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• A version of this post ran on the author's site, insightcrime.org. The views expressed are the author's own.
Citizen security is sure to be a key issue in the upcoming October presidential elections in Venezuela, but while the opposition will likely challenge President Hugo Chavez's crime policies, their candidate's record isn't much better.
Venezuela's Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD) held their first-ever presidential primary Sunday, with Henrique Capriles Radonski beating his four opponents in a landslide, taking 62 percent of the vote. Capriles, governor of Miranda state, is now gearing up for an eight month assault on Chavez in the lead up to the Oct. 7 elections. One of the hot-button issues over which the two are likely to square off is crime prevention. Venezuela saw a record number of homicides in 2011, and the level of kidnappings (in Spanish) and robberies has surged in recent years.
Like other leading figures in the MUD, Capriles has repeatedly criticized Chavez for the state of crime in Venezuela. Rather than endorsing a "hardline" solution to insecurity in the country, however, he has proposed more social remedies. He has expressed an interest in making Venezuela's notoriously crowded prisons more humane (in Spanish), saying "the most important human rights violations occur in the prisons run by the government." Education is the hallmark policy (in Spanish) of his campaign, and he has referred to it as "the long-term solution to our crime phenomenon."
But while Capriles has gained significant praise for his work on education as governor of Miranda, his security achievements in the state have been lacking. According to Venezuela's Corps of Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigations' (CICPC) homicide figures for 2011 (in Spanish), Miranda has not been spared the country's rapidly rising homicide rate. While the number of murders is less than Caracas (which saw 3,488), the 2,138 homicides that took place in Miranda last year make it one of the most violent states in Venezuela.
So far, 2012 has not been an exception. Last week Venezuelan Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami released the official homicide figures for the past month (in Spanish), which suggest Miranda saw more murders than any other state in the country in January. The 231 homicides in the state last month represent a 16 percent increase from the tally of murders in January 2011.
Capriles has said that violence has worsened in some parts of the country because the Chavez administration has cut funding to regional governments led by opposition politicians, gutting their ability to fund police forces. The government has denied this, however, saying that Capriles has not requested any federal funds (in Spanish) for the state police. El Aissami has claimed that this represents a "complete abandonment of [Capriles'] responsibilities," and proves that the governor is hypocritical in criticizing insecurity in the country.
The Chavez government is not alone in criticizing the rate of crime in Miranda. Two years after Capriles took office in 2008, the non-governmental organization, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (OVV) released a report condemning not only the high level of murders in the state, but also the lack of investigation into homicide cases (in Spanish). According to the OVV, most homicides in the state are met with impunity, and 93 percent of murder cases in the state lack even a single suspect.
Capriles' lackluster record on crime in his own state, as well as the ferocity of the government's counter-attacks, may prove to be a major flaw for the Miranda governor in the coming months. Indeed, this weakness could partially explain why one of his MUD rivals, former Chacao Mayor Leopoldo Lopez, dropped out of the primary race in January to support Capriles' campaign. After his own campaign was marred by corruption allegations, Lopez was unlikely to win. Now that he is on the Capriles team he can lend his own, considerably better, security reputation to the campaign. Though it is located in Miranda, Chacao became safer under Lopez's watch (in Spanish).
So far, however, neither Lopez nor Capriles has released a detailed proposal to combat insecurity, a key issue for Venezuelans. According to public opinion polling project Latinobarometro (in Spanish), the majority of Venezuelans (61 percent) rate "crime/public security" as the most pressing issue facing their country. Unless his campaign comes up with a more specific policy prescription for crime which dramatically breaks with Chavez's, he will have trouble convincing the electorate that he'll do any better.
– Geoffrey Ramsey is a writer for Insight – Organized Crime in the Americas, which provides research, analysis, and investigation of the criminal world throughout the region. Find all of his research here.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
In the first part called "Of Man" in his great work of political philosophy Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes explores the nature of speech and imagination, reason and science, virtue and manners, in an effort to establish the foundation of his theory of the laws of nature. Concerning science and reason he concludes:
… The Light of humane minds is Perspicuous Words, but by exact definitions first snuffed, and purged from ambiguity; Reason is the pace; Encrease of Science, the way; and the Benefit of man-kind, the end. And on the contrary, Metaphors, and senslesse and ambiguous words, are like ignes fatui; and reasoning upon them, is wandering amongst innumerable absurdities; and their end, contention, and sedition, or contempt.
About this Quotation:
We have a number of works by Thomas Hobbes online: his translations from the Greek of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Thucydides' The Peloponnesian Wars, and the classic 1909 edition of his great work on political philosophy written during the upheavals of the English Revolution. So, having written on and having lived through so much war and chaos it is remarkable in this quote to see him extolling so highly the virtues of reason, and science, and calm reflection.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home-School Boom
There's been a surge in popularity in home schooling, and a significant number of parents say they choose it for imparting religious and moral values.
PURCELLVILLE, Va. — The popularity of home schooling continues to rise across the U.S., and the biggest reason for home schooling is religious and moral instruction.
"Home schooling has been growing at 7% per year for the past 10 years," said Ian Slatter, a spokesman for the Purcellville, Va.-based Home School Legal Defense Association, an 85,000-member organization that supports the legal rights of home-schooling families. "Home schooling is spread pretty evenly through all 50 states."
According to "The Condition of Education 2009," a report from the federal National Center for Education Statistics, 1.5 million students are home-schooled full-time in the United States. That's an increase from 850,000 in 1999 and just over 1 million in 2003.
The report, based on interviews with parents of 11,994 students aged 5 to 17, finds a large percentage of home-schooling parents desire religious or moral instruction.
The government data is reflected in the enrollment numbers at Seton Home Study School, a Catholic home-schooling organization and curriculum provider.
"Our growth has not been dissimilar," said Jim Shanley, director of marketing for Seton Home Study School. "Since 1999, our enrolled families have increased by 50%."
Additionally, said Shanley, purchases of home-school curriculum and supplies from non-enrolled families has increased more than 300% over that same time frame.
The Home School Legal Defense Association, however, disagrees with some of the Department of Education's numbers.
"We agree with the government figures regarding the reasons people home school," said Slatter, "but we have an ongoing dispute with the Department of Education over the numbers."
According to Slatter, states such as California, Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin and others are "private school states," meaning that if a parent home educates, it's technically considered a private school.
"When the government surveys the population via telephone, there are some parents who will give the technically correct answer that they use a 'private school' rather than telling the government that they home school," Slatter explained.
Mark Hegener, publisher of Home Education magazine, also disagrees with the overall numbers.
"Are people answering the survey questions technically correct, or in such a way because they don't trust data takers?" asked Hegener. "More people are taking diverse public school options, such as virtual schools, than home schooling," he said, wondering how it's possible for the Department of Education to obtain accurate information.
Hegener noted that what he's seeing is an increase in home schooling among those who used to be able to afford private schooling, but are looking to cut costs.
Slatter said that the number of full-time home-schooled children in the U.S. is probably more than 2 million. According to the government data, the number of American children whose parents choose home schooling for at least part of their education exceeds 3 million.
Why They Home School
The report also included information on why parents home school. Asked the reason why they chose home schooling, 36% of parents cited a desire to provide religious or moral instruction; 21% said they had concerns about the environment found in other schools, followed by dissatisfaction with education quality elsewhere, and 14% cited other reasons, such as a desire for more family time together.
"Perhaps the most important 'top reason' I chose to home school was so my children and I can spend our lives together," said Sara McGrath, a Seattle home-schooling mother of three who writes frequently about home education.
The reasons parents gave differ only slightly from the Department of Education's 2003 report. At that time, the desire for religious or moral instruction came in at second place.
"Christian parents have been in the vanguard of this movement," said Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. "For many parents, home schooling represents the fulfillment of the biblical mandate for parents to teach their children."
"Our studies reveal that while the religious aspect is center stage for most Catholic families, the academic standing that a child can acquire through home schooling is a close second," said Shanley.
The report also found that higher numbers of parents with college educations and higher family incomes are choosing to home school.
One concern raised by the report was a decrease in the percentage of home-schooled male students. In 1999, 49% of home-schooled children were boys, and 51% were girls. In the most recent report, the percentage of boys home-schooled dropped to 42%.
Henry Cate, a blogger at Why Home School, suggested that the increase in girls could represent parents who are fed up with "mean girl" behavior. Mohler speculated that the change might have something to do with boys being attracted by the opportunity to participate in team sports at the middle school and high school levels.
With the increase in the number of students being home-schooled, organizations such as the Home School Legal Defense Association have witnessed an increase in efforts to try to regulate home schooling. Slatter cautioned that home-school parents need to remain attentive to local legislative efforts.
"Every year there are battles and conflicts with various states that are trying to regulate home schooling," said Slatter. "It's a constant problem in the home-school community. Home-schooling parents must remain ever vigilant because the teachers' unions and other organizations would love to see increased home-school regulation.
"The concerns about school environment and the desire to provide religious or moral instruction remain the big reasons why parents make the decision to move to home schooling. We don't see any changes in the public school environment to make the school system a safer place, and the government will not allow religious instruction to be included, so it seems that home schooling is set for growth into the future."
Tim Drake writes from
St. Joseph, Minnesota.
Top Reasons for Home Schooling
1. Provide religious or moral instruction
2. Concern about the environment of other schools
3. Dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available elsewhere
4. Child has a physical or mental-health problem
5. Child has other special needs
6. Interest in nontraditional approach to education
7. More family time
8. Family finances
9. Ability to travel
10. Distance to school
Source: National Center for Education Statistics/
Department of Education; Photo: shutterstock
- Keywords:
- June 28-July 11, 2009


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Woman found in cockroaches, feces and fleas
Police arrest man for endangering grandmother's life
A Fayetteville man is out on bond and is facing charges of endangering the life of his grandmother.
New property owners of a home on Stone Street called police on Sunday to say someone was living in the house they just bought at auction.
Inside, police told 40/29, they found David Sisemore and his grandmother living in filthy conditions.
"The description of the conditions inside were very, very graphic," said Craig Stout with Fayetteville Police.
Police called the smell of animal feces, roaches and fleas overwhelming.
"The sanitary conditions of the house and the bed where she was staying was nowhere near where it should have been," Stout said.
Police said Sisemore's grandmother, Lois, was found lying in her own filth and barely coherent. That's when they arrested Sisemore on charges of endangering her life.
"I've always thought it to be abandoned. I've never seen a car there, I've never seen anybody come or go," said a neighbor, Amber McMillan.
The home is surrounded by overgrown weeds, piles of tree limbs and even a toilet sitting alongside the driveway.
"Nobody has ever really given it much thought I don't guess. It's obviously overgrown. All you can see is the driveway so unless you're right there looking at it, you don't even really know it's there," said McMillan.
Police said the only complaint they got about the house dates back to 2009, saying the shrubs grew too far over the sidewalk and made people walk into the street.
Sisemore was released on $3,500 bond.
His mother is in fair condition at Washington Regional Hospital.


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- Home
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- Junior Academy for the Performing Arts
Junior Academy for the Performing Arts
Discover the magic of Youth Theater with The Junior Academy for the Performing Arts (JAPA). Young performers ages 8 to 16 can join our team of rising stars, and work to create and present live theatrical productions throughout the year.
The JAPA program teaches techniques in various styles of theater with a focus on musical theater. Our instructors and guest artists are seasoned actors, singers, and dancers of the performing arts. Students will learn about these disciplines, all while experiencing the exhilaration of participating in the rehearsal process. At the end of each session, the JAPA ensemble will present a Broadway-style musical or play in a professional theater venue.
JAPA works to foster the skills of teamwork, self-confidence, and artistic expression. Students will discover the very best of themselves and be encouraged to share their stories in their own unique way. JAPA fosters a greater understanding of the necessity of the arts and creative expression in forming healthy, happy and productive adults. Whether new to stage or a seasoned performer, all levels are welcome to join.
JAPA Open House
Saturday, January 25, 10 am to noon; The PG Room, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Join us at the Spring Open House to learn how you can act, sing, and dance your way to the stage. Meet our directors, find out more about the show this spring, and learn how you can be a part of this magical musical program for youth ages 8 to 14.
Spring Session
The 2020 Spring session starts on Saturday, February 8. Rehearsals are Saturday mornings from 9 am to 1 pm. Rehearsal schedule will include a few Sunday afternoon rehearsals as well as longer Saturday rehearsals closer to the show date.
This Spring's show is Oz!, a musical adaptation of the Wizard of Oz.
Show Date: Sunday, May 17 at 11 am and 3 pm
The program is open to young performers ages 8 to 14. Whether a seasoned performer or new to the stage, all levels are welcome to join our team of rising stars!
The 12-week intensive program fee is $500 for residents and $650 for non-residents. Register online through PARKS DIRECT!
Rehearsals are at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, 8270 Alumni Drive, College Park, MD 20742.
For more details, contact Art Specialist Elizabeth Malone at 301-446-3259 or via email.


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Authorities ID two killed in shooting near southwest Houston gas station
Houston police identified two men who were shot to death at a southwest-side gas station.
Desmond Akens, 20, and Keivan Breaux, 20, were struck by gunfire about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday during a confrontation with another man in the parking lot of a Fuel Depot station in the 14600 block of South Main, Houston police said.
Breaux collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene. Akens ran across the street then climbed a fence into the court yard of a nearby motel.
He was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Police did not have a detailed description of the gunman but said he fled in a dark grey, four door early 2000s model Honda Accord.
Anyone with information about the double-shooting is asked to contact HPD homicide detectives at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.


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"IT'S the moment every actor actually fears," Matt Damon said, looking around a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria in mock terror.
The night before he'd been at Cipriani, of all harrowing places, to receive a tribute at the Gotham Independent Film Awards. "It was one of those career achievements that makes me feel like it's over for me," he said, not entirely seriously. John Krasinski, a star of "The Office" on NBC, had presented the award. Now he sat grinning in the next chair. The two men wore suspiciously similar sweaters.
"How did you like your time here, Matt?" Mr. Krasinski asked, affecting a stern tone.
"Wait, what, sorry?" Mr. Damon said, playing along. He mimed being dragged away. "Then they take you in the back room ——"
"And shiv you," Mr. Krasinski finished, with evident relish.
The banter was spontaneous, the rapport hard-earned. Mr. Damon, 42, and Mr. Krasinski, 33, are friends; they met through Mr. Krasinski's wife, the actress Emily Blunt, when she starred opposite Mr. Damon in last year's romantic thriller "The Adjustment Bureau." They're also collaborators and co-stars in a new movie, "Promised Land." Their ease at improvising a scene is the result of practice. In addition to acting in "Promised Land" they wrote and produced the film, running lines and hammering out drafts in between day jobs, working weekends alongside Mr. Damon's four rambunctious children in his Los Angeles home.
The film, directed by Gus Van Sant, concerns what happens when a natural gas company comes to a small town somewhere in the Marcellus Shale in the rural Northeast, intent on persuading the town's working-class residents to allow the company to drill on their land. Mr. Damon plays Steve Butler, a blithely confident representative of the drilling company; Mr. Krasinski plays Dustin Noble, an earnest environmental activist with a nasty edge. At issue is the technique of fracking, the controversial method that the company in the film uses to extract gas, and the corrosive influence of the vast wealth that Mr. Damon's character can promise and that Mr. Krasinski's character is intent on resisting.
In an interview Mr. Van Sant described "Promised Land" as a "simple learning film," an earnest, Capraesque meditation on the conflicting dictates of stewardship, hardship economics and fraying community values. By Mr. Damon's standards, it's a small movie, made for a modest budget of about $15 million and opening Friday in a limited number of theaters. (A wider release will come in January.) But it's also a turning point — and something of a departure — for both Mr. Damon, who was scheduled to direct "Promised Land" before bowing out at the last moment, and Mr. Krasinski, whose show "The Office" is ending after an eight-year run.
"I feel like I'm on a precipice, jumping off for good," Mr. Krasinski said. "To not be sure what's next after that is completely terrifying."
For Mr. Damon the stakes are equally real, if more elusive. He does not exactly lack for work. Last year he starred in Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo," Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" and George Nolfi's "Adjustment Bureau," among other high-profile films, and next year he'll be in "Elysium," a science-fiction blockbuster from the director Neill Blomkamp. When shooting went long on that film, Mr. Damon was forced to give up the director's chair on "Promised Land" for lack of time to prepare.
Uncharacteristically "Promised Land" will be the only film that Mr. Damon appears in this year. And that, he said, is a point of pride. "It's a different feeling to work this in depth with a movie. Usually we show up, and we're the mercenaries."
His longtime friend Ben Affleck noted that it was neither easy nor politically simple for an actor of Mr. Damon's stature to take a year off to work on his own project. "His career is full of the most extraordinary opportunities that an actor could ever dream of. So naturally the instinct isn't to just turn away from that and say, 'Let me sit at home staring at a blank page for six months.' "
On "Promised Land" Mr. Damon and Mr. Krasinski did everything from recruiting the cast, which also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook and Frances McDormand, to scouting locations. That involvement provided "a much richer and deeper feeling of ownership," Mr. Damon said.
The film may be Mr. Van Sant's first collaboration with Mr. Krasinski, who previously wrote and directed an adaptation of David Foster Wallace's "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men." But Mr. Van Sant and Mr. Damon have some history together. The director is fond of recalling a wager he was once tempted to make with the producer Laura Ziskin, back when Mr. Damon was an unknown actor auditioning for a part in Mr. Van Sant's mordant comedy "To Die For."
"He came in, he did a regular reading like everybody else, and when he left, the producer said, 'That's a movie star.' " Mr. Van Sant recalled. "You meet a lot of magnanimous, forthcoming, attractive, intelligent, talented people in your casting sessions. But somehow she just thought he was the thing. And if I was asked to bet — like a Las Vegas bet — I would've voted against."
Most moviegoers know the rest of this story. Mr. Damon did not get the part. But he and his writing partner, Mr. Affleck, did eventually win Mr. Van Sant over, persuading him to take on a screenplay of theirs called "Good Will Hunting." That script led Mr. Damon and Mr. Affleck to an Oscar, cementing their reign at the end of the last century as "the most overpublicized writing duo in some time," as Mr. Affleck ruefully put it.
This month is the 15th anniversary of "Good Will Hunting," and Mr. Damon admitted he'd been thinking about the film more than he had in a while. Writing "Promised Land," Mr. Damon said, "we'd basically just be in a room with a laptop open and kind of hashing out the scenes, pacing around the room. It's really exactly the way Ben Affleck and I wrote 'Good Will Hunting.' "
And how, a reporter tentatively asked, did Mr. Krasinski compare to Mr. Affleck?
"Strikingly similar," Mr. Damon said, laughing. "Honestly. The writing experience is the same." (Mr. Affleck said, by way of wry response, "I think John is very, very talented.")
This time Mr. Krasinski originated the idea to write a film about "American identity," as he put it, one that focused on the working people whom he saw as marginalized in the present political climate.
"My dad grew up in a steel mill town just outside of Pittsburgh, and all his stories of growing up seemed so incredibly inspiring," Mr. Krasinski said. "I wanted to write a movie where these people were in a situation that was representative as a whole of everything that we're going through as a country." Mr. Krasinski called the author Dave Eggers, whom he knew from the film "Away We Go," and the two men worked out a basic concept (Mr. Eggers has a story credit on "Promised Land") before Mr. Krasinski took the idea to Mr. Damon.
"Promised Land" quickly found a home at Warner Brothers, where Mr. Damon has a production deal. But the financing was contingent on Mr. Damon's directing.
"I knew that when I bowed out that we were going to lose our" — Mr. Damon used another word for emphasis — "money." In desperation he e-mailed their script to Mr. Van Sant from an airport runway. By the time he had landed, Mr. Van Sant had signed on, and the project eventually found a new home with Focus Features.
"As a producer I like to say that the smartest thing I did on the movie was firing myself as the director," Mr. Damon said.
The behind-the-scenes experience on "Promised Land," both men said, was something that they were eager to repeat.
"It was my wife who said to me after we'd been writing for a couple months, 'I haven't seen you this happy working,' " Mr. Damon said.
"And it's true. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to start from scratch."


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In Germany, apart from the well-known national passion for efficiency and order, a common trait among the citizenry is the desire for driving extremely fast along the autobahn.
When bombing along the fast lane at 150mph (240km/h) in your BMW, even a split second's inattention can be fatal. And yet we are all human, and sometimes even a German driver will nod off momentarily.
That, and the resulting bloody mayhem of twisted metal and shattered human bodies, is inefficient and disorderly - thus, intolerable to the remorseless boffins of the Fraunhofer Institute. They have decided that harsh automated discipline is necessary to stamp out the weakness of slack, torpid drivers.
Thus it is that a crack team from the Institut für Digitale Medientechnologie (IDMT) in Ilmenau have come up with a system they describe as "Augenbewegungen des Fahrers beobachtet und ihn rechtzeitig vor dem Einnicken warnt" ("Eye movements of the driver observes and it in time before dozing off warns") or Eye-Tracker for short. Unlike most eye-tracking systems previously seen, it is accurate and reliable, yet requires no time-consuming calibration to individual users.
"With conventional systems, every person whose line of vision is to be monitored has to complete more or less time-consuming preparations - because every head, every face, every pair of eyes is different," says Professor Doktor-Ingenieur Peter Husar of the IDMT.
"What we have developed is a small modular system with its own hardware and programs on board, so that the line of vision is computed directly within the camera itself. Since the Eyetracker is fitted with at least two cameras that record images stereoscopically – meaning in three dimensions – the system can easily identify the spatial position of the pupil and the line of vision," Husar continues.
According to an IDMT statement:
The cameras evaluate up to 200 images per second to identify the line of vision, even when a driver's head moves to the left or right. Yet the Eyetracker is only roughly half the size of a matchbox and practically undetected when mounted behind the sun visor and in the dashboard. The tiny lenses are just three to four millimeters in diameter.
The system can be configured to trigger any desired response when a driver's eyes close for longer than the pre-set interval: a simple alarm, of course, or perhaps a more robust stimulus such as a recorded voice shrieking a volley of commands at the delinquent driver or a brief electric shock. (The IDMT doesn't actually specify these last two options: the German boffins merely state that their equipment can "issue a warning" to incipiently-sleepy drivers. "Vake up unt drife properly OR YOU VILL BE SHOT", for instance.)
The Eye-Tracker has a USB interface allowing it to connect to a car's trip computer or another machine as desired. The IDMT will be showing it off at the VISION trade fair in Stuttgart next month. ®


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FASTTRAK delivers a complete cloud based booking and management solution including on-line travel management tools that promote mobility drivers, staff and customers. Fasttrak helps companies improve reservation, dispatch and accounting operations. The Fasttrak integration with WEBFLEET.connect enables dispatchers to send jobs with a mouse click to PRO Driver Terminals in the field. The integration increases dispatcher and driver efficiency and reduces service failures due to incorrect address entry. The benefits of this integration include:
- Faster response times between dispatchers and drivers
- Improved efficiencies in pick-ups and drop-offs
- Increased reliability and predictability of transport time
FASTTRAK Cloud designs, develops and distributes applications for the ground transportation markets serving the Limo/Livery Industry in the following market segments: (Sedan, Limo, Van, Mini-Bus, & Bus Companies), Hotel, Resort and Casino Transportation departments.


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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Islanders center John Tavares is among the three finalists for the NHL's prestigious Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player "adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."
Tavares earned high consideration after leading the Islanders to their first playoff berth since 2006-07.
The Hart Trophy is voted on at the end of the regular season by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Tavares' 28 goals were third-most in the NHL, and the 22-year-old scored 47 points in 48 games. He is a first-time finalist and going up against some stiff competition.
Considered by many the overwhelming favorite is Washington's Alex Ovechkin, whose tremendous play down the stretch earned the Capitals a third-overall seed in the Eastern Conference. Ovechkin scored 23 goals in the final 23 games of the regular season. His 32 goals led all NHL skaters and won his third career "Rocket" Richard Trophy. Ovechkin is a two-time winner of the Hart Trophy.
Sidney Crosby isn't just battling Tavares in a heated first-round series — he's also in the race to win the Hart Trophy. Crosby enjoyed a huge season and helped the Penguins to the first overall seed in the Eastern Conference despite missing the final 12 games of the regular season. Crosby still finished with 56 points in 36 games.
The 2012-13 winner will be announced during the Stanley Cup Final.
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I'm currently on Virgin Mobile and my LG Optimus V is showing its age. It was my first smartphone and its served me well (except for a few hiccups, like crappy Bluetooth), but I'm looking to upgrade. I'm considering jumping to Straight Talk over AT&T before that goes away, so I'm in the market for an unlocked phone that doesn't completely bankrupt me. If not, I'll probably just grab an HTC One V (I missed that deal from a few months back, but the price still looks good) and continue on Virgin Mobile.
Minimum Requirements:
HTC One V
Preferred Requirements:
960x540 resolution or similar
4G LTE (unlikely, but I can still hope)
Android 4.2 (unlikely, but I can still hope)
MicroSD slot (covered by minimum requirements, but repeating here so it isn't missed)
Bluetooth 4.0 (covered by minimum requirements, but repeating here so it isn't missed)
Price: ~$200-$250
Right now the Google Nexus 4 is looking to be the budget unlocked smartphone champion, even though it is slightly overbudget and lacks a memory card slot.


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The National Library of Medicine has created the free Drug Information Portal to provide patients, families, and health care professionals with quality information on medication.
Begin by typing a trade or generic name for a medication in the search box, and click "Go." Your results are links to the following resources provided by the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health:
NLM's Drug Information Portal links you directly to the relevant portions of these websites. The NLM Drug Information Portal makes it easier to gather information about medications from multiple sources


text:
You can watch the full match video from the Boxing Day victory over Sunderland, exclusively on iFollow.
If you've not already treated yourself to a subscription, there's no better time. Click here to find out more.
Full match as live, log in, go to the Match Report page, and click 'Watch Now'.
Highlights: Ten minutes - Two minutes


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MONTREAL — It was a great day for the Red Bull team as Daniel Ricciardo finished first and teammate Sebastian Vettel was third at Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. Here's some of what they had to say afterwards:
Daniel Ricciardo
"I'm a Grand Prix winner! I think it still seems a bit surreal to be honest, just because it all happened so quickly at the end. I was third for a while and then it all happened in a really exciting fashion. Once I got past (Sergio) Perez I knew I just had to drive clean and get in (Nico) Rosberg's DRS zone and, from then on, it was just awesome. Finishing under the safety car made it a bit weird, but I wanted to make sure the two drivers who were in the accident were okay before I started celebrating. We achieved a great result today with first and third — so let's enjoy it — but we will still have some work to do also. This will motivate the guys to work even harder and find even more, so I'm sure it will keep coming even better for us at the next few races."
Sebastian Vettel
"Congratulations to Daniel for his first win, which is very, very special, so I'm happy for him and happy for the team, especially after such a horrible winter. It's nice to be able to finally break through to get a win this year and capitalize on Mercedes having a problem. I think we could have taken more risk with the strategy today — but it's hard to know exactly what was going on around me when I'm not sitting on the pit wall. We have developed the car a lot this year, so we are going in the right direction, but we need to develop it even more for the straights, so there is still a lot of work ahead of us. We are here to keep pushing and to keep doing our best."


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Posts Tagged '寇家瑞'
TwDrama: Story of Time (光陰的故事)
Posted April 20, 2009on:
- In: 2009 | Fall 2008 | Taiwanese Drama
- 7 Comments
It's long (54 episodes) and it has way too many major characters (31 just look at the poster!) but it's one of the best real life stories I've seen in a while. The story starts in the 1960's in a small community in Taiwan. The drama is revolves around the lives of several families who are closely tied to each other. It begins when most the major characters are still children and follows them through their rebellious age, their first crush, their growth into adults. It is truly a story of "laughter and tears". Their childhood and young adulthood is filled with innocent mischief, and the bonds between friends are amazing.
'Story of Time' is also filled with history. Many of the family are filled with retired soldiers who left their families in mainland China. They are banned from returning in the '60s and starts a new life in Taiwan. I'm not clear about the actual history if that period but this drama is a great way to get a taste of life in that period.
Episodes 1-20 | Episode 21-40 | Episodes 41-54


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Listings in Abbotsford Matsqui Rotary Club, Abbotsford Rotary Club, Eye Care, Marysville Sunrise Rotary Club and Optometry
The Salvation Army/Cascade Community Ministries - Kim Hissink
in Not For Profits, Societies, Charities, Abbotsford Rotary Club
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604.852.9305 ext. #138c cell: 604.832.2218
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in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Abbotsford Rotary Club, Tax Services
When it comes to choosing a team of accountants - for your bookkeeping, payroll or taxes - you want to make sure they've stood the test of time. We've been in service since 1999.
2306 McCallum Rd #102
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Mortgage Broker - Dominion Lending Centre - Matt Robinson,
in Professional Services, Abbotsford Matsqui Rotary Club
Whether you are buying a new home, refinancing an existing mortgage or investing, when it comes to finding the best mortgage it's important to shop around. That's where we come in. We do the shopping for you.
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200-2121 160th Avenue
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International Internet Advertising Services Inc. - Nick Man
in Online Marketing, Abbotsford Rotary Club, Internet advertising
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#302 - 2722 Allwood St.
Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 3R7
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Funeral Alternatives of Snohomish County - Gina Landerholm
in Funeral, Cremation and Cemetery Services, Marysville Sunrise Rotary Club
Funeral Alternatives is a family run funeral home dedicated to providing dignified services at a price affordable to most.
1321 State Ave Marysville WA
Fax: 360-659-8174
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


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Integration, interoperability, and performance testing to help you validate your specific virtualized network architecture
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National Theatre Live - Othello
- October 9, 2013 2:00 PM
Presented by Amphibian Productions in partnership with the Modern
National Theatre Live is The National Theatre of Great Britain's initiative to broadcast live performances from the National's stages to cinemas worldwide. National Theatre Live performances are filmed live in high definition and broadcast via satellite to almost 400 cinemas around the world, live in Europe and some US cities, and time-delayed in countries further afield.
To purchase tickets, call 817.923.3012 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information, visit www.amphibianproductions.org.
The National Theatre presents a major new production of William Shakespeare's celebrated play about the destructive power of jealousy. Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Lester (Henry V at the National Theatre, BBC's Hustle) takes the title role. Playing opposite him as the duplicitous Iago is fellow Olivier Award-winner Rory Kinnear (The Last of the Haussmans, James Bond: Skyfall), who is reunited with director Nicholas Hytner (Timon of Athens, One Man, Two Guvnors) following their acclaimed collaboration on the National Theatre's recent production of Hamlet.
Othello, newly married to Desdemona, is appointed leader of a major military operation. Iago, passed over for promotion by Othello in favor of the young Cassio, persuades Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair.


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Grant Park residents question "homeplate" parking plan | News
ATLANTA, Ga. -- We received an email from a Grant Park homeowner stating that she is impacted by the new Summerhill initiative aimed at preventing Braves fans from parking in surrounding neighborhoods and forcing them to park in paid lots.
She shouldn't be impacted.
But here is where it gets interesting -- Karen Futch owns a home in Grant Park -- we'll let her explain.
"Across the street is Summerhill, where we stand now is Grant Park- -Grant Park does not have to pay any kind of parking permits but I do because I'm across the street from Summerhill
Jeff Hullinger replied,"You're in Grant Park- -you don't have to pay!
Karen added, "That's correct!."
While Karen Futch of Grant Park was at work two days ago,a sign goes up in front of her Connally Street home, a few blocks from Turner Field. It proclaims parking rules for the new Braves season, thus, impacting Karen and her neighbors
" I haven't had a chance to talk with my neighbors because it's only been two days."
Basically, the sign states that for 80 Braves games, she can't park for 7 hours, or at the very least, has to pay for two permits. However, there are three people who live in the house with 4 vehicles - two will get ticketed and fined- -that's $25 a ticket.
"I was surprised we received no notification and we were told within 2 business days we have to have permits and have it all taken care of.
Karen says she called the Grant Park precinct of Atlanta Police and spoke to a Lt., he didn't know anything about the signs.
She called Park Atlanta and was told, though a resident of Grant Park, she must apply for a Summerhill parking permit and thus would be charged to park outside of a home she owns in Grant Park.
I'm going to go to city hall and raise cane.
We reached out to city government Friday night and have not had a response so far.
We'll stay on top of it.


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Jeff Wilson
Thursday, 29 August 2013 05:55 PM
High heat and little rain during the past week led to an unusual, quick expansion of drought conditions in Iowa and Illinois, damaging crops in the biggest U.S. corn- and soybean-growing states.
About 25 percent of Iowa had a moderate drought on Aug. 27, up from 7.9 percent a week earlier, while Illinois jumped to 20 percent from none, the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday in a report. Parts of Iowa received less than 25 percent of normal rain during the past 60 days, and much of Illinois got less than half of normal since June 30, data from the High Plains Regional Climate Center show.
After a wet May and June delayed planting, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its soybean-crop forecast by 4.8 percent on Aug. 12 and reduced its corn estimate for a third straight month. July was the 20th coldest in 119 years in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa, National Weather Service data show. Soybean futures are up 18 percent from an 18- month low on Aug. 7 on forecasts for dry weather, and corn rose 8 percent from a 35-month low on Aug. 13.
"The heat and drought are speeding crop development and reducing yield potential daily," Roger Elmore, an agronomist at Iowa State University in Ames, said in a telephone interview. "We are skipping over critical stages of development that probably can't recover even if temperatures cool and a little rain falls."
While the crops need hot weather to develop, temperatures that approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) from Nebraska to Indiana in the past five days can cut corn yields at least 3 percent a day while reducing the number of seeds and seed weight in soybeans, Elmore said.
Yield Loss
Cool weather during the first 19 days of August masked the stress that the dry spell was causing to crops over most of the Midwest, Planalytics Inc. said in a report Thursday. The epicenter of the crop damage is in Iowa, based on the vegetative growth index that the forecaster constructs biweekly from satellite images.
Corn yields in Iowa probably are down to about 150 bushels an acre, compared with an estimate of 165 bushels a week ago, said Kent Jessen, the director of merchandising for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Heartland Cooperative, which has 52 grain terminals across 17 counties. Soybean yields will be 35 bushels an acre at best in his area, compared with 48 a year ago. The average yield in the region where drought is most severe in Iowa was 52 bushels from 2007 to 2011, he said.
"The flash drought has caused severe and irreversible damage very quickly," Jessen said. "The beans are going downhill much quicker than the more mature corn. There are some soybean fields that have received only 2 inches of rain since they were planted in June."
Less Rain
The Midwest will get less rain because there will be a large ridge of high pressure over the region in the next 10 days, increasing stress on about 45 percent of U.S. crops, Commodity Weather Group LLC said in a report Thursday. Soybean-crop conditions declined in 14 of the top 18 producing states as of Aug. 25, and corn ratings declined in 11 states, the USDA said in a report this week.
Crop conditions will fall again in next week's USDA update, according Randy Mittelstaedt, the director of research for R.J. O'Brien & Associates in Chicago. Based on this week's weather and crop conditions, Mittelstaedt forecasts a U.S. corn harvest of 13.53 billion bushels, 1.7 percent less than the USDA's Aug. 12 forecast of 13.763 billion. Soybean will be 3.218 billion bushels, he said, or 1.1 percent less than the government's estimate of 3.255 billion.
"The crops are still going backward," Mittelstaedt said. "The crops won't get any bigger and probably will have to be reduced more if rains miss the Midwest again next week."
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By JEFF PICKELL
Someone plagiarized my dog.
Until last Saturday, I didn't even think that was possible. I'll explain.
As you may have surmised from my previous columns, my affection for Darla the dog is matched only by my affection for chocolate milk. It's intense.
The person in question—the dog plagiarist—I've never actually met. A few summers ago, my friend Dolley and I staged an argument on a Western Michigan University internet message board. Pretty much just to make people mad. After, one of the e-onlookers sent me a message to tell me how funny...and handsome...and handsome....and handsome she thought I was.
"Dolley is not handsome," her message read. "He is very unbecoming. You are much funnier than he is."
After that, we struck up one of those internet quasi-friendships. I'd check in once in awhile for an update on her boring and idiosyncratic life. When she messaged me, I ignored her, as I usually do when I'm in the middle of a marathon session of Web Boggle. Which is all the time.
But I vaguely recall a conversation, sometime last fall in which I extolled the virtues of a dog called Darla, even e-mailing my e-friend a few e-pictures.
"She's so cute," she remarked. "I love her."
"Away with you! Time for more Boggle! More Boggle!" I replied.
Of course, because it happened so long ago, I'm just guessing that's how the conversation went, but I do remember how much she loved the pictures.
What happened between then and last Saturday isn't important. It was mostly Web Boggle anyway.
I was driving from the movie theater to my parents' house when my friend Amanda called me.
"Do you remember Shannon?" she said.
"I try not to remember Shannon Doherty," I replied.
"Your internet friend Shannon," she said. "Idiot."
"Yeah, what about her?"
"She just posted a picture of her new dog on her blog. It's the same breed as Darla, looks exactly like Darla, and is named Darla."
"Really? Wow."
"Aren't you angry?" Amanda asked. "She copied your dog! I'm angry."
Later, Amanda messaged me a picture of the offending dog. She wasn't kidding, that sucker looked just like Darla.
But truthfully, I wasn't angry at all, just a little weirded out. Don't they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
Besides, people are always stealing my ideas and quips. A couple of weekends ago, I went to a party in Kalamazoo with Dolley, during which I explained to a group of interested listeners how the Fighting Irish used to be the Flying Irish, because the Celts were actually a winged—and seagoing—people.
I went on: "Then whiskey was discovered, and doctors began cutting the wings off at birth because sauced up Irishmen were always getting tangled in trees. This was before the invention of fire departments.
Continuing: "Wait, this isn't funny at all! This is just nonsense."
Nevertheless, perusing the Western Michigan message board a few days ago, I noticed someone making that same—awful—joke, nearly verbatim.
I've witnessed a half-dozen similar occurrences in the last few years, so I figured it was only a matter of time before somebody copied my dog or did something creepy like that, so I shrugged it off. If some e-head wants to copy my dog, who am I to say he or she can't?
My mom wasn't so accepting. And later, neither were Dolley or Jimbo.
Mom: I think you have an internet stalker.
Dolley: She plagiarized your dog? Who the #%&@ does that? I mean, really! By the way, I'm not as smart as you.
Jimbo: Down with the imposter Darla! (Jimbo has been saying this for quite a while. He thinks his cat, Rhordy, is the one true Darla).
Darla—the real steel Darla deal—was pretty mum, responding to the news by taking a leap at the sandwich I was eating.
"Darla," I said, chewing, "You can't react to every little thing that happens to you by eating. It just isn't healthy. Drat, I have a hangnail. Grilled cheese sandwich time."
I think what most disconcerted people about the dog plagiarism thing was that the girl didn't even bother to think of a new name. She could've at least disguised her act with a little Boggle-ization.
I mean Radal, Aarldd and Raald are great names for a dog. And who wouldn't want a little fluff ball called Larda?- Sept. 7, 2006


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I chose to gift Max Lucado's Pocket Prayers for Friends to my amazing cousin, Heather for her upcoming birthday. Heather and I grew up together as children and she lived next door to me and we went to church together. We would constantly hang out and play games, listen to music, jump on the trampoline, play in our tree houses, sing, and have adventures. When she got married, we have spent less time together and life has gotten busy for the both of us. This book will greatly benefit her because she has stopped attending church when she got married. I believe her love of God is still there somewhere but she has just forgotten. One of my favorite days was day 11. This day discussed verse Psalm 55:14 and it stated, "We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng". This day's prayer was about worshiping God in church and desperately longing to learn more about Him and His ways. It also talked about having great Christian's friends and this is something I'm praying and hoping for her and her husband.
"I received a review copy of Pocket Prayers Series from Litfuse for this review."
About the book:
Bestselling author Max Lucado has teamed up with six authors to write the Pocket Prayers series for those in need of peace, renewal, rest, faith, hope, joy, direction, serenity, and courage.
Short, simple prayers are very effective, which is why each book in the series contains forty guided prayers and complementary scriptures for any situation, including for:
—Moms (written with daughter Andrea Lucado)
—Grads (written with daughter Andrea Lucado)
—Dads (written with Mark Mynheir)
—Military Life (written with Mark Mynheir)
—Teachers (written with blogger Jennifer Hale)
—Friends (written with Betsy St. Amant)
Key dates to keep in mind (these little books would make great gifts):
- Mother's Day---May 8
- Memorial Day---May 30
- Father's Day---June 19
- Teachers---first week of May is National Teacher Appreciation Week, first Tuesday May 3 is NTA day
- Graduation---month of May
- Friends---June 8 is Best Friend Day - International Day of Friendship is July 30
Read what others are saying:


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Paul Ryan and the Moral Foundation of Our Economic Recovery
When I interviewed Congressman Paul Ryan two years ago, neither he nor I had any idea that he would be the next GOP vice-presidential candidate. Not much has changed since then, either in regard to Ryan or our situation.
Then, as now, we were in a severe economic slump, severe enough to be called the "Great Recession," that is, teetering on the edge of duplicating the Great Depression.
Then, as now, Paul Ryan was known as the GOP budget hawk, the man with the intestinal fortitude to take on both parties in his cry for fiscal reform.
Then, as now, Ryan's solution was a very concrete proposal, "A Road Map for America's Future" — the economic plan heralded by the GOP, and, now that Ryan is the VP candidate, excoriated by the Democratic Party.
Ryan's "road map" will be at the center of the debate in these weeks leading up to the election. Catholics need to understand what Ryan intends in his proffered economic reforms in order to make a clear judgment in November.
Obviously, the difference between VP Biden and Ryan is clear in regard to their respective stances about abortion: Biden, a Catholic, is unabashedly pro-choice; Ryan, a Catholic, is unabashedly pro-life. Therefore, insofar as there is any debate about their merits beyond the life isues, it will likely turn on their respective economic positions.
So what is Ryan's basic economic philosophy? Contrary to what some in the media would like us to believe, Ryan is not some kind of crazed capitalist. When I spoke with him, I found him to be a sober moralist. He very firmly believes that the economic problems we (and Europe) have gotten ourselves into are, at bottom, moral problems.
In Ryan's words, from the interview, "If you ask me about the biggest problem in America … in society, you probably think I am going to rattle off debt and taxes. No, it's moral relativism."
That should sound familiar. Just do a quick Google search of "moral relativism Pope Benedict," and you'll find innumerable instances of the Pope hammering away at moral relativism as one of the main evils, if not the chief evil, destroying our culture.
For Ryan, the economic crisis is, at heart, a moral crisis, a crisis rooted in moral relativism. And so, Ryan understands his road map to be as much a moral proposal as an economic proposal.
How so? In what way is it moral? Ryan obviously has some explaining to do in order to make that much clearer, especially since he has also claimed that he looks to Catholic economic and social thought as forming his moral understanding of the moral foundation of economics.
I think I have at least some insight as to what Ryan intends in saying that our economic crisis is a moral crisis and, consequently, needs a moral cure (and I'll be looking at this moral-economic connection in greater detail in future blog posts).
First, our moral duty to provide for ourselves, our families and our communities is being shifted from the individual to the national government. In Ryan's words, self-reliance is being replaced by reliance on the state.
That's a problem because it creates a "culture of dependency," where individuals look increasingly to a strong central government to fulfill their needs and wants instead of providing for themselves. The government, therefore, grows stronger, individuals grow weaker, and the debt burden due to entitlements grows so astronomically high that economic collapse becomes inevitable.
Such is the current fate of the collapsing democratic socialist governments of Europe. Such will be our fate very soon, Ryan insists, if we don't turn things around immediately. To do this, he says, we need morally "strong individuals, not a super-strong government at the expense of the individual." We need morally strong individuals who see it as their moral duty to provide for themselves, their families and their local communities.
Second, as noted above, moral relativism is corrosive. Relativism corrodes the moral glue of society, resulting in isolated individuals who have no common moral good that defines and limits their economic desires and activities. The result is not just the "I'm gonna get mine, no matter what" entitlement mentality, but the self-absorbed greed that allowed Wall Street "banksters" to mutilate the economic infrastructure so as to maximize their own personal profits in any way they could, no matter how destructive to anyone else.
Certainly, Ryan's points have merit and, again, are worthy of more exploration in future posts. He also hasn't yet made it quite clear enough how his views are connected to Catholic principles, and so we'll need to explore that as well.


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Friday 25 January
|Tursiops (1)
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most well-known species of dolphin (2). There appear to be two main varieties; a smaller, inshore form and a larger, more robust form that lives mainly offshore (6). This stocky species has a torpedo-shaped body, a short beak and pointed flippers (2). They are usually dark grey on the back with paler grey flanks and a white or pinkish belly (7). The sickle-shaped dorsal fin is tall, and positioned centrally on the back; variations in the shape of the dorsal fin along with scars and other markings on the skin can help researchers to identify individuals (8).
An active species, the bottlenose dolphin engages in much energetic behaviour, including breaching (clearing the water), lobtailing (slapping the tail flukes down onto the surface of the water) and bow-riding (riding the swell created in front of boats and even large whales) (8). It has also been observed 'playing games' with seaweed and other objects (8).
Dolphins are highly intelligent animals; they have a sophisticated echolocation system and communicate via a range of sounds (9). Although lone individuals occur, this is typically a very sociable animal, living in groups numbering between 10 and 100 individuals; even larger groups may form offshore (10). This species has a broad diet, with a wide variety of fish and invertebrates including cephalopods being taken (2). It varies its hunting methods greatly, and cooperative hunting has been observed in many areas (2). In Brazil, this species even hunts cooperatively with humans, driving fish into the nets of local fishers. In return, the dolphin takes its share of the fish (2).
Bottlenose dolphin females produce a single calf in the summer after a gestation period of 12 months. The calf suckles for up to 18 months and stays close to the mother until it reaches four or five years of age (7).
The bottlenose dolphin is found in coastal waters of most temperate, tropical and subtropical areas (9). Around the UK, it occurs in the English Channel, around north-east Scotland and in the Irish Sea, particularly in Cardigan Bay and off south-east Ireland (5). It is also found off western Ireland (5), but is rare further north than the UK (6).
A coastal and oceanic species, the bottlenose dolphin occurs in a range of habitats from open water and lagoons to rocky reefs (10). It also occurs in large estuaries and even the lower reaches of rivers and harbours (6).
The bottlenose dolphin is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3). Listed on Annex II and IV of the EC Habitats Directive. North and Baltic Sea populations, western Mediterranean and Black Sea populations are included in Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn Convention), and Appendix II of the Bern Convention (4). All cetaceans are listed on Annex A of EU Council Regulation 338/97; they are therefore treated by the EU as if they are included in CITES Appendix I, so that commercial trade is prohibited. In the UK all cetaceans are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985 (5).
The bottlenose dolphin is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) priority species (5). It is protected in UK waters by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Orders 1985; it is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or harass any cetacean species in UK waters (5). The Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS), has been signed by seven European countries, this includes the UK. Provision is made under this agreement to set up protected areas, promote research and monitoring, pollution control and increase public awareness (5). Under Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive, candidate marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACS) are being set up for this species in Cardigan Bay (Wales) and the Moray Firth (north-east Scotland) (5).
Learn more about the bottlenose dolphin:
Information authenticated by WDCS, The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
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© Charlie Phillips / SplashdownDirect.com
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When I first came to Australia, I had no cookbooks (obviously) and I did not have my mother's big baking book. The interwebz was not filled with gorgeous food blogs or recipe sites then as it is now - yes I am showing my age. So I bought this book called The Boiled Egg and Beyond. It was in the weird book box that we got when I was working at the Melbourne Zoo. It had daggy pictures and the recipes showed sandwiches made with gasp plastic white bread. *Face palm*
One of the many gems this book had was Lemon Cheesecake. You can tell it will be an easy recipe if the title is Boiled Egg and Beyond. So here it is - 10years on and I still make it. Look it's in the middle of the week and I present to you Cheesecake.
What you need - 20cm springform tin and patience as you need to leave this overnight in the fridge. You will want to eat this immediately but it needs to be left overnight to set.
250g biscuits - I use ginger snaps but I think these are too hard to crunch up. I have used digestives in the past.
Add a tsp of mixed spice if you have it. If you don't who cares?
Melt 125g butter and process.
Chuck half of the mixture into the tin and press into the bottom. Press the other half with a glass into the sides. Refridgerate this while you are preparing the cream cheese filling.
Cut 375g cream cheese into cubes and get that into your stand mixer or bowl if you have a hand mixer. I used to do this with a hand mixer (Huey's cooking brand!) and it was definitely fine. Start beating the cream cheese which should be at room temperature until soft.
Pour in a can of condensed milk and beat until it is stiffened up. This will take about 3-5 minutes. You can see that the mixture become pale and starts to get thick and stiffer.
Add in juice of 1/3cup lemon juice, 2tsp vanilla essence and 1tsp grated lemon rind. And the cream cheese filling is done!! Leave it in the fridge overnight and it will set. The texture is still soft and creamy. This version of cheesecake does not use gelatine which is fantastic for me. I tried one with the powder gelatine and that stuff stank!


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text:
The Biker"
A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.
Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.
The reporter addressing the biker says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life.'
The biker replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right.'
The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?'
The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.' The journalist leaves.
The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:
Fw: "Biker" Must read !!!!
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This entry was posted on 4/27/2009 06:32:00 AM and is filed under LIBERAL MEDIA . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
5 comments:
- Celia said...
I liked the joke better when it was about an Arsenal (London-based football team) fan rescuing a child from a rottweiler, and the punchline was "Gooner bastard beats up family pet". But maybe I'm just nationally inclined that way.
- 27 April, 2009 11:35
- Anonymous said...
Well, it just figures that the LIBERAL MEDIA would write the headline this way. We all know how LIBERAL the MEDIA is... it's insane. God-fearing Christian family Republicans simply can never get any "true news" bc we are always assaulted by LIBERAL MEDIA spin & lies... also.
- 27 April, 2009 12:48
- Anonymous said...
Aww, I just love the smell of pure racism in the morning....
- 27 April, 2009 12:49
- Marc with a C said...
Yeah. Because what we really need more of in this country is a media which won't be so critical of the military.
- 27 April, 2009 14:01
- Anonymous said...
I wonder if this is the kind of newspaper that the Snowbilly Grifter reads? Remember when she told Katie Couric that she reads "all the newspapers, Katie.. all of 'em..."
This newspaper must be the one that Bible Spice reads first thing daily... given how she speachified also, you betcha, wink wink, shout out to the racists in the audience, when she was campaigning, also, too, wink, also and also... wink, too, also...
- 27 April, 2009 15:13


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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Scandinavian Cookbook review and a recipe for Brunsviger
But first, a little detour. Living in Estonia, we think we're rather different from our two southern Baltic neighbours, Latvians and Lithuanians. We tend to look more up north for inspiration and identification, you see. But when you look from a distance - say, the USA - there are many more similarities between Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians (yes, also in culinary sense) that we often give credit to. I guess it's the same when you try to make sense of the Scandinavian cooking when living in the centre of the culinary region (say, Stockholm :)). Differences between your own cuisine and that of your neighbours seem much bigger when you're in the midst of it, than they look from afar...
For me, living just on the outskirts of the region that's traditionally considered to be Scandinavia (that is, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland; Finland is usually not included on the list), there are many more similarities that there are differences between the various. I'm slightly biased, as I'm most familiar with Danish food, having spent a year studing there in early 1990s. But I have been to Norway and Sweden on many-many occasions, trying to sample local food, that I feel I'm at least somewhat authorised to generalise here :)
The cookbook follows the seasonal trend - furthermore, the recipes are given in monthly chapters. It has most of the recipes one would think of when thinking of Scandinavian dishes - Danish pastries, rye bread, several smørrebrød recipes, gravlax, cardamom buns and cinnamon rolls, Captain's Stew (I should blog about that as well, totally addictive!), Biff Lindström, couple of herring recipes, kransekage almond cakes, meatballs with lingonberry jam, rødgrød med fløde (the famous Danish tonguetwister), the Danish summer soup koldskål (similar to this one), Swedish crayfish feast, Västerbotten cheese tart, glögg, Swedish Lucia bread Lusekatter and Christmas ham, caramel potatoes, risalamande, to name just some of the 100 or so recipes included in the book. Granted, I would have wanted to see a recipe for Jansson's Temptation, syltkyssar, Toast Skagen, Tosca Cake or some other Scandinavian classics, but having just completed my first cookbook, I know one has to draw a limit somewhere..
So if you're looking into buying a cookbook with a lovely selection of Scandinavian recipes, then do buy this one.
Brunsviger is a lovely soft Danish pastry - basically a yeast-dough tray-bake with a caramel topping. Trina introduces the recipe like this:
"This soft, breadlike cake originated in Funen, Denmark. I think it deserves to become world famous. Sweet and tender and best the same day it is baked, it is traditionally eaten in the morning or with the afternoon coffee, but I also think it is perfect with a cup of tea. The only problem with this cake is that I can eat almost half of it all by myself."
You'll find the original recipe here (and in Danish here). Below is a very lightly adapted version that I've been successfully making on several occasions now.
(Taani pehme suhkrukook)
Adapted from The Scandinavian Cook Book
Serves 12 to 16
40-50 g fresh yeast
250 ml milk, lukewarm
2 large eggs
500 g all-purpose/plain flour
2 Tbsp caster sugar
0.5 tsp salt
75 g unsalted butter, melted
Caramel sugar topping:
150 g soft brown sugar
150 g unsalted butter
POUR THE MILK INTO A BOWL, add the yeast, and stir with a wooden spoon until the yeast has dissolved. Add the eggs and mix well, then add the sifted flour, sugar, salt and finally, the melted butter.
Stir the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon (or simply use the dough hook on your KitchenAid) to make a dough. When the dough comes cleanly from the edge of the bowl, transfer to a floured counter and knead for about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
LINE A 25 BY 35 CM BAKING DISH WITH PARCHMENT PAPER and press the dough evenly in the dish. Cover with a dish towel and let rise again for 15 minutes.
MAKE THE GLAZE. Melt the brown sugar and butter together in a pan over a moderately low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is no longer crunchy. Do not let it boil.
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 200 C. Press your fingers down into the risen dough, making small indentations across the surface. Spread the glaze evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-2 cm border. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sugar has melted, and is brown and sticky. Let the brunsviger cool a little before cutting into pieces and serving.
Other foodbloggers reviewing this book:
Anne's Food
Icelanding cooking, recipes and food
Gourmet Traveller
Wrightfood: recipes & culinary adventures from a Brit in Seattle
6 comments:
- Nicole Pearce said...
I was in Omnivore Books in San Francisco a few weeks ago and looked through this book. It was stunningly beautiful. Now, after reading your review I wish I had purchased it.
- 6:45 pm, November 16, 2010
- Emma said...
I love this book, the photos are beautiful, but more importantly, the recipes work, nothing is overly complicated and everything we have made so far has tasted great! Thanks for a good review!
- 8:40 am, November 17, 2010
- pagulane said...
Ema küpsetas seda sageli, kui väiksed olime ja kutsus seda lihtsalt plaadikoogiks.
- 11:25 pm, November 19, 2010
- Pille said...
Nicole - you can always buy it on Amazon ;)
Emma - the recipes I've tried have worked very well!
Pagulane - mina "kohtasin" sellist karamellise kattega pärmitainast plaadisaia küll esimest korda alles Taanis ja ükski eesti tuttav pole öelnud, et nende jaoks on see vana ja tuttav retsept! Ju Su emal oli Taanist pärit retsept!
- 11:02 am, December 05, 2010
Might have to pick up a copy of this one, looks great!
If you're into Nordic Cuisine, check out my new food-blog documenting my 5 months studying abroad in Copenhagen this spring!
- 4:44 am, January 05, 2011
- Mamun said...
First time here...u have nice space and really inspirational stuff... I'll be back soon.
- 1:02 am, September 06, 2012


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a week of the freeze
Somehow we've made it a whole week with our spending freeze. I wish I could tell you
we've had some exciting alternative activities to buying but we have really just been
home more. If it were any kind of reasonable temperature outside, I'd love to be outdoors
and take Israel to the park, or to feed the ducks, but a week of freezing temps excludes
outdoor activities. I have, though, been trying to brush up on my cooking skills as many
nights we end up making a bowl of cereal our dinner.
Last night I made stir fry, which I had actually never made before. It turned out great
and the whole family enjoyed it, Israel only able to have the squash and noodles though.
Oh, don't worry, I didn't let him eat that almond slice he snatched form my plate. He's
scary quick!
Oh, and I'd love to offer a recipe but there really was no need for one here, just cooking
meat, adding vegetables, noodles and sauce. Totally easy.
Other Stories
5 comments:
I like you eat cereal for dinner.ReplyDelete
I do that when I am home alone, hehehe
This is a beautiful blog!ReplyDelete
I really admire your determination - I love the idea of a spending freeze but if I am honest I am a spending addict. Good luck with the rest of the month!ReplyDelete
Blue Skies,
Charlotte xo
that looks delish! I've never made stir fry. It's sooo easy, yet I always feel like I'm bound to mess it up.ReplyDelete
since i started to live on my own i started to learn how to cook, just knew the basics, and it began to be something that i really enjoyed and even relaxed me. there were many late nights at work that ended up in my kitchen cooking something not quite appropriate for that time of day... or night! :) now, because of this recipe of yours i just order my weekly shopping so that i remembered of all those!! :) have a great weekend! twiggsReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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AUGUSTA - Friends of Adejah Nesbitt, 15, describe her as a loud, outgoing teenager who wants to dance and have fun.
So when the sophomore decided she wanted to be a part of the T.W. Josey Comprehensive High School cheerleading team, nothing was going to hold her back - especially not her autism.
Like her 11 teammates on the junior varsity squad, Adejah cheers at games and spends three hours after school every day practicing during basketball season. But while other girls twirl through the air or perform more complicated moves, Adejah stands back waving her pom-poms, proving students with disabilities can bring a special component to high school sports.
"She really adds compassion to the team," said Jonay Bailey, Josey's JV and varsity cheerleading coach. "She loves the girls, and they take good care of her. They walk with her to the bathroom; they help her get dressed. She hugs everybody before she leaves. ... And she doesn't like a lot of fussing, so they tend to get along better in her presence."
The federal government has launched an effort to include more students with disabilities in school sports.
After the Government Accountability Office published a report highlighting benefits that come from including students with special needs, the Education Department last month clarified legal requirements that school districts have in offering the same opportunity to participate for all students.
When it comes to preventing discrimination and keeping an open door for all students, Richmond County school officials said the district is meeting all requirements, and then some.
"Richmond County is on target," said Talithia Newsome, the district's director for special education. "Our students have participated in basketball, football, band. They've gotten scholarships in those areas. You can't exclude anybody from participating."
The department's guidelines, focused on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, state that a district must provide a qualified student with a disability with the same opportunity to benefit from a program as those without disabilities.
For sports that require a certain skill level or ability to play, students with disabilities are not guaranteed a spot on the team but must be given the same chance to participate as other students.
For example, a coach cannot deny a student with a learning disability a chance to play on the lacrosse team based on a stereotype or assumption made before seeing the student's ability.
A district also must provide reasonable modifications for athletes with disabilities, according to the department.
If an athlete born with one hand has the swimming ability to make the team but cannot perform the "two-hand touch" in the pool at the end of a competition, the district must accept an alternative signal as long as it does not provide an unfair advantage.
Richmond County Athletic Director George Bailey said special needs athletes are on many teams in Augusta schools. These students range from those with emotional or learning disabilities to physical ones.
"Every time a coach chooses a team, it shouldn't always be the 15 best players," said Bailey, who is the father of the Josey cheerleading coach. "The decision should consist of how that kid could be helped, what is he or she going to get from it? I've known coaches to choose kids because they need a father figure."
For students whose disabilities prevent them from playing more physically demanding sports, the district provides an adaptive sports program for wheelchair basketball and handball, and track and field.
Adaptive Sports Coordinator Kristy Olive said participation in those teams has dwindled over the years, partially because of students moving away and also because of a perceived stigma. Today there are just four adaptive sports players, not enough to make up the five required to play wheelchair basketball.
"I think sometimes students don't want to be perceived that way, and their parents don't want them perceived that way either," Olive said. "But as long as they're involved and active, that's what's important."
For Adejah, friends say there is no stigma to worry about. Although her mother, Schonta Gay-Nesbitt, said there are the occasional sneers about her daughter from spectators at games, Adejah is a staple of Josey's team like any other girl.
Franisha Williams, a sophomore at Josey, helped push teachers and coaches to include Adejah on the team and said she hopes more students with special needs will be seen out on the courts and fields.
"Sometimes (students with disabilities) don't get the same opportunity as other students," Franisha said. "I'm just waiting for my chance to help someone else."


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S. H. Fernando Jr.'s Spicy Lentil Fritters
S.H. Fernando Jr., author of Rice & Curry, calls these Spicy Lentil Fritters an Asian take on falafel, and that's a spot-on call. Subbing out chickpeas for yellow split peas makes for fritters with a great bite and the chiles, onion, curry leaves, ginger, and fennel seeds give these guys beguiling flavor, one that will have you snacking on these little fritters until every last one is gone.
What Worked: Split peas have a toothsomeness that carries over even after being buzzed in the food processor, giving these a great crunch.
What Didn't: No complaints here, although the scent of soaking yellow split peas wasn't a favorite.
Suggested Tweaks: Chiles vary greatly when it comes to heat; when testing out this recipe three jalapeños wasn't quite enough heat to break through the split pea batter. Next time we might amp it up with bird chiles.
Reprinted with permission from Rice & Curry by S.H. Fernando Jr.. Copyright © 2011. Published by Hippocrene Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
- Yield:Makes about 20 fritters
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:30 minutes plus 6 hours soaking time
- 2 cups (500 ml) dry yellow split peas
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 to 5 green chilies, chopped
- 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece ginger, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
Soak split peas in water for at least 6 hours.
Wash and grind split peas to a smooth, thick paste.
Mix in all other ingredients except the oil.
Form mixture into golf-ball-size balls. Cup each ball in both hands and flatten slightly so the middle is thicker than the edges.
Deep fry in oil heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until golden brown. Remove to newspaper or paper towel to drain excess oil and cool slightly. They can be served hot or at room temperature.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Rudd, Segel elevate 'I Love You, Man"
But it reaches its zenith with "I Love You, Man," starring
Paul Rudd
Jason Segel
as completely different guys who form an unlikely friendship.
Rudd's Peter Klaven , a sensitive Los Angeles real estate agent who's about to get married, realizes he has no male pals when it's time to choose a best man. He'd rather make root beer floats for his fiancee Zooey (the lovely
Segel's Sydney Fife enters his life as the most charming force of nature, inspiring Peter to jam along to Rush tunes and tap into his inner rage. He lives in a ramshackle Venice bungalow and functions by his own set of rules, which includes wooing divorcees at open houses and refusing to pick up after his puggle because he thinks dog feces are a healthy part of the environment. Segel gives the character a well-intentioned puppy-doggishness of his own, though, which makes him unexpectedly likable.
The formula is pretty predictable from director John Hamburg ("Along Came Polly"), who co-wrote the script with Larry Levin , as well as the conflict that inevitably arises when Zooey questions their closeness. But the beauty of it lies both in the details of the relationship and the larger chemistry Rudd and Segel share. Clearly the two ad-libbed a lot of their lines, including a running gag in which Peter is incapable of saying goodbye or getting off the phone gracefully: "I will see you then or I will see you on another time," for example. When the DVD comes out, there will probably be an entire second disc of the stars just riffing.
But beyond the goofy comedy, this is a bold concept to explore in a movie that's so obviously intended for the mainstream, and for teens and 20something men in particular. "I Love You, Man" dares to get to the heart of intimate male friendships -- or even, as the title suggests, love -- the kind of thing most guys don't exactly feel comfortable discussing. There's an earnestness that's refreshing, and a relatable quality to Peter's vulnerability as he struggles to say the cool thing or give Sydney a spontaneous nickname. He could have come off as pathetic; instead, Rudd is so capable both with his comic timing and his subtlety, he makes us root for Peter instead.
We're onto something true and honest here, which is why it's so disappointing to see the film repeatedly cater to the lowest common denominator with vomit and flatulence jokes. It also squanders the talents of veterans Jane Curtin and J.K. Simmons in barely-there supporting parts as Peter's parents. Jon Favreau and Jamie Pressly also co-star as a longtime couple who bicker incessantly. (It is fun, though, to see Favreau play the arrogant jerk for a change and not the needy mensch.)
"I Love You, Man" didn't need all that obvious, crass stuff. To paraphrase another sensitive male, it had us at hello.
ôôô Rated R (for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references). Running time: 105 minutes.


text:
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