my house, that's a meaningful seal of approval.
Banana Cake-Bars
with Dark Chocolate Chips (and Spelt Flour!)
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
Yield: Makes one 9" x 13" pan; 24 - 2" squares.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
(Just fyi: I mixed this recipe entirely by hand. Gave my mixer the day off!)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 and 1/4 cups light or dark brown sugar, packed (I used light.)
3 medium size bananas, very ripe, well mashed
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
1 large pinch ground cinnamon
1 large pinch ground nutmeg
1 egg, large
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate, small chips or chopped bar chocolate (I used a combo of both.)
Stir the oil and the sugar together well in a large bowl. Beat in the bananas, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Add in the egg, stirring vigorously. Stop to scrape the bowl with a spatula now and then.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add to the liquid mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes (this direction allows the flour to absorb some of the moisture a thicken a bit). Sprinkle your chocolate evenly over the top. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Cool the finished bars in their pan on a rack. They're best when allowed to rest overnight, in the pan, covered. (They stay fresh for at least two days and I actually thought the flavor had improved the second day.)
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below!)
|Reader reactions:
14 comments:
- The Vanilla Bean Baker said...
Bars look wonderful. Hope you are enjoying a great summer :)
- August 10, 2011 at 12:25 AM
- Katie said...
Yum they look delicious. I love how the chocolate chips are scattered so generously on top rather than being stirred in.
- August 10, 2011 at 2:23 AM
Right, then. I've got my bag of spelt flour, bananas,light brown sugar, and a bar of Galaxy milk chocolate (I shouldn't actually have that in this house, but...) and all the needed spices at the ready, so I'm definitely making these - today. Especially as it's wet and dreary and unseasonably cold here (summer? warm temperatures? sunshine? what's that??), this will not only warm the house, but put a smile on my face as I have it with a gorgeous, hot mug of tea.
Thanks for sharing this, Jane. They look super dee-lish!
- August 10, 2011 at 5:39 AM
This looks amazing! I love anything banana. So tasty!
- August 10, 2011 at 6:40 AM
- Chele said...
Hubby is going to LOVE this one ;0)
Thanks for sharing.
- August 10, 2011 at 2:08 PM
- Luv'n Spoonfuls said...
I SO agree with you! I've been using spelt for a while now (see my recipes) and haven't found a recipe yet that I can't substitute it into with great results! It is soft, subtle and full of flavor. I wish everyone would give it a try. Lovely recipe...you had me at spelt and dark chocolate! ;-)
- August 11, 2011 at 5:51 PM
- Luv'n Spoonfuls said...
I SO agree with you! I've been using spelt for a while now (see my recipes) and haven't found a recipe yet that I can't substitute it into with great results! It is soft, subtle and full of flavor. I wish everyone would give it a try. Lovely recipe...you had me at spelt and dark chocolate! ;-)
- August 11, 2011 at 5:54 PM
- Erica said...
Looks wonderful!
Year Old Birthday Party Ideas
- August 11, 2011 at 10:54 PM
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Yum! I love banana and chocolate together - these bars look delicious, Jane!
I have never seen spelt flour here in Brazil, but a dear friend of mine who lives in the UK bakes with it all the time and loves it too!
- August 12, 2011 at 2:43 PM
- Mary said...
Jane, these really look amazing. I have to do more cooking with spelt flour. It is hard not to like a treat made with bananas and chocolate. These would disappear from my kitchen before they'd properly cooled. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
- August 15, 2011 at 11:19 AM
- Gloria said...
These banana bars look amazing!! gloria
- August 15, 2011 at 11:33 AM
- Mal said...
These sound fabulous!
- August 15, 2011 at 3:13 PM
- jastembo said...
these do look wonderful and i have been interested in trying spelt flour so looks like it would be a good place to start. but could i still use butter? i don't tend to use canola oil so don't have any. if so, would it be the same amount or did you alter that?
- September 3, 2011 at 9:51 PM
- Jane said...
Hi Jastembo,
Yes, I'm sure you could use butter! I assume it would be no problem.
Thanks for asking,
Jane :)
- September 3, 2011 at 9:56 PM


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Holiday Inn Northampton West M1, Jct 16
Holiday Inn Northampton West M1, Jct 16
High Street, Flore
High Street, Flore
United Kingdom
Check In: 2PM
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Welcome to Holiday Inn Northampton West M1, Jct 16
A comfy hotel in a peaceful spot near Northampton and the M1 motorway, with free WiFi and parking
Holiday Inn® Northampton West M1, Jct16 hotel is a mile and a half from the M1, in the village of Flore, seven miles from Northampton city centre. It's about 40 minutes' drive to London Luton Airport (LTN) and 45 minutes to Birmingham Airport (BHX).
It's a 14-mile drive from the hotel to Silverstone racing circuit, for motorsports fans, or you can get behind the wheel yourself with the karts and quad bikes at Whilton Mill, less than 10 minutes' drive away. You can also get your thrills through the retail therapy available at the vast and elegant centre:mk shopping centre, less than 30 minutes' drive from the hotel.
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Enjoy a hot breakfast, lunch or dinner in the hotel's Conservatory Restaurant, or chill out with a cool drink in front of the wide-screen TV in the lounge bar. Or order from the 24-hour room service menu and enjoy a meal in your room. You can take care of any overindulgences in the hotel fitness centre. Kids stay and eat free.
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Kids ages 17 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
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Children under 13 years of age Eat Free . Chindren's Menu available on request.
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For more information, contact:Gary YoungPhone: 612-247-8123Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
ELIZABETH, NJ (November 10, 2011) — Hayward® Commercial Pool Products introduces a new Chemical Controller series, the HCC 1000 and HCC 1000 Complete Package. Both are single channel pH water chemistry automation systems. The HCC 1000 is a pH only controller ensuring that pH is precisely maintained at the desired level to optimize chlorine effectiveness. The HCC 1000 series provides powerful technology in a simple, convenient affordable package.
The HCC 1000 features a pH sensor, water chemistry controller, flow cell, and pressure sensor, all factory-assembled and pre-mounted on a durable PVC backboard. The complete package also includes a chemical feed pump mounted on the back board making water chemistry management simple, convenient, and affordable, providing the ultimate "one stop shop" experience.
Perfect for new and/or existing applications, this new controller series will both help ensure water is safe by optimizing chlorine effectiveness as well as protecting and extending the life of pool surfaces and equipment. Furthermore, the automated controller eliminates the time and risks associated with making manual pH measurements and adjustments.
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According to General Manager Patrick Sweeney "This powerful pH controller offers everything a pool operator and/or manager needs to make their maintenance simple and affordable without compromising performance. The only difference between the HCC 1000 Complete Package and the HCC 1000 is the addition of the peristaltic pump. Similar to the HCC 2000 (a dual channel pH and ORP controller), we want to make things convenient with an "all in one" unit. Adding the peristaltic pumps to the backboard provides the ultimate in convenience for chemical automation."
Key features and benefits of the HCC 2000 Completed Package include:
About Hayward CommercialHayward® Commercial Pool Products was officially launched in January 2010 by Hayward Industries Inc. as a business serving the commercial pool and spa market. Building on an 80-year heritage of producing high quality products for the pool industry and its reputation for customer satisfaction, Hayward's new business offers a line of technologically advanced commercial products for aquatic facilities and businesses. To ensure pool and spa operators keep their facilities running smoothly, Hayward Commercial also provides direct access to the continued support of a dedicated team of knowledgeable representatives.
Hayward's commercial products include a line of pumps, filters, heaters, automation, cleaners, valves, sanitization, safety, and color LED lighting products. For more information, contact Hayward Commercial at 1-800-657-2287 or visit www.haywardcommercialpool.com


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The Single-Atom Transistor: How It Was Created and What It May Mean for the Future
Published on
Professor Gerhard Klimeck will be coming to speak on his research with single atom transistors.
The end of Moore's law has been falsely predicted repeatedly over the past 20 years, while Silicon technology has been driven to seemingly unlimited miniaturization. One foundational limit of size downscaling, however, will be hard to overcome – the discreteness of the underlying atomic system. Let's assume cost and manufacturability issues can be overcome: Can one reach such atomic limits? Can one make wires that are say 4 atoms wide and 1 atom tall and still provide Ohmic conductivity? Can one connect such atomically thin wires to a single impurity atom embedded in Silicon? If you can build such a thing, how would you know that it is single impurity atom? What modeling approaches are needed? How can such modeling software be disseminated widely? This presentation will address these questions through experimental and theoretical results of our recently demonstrated "Single Atom Transistor" and overview nanoHUB.org briefly.
Gerhard Klimeck is a Professor of Electrical and Commuter Engineering at Purdue University. In the past 19 years at Texas Instruments, NASA/JPL, and Purdue he has been the driving force for the Nanoelectronic Modeling Tool Suite (NEMO). He also leads nanoHUB.org (TEDxPurdueU-Gerhard-Klimeck) as a director in the service of nanoelectronic simulation and education on the web, serving over 240,000 users. Gerhard is a fellow of the IEEE, the American Physical Society, and the Institute of Physics.
Sponsored by
Pugwash at Purdue University
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
ME 2061, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN


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"Spread Yo Legs"
Canibus is reminding the world that with all going on it's just a matter of time before it all goes down hill.
Big Boi collaborators Little Dragon return with a new EP and visual
Drako's "Fully Loaded" mixtape dropped today on all platforms worldwide.
Lua Proc Makes An Impact With "Go Get A Bag" Feat. YNG Mak
This month, Amy also shares her soulful rendition of the hugely famous believe.
Mack-10's son is going off with DJ Mustard!
MF DOOM returns with a animated video for his 2004 Release "One Beer"
Check out the newest release from Shoffy.


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Latest Features
Korobov Climbing Organizational Ladder
Dmitry Korobov got the call he had been waiting for -- from teammate Vlad Namestnikov.
Korobov, the hard-hitting Belarusian on the Syracuse Crunch blueline, was having phone troubles, so the message from Crunch coach Rob Zettler about Korobov's first National Hockey League call-up arrived through Namestnikov.
"I was a little shocked, happy, and nervous at the same time," Korobov said through Namestnikov, who helped translate. "Mostly happy."
After playing one game with the Tampa Bay Lightning, being sent back to the Crunch, and making the round trip again, Korobov got a taste of what he came to North America for. Now he's working to earn more of those calls -- no matter who they're from -- and eventually a permanent role in the NHL.
"He's going to make it in the NHL by being physical, by moving pucks quickly, and just being strong in the important areas," Zettler said. "That's not going to change no matter where he plays."
Signed in the summer of 2012, Korobov spent all of last season with Syracuse. Over 82 games, he netted 24 points, 43 penalty minutes, and was a plus-18.
This season, Korobov has eight assists in his first 18 game and is a plus-four, but his role remains largely the same -- using his 6-3, 230-pound frame to outmuscle opponents. The 24-year-old embraces the physical play, and actively seeks out the big hit.
"He's a little bit more confident," Zettler said. "Physically, sometimes he forces it a little bit too much, but he's trying to make that happen, which is good. He's more of a force out there."
Korobov's physicality has progressed during his time with Syracuse, as well as his skating with the help of Lightning skating coach Barb Underhill. But the biggest headway has come in his mental game.
"I'm more confident, less worried I'm going to make a mistake," Korobov said. "Last year was my first year as a rookie, this year I'm more of a veteran and an older guy. Confidence was the biggest."
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Heating & Air Conditioning » Boilers » Crown Boilers » Commercial Boilers » FW Series » Beckett Oil
The FW Series boiler is a 3-pass cast-iron boiler designed for use with light oil, gas, or a light oil-gas combination. The FW Series is designed for installation with either a standard chimney or a pressurized vent system. The boiler has a swing-open front door for easy service and inspection, and the stainless steel baffles are easily removed via the front door.
The FW comes in six sizes, with heating capacities ranging from 355 to 1,091 MBH.
Crown Boiler
Heat Exchanger
Lead-Iron Alloy
Chimney or Forced Draft
Beckett Oil
Burner Input
Gross Outout
AHRI NET Rating
Combustion Efficiency
Thermal Efficiency
Approx Dry Weight
1477 lbs
Water Content
25.4 Gal
Draft Loss
0.51 in. W.C.
1. Not available for use in elevations above 2,000 ft.
2. Specifications and dimensions are subject to change without notice.
3. Consult factory if an unusual piping or pickup requirements exist.
4. The AHRI Net Water Ratings shown are based on a piping and pickup allowance of 1.15.
5. Gross ratings have been determined under the AHRI provisions governing forced draft conditions (0.10 inch W.C. positive pressure at the boiler flue gas outlet).
6. Firing rate in GPH based on having a heat value of 140,000 BTU/GAL.
10 in
9 in
47 in
*I=B=R Vent Diameter size is the pipe size used from boiler vent connector (F) to termination of stub stack; Max. Height 15' (for forced draft firing only). For chimney venting consult National Fuel Gas Code.
1. All burners are LO-HI-OFF except Beckett CF-500 and CF-800 which are ON-OFF operation.
2. Standard burner certification is U.L. special high risk insurance package. Available IRI, FIA, FM.
3. Burners are shipped in a separate crate (when ordered).
4. Burner Blast Tube Insertion 4-3/4".
We Match. You Save.
Found a price that beats ours? We'll match it, guaranteed.
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Step #1: Find the Ad, Copy the URL
When you find a lower price, save the web page URL. You'll need it to get your discount.
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You'll see a form at the bottom of this page. Paste the full web page URL into the appropriate slot, fill out the rest of the information, and send it to us.
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More Technical Details
To qualify for a Price Match, you must be able to produce a published price from a legitimate online retailer. Hearing about a 'great deal' from your cousin's neighbor's best friend does not count. The retailer in question will also need to have the product in stock and ready to ship. If it's on backorder, that's a mulligan. You get one claim per product, and cannot use the Price Match Policy in conjunction with other coupons, discounts, Labor Day (or other holiday) sales, or Voodoo magic. Typos, mail in rebates, closeout sales, and other non-standard retail transactions don't count either. Also, finding a great deal on Ebay or another auction site doesn't work.
Basically, the competing price must be for the same product, brand new, factory-sealed, style, model, etc etc. We also reserve the right to deny the IWAE Price Match Policy to anyone who we think is trying to get one over on us and/or trade us a wooden nickel.
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Faux Fancy: 10 Ways to Turn Old, Busted Decor into New Luxe Hotness
We all know how hard it is to make something look more expensive than it really is, let alone transforming old furniture into decor worthy of high end, elegant spaces. But here are a series of projects that do just that, turning salvaged finds into fancy pieces, with the help of luxurious faux finishes.
Here are ten DIY projects for you to try at home...
1. Shagreen: An old laminate console, recovered with soft shagreen by A Mere Life.
2. Agate: Gorgeous Shiny Things gives you not one, but two tables that smack of agate.
3. Marble: The innovative IKEA hackers at Poppytalk strike again, this time in the form of a faux marble kitchen tulip table.
4. Malachite: Jenny of Little Green Notebook took a paintbrush to her desk and came up with this rich green malachite-like pattern.
5. Snakeskin: Some snakeskin fabric got cozy with Modge Podge to make over this table, courtesy of Recently.
6. Fur: This time, a bench goes glam with faux fur, as seen on Style At Home.
7. Bone: The Vintique Object went very detailed, with the help of a stencil, to create this imitation inlaid cabinet.
8. Gold Leaf: Kelli Murray tried her hand at covering papier mache bowls with gold leaf.
9. Tortoise Shell: This painted box, from Pentimento Studio, could have fooled me.
10. Leather: This coffee table combines leather and a brass look in one piece of furniture, from Brooklyn DIY Designs.
Don't you love this? Faux sure.
(Images: as linked above)


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Congratulations to the March Moda Bake Shop Contest Winner, Dawn O'Hara!!! You all loved her version of Darci Schipnewski's Pinwheel Twist Quilt!
Dawn lives in Vancouver, Washington. She is a quilter, sewer, and gardner of both flowers and vegetables. Dawn knits, crochets, and loves any type of craft. She enjoys spending time with her husband fishing for salmon and steelhead on the Columbia River. She is grandma to two wonderful boys and two sweet girls. Not to mention she has a full time job!
Dawn's mother taught her to sew when she was ten years old. Most of Dawn's time behind the sewing machine has been spent sewing children's clothes. She has fond memories of making prom dresses for her daughters and her daughter's wedding dress. Dawn began quilting in her thirties but has really quilted more over the last three years. She adores free motion quilting and has become hooked on swaps and bees! Dawn also loves to sew purses, bags, and pillows.
We asked Dawn to tell us about her favorite Moda designer and fabric line. She said it all depends on what project she is planning and who it's for. Right now she is in love with Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hooey. Dawn has a charm pack and needs to add a few more prints to complete her stash!
Dawn's favorite type of pre-cuts are charm squares and layer cakes. Oh, and fat quarter bundles too (it's so hard to choose!).
Be sure to check out Dawn's Flickr page full of her latest projects! Talk about inspiration.
Congratulations, Dawn!! An assortment of pre-cut goodies is heading your way 🙂
Don't forget about April's contest theme: Accessories! Download the Printer Friendly Version for more information.
Oda May
Pre-cut Guru at Moda Fabrics/United Notions
The Moda Bake Shop is a division of Moda Fabrics that provides online recipes which you can use with the wide range of Moda Pre-cuts. All sizes and types of projects will be featured from various designers and shops. Tutorials for various Moda projects sheets will be illustrated with step by step pictures. Some techniques and products will also be featured throughout, so check back often for what is "baking" here at Moda Fabrics.
Latest posts by Oda May (see all)
- Building Blocks: 4-Patches - September 26, 2018
- National Sew a Jelly Roll Day - September 15, 2018
- How to Make: Continuous Bias Binding - September 2, 2018


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When Superstorm Sandy battered the East Coast, New Jersey was the state hardest hit by the catastrophe. Out of this disaster, a relative newcomer in national politics, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has enhanced his position as one of America's most popular politicians.
Why has America embraced him?
It's simple; Christie is real. He is someone we would like to be our friend, a man to share a beer with, someone who tells us the truth no matter what.
He tells us it is none of our business where his kids go to school. He says he could care less if some are unhappy that he is praising President Obama's help in his state's recovery. Politics are not the most important thing now. He is focused on getting his state back to normal.
The federal government is helping New Jersey, and he is grateful and he tells us. Forget big government vs. small government. Christie wants good government.
Working jointly with Democrats is nothing new for Christie. The New Jersey Senate and House are each 60 percent Democratic. Despite that, New Jersey has enacted new laws putting a cap on property taxes and public workers contributing more to their own retirement plans.
He is real. He is a leader. He is governing.
And that is the crux of our admiration of Christie. He is doing his job, unafraid to acknowledge and work with the opposite party, helping his constituents through an unprecedented crisis, and rejecting hyper-partisanship.
He provides a dramatic contrast with many of today's politicians who won't even talk to the opposite party. We need men and women leaders who can compromise and get business done. We want our president to lead and our legislators to legislate.
We don't want to hear the Senate majority leader make unsubstantiated charges that Mitt Romney has paid no income tax in some years. We don't want a Senate minority leader who believes his most important job is to prevent President Obama's reelection.
We don't want a repeat of the 112th Congress that established a new low in productivity. To some partisans, compromise is akin to surrender. But most Americans believe compromise is the essence of democracy. Voters have become critical of a Congress that cannot compromise and pass laws. The 112th Congress consistently receives the lowest approval ratings on record.
If Christie were a member of this Congress, he would either revolt from his party or resign. He would not want to be part of a Congress that prizes ideology above governing.
Ranting at the opposite party and pandering to your base is easy. Effective governing requires compromise and is hard. Too many politicians have chosen the easy wrong over the hard right.
There should be no doubt Christie is a Republican and supports Romney. Nevertheless, he has demonstrated that he can work with the opposite party. He would rather be an outstanding governor than an ideologue.
And that is Chris Christie's lesson for all politicians. Stow the politics, compromise, put citizens ahead of party, and do your job. Voters will embrace you, and historians will reward you.
The political leaders we elect on Tuesday can become the political generation that fixed America.
Ed Conant is a retired U.S. Navy officer who lives and writes in Savannah.


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Commencement Speaker
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean's Commencement Speech - May 23, 2010
Good afternoon graduates, proud parents and relatives, faculty and staff. It's a great privilege for me to be here today to attend this ceremony and share with you in your success and accomplishments.
I know this has been a long road for you—four years for some, shorter or longer for others.
I know the last thing that you want to do be bored by a speaker.
I also know that you are anxious to finally walk across the stage and accept that degree you've worked so hard to obtain. For those reasons, I promise to keep my remarks brief.
I've spoken lots of places before—from the UN, to the White House to Awards Shows in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
But this is my first commencement speech. Deciding what to say was difficult. I wondered what could I share with you?
A couple weeks back I was in the studio working on my new album. I'd hit a creative block. My brother, who was in the studio with me, helped me look for inspiration for a song.
He ran across a video of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a well known African-‐ American civil rights leader, pastor and Congressman from New York. Dr. Powell delivering a speech in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The speech was moving—one of the most powerful speeches I've ever heard.
The title of it was "What's in your hands?" Dr. Powell was speaking to a group of people who were down on their luck, thought they didn't matter, thought they didn't have power, thought they had no way of escaping poverty and no way of changing their circumstances.
Dr. Powell asked the audience, "WHATS IN YOUR HANDS?" He wanted to get them to think about what they CAN do rather than what they couldn't do. What they DID have as opposed to what they DIDN'T have.
He then went through a list of figures both biblical and historical. From Jesus to Benjamin Franklin, he laid out examples of people who used what little they had in their hands to change the world.
Not only did the speech inspire me to complete the song, it formed the basis for the message I want to give you today—that we all have the ability to achieve our dreams, if only we can envision what we want and plan to make it happen.
I was born in a small town in Haiti. We didn't have much.
My parents left Haiti to come to America in search of a better life for my brother and me.
They BELIEVED that if they could just change their circumstances, they could begin to live out the vision they had for themselves and their children.
They saved every penny they could to get to America. But they knew getting to America wouldn't mean automatic success. They had to plan in order to reach the goals they set for themselves.
They had a vision for their future that was far greater than many of their friends and even other family members.
Like my parents, you've done everything you can to complete that first step. They wanted to get to America, you wanted to get your degree.
But you have to know it doesn't end there. You have to ask yourself, what will you do with the degree? How will you use it to achieve your goals? And the answer to that depends on HOW FAR YOU CAN SEE.
You must have a vision for your future. You must pair that vision with a plan.
Because my mother and father instilled in me the need to have a vision and a plan, I survived in the entertainment industry—an industry that isn't very kind.
I came to America as a boy excited. This was the land of possibilities and opportunities. I loved music, writing, singing, playing. That's all I ever wanted to do.
I was told that I didn't have a chance. That there was no way I could make a living as a musician or a rapper.
I was in a group no one wanted to manage. Whose first album didn't get great reviews. I was told to give up….several times.
But I had a vision for myself that was strong. And I set in motion a plan to accomplish what I knew I could.
If you have a vision for yourself, it won't matter that others may be blind to what you CAN see. That vision will help you see past many factors that can discourage you. That vision will help you see past the setbacks—and setbacks WILL happen.
It's not enough to just be able to SEE. That's only the beginning. The real question, the more important question is, WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU SEE? What are you going to do with that vision?
Talk to anyone successful person whether it's your professors or parents. Research any figure who has made their mark in history or in their respective field.
The one thing they will often have in common is that they SAW something in their future. And the reason we remember them is because they DID something with that vision.
You don't have to be rich, powerful, or famous to be great or successful. In fact, your vision doesn't have to be of you becoming rich, powerful, or famous.
Unfortunately in this society we measure success oftentimes in shallow and material ways. How much money do you have? How powerful are you? Are you famous? How big is your house? What kind of car do you drive?
All these questions reinforce misguided belief that success is somehow tied to material things that benefit the SELF. I have, I do, I am.
I have had a lot of success in entertainment. But I didn't really become successful as a person until I began to give of myself to others who needed my help.
Outside of being a husband and a father, nothing has given me greater satisfaction than the work I've been able to do with YELE HAITI—the charity I founded in 2005.
It's one of the many things I've been able to accomplish because I had a vision for myself. All of the success I've had would mean nothing without the opportunity to better the lives of others in my home country.
I'd like to challenge each and every one of you define success for yourself. You will find that making a commitment to others as well as yourself will be key.
Create a vision based on your specific gifts, talents, and tools. There is greatness in simply being you and using your skill to do something with your vision—and to put your personal plan in motion.
You are ultimately responsible for HOW FAR YOU CAN SEE. Your future belongs to you, and you alone.
Believe it or not, I used to ride a donkey to school in Haiti. I lived in a one-‐room shack. When I came to America, I didn't speak a word of English.
Today I am able to travel the world, reach people with my music, work on behalf of my native Haiti and even speak at a college commencement.
I am proof that anything you want is possible, if you can only envision it first.
Congratulations Class of 2010.


text:
1 Charm Pack (8 – 5″ x 5″ squares) – featured here is Collections for a Cause – Legacy by Howard Marcus
Fabric Paint
Alphabet Stamps
Step Two:
Pick out two coordinating charm squares for each coaster.
From your scrap batting, cut one 5″ x 5″ square for each coaster.
Put two fabric squares right sides together and then align on top of a piece of batting.
Sew a 1/4″ seam around the coaster, leaving about 2-3″ opening so you can turn the coaster right side out.
Quilt the coaster as desired.
This next step is optional. Determine what letters you want to place on each of the coasters. If you want to spell out a word that is shorter or longer than shown, then simply make the number of coasters needed to spell your word.
Angela Yosten
Angela Yosten
Latest posts by Angela Yosten (see all)
- Moda Bake Shop Basics: Machine Applique - September 16, 2013
- Halloween Boo Pops - October 31, 2012
- Placemats To Go - July 15, 2012


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Conventional livestock manure used to fertilize organic crops can contain unwanted antibiotics and chemicals, but time and composting can greatly reduce those levels, experts say.
Several antibiotics found in hog and turkey manure were found to be taken up by vegetable crops and stored in the plant tissue, said Satish Gupta, a soil science professor at the University of Minnesota.
In terms of a health risk, the antibiotics were "not really that big a deal," as they were detected at a miniscule level of about 10 micrograms per kilogram of plant material, Gupta said.
A person would need to eat more than 100 pounds — 50 to 75 kilograms — of lettuce a day, for example, to hit the daily intake limit for such antibiotics, he said.
"We didn't find very much concentration in the vegetable," Gupta said.
Organic crop producers must often rely on manure from conventional livestock operations due to the availability of the material, he said. "There's not that many big organic farmers."
Composting the raw manure or distributing in the field long before harvest will further reduce the amount of antibiotics accessible to plants, Gupta said.
"Most of it will degrade, but it doesn't mean it will have none in there," he said. "The longer you keep it on the land, it will degrade, and if you compost it, it will degrade."
The key to reducing antibiotics as well as pesticides is aerobic composting, which ensures proper oxygen flow to beneficial microbes in the manure, said Elaine Ingham, chief scientist at the Rodale Institute, an organization that studies organic practices.
Bacteria and fungi consume unwanted chemicals in the manure, Ingham said.
Aerobic composting is generally accomplished by turning the compost pile regularly to ensure the oxygen isn't used up and the temperature doesn't get too high, she said.
The frequency of turning the compost will depend on its composition, with higher levels of nitrogen needing more oxygen, Ingham said.
Eventually, beneficial microbes will establish structures in the compost pile that will allow them to continue their activity as the material cools down, she said.
"It becomes porous," Ingham said. "Oxygen is going to be able to blow through."
Beneficial microbes are even able to mitigate the presence of heavy metals in manure by binding them with materials like humic alic or folic acid, she said.
While the heavy metals will still exist, their release will occur at an extremely slow level, Ingham said.
Allowing the compost pile to use up the oxygen and attain excessively high temperatures will prevent such binding and also waste the manure's nitrogen content, she said.
Apart from conventional manure, organic production faces similar questions about using irrigation water that may contain runoff from conventional fields, said Richard Carr, a technical specialist for Oregon Tilth, a certification agency.
Organic regulations are "practice standards" that require farmers are using natural materials, he said. Farmers are allowed to use raw manure as long as it's applied 90-120 days before harvest, depending on the crop.
The measure is primarily intended to improve food safety, but if manure were known to contain contaminants, the grower would be expected to find another source or mitigate the issue, he said.
The issue of manure involves a balancing act between avoiding contaminants and giving growers economic fertilizer options, Carr said.
"If you take away manure and compost as soil building blocks, you leave them with nothing," he said. "The arsenal for organic growers is pretty limited."
Bryce Purtzer, co-owner of J&D Fertilizers in Canby, Ore., said the potential chemicals in manure will depend on the source.
His company makes composted fertilizer exclusively from chicken manure. The poultry are raised in housing facilities and aren't exposed to pesticides or herbicides, Purtzer said.
Chickens raised for eggs are rarely treated with antibiotics compared to those raised for meat, he said.
Purtzer said he has tested his composted bulk fertilizer and found beneficial microbes.
"If there were antibiotics present, I don't think the bacteria would be present," he said.


text:
Because I'm older than you by a year, I have to be a better speller?
That's rich.
Dilly Bisket!
animeism wrote:
DomoKevin wrote:
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Ok I gotta admit, the first 14 episodes of this were great. I loved where it was going. Dying in the game would make you die in real life? Awesome. Can't log out so now you're screaming for mummy and daddy? Awesome. Evil mastermind who just trapped people in this game for the lulz? Awesome. Oh and before you continue reading, I'm gonna warn you that there are spoilers.
Even though the whole plot of the first 14 episodes weren't as solid, it was enjoyable to watch how Kirito progressed throughout the 2 years. I couldn't get enough of it. But after episode 15, it didn't feel like I was enjoying the anime as much. Because when Kirito was introduced to a new game, I knew that he could log out, could not die in real life if he dies in the game and that he isn't going to be considered as a beater anymore. We have a creepy new villain who wants to marry and have sex with Miss Asuna-chan in her sleep. Yeah...that is so creepy. And we have some incest going on between Kazuto(Kirito) and his sister. I don't like incest. Putting these flaws all together just didn't make the anime seem enjoyable anymore or even suspenseful. After episode 14 I did not like where it was going or was trying to achieve.
I mean, it would be better if they would just keep the same plot. I mean they can do so much from episode 1-25 but just add some badass arcs to it. I love the suspense of a player dying. And Kirito acts really serious every time he see's someone about to die. I mean he has the right to go crazy about it. But now in whatever game he is in right now after episode 14, he still acts freakin serious about dying in the game? Dude take a chill pill, you can respawn back to the nearest town. So what if there are trolls lurking around and killing people for the lulz. Now I think this anime is getting way too cheesy.
So yeah. That's how I thought about the anime after episode 14. Not suspenseful anymore. I'm still gonna watch it until it's finished since I'm curious to what happens in the end. But the anime does not seem as enjoyable as it was anymore. It's a real shame. Sorry for the fanboys and fangirls who love this show, but I did not make this thread to intentionally piss you off. I'm just trying to prove a point.
For what I have in mind is that they should have separated Sword Art from Alfheim - like two seasons or if they'll plan to continue this series up to Underworld. Calling the anime SAO while they are playing a different game in the story is a bit weird. I think you're thinking of it still as Sword Art, but it's not. The story may be improved or be degraded to the point of view of some. I would not tell you to drop this anime. But hey, try continuing to watch it for a few more episodes. Maybe they'll get your interest back in .
I'm not a die hard fan of SAO, I'm just an anime enthusiast and watches other anime (NOT Naruto or One Piece) alongside this series .
Agree, its not only SOA anymore it's developed to IRL and the other game, I think the anime has some flaws too it, but I like what it is right now, a guy that is playing a game seriously to achieve something (aka saving asuna or winning SOA-.-) I don't think its a bad series because that it lacks suspense in any way, there is the discussion about it being too slow paced from the 2 episode and up to when the plot finally kicks in in SOA, that is bollocks, tell me if you liked Naruto, TELL me if you liked Bleach its the same god damn thing, sure this series is only 25 episodes so far, who knows how far it might get in the future, sure if it ends at 25 and too many unanswered questions, I will totally agree with you people out there that it was too slow paced, too many unanswered question and whatnot. I hope a second series will come and back this series up, but that is for the fans to decide, at this rate it will probably fall apart.
The thing is stop judging an anime that isn't complete yet, this kinda goes for the fan-boys/girls out there, if you rated it 5/5 the first 3 episode, go back and see if you've changed your mind when its completed, I will confess, I did rate it 5/5 but my view hasn't changed yet, and it will probably stay up there until the season is finished, and then I will go see if I've changed my mind.
And all the people who dislike the "sister/cousin+brother" action -.- I mean I have seen this is some anime's and they have always ended somewhat great, A anime that isn't quite a sister/cousin but a childhood friend, which was somewhat this way... Ef - A tale of memories It had a satisfying ending even though this was a problem, I have some more which are less known like Da Capo, more or less, which ended in a weird way Don't just judge a book by its cover-.- wait till you've read it all.
Lastly the "ecchi/*tentacle scene -.-* Yeah I suppose that got a bit out of control, but It's probably a part of the ecchi that will kick in -.- (You all saw the butt zoom in's) yeah this was one of the minor flaws I had with it, but I don't care up to this point, anime is almost always like that, especially harem.
what is this cr stuff
I don't know why you guys are complaining about the plot ? It's following the Light Novel perfectly without any fillers and I hope for the future that it remains that way. Each of the 6 following arcs after Alfheim is different . The author can't keep the same thing forever you know ?
and as Jay said don't judge the anime just by the first episodes . If it keeps being made it's gonna end up with at least 5 times more episodes than the currently scheduled ones .
It just needs more gloop in asuna... but eh.
Living life one day at a time
animeism wrote:
For what I have in mind is that they should have separated Sword Art from Alfheim - like two seasons or if they'll plan to continue this series up to Underworld. Calling the anime SAO while they are playing a different game in the story is a bit weird. I think you're thinking of it still as Sword Art, but it's not. The story may be improved or be degraded to the point of view of some. I would not tell you to drop this anime. But hey, try continuing to watch it for a few more episodes. Maybe they'll get your interest back in .
I'm not a die hard fan of SAO, I'm just an anime enthusiast and watches other anime (NOT Naruto or One Piece) alongside this series .
I believe the original franchise (ie the ten light novels) all sell under the Sword Art Online banner, hence why all the anime is under the Sword Art Online banner too.
Personally I'm preferring the ALO arc. They tried to do too many side stories in SAO and it disrupted the narrative flow.
You guys are real nit pickers >_>
It's not unwise to say I'm lesser then you but it's beyond understanding to c...
In my opinion the plot started to go downhill when Kirito and Asuna went to go play family back around episode 10. Episode 14 is probably what I would call the worst in the series so far due to the deus ex machinas they pulled along with the villain's motivation and Kirito and Asuna giving a peaceful farewell to him. Its pretty ridiculous how girls are constantly falling all over Kirito too and Suguha's developments with Kirito are completely pointless as you knew how it was going to end right when it started. Still its a fair series. The action is done pretty well, the overall story isn't bad, and its pretty good at creating suspense.
I just don't like how they are subjecting Asuna to a bunch of creepers in this arc
But that's just me lol
What even
Several things you are misunderstanding friend,
1st: The "incest" between Suguha and Kazuya doesn't exist, they aren't blood related the brother sister relationship only exists in their heads.
2nd: The reason he freaks out when he finds someone whose about to die I'd assume is PTSD (or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from playing a life or death game for 2 years and that's why he goes berserk when it's about to happen.
3rd: The suspense still plays a role, it's a race against time to save his lover Asuna who's being held against her will by some sociopath who has the intention of controling people with gear made for gaming, while in real life he's struggling with his feelings of helplessness being unable to stop the oncoming "marrage" between Asuna and sociopath.
While I don't have any hard evidence for this, I get the impression that perhaps many people who dislike SAO were expecting it to be an action/adventure show with maybe small elements of comedy and romance. Instead, we find that the show is actually an adventure/romance show with added elements of action and comedy. I don't think it was ever meant to be hardcore and technical, for those who wished that the series would elaborate on the MMORPG elements of the game in the series. In fact, I think doing so would have been less interesting and taken the focus of the series away from where it should be.
DomoKevin wrote:
necoconeco101 wrote:
Oh rubbish!
I will agree on the first 14 episodes, they were awesome!
But for the next arch, I think the plot is fine!
Although, I find the sister (or cousin, whatever she is) character a bit annoying.
In other words, I can't wait for when she sees Kirito back with Asuna!
Learn to spell, you're older than me.
The plot is not fine. They made it worst sadly.
Necoconeco101 actually agreed with you and you bashed on his spellings. So only you can express your opinion and no one else? Everyone has their own opinion on the show. You made the post and you expected responses, so be more mature and stick to the topic instead of attacking on other posters. A person of a different age will no doubt have a totally different opinion than someone who is still in high school.
I did not post this to piss you off. I am just trying to prove a point.
I am actually more interested in the second Arc because it focused a little bit more on the real life story of the characters and the whole conspiracy about taking over people's mind with the game.
Sorry, but if anyone is having high expectations from this show - you should try to look at it differently. Thinking highly of this show is akin to being delusional.
Lets face the facts:
Kirito is Gary Stue.
For those that don't know what a Gary Stue is, it's the male version of a Mary Sue.
A fictional character, usually female, whose implausible talents and likeableness weaken the story.
Every time he has been struggling in a battle, he has called upon his Gary Stue powers to win the fight.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Remember the last fight in the SAO MMO? That's the perfect example of Gary Stue being Gary Stue. This happened in an MMO, It doesn't matter what kind of excuses you can think of to defend the awful development in that fight. With the way Kirito fought and consequently gave up; he should have lost. But praise the Gary Stue powers, suddenly he found hidden strength in the despair of his loved one being dead and SOMEHOW managed to power-up despite being realistically dead in the mmo (Yes he was, his Health Bar was gone when he "defeated" the bad guy).
Every female character in this show who has been given a name, has fallen in love with Kirito.
No seriously, the only way to avoid falling in love with Kirito if you are a female character is to never tell your name.
The "Beater/Cheater" haters. Absolutely moronic to a degree that can't even be explained because it was so stupid.
Why the hell would you have a freaking witch-hunt against the VERY PEOPLE WHO COULD SAVE YOU FROM THE MMO??
Deus Ex Machina. Kirito gets paralysed and just as he is about to die; 'LO AND BEHOLD THERE IS ASUNA!
Just in time to rescue him from an untimely death! Phew! What a coincident!
Kirito picks the WEAKEST race, gets told illusions are useless, somehow managed to become one of the bosses from the SAO MMO and BITES A PLAYER.
Lets look at the facts again. ILLUSION. Not transformation or anything similar. ILLUSION. You shouldn't be able to hurt anyone like Kirito did with an illusion. But it's okay! Because he is Gary Stue! Therefore his spells breaks the game.
Kirito beats a highly skilled player in ALO.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
There is nothing wrong with that. Except for one detail. That player was wearing the best gear you could obtain the game so far, and Kirito was wearing VENDOR TRASH. But it's okay, thanks to his Gary Stue powers and by stealing his cousin's weapon, he powered up 1000x times and owned everyone.
Lets not forget that the creator of this show is trying to pander to every fanservice group there is.
Big boobs? Check. Loli? Check. Implied incest brother/sister love? Check (I know they are cousins, Kirito doesn't and before it was revealed nobody else did). TENTACLE RAPE? Check. Boring characters with little to no personality? Check. Make it easy for fans to self-insert into the characters? Check.
Every female character in this game apparently can't handle their own troubles. But it's okay, because Kirito is ready to save the day for the HELPLESS WOMEN.
Asuna was helpless against pressure. Asuna loves cooking (hurf durf women kitchen sandwich), she is apparently *perfect*, she is submissive towards Kirito almost all the time. Oh and lets not forget:
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
I like Asuna's parents. Because they are just doing what's best for their daughter! Marrying her off to a man who is twice as old and they don't even know if she approves of it or not! Or if she loves anyone else. After all, family doesn't matter - money does. Oh and a stupid plot.
Anyway, enough about the SAO MMO.
The new bad guy in the ALO arc is the blandest shittiest bad guy ever.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
He has zero depth to his personality. It's just "haha I'm super evil! I will torment these players and get valuable mind control data, and get super rich! And I'll steal this woman from you because I can! Oh, and I might brain-wash her, because I can. There is no real motive behind. Just because I'm evil. You know. Evil. That's why. Evil and CREATING A FALSE IMPENDING DOOM OF NTR - Oh what was that about pandering to every fetish and whatnot? Yeahh......
Sorry, but the light novels are hardly better.
This show had tons of potential, but it squandered most of it because it wanted to pander to the audience sexual desires. And I'm getting tired of the SO ANGSTY Kirito. Mostly I'm just tired of him being Gary Stue.
Oh and did I mention that Kirito is an MMO addict? Because he is. Just re-watch that scene where the bartender dude shows him the ALO game. He was clearly more focused on the game itself and keen on playing it, and than rescuing Asuna - till the bartende dude just coughed to break the MMO-addiction-spell. Kirito's "flawless never back down" moral compass gets tedious as well.
At the end of the day, I only watch this show to laugh at how bad it is.
Here, have an image that sum up the current arc of SAO quite nicely:
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Don't you mean worse? You should heed your own words or not play the grammar/spelling police.
DomoKevin wrote:
necoconeco101 wrote:
Oh rubbish!
I will agree on the first 14 episodes, they were awesome!
But for the next arch, I think the plot is fine!
Although, I find the sister (or cousin, whatever she is) character a bit annoying.
In other words, I can't wait for when she sees Kirito back with Asuna!
Learn to spell, you're older than me.
The plot is not fine. They made it worst sadly.


text:
This evening, I am posting information on Skelmorlie Castle which is positioned close to the west coast, north of Largs. This building has close links with the Montgomerys. It dates from 1502 and originally belonged to the Earls of Eglinton. Hugh the third Earl, a devout Catholic, led the Montgomery Clan is support of Mary Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside 1568 but was defeated, taken prisoner and subsequently released in 1571.
Many original features of the Castle, e.g.stone fireplace, were discovered after a fire in the 1960s.
The Castle's superb aspect affords views of the island of Arran which, by coincidence, was awarded to the 3rd Lord Montgomery after the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.
This castle is a private residence and not open to the public. It can be viewed on a 'drive past' basis.


text:
Just take a search at the desk under, which I blogged about in a prior publish (citeN=citeN+1document.publish(Amount(citeN))). This desk displays that there is a sturdy unadjusted correlation amongst height and arterial stiffness, a marker of coronary heart condition. The likelihood that the correlation is due to possibility is decrease than 1 tenth of a proportion point (P<.001).
Apparently, the authors of the study even use height as a handle variable to slender down the "true" leads to of arterial stiffness (column with adjusted final results), assuming that top did indeed influence arterial stiffness and what they located to be a crucial predictor of arterial stiffness, 2-hour postprandial glucose.
But there is no convincing evidence that top causes coronary heart disease, with exception of pathological extremes – e.g., acromegaly. Extremes are likely to influence statistical benefits relatively, top to conflicting conclusions that stop up currently being disseminated by the well-known media (citeN=citeN+1document.publish(Quantity(citeN))). This is a single of the resources of popular beliefs about health-related problems.
Yet another, a lot more crucial, source are actual confounders. And this takes us back to the issue of top becoming linked with heart condition. In fact, top will usually be significantly related with heart disease in nearly any research that consists of guys and ladies and does not control for biological sexual intercourse.
One particular of the causes is that females all round have a tendency to have a considerably reduce incident of coronary heart ailment than gentlemen. The other is that top is substantially reduced amid ladies than men, on typical, even though there are numerous girls who are taller than the common male.
The table previously mentioned was from a study which includes both sexes. As a result, the robust association amongst peak and arterial stiffness is a "reflection" of the powerful affiliation between currently being male and enhanced arterial stiffness. If 1 were to include a variable coded as for male and 1 for female, and use it in a multivariate examination of predictor of arterial stiffness, jointly with peak, the impact of top would almost certainly "disappear".
Biological intercourse is the control variable, the "confounder", that the authors ought to have used to slim down the "true" brings about of arterial stiffness (next column in the desk). In the absence of biological sexual intercourse, managing for top completed something equivalent, but in a "wobbly" way, leaving several readers scratching their heads in confusion.
Title: Does tallness cause heart disease? No, but sex does
Rating: 910109 user reviews.
Rating: 910109 user reviews.
Posted by: Admin Updated at: 12:45 PM


text:
You want to win in college football, you have to recruit some criminals.
So said Notre Dame radio broadcaster and former player Allen Pinkett.
"That's how Ohio State used to win all the time,'' Pinkett said Wednesday on "The McNeil and Spiegel Show'' on WSCR-AM 670. "They would have two or three guys that were criminals and that just adds to the chemistry of the team.''
So, Pinkett said, maybe it's a good sign for the Irish program that several players are venturing into the area of "bad citizens'' or "criminals.''
That sets the bar low, yeah, but at least there's a bar for Notre Dame in Pinkett's view.
Co-host Matt Spiegel gave Pinkett two chance to reword his stupidity -- specifically, "criminals'' -- but Pinkett stood firm.
"Oh, I absolutely meant that,'' Pinkett said. "Chemistry is so important on a football team. And you have to have a couple of bad guys that sort of teeter on the edge to add to the flavor of the guys that are always going to do right.''
When pressed again, however, Pinkett said he didn't want mass murderers or rapists.
"I want guys that maybe get caught drinking that are underage,'' Pinkett said, "or guys that maybe got arrested because they got in a fight at a bar, or guys that are willing to cuss in public and don't mind the repercussion of it. That's the type of criminal I'm talking about.''
Yes. Well. A program must have standards.
This is embarrassing when you're representing the sanctimonious hucksters in South Bend. The sanctimonious hucksters in South Bend, see, often have trouble with the truth, and right on cue, the sanctimonious hucksters in South Bend issued a statement calling Pinkett's suggestion "nonsense.''
Which, of course, is nonsense itself. There is a lot of truth to Pinkett's idea, either in actual criminals or in the spirit of lawless, reckless players. You know, crazy guys. Because you have to be crazy to play a game that includes criminal acts on every play.
Yeah, it's a cynical view, but there's a history of national champions and contenders with rap sheets.
Like, I don't know, Notre Dame. Like, when the oily Lou Holtz refused to suspend quarterback Rick Mirer and linebacker Demetrius DeBose after their arrests at an off-campus party just before the 1991 opener.
And don't forget how much NCAA trouble the Irish faced in the wake of Holtz' reign. So, there you go: The Irish produced good teams when breaking laws and rules.
Kind of makes Pinkett's point, doesn't it?
Or at least it made his original point. Later Wednesday, Pinkett issued a statement apologizing for telling the truth.
Here's the deal: Pinkett used the wrong words for Notre Dame, but he nailed the analysis for anyone who has been watching.


text:
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Prosecutors investigate spying charges against consortium building dam in Brazil
SAO PAULO – Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that the consortium building a huge dam in the heart of the Amazon rain forest spied on an environmental activist group opposed to the dam.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in the state of Para said on its website that the Xingu Alive Forever group claims that the Belo Monte Construction Consortium paid the person 5,000 reals ($2,500) a month to tape meetings and photograph and identify group members.
The activist group said on its own website that the alleged spy confessed after being caught Sunday taping the organization's annual planning meeting.
The consortium hired the alleged spy last October to "identify leaders among the workers who could organize strikes," Xingu Alive Forever said. Two months later, the activist group said, the spy was ordered to "infiltrate the group, attend its meetings and monitor its participants."
The consortium's press office said it had no immediate comment because it had not been officially notified of the investigation.
An official of the prosecutor's office said the consortium could "be charged with committing a crime against the right of workers to organize themselves."
"If found guilty, those responsible could face jail terms of up to one year and slapped with fines to be set by a judge," she added. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the news media.
The $11 billion, 11,000-megawatt Belo Monte dam, on the Xingu River feeding the Amazon, will be the world's third-largest hydroelectric energy producer behind China's Three Gorges dam and the Itaipu dam, which straddles the Brazil-Paraguay border.
The government has said it will be a source of clean, renewable energy, and damage to the environment would be minimized.
But environmentalists and indigenous groups say the dam would devastate wildlife and the livelihoods of 40,000 people who live in the area to be flooded.


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|Episode Description
|Friday, Nov 30, 2012 - 1:00 PM
"Derek The Deinonychus/Don's Dragonfly"
Derek the Deinonychus - Buddy, Tiny and Mom visit a family of Deinonychus, dinosaurs with large, sharp toe-claws. They meet a kid named Derek who uses his toe-claws to not only hunt with but to carve great art! Don's Dragonfly - Don makes a new friend with red feet, a dragonfly named Howard.. D
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Pets & Wildlife columnist Joan Morris received quite a bit of feedback on her recent column about Abby, the Yorkie terrier killed by a neighbor's dog. Many people asked what they should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.
To help answer those questions, we scheduled an online chat with one of the nation's leading dog trainers and behaviorists, Judie Howard of Moraga.
See a transcript from that conversation below.


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GOSHEN — In a brief, end-of-the-year meeting on Thursday, Orange County lawmakers agreed to hire a White Plains law firm to represent them in their continuing fight with County Executive Ed Diana over next year's funding for the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation.
GOSHEN — In a brief, end-of-the-year meeting on Thursday, Orange County lawmakers agreed to hire a White Plains law firm to represent them in their continuing fight with County Executive Ed Diana over next year's funding for the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation.
The Legislature had already voted overwhelmingly to retain outside legal advice to press its case, so the only issue to be determined at the special session was which firm to hire. After a private, 45-minute discussion, lawmakers voted 13-1 in support of Bank, Sheer, Seymour and Hashmall, the lawyers recommended by their chairman and in-house attorney.
Jeff Berkman, leader of the Legislature's Democratic minority, said beforehand that the firm was "clearly not my first choice," but that he was supporting the selection "rather than start this with a divided house."
"I hope you picked right," he said.
Lawmakers had agreed to spend up to $35,000 on attorneys to advise them and represent them in court if they sue Diana over his refusal to accept changes they made to his 2013 budget to fund the nursing home for a full year. Diana, who planned to fund the home only for a single month, contends the amendments were made improperly and has declared them "null and void."
Seven legislators were absent on Thursday. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Republican Pat Berardinelli, one of two legislators voting in opposition when the 21-member Legislature decided this month to defend its budget changes.
As the battle over Diana's push to privatize the 360-bed nursing home spills into a third year, county officials are scrambling to hire a new administrator by Monday, the last day of work for the contractor Diana hired to run Valley View a decade ago. No information was available Thursday about the status of that search.
But there was one piece of good news about future funding for Valley View.
Peter Constantakes, a spokesman for the state Department of Health, said the agency will soon release the next round of federal grants to counties like Orange that continue to operate nursing homes. Letters notifying the counties of these grants, which are known as intergovernmental transfers, will be sent out either this week or next, Constantakes said.
The reliability of that funding has been a recurring subject in the long Valley View debate, because the money typically comes in two- or three-year intervals, making it difficult to anticipate when budgeting. The average annual payment for Orange County in recent years has been about $3 million, once the county's required matching amount is subtracted.
Diana, who previously has warned lawmakers to expect no further intergovernmental transfers for Valley View, included no such revenue in his 2013 budget proposal. Lawmakers inserted a net payment of $3 million in their amendments to Diana's plan.


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Abusing Mentally Ill Prisoners:
It's about a daily occurrence that we read in the paper or hear a news report, about some kind of gun violence, massacre of innocent people, much too often children in our schools or other locations and a big percentage of the time the person responsible is mentally Ill, that somehow got a gun, guns and tons of ammo.
Many concerned citizens continue to call for common sense gun control laws, background checks, etc. and the National Rifle Association. (NRA) and other pro gun rights groups continue to make excuses why there isn't any need to put any tighter restrictions on guns or the people buying them. Now, you can make a good argument in regard to either side of this issue, but I'm sure all can agree that a mentally disturbed person can get access to funs no matter how tuff gun laws are passed, because friends or family members can purchase guns legally, which they can have access, so maybe the focus should be more on the mental illness itself. Here is where politicians, prosecutors, Judges etc. are talking out of both sides of their mouths. Some keep up the same old talking points, saying it's not the guns, it's the people using them that need to be punished and still most of them recognize the fact that the mentally ill are part of the problem, but are in denial about who helps create the mentally ill or add to their deterioration of their mental state.
Prisons all across America are routinely holding thousands of mentally ill men and women in cruel, isolated and torturous conditions that worsen their mental state, often leading to suicide attempts, sleeplessness, hallucinations, paranoia and self-destructive actions. Judges and courts turn a blind eye to complaints by prisoners even when represented by Lawyers and human rights groups, trying to give the various prisons in the states more latitude to run their own institutions, but society ends up paying a severe price for it later on down the line, because most of these prisoners will be released someday and in worse condition than before they got locked up; unlike state hospitals, prisons are not equipped to treat and handle people with mental health issues. They are not qualified to take on this task and should not be given that role. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or Harvard graduate to understand that a person suffering from mental illness isn't going to get any better isolated in a restricted housing unit, in a prison, especially when they aren't properly treated with meds and whatever other treatment that is required.
In June or July of 2013 the justice dept. issued a report on its 18 month investigation of one of Pennsylvania's prisons (S.C.I Cresson) and found that this solitary confinement of people with serious mental illness was I violation of the U.S constitution, cruel and unusual punishment and the disabilities act. They also said the psychologically damaging condition of long term solitary confinement deprives them of mental health care. As a result of the investigation of that prison, they ended up investigating all the state prisons of Pennsylvania. I read the report which included several individual cases and it would shock the conscience of any normal person, it makes you think how they can get away with treating another human being in this matter!!! It told of mentally ill prisoners banging their heads against steel doors, walls and many other types of self-mutilation causing injuries to themselves, due to the torture going on in their heads and inflicted by those that are supposed to be paid to supervise and confine them.
Around the same time period that the federal investigation by the U.S Justice Dept. was jumping off, there was an independent investigation and lawsuit files by the "Disability Rights Network of Pa. (DRN) which is a non profit organization designed by the commonwealth of Pa. to advocate and protect the rights of Pennsylvanians with mental illness. There are 2,400 prisoners in the (RHU) sections in the state prisons in Pa. that's one third of over 800 that have been diagnosed with mental illness. The restricted housing unit includes death row, administrative custody and disciplinary custody (the hole) Death Row and the other sections of RHU the lights stay on 24/7 which is another form of psychological torture, similar to what jumps off at "Gitmo" (Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, where the U.S. holds terrorist and war criminals, etc. Anyway as a result of the lights being kept on 24/7 it makes sleep difficult and disorienting and a host of other psychological problems. This not only affects the mentally ill, but those of us that aren't crazy yet, but are trying to maintain some sanity.
As I mentioned earlier, this is not only jumping off in Pa. but all over the country. Similar lawsuits have been filed in Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, and New Mexico. Mentally ill prisoners often act out in psychotic behaviour, which gets them punishment and misconducts, resulting in more hole time, instead of getting them the needed medical care. A federal court recently ruled that the prolonged isolation under these extremely harsh conditions exacerbates their mental illness and the prison officials know this or they are deliberately indifferent to the fact.
As part of the investigation, they came here to S.C.I Greene in September 2013. Now, they separated those that have a history of mental illness. They put tables in their section, so they can have "Block Out" and play cards and other board games because most of them don't go to the yard like the rest of us. The tables are bolted down and the guys have to be shackled to the table. I can see that section from my cell door. This may help some, but nobody wants to be mentally ill on meds just to get those so called benefits.
There are smorgasbords of constitutional violations in these egregious actions of the dept. of corrections in their treatment of the mentally ill. The policies and practices of prison officials systematically violated the 8th amendment to the U.S. constitution and should trouble the average citizen. There are too many people out there already that are suffering from mental illness, without prison officials creating more or making people worse than when they came to prison, especially knowing they are morally wrong and these people will be released one day.
TO BE CONTINUED… The struggle continues


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Number four in The Legends series, featuring Wind Waker. The red island in the background is meant to be Dragon Roost.
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Give your home the perfect finishing touch. Our handmade pillowcase is crafted out of 100% natural Materials ( cotton & linen ) and block printed in florals design.
Whether you put it on your sofa, bed, or favorite chair, you'll love snuggling up with this beautiful decor item!
* What makes this pillow case special? The hand-block printing process. The patterns (motifs) are carved by hand on wooden blocks. Low impact dyes are mixed in trays; each color requires a separate block.
The fabric is hand-stamped with one color, firmly and steadily to ensure a precise impression, then dried, re-wound and printed with the next color repeating the same process.
The pillows made of 100% natural Material and has been hand block printed using wooden blocks with perfect combination of Linen and cotton in florals design.
This stylish pillow can accent your sofa, chair, or bedding in a wide variety of interior styles from modern to traditional.
* Hand block printed
* front fabric 83% cotton 17% linen
* back fabric 50% cotton 50% Linen
* Zipper.
* Ships from the Ireland
* Dry cleaning recommends
* Proximity SIZE: 17" x 17" (45x45cm)
* Insert not included
You are welcome to visit our Etsy store:
Follow us on Instagram @aruscraft
Shipping from Ireland
Processing time
1-2 business days
Estimated shipping times
- United States : 6 - 10 business days
- North America : 10 - 21 business days
- Europe : 3 - 7 business days
- Australia, New Zealand and Oceania : 10 - 21 business days
- Asia Pacific : 20 - 30 business days
- Latin America and the Caribbean : 21 - 30 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns and exchanges
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
I don't accept cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
- Custom or personalized orders
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Care instructions
* All cotton (calico) tablecloth in easily washed in wash- machine with cold water (no tumble dry).We recommended using only washing liquid. Any wash powder will damage the color of print .
*For other product like pillowcase dry cleaning recommend.
Gift wrapping and packaging
We provide brown simple gift wrap. A small card made by me. Another side of card empty for your words.
Custom and personalized orders
Yes for pillows & bags , we accept Customised order for pillow cases and bag in different size or design.
No for tablecloth, unfortunately we can not accept any personalized for a tablecloth at the moment .


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Defoe out of action for three weeks
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has been ruled out for up to three weeks with ankle ligament damage.
The 30-year-old forward suffered the injury during the first half of Spurs' 1-0 win over West Brom.
It forced him to withdraw from the England squad for Wednesday's friendly with Brazil at Wembley.
He will now also miss Tottenham's Premier League match against Newcastle on Saturday and the Europa League last-32 home and away ties against Lyon. He could also be absent for the league match at West Ham.
Tottenham will certainly hope Defoe is available for the north London derby at home to Arsenal on Sunday, March 3.
The 30-year-old's injury leaves Spurs short of experienced options in attack, although boss Andre Villas-Boas is hoping to have Emmanuel Adebayor back from African Cup of Nations duty for Saturday's match at White Hart Lane.
The striker is expected to report back for training on Friday after his Togo side were knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage by Burkina Faso.
Clint Dempsey could also be deployed in attack for Spurs, with youngsters Jon Obika and Harry Kane two other options.
Tottenham were linked with a move for Nacional striker Leandro Damaio but opted against signing a striker in the January transfer window with Villas-Boas explaining it was "a risk we were willing to take".
Defoe is the club's leading scorer this season with 14 goals in 32 appearances.


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Texans' Johnson, Williams to start in Pro Bowl | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
For Andre Johnson, this Pro Bowl stuff is almost getting to be old hat.
For Mario Williams?
Well, he tried to say being voted into the AFC starting lineup by his peers was no big deal, but everybody knew he was fibbing. And Williams eventually conceded it was something of an, "I-told-you-so" moment for him after many local fans actually booed his being taken first overall in the 2006 draft ahead of USC's spectacular Reggie Bush and Houston's homegrown legend, Vince Young, who had just won a national championship for the University of Texas.
Johnson, who was at Reliant Stadium that day, heard it with his own ears.
"Me just sitting there," he recalled, "I was like, 'Man, they never even gave this guy a chance to go out on the field to prove himself.' Reggie, sure, he had all the hype. Every time you'd turn on SportsCenter he was there. But you ask anyone who was at that game Sunday (the Texans' 13-12 win over Tennessee) who they'd want on this team and I think they'd say Mario Williams.
"I don't think we were wrong to draft Mario. You've got start on the defensive side of the ball. Defenses win championships."
The 7-7 Texans are in the midst of the best patch in their brief history — they take a four-game winning streak to Oakland Sunday — and their progress as a franchise is further validated Tuesday with the naming of Johnson to his third Pro Bowl and Williams to his first, arguably a season after he deserved to go.
His 14 sacks in 2007 — compared to only 4.5 his rookie year, when people were quick to label him a bust — weren't good enough. However, his 11 to date in 2008 is. Over the last two seasons, he has accounted for almost half of the Texans' total by himself.
Asked if the news had sunk in, Williams said, "A little bit." An extra reason to for him to celebrate is that the news came down on his mother Mary's birthday.
"She's the first person I called," he said after coach Gary Kubiak had phoned him.
Williams admitted the tone of Kubiak's voice was a concern.
"He sounded the same as (when he called) last year," Williams said. "I thought, 'Aw, here it goes again. It happened again.' There was a little pause before he said, I want to congratulate you.' "
Modest Mario
Asked if he could pinpoint the moment when he realized he was "a great player," Williams demurred, replying, "I've still got a lot to learn. I hope one day I will be a great player. The sky's the limit. When you've got a guy like Andre pushing you, you set your standards even higher."
But he added: "No matter how good you're doing there's always going to be somebody telling you how bad you're doing. You can't worry about people's opinions."
As for Johnson, the six-year pro from Miami first represented the conference as a reserve after his second season (2004), and returned to Honolulu in 2006 as a starter. He would be overlooked in 2005 in large part because of the Texans' collective failings — they finished 2-14 — and he wound up missing seven games in 2007 with a sprained knee.
"It was frustrating to go through that, and this year started off frustrating (with four consecutive losses)," he said, "but we got through it. It's all worked out."
Once Johnson is on the field, opposing defenses have routinely paid the price — none more than Tennessee's third-ranked defense. The AFC leader in both catches (103) and receiving (1,408) posted a career day against the Titans — after the Pro Bowl votes had already been cast, by the way — catching 11 passes for a personal-best 207 yards and a touchdown. He has gained more than 100 yards seven times in 2008.
"It's always a tremendous honor to be named one of the best in the league," he said. "But I think my mom enjoys (going to Hawaii) more than I do. We were eating breakfast this morning and the first thing she asked me was, 'When do they announce it?'
"For me, I just go out and play football. If you do what you're supposed to do, all the accolades, the Pro Bowls, will happen for you. But I feel really blessed."
Showing he's a Pro-Bowler off the field, too, Johnson had spent his morning at Toys 'R' Us, allowing needy children to go on a spending spree at his personal expense. The credit-card bill was almost $16,000.
Williams, who will also take his mother to Hawaii, has himself never been there. After last year's disappointment, he vowed not to go unless it was to play in the Pro Bowl.
Johnson will welcome the company.
"Every time I've been I've never had a teammate over there," he said, "so this one will be real special for me. You feel kind of bad when you get introduced and everyone else has teammates there, and you're the only one standing up there on the podium."
Still, it's not the first time the Texans have had two AFC starters. After their first season, 2002, expansion draft picks Gary Walker, a defensive lineman, and cornerback Aaron Glenn went to Hawaii despite the team's 4-12 finish.
Jets most popular
Tight end Owen Daniels, fullback Vonta Leach, guard Chester Pitts, linebacker DeMeco Ryans and running back Steve Slaton were named as alternates for the 2009 AFC squad.
The rookie Slaton seemed to have made a strong case for himself in recent weeks, but as Johnson pointed out, "They don't like to vote rookies in." Slaton is third in the AFC in rushing with 1,124 yards, trailing the two running backs who made the team, the Jets' Thomas Jones and fellow rookie Chris Johnson of the Titans.
Elsewhere in the selections, Peyton and Eli Manning were voted to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday, the first time quarterback-playing brothers have been chosen for the same all-star game.
The Indianapolis Colts' Peyton will make his ninth appearance in 11 seasons and will start for the AFC. It will be the first appearance for Eli, who was the MVP for the New York Giants in last February's Super Bowl. He will be on the NFC team.
The Giants also landed the oldest Pro Bowler ever, 44-year-old kicker John Carney, who was signed at the start of the season as a short-term fill-in for the injured Lawrence Tynes.
The New York Jets led all teams with seven Pro Bowlers, including quarterback Brett Favre, who will be in his 10th Pro Bowl, but his first representing the AFC.
The Tennessee Titans, who have the NFL's best record, are one of three teams with six selections.
"If we were the Dallas Cowboys (five selections), it would easily be 12 of us going to the Pro Bowl," said one of Tennessee's Pro Bowlers, safety Chris Hope.
NFL sack leaders in the 2007-08 seasons:
Player Team No.
DeMarcus Ware Dallas 33
Jared Allen K.C./Minn. 30
John Abraham Atlanta 251/2
Mario Williams Houston 25
Congratulations to them --- next stop - next year, playoffs.......
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