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Let's unlock the garden gate and enter the splendor of these gardens.
Come with me for an exclusive visit and a chat with Guy, and meet this lovely and very private soul who is a world-renowned expert on the aesthetics and ephemeral beauty of gardens.
We've seen the stupendously beautiful photographs he took of the new Hyderabad, India, hotel, Falaknuma Palace (one of the great new palace hotels). And we recently saw an edited portfolio of his spectacular interiors photographs, including private images he took recently in India for the legendary Maharajah of Jodhpur, a dear friend. In case you missed these, check and view recent posts on Falaknuma Palace here, and Guy's Greatest Photos, here.
Now we are encountering the most passionate aspect of Guy's work—his focus on gardens of the world, as well as his private garden design.
These are some of the most striking, original, and perfect garden images you will ever see.
They are so vivid you can smell the lavender and lemons, feel the fresh air brushing your cheek, and hear birds chirping in the trees. You will sense the first dawn light, and the tender last rays of sunset.
He will get up in the middle of the night to capture the first light flickering over a garden. Hervais will follow a garden's progress over years. He understands gardens, loves them, and lets his intelligence and imagination loose on the beauty and glory of these landscapes.
I love gardens that are unique. Unique means exceptional. Exceptional for gardens always means personal.
A garden could be the most simple or the most sophisticated, small or huge, but it should be a personal, private vision.
What is important is its 'anima', its soul, its character, its grandeur of vision, its essence.
It might come from its creator, a hired gardener, the landscape designer, or the owner
When all are united, to bring together design, horticulture, style, originality, beauty, it's a masterpiece.
—photographer Guy Hervais
DDS: Guy, how did you get started photographing gardens?
With time, it became so natural to me, that I decided to pay homage to these discoveries, creating Garden-Secret, my studio dedicated to bespoke books for owners to offer to their friends.
Starting with photography, I manage the art direction from the layout to the end of the printing. My goal is to create the most beautiful books, as unique as their owners.
DDS: Tell us about your own garden in Provence.
GH: AT Le Pavillon de Galon, my residence and studio, we have created several gardens, all inspired by the incredible surrounding landscape.
The main garden, 'Le Jardin à la Française', was originally an abandoned prairie and now fronts the house.
Within its closed walls, 80m by 40m, we decided to design an historical modern garden with a blue and green color palette and balanced planting using very sophisticated shapes and natural essences from the wild mountain behind us.
We love to sit on our terrace in the afternoon and admire it and wonder at our divinities, a series of trees that are over 300 years old.
I have planted a young orchard (we have now about 80 different fruit varietals). There is a spiral planted with olive trees.
We created an avenue of alternating pines and brooms, called 'Les Champs Elysées'.
This is Provence, so naturally we have a fig orchard and our wine, a Côte du Luberon called Hocus Pocus (produced on a tiny scale with only 1000 bottles per year).
DDS: Tell us about the gardens of the eco architect Geoffrey Bawa, in Sri Lanka.
When there, I meet extraordinary artists, architects and very original characters. Among them, I'm passionate about the works of Sir Geoffrey Bawa, one of my very dearest masters. He always finds the perfect relationship between the vegetal and architecture world (where the outside is inside and the inside is outside).
GH: I adore the sculptural gardens created by an inspired American lady, built on the cliffs and rocks of the beautiful Ménerbes village, once the artists Picasso's, Dora Maar's, and Nicolas de Stael's prefered places on earth.
Here you feel how style is mastered.
A strong, beautiful and humble dedication to Beauty and Life.
"I spend a lot of time cultivating my own garden. I used to say that my only 'dictator' is my garden."—Guy Hervais
Here I work with some help, shaping, pruning, digging. I'm very much aware 'gardening' doesn't simply mean a spade, a rake, a mower.
It is soul and it gives back at every moment: new energy, new creation, new thought, strength, inspiration.
It's important for me and my work.
It gives new vision and insight.
All these details are extremely important; they seem endlessly complicated but at the same time they are so simple and are breathtaking in their simplicity.
When creating some garden designs for my clients and friends, I keep reassuring them to give a strong structure to my creation. The 'bones', the form and the structure are like the architecture of the garden.
All the rest follows naturally and gets more impressive over time as it grows. Time is the natural key for seeing a garden grow in harmony.
I have for many years particularly admired a very 'baroque' tree, named 'Sophora Japonica', and an old variety of almond trees named 'Princess', which I have just planted. I am enjoying watching them grow.
At the moment, I'm working on layouts and then the printing will start, undertaken by excellent craftsmen.
DDS: Sources of inspiration for your gardens?
DDS: Favorite garden memory?
They later came to Provence to perform traditional morning and evening ragas, a kind of meditation/holy performance, during 'garden open' days. This Indian music, so beautifully and soulfully performed was pure magic. It was a sublime experience, mixed with the visions of plants, shade of the trees, the sunlight flickering, the warm air, and the whispering sound of the water running in the ancient pools.
To create private books on commission. For example, several of the gardens shown here in this article, have been published privately in books, by their owners. It is a way of capturing, for all time, the ephemeral beauty of the gardens. www.garden-secret.com
All images are by French photographer, Guy Hervais, used with express permission.
Guy Hervais and his wife, Bibi Gex run the glorious Le Pavillon de Galon, a lovely country inn in the dramatic Luberon region of Provence. Visit the gardens and stay for a weekend, a week, a month. Check on www.pavillondegalon.com and learn more about the region, exploring the region, and the local cuisine.


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Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance
Little could be more unusual in the 1920s than for white, upper-class women—"Miss Anne"—to seek to become, in effect, honorary blacks. This ground-breaking group biography uncovers, for the first time, the untold story of the white women of the black Harlem Renaissance.
Returning Miss Anne to her rightful place in the interracial history of the Harlem Renaissance, Kaplan's formidable work remaps the landscape of the 1920s, alters our perception of this historical moment, and brings Miss Anne to vivid life.

subset: commoncrawl


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Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 3/2/2012
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
MR. CARNEY: Thanks for being here. I will make a quick announcement at the top, which is that I have a parent-teacher conference that I am committed to making, and so I need to keep this at about 35 minutes, if I could.
Q Coverage? (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: Hah. Have you seen my kids' report cards? (Laughter.) It's all good.
Ben, can I take your questions?
Q Yes, I have a couple questions on the U.S.-Israel-Iran front, based on the interview the President did with The Atlantic. I'm trying to reconcile a couple of points about the President's approach. He says in the interview, and he's said before, I believe, that he wouldn't presume to tell Israel how to handle its own security. But then he also talks about how an Israeli attack on Iran could be a distraction that would allow Iran to portray itself as a victim. So I mean, in a sense, for reasons he thinks are very legitimate, isn't, in fact, he is trying to tell Israel what to do, which is --
MR. CARNEY: No, he's --
Q -- not to attack and let sanctions work.
MR. CARNEY: What we share in our constant and regular communications with Israeli government, military and intelligence officials, are judgments of the diplomatic situation, the situation regarding Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons technology, and ideas about what contingencies might breed what outcomes. But that is quite different from trying to tell a sovereign nation how to make a decision. And the President wouldn't presume to do that, and he won't presume to do that.
Q When asked if he plans to ramp up his rhetoric with the Prime Minister about the red line issue, he says, "Look, we've got options including the military option," and says, "I don't bluff." Does the White House feel like, privately and publicly, it has, in fact, already spelled out its red line? It has gotten specific?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think -- I want to be clear. The President obviously gave this interview and spoke extensively about this issue. He, the Secretary of State, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, military leaders, intelligence leaders are in regular consultations with our Israeli counterparts. One of the hallmarks of the American-Israeli relationship under this President is the level of cooperation and consultation.
So he is not -- does not need to communicate through an interview with Israeli leaders because he communicates with them regularly. In fact, I think he has probably met with Prime Minister Netanyahu more than any other leader.
And so, that's one thing. And then I think, yes, the conversations that he and the Prime Minister have, that leaders of this administration and leaders of the Israeli government have, are full of detail and analysis. So I don't think there will be -- I think the Israelis understand the policy approach that this President has taken and what our view is of what Iranian behavior is about, what our view is of the time and space that still is there for us to continue to pursue the diplomatic path -- isolating Iran, pressuring Iran to change its behavior. And obviously we share a lot of information in the intelligence sphere about what exactly Iran is up to with regards to its nuclear programs.
Q Finally, the President describes his relationship with the Prime Minster as "functional," and I'm wondering, given the closeness of this relationship, or how it is portrayed to us, is "functional" good enough?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I was in the interview and I think it was a -- he was giving the antonym of the question, which was, some have described it as dysfunctional and he countered, it's actually the opposite, it's functional. It is a full relationship. It is a candid relationship. They meet and speak regularly. Obviously even very close friends, as America is to Israel, don't agree government-to-government on every single issue -- matters of tactics versus strategy. But it's a productive, candid, functional relationship.
Q Thank you.
MR. CARNEY: Yes.
Q Jay, as the President elaborated on that comment about the relationship and said it was a very functional relationship, and talked about the areas in which they agree, he also described it as more of a business-like relationship than a personal rapport. He said they both have had a lot on their plates, and talk more about business than personal issues. Does the President feel that it's important to have more of a personal rapport with the Prime Minister, and is that going to be one of the goals for the meeting on Monday?
MR. CARNEY: I think the President feels that the issue that folks are focused on right now in relation to the American-Israeli relationship is one of paramount importance in terms of not just Israel's national security, but U.S. national security -- and regional and global security -- and that what is most important is that we have the kind of communication and cooperation with our Israeli counterparts that we do have, and that it is clear to Iran and clear to the world what our approach is and what our view is -- our approach is towards Iranian behavior and our view about what Iran needs to do and what its options are.
As the President said in that interview and he said other times, when he took office the world was divided about what to do over Iran's nuclear ambitions and Iran was unified. The reverse is now true because of the approach the President took, and leading the international community by demonstrating his willingness to negotiate -- discuss with Iran, to sit down and talk with Iran if it were willing to demonstrate its commitment to upholding its international obligations. By taking that approach, he has helped unify the international community in an unprecedented level of unanimity in its approach to Iran, which has resulted in an unprecedented level of international action against Iran as a result of its behavior.
So, look, the relationship is sound. I think the President also pointed out that what is true about the relationship is that Israelis know that our friendship with Israel and our support for Israel and our commitment to Israeli security is a bipartisan fact of our life here. And Americans understand that that relationship is the same regardless of which party is in power in Israel.
So this is -- the President looks at this as not a political issue, although some here would politicize it, but as an issue of a strategic, vital partnership with Israel, and a matter of national security.
Q Could you talk about the details of the meeting? Is there going to be a lunch? Is there going to be a joint press conference? Is it just --
MR. CARNEY: I don't have anything beyond the fact that they're meeting to talk to you about today.
Jake, yes.
Q President Obama called the Georgetown University law student, Sandra Fluke, within the hour. Why did he call her and what did he tell her?
MR. CARNEY: It was actually more recent than that; it was probably about 20 minutes ago.
Q That's within the hour.
MR. CARNEY: Sorry, you're right, it was within the hour. I just know that that is what I was -- I was in the Oval when he did, and that's one of the things that delayed the briefing.
The President called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke -- I think is actually how you pronounce it -- because he wanted to offer his support to her. He wanted to express his disappointment that she has been the subject of inappropriate, personal attacks, and to thank her for exercising her rights as a citizen to speak out on an issue of public policy. And it was a very good conversation.
Q Is that all you can tell us about the conversation?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I mean, I think so. It wasn't -- it was several minutes. They had a very good conversation. I think he, like a lot of people, feels that the kinds of personal attacks that she's -- that have been directed her way are inappropriate. The fact that our political discourse has become debased in many ways is bad enough. It is worse when it's directed at private citizen who was simply expressing her views on a matter of public policy.
Q Is it appropriate for Democratic organizations to try to raise money off of this attack on her?
MR. CARNEY: I think that I'll leave that to whatever organizations might agree with her or sympathize with her. The fact of the matter is the President was expressing his support for her, and his disappointment in the kind of attacks that have been leveled at her to her, and his appreciation for her willingness to stand tall and express her opinion.
Q One last question on the same subject, although not on Ms. Fluke. Vice President Biden, at Iowa State University, was referring to the conscience debate about contraception, and he said that, "It got screwed up." That's a quote from the Vice President. Why did it get screwed up?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think as you remember when the President came out and made his announcement about -- from this podium about what the approach he was going to take and direct his administration to take with regards to religious institutions like colleges, universities and hospitals, the idea from the beginning, which we attempted to make clear, was that there was going to be a yearlong period where we would work to achieve a resolution to this that would preserve religious liberty and still provide the contraceptive services to women no matter where they were.
What was clear, as the President I think was pretty explicit about when he was here, is that for whatever reason, the debate was such that it became imperative in his mind that we come up with that resolution in a far quicker period of time. And that's what we did, because he felt it very important that people understand that he took the religious liberty issue very seriously, as he expressed here from the podium. His own experience with faith-based organizations when he was a young man demonstrated to him the importance that they have in our public life, and he believed very clearly that we could extend this important health care coverage to all women, no matter where they work, and do it in a way that still found that balance that preserved religious liberty.
Thanks. Dan.
Q Thank you. Jay, the last time -- the few times the President has met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, much of the focus was on the Middle East peace process. Is the focus on Iran pushing that aside, overshadowing that effort at all?
MR. CARNEY: Well, there's no question that Iranian behavior is a front-and-center issue right now for this President in terms of national security policy, and certainly in his discussions with the Israeli Prime Minister. But it is not the only topic that they will discuss, and it's certainly not the only topic of importance between our two countries. The President remains committed to doing everything his administration can to encourage both parties, both sides, to come to the table negotiate a two-state solution that both sides have said they want and which really is the only way to achieve long-term peace in the region.
So that remains an important item on the agenda, and I'm sure it will be discussed when the two leaders meet.
Q You have discussed here today quite extensively the nature of the relationship between the two leaders, but is there trust in that relationship?
MR. CARNEY: Yes, there is. There is, I think, a very clear understanding of because of the level of cooperation at the highest levels, as well as at the variety of levels that I discussed of what we see with regards to the Iranian issue, what we see is happening there, what our policy is and how and why we're pursing it, why we think, as the President has said, a diplomatic solution where Iran renounces nuclear weapons ambitions is the best option in terms of resolving this problem for the long term, as opposed to temporarily, and that -- because there is time and space available to continue to pursue that path, to continue to pressure Iran, to isolate it, to have the ever-increasing level of sanctions bite in terms of Iran's economy, that that is the right way to go.
It is also the case, as the President made clear in that interview that he does not take any option off the table, and that everybody should be clear about that, that he does not bluff. When he says that no option is off the table in our potential response to Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon, he means it. And I think he made that clear in the interview.
Yes, Norah.
Q When the President says, "I don't bluff," does he mean referring to Iran acquiring the capability, or acquiring a weapon?
MR. CARNEY: I think we have made clear that we are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. We are -- there is a staged process here. And one of the reasons why as I've made clear, and others have, we know there is time and space to continue to pursue a diplomatic path with sanctions and diplomatic pressure is because we have visibility into Iran's nuclear program -- we have IAEA inspectors on the ground -- and we know that they have not made that breakout move towards acquiring nuclear weapons.
We will continue to pressure Iran. We will continue to work with our allies to ratchet up sanctions, to isolate the regime. And the price that they're paying for their behavior is already high and it will get higher. So that's the policy we're pursuing.
Q And then a follow on the President's call with Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke. Was the President made aware of Rush Limbaugh's comments? Is that why he placed the call?
MR. CARNEY: Well, he certainly is aware of them, yes. Yes.
Q And what did he think of those comments?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think -- this is not a quote from him, but I think he thinks they were reprehensible, they were disappointing, they were -- it is disappointing that that kind of -- those kinds of personal and crude attacks could be leveled against someone like this young law school student who was simply expressing her opinion on a matter of public policy, and doing so with a great deal of poise.
Q Is the President frustrated that Republicans have been able to convince at least other Republicans that he's too tough on Israel and too soft on Iran?
MR. CARNEY: I think, Wendell, as you know, there is for some folks an overlay of American domestic politics here. As I know from being with him when he discusses these matters, this is a matter not of domestic politics for him, but a matter of American national security and the security of our close ally, Israel. That's the approach he takes.
And these are extremely serious issues. And, as, again, I think he made clear in the interview that he gave to The Atlantic, he is fully focused on the threat that Iran represents both to Israel, to the region, to the United States, and to the world. And his policy has been designed from day one to prevent Iran from achieving or acquiring nuclear weapons.
Q Reports out of Israel indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants the President to spell out the red lines Iran will not be allowed to cross without the U.S. joining in military action. Is that likely to happen this weekend?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think the President addressed that very clearly in his interview yesterday. I think he made very clear that when we talk about the options available to the United States, and made clear, as he does, that we rule out no option, that we take no option off the table, that includes obviously the military option.
However, it is our policy that the best opportunity we and our many allies on this issue have of resolving the threat posed by the potential of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon is by doing it diplomatically -- by pressuring Iran into changing its behavior so that it makes the decision, that Iran makes the decision, its leaders make the decision, to forsake pursuit of this, of a nuclear weapon. And we have time and space to continue to pursue that policy.
I think the President also made clear that there is -- it is not strategically in the United States' interest to draw explicit red lines as to what hypothetical action by Iran would result in a specific reaction by the United States. He's made clear what our policy is. He has made clear that we do not rule out any option in responding or in dealing with Iranian behavior. And I think that is the way it will remain going forward.
Q And can I give you -- oh, sorry, one more on a purely political question. The President recently crossed the hundred fundraiser threshold in the 2012 campaign, which is being used to beat up on him for focusing more on his reelection than on the affairs of state. I'm looking at a result of Citizens United here. At this point, George W. Bush had done roughly half as many fundraisers as the President.
MR. CARNEY: Well, it's hard to know specifically what it's a result of, as you say. The fact is the President has -- is engaging in political events because that is what is required to run for President and run to be reelected as President. It is also true that, as I understand it -- and I would refer you to the campaign for more details -- that there is an enormous amount of support for the President and a desire to participate in these political events in support of his campaign.
The fact of the matter is that it is still -- and I hesitate to give a percentage -- but it is still a fairly small portion of his time. And he is still enjoying, if you will, the fact that he doesn't have a primary opponent. The other party is engaged in a primary campaign, the length of which is yet to be determined. He understands, having experienced it himself, that they can go on for some time. He is able, because he does not have an opponent and won't have one until the other party has picked its nominee, to spend relatively less time than he might otherwise have had to have spent if he had a primary.
But there is no question that as we get closer to the fall, the President will, as every incumbent President has who is seeking reelection, be spending more time campaigning for reelection.
Q We shouldn't conclude that he appears to be starting earlier to cover the impact of super PACs?
MR. CARNEY: I don't know that that's the case. I mean, I would refer you to the campaign. And I don't know that he started earlier necessarily. He just may be --
Q The numbers suggest --
MR. CARNEY: He just may be more successful at it than some of his predecessors.
Q Minutes after speaking with the President, Ms. Fluke -- I believe is the correct pronunciation of her name -- appeared on the Andrea Mitchell show, and she talked about the message from the leader of Georgetown University -- I believe the title is the president of Georgetown University -- was largely conciliatory, supportive, and talked about the need for more civil discourse in society. Given the fact that the President feels that Rush Limbaugh's comments were reprehensible, disappointing and crude, what if anything should be done --
MR. CARNEY: Well, let's just be clear. You guys were asking me a question. I will say the President expressed to Sandra Fluke -- I think is the pronunciation -- that he was disappointed that she was the subject of these crude -- of these personal attacks. I think it's fair to say that "reprehensible" was my word. I don't want to -- but look, these were unfortunate attacks that were leveled against her, and the President feels that way. I think it's --
Q Unfortunate?
MR. CARNEY: They were inappropriate and reprehensible. But the point is, the President called her to thank her for speaking out on a matter -- and doing so with great poise -- on a public policy matter, and to express his disappointment that she had been subjected to these kinds of attacks. I think that -- my understanding is that's not quite the complete quotation from the President of Georgetown, but I'll leave it to you to check into that.
Q Can I ask a follow-up, Jay?
MR. CARNEY: Sure. Sorry, Andrei, you're next.
Q Okay, just two. Last night at one of the fundraisers in New York City, the President made a comment that instead of running campaign ads, I can just run footage of these GOP debates and people will be able to see clearly the differences. And his tone was one of ridicule, I think it's fair to say. But repeatedly, we've heard White House officials and I think even the President himself say that you expect a very tough and close race in the fall. Given the fact that the President apparently doesn't have high regard for the way the GOP candidates are conducting themselves, is it still the case that you still expect a tough, close race?
MR. CARNEY: I would take issue with your characterization of what he said. I think the point, as he and I and others and folks at campaign have made, is that what we have seen from the competition on the other side to produce a nominee for the Republican Party is that no matter who the nominee is, assuming it's somebody from the current field, the policies are very much the same.
And the policies are essentially reiterations of -- often on steroids -- of the policies that got us into this mess -- that say we don't need to regulate Wall Street, even though the financial crisis was the worst since the Great Depression and the fact that Wall Street was operating on its own set of rules contributed greatly to that. We don't need to regulate or prevent insurance companies from throwing people off when they get sick -- throwing people off of their insurance coverage when they get sick, and we can throw off the many hundreds of thousands, I think a couple million even, younger Americans who have now -- who now have insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act. And we should -- again, according to the policy proposals put forward, which are quite similar to the ones that our Republican friends on the Hill have put forward -- we should not just -- not only should we not take a balanced approach to deficit and debt reduction, but in dealing with deficits and debt, we should go ahead and give bigger tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires while making life even harder for the middle class.
There's no question that the President believes that in a choice between those substantive policy positions on the economy and the ones that he has pursued and is presenting, that he believes that his options are better and that the American people will agree with him come November.
I've got to do Andrei and then I've got to do one more.
Q Thank you, Jay. In the run-up to the elections in Russia, President Putin published a number of articles, made a number of announcements, including on international relations. He repeatedly was asked about Iran and Syria. He basically -- his basic point is he is not happy with a certain trigger happiness in the world that exists.
MR. CARNEY: A certain what?
Q Trigger happiness.
MR. CARNEY: Is that -- are those your words or his?
Q That's my words, but that's the essence of what he was saying. He said that's why -- that guided the Russian position; in certain instances, it guided the Chinese position. My question to you about that is you said we want to make our views known so that everybody -- there's no mistake about it -- knows. Do these views from Russia and China, do these views count for the White House? And I also have a technical question about the election after.
MR. CARNEY: Well, okay let me -- and we're going to have to move quickly. Of course, the views of Russian leaders count. We have a very important relationship with Russia and we will continue to have that important relationship. We have been in regular consultation with Russian government officials on this very issue.
The fact of the matter is, Andrei, as you know, we profoundly disagree with the decision by Russia to veto the United Nations Security Council resolution that would have -- that supported the Arab League proposal for a transition in Syria. And as regards to trigger happiness, I think anyone who has watched a single minute of footage of the brutal assault by the Assad regime on his own people understands that the trigger happiness is all on one side. And the brutality being carried out in the city of Homs in the last 24 to 48 hours is disgraceful and horrific, and should be condemned by every nation of the world. And we call on every nation of the world to join with the "Friends of Syria" to take action to prevent further brutality and further murder of Syrian people.
Q But don't we have to move away both the government troops and the opposition armed troops?
MR. CARNEY: And have you seen any sign, Andrei -- any sign -- of the government troops being willing to do anything but slaughter Syrian people who are peacefully demonstrating for more democracy? I don't think so.
Q Okay, my --
MR. CARNEY: Hey, Andrei, I got to go to the parent-teacher conference.
Q Reelections, Jay, please. Does the President --
MR. CARNEY: (Speaking Russian)
Q Does the President follow the elections and does he know who is in the running? What's his opinion? (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: I confess, despite my personal interest and history with Russia, that I have not discussed with him lately, but I know he is fully aware of the upcoming elections and the participants therein.
Thank you all very much. I apologize for having to end early.
Q Week ahead?
MR. CARNEY: We'll get that to you.
Q Have a nice weekend.
MR. CARNEY: Thank you.


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True confidence — as opposed to the false confidence people project to mask their insecurities — has a look all its own. One thing is certain: truly confident people always have the upper hand over the doubtful and the skittish because they inspire others and they make things happen.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right."
– Henry Ford
Ford's notion that your mentality has a powerful effect on your ability to succeed is seen in the results of a recent study at the University of Melbourne that showed that confident people earn higher wages and get promoted more quickly than anyone else.
Indeed, confident people have a profound impact on everyone they encounter. Yet, they achieve this only because they exert so much influence inside, on themselves.
We see only their outside. We see them innovate, speak their mind, and propel themselves forward toward bigger and better things.
And, yet, we're missing the best part.
We don't see the habits they develop to become so confident. It's a labor of love that they pursue behind the scenes, every single day.
And while what people are influenced by changes with the season, the unique habits of truly confident people remain constant. Their focused pursuit is driven by these habits that you can emulate and absorb:
1. They speak with certainty. It's rare to hear the truly confident utter phrases such as "Um," "I'm not sure," and "I think." Confident people speak assertively because they know that it's difficult to get people to listen to you if you can't deliver your ideas with conviction.
2. They seek out small victories. Confident people like to challenge themselves and compete, even when their efforts yield small victories. Small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation. The increase in androgen receptors increases the influence of testosterone, which further increases their confidence and eagerness to tackle future challenges. When you have a series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last for months.
3. They exercise. A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically. They also rated their body image and self-esteem higher. Best of all, rather than the physical changes in their bodies being responsible for the uptick in confidence, it was the immediate, endorphin-fueled positivity from exercise that made all the difference.
4. They don't seek attention. People are turned off by those who are desperate for attention. Confident people know that being yourself is much more effective than trying to prove that you're important. People catch on to your attitude quickly and are more attracted to the right attitude than what, or how many, people you know. Confident people always seem to bring the right attitude.
Confident people are masters of attention diffusion. When they're receiving attention for an accomplishment, they quickly shift the focus to all the people who worked hard to help get them there. They don't crave approval or praise because they draw their self-worth from within.
5. They don't pass judgment. Confident people don't pass judgment on others because they know that everyone has something to offer, and they don't need to take other people down a notch in order to feel good about themselves. Comparing yourself to other people is limiting. Confident people don't waste time sizing people up and worrying about whether or not they measure up to everyone they meet.
6. They get their happiness from within. Happiness is a critical element of confidence, because in order to be confident in what you do, you have to be happy with who you are. People who brim with confidence derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from their own accomplishments, as opposed to what other people think of their accomplishments.
7. They listen more than they speak. People with confidence listen more than they speak because they don't feel as though they have anything to prove. Confident people know that by actively listening and paying attention to others, they are much more likely to learn and grow. Instead of seeing interactions as opportunities to prove themselves to others, they focus on the interaction itself, because they know that this is a far more enjoyable and productive approach to people. If you struggle with this, emotional intelligence training can help.
8. They take risks. When confident people see an opportunity, they take it. Instead of worrying about what could go wrong, they ask themselves, "What's stopping me? Why can't I do that?" and they go for it. Fear doesn't hold them back because they know that if they never try, they will never succeed.
9. They aren't afraid to be wrong. Confident people aren't afraid to be proven wrong. They like putting their opinions out there to see if they hold up because they learn a lot from the times they are wrong and other people learn from them when they're right. Self-assured people know what they are capable of and don't treat being wrong as a personal slight.
10. They celebrate other people's successes. Insecure people constantly doubt their relevance, and because of this, they try to steal the spotlight and criticize others in order to prove their worth. Confident people, on the other hand, aren't worried about their relevance because they draw their self-worth from within. Instead of insecurely focusing inward, confident people focus outward, which allows them to see all the wonderful things that other people bring to the table. Praising people for their contributions is a natural result of this.
Bringing It All Together
Building confidence is a journey, not a destination. To become more confident you must be passionate in your pursuit of a greater future.
Author: Dr. Travis Bradberry
Author of #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and president of TalentSmart, world's leading provider of emotional intelligence.


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Increase of 37 Per Cent in Tyson's Quarterly Operating Income
US - In its first-quarter report, Tyson Foods has recorded sales of $10.8 billion, an increase of 23 per cent over the same period of the previous year.Among the other results highlighted in its first-quarter 2015 report are record adjusted operating income up 37 per cent to $564 million and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up seven per cent to $0.77 compared to $0.72 in first quarter of prior year
Total debt has been reduced by $650 million during the first quarter.
Overall adjusted operating margin was 5.2 per cent for the quarter, with the chicken segment operating margin at 12.6 per cent.
$60 million in synergies has been captured during the first quarter.
Donnie Smith , president and chief executive officer of Tyson Foods commented on these results: "Tyson's fiscal year is off to a great start with our first full quarter as a combined company producing record sales and adjusted operating income. We used our strong cash flows to pay down debt by $650 million in the quarter.
"We achieved $60 million in synergies in the first quarter, and we are confident we will exceed the $225 million synergy target for this fiscal year. We also reiterate our guidance of adjusted earnings in the range of $3.30 to 3.40 per share based on the strength of our diversified and balanced business model.
"We are proceeding with the integration of Hillshire Brands. I want to thank our team members for their ability to quickly focus on the business as we brought the two companies together. The first quarter was a crucial time, and the team handled it well. Their efforts will be vital to our success going forward, and I don't think Tyson Foods could be in a better position. We've set ourselves up for another record year, and we are building momentum that will take us into fiscal 2016."
Summary of Segment Results
Chicken - Sales volume grew as a result of stronger demand for chicken products. Average sales price increased as a result of market conditions and sales mix changes. Operating income increased due to higher average sales price and volumes in addition to lower feed ingredient costs which decreased $110 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2015.
Beef - Sales volume decreased due to a reduction in live cattle processed. Average sales price increased due to lower domestic availability of beef products. Operating income decreased due to higher fed cattle costs and periods of reduced consumption of beef products, which made it difficult to pass along increased input costs, as well as lower sales volumes and increased operating costs.
Pork - Increased demand for the company's pork products drove higher average sales price and sales volume. Additionally, average sales price increased due to lower total hog supplies which resulted in higher input costs. Operating income remained strong as revenues were maximised relative to live hog markets, partially attributable to operational and mix performance.
Prepared Foods - Sales volume increased primarily due to incremental volumes from the acquisition of Hillshire Brands as well as improved demand for our prepared foods products. Average sales price increased due to price increases associated with better product mix which was positively impacted by the acquisition of Hillshire Brands, as well as increased prices associated with higher input costs. Despite incurring $10 million of higher raw material costs related to Tyson's legacy Prepared Foods business, along with $40 million of ongoing costs related to a legacy Hillshire Brands plant fire and merger and acquisition costs, operating income improved due to an increase in sales volume and average sales price mainly attributed to Hillshire Brands. Additionally, Prepared Foods operating income was positively impacted by $55 million related to profit improvement initiatives and Hillshire Brands synergies.
International - Sales volume decreased due to the sale of the Brazil operation during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Average sales price decreased due to supply imbalances associated with weak demand in China. Operating loss improved due to the sale of the Brazil operation and better market conditions in Mexico.
In fiscal 2015, Tyson Foods expects overall domestic protein production (chicken, beef, pork and turkey) to increase approximately one per cent from fiscal 2014 levels. Grain supplies are expected to increase in fiscal 2015, which should result in lower input costs as well as decreased costs for cattle and hog producers.
The following is a summary outlook for each of our segments, as well as an outlook on sales, capital expenditures, net interest expense, liquidity and share repurchases.
The company's accounting cycle results in a 53-week year in fiscal 2015 as compared to a 52-week year in fiscal 2014. Accordingly, the outlook is based on a 52-week year.
Chicken – Current USDA data shows an increase in chicken production of three per cent in fiscal 2015. More recent data indicates a greater increase in supply; however, the company believes demand will more than keep pace with the supply change. Based on current futures prices, it expects lower feed costs in fiscal 2015 compared to fiscal 2014 of approximately $400 million. Many sales contracts are formula-based or shorter-term in nature but there may be a lag time for price changes to take effect. Based on the strong demand forecast and anticipated favourable pricing environment, Tyson Foods now believes its Chicken segment's operating margin will be above 11 per cent for the remainder of fiscal 2015.
Beef – The company expects to see a reduction of industry fed cattle supplies of four to five per cent in fiscal 2015 as compared to fiscal 2014. Although adequate supplies are foreseen in the regions of operation, there may be periods of imbalance of fed cattle supply and demand. For fiscal 2015, the Beef segment's profitability is forecast to be slightly below fiscal 2014.
Pork – Industry hog supplies are expected to increase around two to three per cent in fiscal 2015 compared to fiscal 2014. For fiscal 2015, the company's Pork segment's operating margin will be in its normalized range of six to eight per cent.
Prepared Foods – Tyson Foods is proceeding with the integration of Hillshire Brands. In fiscal 2015, it expects to realise in excess of $225 million of synergies from the acquisition as well as profit improvement plan for its legacy Prepared Foods business, with the majority to be realised in the Prepared Foods segment. Improved brand portfolio and innovation pipeline are expected to offset partially expected input cost inflation. Fiscal 2015 operating margin is expected to be in excess of six per cent, and the long-term operating margin for this business should be between 10 and 12 per cent.
International – The sale of the Mexico chicken production operation is expected to be completed in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. As a result, International revenues in fiscal 2015 are forecast to decrease by approximately $600 to $650 million as compared to fiscal 2014. Excluding any gain associated with the sale of the Mexico operations, Tyson Foods expects the International segment's adjusted operating loss to improve by approximately $35 million in fiscal 2015.
Sales – Fiscal 2015 sales are expected to approximate $42 billion as the company integrates Hillshire Brands and continues to accelerate growth in domestic value-added chicken sales and Prepared Food sales.
Capital Expenditures – Fiscal 2015 capital expenditures is forecast to be approximately $900 million.
Net Interest Expense – Fiscal 2015 net interest expense is expected to be approximately $280 million.
Liquidity – Total liquidity, which was $1.6 billion on 27 December 2014, is likely to be above the goal to maintain liquidity in excess of $1.2 billion.
Share Repurchases – The company plans to re-purchase a number of shares equivalent to the dilution expected to be realised from the current fiscal year grant under its stock-based compensation programmes.


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Cox Roofing's February model home search is underway! We are looking for ONE model home to showcase in our print and online marketing for the month of February.
Have your home be our model home for the month and you'll get your roof at cost. So, not only will you get our quality craftsmanship on your new roof – you'll get your roof at a great price! We are only choosing one home for our February model home search from all of the areas that we service: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Howard County, Harford County, and Montgomery County. To have your home be considered for our February model home search, contact Cox Roofing today!
To be a part of our February model home search, fill out the form below.
Cox Roofing:
Cox Roofing is a full-service, certified roofing contractor that provides residential and commercial roofing services of the residents of the state of Maryland, with particular focus on Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County and Montgomery County. We pride ourselves on our personalized service which transforms your property into the residence or business of your dreams. Get in touch for your free estimate today.
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$ 42.00
Tropical monstera leaf charm bangle is make using precious metal round wire featuring dainty little monstera charm. Bangle is hand- formed, hammered into scallop design and polished for a stunning texture and shine. It looks great worn alone or paired with other shell & pearl bangles!
Monstera charm is slightly hammered and measured approximately 10mm.
*******Each bangle is custom made to order so can not be return or exchange for that reason.


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Are you fully prepared for working and travelling in unsafe areas? Are you capable of dealing with possible life-threatening situations and will you be able to function optimally despite the circumstances? Our Basic Safety & Security Course is designed to prepare and train aid workers, researchers and other employees of NGOs and government agencies for working and travelling in unsafe areas.
This training course is based on role playing and interaction in simulations of real-life scenarios, from which you will learn and practice skills to help build self-confidence and for adopting a rational attitude. A safe learning environment is maintained at all times, and you will most likely experience a warm atmosphere and even some fun during the course. One year after completing the course, you will receive an e-learning course to refresh your knowledge and skills.
Knowledge & Skills
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Further information
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Duration: 3 days, including three evening programmes
Venue: Soesterberg, the Netherlands
Certification: on completion of the course you will receive a certificate
For more information about the costs of the course please click here
Accommodation and food & beverage are automatically reserved for all participants for the nights during the course.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.


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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceQiNQuZ6gg&w=500&h=345]
In retrospect, the biggest problem with Howard Kurtz's rant about the media's overhyping Irene was that he was way too early. When I linked to him on Sunday afternoon, the storm clearly seemed to have fizzled — and the main question at the time was whether the media should have been more restrained, or if we were dealing with a genuinely threatening situation that just happened not to pan out. Then came the floods.
Yesterday, New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter and I appeared on "The Emily Rooney Show" on WGBH Radio (89.7 FM) to discuss whether the media were guilty of overkill. Essentially we were in agreement: the non-stop coverage was too much and often silly; the fact that Irene veered away from Washington and New York City initially made it seem like the storm had been oversold; but given the devastation in Vermont, Upstate New York, Western Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire, it turned out that the storm hadn't be overhyped at all. (It was a great kick to share the stage for a moment with Stelter, whom I hugely admire. Here is his Monday story on the Weather Channel.)
The last word goes to Charles Apple (via Martin Langeveld), who mocks the hype theory with images of the reality on the ground. Irene was a major storm that will affect the region for months to come. It was, in some respects, every bit as bad as the predictions — just different.
Video above is from Brattleboro Community Television.


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Friday, February 26, 2010
Maple-glazed drumsticks and vegetables
Chicken drumsticks are a really affordable cut of meat that can be made into a number of delicious dishes. I'd call it a perfect recession dish, if it weren't for the maple syrup - hardly a cheap ingredient, at least here in Estonia (and I doubt that the proper stuff is cheap anywhere). Maple syrup lends these drumsticks a lovely sweet flavour, the potatoes add the bulk and roasted cherry tomatoes cheer the whole dish up with their lovely colour.
You could obviously use chicken thighs or even breast fillets instead of drumsticks.
Maple-glazed roasted chicken drumsticks and vegetables
(Vahtrasiirupis röstitud kanakoivad)
Serves three to four
8 chicken drumsticks
4-6 large garlic cloves
6 Tbso maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves only
juice of half a small lemon
500 g small potatoes
250 g cherry tomatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mix maple syrup, olive oil mustard, rosemary leaves and lemon juice in a medium-sized oven tray, season generously. Add the drumsticks and stir them in the mixture to cover. Add the garlic cloves (we LOVE oven-roasted whole garlic cloves over here. If that's not your favourite thing, then simply add 2-3 crushed garlic cloves to the maple glaze).
Peel the potatoes and cut into thin wedges. Add to the oven dish and give them a quick stir.
Roast in the middle of a pre-heated 200 C/400 F oven for about 20 minutes.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes on top and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and chicken is done.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie a la The Hummingbird Bakery
The Hummingbird Bakery is the bakery in London at the moment, specializing in American-style cakes and sweets. It's a brainchild of Tarek Malouf that opened in 2004, and the book - The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook - featuring their most popular cakes and pastries was published in 2009. It's a gorgeous book, full of inviting and appetizing recipes, though the only one I've made so far is this Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie. And I've made it three times during the last month or so - for K's mum's birthday (twice) and for our daughter's first birthday party as well. I've followed the recipe more or less - replacing the icing sugar with caster sugar, topping up the amount of cheesecake to suit our local 150 g packs of cream cheese, and baking it in a round cake tin instead. I might reduce the sugar content in the brownie layer next time, as the cake is rather sweet (though the slight acidity of the raspberry layer balances it all out nicely).
The interesting thing about this cake is that the cheesecake and brownie layers are cooked at once - and this can be made a day or even two days before serving. A great cake for making in advance, as all you have to do before serving is topping it with raspberry whipped cream.
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie
(Vaarikatega šokolaadi-toorjuustukook)
Serves 12
Brownie layer:
200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
200 g unsalted butter, softened
250 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
110 g plain flour (200 ml)
Cheesecake layer:
450 g cream cheese, softened
150 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Raspberry topping:
200 ml whipping cream
100 g caster sugar
200 g raspberries
Butter a 26 cm springform tin, line the base with a sheet of parchment paper.
For the brownie layer:
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
Cream the butter and sugar, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Sift and fold in the flour and finally fold in the slightly cooled melted chocolate.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cake tin.
For the cheesecake layer:
cream the softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla extract until combined, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Pour the cheesecake mixture carefully over the uncooked brownie mixture.
Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 170 C / 325 F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and light golden around the edges. (The cheesecake layer will firm furthen when cooling).
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Before serving whisk the cream and sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in the fresh or frozen (defrost and drain first!) raspberries. Spread the raspberry cream over the cheesecake and decorate with chocolate and extra raspberries.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Green Fruit Salad
Making fruit salads during summer is easy. Take some strawberries, apples, pears, wild forest berries, juicy apricots or nectarines - basically, whatever is in season - slice, dress, garnish and serve.
During winter - at least in this part of the world - it's a lot more difficult. We're in the middle of the coldest and snowiest winter many of us can remember. None of the local fruits are in season, and the imported stuff is often of questionable quality. However, here's a recipe I've made few times that seems to suit the chilly climate of the moment. You can find reasonably good and sweet kiwi fruit, and the grapes (all imported, of course) in the shops at the moment.
I guess what I like about this simple salad is the colour. The vibrant green reminds me that the Spring is just around the corner, however unlikely it seems in Estonia at the moment...
Green Fruit Salad Recipe
(Roheline puuviljasalat)
Serves 4 to 6
4 to 6 ripe and sweet kiwis
250 g green (seedless) grapes
half a lime, juiced and zested
a drizzle of maple syrup
Peel the kiwis and cut into thin slices. Wash the grapes, halve and remove the seeds, if necessary. Drizzle the kiwi slices and grape halves with lime juice and maple syrup, place on a serving bowl.
Scatter the lime zest on top and serve.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Delicious Lenten Buns with Marzipan and Raspberries (Vastlakuklid)
It's Shrove Tuesday here in Estonia today, which means that people eat copious amounts of vastlakuklid aka Lenten buns aka semlor today. For the past decade I've been baking my own Lenten buns using this excellent recipe of mine. However, this year I decided to be a bit more adventurous, so I flirted with chocolate Lenten buns and marzipan-raspberry buns. Both were excellent and worth sharing with you. I start with the pink ones (after all, the pink-and-red-filled Valentine's Day has just passed).
The recipe is very slightly adapted from the Finnish Kotiliesi. Note that these can be on your table within two hours from starting. But when I mixed the dough on Sunday morning I realised that I didn't actually have the time to bake and fill the buns. So instead of quick-rising the dough in a warm place, as usual, I transferred the bowl to a very cool garage, where it had about 24 hours time to prove and rise slowly. It did wonders to the dough, I must admit - the flavour was even better than usual, so I'll be slow-proving my yeast doughs in the future as well.
Decadent Lenten Buns, filled with marzipan and raspberries
(Vaarikased vastlakuklid)
Makes about 16
Yeast dough:
300 ml milk
25 g fresh yeast or a sachet of dried instant yeast
85 g sugar (100 ml)
a pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
half of a beaten egg
450 g all-purpose/plain flour (about 800 ml)
75 g unsalted butter, softened
For brushing:
half of a beaten egg
150 g marzipan
2-3 Tbsp milk
200-250 ml whipping or double cream
2 tsp vanilla sugar (or ordinary caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract)
200 g raspberries (frozen are fine)
If using instant yeast, then mix flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the lukewarm milk, whisked egg and mix until you've got a soft dough. At the end add the softened butter and knead into the dough. Cover the bowl with a clingfilm and place into a warm and draft-free place for about an hour. The dough should rise nicely and about double in size during this time.
Dust your working board with some flour and roll the dough into a long "sausage". Cut that into 15-16 chunks and form these into a nicely-shaped round balls (see my previous post for one way of doing this).
Place the dough balls onto a large baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and let rise another 15-20 minutes.
Brush with the rest of the egg, then bake in the middle of a pre-heated 225 C oven for about 15 minutes, until the buns are lovely golden brown.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a metal rack to cool.
When cool, then cut off a top from all the buns. Using a teaspoon, scoop a small hole into the middle of each bun.
Put the scooped-out bun pieces into the food processor alongside the marzipan and some milk. Process until smooth, then spoon the marzipan filling back into the buns. Like this:
Whisk the cream and sugar until thick and fluffy. Gently stir in the raspberries (use a slotted spoon to add the raspberries - you don't want the "raspberry juice" you get when defrosting the berries). Spoon or pipe the cream onto the buns, then replace the "lids".
Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cream Cheese Spread with Beetroot and Horseradish
I should start a regular feature here on Nami-Nami, called the "Beetroot Recipe of the Month" or "This Week's Way with Beets" - as we do eat beetroot pretty much each week. It's cheap, seasonal and actually much more versatile than one might think. This recipe is inspired by a cream cheese spread served in a lovely deli-café in Tallinn, called NOP. I've used it as a sandwich filling here, but it would also work as a dip for crudités or as a topping for a jacket potato.
Cream Cheese Spread with Beet and Horseradish
(Rukkileib peedi-mädarõika kreemiga)
Serves 4
75 g cooked or roasted beetroot
150 g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 heaped tsp creamed horseradish
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
freshly ground black pepper
dark rye bread, to serve
Grate the beetroot finely. Add the cream cheese, horseradish and chopped dill and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve with rye bread, spread about a tablespoon of the mixture on a slice of bread, then top with another bread slice and cut diagonally into two triangles.
January 2010: Dashing Coconut and Beetroot Soup
May 2009: Beetroot Salad with Cottage Cheese and Leeks
November 2008: Oven-baked Salmon with Beetroot
September 2008: Roasted Beets with Caraway Seeds
August 2008: Beetroot and Potato Salad
March 2008: Marbled Beetroot Eggs
March 2008: Bruschetta with Cheese, Garlic and Beets
February 2008: Beetroot Hummus
January 2008: Creamy Beetroot Soup with Horseradish
December 2007: Russian Vinaigrette Salad
November 2007: Beetroot Soup with Goat's Cheese
September 2007: Delicious Vegetarian Borscht Recipe
(to be continued...)
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Colorful Quinoa Salad with Crayfish and Avocado
This is my favourite salad at the moment - I served it twice during our daughter's birthday weekend, where it was very quickly eaten by everyone. Even my dad, a typical Estonian male (read: pork and potatoes kind of guy) had two large helpings of this salad. I've been asked to make it for a friend's birthday party this coming weekend. Thinking of that, I might just bring it to my mum's birthday table in a fortnight as well - it's really delicious and light and unusual. You see, quinoa isn't widely known - or consumed - here in Estonia, and turns out it's actually really suited for our Nordic taste buds :)
Note here that the original plan was to make a cous-cous salad with shrimps and avocado, served with some creamy dressing. But the crayfish tails looked more appealing in the shop, and I had run out of cous-cous at home, so I ended up serving this delightful combination of ingredients instead.
As avocados lose their appetizing green colour with time, it's best to make this salad right before serving. This should not be a problem, as it's supereasy to make and takes almost no time whatsoever (apart from some slicing and cooking the quinoa). The quinoa can be actually still slightly warm when mixed with other ingredients.
What's your favourite way with quinoa? I've already bought another packet, you see, and would appreciate any serving suggestions!
Colourful Quinoa Salad with Crayfish and Avocado
(Kinoasalat vähisabade ja avokaadoga)
Serves ten
250 ml quinoa (a cup)
500 ml vegetable stock (2 cups)
0.5 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed avocado oil
1 lemon, juiced
500 g crayfish tails, drained (I used hand-peeled tails in brine)
3 to 4 ripe avocados
3 to 4 roasted red peppers (from the deli counter)
a large handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water, using a fine mesh sieve (this is an important step, as otherwise the quinoa can be bitter). Drain.
Place the quinoa and stock (or water and Marigold bouillon powder) in a saucepan. Season with salt, then bring to the boil and simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is soft and the water has evaporated.
Stir in the oil and half of the lemon juice. Place the quinoa into a large serving bowl.
Add the drained crayfish tails:
Halve the avocados, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Cut the avocados into chunks or slices and sprinkle immediately with the rest of the lemon juice. Add to the serving bowl.
Slice the roasted red peppers, add to the serving bowl.
Add the parsley, season with pepper and salt, if necessary. Stir gently until combined. Serve.
Fold gently so all ingredients are mixed. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Sticky & Sweet
No, I'm not talking about Madonna's 2008/2009 concert tour, but about Sticky & Sweet Chicken Wings. I've only discovered the pleasures of chicken wings (very) recently and was surprised to find that there is actually some meat and not just bones and skin involved :) I've been trying out various recipes now - three different ones just during the last week (garlickly Lebanese ones, Teriyaki wings and these sticky and sweet ones), and have bookmarked a number of other recipe ideas (Blake Royer's Baked Buffalo Wings and Susan Russo's Maple-Beer-Chili Chicken Wings, for example). I bet there will be more chicken wing recipes coming up on Nami-Nami as well.
This particular recipe is a slight adaptation of a recipe by the beloved British author, Nigel Slater. The tanginess of the mustard and sweetness of honey make these deliciously sticky and sweet indeed.
Sticky & Sweet Chicken Wings
(Kleepjad magusad kanatiivad)
Serves 3-4 as appetizers, can be easily multiplied to serve a crowd
about 600 g of chicken wings
2 heaped Tbsp grainy French mustard
1 heaped Tbsp runny honey
about 5 Tbsp lemon juice (one medium-sized lemon)
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
First, you need to prepare you chicken wings. Using poultry shears or a sharp chef's knife, cut the wings into three parts, as shown on the photo below. Discard the wing tips. Susan mentions in her post that you can buy something called "party wings" in the States - that is chicken wings that have already had their tips removed. No such produce over here, but removing the tips is actually easy.
Sticky & Sweet Chicken Wings
(Kleepjad magusad kanatiivad)
Serves 3-4 as appetizers, can be easily multiplied to serve a crowd
about 600 g of chicken wings
2 heaped Tbsp grainy French mustard
1 heaped Tbsp runny honey
about 5 Tbsp lemon juice (one medium-sized lemon)
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
First, you need to prepare you chicken wings. Using poultry shears or a sharp chef's knife, cut the wings into three parts, as shown on the photo below. Discard the wing tips. Susan mentions in her post that you can buy something called "party wings" in the States - that is chicken wings that have already had their tips removed. No such produce over here, but removing the tips is actually easy.
Combine mustard, honey, lemon juice, crushed garlic in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken wings and move them around, so they're evenly covered with the mixture. Cover the bowl with a cling film and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Line a smallish oven dish with foil, place the chicken wings and any marinade in the tray. Roast in a pre-heated 220 C oven for about 30 minutes, turning once, until the kitchen wings are fully cooked (yet moist inside), gorgeously dark golden brown and very sticky.
Serve with a fresh salad and provide plenty of wet napkins.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Deviled Eggs with Shrimp Filling
Devilled eggs are a popular appetizer in Estonia - I've blogged about the classical version here. I love the traditional version, but recently I've been also exploring alternative ways of making and serving deviled eggs. Here's an idea snapped from the Swedish Arla site. It's full of Nordic flavours - dill and caraway seeds - with an addition of cooked shrimps. Slightly more festive than the traditional one, and very delicious.
Deviled Eggs with Shrimp Filling
(Krevetitäidisega munad)
Makes 12
6 large eggs
3 heaped Tbsp sour cream
100 g peeled cooked shrimps/prawns
half a lemon, zested
0.5 tsp ground caraway seeds
2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boil the eggs for 8-10 minutes, then cool under cold running water. Peel the eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove the egg yolks and chop finely.
Put 12 shrimps aside for garnishing. Chop the rest of the shrimps as finely or coarsely as you wish. Mix with sour cream, grated lemon zest, ground caraway seeds and chopped dill and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the filling onto the egg whites. Place on a serving tray, garnish with whole shrimps and dill sprigs.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
A Birthday Cake
Last Saturday our beautiful little daughter, Nora Adeele, turned one. Like every other parent, we are amazed how quickly time flies - it seems hard to believe that it's already been a year since she rushed into this world last January (see a post here). I've kept stories about her at minimum here at Nami-Nami, as I've been worried it'd turn into a mommy&baby blog in no time whatsoever :D But just to recap - she's been an excellent companion to us during the last year, and a healthy, curious and happy girl. She has a good appetite (we've been trying to follow the principles of baby-led weaning), but as she's also very active, she's a light one (just 8,5 kg this morning). Oh - and she's already been to Southern France (where she dined at two 3-Michelin-star restaurants :D) and to London, so she's a well-travelled little lady.
We celebrated this important milestone with a party and a cake. The party was attended by many of Nora's friend (she's very sociable and loves playing with other kids), and a delicious cake that was inspired by the famous Swedish Princess Cake - a sponge cake sandwiched with raspberries, whipped cream and curd cheese, and topped with marzipan. As you can see from the above picture, then Nora Adeele was thrilled about her first birthday cake :)
Here's another photo of Nora Adeele (and me), taken when she's about 6 month old.
Normal blogging will return as soon as I get over the shock that I'm a mother to a toddler already ;)
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sane-mustek_usb - Man Page
SANE backend for Mustek USB flatbed scanners
The sane-mustek_usb library implements a SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) backend that provides access to Mustek USB flatbed scanners (including a clone from Trust). At present, the following scanners are known to work more or less with this backend:
Mustek 600 CU
Mustek 1200 UB
Mustek 1200 CU
Mustek 1200 CU Plus
Trust Compact Scan USB 19200
More details can be found on the Mustek USB backend homepage http://www.meier-geinitz.de/sane/mustek_usb-backend/.
The Mustek BearPaw 1200 and 2400 scanners are supported by the plustek backend. See sane-plustek(5) for details. The Mustek BearPaw 1200F is supported by the MA-1509 backend. See sane-ma1509(5) for details. Other Mustek USB scanners are supported by the gt68xx backend, see sane-gt68xx(5).
This backend can only work with scanners that are already detected by the operating system. See sane-usb(5) for details.
If you own a Mustek (or Trust) scanner other than the ones listed above that works with this backend, please let me know this by sending the scanner's exact model name and the USB vendor and device ids (e.g. from /proc/bus/usb/devices or syslog) to me.
Device Names
This backend expects device names of the form:
Where special is a path-name for the special device that corresponds to a USB scanner. With Linux, such a device name could be /dev/usb/scanner0 or /dev/usbscanner1, for example.
For FreeBSD use /dev/uscanner0.
The contents of the mustek_usb.conf file is a list of options and device names that correspond to Mustek USB scanners. Empty lines and lines starting with a hash mark (#) are ignored. If a device name is placed in mustek_usb.conf, it must be followed by a line containing the keyword option and an option specifying the scanner type. The following options can be used: 600cu, 1200cu, 1200cu_plus, 1200ub. For the Trust Compact Scan USB 19200 use `option 1200ub'.
Instead of using the device name, the scanner can be autodetected by usb vendor_id product_id statements which are already included into mustek_usb.conf. This is only supported with Linux 2.4.8 and higher and all systems that support libsub. "vendor_id" and "product_id" are hexadecimal numbers that identify the scanner. If this doesn't work, a device name and the option specifying the scanner type must be placed in mustek_usb.conf as described above.
The global option max_block_size can be used to limit the amount of data acquired in one turn from the USB system. It may be worth trying, if USB errors occur.
A sample configuration file is shown below:
# Comment
option max_block_size 1024
usb 0x055f 0x0001
option 600cu
The first line is ignored. The second line sets the buffer size to a maximum of 1024 bytes. The third line tries to autodetect a scanner with vendor id 0x055f and product id 0x0001 (Mustek 1200 CU). The fourth line tells the backend to attach to /dev/usb/scanner0 and the fifth line specifies that /dev/usb/scanner0 is a Mustek 600 CU.
- /etc/sane.d/mustek_usb.conf
The backend configuration file (see also description of SANE_CONFIG_DIR below).
- /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-mustek_usb.a
The static library implementing this backend.
- /usr/lib64/sane/libsane-mustek_usb.so
The shared library implementing this backend (present on systems that support dynamic loading).
This environment variable specifies the list of directories that may contain the configuration file. On *NIX systems, the directories are separated by a colon (`:'), under OS/2, they are separated by a semi-colon (`;'). If this variable is not set, the configuration file is searched in two default directories: first, the current working directory (".") and then in /etc/sane.d. If the value of the environment variable ends with the directory separator character, then the default directories are searched after the explicitly specified directories. For example, setting SANE_CONFIG_DIR to "/tmp/config:" would result in directories tmp/config, ., and /etc/sane.d being searched (in this order).
If the library was compiled with debug support enabled, this environment variable controls the debug level for this backend. Higher debug levels increase the verbosity of the output.
Value Description 0 no output 1 print fatal errors 2 print important messages 3 print non-fatal errors and less important messages 4 print all but debugging messages 5 print high level debugging messages 6 print medium level debugging messages 7 print low level debugging messages
Example: export SANE_DEBUG_MUSTEK_USB=4
See Also
sane(7), sane-usb(5), sane-mustek(5), sane-mustek_pp(5), sane-plustek(5), sane-gt68xx(5), sane-ma1509(5)
Henning Meier-Geinitz <email@example.com>
This backend is based on the Mustek 1200ub backend from Mustek, maintained by Tom Wang.
These devices have a hardware bug: Once data is written to them, they can't be reset (toggle = DATA0). That means, any operation that tries to reset the device will result in running into timeouts.
In earlier versions this backend failed when it was loaded the second time in some configurations. The only choice was to replug the scanner in this case. The backend uses a workaround for that bug now but it's only tested on Linux. Reports for other operating systems are appreciated.
More detailed bug information is available at the Mustek backend homepage http://www.meier-geinitz.de/sane/mustek_usb-backend/.
Referenced By
sane(7), sane-gt68xx(5), sane-ma1509(5), sane-mustek(5), sane-mustek_usb2(5), sane-usb(5).


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I so remember this video. This is when MTV actually played videos on their channel. This was seen as "groundbreaking" at the time with animation. Plus, still enjoy Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. My favorite songs include this one and Free Falling. Ah, yes, high school memories.
Last night's show was definitely different than any of the previous shows in that you can hear the emotion in the voice of MexicoMedStudent. The way that he described his experience with his medical school giving him the runaround on procedural and paperwork issues - the frustration is palpable.
He has his wife and daughter with him close to the medical school and hospital campus - just bought a house. His wife had surgery in the past few months. And, now, he was charged tuition for classes he did not attend. On top of all that, his status as a continuing medical student is even in question.
I cannot even imagine being in another country, with my family, recently buying a home, and being told that your medical school career is over. What are the options here? Pick up and go home to Texas? Transfer to another medical school? What about all the debt that you have already accumulated?
This story has also moved some bloggers out there so much that they are talking about this today. I encourage you to read the thoughs of Fat Doctor, Scan Man, and AbelPharmBoy. If you listened to the show live or on the archives, how do you feel about the situation? Something like this probably happens more than we know.
So, MexicoMedStudent, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I hope you get good news from "that committee" that you referred to on the show last night. Keep "Runnin Down Your Dream" of becoming a doctor. We're all pulling for you!
Update: Enrico writes a very poignant and reflective epilogue to yesterday's show. I encourage you to check it out. Also, there's a great picture of his wife and daughter.


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Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire
Drystone walling experts with over 20 years experience, we'll get the job done how you want! retaining,field,garden, Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire.
Dry stone walling is a strategy for making an extraordinary sort of stone divider. Especially well known in the UK open country, dry stone dividers are interesting as they don't need mortar or some other restricting materials to keep them together. A dry stone divider can be built by the strategy of Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire interlocking the stones so they don't need any extra components to hold them up. In over a wide span of time these dividers have been utilized for field division and as holding dividers.
Planning for development
Ascertain how much stone will be needed for your divider. This will differ in each circumstance, however an overall rule is that the width of the base ought to associate with a large portion of the stature of your stone divider. When you have your stones arranged make certain to tidy up any garbage or blocking objects prior to beginning development.
Next, burrow a shallow channel with enough space to serenely house your base stones. Presently you're prepared for the genuine work to start!
Step by step instructions to make a dry stone divider
Pick your broadest and flattest stones for the divider's base and lay them into the channel, trying to keep them as level constantly as could be expected Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire under the circumstances. Keep on building upwards utilizing the joints gave by the stones underneath. Continuously start with the bigger stones and stir your way up with slowly more modest stones.
In the event that it helps, have an image with you of what you'd like your divider to look like and attempt to put your stones similarly.
Polish off the highest point of your divider with some ornamental stones. Accomplish this by putting two weighty set stones at each end and afterward setting them in firmly.
In case you're not completely certain with the robustness of your divider it is energetically prescribed that you call a specialist to set it up for you.
Devices and materials required
Walling stone is actually the critical element for dry stone walling. Limestone is extremely well known and generally utilized all through the UK. Different instruments you will require incorporate a digging tool and if all else fails, a mallet.
Stone is the most established development material in the world and utilized in dry stone development is bound together by grating, gravity and the ability of the specialist. The Egyptian pyramids, Peruvian sanctuaries and The Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire incomparable Zimbabwe (as appeared on TV) being world celebrated models. A neighborhood model which we have all known about is the world legacy site of Stonehenge.
Ancient residences reach out from the Shetland islands toward the eastern Mediterranean in a dry stone development.
Dry stone dividers and hedgerows structure the most normally utilized field limits in the British isles which make what we see as the conventional example of fields and paths so reminiscent of provincial England and the remainder of the British isles.
The foundations of dry stone isolating the British isles lie as far back as the iron age. Cornwall holds a field dating from this time…earthen banks conquering enormous rocks finished off with more modest stones and more earth. This sort of walling was the harbinger to Cornish financial we see today…stone dividers, loaded up with soil and with a support planted on the top. Numerous Cornish fences are accepted to date from 4000bc, despite the fact that there is small dating proof. Anyway cell based dating has demonstrated a whole field framework currently covered by peat, dating from 3500bc in area Mayo, Ireland.
Dry stone walling become undesirable in obscurity ages as the old English saxons tended would in general settle the swamps. During the archaic period, good country settlement expanded. As this expanded so dried stone walling. The principle purpose behind this was the copious flexibly of stone in these good country areas. As anyplace on the planet, the higher you are, the less trees you will find…hence less wood, so stone turns into the most savvy technique for building. At lower levels the specific inverse is in actuality. Numerous Monastic houses, especially in far off areas, for example, those supported by the white priests of the twelfth century, supported dividers of dry stone development. A considerable lot of these archaic dividers can in any case be seen today, most prominently at Fountains monastery in North Yorkshire and Wghalley convent in Lancashire.
Most dividers we see today are a tradition of monitors development towards the nook of normal cultivating and brushing land as English society moved away from feudalism. As basic land utilized by locals was encased by dry stone dividers, so townspeople reserved their privilege to utilize the land eliminated. Mass sheep and cows cultivating was setting up itself. The lower inclines of good country regions were encased by dividers of an unpleasant and unpredictable stone. They encased little homesteads and date from the late middle age time frame to the late sixteenth century. During the sixteenth and seventeenth hundreds of years, dry stone dividers encased somewhat higher rises and the fields were bigger. At the most noteworthy heights are the incredible sheep touching territories that were limited under demonstrations of parliament during the extraordinary fenced in area development of the Stone Cladding Pudsey Yorkshire eighteenth and nineteenth hundreds of years. These dry stone dividers are the most ordinary and run for some a mile over a generally disallowing scene. Stone dividers were cheap as there was an abundant gracefully of both stone and labour…hence the tremendous measure of dry stone dividers in this nation.


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We certainly don't want anything in our "nightly news" that would cause indigestion after our nightly dinner.
We've all rejoiced at the liberation of Egypt from the 30-year, iron-rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. We've delighted to see people celebrating and dancing in the streets of Cairo. We've listened to newscasters wax eloquent about democracy and freedom and "the will of the people" - including interviews with "the man on the street" who seem the very definition of the word "elation".
Apparently, some people's dream of freedom is another person's nightmare of brutality.
Here's the report from the LA Times on attack of CBS news correspondent, Lara Logan, in Cairo.
Dateline, February 15, 2011 Reporting from New York — CBS News correspondent Lara Logan is recovering in an American hospital this week after being sexually assaulted and beaten by a mob in Egypt's Tahrir Square late on Friday.She was "surrounded by a dangerous element" and "sexually assaulted".
The same day that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Logan was surveying the mood of anti-Mubarak protesters for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team "were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration," CBS said in a statement Tuesday. The network said that a group of 200 people were then "whipped into a frenzy," pulling Logan away from her crew and attacking her until a group of women and Egyptian soldiers intervened.
Here's another headline: "Lara Logan, CBS Reporter and Warzone 'It Girl,' Raped Repeatedly Amid Egypt Celebration."
Here's that report:
In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering."Sexual assault" vs. "raped repeatedly".
"Attack" vs. "brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating"
Very different picture, isn't it? One is much more vivid than the other.
Lara Logan, the "Warzone It Girl" is no stranger to sexual assaults of a verbal kind. The admittedly beautiful South African journalist is a former swimsuit model, and a married mother of two.
She has long attacked 'Hollywood-lite' reporters for their dumbing down of overseas violence - at the same time using her Hollywood good looks and spotlight to push a more hard-hitting agenda.
So, she's young. She's stunningly beautiful. She's smart and talented. She's a highly successful woman in a predominately male profession. She pulls no punches, playing hard ball with the big boys and calling them out for pulling journalistic punches with the hard hitting stuff of the news about war.
See? She's been asking for it. What did she expect? The 'Warzone It Girl' out there doing a man's job. In the midst of "a dangerous element".
I mean, the rapists had been "whipped into a frenzy" by the celebration. And, there she was - a beautiful blond woman. What were they supposed to do?
Okay, once more, from the top. This is a refresher of Rape 101.
Rape is not a sexual act. It is an act of violence where sex is used as a weapon.Nothing. Got it? Good. Let's move on to talk about why this story has not been more widely reported.
A woman never "looks for" or "is asking to be" raped.
Logan's rape - like any other rape - is not her fault. Every woman is shamed by but no woman is ever to blame for rape.
Nothing Logan did before or during the February 11 attack could have possibly invited or justified the heinous crime that was committed against her.
Nothing. Not what she wore or how she looked. Not how she talked or what she wrote. Not where she was or who she was or wasn't with.
Perhaps the "mainstream media" have not been reporting this rape because it's embarrassing. No one wants to talk about rape. Perhaps that's why so many thousands of rapes go unreported and so many hundreds of thousands of rape kits are warehoused in medical facilities without being processed.
It is estimated that there are 250,000 to 500,000 untested DNA kits in the US alone - some of them have been sitting on the shelf for twenty years. Without being processed, it is difficult to get a conviction once the woman gets up enough courage to actually file charges - IF she knows her rapist.
If you're paying attention, this means that for every rape kit that remains untested, there is a rapist walking around, free. Some, for twenty years. Or more.
It's not that we simply don't have the laboratory personnel to process the rape kits. It's that we don't think that the rape of a woman is enough of a priority to hire enough people to get the job done.
Perhaps we're embarrassed because a Pentagon report indicates that rape of women in the U.S. military increased 11% in 2009, according to a Department of Defense statistic, with one in three women reporting having been sexually violated while serving in the military.
Shockingly, the Pentagon itself admits that reported incidents probably represent just 20 percent of those that actually occur. Female recruits are now far more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed in combat.
Perhaps we're embarrassed because, just a few days ago, 17 women in the US military became plaintiffs in a class action suitagainst Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, alleging that their failure to act amounted to a violation of the plaintiffs' Constitutional rights.
Perhaps we're embarrassed because we know that many women endure symbolic rapes every day. There are far more subtle but even more destructive insults than a cat call or a wolf whistle. Sexual overtures and sexual innuendo - in the home and at work - are used as tools to "keep the little woman in her place."
Lara Logan was brutally and repeatedly gang raped. In public. In Tahrir Square. In front of hundreds of people - who were being watched by millions of others around the world - having endured years of symbolic rape in the press by her peers.
Might it be that we are embarrassed because this brutal and repeated rape took place in a country that was in the midst of its first taste of freedom in over 30 years, and there - right there in public - in the midst of the cheering and the dancing and the singing and the celebration?
Ancient Egypt is considered the cradle of civilization in North Africa. Apparently, modern-day Egypt has yet to learn what Mahatma Gandhi once said about the test of a true civilization.
"A nation's greatness," he said, "is measured by how it treats its weakest members."
Or, at least, those it perceives to be "the weaker sex".
Lara Logan's rape ought to be held up, again and again - and reported over and over in all of its embarrassing detail - so we may be constantly reminded that, while Egypt has come very far in securing their freedom, they still have a long, long way to go until everyone in that country is free.
Logan's rape reminds us all - even those of us in this "civilized country" - that Gandhi also said, "No one is free when others are oppressed."
Lara Logan made her name in journalism by telling the stories inside the stories - not pulling any punches about the ravaging effects of war - in hopes to improve the reporting standards of her profession and bring about an end to war..
Let's hope that Logan's rape can tell the secret, shameful stories - and the stories behind and within the stories - of the violence done to women, so that the dream of real freedom and true peace may one day be realized by everyone.
That is the "will of the people" that will be a cause for celebration and elation and dancing in the streets.