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Dear Familia,
Wow, what a week. First of all . . Harrison! Sweet, way to open the doors to the celestial kingdom for six of your brothers and sisters. If someone baptized six people at a time here in Santiago, they might go down in history. It is also sweet that you are with a spanish speaker. I remember when they put me with Hermana Lima, from Brasil, and I was so scared cause I didn't know if she could speak spanish, but she ended up being one of my favorite companions. Tell your comp to make you milonesas! So GOOD!
Okay, now for the cambios. Yes, I left llay llay. Sad face. I really really loved Llay llay, and as always, I shed a good amount of tears. But, such is the mission. We come, we work, we love, laugh and cry, then we leave and do it all over again.
My last week in Llay llay was so great! We saw so many miracles. M & J got in a rocket and took off in their progression. They couldn't come to church this week cause one of their daughters was sick. But we went by to visit them in the night, and we talked about the importance of pray, scripture study, and attending church . . or OLA as we call it, orar, leer, y asistir la iglesia. I felt prompted to share with them a personal story.
I told them how about 6 years ago when dad put the goal to read the scriptures as a family for one year without missing a day. I explained how reading the scriptures and praying together as a family changed the atmosphere in my home, and how we came to love and respect each other more, and the contention that used to fill the house left, and was replaced by the spirit of the Lord. I testified how by small and simple things, great things are truly brought to pass.
After I shared that story, they looked at each other, with that knowing look, then M explained to us that 5 weeks ago, before we arrived at their house, they were on the verge of separating. They always argued, and sometime couldn't even stand to be around each other. The spirit of contention filled their home. Then she said "But, when you two showed up, everything change." I have been a first hand witness to that change. When we first arrived they barely looked at each other, and now they laugh together, and they anxiously await our next visit. I prayed my whole mission to find a family like J & M, and now I got changed. But I know that I did what I had to do. After the lesson, I told them that I was leaving, and they were super sad. But God has a reason for everything, and instead of being upset or angry that I won't be there to see them progress or to see them get baptized, I am only grateful that God allowed me to cross paths with them, and that through me, He was able to touch their lives and begin to heal their wounds.
This week we also went to the hospital a few times. We found out that one of our recent converts is in the hospital. I don't think that I have ever told you all about Nora. She is just the funniest old woman you will ever meet. She was baptized about 2 months ago, and only has missed church once. But, her health is not looking so good, so we spent some time visiting her. And yesterday, when I had to leave her there in that hospital bed, not knowing if I will ever see her again in this life, broke my heart. I cried and she cried as I told her the news of the changes. But, if it is God's will, she will hold on for a few more months so that I can visit her one last time when you guys come down to chile.
Its hard leaving a sector. Its hard saying goodbye. But this time as I packed up my suitcases, I felt a calmness. I felt true peace, and I knew that all the work I had done in llay llay was accepted by the Lord, and that all the people that we have found and taught will be well taken care of.
Its hard leaving a sector. Its hard saying goodbye. But this time as I packed up my suitcases, I felt a calmness. I felt true peace, and I knew that all the work I had done in llay llay was accepted by the Lord, and that all the people that we have found and taught will be well taken care of.
But, I am sure you are all dying to know where I got sent. The good news is that I didn't leave los andes! Woot! I am training again in Santa Maria. I will be finishing the training of Hermana Alonso, she is one of the sisters that was in my group of sisters. I have done and intercambio with her, and she was one of the sisters that wanted to be my companion. Actually just the other day I called her to talk and just see how she was doing and how she was adjusting to the mission, and I said "just wait and see, one day we will be companions." We both laughed cause the probability was slight. And today, when she came to pick me up, the first thing she said was "How did you know?" It was super funny. But I am so happy to be here working with her, and though it is hard to leave a sector, learning a new sector is always fun. There are always more people to meet, more people to help, and more people to love.
Here in Santa Maria (or Holy Mary . . jajaja) if there is not real progression the stake president is going to close the branch. So the focus of this sector is a little different. We are putting 50% of our efforts in finding new people and baptizing, and the other 50% of our effort goes in to reactivation. Basically hunting down the inactive members and bringing them back to church. It is going to be different. For example, the standard of street contacts for the whole mission is 140 a week for companionship, for us it is 70 a week. This is going to take some adjusting, but in the end its what this branch needs. It does no good to baptize a bunch of people if they are just going to walk in the front door, and out the back.
Santa Maria is so so so beautiful. Its in the middle of grape land. It boarders right with vina del mar, and sometimes you can't see the end of these grape vineyards. We are going to get bikes, cause our sector is super big, and we have to travel out to the mini hick towns to visit a lot of the less active members. So its just going to be a fun party.
Hermana Alonso is great. She is 25, a convert of 3 years, and from MEXICO! Orale! She started medical school when she was 17, and just finished about a year ago. Then she put her career on hold and came on a mission. Wow, incredible. Her conversion story is just amazing! This cambio is only 4 weeks, and I know that it is just going to fly by.
My last week with only Hermana Arroyo was so great. We put the batteries in and just worked worked worked! We had 5 people in church. It was amazing. Llay llay is going to be a ward any day now.
Okay, now one short story before I sign off. On Tuesday, Hermana Arroyo and I went to the center to do street contacts. While there, I passed an old man, and the spirit said "Talk to him." Did I listen? Nope. Idiot. Then I passed him again, and this time he was looking at me as if he wanted to talk. And the spirit said "Hey, are you listening? I said . . " before the spirit could finish his sentence I had already started a conversation with the old man. I asked him how he was doing and he said not so good. I talked to him for about 20 minutes, and he told me about how his life is basically falling apart. His name is Edwardo, and I just listened to him as he talked, and at the end I testified that despite how things may appear, God really does love him, and only sends difficulties so that we can be made stronger. I tried to set an appointment with him, but he said that he isn't from llay llay. He is from san felipe. He said that about an hour ago he couldn't stand being alone in his house anymore, so he got on a bus and ended up in llay llay. I tried to give him a book of mormon, but he wouldn't accept. I tried to give him a passalong card, but he said he already had one. So I asked, what can I give you. He took my hand and said "you have listened to me, and you have been my friend. That is enough. Thank you." Then he walked away. I know, without a doubt that God led Edwardo to llay llay that day just so that he could talk to me, so that he could share is load, and walk away a little bit lighter.
Man I love being a missionary.
Thanks for all the support and love. You guys are really the greatest. Now go and visit some old people. First of all they are usually a hoot, and second of all they are usually alone.
Hna Ostler


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Gift giving during the holidays occupies a strange space in most people's minds. After all, there are few things more wonderful than being able to exchange gifts with someone else. What could be more rewarding than you and another person showing each other just how much you care about them? You get to look at someone's face as they open up their gift and their eyes light up. For a lot of people, that moment is the best thing by far about the festive season. And yet, gift giving can also be incredibly stressful as well. After all, as much as that moment might be the best part of the holidays, the act of trying to find the gift that will have that effect on someone can be a serious challenge. It means that people end up getting incredibly stressed about the whole thing and process becomes far more difficult than it really needs to be. In order to help you avoid falling into that same trap and making yourself miserable in the run-up to the holidays, here are a few simple things that you can do in order to take some of the stress out of gift giving.
Go personal
When you're trying to shop for Christmas, it can be tough to figure out how to give someone something that they will really appreciate. After all, if you get them something generic, even if it's nice, they're not going to have that much of an emotional attachment to it. If you want to avoid this, then the best thing that you can do is to try and find them something that's totally personal to them. There are a few ways to do this. You can find a gift that directly relates to certain aspects of their life, whether it's an interest they have or something else in their life, or you can simply take a more typical gift and personalise it in some way. There are plenty of ways to personalise a gift but just adding that little extra touch really can make all the difference. When someone opens a gift to see that it's totally unique to them, it's going to add an extra layer of magic to the whole experience for them.
Price doesn't matter
One thing that you really need to stop panicking about is how much money you need to spend on someone. Don't assume that just because a gift is expensive that it's necessarily going to be better. The truth is that price often has little to no impact on how someone feels about a gift that they've been given. After all, the amount of money you have to spend shouldn't impact how much you can show the people around you that you care about them. The best thing that you can do is to find something that you think will connect with them emotionally. After all, unless you're planning on them returning the gift to the store, the amount of money that you spent on it is going to be kind of irrelevant in the long run.
Go handmade
Of course, if you really want to give someone a gift that they'll cherish forever, you don't actually need to spend any money at all. By making something yourself, you not only save yourself a lot of money, but you are able to give someone a gift that is completely unique. Not only is your gift going to be different from anything else that they are given, but you can make it even more personal that you could if you just bought something. There's no real limit to what exactly you can make for someone, but the best place to start is by thinking carefully about whatever it is that you're good at. Are you a musical kind of person? Why not record yourself performing a cover of their favourite song? Or perhaps you're more of an artistic type. If that's the case then crafting or painting something totally new and special for someone can be one of the most wonderful gifts that you can give to them.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself
It's all too easy to get yourself wound up in a little ball because of the stress that finding the right gift can bring. By putting pressure on yourself, you're not going to make life any easier, and you're also going to end up stressing yourself out and getting upset. The truth is that you could end up making life even harder by doing this. After all, if you're constantly putting huge amounts of pressure on yourself to find the "the perfect gift" then not only are you going to miss plenty of interesting options and ideas from places that you wouldn't normally consider. But you could also end up putting off even getting a gift in the first place because you simply don't want to deal with the sheer amount of pressure and stress that can come with trying to find one. Take it easy and remember that buying a gift for someone else is supposed to be fun. Once you're able to stop putting huge amounts of pressure on yourself, you will probably find the whole experience much more pleasant, not to mention easier!
Of course, it's important to remember that there's no way that you're ever going to get rid of all of the stress of gift giving. But then again, nor should you. That might sound weird, after all, why would you want to feel stressed about it? Well, look at it this way. If you weren't that concerned with getting someone a gift that they'd really love, then you'd probably find looking for a gift incredibly simple and relaxing. The truth is that the stress that you're feeling when looking for a gift is a sign that you care enough to want to get them something perfect. If you're trying to find someone a gift and you're getting a little stressed about it, the truth is that that's probably a sign that you're on the right track in the first place.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Type: Fixed-rate mortgage
Fixed term: Three years
Fixed rate: 6.29%
Minimum loan: £25,001
Maximum loan: Up to 85% of valuation subject to a maximum of £500,000, up to 75% of valuation subject to a maximum of £750,000, up to 65% of valuation subject to a maximum of £1m
Income multiples: Up to four times principal income plus second or 3.25 times joint
Conditions: One free standard valuation
Flexible features: Overpayments, underpayments and payment holidays, lump sum withdrawals, interest calculated daily
Arrangement fee: £695
Redemption fee: 5% of the amount repaid in the first three years
Introducer's fee: Refer to lender
Tel: Tel: 0845 940 1400
UCB's new prime self-cert range comprises fixed and tracker rates up to a maximum of 85 per cent loan to value. This deal offers a three-year fixed rate of 6.29 per cent.
In London & Country mortgage specialist James Cotton's view, the arrangement fee is a very reasonable £695 and a free standard valuation is offered. "Early redemption charges apply during the fixed-rate period, but there are some flexible features. Overpayments of up to £500 per month are allowed without penalty and there is the ability to borrow back, make underpayments and take payment holidays subject to sufficient overpayments," he says.
Looking at the weaker features of the product Cotton says: "Self-employed applicants are required to have been in their current business for a minimum of 12 months. Employed applicants must have been in their current job for at least six months. This requirement, although still typical for the self-cert market, can be quite restrictive as the people who often most need self-cert are those who have recently become self-employed."
He suggests Kensington's three-year fix at 6.24 per cent up to 85 per cent LTV, with a fee of £899, as the main competitor for this deal. " It has similar flexible features, but one important difference is that it has no minimum employment or trading period," says Cotton.
He also mentions that lenders such as Bank of Scotland, The Mortgage Works and TMB are currently offering lower self-cert fixed rates, although the fees are higher so loan size will be a decisive factor.
Suitability to market: Average
Competitiveness of rate: Good
Flexibility: Average
Adviser remuneration: Good
Overall 7/10


text:
- Undergraduate Students
- Graduate Students
- Research
- Extension/Outreach
- About Us
- Apply Now
Nancy Betts
Regents Professor Emeritus301 Human Sciences
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: (405)744-5040
Fax: (405)744-1357
|Area of Study
|The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
|Human Nutrition
|The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
|Human Nutrition and Food Service Management
|Pennsylvania State University
Nutrition and sports performance, Factors that influence food choice behavior
- Basu, A., Betts, N.M., & Leyva MJ, Fu D, Aston CE, Lyons TJ. (2015). Acute Cocoa Supplementation Increases Postprandial HDL Cholesterol and Insulin in Obese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes after Consumption of a High-Fat Breakfast. Journal of Nutrition, pii: jn215772. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26338890.
- Klufa, J., Hildebrand, D.A., Betts, N.M., Yuhas J, & Schultz C. (2012). Community readiness model suggests low awareness for obesity prevention efforts. Submitted to the Journal for Nutrition Education and Behavior, Manuscript number: JNEB-D-12-00273.
- Shriver LH, Betts, N.M.,, & Wollenberg GS (2012). Dietary Intakes, and Eating Habits of College Athletes: Are Female College Athletes Following the Current Sports Nutrition Standards? Journal of American College Health, 61(1), 10-16.
- Basu, A., Du, M., Leyva, M. J., Sanchez, K., Betts, N.M., Wu, M., Aston, C. E., & Lyons, T. J. (2010). Blueberries decrease cardiovascular risk factors in obese men and women with metabolic syndrome. The Journal of Nutrition, 140(9), 1582-1587.
- Basu, A., Du, M., Sanchez, K., Leyva, M.J., Betts, N.M., Blevins, S., Wu, M., Aston, C.E., & Lyons, T.J. (2010). Green Tea minimally affects Biomarkers of Inflammation in Obese Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrition, (in press).
- Basu, A., Fu, D. X., Wilkinson, M., Simmons, B., Wu, M., Betts, N.M., Du, M., & Lyons, T. J. (2010). Strawberries decrease atherosclerotic markers in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Nutrition Research, 30(7), 462-469.
- Basu, A., Sanchez, K., Betts, N.M., Leyva, M.J., Wu, M., Aston, C.E., & Lyons, T.J. (2010). Green tea supplementation affects body weight, lipids, and lipid peroxidation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, (in press).
- Hildebrand, D.A. & Betts, N.M. (2009). Assessment of stage of change, decisional balance, self-efficacy and use of processes of low-income parents for increasing servings of fruits and vegetables to preschool-age children.Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 4(2):110-119.
- Ruud, J., Betts, N.M., Kritsch, K., Nitzke, S., Lohse, B., & Boechkner, L. (2005). Acceptability of stage-tailored newsletters about fruits and vegetables by young adults, Journal of American Dietetic Association, 105:1174-8
- Ganji, V., Hampl, J.S., & Betts, N.M. (2003). Race, gender and age-specific differences in dietary micronutrient intakes of US children. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, 54:485-490.
- Ma, J., Betts, N.M., Horacek, T., Georgiou, G., & White, A. (2003). Assessing stages of change for fruit and vegetable intake in young adults: A combination of traditional staging algorithms and food frequency questionnaires Health Education Research, 18:101-113.
- Horacek, T., White, A., Betts, N.M., Hoerr, S., Georgiou, C., Nitzke, S., Ma, J., & Greene, G. (2002). Self-efficacy. perceived benefits and weight satisfaction discriminate among Stages of Change for fruit and vegetable intake for young men and women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102, 1466-70.
- Ma, J., Betts, N.M., Horacek, T., Georgiou, C., White, A., & Nitzke, S. (2002). The importance of decisional balance and self-efficacy in relation to stages of change for fruit and vegetable intakes by young adults. American Journal of Health Promotion, 16 (3), 157-166.
- Baretta, L., Koszewski, W.M., Betts, N.M., & Benes, B. (2001). Evaluation of food assistance, nutrition education programs, and physical activity for limited resource families. Journal of the Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, 93(1):46-49.
- Ma, J., Betts, N.M., & Horacek, T. (2001). Measuring stage of change for assessing readiness to increase fruit and vegetable intake among 18-24-year-olds. American Journal of Health Promotion, 16(2):88-97.
- Betts, N.M., Amos, R.J., Keim, K., Peters, P., & Stewart, B. (1997). Ways young adults view foods. Journal of Nutrition Education, 29(2), 73-79.
- Georgiou, C.C., Betts, N.M., Hoerr, S.L., Keim, K., Peters, P., Stewart, B., & Voichick, J. (1997). Among young adults, college students and graduates practice more healthful habits and made more healthful food choices then did nonstudents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97, 754-759
- Betts, N.M., Amos, R.J., Georgiou, C., Hoerr, S.L., Ivaturi, R., Keim, K.S., Tinsley, A., & Voichick, J. (1995). What young adults say about factors affecting their food intake. Ecology of Food & Nutrition, 34, 59-64.
Courses Taught:
|Senior Capstone for Nutritional Sciences
|Research Methods in Nutritional Sciences
- Betts, N. (PI) & Stoecker, B. (Co-PI). Enhancing Research Capacity: An inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (2006), Founders of Doctor's Hospital, ($50,000).
- Garcia, R. (PI) & Betts, N (Co-PIs). Childhood Obesity Prevention/Intervention (2006-2008), Agriculture Sponsored Programs, Oklahoma State University, Team Initiative Program, ($50,000).
- Nitzke, S (PI), NC219 team (Co-PIs) A Stage-Based Intervention to Increase Fruit & Vegetable Intakes of Young Adults. (2001 – 2005), USDA/IFAFS, ($1,2000,000).
- Betts, N (PI), Ruud, J & NC219 team (Co-PIs) Using Stages of Change to increase fruit and vegetable intake. (2001-2006), USDA/NRICGP, ($400,000).
- Betts, N (PI), Using Stages of Change model to promote consumption of grains, vegetables and fruits by young adults. (1996-2006), USDA/CSREES ($120,000).
Professional Memberships:
- American Society for Nutrition
- American College of Sports Medicine
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Safety Committee


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Switch it up
Looking for a fun cardio routine that produces great results? Want to finally break through that plateau you've hit of late? Then
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Unusual Wedding Desserts: Ice Cream, Cheese Cakes, Mille Crepe Cakes, and More
Delight your guests with four deliciously different alternatives to traditional wedding cakes, all created by San Francisco area bakeries
Blythe Riske has only good things to say about serving a cheese wheel "cake" at your reception. "They're ideal for folks who are a little more savory than sweet," says the operations manager at the Cheese School of San Francisco. "We've seen guests get downright giddy when a tower of cheese appears." In this creamy castle (below), the school used Spanish sheep, French goat, and US (Georgia) cow's milk cheeses in the mid layers, nutty French-Basque Ossau-Iraty sheep milk cheese on the bottom, and cave-aged Valençay chèvre on top.
These exquisite mille crêpe cakes (tiramisu on top, Japanese matcha below it) from San Jose's Antoine Pâtisserie aren't truly cakes at all—they're constructed from 20-plus paper-thin crêpes layered with silky cream.
Jasmine de Lung's luscious desserts (above and below) look more like abstract art installations than cakes. "I'm all about helping people surprise themselves," says the owner of San Francisco's Jasmine Rae Cakes. "Novelty is the cornerstone of my style." The surface of her sculptural fondant cake is meant to mimic pyrite and stone. "The stone cracks and falls away to reveal words, which on a wedding cake could be read as vows of love, preserved in the coarse texture of elemental matter."
Oakland's Cookiebar Creamery can bring creative ice cream—in bowls or inside decadent sandwiches—to your wedding shindig. The shop's frozen treats come in singular flavors, from calamansi sorbet to Cinnamon Toast Crunch
ice cream. Pictured here (from the top): ube (a sweet Filipino yam) ice cream sandwiched between two Guittard chocolate chip cookies, green tea ice
cream with white chocolate chips, and toasted–black sesame ice cream made
with condensed milk. Prop stylist, Glenn Jenkins; ice cream stylist, Emily Caneer.
Visit our Love Wins California Vendor Guide for a list of LGBTQ-supportive bakeries and pastry chefs throughout the state.


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I didn't leave empty handed. In one of the last envelopes I found a file folder marked "Complete Red Formula". It was about 18 pages long! What I now know is that it is not a matter of simply having the recipe but you must also know how the glass was worked by the gaffer.
Saint's formula required a furnace with 4 crucibles. Two of them held a mixture of "green white" – basically a clear glass with a green cast. Another contained a glass to which yellow "flowers of Sulfur" had been added and the final was a red made by the addition of "Copper scales". The procedure was to melt these, then take the yellow, ladle it into the red and stir it 100 times. The glass blower would form his bubble from a series of small gathers, first in the clear, then in the red in a succession of 5 dips ending in clear. Stirring would ensure that the layers of red were streaky and casing with clear would prevent the color from being too dark.


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Friday, November 19, 2010
Banana Peanut Flour Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel Topping
So I did. :)
These muffins are delicious, healthy, and FILLING. Mind you, this is coming from someone who tends to avoid muffins just because they don't stick with me. I ate 2 for breakfast probably every day after making them until they were gone. I used half brown sugar and half white sugar instead of what the recipe calls for and they were just sweet enough. Add some Oatmeal Streusel Topping and you'll be good to go.
Gather all your goodies:
Mix your flours, salt, and baking powder/soda together.
Mix your milk, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and yogurt.
Batter up!
So far so good...
Mix wet and dry together...
Make your Oatmeal Streusel Topping. This is the best part :)
Pour your (thick!) batter into greased muffin tins and sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
Post-bake: oooh yes! Lookin' good :)
Hellooooo muffin. Get in my belly, please!
They need to cool for a bit, but go ahead and eat one warm right out of the oven. You won't regret it :)
Muffffffin. Yum. :)
You can find the recipe here. Enjoy!
For the Oatmeal Streusel Topping: Combine 2 tbsp. melted butter with a packet of instant oatmeal (I used Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar). Sprinkle over the top of your muffins before you put them into the oven. Easy peasy!
10 comments:
Mmmm love that streusel topping! Great step-by-step photos. Peanut flour, huh? Hmmmm..... Got my baking brain turning.ReplyDelete
Now I want one of those!ReplyDelete
I actually just bought some at Trader Joe's as a low carb flour alternative. I am looking forward to baking with it!ReplyDelete
Peanut flour sounds so cool. I need to just break down and buy some. I'll be making this recipe for sure. Muffins make the best breakfasts and while blogging snacks.ReplyDelete
These look out-of-control, a must bake! :)ReplyDelete
I'm intrigued by peanut flour - worth me checking it out?ReplyDelete
If I wasn't allergic to bananas, I'd glady devour a couple of those. They look delicious and I love how you used peanut flour, how creative. Not to mention, I LOVE anything with streusel topping. I have a habit of picking streusel toppings off desserts!ReplyDelete
@Lindsay - LOL, I totally picked off streusel off pretty much every one of these muffins. Don't tell :)ReplyDelete
This is pretty cool to have on our high school friends reunion. Thanks for sharing this one. I can add some chocolate syrups or some yogurt as toppings.ReplyDelete
I love the crunchy toppings of your muffins. My hubby will surely love your crunchy muffins.ReplyDelete


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Some of the field projects being run over the Antarctic winter are based at camps deep in the heart of the continent, many hundreds of miles South of Rothera. BAS therefore run a couple of forward operating bases at points down the peninsula – these are basically just small camps manned by a couple of people whose job it is to look after the Twin Otters on their way through, keeping the airstrips open and refuelling the planes when required.
Sky Blu is one such camp, and I was lucky enough to be sent down there on my 'summer break' for a couple of weeks. Sky Blu is notorious amongst BAS staff as being something of an Antarctic gulag. It is cold and unforgiving, with the inmates there forced to spend long hours shovelling snow from the runway in the biting wind. I suspect that my posting there was something to do with a conversation I'd had in the bar one night with the Ops Manager, during which I'd explained to him at length how much I loved digging.
The flight south took a couple of hours, for most of which the landscape below us was hidden by a thick layer of cloud. However, as we neared Sky Blu, the cloud disappeared and a beautiful, clear day emerged. The camp is located on an unusual part of the plateau where any falling snow is immediately scoured off the surface by the fierce winds, leaving a vast area of blue ice. This surface is solid enough to land wheeled aircraft on, which allows BAS to operate both the ski/wheel equipped Twin Otters and the wheels-only Dash-7 from the site.
On landing, I was greeted by Ian, the base commander, with the words 'Welcome to God's own country'. He was right – the blue ice runway sparkled in the sunshine, the neatly ordered camp perched on a mound nearby, and the elegant massif of Mount Lanzarote towered above everything. Despite the bright sunlight, the thermometer read about -15 Celsius, a temperature at which even the slightest breeze knifed through clothing and nipped any exposed skin.
Life at Sky Blu was pleasantly simple and dominated by manual labour. For every incoming plane, we dug drums of fuel out of underground depots and hauled them by skidoo to to the apron for refuelling. If there was any snowfall (not surprisingly, a regular occurrence in this part of the world) and the wind wasn't strong enough to blow it away, then we headed out in thick duvet jackets and fur hats, to spend hours driving the chilly, open-cabbed snowplough up and down the runway to clear it for the next aircraft. Even when no planes were due in, there was still the neverending job of clearing the drifts away from the huts and the depots with a shovel and some grunt. After a couple of hours of work we would head inside to warm our hands and make hot tea. Even this was no simple task – all of our water came from snow that had to be laboriously dug up and melted on the stove.
The accommodation was basic, but suited me perfectly. We had one melon hut for sleeping, which contained a couple of bunks and very little else. The temperature in this hut rarely rose above zero, so I was grateful for my BAS-issue down sleeping bag (my track record continues of only ever being too hot in this bag). A second hut provided living space, with a bench for cooking, a table and all of the radio and comms gear for keeping in touch with Rothera.
For a couple of my days down there, the weather was bad enough that we avoided going outside too much. Given the cramped conditions in our living area there wasn't too much we could do, other than read books and work our way through the enormous pile of tractor magazines (Ian is a fanatic classic tractor owner and fan). This was also an opportunity to try out my currently-dormant cooking skills, experimenting with exciting new ways of presenting tinned potatoes and spam (I failed).
The highlight of the trip came on a quiet, calm evening when all flying for the day had finished and a couple of us took the opportunity to skidoo half-way up Mt Lanzarote, and then trek the rest of the way to the top. The steep climb had me breathing heavily in the thin air, and the moisture from my breath crystallised in the bitter cold. Once at the summit we were met with stunning views over the endless, bleak plateau. To the South, occasional small nunataks poked above the snow, but to the North was flat, blue ice as far as the eye could see.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and later that week Rothera came up on the radio to inform me that I must get on board the next northbound aircraft. The flight home was uneventful, but I spent most of the journey looking forward to my first shower in a fortnight, and a clean change of clothes. Sadly though, once we'd touched down at Rothera and climbed out of the plane, we were told that the base was in the middle of a scheduled power outage and that the water supply had been temporarily cut off. I was desperate to go and have a 'welcome back' drink in the bar, but couldn't really inflict my odour on my colleagues. Desperate measures were called for, so I decided to have a wash with the contents of my water bottle, which I had carefully filled that morning with Ribena. My summer holiday therefore ended with a pleasant evening in the Rothera bar, accompanied by a slight stickiness and a gentle odour of berries.


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At least five hospitals including a maternity unit and two schools were hit in a new wave of regime and Russian bombing in Syria on Monday, prompting Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, to become the first major Western leader to call for a no-fly zone to be imposed.
As many as 50 civilians died at the facilities, two of which were supported by UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, decried the assaults as "blatant violations of international law".
Medecins Sans Frontieres accused Russia of deliberately targeting a hospital it supports in the town of Maarat al-Numan, in Idlib province, with two strikes of two missiles each.
Seven staff and patients including a child were killed in the attack, which levelled the hospital, and eight staff are missing presumed dead, MSF said.
Extraordinary pictures emerged of the bombing of a maternity unit in the town of Azaz near the Turkish border.
One video showed a series of babies in incubators against the wall of a ward, the babies unharmed despite the evident effects of the blast littered all around them.
Pictures too gruesome to reproduce showed the bodies of children killed in one of the schools, also near Aleppo.
Rescue workers found the remains of a Russian missile near the Azaz hospital, which reported 15 injuries, three serious, among staff.
Adnan Seddik, manager of the Syria Charity, a French NGO which runs the hospital in Azaz, said the facility had been hit by a Russian surface missile at around 8am in the morning, and had only avoided worse casualties because it had evacuated patients to the basement following previous attacks.
"The medical equipment was destroyed, I don't think that we will be able to operate again after three attacks of the hospital," he said.
He accused Russia of a "deliberate bombing", saying the Red Crescent sign was clearly displayed on top of the hospital.
"The goal of targeting hospitals is to force people to displace and send a message, to leave or to be killed," he said.
Aftermath of the alleged Russian air strike (YouTube / Mohamad Kinsh)
Fourteen people were killed nearby in the town, which lies in a shrinking pocket of rebel-held land between the Turkish border and northern Aleppo, surrounded by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) to the east, the regime to the south, and Kurdish forces attacking them from the west.
Turkey threatened to retaliate, accusing Russia of "terrorism". "If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organisation and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response," the prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said.
The United States called on the two powers to lessen tensions, which have been high ever since Turkey shot down a Russian bomber that crossed into its air space.
The attacks came in the wake of a Russian-promoted ceasefire deal announced last week, which was widely mocked among opposition groups. Russia said it was now setting up a "working group" to arrange implementation.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, said on Monday that a ceasefire did not mean each side had to stop using weapons.
"Regarding a ceasefire, a halt to operations, if it happened, it doesn't mean that each party will stop using weapons," Assad said in Damascus in televised comments.
"A ceasefire means in the first place halting the terrorists from strengthening their positions. Movement of weapons, equipment or terrorists, or fortification of positions, will not be allowed," he added.
Turkey has repeatedly called for a no-fly zone to be imposed in Syria to protect civilians, but Western leaders have been nervous about backing the call. It would be opposed by the Assad regime, while Russia has indicated it would veto any attempt to propose one at the UN Security Council.
"The destruction of the hospital leaves around 40,000 people without medical services in an active zone of conflict" pic.twitter.com/5Fg1N0xmPI— ????? ??? ???? ????? (@MSF_Syria) February 15, 2016
But in an interview on Monday Mrs Merkel suggested it might be possible. "In the current situation it would be helpful if there was an area there in which none of the warring parties carry out attacks by air – so a type of no-fly zone," she said.
Hospitals and schools have been targeted throughout the Syrian conflict, sometimes apparently deliberately. Many of the competing militias fighting on the ground have used schools as bases, making them targets, while hospitals are used to treat both military and civilian casualties.
However, an MSF spokesman said there were no military casualties known of from the attack in Maarat al-Numan.
"This appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure, and we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms," Massimiliano Rebaudengo, MSF's head of mission, said.
"The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict."
The spokesman said that MSF had paid for the hospital to be rebuilt after it was hit previously in the war.
The Russian aerial bombardment of the rebels began in September, and though the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said its intended target was Isil, the main victims have been non-Isil rebels.
The regime, which had been on the retreat last summer, has since managed to push forward on several fronts, retaking the half of the province of Latakia it had lost and cutting off rebel-held Aleppo, Syria's largest city, from the Turkish border to the north.
The rebels are now surrounded north of the city as well, and the Kurdish YPG militia which runs a patch of territory to the north-west has profited from their disarray, driving them back to Azaz, the nearest town to the main border crossing.
That represents the worst possible outcome for Turkey, which has both supported the rebels and fought a long counter-insurgency against the YPG's allies on its territory, the guerrilla group the PKK.
Mr Davutoglu said he would not allow the Kurds to take Azaz, and Turkish troops shelled YPG positions for the third day running. "We will not allow Azaz to fall," he said.
At one point, the rebel-held patch south of Azaz and the border is just four kilometres across, with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant holding the area to the east.
If the Kurds close that gap, most of Turkey's border with Syria will be held by the Kurds or Isil, both sworn enemies.
An even worse outcome – given the energy Turkey has put into overthrowing him – would be President Bashar al-Assad retaking control of the entire country.
The regime announced it was launching an attack on Isil's de facto capital, Raqqa.
Turkey, along with the rebels' other major backers Saudi Arabia, will be furious if western bombing of Isil allows the regime to retake the eastern half of the country.
Saudi Arabia has said it intends to send jets and special forces to Turkey to join the battle with Isil – and almost certainly seek to ensure it has a voice in the outcome of the conflict.
The Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said Mr Assad could not be allowed to win. "It is impossible for a man behind the killing of 300,000 innocent people to remain," he said after meeting Western counterparts in Germany at the weekend.
The United States last night condemned the strikes on the hospitals, but also infuriated Turkey by calling on it to show "restraint" against the Kurds.
America has backed the "moderate rebels" in Syria against the regime and the YPG in its separate fight against Isil, thus finding itself backing both sides in this part of the war. In its support for the YPG, it is on the opposite side from its Nato ally, Turkey.


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Hello, everyone! Its so amazing when we receive pics from all rehearsals or teasers videos about flashmob, you have no idea! We are so excited about all the things that you send for us, you're so amazing, thank you so much for all this! Mexico (Puebla, Mexico DF and Monterrey, sure, you rock, girls!) THANK YOU so much!
But now its time for Monterrey show what they're doing for the flashmob!
This is us, girls!! Beautiful, cute and soooo amazing!! Thanks, Monterrey!
:::::written:::: by Paris


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TRA Wordtalks
TRA 13th May, 2001
Conflict between Fathers and Sons
2 Samuel 13:1-19
There is concern when there is conflict within a family as to where the fault lies. Parents are often blamed for the example they have given and the influence they have had. Other blame the younger generation for responses that are quite unexpected when the good family home life is examined. Others blame the influence of the peer group influencing the younger generation and the social factors that are impacting upon their lives. Still others blame the social, educational and economic circumstances surrounding the family. Most people realize there are multiple factors involved and complex reasons for responses.
The family life of kings, presidents, prime ministers and people in the public eye is usually so well documented that we can easily see contributing factors. This is the case of people like President Richard Nixon who ordered that for posterity all of his conversations had to be recorded. Eventually he came to regret those tapes, for they recorded many things, he had wished were not. In the case of King David of Israel who lived about 3000 years ago, the same was true. So popular was the King, and so public his activities that court reporters wrote down everything, even things that David would have wished had been kept prtivate. The result however has been that we have insight into David and his family, including the terrible relationships between David and his sons and between the children themselves. One advantage this gives us, is that we are able to discuss contemporary family issues with a certain objectivity and at an emotional distance.
1. The Behaviour Of David's Children.
Because of David's undisciplined life, his adultery with Bathsheba, his changing of wives, and his sexual liaison with other women, his children were mostly step-brothers and sisters. They were also part of a wealthy family, undisciplined, with too much idle time. Here are enough factors to give any behavioural psychiatrist a field day.
Amnon was the eldest son of David, crown prince and heir to the throne. The prophet Nathan, who had convicted David of his adultery and violent behaviour, had said that public disgrace would follow him in his own palace. David's personal vices, his lack of discipline and his sexual excesses would haunt him in the behaviour of his own children. His eldest son Amnon was infatuated with his step-sister Tamar. He was used to getting what he wanted and he wanted his younger sister. Amnon plotted with his cousin how he could get her into his bedroom and get any servants out of the way. He pretended to be ill, and asked his father to send Tamar to him to give him some food. When alone, he grabbed her and threw her down on the bed. 2 Sam 13:12 ""Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her." Rape within our community is still one of our worst crimes. Many people here in this service could tell their story of violent assault, physical hurt and subsequent demeaning emotional and mental torture. Many listening and watching by television have also known the trauma of rape.
But they could also tell you that after the rape there may also be dreadful consequences. The rapist often tries to shift blame. v15-16 "Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" "No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her." I have no words to describe what I feel about a man who treats a woman like that. The violation of the rape, followed by the rejection of the woman, then the words of love turned into words of hate, then having gained what he wanted, he tells her to get out. That is sickening behaviour of the worst type.
Amnon makes it even worse. Amnon knows that servants gossip, but he exposes his half-sister to the eyes of his servant. V17-19 "He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her." So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went." How this deeply moves me. Her robe, the richly ornamented robe, was a symbol of her dignity and honour as a virgin princess. She tore the robe as she had been torn. She ripped up her dignity and holding her head in her hands wept!
What of the men in the family now? Of Amnon, I have nothing but loathing. His crime demands punishment. He saw something beautiful and he wanted it, regardless of the hurt to others. But that is exactly what he saw his father David doing. David got whatever he wanted, even if it involved violating Bathsheba and a cover-up that murdered her husband and a group of loyal soldiers. Amnon showed no repentance, no sorrow, no comfort for the young woman. Violation was followed by rejection and humiliation. Society must condemn those men and make them pay.
But note the reaction of her brother Absalom. He loved his younger sister. What is his response? Surely he will comfort and counsel her. v20 "Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman." Absalom quickly judges from her ripped robe what had happened. His response is now crucial. Like many men in this situation, he fails. He tells her to "Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." What a stupid man! He wants her to stop crying. He counsels: remember it is your brother who violated you so we don't want to get him into trouble. And to not worry about it, not take this to heart! What wrong counsel! What ignorance! Words cannot make this situation better, but these words can make it worse! If nothing else, then say "I love you". "I support you!" "I am so sorry".
What does Absalom do? Is there anything worse than telling his little sister to be quiet, and not get her half-brother into trouble, and to put it out of her mind? There is. Absalom might have felt for her, but he does nothing! He does not face his step- brother. He does not inform his father. He does nothing! v22 "Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar." He might hate, and seek revenge, but he was worse than useless to his young sister.
King David is just as useless. v21 "When King David heard all this, he was furious." And? And nothing! He said nothing and he did nothing! David did not take control of the situation, either to punish Amnon or to comfort Tamar. His own sin with Bathsheba and his cover up, makes him now impotent to help his teenage daughter. He felt he could not punish his son for doing what he had done himself, and he could not comfort his daughter when he did not comfort the woman he violated. But that is wrong. No matter our sin and guilt, we can still face others and comfort those who have been hurt. To remain silent in the face of wrong is moral cowardice. But that is part of the consequences of sin. Be compromised and you cannot easily act with integrity. David might have been furious, but fury must be channelled into the right kind of responses against those who have done wrong, and those who need comfort. If you have ever violated another or stood by silent after someone has been violated, then remember, repent! Otherwise the sin is compounded.
2. The Compounding Of Sin.
Absalom decides to get revenge on Amnon, and to take advantage of David's silence and inactivity. Absalom was the third son of King David. He resented being ignored by his father and resented his brother Ammon going unpunished for raping Tamar, his full sister. His nursed his hatred for two years, until the time of a traditional family gathering at the end of the harvest of barley. v28-29 "Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave." So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered." So rape is now compounded by murder.
Alarmed for the consequences, Absalom fled to his grandfather at Geshur, and stayed there for three years. David mourned his absent son, now branded with the guilt of fratricide. David invited Absalom back to Jerusalem, but when he came, David would not speak to him. For two years he refused to see him. Once more David refused to restore relationships, and just kept silent and did nothing. Absalom was now the oldest surviving son of David, and as he was of royal descent by his mother as well as by his father, he began to aspire to the throne. His pretensions were favoured by the people. Absalom became the spokesman for the people disenchanted by David's reign. They, in turn, supported him and when enough gathered round him, they proclaimed him king in Hebron 15:10 where David was first crowned.
The ambitious son could not be patient. David may have responded to family crisis by doing nothing, but he was always a determined commander against the Philistines and others who wanted his crown. David sent his army to find Absalom but not to hurt him.15:5 Twenty thousand of Absalom's army were slain in that fatal battle, and the rest fled. Absalom fled on a swift mule; but riding at full speed under a tree, his head was caught in a forked bough of an oak, and he was left suspended by the neck until Joab came up and speared him through the heart with his javelin. His body was taken down and cast into a pit, and covered by a heap of stones.
When David heard of Absalom's death he wept. 15:14 David's lament over the death of Absalom shows the depth of a father's love over the loss of a son as well as regret for personal failures which led to family and national tragedies. v33 "The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!""
David's personal sin impacted the way he brought up his sons. They in turn followed their father's example. We today must do all we can to help and comfort those who have been hurt, and try to break the cycle of sin impacting generations. If you repent of your sin, God is a loving father who will receive you. Jesus Christ becomes your elder brother in faith, and welcomes you into the family of God where there is peace and forgiveness.
Gordon Moyes
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The issue where Bane donned a makeshift Batman costume is about the point where my brain checked out of Arkham War. While that element is thankfully out of the picture (despite being depicted on the cover), this clash between nemeses is largely unsatisfying. Batman's dialogue is strangely off-kilter, especially considering the great work Peter Tomasi has done on Batman and Robin over the years. There's a fascinating psychological connection between these two that hasn't been properly explored since the days of Gail Simone's Secret Six. But there's little psychology to this battle, only lots of punching and boasting and hitting each other with stone gargoyles.
Meanwhile, Scot Eaton's art isn't at its best coming off of the previous six-issue series. It's noticeably scratchier and less refined, with the fight between Batman and Bane lacking much in the way of scope or energy.
The storytelling flaws here are frustrating, because occasionally it seems like Tomasi does have a great handle on Bane. This issue is at its best early on, when Bane is patrolling his city, dealing with looters the Old Testament way, and meting out his peculiar version of justice and mercy. Both this issue and Arkham War could have been great with a more introspective and cerebral approach.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.


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2nd Spring days of Laryngology
Saturday, May 7, 2016 (All day) to Tuesday, May 10, 2016 (All day)
Conference type:
Laryngology conference
This course will proceed in collaboration with Medrobiotics, Lumenis and Atos Medical. It will be based on lectures, hands-on and live surgeries. For more information, please contact Mrs Künstler: firstname.lastname@example.com
Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg
4 Rue Nicolas Ernest Barblé
Luxembourg CityLuxembourg


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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Walk--on the Wild Side
Since getting my iPhone, I have renewed my walking practice, but just in the last two-three weeks, I have revved it into high gear. I used to vary my walks and runs. Lately, I have been walking the same 4 miles (which is actually 2 miles out and back) and doing it daily in an hour's time. It has become a meditation of sorts. The terrain is challenging and the views are wonderful. I don't always go at the same time of day, but I am really studying the route. I watch the way sunlight changes the view. I notice when the farmer tills the soils, bringing up the black bulging earth. I watch the way the green is trying to push its way into the landscape. I notice baby goats. The flow of the stream--or not-- in the case of ice. The smells, some good, some foul. I notice if I get tired at the same point in my walks or if I am getting stronger. I notice the litter. I have come to realize that if I stop and nod at a cow or sheep, they will nod back to me. Sometimes I take pictures of the cows. The birds are in pairs now--flitting around. I saw cardinals, blue birds, robins, morning doves, and something small like sparrows or finches--brownish.
Yesterday I looked out of the fields. They were yellow brown with just enough green trying to come through that the color seemed to pulse. Against this backdrop was the Amish schoolhouse. The children were playing and most of the girls were wearing bright purple windbreakers and lavender skirts which really popped against the wanna-be chartreuse of the fields. I wanted to take that pictures, but felt it a little disrespectful. I feel like poetry should follow, but I am still taking it all in.
Posted by Jill Althouse-Wood at 1:13 PM
Labels: meditative practice, natural world, noticing, walking
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