text:
Gluten-Free Tuesday: Chocolate Dipped Nutter Butters Recipe
Delicious, no-compromise recipes for those who need to live a gluten-free lifestyle, but don't want it to taste like it.
As much as I love the from-scratch cookies that come pouring out of kitchens this time of the year, I have a soft spot for the "almost homemade" cookies my aunt Rita makes. For years, she's taken store-bought cookies and dipped them in chocolate—dressing them up the way the right scarf makes a casual outfit seem a little more stylish. With the help of the premade peanut butter sandwich cookies, she churns out chocolate-peanut butter gems without turning on her oven.
Over Thanksgiving I spied several packages of Nutter Butters in Rita's pantry. She's ready to make cookies! Suddenly I wanted one. Wanting more food on Thanksgiving sounds silly, but once I thought about those cookies I couldn't let them go. And since I eat gluten-free now, I have to bake my own instead of waiting for Rita's tin of cookies to show up.
Thankfully, several years ago I created a gluten-free version of Nutter Butters for the "Tastes Like" chapter of my cookbook. I pulled out the recipe and got to work. The sandwich cookies came together in about two hours. Since the reward for my work was chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies, the time spent baking was well worth it. Trust me.
After baking, I dipped the cookies in melted milk chocolate. They'd also be fantastic dipped in dark or white chocolate—use whatever chocolate you love. And if all this talk of Nutter Butters has left you with a hankering for plain, undipped Nutter Butters, simply skip the chocolate dipping step.
Recipe Notes
- Use either brown rice or white rice flour for the cookies. Brown rice flour adds a nuttier flavor and a coarser texture; white rice flour allows the peanut flavor to shine.
- Use gluten-free oats. Oats not labeled "gluten-free" are often contaminated with wheat/gluten. Gluten-free oats are clearly labeled.
- Dust your counter and the dough generously with white rice flour before rolling. This prevents the slightly sticky dough from sticking to the counter.
- Allow the cookies to cool before sandwiching them together to prevent the filling from melting.
- If you don't eat dairy, you can use a dairy-free chocolate for coating the cookies. Enjoy Life makes gluten-free/dairy free chocolate chips.
- You can also use this dough to make a delicious peanut-buttery tart crust. Simply roll out the dough, line a 10-inch tart pan and bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown. Fill the baked shell with whatever sounds good to you. Keeping with the chocolate-peanut butter theme, I'd fill the crust with chocolate pudding or mousse.
- Yield:makes about two dozen cookies
- Rated:
- For the Cookie
- 1.25 ounces (1/2 cup) gluten-free oats
- 2 ounces (1/2 cup) white rice flour
- 1 ounce (1/4 cup) cornstarch
- 1.25 ounces (1/4 cup) sweet rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter. (Natural peanut butter does not work well in this recipe.)
- For the Filling
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- For the Coating
- 12 ounces milk, dark, or white chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Process gluten-free oats in a food processor until fine. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ground oats, rice flour, cornstarch, sweet rice flour, salt, and xanthan gum.
In large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer, cream together vegetable shortening, smooth peanut butter, and granulated sugar. Cream for 30 seconds (use high speed on a handheld mixer or medium-high speed on stand mixer). Add egg and mix for additional 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix for additional 15 seconds.
Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add dry ingredients. Mix until dough forms. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle white rice flour lightly over countertop. Using rolling pin, roll out one dough round until approximately 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough with 3-inch round cookie-cutter.
Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. (I use a cookie spatula dusted with rice flour to transfer the dough to the pan.) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
While cookies cool, prepare the filling: In small bowl, cream together peanut butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add water. Filling should be smooth. If filling is too thick to spread, add additional teaspoon of water. Sandwich cooled cookies together with a thin layer of filling. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in large bowl set over pot of simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove bowl from the heat. Dip cookies, one at a time, in melted chocolate. (If chocolate begins to harden before you've finished dipping the cookies, return the bowl to the double boiler.) Place dipped cookies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, drizzle some of the melted chocolate over the top of each cookie. Once all the cookies have been dipped, chill for 20 minutes. Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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text: Keith is an experienced chef and a busy dad. Jackie is a designer with a passion for food. Superman Cooks documents our food journey together, exploring restaurants, markets and techniques that inspire great recipes for cooks of all levels. Ultimately, Superman Cooks is about love: love for good food, family, cooking…. and our love for one another.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mike McQueary is creating quite a shitshow. McQueary, a former Penn State assistant football coach, provided the testimony that led to perjury charges against two university officials, which, in turn led to the firing of Joe Paterno. Last November, less than two weeks after the grand jury issued its findings, McQueary told friends in an email he had stopped Jerry Sandusky when he saw Sandusky abusing a boy in a Penn State football building shower, and that he had also gone to the police. The latter part of that account does not square with records of both the university police and the State College (Pa.) PD, while the former portion is not supported by the account of a family friend who relayed to the grand jury what McQueary supposedly told him on the night of the alleged incident.
Now, this: According to Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News of Harrisburg (Pa.), it seems McQueary didn't know exactly what year the incident he said he witnessed took place. The date in question—both from the grand jury report and from McQueary's subsequent testimony at a preliminary hearing in December—zeroes in on March 1, 2002. But yesterday, prosecutors filed documents that say—what do you know?—there is new evidence that indicates the incident happened on Feb. 9, 2001.
Why is this significant? Three reasons:
1. According to lawyers for Tim Curley, Penn State's on-leave athletic director, and Gary Schultz, the school's former senior vice president of business and finance, that date would put the incident beyond the statute of limitations for the charges of failure to report abuse against both men.
2. McQueary's credibility is now further undermined. Or, as Sandusky's attorney, Lawyerin' Joe Amendola, told Ganim before the case's presiding judge issued a gag order last month: "I don't know if it's a lie as opposed to faulty memory, and if it's faulty memory, what else has he misremembered?"
3. Both Curley and Schultz are also charged with perjury for allegedly lying to the grand jury as part of an apparent coverup. But with McQueary as the sole witness prepared to testify against them (so far as we know), that perjury case just became that much more difficult to prove.
Photo via AP.
Part of Jerry Sandusky case might unhinge over date of alleged abuse, Penn State lawyers say [Patriot-News]


text:
Meningitis-tainted injections carry 2 fungi, a bustling CDC says
ATLANTA -- The emergency operations center is bustling at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where scientists recently learned that the fungus linked to a multistate outbreak of lethal meningitis is actually two fungi.
That means the CDC must revise the treatment protocol and advise doctors in the 23 states with potential victims to switch to a broader spectrum of drugs.
"We're still discovering what we're up against," said Dr. Benjamin Park, who is leading the CDC investigation.
The scene recalls images of NASA's mission control center. Workers sitting at long tables look up at an array of large screens with maps pinpointing confirmed cases and deaths.
Dr. John Jernigan, a CDC epidemiologist, has assembled a team of the world's leading experts in fungal infections. They spent Tuesday clarifying which patients are in the gravest danger. Many of those afflicted with the disease are elderly, he said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 137 cases and 12 deaths across 10 states. Tuesday's tally was 119 cases and 11 deaths.
"This is a rapidly evolving situation," Jernigan said.
This isn't your garden variety meningitis. Fungal meningitis is rare; there isn't much scientific research or treatment guidance to fall back on.
Health officials have traced the outbreak to a steroid used in pain injections. It was formulated by one company in Massachusetts and delivered to 75 clinics in 23 states.
The CDC complex is coordinating the national effort to make sure affected patients get timely treatment that can save their lives. The emergency operations center has marshaled more than 100 workers to that end.
They are gathering information from health agencies in the affected states, honing treatment options and helping local health workers contact the 13,000 people who may have been infected. In the CDC's labs, workers are extracting DNA from samples of spinal fluid and running tests to determine who is infected.
Meningitis attacks the spinal cord and brain, potentially causing brain damage, stroke and even death.
But Park said there's some good news thus far: The great majority of potential victims have been contacted, and most who have been tested were not infected. Also, this form of meningitis is not contagious.
The bad news is that new cases are emerging virtually every day. Patients may not feel symptoms for up to a month after the steroid injections, which officials believe were administered between May and September.
"We expect to hear about more deaths," Park said.
On Tuesday, Carla Mercado had set aside her regular research into heart disease. She was helping contact potential victims in Maryland, asking questions from a prepared script: Have you had fever? A stiff neck? Has your speech been slurred? Do you have swelling at the site of the injection? When she breaks the news that the steroid shot the patient received to alleviate chronic pain may now be making them sick, some people get real quiet.
"They listen and they want more information," she said.
The CDC, the nation's chief disease-fighting agency, ramped up its investigation last week when the meningitis cases, first isolated to Tennessee, emerged in other states.
Since then, boxes containing samples of spinal fluid from various states have been piling up at the CDC lab. That's where researchers discovered that the original suspect fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus, was accompanied by a second organism, Exserohilum rostratum.
The CDC is not involved in regulating drug manufacturers; that's the role of the federal Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is performing a separate investigation at the Massachusetts company, which has ceased production and recalled the steroids.
The episode has led to widespread calls for congressional investigations and tighter controls on pharmacies that mix their own drug compounds.
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts company run by the same executives who operate the New England Compounding Center has agreed to temporarily shut down for inspection by state and federal regulators, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Ameridose provides sterile medication in prefilled oral syringes to about 3,000 hospitals. There is no recall of Ameridose products.
Meanwhile, the CDC recently learned that some people may have received the contaminated shots in their joints, not their spines. Now it's informing officials in the affected states that, in addition to meningitis, the possible repercussions may include septic arthritis, a painful swelling of the joints.
"Time is of the essence," said Park of the CDC. "We know if patients with infection are identified soon and put on appropriate antifungal therapy, lives may be saved."


text:
The first anthropological survey of Objectivism was Jerome Tuccille's It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand. This, so far as I know, is the second, and a good deal of field work has gone into it. Some of my best friends are Objectivists, and most of the others are recovering Objectivists. I've been to Objectivist boot camp, twice, and met most of the high-ranking clerisy at one time or another.
Objectivism attracts a disproportionate number of Jews, to put it mildly. The original Objectivists were the group, including Alan Greenspan, that gathered around Ayn Rand while she was writing Atlas Shrugged. They called themselves "The Collective" (a term fraught with too many layers of irony for me to parse in a single paragraph), and every last one was Jewish. A WASP Objectivist friend of mine once asked Michael Berliner, the chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute, how many non-Jewish Objectivists there were. "Only you," Berliner said.
It is also surprisingly popular with homosexuals, despite Objectivism's at best ambivalent attitude toward homosexuality. The Internet is lousy with gay Objectivist and Rand-influenced blogs. It makes sense if you think about it. Jews and homosexuals are rootless and persecuted minorites who are logically attracted to tradition-busting philosophies. Objectivism is one; communism, in which they are also prominently represented, is another. The role of the Jews in the International Communist Conspiracy is well-known, and we oughtn't to forget that three of the Cambridge Four — McLean, Burgess, and Blount — were homosexual.
Objectivists exhibit an odd cognitive dissonance about drugs — not their legalization, of course, but their use. The majority opposes them vigorously, on the grounds that man must be in full focus as often as possible and that drugs are a form of "blank-out." But there is a good-sized pro-dope faction as well, although they usually know enough to keep quiet about it. Even Dagny Taggart and John Galt imbibed on occasion, illicit drugs are human inventions after all, and if we can improve on our natural state, well, why not? Several Objectivists of my acquaintance used to drop Ecstasy together every weekend. They had all carefully worked out their "Randian" rationalizations, of which "psychic lube job" was the briefest.
My predecessor Tuccille has many of the other details right. The early Objectivists, as he points out, did an awful lot of smoking, including almost every one of The Collective. After all, Ayn Rand smoked herself (from a holder, natch), as do all the heroes in Atlas Shrugged: the enduring symbol of Galt's Gulch is the cigarettes stamped with the dollar sign. And Tuccille's anecdote about Murray Rothbard and his unregenerate Catholic wife is true to the spirit of The Collective if not, perhaps, the fact:
Well, if Murray Rothbard's wife was a Christian there could only be one logical explanation for it: she had obviously never read Ayn Rand's proof that a Supreme Being does not, will not, and could not exist. Ever.
[Nathaniel] Branden hustled her into an adjoining room and sat her down at a desk with a handful of Rand's anti-God essays. Joey, relieved to be out of earshot of all this talk of second-handers and floating concepts, pored over the pamphlets while the meeting continued in the other room. When she completed her assignment and returned to the gathering, the drone of conversation suddenly stopped and she found herself skewered by twenty pairs of drilling eyes.
Branden took the initiative. "Well?"
"I found it all very interesting, Nathan."
"She found it very interezting." Branden repeated the information to the others at no extra charge. "Anything elze?"
"The arguments are very good, but I'm still not an atheist if that's what you're getting at."
Rand decided to take over. This was unquestionably a matter that demanded her personal intervention. "You haf read ze proofs?"
"They're all very good and thought-provoking, Ayn. But you don't shake a lifetime of religious faith with a few articles. I'll have to think about it for a while."
"You haf read ze proofs and you ztill inzist on wallowing in your mindless myztizizm? Faith is irrational which means…"
"Which means zat faith is immoral," said Branden.
"Which means it is anti-life," said [Leonard] Peikoff.
"Which means it is anti-man," said [Robert] Hessen.
"Which means it is anti…anti…" said Barbara Branden, searching for a suitable phrase.
Zose z's in Branden's speech are not typos either. Yes, Nathaniel Branden, Canadian-born, went so far as to affect a Russian accent. Anyone who doubts it can hear the evidence on the tapes of his early lectures at the modestly-named Nathaniel Branden Institute. Tuccille notes elsewhere that Rothbard probably fell away from Objectivism because he was tired of hearing his name pronounced "Rossbot."
Still, It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand is over thirty and shows its age. The Rachmaninoff-loving all-black-dressing dollar-sign-pin-wearing chain-smoking Objectivist of the mid-60s has gone the way of the dodo. There is no longer one type of Objectivist, if there ever was. In fact there are four.1
1. Protractor. Protractor couldn't care less about Ayn Rand the novelist, but Ayn Rand the philosopher drives him crazy. He can't beat the arguments and is too honest to ignore them. Objectivism faintly embarrasses Protractor, like his Songs from the Wood CD, but not so much that he won't adopt the philosophy or listen to the album. Protractor is second only to Bully-Boy in his familiarity with the Objectivist ouevre, which he picks over constantly in an effort to find something, anything, that he can quarrel with.
Protractor likes science; he is often a computer programmer. Only Protractor, because of his unfortunate habit of actually listening to arguments, can be converted to Objectivism as an adult. He has no role models among the Objectivist clerisy, but he does admire Mr. Spock.
2. Bully-Boy. Bully-Boy read The Fountainhead at twelve and mastered the finer points of the Objectivist epistemology by the time he was old enough for high school. To establish his bona fides, Bully-Boy will hasten to assure you that he doesn't agree with everything that Miss Rand said. A popular point of contention is her article arguing that no woman should be President of the United States because no self-respecting woman would want to be President of the United States. See? I disagree with that. I'm no slavish follower!
Bully-Boy proselytizes tirelessly, but only with Protractor does he get anywhere. His habits are solitary, largely because no one can stand him. His best friend, if he has one, is Twitchy, never another of his own kind. Often he will serve as consulting ideologist to a school of Sense-of-Life Guys.
Bully-Boy aspires to join the clerisy, among whom his favorites include Nathaniel "The Most Rational Man on Earth"2 Branden (pre-1968 only), Leonard "I'm Not the Pope"3 Peikoff, and Harry "I'm More Randian Than Miss Rand"4 Binswanger.
3. Sense-of-Life Guy. It's all good for Sense-of-Life Guy, who finds in Ayn Rand an echo of his own child-like wonder at the marvels of the universe. His favorite Rand novel, being the shortest, is Anthem, and he has never quite managed to read Galt's speech all through despite several desultory attempts. Sense-of-Life may not be much for literature but he is very fond of pictures, in which his taste runs to Maxfield Parrish and airy-fairy British academic stuff like Lord Leighton and Alma-Tadema. He often paints himself, with predictable results.
Sense-of-Life Guy is the most gregarious of all Objectivists, and is often, though by no means always, an enthusiastic advocate of Better Living Through Chemistry. Sense-of-Life Guy has no role models among the Objectivist clerisy, of whose very existence he is only dimly aware.
4. Twitchy. Twitchy has one overwhelming appetite that he hopes Objectivism, which seems to have all the answers, will either justify or cure. Sometimes it is for religion ("you haf read ze proofs?"), sometimes for drugs, sometimes for homosexual sex. He scours the Objectivist literature on his specialty, in which he is a match in learning even for Bully-Boy. A gay Twitchy once argued to me that it is "irrational" to choose a sex partner on the basis of gender because "one's gender is not a moral choice." Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer "got a light?"
Twitchy's role model among the clerisy is David "Truth and Toleration" Kelley, ex-communicated for maintaining that it's OK to argue with Marxists and Kantians. Twitchy always smokes. Wouldn't you?
And now you'll have to excuse me. I have a sudden strange hankering to listen to Songs from the Wood.
1Men only. Objectivist women, in my experience, are perfectly normal.
2Rand's description (pre-1968 only).
3I only act like him.
(Update: Michael Blowhard comments. Mg comments. Uruloki comments.)
28 Responses to "An Objectivist Bestiary"
Is "Songs From the Wood" really an Objectivist favorite? I had always thought it was a cult classic only among Tolkien/Celtic/D&D-obsessed 70s geeks like me.
I'm an old college Objectivist, but more of a Heavy Horses man. Yeah, Songs from the Wood would be in my top five, but still, TAKE THAT, BESTIARY MAN!
Michael: What Colby said.
Aaron, it is really quite remarkable. You only know about a dozen people and yet you manage to make them all archetypes somehow.
A dozen, counting myself. But I don't make them archetypes; I find them that way.
Were I to analyze myself according to these types always a risky proposition I'd have to say that I'm sort of a Sense of Life Guy, with aspects of Bully Boy.
I don't proselytize, but I do disagree with Rand (largely with regard to aesthetics). I'm quite accepting of others' beliefs, can argue with them if they want to, can let it go if they don't. I don't do drugs, don't smoke, but do drink, sometimes once every few months, sometimes once every few minutes. I do try to be gregarious, though I don't always succeed.
My least favorite Rand novel is Anthem, actually.
Am I a hybrid, or separate from the established types?
Ian: One sees hybrids like you occasionally. But no one is separate from the established types. First, when did they become established? And second, where do I send my bill?
I used to think there were only two types of Objectivists: those who used the philosophy to justify malevolent acts as "moral" and those who were constitutionally weak but who needed an intellectual basis to develop a spine. Im glad you cleared me up.
Well, you cleared it up for Bill Kaplan, but not for me.
I know many people who admire Rand–and get it–but simply do not fit your categories. I know several straight, male Objectivists–from a variety of age groups–who agree with all of Rand's fundamentals–aren't embarrassed in the least way by it–come from WASP backrounds–aren't too keen on proselytizing to anyone–and have barely learned how to use their P.C.'s at work. Since I'm a lawyer, most of them are lawyers, too. But they have normal, human lives and hardly ever think explicitly about Objectivism, except when politics or religion come up. They will say, however, that Rand changed their lives, gave them the confidence to leave some dead-end job, etc. Hell, they are firm atheists, but like NOT to advertize the fact….
If I gave Auggie, Bruno, Michael R., Steve, etc., your "Bestiary," they would have no idea what the hell you were talking about. They would never have wasted their time with Tuccille and have no aspirations to enter any kind of "heirarchy." They ran out to see "Sense of Life" and couldn't stand the movie "The Passion of Ayn Rand," but, due to wonderful ignorance, don't care about Rand's sex-life. Steve's a Viet Nam war hero who teaches law school, never did X, has a wife with MS and a young son he named "James." He is nowhere near anything you describe. I also know this real estate agent who …, well, never mind, you get the point. They don't spend a lot of time on the Internet, either.
These guys would be INSULTED by your "Bestiary"–and have every right to be, don't you think? If you only know a dozen people, Hatch, I'm guessing that I have to be the model for one of your stereotypes. The closest fit is "Bully-Boy"–but I have no such"aspirations"–and don't know anyone who does. My habits have been exhaustingly gregarious lately… I had some success "proslytizing" you–you are interested enough to write on the topic–does that make YOU a "Protractor"?
But which am I? I feel left out of your twelve if I'm not in there somewhere, Aaron.
"They will say, however, that Rand changed their lives, gave them the confidence to leave some dead-end job, etc." So their testimony confirms my spine-in-a-philosophy theory.
Do you know any bad guys who love Rand? I do. A vicious liar who justifies every improper act with a claim of self-interest. He named his daughter Dagny.
The one Objectivist in my life is a woman, and you are right that she doesn't fit the types given. Any conjectures about why women would escape these descriptions?
Also, I would have guessed Rush to be the band of choice.
Women escape because they have a sense of proportion about the importance of their beliefs, or, as some men I know like to put it, opprobriously, they are less intellectual.
Sure, Rush is the band of choice, but everyone knows that. Only field workers like me know about Tull.
One sees hybrids like you occasionally. But no one is separate from the established types.
Not really sure if this comment is in jest or not, I hope so.
I don't know the circumstances of your life any more than you know the circumstances of mine–or my friends. Therefore, I do not know whether you have any kids or an ailing parent to support. I do not know whether you have had an opportunity to do what you really loved–even though it meant leaving a high-paying job with a good deal of security. Under certain conditions, such a career-move can take more than factory-standard backbone. Unless, of course, you are like a lot of libertarian critics of Rand that I know. You know, computer-geeks who have no kids, are not even married (indeed, have a hard time getting laid at all), and, of course, dripping with knee-jerk hostility towards all admirers of Rand–even the ones they have never met before.
I think you got me all wrong. I dont harbor any sort of hostility to Rand, as her philosophy and literature has enriched my life intellectually as well as monetarily. I am probably the only person (other than Peikoff) who can quantify an amount, in dollars, that Ms. Rands philosophy actually earned him. (In asking for the fee which my partners warned me was excessive in the extreme, I had the mantra Rearden Metal pulsating through my head. Like Rearden Metal, I perceived the service to be both highly valuable and unique. When I got nearly my asking price, everyone said I had balls. What I actually had was a memory of Atlas Shrugged.) I admire her writings and believe that she was courageous in the extreme in the atmosphere of her times. In fact, I believe spine-in-a-philosophy is a refreshing tonic to the learned passivity or active malice of academia.
Having said that, Objectivists must realize that, like the students of Islam in our prison systems, Rands students will not always be models of fair play. Think of it as Ragnar killing his victims. People who are attracted to the philosophy of self-interest, in major part, misperceive the message of Rand as that of Herbert Spencer.
To me Rand is valuable for a number of reasons. First, she elevates philosophy and reason to their proper, preeminent places. Second, she persuasively makes the case for man being the measure of action. Third, she consistently reminds us of the relationship between morality and economics.
Her failings are, however, numerous and I will not expound upon them here.
Thank you for the clarification. To admire Rand is to court criticism from all quarters, and the empty tittering ad hominem gets old. One longs for substance in a sea of "sociologies" (Aaron is wrong–Walker and Rothbard both got "anthropological" in their attacks on Rand, too)–designed to keep people laughin' at the whole thing.
I do take issue with comparisons to Communism–like Aaron's–comparisons to Islam–like yours–even more than I take issue with being called a "bully." (Aaron, I hope, knows me to be gentle. As I recall, he was rather disappointed when I wasn't more rhetorically harsh in my first discussion at his dad's house…) But, please, Rand's students were the widest assortment of contrasting figures ever assembled by one teacher–they were destined to fracture.
When the intellectual history is written, they will be seen
as relatively independent minds, not lock-step conformists
at all. You are only exhibit number 9,999,999 yourself, it
Casey: I didn't answer Jim here because I thought his argument was disingenuous. He ostensibly objected to my particular categories when clearly his real objection was to any categories at all. Objectivism is a revolutionary movement, such movements tend to attract certain personality types, and it's reasonable to ask what those types are. This is not ad hominem, Jim to the contrary, unless it is employed as an argument against Objectivism, which it certainly was not.
I can't quite buy into your distinction between those who read Rand on their own and those who were converted by someone else. All Objectivists of my acquaintance were convinced by Rand, not one of her epigones. How they happened on her books is beside the point. The more useful distinction, as I suggested, is between those who read her as adolescents and those who were a bit older. Protractor and Bully-Boy are distinguished largely by the age at which they read her.
You don't see the walking parodies any more, as I also pointed out. What you do see is plenty of Randians, who are opposed to any sort of drug use on what they consider principle. They may be square, but they certainly exist. Of course it is true, as you and Jim say, that Randians work in all kinds of fields, but so what? You've never seen a psychologist and an actor who were a lot alike?
When the accusations get this nasty, I know I'm on to something good. I'm not just "bully" now, I'm a liar, too, Hatch?!
And, I'm still one of your "best friends"?! Wow! (I'd look into that, maybe with professional help!)
Of course, I generalize about everything, including Objectivists–after all, I am an Objectivist.
Here's one–they tend to be independent minds with a wide variety of personalities and interests. (Your example of drug-use is a perfect case in point.) Try putting Ditko, Greenspan, Rothbard, Peart, Efron, Callahan,(can we put YOU in there, too, Aaron?) etc., all in one room…I suspect it would spontaneously combust from the tension!
No, Hatch, your categories are just stupid and don't even apply to the people that we both know. YOU are the liar, not me: please name just one person–only one–you know well and who is bucking for the "clerisy" as you allege. You don't know any, do you?
Now, that's "disingenuous." (It's also what shrinks call "projection,' Aaron.)
To my knowledge, the only person you ever really knew who ever had such an ambition is there in Manhattan with you, Hatch–not out here in California.
Thanks for the good laugh, though!
You think the categories are stupid; maybe they are. But they certainly make better reading than your anodyne "generalization" about Objectivists.
As for the rest, please stop it. To be disingenuous is to say one thing — which may well be true — when you really mean another. It is a rather distant relative of lying.
You are not a literal "bully" any more than I would be a literal "protractor." That's just silly.
I'm not saying that no other generalizations are applicable–just that yours are not. I could say "duh!"–but that would be too obvious.
O.k., Hatch, you were merely being "disingenuous," too.
Still buddies?
Ha, ha, I am honored to be associated with as a sense-of-life-guy but really I cannot not take any credit for appreciating Parrish, Leighton, and Alma-Tadema. My taste runs more towards major players, even the likes of Duchamp but for reasons that are way out of the range for me to get into here. I once shocked a famous couple known for their scholarship, over dinner in a Greek taverna by stating I would much rather own The Fountain then I would a painting Parrish or someone like him. And then there is Picasso, who would be in my top 3 or 4. Hint: conceptual play scores high on my list.
That's very interesting. I like Duchamp myself, who was the funniest man in the history of art, but I can think of a lot of things I'd want to own before Fountain none, however, by Maxfield Parrish.
One more correction: it is ad hominem when you ascribe a certain agreement or disagreement with some position of Rand's to a need (psychological? developmental?) to establish one's "bona fides"–as opposed to sincere conviction.
Also, public disclosure of one aspect of our recent private email exchange is in order: it seems "Protractor" is admittedly more "ruthless" than the (ever so metaphorical) "bully."
Or do you mean that Duchamp was the biggest "joke" in art history? Ha, ha. I lean in that direction, but you have got to give the guy kudos for turning art history on its end by his cynical gestures. Amazing. But Aaron we are then quite in agreement you would take a Duchamp over Parrish! Good man.
I loved reading the archtypes. I'm not sure if they perfectly describe all Oists, but then again I've never met one in my life. I am the lone Randian in the philosophy dept at my university. I find myself to be different than these 4… though very much a sense of life guy. My reason for accepting Oism originally was that is agreed with my personal philosophy in almost every way. Where ever a contradiction did exist (such as the existence of G-d), I checked my premises, one of them was wrong. To date it seems that Oism has never been wrong. I do not agree with Rand on everything, in particular I disdain her later actions. Cursing Nathaniel Branden's reproductive organs because he went with another woman is not befitting of an Oist.
Why do you believe the Brandens about such things with their track-record of lies?


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Please note that all users start with a trial period. Once the trial period finishes you will be restricted to only 6 games, you need to purchase an upgrade your user account with an Activation Code to remove this limitation.
Why buy from DroiX?
Software - With our team of coders ever ready, DroiX work hard to provide applications and solutions for you
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Come along to our Saturday Night Party and join in with the fun, from 20:00 till 03:00.
We average 180 people at our Saturday parties, so why not come along and make some new friends ?
All of the club facilities are open during our events so you can use the Jacuzzis, sauna, steam room or showers to relax.
We do not have a strict dress policy however please no street wear or scruffy work wear, also ladies no jeans please.
If it is your first visit let us know when you sign in and we will show around our club.
Accommodation is available on a first come first served basis, so don't be dissapointed and book today. Call us on 01474 704418 for further details.
New Comers always welcome
Bring your own bar-steward !
|Event Date
|28-12-2019 8:00 pm
|Event End Date
|29-12-2019 3:00 am
|Eureka Naturist Club


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(behind Beverly Middle School)
Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 921-6109
(978) 921-8315 fax
Dana Cruikshank, Director
Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.
Welcome to the Transportation Department website!
Our department is complete with 36 busses, 7 school vans, 30 CDL bus drivers, 6 van drivers and 14 bus monitors. The director, secretary and dispatcher maintain the department Monday-Friday from 8:00 to 4:00PM and would be glad to assist you in any way regarding school bus transportation.
We provide transportation to the students of Beverly who attend our public schools as well as those who attend parochial schools in Beverly. Students are bussed daily to and from their respective schools. Transportation is provided for students who participate in school field trips, athletic/music programs, or any other school based activity that requires bussing. Our goal is to provide transportation to all students in a safe and timely manner.
Regular Bus Transportation
Application is required to register a student to ride a regular bus to and from their school daily. A form should be completed for each child and returned with any required bus fee to the Transportation Department. The Beverly Public Schools require all students in grades 7-12 to provide their own transportation or to pay a transportation fee. The fee is $315 per student and capped at $630 per family. One way ridership is allowed at $157.50 per student. A $5 fee is assessed to replace a bus pass. In case of financial hardship, scholarship assistance for those families who are eligible may be provided.


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Many residents and business owners may be receiving solicitation phone calls asking for a financial donation to, what they interpret to be, the New Lenox Police Department. When these solicitors call, please listen carefully to the caller. The New Lenox Police Department does not solicit monetary donations. Any donations made will not benefit the operations of the New Lenox Police Department. Operations for the Police Department are funded through tax dollars. The union representing the sergeants of the New Lenox Police Department, the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, will be making these solicitation calls. Any donation will go to that union. Additionally, any donation made will not have an effect (either positive or negative) on the service delivery of the New Lenox Police Department.The union is allowed to solicit for funds and must legally represent themselves during the phone conversation. However, many residents and business owners have voiced confusion and concern over these calls in the past. If you receive a call and are confused, ask the caller what a donation would fund and what organization would receive it. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact Deputy Chief April DiSandro at the New Lenox Police Department at (815) 462-6100.
If you would like to pay your local ordinance or parking ticket you may do so by mailing check or money order to New Lenox Police Department, Traffic Compliance Administrator, 200 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox, Illinois, 60451.
You may also pay in person by cash, check or money order at the Village Hall located at 1 Veterans Parkway or at the Police Department located at 200 Veterans Parkway during normal business hours.


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Being undead isn't so bad. Your clothes are filthy, you could probably do with a little more sun, and the quality of conversation is somewhat diminished, but I didn't mind being a zombie for a day. I was given this opportunity when Summit Entertainment decided to fly me up to Montreal to the set of Warm Bodies, the new film from director Jonathan Levine (50/50). The film follows R (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie who falls in love with the non-zombie Julie (Teresa Palmer) after eating her boyfriend's brains.
I've been on a few set visits, but for Warm Bodies, Summit invited me and my fellow movie journalists to be zombie extras. In addition to interviewing Levine, Hoult, Palmer, co-star Rob Corddry, and producer Bruna Papandrea, we got to go through the zombification process without the nasty biting-and-dying part. Hit the jump to read about my visit to the set of Warm Bodies.
It's October 29, 2011, and the day begins by driving us down to Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Before we got in the make-up chairs, they took pictures of us pre-zombie. I gave a big smile because A) I didn't want my "Before" photo to look like a mug shot and B) I was looking forward to being undead.
After taking my before photo, I put on a wardrobe they gave me, but the costume designer angrily rejected my pullover because it was red, and he shouted at the department to "Burn it!" (I have never worn a piece of clothing that made another person so angry, and I include the time I accidentally wore an "I See Dead People" t-shirt to a nursing home.) I would later discover that R wears a red hoodie, which helps him standout against the background and crowd scenes. They gave me a blue jacket and then I was on my way to the make-up department.
We were all basically in a giant, concrete room where make-up tables had been set-up along the walls. The make-up and costume department was basically a production line where once a make-up artist finished with one extra, the next extra filled the seat.
My make-up artist, Alexis, had fun making me look dead. My skin was made sallow, black veins were added around my neck and face, I got some nice blood added to the corners of my mouth and around my left ear. My pants had a rip around the knee, so Alexis and I decided to add some blood there because that's where my "character" was bitten. Before I went in, I was a little concerned if there would be the zombie-movie staple of contact lenses, but I learned that no one is strapping on the lenses for the film and that everyone just got black, sunken eyes, so it's the extra's job to make them look dull and vacant. I was already ahead of the game.
While there were certain parameters the artists had to work in (pale skin, dark veins, nothing too gory), they had the freedom to decide how much vein-work they would use and how much blood to add. That may not seem like much, but when I looked around at all the other extras, the effect worked. Everyone looked like they were at different stages of zombification. The only real shortcoming was the lack of gore. You won't see any Walking Dead-level effects, possibly because they would draw focus away from the main characters, and also because the film is aiming for a PG-13 rating.
Once my make-up was finished, I moved over to have my hair done. It was if someone had said, "Hey, Matt! Here's a reminder of all that gross crap you put in your hair back in high school in a futile attempt to look cool! It wasn't cool. Now you will see how uncool it was." To be fair, the Warm Bodies hair-stylists weren't trying to make anyone look cool, but they were still rubbing loads of crap into our hair that gave it the texture of barbed wire. Fake mud and fake grime were massaged into my scalp and then I was coated with a nice sprinkling of dust.
Despite my grime-dome and tattered clothes, I still needed to look filthier so they directed me to the "Dirt Department". In the department, I stood alongside two other extras, and we each had an artist who would add more dark paint and mud coloring to our clothing. With the process complete, I determined that my character was bitten and then rolled down a muddy slope before landing in a construction zone. Looking around at the other extras, I believe this had been a common occurrence during the apocalypse.
We then made our way to set, but the scene requiring the extras hadn't occurred yet. Instead, we went to some monitors to watch some takes of Julie and R walking down a hallway. Then we moved to what was formerly the box office for the stadium so we could do interviews.
First, we interviewed producer Bruna Papandrea. She talked about how she got involved with the project, working with Jonathan Levine, trying to appeal to fans of the zombie genre, getting inside R's head, how zombies get it on, and more. Click here for the full interview.
After Papandera left, we waited a little while, and then Corddry entered the room. Corddry plays R's best friend and fellow zombie, M. "Mmmm…smells like marketing in here!" he said to the group as he walked to his seat. We then talked about the physicality of his character, working with Cirque du Soleil to get the right movements, his appreciation of the zombie genre, his [adult swim] TV series Children's Hospital, and much more. Click here for the full interview.
Corddry then had to return to set, we did a little more waiting (whether you're a journalist or a member of the cast and crew, waiting is the majority of your time on set), and then the lovely Teresa Palmer came to talk to us. We talked about a variety of subjects including the scene they were filming that day, why R doesn't eat her, working with John Malkovich (who plays Julie's father), her favorite zombie movie, the influence of Romeo and Juliet, and playing against actors who have a restricted range of emotions since they're playing zombies. Click here for the full interview.
After we finished interviewing Palmer, we were asked if we wanted to be put near the back or front of the crowd. If we were put in the front, we would possibly have to stay late to maintain continuity. However, this crowd of intrepid journalists doesn't half-ass our portrayals of zombie/infected half-dead people. We volunteered to be put near the front, much to the chagrin of some of our fellow extras. I was put in the second row, and the woman in front of me was perfectly nice, but some of the other journalists told me that they could hear a lot of angry French coming from the mouths of nearby Québécois extras.
It's understandable. You spend hours going through wardrobe, getting made-up, and then you have spend most of your day just standing around and waiting in this uncomfortable get-up, so a little screen-time wouldn't be the worst thing ever. Some are doing extra work as a part-time job, others are using it as a networking opportunity, and a few think they'll somehow get their big break and be discovered for their daring performance as Zombie #136. Personally, I was hoping the camera would notice me just so I could point out the half-second of my zombified face to friends and family when the Blu-ray came out. However, based on my position, I doubt you'll see me in the movie. You have a better chance of catching fellow movie website writers Devin Faraci, Evan Dickson, and Max Evry in the shot. Thankfully, a photographer was on set with us, and here's the completion of my zombie process:
[Warning: minor spoilers ahead]
The scene we were shooting was the climax where M and R have rallied the regular zombies to fight against the "Bonies". Warm Bodies' take on zombies is that they aren't really dead as much as they're infected. They can slightly communicate, they have the potential to heal (R and M both have scars), and most importantly, they can possibly become human again. The bonies, on the other hand, are too far gone, and have become ugly, primal monsters. The bonies will be completely CGI, and we spotted several actors dressed in the familiar grey-spandex with tracking dots. They were constantly stretching and it sounds like the bonies will be very much in the mold of the rage-zombies from 28 Days Later (a movie frequently cited by everyone we interviewed; the other that got name-dropped was Return of the Living Dead since those zombies can talk).
In the scene, M walks through the zombie crowd and after saying hello to M and R, M says that the zombies behind him are "ready for a fight." R, referring to the bonies, tells M, "They're coming." Then M looks up and says, "Already here." In the film, there will probably be a cut to a glass ceiling and a bunch of bonies trying to make their way in. We went through the process of having the crowd wrangler tell the extras to ahead, and then wait for the signal (it was supposed to be someone off-screen shouting "Bonies!" but then for most of the takes the guy just shouted "Up!"), rehearsing with the stand-ins, and then running through the scene for real. It took a few takes, and I have no idea how it will look. The series of takes we would do later that day would be slightly trickier.
[End spoilers]
We were about to settle in for lunch, but then we were called back for a lengthy interview with Levine. We talked about influential zombie films, creating their own rules, working with his largest budget to date, what he learned from 50/50, balancing the horror and romantic elements, and a whole lot more. Click here for the full interview.
He then showed us a clip from the movie where R, having protected/kidnapped Julie and taken her back to his plane (he lives at the airport), tries to give her a blanket even though she's scared and confused. He then goes over to a record player where he puts on a Guns n' Roses song, Julie notes that R also listens to Frank Sinatra, R comes back to the aisle across from Julie, and lays down his head to sleep. Levine said he preferred the Guns n' Roses track, but they hadn't gotten the rights, and while they did have the rights to Sinatra, he wasn't sure if they would go with the legendary crooner. Anyone who's seen 50/50 or The Wackness knows one of Levine's gifts is music selection, and I'm sure whatever track he chooses will fit with the scene.
But as for the content of the scene and the tone it's setting for the movie, it could go either way. I'm not going to make a judgment of the entire film based on three minutes of rough footage. I asked Levine how much "zombie" we'll see in R because based on this one scene, he could just be a guy with pale skin and brain damage. The relationship between R and Julie could end up being very corny or very sweet, but I'm betting on the latter since Levine has also shown he knows how to capture the heart of relationships. (I wrote this back in October 2011, and the recent trailers make it look like Levine hit the mark on this movie).
We then made our way to lunch as the rest of the extras were finishing up eating. Afterwards, we got back to the set, and while we were told to take our original positions, the blocking had changed so I basically just found a new spot in the back. The new take was still the same action, but now we would have to make way for R and Julie to run through the crowd while pretending that we were fighting off Bonies crashing through the sequence. The first time did not go well as we all just sort of mimed the extras director's original action and sunk to the floor as if we were about to do "Thriller". Eventually, we learned that we should pretend we're fighting off invisible monsters and while it feels silly in the moment, it's still a lot of fun. I'm hoping the Blu-ray has behind-the-scenes footage of us fighting off invisible uber-zombies. It probably looks hilarious.
We then moved back to the interview room to talk with Hoult. Hoult struck me as an incredibly sweet, thoughtful person. He didn't rush to answer a question, you could tell he was really thinking about his response, and he was comfortable saying "I don't know." However, he was also quite eloquent and if you're betting on young actors who will be in-demand ten years from now, he's a smart bet. We talked about eating brains, zombie school, influential zombie movies, playing an unconventional hero, communication without words, and much more. Click here for the full interview.
Since the production was moving on to a new take with new blocking, our zombie services were no longer required for the day. We went back down to the make-up department and I expected some super-special miracle spray that would blast away all of the make-up in one spritz. Instead, I was handed a couple wet naps, a towel, some soap, and told to go to the bathroom. When it came to getting the grime off, it worked surprisingly fast and surprisingly well (I got rid of the gunk in my hair when I took a shower back at the hotel). I was grateful that we had ducked in before the horde of other extras had arrived.
As I said, being dead was pretty fun, and judging by what I saw on the set and the latest trailers, so is Warm Bodies. The film opens February 1st.
Here's more from my visit to the set of Warm Bodies:
- Director Jonathan Levine Talks about Zombie Movies, What He Learned from 50/50, Horror and Romance, and More on the Set of Warm Bodies
- Nicholas Hoult Talks about Eating Brains, Playing an Unconventional Hero, Communicating without Words, and More on the Set of Warm Bodies
- Teresa Palmer Talks about Her Favorite Zombie Movie, Having a Relationship with a Zombie, the Influence of Romeo and Juliet, and More on the Set of Warm Bodies
- Rob Corddry Talks about Learning Zombie Moves from Cirque du Soleil, His Love of Zombie Movies, Children's Hospital, and More on the Set of Warm Bodies
- Producer Bruna Papandrea Talks Working with Director Jonathan Levine, Aiming for a PG-13 Rating, Zombie Sex, and More on the Set of Warm Bodies


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|Version 3 (modified by gz, 13 years ago) (diff)
10. Controlling the Display
10.1. Views
A hemlock-view represents the GUI object(s) used to display the contents of a buffer. Conceptually it consists of a text buffer, a modeline for semi-permanent status info, an echo area for transient status info, and a text input area for reading prompted input. (Currently the last two are conflated, i.e. text input happens in the echo area).
The API for working with hemlock-views is not fully defined yet. If you need to work with views beyond what's listed here, you will probably need to get in the sources and find some internal functions to call.
10.2. The Current View
current-view [Function]
current-view returns the hemlock view which is the target of the currently executing command. This is usually the frontmost hemlock window in the current application.
10.3. View Functions
hemlock-view-p object [Function]
This function returns t if object is a hemlock view, otherwise nil.
hemlock-view-buffer view [Function]
This function returns the buffer which is displayed in the view.
10.4. Cursor Positions
mark-column mark [Function]
This function returns the X position at which mark would be displayed, supposing its line was displayed on an infinitely wide screen. This takes into consideration strange characters such as tabs.
move-to-column mark column &optional line [Function]
This function is analogous to move-to-position (page 5), except that it moves mark to the position on line which corresponds to the specified column. If the line would not reach to the specified column, then nil is returned and mark is not modified. Note that since a character may be displayed on more than one column on the screen, several different values of column may cause mark to be moved to the same position.
10.5. Redisplay
The display of the buffer contents on the screen is updated at the end of each command. The following function can be used to control the scroll position of the buffer in the view.
set-scroll-position how &optional what [Function]
Normally, after a command that changes the contents of the buffer or the selection (i.e. the active region), the event handler repositions the view so that the selection is visible, scrolling the buffer as necessary. Calling this function tells the system to not do that, and instead to position the buffer in a particular way. how can be one of the following:
- :center-selection
- This causes the selection (or the point) to be centered in the visible area. what is ignored.
- :page-up
- This causes the previous page of the buffer to be shown what is ignored.
- :page-down
- This causes the next page of the buffer to be shown. what is ignored.
- :lines-up
- This causes what previous lines to be scrolled in at the top. what must be an integer.
- :lines-down
- This causes what next lines to be scrolled in at the bottom. what must be an integer.
- :line
- This causes the line containing what to be scrolled to the top of the view. what must be a mark.


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"Jesus looked at him and loved him." - Mark 10:21
There once was a rich young man who had every thing on earth he could possibly desire. But when the Savior of the world looked in his eyes, and loved Him, that rich young man missed what he needed most of all.
I've read this story so many times: perched upon the edges of small beds while tucking brown headed children in for the night; studying with like-minded women who seek comfort for their weary hearts; enfolded in quilts, on cold winter mornings, while candles burn and coffee brews.
I've read it, but this week those six little words have fallen like whispers on readied ears: "Jesus looked at him and loved him." And I wonder, am I missing what I need the most because my focus is wrong? Am I staring in the face of The Loveliest of All, and yet still considering what else I should do?
He looks at me, and he loves me?
It's shocking, even after all these years.
This week has brought some amazing color to our little corner of the Carolina's. The trees are in full display and the sunsets have set my heart on the beauty of God's creative world. Several times I have been unable to adhere to the agenda; I've literally pulled off the road just to take it all in.
Golden leaves and fire skies. A walk in the woods with my man at my side. The beaming smile of a cowgirl at the end of the day. When I see these radiant displays of His glory, I can't help but ponder "he looks at us, and he love us… go and follow Him."
Isn't that what we all want, to be seen (truly known!) and loved anyway? With God that is possible. He promises it is so...


text:
Listings in Health and Medicine, Automobile Collision Repair, Automobile Service, Lake Stevens Rotary Club and Restaurant in Everett
ATI Physical Therapy - Betsy Baker-Bold
in Health and Medicine, Everett Rotary Club
Betsy Baker-Bold is an owner and therapist with ATI Physical Therapy (formerly Olympic Physical Therapy) in Everett - a private practice outpatient physical therapy clinic owned and operated by physical therapists for over 30 years.
4220 Hoyt Avenue
Everett, Washington
United States
Shawn O'Donnell's American Grill and Irish Pub - Shawn O"Donnell
in South Everett Mukilteo Rotary Club, Restaurant, Meeting Room, Pub
Shawn O'Donnell's American Grill and Irish Pub has three locations to serve you - Seattle, Fremont and the original in Everett. We are proudly family owned and operated. And yes - there really is a guy named Shawn O'Donnell.
122-128th Street SE
Everett, Washington 98208
United States
Fax: 425-338-5754
Dwayne Lane's Auto Family - Tom Lane
in Automotive Repairs, Everett Rotary Club, Automotive Sales, Automobile Service, Automobile Collision Repair
Dwayne Lane's Auto Family consists of six locations, representing Subaru, Mazda, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Chevrolet, Ford and Lincoln and over 1500 vehicles in stock. The dealerships also have award winning parts and service departments and a coll
10515 Evergreen Way
Everett, Washington 98204
United States
Fax: 425.514.8354
Everett Optometry Clinic, PS - Dr. James D. Schrader, OD
in Health and Medicine, Everett Rotary Club, Optometry, Eye Care
Everett Optometry Clinic is a premier eye care facility located in Everett, Washington. Our office and eye doctors are dedicated to providing excellence in patient care, clinical education, and optical services.
3700 Colby Avenue
Everett, Washington 98201
United States
Fax: 425-259-3895


text:
Waukesha company saves Echo Lake Foods' records remotely
The fast action of some Milwaukee-area computer technicians may have helped Echo Lake Foods survive a devastating fire.
In a story first reported by WISN 12 News' media partners at BizTimes Milwaukee, valuable records were saved from the fire.
As WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott explains, it all happened because of a signal miles away from the burning building.
Echo Lake Foods' computers were destroyed in the eight-alarm fire in January, but the information that they held survived.
Flames tore through the facility, gutting buildings, destroying equipment and putting everything the company needed to rebuild at risk.
"The computers are all gone. The phone system is gone. All of our records are burned up," said Jerry Warntjes of Echo Lake Foods.
But miles away at a Waukesha information technology company called Xenetel, technicians monitoring the disaster recovery system they had created for Echo Lake Foods noticed something startling.
"We saw heat rise in the server room that looked like it was an error, and we made some calls and it turned out to be the worst-case scenario: The building was on fire," said Lou Moreilli of Xenetel.
The company sprang into action.
Elizabeth Houts rushed to the scene of the fire and stayed on the phone with her co-workers back in Waukesha.
"He's shutting systems down systems down and pulling data, and we're kind of coming up with plan B as the firefighters are fighting, we're referencing our disaster recovery plan going, 'OK, what's the next step?'" Houts said.
The techs were able to quickly save the records remotely, allowing Echo Lake Foods to start rebuilding right away.
"We didn't even miss a payroll. We had payroll on time the following week because of the all the systems they put in place," Warntjes said.
Warntjes said without it, the company might have been done.
"It would have been a complete meltdown. We would have been back to the stone age," Warntjes said.
The people at Xenetel said they regularly review their disaster recovery plans for companies and, in fact, were looking over the plans for Echo Lake Foods on the very day of the fire just two hours before they suddenly had to put that plan into action.
Some operations have already resumed at the burned-out facility.
Get an in-depth look at the Echo Lake Foods emergency plan and more details on the story from BizTimes Milwaukee.


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NEW YORK — U.S. airlines say they improved their financial performance in the first quarter, although they still lost money in what is traditionally the year's toughest travel period.
The airlines lost $552 million — or $3.30 per passenger — in the first three months compared with a loss of $1.7 billion a year earlier, as travel slowed after the holidays.
Airlines have been making a concerted effort to get their costs under control, said John Heimlichm chief economists for Airlines for America, the industry's lobbying group.
That's a big challenge. Fuel accounts for more than a third of the airlines' costs and is largely out of their control. Airlines were able to lower debt and interest payments, Heimlichm said, but the biggest gains came from increasing airfares and charging more in fees.


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Some friends of mine recently had a baby who was diagnosed with Propionic Acidemia. Apparently this means that the baby cannot digest protein. The parents have talked with the doctors extensively about what they can do to help at home, life expectancy, etc., but they are consistently told that all cases are different and there's no way to know what to do. Apparently it comes from a mutated (or recessive maybe?) gene that has to exist in both parents for the disease to appear in the child. I don't think children with this disease live very long, nor do they develop mentally like healthy children. I think the oldest living person with the disease is 18. Any help you might provide would be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance for your time.
Alli – Stockton, California
Propionic acidemia can be a devastating condition, but with careful treatment it is sometimes possible for people with the disease not only to reach adulthood successfully but even to get pregnant and deliver healthy babies!
But for parents whose children have propionic acidemia, the first weeks after the symptoms appear seem like a surreal nightmare. Rather than little bundles of joy, or fussy bundles of colic, these children are floppy and weak. Most often the children get increasingly lethargic and don't have those wonderful, quiet, alert moments where baby and parent can connect. Not even feeding is a comfort, with vomiting and poor growth being common features. Often no one knows what the problem is, but without quick intervention, the situation can deteriorate quickly to seizures, coma, and death.
And when the diagnosis is finally made, the situation can sound even more bleak than the previous fears of the unknown. A nightmare indeed!
But a new treatment on the horizon may turn out to be a dream come true.
Propionic acidemia is what we call an inborn error of metabolism. Our bodies use detailed blueprints (our genes) to guide the manufacture of the proteins and enzymes we need to carry out the processes of life. Errors in these genes can lead either to a lack of necessary proteins or to the accumulation of toxic substances.
Most mutations in these genes cause no problem; they are just differences that set individuals apart. But more than 100 known single-gene changes do produce disease. Each of these inborn errors of metabolism is rare, but taken as a group, the conditions are fairly common. They range from very mild to quite severe. Even some of the worst can be successfully treated with something as simple as a dietary change. Others are relentlessly fatal.
Some of my most heart-rending experiences as a physician and as a friend have been watching the devastation caused by inborn errors of metabolism.
Inborn errors of metabolism should be suspected (and often aren't) in any child with persistent vomiting, failure to thrive, lethargy, abnormal muscle function or tone, unexplained seizures, neurological deterioration, or developmental regression-especially in the absence of obvious congenital anomalies. A family history of a similar condition, a peculiar odor, or physical changes such as a large liver or spleen should also lead one to consider inborn errors.
Every time we eat food that contains protein, our bodies use a series of enzymes to break those huge foreign protein molecules into small pieces. These then become the building blocks we reassemble to form the specific human proteins we need.
In people with propionic acidemia, there is an insufficient supply of one of these enzymes (propionyl coenzyme A [CoA] carboxylase). Without the propionyl CoA carboxylase, there is a bottleneck in protein processing. Propionic acid builds up in the blood. This is known to damage the lining of small blood vessels, allowing the propionic acid to leak into the brain and nerve tissues, where it alters behavior and development. Ammonia also accumulates in the blood. This too can damage the brain. Food that is meant to nourish becomes a poison.
Propionic acidemia is really more than one disease, depending on the extent of the enzyme deficiency. In some people, the defect is complete, with the early onset of severe symptoms. At the other end of the spectrum, one man had such a mild deficiency that he didn't develop symptoms until he was 31 years old!
There are now approximately 100 known different mutations to the propionic carboxylase gene (Mol Genet Metab. 2004 83:28). As our understanding of genetics accelerates, I expect that soon we will be able to make precise correlations between the specific genetic defect and the expected clinical course. Even now, though, we can tailor treatments to individual children while recognizing principles that apply to most children.
In general, those with intermediate levels of enzyme deficiency have symptoms that come in separate attacks when levels of protein to be digested are out of balance with the amount of enzyme available. This might be caused by a high-protein diet's increasing the protein to be digested, or by stress or illness, decreasing enzyme production. Constipation can also trigger an attack because it increases dietary protein available for processing and because gut bacteria can produce additional propionic acid. These attacks can cause a rapid downward spiral in a child's condition because the vomiting child with poor appetite, desperate for calories, will begin to process his own protein for food, leading to increasing levels of acid.
Laboratory findings during the acute attack reveal excess acid in the blood, low white blood cells (neutropenia), low platelets, and low blood sugar. Ammonia also accumulates in the blood. The level of ammonia often correlates with the severity of the disease, so this is measured to design and monitor treatment.
Treatment of acute attacks includes rehydration, correction of acid-base balance, and provision of adequate calories, often through intravenous feedings. Minimal amounts of protein should be given, and this protein should be deficient in the four amino acids that need propionyl CoA carboxylase to digest them (isoleucine, valine, threonine, and methionine). To control the possible production of propionic acid by intestinal bacteria, antibiotic therapy (such as with metronidazole) should be started promptly. Constipation should also be treated. Patients with propionic acidemia may develop carnitine deficiency, presumably as a result of urinary loss of propionylcarnitine. Administration of L-carnitine may be necessary to stop the attack.
Very ill patients with severe acidosis and elevated blood ammonia require dialysis to remove ammonia and other toxic compounds. Although infants with true propionic acidemia are rarely responsive to biotin, this compound should be administered to infants during the initial attack. It is very important in treating other errors of protein metabolism that look very similar.
Long-term treatment includes a low-protein diet (1.0-1.5 g/kg/24 hr). Synthetic proteins deficient in key amino acids (isoleucine, valine, threonine, and methionine) are used to increase the amount of dietary protein (to 1.5-2.0 g/kg/24 hr) while causing minimal change in propionic acid production. Still, natural proteins should comprise most (50-75%) of the dietary protein.
L-carnitine supplementation (50-100 mg/kg/24 hr orally) is also a part of long-term treatment. And thiamin deficiency has been shown to make propionic acidemia worse. Early vitamin supplementation is a good idea for these children-and especially when having an attack.
We used to think that the mental and developmental problems were solely a result of damage done during attacks. Recent evidence, however, suggests that damage may also occur even in the absence of attacks. Head MRI (which shows brain structure) and PET scan (which shows brain function) can be useful for following any silent progression of the disease.
Close monitoring of blood pH, amino acids, urinary content of propionate and its metabolites, and growth curves is necessary to adjust the proper balance of the diet and ensure the success of therapy. Some patients may require chronic alkaline therapy to correct low-grade chronic acidosis. Also, children with propionic acidemia are especially prone to infections. Any infection should be treated promptly.
With this type of regimen, some children do quite well, but treatment must be continued for a lifetime with conventional therapy. In two known cases, the parents believed their children to be cured. They abandoned cumbersome diet and medications, resulting in the sudden death of both children.
Long-term prognosis is guarded-especially in those who develop symptoms in the first week of life. Seizures occur in about 30% of affected infants. Survival has been improving dramatically in recent years, but death may still occur during an acute attack. Normal development is possible, but most children do have some degree of permanent developmental deficit.
Strictly following a diet tailored to the child tends to improve results. But even apart from diet, outcomes vary considerably. In one family, a brother was diagnosed at 5 years of age, whereas his 13-year-old sister, with the same level of enzyme deficiency, had no symptoms at all!
The great news is that truly curing this disease-not just treating it-may be around the corner! Gene therapy is one method scientists have explored. In gene therapy, a missing or nonfunctioning gene is replaced by a new, functioning gene. In the laboratory, gene therapy for propionic acidemia has already worked (Am J Hum Genet Oct 2007). The hope is bright that within a few years the defect may be curable in humans. Successful gene therapy will not reverse brain or nerve damage but can stop any further damage from occurring-giving the child a chance to grow unfettered. Coupled with important advances in early diagnosis-possible now even before a baby is born-the potential is huge.
Auxiliary liver transplant is another strategy that has been explored for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism. Affected children are essentially given an extra liver! The donated liver supplies enough of the missing protein to restore normal metabolism. Such transplants in children with propionic acidemia have been so successful that, in some cases, a protein-restricted diet was no longer needed.
As modern technology opens up new doors for a potential cure, one thing we do know about propionic acidemia is that the earlier the disease is detected and treated, the better. I am absolutely thrilled by the recent action of so many states to screen all newborn babies for proprionic acidemia and other genetic diseases.
The National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center keeps an updated list of states and the genetic conditions they routinely look for in their newborn screen. In states where expanded newborn screening is not offered, parents can still have their babies tested by asking their doctors about testing through a private laboratory. I would encourage every family to seek newborn screening if at all possible. Early detection and action can make a major difference in children with propionic acidemia and other inborn errors of metabolism.
Note: One good place to look to learn about ongoing clinical trials is clinicaltrials.gov.
This is NIH's one-stop shopping area for information about clinical trials. Here you can access several databases containing facts about both public and privately supported clinical studies. Some of these studies are open to new participants, while others have already completed enrollment.


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Obamacare Question: Ditch Employer Mandate?
A left-leaning think tank whose research is often taken seriously by backers of the health-care overhaul has published a paper suggesting the administration should scrap the health law's requirement that employers offer coverage or pay a penalty.
"Why Don't We Just Get Rid of the Employer Mandate?", by three researchers at the Urban Institute, argues that the requirement won't lead to many more people gaining coverage, since most firms that don't currently offer benefits to all their workers will opt for the penalty, and most firms that already voluntarily offer benefits will want to carry on doing so.


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Fiction Books - Reviews
Book Review by Ann Jonas, Tradebook Buyer - CSB/SJU Bookstores
this review was published in the St. Cloud Visitor
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, published by Random House, 2008
The inspiration for this book came when author Mary Ann Shaffer was grounded at the airport on the British island of Guernsey. She took home an armload of books on the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II and became fascinated with the island's history and beauty. The story is told through letters and notes, which might deter some readers from picking up this book. However, the unique voices the authors give to the different characters make this a worthwhile and enjoyable read. The main character, Juliet, a London author, receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. They begin exchanging letters, and Juliet is captivated by the members of this literary club that was formed to help get them through the German occupation. The authors use numerous voices and characters--all uniquely different--to tell this tale, which makes it a delightful story.
The Night Birds by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho Press, 2008
The Night Birds is a multi-generational story of German immigrants who settle in Missouri in the 1850's and then move to southern Minnesota in 1859. It is told in two time frames, the 1850's, when Jakob Senger moves his family to Minnesota, and the 1870's, through the eyes of young Asa Senger, Jakob's grandson. Jakob's family endures many hardships as they struggle to carve out a life in the Minnesota frontier, living side by side with the Dakota Indians. The Great Sioux War of 1862 changes everything. The uprising and its aftermath are central factors in this book, along with nature and its harshness. Maltman does a great job depicting all the characters in The Night Birds: the young and the old, the Indians and the settlers. It is a captivating story, based on real events.
Click on image of book or title in red to order


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It has been quite some time since I have posted on my blog and lately I have felt that I'd quite like to begin again. I have been using instagram quite a lot @treesandwhatnot and I have enjoyed it but I feel like my blog was something I always used to really enjoy doing, it felt great to share what I had been making and eating and doing and I'd quite like to find that enjoyment in it again. Hopefully I can.
Over the past year I have done the flowers for a few weddings and also the odd bouquet here and there for presents. I have selected some and that is what's above. I felt it a nice way to capture an entire year of no blog posts.
I hope you are all well and I look forward to catching up with a few of you again on here


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Marines at bases in Spain and Italy were poised Tuesday for the possibility of rushing to Cairo to protect or evacuate U.S. citizens and the U.S. Embassy amid the ongoing violence and political unrest in Egypt.
"We do believe we have taken steps to ensure our military is ready to respond to a range of contingencies" flowing from the faceoff between President Mohammed Morsi and opposition protesters that has the Egyptian military threatening to intervene, said George Little, the Pentagon's chief spokesman.
In response to the killing last year of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya, the U.S. posted 550 Marines to the air base in Moron, Spain, to serve as a response force to turmoil in the region.
As the Egyptian protests have escalated, elements from the Marine force at Moron have been moved closer to Cairo at the air base at Sigonella, Italy, Pentagon officials said. The Marines have MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft available at both Moron and Sigonella to move them quickly to any contingency.
Last Thursday, and again on Monday, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, phoned Egyptian Gen. Sedki Sobhi to gain assurances on the safety of U.S. citizens in Egypt, Pentagon officials said. Morsi picked Sobhi to become Egyptian chief of staff after dismissing his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Anan.
Dempsey's phone call to Sobhi on Monday came on the same day that the Egyptian military threatened to take over the government in 48 hours if Morsi and the opposition failed to resolve their differences.
However, hundreds of thousands of protesters calling on Morsi to step down remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak.
Across town, Morsi's backers from the Muslim Brotherhood also remained at their own rally site, where they vowed to resist a military coup.
Gehad al-Haddad, a senior Muslim Brotherhood spokesman, told CBS News that the military's threat of a takeover was serious.
"I think it's a coup," al-Haddad said.
On Monday night, President Obama, who was wrapping up his week-long visit to Africa, phoned Morsi "to convey his concerns about recent developments in Egypt" and to urge Morsi to be responsive to the demands of the protesters, the White House said.
Obama told Morsi that democracy means "ensuring that the voices of all Egyptians are heard and represented by their government, including the many Egyptians demonstrating throughout the country," the White House said.
Obama also "stressed his expectation that the government of Egypt continue to protect U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities," the White House said.


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curved joints8/18
I am building a kitchen island. Both ends will be framed in a mixed-wood motif (roughly 32" x 32"). My question concerns the technique necessary to allow the curved pieces of wood to fit each other tightly. One panel is the profile of a breaking wave comprised of Hawaiian Koa, Monkeypod, and curly maple. Attached is a photo of a preliminary mock-up of roughly cut pieces of the "wave" overlaid on cardboard. My goal is to contour the joints in the wave so that they fit tighter. I was going to cut both pieces of each segment together for a perfect "fit", however, it is difficult on a bandsaw because the blade wanders. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can contour the pieces so that they fit together tightly besides sanding by hand. I do not have an oscillating drum sander. Thanks for your help. Mahalo. David
You are asking about Marquetry or intarsia. Marquetry is with veneers and intarsia is with thicker wood. Google for more.
Each piece has to be fit to the previous one to the best of your ability. Curved sanding blocks and using the same radius or radii will help.
It is hard to see how thick your wood is, but you should know about wood movement and balanced panels. Basically, veneer can be glued regardless of grain direction, but thicker wood will behave like solid wood and will expand and contract and move around. It is a big subject, with lots of variables and conditions. Suitable for professionals and serious hobbyists, it is not to be successfully approached without understanding the context.
Thank you for the response, I will research intarsia on the internet. The pieces are 5/16" thick and will be glued to 1/8" ply, then framed loosely (no glue) and screwed on from behind. The curved joints will butt up against each other, but will not be glued on edge. Overnight, I thought about it, and decided to make a spindle sander and will sand the concave edge of one piece, then will overlay the unsanded piece and will mark the sanded edge, then will sand as best i can to the newly marked edge, hopefully, for a tight fit and will cross my fingers.
I briefly checked out intarsia. David, I cannot thank you enough for introducing me to what looks-to-be my next great passion. It has opened up a whole new world for me that I didn't know existed (I guess I've been living in a cave). I have a background in carving bone pendants (Hawaiian hooks, sea life, etc) and Intarsia is a natural fit. Thank you so much for your response. This is probably not the correct forum to thank you, but being new to the site, I thought I'd take the chance anyway.
David, an edge sander with a curved platen would do that job fairly quickly and you'd end up with a smoother profile than on a spindle sander. Just a thought since you said you would be making a spindle sander, might be just as fast to make an edge sander. Also, since the wood is going to move with the seasons the joints are going to open and close also. They'll be tight sometimes and loose others. The only way to avoid that would be to sand them down to 1/8" thick or so and glue them together and onto the backer. They would act more like veneer at that point.
Thanks for the response. I made a spindle sander and it works fine, but I have not yet had the time to sand the curved edges. I'm not sure what you mean re the edge sander. I do have a hand-held belt surface sander and also a stationary belt sander (the sandpaper runs flat-side up as if it were a horizontal table) but I'm not sure of the terminology for the edge sander. Is this similar to a sander one would use as on a multi-tool or a palm vibrator sander? If so, I didn't know they made a convex block for curved edges. Could you please describe what type of edge sander would accommodate the curved edge and is it something I could make?
Hi David, sorry I forgot to come back and check for a reply from you. Here are some pictures of my edge sander. It's essentially a 6x48 benchtop belt sander turned 90 degrees and bolted to a wall. With a curved wooden platen behind the belt it does a fantastic job of fairing curves. Add a table and some dust collection and it's done.
Aha! I have a similar benchtop sander and will copy your "invention"; perfect !
I don't understand. Why aren't you making patterns out of 1/4" and flush trimming on a router table? Below is a revolving coffee table I made for a client some years back....yes it's weird I know


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Religious Sisters Celebrate One Year of Blocking Illinois Adult Club
Proprietors of the club have been accused of breaking state law, which requires a 1,000-foot 'buffer zone' between places of worship and such businesses.
CHICAGO — Residents and religious of a small Chicago suburb rallied to celebrate their so far successful campaign against the opening of a multi-million dollar "adult entertainment" club across from a convent.
"We came together as a community, as people of faith and stood together fighting for family values against what some thought was an unbreakable giant," Sister Noemia Silva of the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, Scalabrinian said at an April 22 press conference.
"It's not only for the sisters, but for the community itself," she told CNA in a later interview.
Outrage has erupted locally over the building of the establishment, particularly because of its location next to the missionary sisters' convent and retirement home. Proprietors of the business have been accused of breaking state law, which requires a 1,000-foot "buffer zone" between places of worship and such businesses.
"They haven't respected state law and so we're going to tell them, 'You need to respect that," Sister Noemia Silva said. "This should not have even happened so close to a worship area."
Although the $3 million establishment, "Get It," was slated to open during Holy Week of 2012, it has yet to open its doors to the public largely due to community protest and a legal battle between the landowner and building owner.
Sister Noemia said the sisters, who are spread throughout 18 countries, have been praying for the intercession of St. Michael. "All of our communities are praying for this; it's just constant, constant prayer."
She likened their fight against the club's opening to that of David and Goliath. "David won the battle because he trusted in the Good Lord," she explained. "He'll fight this battle for us."
Many locals are worried about what kind of community such an establishment would foster, especially in an area where many young families as well as long-time residents live.
"I raised my children in this community," Pat Zito, who has lived in the area for 45 years, said. "My children were concerned for my safety if this place opened, for what it would bring."
Opposition to the club has been steadily growing since last year as other community leaders have joined the sisters in their fight against the business.
Recently with the help of West Suburban Action Project the community gathered in its largest-ever public demonstration as some 500 people assembled for a prayer vigil. Additionally, more than 3,000 people have signed petitions against the club.
The community has called on Mayor Beniamino Mazzulla of neighboring Stone Park — which borders Melrose Park and is home to the massive "adult entertainment" club — to enforce the "buffer-zone" law or to support the case when they take it to court.
If it opens, this would be the sixth strip club in the community.
The Thomas More Society has offered free legal support to the sisters should they choose to take legal action, which they most likely will.
"If the Village of Stone Park does not heed the call of the Sisters to enforce the buffer law," executive director, Peter Breen, said, "we are ready with a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations to seek relief from the courts."