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Good Morning Gloucester FOB Al Bezanson wrote a very funny response to my post of several days ago, Mystery of the Disappearing Soap, which if you don't read the GMG comment thread, you would have missed. Al's response, "It is undoubtedly a Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). Only creatures with ethnic roots from that region take pleasure in dining on soap. I know this because I have visited that country and had the experience of eating lutefisk. Be warned — we are approaching the season when you may be offered this delicacy."
Never having had the occasion to try lutefisk, I wanted to know more about it but, after reading only the wiki article, needless to say I don't think I ever will.
From wiki "Lutefisk is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried/salted whitefish (klippfisk) and lye (lut). It is gelatinous in texture, and has an extremely strong, pungent odor. Its name literally means "lye fish."
The process is described further:
"The first treatment is to soak the stockfish in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its protein content decreases by more than 50 percent producing a jelly-like consistency. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12 and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked."
I can't resist including several of Garrison Keillor's hysterical comments on lutefisk, also found in the same wiki article:
"Every Advent we entered the purgatory of lutefisk, a repulsive gelatinous fishlike dish that tasted of soap and gave off an odor that would gag a goat. We did this in honor of Norwegian ancestors, much as if survivors of a famine might celebrate their deliverance by feasting on elm bark. I always felt the cold creeps as Advent approached, knowing that this dread delicacy would be put before me and I'd be told, "Just have a little." Eating a little was like vomiting a little, just as bad as a lot."
"Lutefisk is cod that has been dried in a lye solution. It looks like the desiccated cadavers of squirrels run over by trucks, but after it is soaked and reconstituted and the lye is washed out and it's cooked, it looks more fish-related, though with lutefisk, the window of success is small. It can be tasty, but the statistics aren't on your side. It is the hereditary delicacy of Swedes and Norwegians who serve it around the holidays, in memory of their ancestors, who ate it because they were poor. Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people. It is reminiscent of the afterbirth of a dog or the world's largest chunk of phlegm.
This morning Al posted a more detailed account of his experience with lutefisk.
"As sleuth David Simmons pointed out those tooth marks suggest mouse, but until this case is concluded I would at least maintain Rattus norvegicus as a critter of interest. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in assigning the blame. Who knows, r n may have actually decided to immigrate to the New World to escape Viking cuisine.
In connection with this I will relate how I came to know about lutefisk. It was 1966, at the Grand Hotel in Tromso, and following the customary social hour, or two, I sat down to dine with a local fellow. I had been poking about the country for several weeks on fishery matters and fancied myself to be quite knowledgeable about seafood. He took the cue and ordered up a lutefisk dinner for me. I'll say that Garrison Keillor was spot on with his descriptions of this delicacy. While I waited for my substitute entrée Lars told of the recipes used by backyard lutefisk makers. Old bathtubs were in demand for the process and I thought he said soaking times were measured in months, not days. This is all vivid in my memory – perhaps in the same part of my brain that stores details of where I happened to be at the time of catastrophic events.
And Fred – thanks for your invitation – Phyllis and I will be paying you a visit."
My note: The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the brown rat, is native to northern China. The species found its way to Eastern Europe by the early eighteenth century. By the year 1800, they occurred in every European country. First sightings of R. norvegicus in the New World occur in the 1770's as ship stowaways. Today, Norway rats can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
Images courtesy google image search


text: Korean Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - I just ate an awesome bacon sandwich Speak Korean Now! Korean Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in I just ate an awesome bacon sandwich Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Off-Topic Forum View previous topic :: View next topic The OP is what? Right on 39% [ 15 ] Deluded 7% [ 3 ] Obviously quite drunk 28% [ 11 ] Just like You 5% [ 2 ] Having a nervous breakdown 7% [ 3 ] No Chuck Norris 10% [ 4 ] Total Votes : 38 Author Message JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:53 pm Post subject: I just ate an awesome bacon sandwich Really ... it was yummy. I fried lower sodium Farmland bacon rashers and stuck em in some seeded brown bread from the local La Pommier, with local lettuce and tomatoes. It's sunny outside and I have lots of free time this weekend. Life doesn't get much better. Back to top Dodge7Joined: 21 Oct 2011 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:35 am Post subject: this is actually pretty funny being that I just posted on the facebook thread about despising people and God forbid I ever update my status to let people know I just made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... Back to top nukedayJoined: 13 May 2010 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:18 am Post subject: a facebook update about despising people is pretty lame too, unless you're 16. in which case, right on bro. Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:34 am Post subject: Also I can make a fantastic Indian or Thai curry, growing my own coriander, and I've recently found a good source for Welsh rarebit and have some nice pasta recipes too. But having a decent bacon sammich was the best start to a hangover I've had in quite a bit. Back to top yodanoleJoined: 02 Mar 2003Location: La Florida Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:01 pm Post subject: Well, JustinC could have posted this on Facebook, but he posted it here instead. The question is why? Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:24 pm Post subject: yodanole wrote: Well, JustinC could have posted this on Facebook, but he posted it here instead. The question is why? It's an off-topic forum; why not? Back to top Pa Jan Jo A HamnidaJoined: 27 Oct 2006Location: Not Korea Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:20 am Post subject: Not a bad idea. Think I'll have a Maple bacon bagel for lunch. Back to top ZyzyferJoined: 29 Jan 2003Location: who, what, where, when, why, how? Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:15 pm Post subject: OP is deluded. Reduced sodium? Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:21 pm Post subject: Did anyone know that fillet/loin of pork in Korea is so cheap?? You get a whole fillet for 6-7k - that's about lb in weight and is as low in fat as chicken (sans skin). Mix with a little pork belly and it's about the closest you'll get to back bacon here. Yummy breakfast today was pork fillet steaks, fried eggs, fresh coffee and followed by some pastries from La Pommier. A day off, everything is done for tomorrow and it's sunny. It's d�j� vu all over again. Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 1:12 am Post subject: Aaaah, went for a long ride on my Daelim and brought back a chunk of sirloin steak. Covered it in pepper, pan fried medium-rare, and had it with potato wedges (home made, not frozen), salad and lots of whole grain mustard, washed down with a nice glass of draught Guinness. It's the weekend again! Back to top J RockJoined: 17 Jan 2009Location: The center of the Earth, Suji Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:19 am Post subject: For dinner I had a sandwich made from semi stale bread, I cooked up a chicken breast the night before and cut it into strips, BUT i snacked on too much of the chicken after i cooked it so there wasent enough to make a good size sandwich. So I added lots of lettuce and a piece of cheese. Thats the story of how my sandwich sucked today. Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 5:12 pm Post subject: I dunno what I'll make today. Maybe fish? Back to top NYC_Gal 2.0Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject: JustinC wrote: I dunno what I'll make today. Maybe fish? Make fish tacos! Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:23 pm Post subject: Beefy Beefy Beefy Yay I got this beef that was heavily scored and in long strips from the local mart. I marinated it in thinly sliced garlic, chili and ginger, a sprinkle of sugar, soy sauce and white wine. After a few hours I fried it on a heavy, large pan and served with lots of lettuce and beer. Pretty damn good, even if I say so myself. Anyone have a better recipe ? Back to top JustinCJoined: 10 Mar 2012Location: We Are The World! Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 2:28 am Post subject: If it appears that I write these words in haste, I beg your forgiveness - but my time is brief, for I cannot know how long my sanity will endure. For I have tasted of That Which Must Not Be Named - that which its acolytes, in foul ceremonies of ancient Pagan faiths, call "Marmite" - and I fear my mind cannot long endure the memory of that hideous flavour. My G-d, my G-d, my G-d - No. G-d help me, no! I will finish this, my last and greatest duty in this life. For the sake of my soul, that it might be saved though my mind cannot. And for you, Gentle Reader, that you might hear the warning I was too arrogant to heed . . . *** I graduated from Miskatonic Univerity's Gardner School of Law, New England's finest law school. I was - there is no modest way to put this - widely regarded as a genius. My monograph describing the influence of the Cult of Nyarhotep upon the development of Greco-Roman law was published in the Miskatonic Review of Forgotten Law, and secured my place in the Arkham firm of Pierce and Danforth. My court-room skills were such that I prevailed in suits thought to be beyond the hope of victory, and I was made a partner in the firm before two years had passed. Perhaps my successes in the world of Man are what doomed and damned me both. Perhaps my victories in litigation seduced me into the pursuit of newer, stranger victories beyond the grasp of Man. If I knew once *why* I had chosen as I did, I cannot now recall - not now, as the light of Reason dims by the instant, smothered by that Taste ... merciful G-d, that *Taste* ...! *** I had just settled the matter of the West Estate, to my client's satisfaction and delight. At his insistence, I joined him at a local pub. I would have preferred to decline, for the pub was of the lower sort - a tradesmen's pub, for fishermen and dockworkers and the like. However, my client had amassed a considerable fortune, and my fellow partners insisted I indulge the man. G-d, what I would give now to have stayed away then! To have stayed far away! To have run, and run, and run, until legs and lungs and heart could carry me no further! The bar-tender was ancient, his face lined in eldritch manner beyond that which years alone (though they were many) could credit. As afternoon turned to evening, and evening to night, he brought pint after pint to our table, listening with cold and somehow foreign eyes to my increasingly elaborate boasts of my legal prowess. It must have been ten o�clock when, steeped in drink as Adam was steeped in that first and greatest sin, the bartender produced a small jar alongside our ales. It was a harmless-looking thing, at first inspection. But my old professors of Law had trained me to look deeper into the heart of things, and the heart of this jar was � wrong. Its lines bent and curved upon each other in ways that Euclid had never imagined, and the colour of the thing defied my eyes in some strange and hideous manner � seeming first one hue, and then other, but never anything that the Earth of sun and stone and living things had ever seen. �What�s this, then?� my client asked, his arm sweeping drunkenly to encompass, not just the jar, but perhaps all Creation. He struck his pint � long-since emptied � and it rolled unheeded to the floor. The bartender gestured silently towards the jar, and � with eyes now accustomed to the unnatural colour and lines of the wretched thing � I saw a label, faded by what seemed like strange eons past. The script was alien � surely no Man had ever thought to inscribe lines of such obscene proportion, such arcane and strangely decadent curvature and angle. And yet � a word came to me, as if from unfathomable distances of space and time, and I knew the name of the jar � or rather, its contents. �Marmite,� I whispered, the fetid word crawling from my lips despite my manful effort � for no curse, no blasphemy, no obscenity uttered by Man had ever felt as coldly, inhumanly vile as those two alien syllables. A chant � harsh, and far older than any Christian verse � burst from a nearby table. �La! La! Cthulhu ftaghn! Marmite ftaghn! Cthulhu ftaghn!� �What is this?� whispered my client. I glimpsed the colour draining from his slackened face, but my eyes remained locked to those cold and foreign eyes of the bartender. �It goes well � with toast,� the ancient man intoned. He produced a slice, pressed it into my hand. My skin went cold, then numb, where the man�s fingers brushed mine. My client, roused from his drunken stupor, tensed. �No!� he cried. �Damn you, man, death will be the least you have to fear from this! My grandfather was maddened by the mere odor of Marmite!� That alien chant burst across the room again. �La! La! Cthlhu ftaghn! Marmite ftaghn! Cthulhu ftaghn!� Laugher rose in me � or perhaps from outside of me, from that cold and uncaring corner of vast and unknowable space from whence Marmite came. I knew not then, and I know not now. Perhaps it was merely pride that impelled me to say, �Nonsense! I could do with a snack!� My hands, as of their own accord, grasped and unscrewed the lid of the Marmite jar. The screw-threads screamed in faint protest as the lid, of metal older than any to be found in the world of Men, scraped against them. The ichor revealed whence the lid was removed � faintly quivering, gellid and loathesome � cannot be described in the English tongue, and G-d willing never will be. However, I was compelled � I swear to Chr-st, I was compelled! � to scrape the dark mass onto toast. And then I ate, in obscene parody of the sacred Communion rite � but whose body that bread became upon transubstantiation, and whose blood the Marmite was, I cannot relate even now, at Madness� door. The rest of that night, I cannot � and dare not � recall. I woke the next morning in my home, collapsed upon the floor, with horror bubbling beneath my breast, I took up pen and paper, and wrote these words. My work is almost done now, as is my Sanity. I find I cannot mourn its passing � perhaps the horror will lesson once I rest in insanity�s embrace. Perhaps. Learn from my sad example, Gentle Reader. There are things Man was not meant to know � things that care for us not at all, that crush us as we crush ants that stray beneath our feet. These, we must avoid. And chief among their number � is Marmite. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Off-Topic Forum All times are GMT - 8 HoursGoto page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next Page 1 of 4 Jump to: Select a forum Forums:----------------FAQJob-related Discussion ForumGeneral Discussion ForumOff-Topic ForumTravel ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumBuy/Sell/Trade Forum You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. 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subset: commoncrawl


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Shrek the Musical Ticket Information
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Estimates vary widely of the minimum viable population for humans to stably reproduce without being subject to significant detrimental effects of inbreeding. Minimum estimates (e.g., for space colonisation) usually range in the dozens to hundreds, but most general estimates for Earth repopulation err on the safe side and choose numbers well into the thousands.
In light of the fact that the MVP of humans is certainly greater than two, we cannot interpret the story of Adam and Eve as a literal account, unless other divine provisions were made after the Fall in order for humans to be able to make it on their own. Is there consensus among Biblical scholars about this?


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This is a timely coincidence. A loved one, related to me via my late grandmother and whom I'd not spoken to on the phone for a long time, sent me a social media private message yesterday saying that she had to tell me something and asked me to call her. She informed me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last month, and she's only telling people who are near & dear to her. Not only am I glad that her treatment is going well so far, I'm also truly honored that she holds me in enough esteem to tell me, even after all these years. I love her.
So for the blogger who's dealing with this now, I wish you the very best. Take it easy & take care. Bless.
P.S. Hat tip to Philosopher Mouse Of The Hedge for bringing this to my attention.
When life sends you obstacles, start hurdling!
First of all words cannot, nor ever will express my deepest gratitude in the support you have given me the last few weeks. The blogging community is amazing and all of you are the absolute best! I can feel your prayers as I write this on the night before surgery. I just wish I could physically hug each and every one of you. The words, "thank you," will never seem like enough.
If you are reading this, my bi-lateral (fancy-like name for double) mastectomy is over. Yeah! I am on the good drugs and most likely kidding around with the interns.
My husband Danny will give you an update on the surgery and my lymph nodes. The sentinel nodes were removed during surgery and tested for cancer. If they were clear, then my surgeon didn't touch the rest of them. Thorough testing in…
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This is a reprint of the article I wrote for US Pro Cycling News.
It took Matthew Busche (Radioshack) about 5 minutes to find out that he was the new owner of the stars and stripes jersey. During that 5 minutes, Busche had plenty of time to think about whether his bike throw to the line was enough to beat George Hincapie (BMC). Both Busche and Hincapie were part of a four man break that got away after many, many attacks from the field. When Hincapie sprinted for the line, it was only Busche who was able to go with him, and he took the win through a photo finish.
Under oppressive heat, the 99 riders took the start in Greenville, SC. The route was the same as it had been the past few years, with three 4.2 mile laps around town, then four 22.5 mile laps around the Paris Mountain loop, finishing with three short laps around the town. After last year, when breakaway which allowed Ben King to solo to a win got a 17 minute gap, the peloton was not going to allow that to happen again this year. The pace was kept high, and breaks were chased down.
First break
Right before the first ascent of Paris Mountain, a break with Cameron Cogburn (Jelly Belly), David Williams (Bissell), Julian Kyer (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Nick Frey (Jamis-Sutter Home) got away. However, by the top of the climb, they only had 10 seconds on the group, with Jeff Louder of BMC pulling the peloton up the climb.
This high pace destroyed the field and caught the break. Out of a group of about 40 who made it to the top of Paris Mountain, Brookwalter, Jason McCartney (RadioShack), Timmy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategy), Quinn Keough (Exergy), and Robert Bush (Chipotle Development Team) attacked and caught Williams (the only original break member left) on the downhill.
High pace
The pace was kept high, even though they got over two and a half minutes on the group. By the last ascent up Paris Mountain, only Duggan, Bookwalter, Anthony, and McCartney were left. They had a minute, but that didn't last long. From the field emerged a chasing group of Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad), Matthew Busche (RadioShack), George Hincapie (BMC), and they were soon joined by Louder, Jason McCartney (RadioShack), Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Pat McCarty (Spidertech).
This group was away and out of it, and as the group came into the last 3 town circuits, the formative four person break emerged.
The last break
Van Garderen's atack attempt enabled him to pull away with King, Hincapie, and Busche. There were no real attacks out of this group, as they watched each other carefully. There was a fear of going to early and not having enough to stay away, then being dropped, or being caught by the chase group as well. So, the group stayed together until the last 300 meters. It was then that Busche attacked. Hincapie was soon able to jump on his wheel and at 250 meters to go, he pulled around Busche. But he couldn't shake him. Busche hung on his wheel and surged again, but Hincapie still lead by about 20 meters. However, one last surge from Busche, and a desperate bike throw, let him take the win from Hincapie. The finish this close wasn't able to be called right away, and the officials had to look at the photo finish before they called it officially for Busche. So, the Stars and Stripes jersey stays in the RadioShack team and another young pro takes it for the 2nd year running!
Top 5 results
- Matthew Busche (RadioShack)
- George Hincapie (BMC)
- Ted King (Liquigas-Cannondale)
- Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad)
- Kyle Wamsley (Bissell)


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Back in January my co-worker (influenced by me) purchased his first motorcycle, a Zero ZF9. It was promptly shipped to our workplace in a large crate/box, it was like Christmas morning for him. He has now racked over 690 miles in just 2 months!
My very first impression was great, Zero does an awesome job with their motorcycles, the frame looks like a structural component that belongs on the space shuttle. The wheels are perfect, nice finish, just the right width and accompanied with a maintenance-free belt drive system!
My co-worker was kind enough to let me take it for a ride around Chicago (mind you this has been a very mild January/February here). I got a good feeling for the motorcycle, the handling is great, awesome seating position makes it feel like a dual-cross bike with the grip and agility of a sport bike.
As for the acceleration, it leaves something to be desired from 0-15mph where a distinct lag is present. beyond 20mph the motorcycle accelerates swiftly with a predictable feel, this is where the belt drive shines because it truly is beyond quiet!
Here are some areas where I believe Zero could improve upon,
The rear foot brake lever– when depressed the return spring rubs on the frame making an awful sound similar to fingernails on a chalkboard, this could have been solved using a simple rubber cover over the spring or frame.
Charge port placement– I will never understand how this got here, it was placed right behiend the front wheel, where every particle of water, dirt, and dust will accumulate. It is also inconvenient to bend way over and plug the motorcycle in there. And on top of all this, there is a nice spot on the center of the top farring (where the gas inlet would normally be) where the charge port could have been placed.
Lack of any storage– The seat on the ZF9 is large and comfy, and looking underneath the seat there is a large hollow area where a charge cord, insurance card, wallet, etc…could be stored, unfortunately Zero did not engineer a simple hinge and lock on the seat which disappoints me for a $14k motorcycle.
Gas gauge?– Upon activating the motorcycle's gauges I immediately noticed a gas pump symbol directly next to the battery state of charge gauge. I know Zero had to have completely engineered this gauge to work with their electronics, and to leave that gas pump symbol on there just seems ridiculous.
Rubbish kill switch– The kill/power cut switch on the right side handle bar is defiantly of poor quality. The switch binds and is very hard to articulate especially with riding gloves on, upgrading this would improve the fit and finish of the whole motorcycle.
Rear passenger foot pegs– I know my co-worker was very influenced by Zero over Brammo because Zero advertized their motorcycle with the ability to carry a passenger. Unbenounced to him the motorcycle shipped without and passenger foot pegs, and after inquiring with Zero about the issue he was told It would be several months, and many hundred dollars extra for them.
I realize that Zero is a newer company and are trying their best to make great motorcycles, which there doing an outstanding job with! I hope that they can refine some of these small problems with their motorcycles so there even better in the years to come. Needless to say my co-worker loves the ZF9 and rides it whenever he can, whether it be 40~60 miles to the suburbs of Chicago, or down the road to fetch coffee, it has proven to be an amazing, well engineered electric motorcycle.


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Seager is equal opportunity home-run artist
Mariners third baseman turning on power against righties and lefties
KANSAS CITY -- Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager continues to refine his power stroke and it doesn't matter whether there's a right-hander or a left-hander on the mound.
When the lefty-swinging Seager went deep against Royals lefty Bruce Chen in Tuesday night's 4-3 loss, it reinforced the notion that Seager is a power force against all types of pitching these days. Ten of his 22 homers have come off left-handers.
"[Hitting against] lefties is one of the areas I talked about improving," Seager said. "There have been a couple of adjustments that I made this year and hopefully they'll continue to help."
Seager is now second in the Major Leagues for home runs by a left-handed batter against a lefty pitcher. Only Chris Davis of Baltimore (12) has more.
Seager has the most lefty-on-lefty homers by a Mariners slugger since Russell Branyan also hit 10 in 2009. Ken Griffey Jr. is the only Mariners' lefty batter to hit more than 10 homers off left-handed pitching. He accomplished that feat six times, the last coming in 1998 when he hit 21.


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- The store got a
dump()method that stream-outputs SPOG from all quads, and a
createBackup($path, $alternative_query)method to write a SPOG dump (or custom SPO(G) query result) to a local file
- The SPARQL endpoint feature list accepts "dump" as a new read operation
- The SPARQL endpoint accepts "DUMP" as a query type now ("DUMP" also works via the internal
- The format detector accepts SPOG XML as an RDF format now, SPARQL+ queries will work fine with
LOAD <some-spog-file.srx>. (There is now a dedicated SPOG parser for streaming LOADs.)
These additions should simplify graph exchange and store replication quite a bit.
Morten++ for the idea and an initial implementation.
Documentation - Release Notes


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There was some scary news earlier this week that Wisconsin running back Montee Ball was the victim of what was initially reported as an 'unprovoked assault' by five unknown assailants early Wednesday morning.
Ball sustained head injuries and was sent to the hospital before being released a short time later.
The first and most important detail was the Ball is going to be okay, but as police look into the situation, there are naturally other components of the story that develop — like motive. The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Madison police are looking into a "precipitating event" that may have led to Ball's attack. From the paper:
Central District Capt. Carl Gloede said Thursday police were still trying to find out what that incident was, when and where it happened, what Ball's involvement might have been, and whether other football players were involved.
A witness to the attack on Ball by five men at about 2:15 a.m. in the 500 block of University Avenue said one of the assailants said something like, "One down, nine to go," Gloede said, suggesting others might have been targeted.
The report later clarifies, citing a witness, that the other nine could be football players. Ball previously stated he didn't know the identities of his attackers.
Given the amount of uncertainty that still surrounds the attack, it can't be stressed enough that "precipitating event" could mean anything. Madison police have already pointed out that what they're looking for is not in reference to a TMZ report claiming Ball was previously involved in a fight. Ball also denied the TMZ report on his Twitter account.
The Heisman candidate is expected to miss the beginning of preseason camp as he recovers from his injuries, which include a concussion.
"Unfortunately, he got beat up pretty bad," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said


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|Welcome to Full House comfortable &
friendly hotel, is a new brand city hotel which allow all travellers
to experience a charming historical area.
Located in Banglumpoo area, Samsen road, where the traditional culture of the old Bangkok city still remains for the foreigners to experience. However, it also contains the modern life style so that It is the best combination between lively and peaceful area. Let's say Khao San road, the amazing walking street, can be reached by 5 minutes walk or you are able to experience the old fortress, Pom Phra Sumen, just a few minutes walk. And whenever you are fulfilled perfectly with enjoyable time in those areas, you can be back to rest in a great relaxing accommodation that we intently cater to the customers. All room types are well decorated in Thai modern style. The convenient utensil are provided, such as satellite tv, minibar, safe, warm shower and more. Furthermore, best service from our friendly staff will ensure you the best stay. Our hotel is non smoking hotel. Every room are not allowed to smoke. Customers can smoke at the specific area, where we provide on the first floor outdoor Full House Bangkok hotel Khao San Road, offers you the quiet and friendly atmosphere with a modern Thai-Style accommodation and a carefully decorated lobby/restaurant area. Our room features private bathroom with hot-cool water system and a cable TV, accompanied with 24 hours security and room service.
Full House is the Perfect choice for visitors to Khao San Road, Bangkok hotel An Thai hospitality, it is ready to satisfy the needs of those traveling for business or pleasure, with uniquely nature living style. It's easy to walk, just a few minute away from Khao San Road night market and also close to various favorite tourist attraction such as Emerald Buddha Temple, The Grand Palace, The National Gallery Museum, The National Museum and The City Pillar Shrine., etc.
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50-year-old had images, video, authorities say
MADISON, Wis. — The state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made an arrest in Sauk County, authorities said.
John L. Lomax, 50, of Baraboo, was charged Thursday with possession of child pornography following a Tuesday search of his home, according to a statement from the Wisconsin attorney general's office.
The attorney general's office said special agents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation searched Lomax's home at 830 W. Pine St. in Baraboo with Lomax's consent.
According to the criminal complaint, a DCI agent reviewed images and one video recovered from a computer hard drive found at the house and reported the images to be consistent with child pornography.
Lomax was charged on suspicion of four counts of possession of child pornography, a felony, the statement said.
The report said the Waukesha Police Department and the Sauk County Sheriff's Office assisted in this investigation and are both members of Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force.


text:
Story highlights
- David and Natalie Kizelewicz have been married 13 years; it's his third marriage, her second
- They say they are happier now because they know what they want from the relationship
- Many baby boomers have learned from mistakes in previous marriages
- "Relationships are about enhancing your life rather than giving you a life," specialist says
It wasn't easy for David Kizelewicz to make ends meet as a single father of four on a construction worker's salary after his first divorce. But he did his best to cook dinner each night and to spend quality time with his kids on weekends, and somehow, "they ended up smarter than me," he jokes.
Fast forward a few decades and Kizelewicz, now 63, is raising another family. He still makes dinner most nights but now he has a bigger home, a stable job and a wife whose additional income makes things much easier.
Some people cautioned him against remarrying at 49, saying he was too old to start a new family. He had two complicated marriages behind him when his now-wife Natalie -- his son's coworker -- agreed to a date. He was 48 and dating for the first time since his children left the home; she was 29 and had just ended what she described as an emotionally abusive marriage to her first husband, with whom she had a daughter. She resisted at first because of the age difference, but when she finally gave in they immediately hit it off during their first date at Olive Garden.
Now, 13 years and one child later, David and Natalie say they're happier than they ever were in their previous marriages. They know what they want from the relationship and from each other.
"In your first marriage, you're starting out and struggling," said Kizelewicz, now a construction supervisor who lives north of Orlando. "It's a lot easier to raise kids when you have money to raise them and give them the things they want."
It's been a long road to happiness. David Kizelewicz was married to the mother of his children and another woman after that, but both relationships ended in divorce. With this his third marriage and Natalie's second, in some ways the couple is beating the odds. A 2009 study found that, because boomers divorce and remarry in such large numbers, it is more likely that later-in-life remarriages will end in divorce.
But the Kizelewiczs and others say lessons learned from past marriages can help nurture future relationships.
"We're just so grateful to have a good marriage this time that there's nothing to really fight over," Natalie Kizelewicz said. "We rarely argue and I think it's because we get along so well."
They also draw upon David's experience raising children.
"All the tricks the kids try to pull, if they try to lie or pull the wool over our eyes, he already knows and he knows what to do," she said.
Second marriages often fail because individuals don't take the time to figure out what went wrong in the first union or acknowledge their role in the unhappy marriage, said psychotherapist and relationship specialist Lisa Brateman, who has a private practice in New York.
"Everyone likes to blame the other person and say he did this or he was too controlling, but were you so passive that you let it continue?" she said. "What were you so fearful of that you lost your voice for so many years?"
For some women, being on their own after years of financial dependency causes them to rush into relationships without considering whether the person is right for them, she said. The more you know yourself, your wants and your needs, the healthier your decisions will be if you're 18 or 55.
"Relationships are about enhancing your life rather than giving you a life," she said.
As divorces rates among couples over 50 have doubled in the last 20 years, many are remarrying and starting new families. In 1980, 19% of married people ages 50 and older were in remarriages compared with 30% in 2009, according to a study by the National Center for Family & Marriage Research.
Not everyone is looking for marriage, but the desire for love and companionship is still alive and well, said Terri Orbuch, psychologist and relationship expert at OurTime.com, a dating website for the 50-and-over crowd. But for those who have done a bit of soul-searching, the approach to finding a new mate often is more refined.
"Baby boomers are more settled in their behaviors and patterns of life. They are concerned about whether it is worth changing ... to allow someone new into their life," she said. "And, the majority of baby boomers are more focused on compatibility, and finding someone who makes them happy, than they were when they were younger."
Boomers who spoke with Orbuch for her forthcoming book, "Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship," had three major takeaways from unsuccessful marriages, she said. The first is that communication is key, and not just "maintenance communication."
"You can't only talk about work, family, who does what around the house or your relationship. To communicate well, partners need to reveal more about themselves."
Second, make sure you partner knows that he or she is important to you.
"Life gets busy and stressed and it is important that your spouse knows you don't take them for granted. Give them frequent affirmation, though simple gestures (hug, kiss, turn on the coffee pot in the morning, bring in the newspaper) and words (thank you, you are the best partner, you look so beautiful today)."
And last but not least, talk about money, early and often, she said. Fifty percent of the divorced singles in her study said that they fought so much about money in their first marriage that they anticipated money will be a problem in their next relationship.
"Divorced singles said they have learned that they would discuss money with their partner early on and more often, so that it isn't such an issue. They would devise a plan they both could live with," she said.
David and Natalie Kizelewicz both had jobs when they started dating and still do, which helps them maintain a comfortable lifestyle with some money left over for a vacation each year. They were also able to buy a car for Natalie's daughter and help her with living expenses while she's in college, something David was unable to do for his first four children.
"My older kids might be a little resentful of the younger kids because they can see that they have an easier life," he said. "But I gave them the best years of my life. If they wanted to go to college, they could, and now they're all happily married or own homes and have good jobs. They're successful in life."
In order to maintain their lifestyle, he estimates he'll be working for at least another 10 years until their youngest goes to college. But, that's OK, he said. "I hate being bored."
When it comes to a blended family, they have it all: adult children from previous marriages and grandchildren who are older than their 13-year-old daughter. Plus, they've had custody of Natalie's 7-year-old nephew since he was an infant.
The staggered ages and familial ties are confusing to outsiders, but everyone gets along, he said. His grandchildren play with his children younger as if they were cousins. When David's grandson was in the same school as his daughter, he got a kick out of telling everyone she was his aunt, he said.
It wasn't much of a stretch for David's adult children to adjust to Natalie, especially since his oldest son set them up, the couple said. Early on, Natalie's family and daughter approved of him despite the age difference because he treated her so well, she said.
"They said he was the best thing that ever happened to me," she said. "I saw how he raised his kids and doted on them, so I knew he would be a good father."
The Kizelewiczes have also dealt with medical problems, a common issue for couples marrying late in life. Two weeks after the birth of their daughter, David had prostate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer a month before the baby's due date. Years later, he has it under control as a result of the couple's combined efforts to stay on top of appointments and medications, Natalie said.
Otherwise, Natalie no longer feels the age difference as much as she used to, she said. David has slowed down a bit, but so has she. Their 7-year-old nephew seems to notice, asking how old David will be when the boy reaches his age.
"He tells him, 'I'm going to live until I'm 100; don't you worry,'" she said.
David also thinks about it sometimes -- when Natalie is 60, he'll be 80.
"Though we have a really good life right now, that's the only thing I kind of worry about," he said. "That's time to come, but so far it's been great. Age hasn't really caught up to us."


text:
posted do not necessarily represent the opinion of LDN.
Any opinions expressed are those of
the writers.
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[June 27, 2014]
By Scott Reeder | Illinois News Network
SPRINGFIELD – Another state
legislator is heading to prison, but you won't hear much outrage in
Springfield. Or dismay for that matter.
Gov. Dan Walker reported to prison wearing his Annapolis ring. That didn't
sit too well with the warden, a West Pointer.Gov. George Ryan was chauffeured to the Big House by another governor –
James R. Thompson.And Rod Blagojevich was mugging for the cameras at a burger joint moments
before entering the slammer.Illinoisans have become jaded to criminality among those we elect.
A few years back, some Springfield wag printed up bumper stickers that said,
"My Governor is a Bigger Crook than Your Governor."This kind of cynicism has spread through the electorate, leaving political
tumors of apathy, inevitability and suspicion.
[to top of second column]
There is no greater exploiter of this
political cynicism than House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Despite Smith's indictment, Madigan threw his support behind his
re-election this year.
Madigan's spokesman told the Chicago
Tribune, the speaker supports Democratic incumbents and believes in
"innocent until proven guilty."
Well, some of the time.
I watched Madigan vote to impeach Blagojevich before he was ever
brought to trial on corruption charges.
When we hope for statesmanship in Springfield, we all too often end
up with raw politics.
Soon Smith will find himself behind bars.
But will Illinoisans continue to imprison themselves with a legacy
of indifference? Will we continue to tolerate the intolerable? Will
we elect those wanting to serve rather than looking to take?
Or will we expect more?
Only time will tell.
But let's hope for the best.
Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse reporter and a journalist with
Illinois News Network, a project of the Illinois Policy Institute.
He can be reached at email@example.com. Readers can
subscribe to his free political newsletter by going to ILNEWS.ORG or
follow his work on Twitter @scottreeder
article courtesy of
Illinois Watchdog.]
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- butternut squash, apple + ginger soup (serves 2-3)
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MIAMI, March 14 (UPI) -- Ninth-inning RBI singles by Erick Aybar and Josey Reyes Thursday boosted the Dominican Republic to a 3-1 win over the United States in the WBC.
The Dominicans thus joined Japan and the Netherlands in the semifinals of the world tournament. The fourth semifinal spot will be determined on Friday when the United States takes on Puerto Rico in an elimination game.
The Americans scored their only run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Eric Hosmer, but they wasted a chance for a big inning when they left the bases jammed.
A home run in the second by Hanley Rodriguez lifted the Dominican Republic into a 1-1 tie and it stayed that way until the ninth.
Nelson Cruz opened the ninth for the Dominicans with a double and he moved to third on a ground out by Carlos Santana.
Aybar's single to right drove in Cruz with the go-ahead run and Aybar later stole second, from where he scored on the base hit from Reyes.
Both ninth-inning runs were charged to Craig Kimbrel. Pedro Strop worked a perfect eighth inning for the Dominicans to get the win and Fernando Rodney retired the side in order in the ninth for the save.
The United States defeated Puerto Rico 7-1 in the opening game of the double-elimination phase of the tournament, but will need another win to keep alive its hopes for a world championship.


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I submitted my story on bullying to The Bully Suicide Project. They have accepted it and posted it on their Facebook page. So check it out!
Andrew Smith, 20, College Student
1. Tell Me About Yourself (What are you hobbies, beliefs, likes, etc... )
My name is Andrew Smith. I am 20 years old. My favorite hobbies are reading, riding four-wheelers, listening to music, writing, playing guitar, watching TV, hanging out with my family and friends, and just being myself. I am a Christian who believes in God. My faith has helped me through my life. I also like to play video games with my friends. I love to sing karaoke on the Wii console.
I am attending college and loving every minute of it. I hope to become a writer and maybe a Bible teacher one day. I hope my story can impact kids, who are being bullied. I love listening to Joyce Meyer every single day.
2. Tell Me About Your Personality
My personality is I am quiet and straight to the point. I have been born and raised country. I talk when I have something to say. I like to laugh and have some fun.
3. Tell Me About the First Time you remember being bullied (where, how you felt, the names, you were called, how you dealt with it)
I remember being bullied in Elementary School. I was a very quiet and shy kid in school. I wouldn't talk to my teachers at all. They would try to convince me to open up and talk. But I wouldn't. The teachers had no idea that I was being bullied by a girl. This girl would pick on me daily like clockwork. She was relentless in her pursuit in controlling me. She would take my things like my pens, pencils, and anything she could get her hands on in class. I remember one day, two girls started picking on me during recess. It started when the main girl got another girl to join in kicking me in the shin. They both pushed and kicked me. I was on a hill and both of the girls continually kicked me over and over again. The teachers didn't even see them kicking me. I don't know if the hill was too high and the teachers didn't see it or what happened. I wouldn't talk to them. My parents knew about most of the bullying, but since I wouldn't open up my mouth in school. The teachers couldn't do anything, since they didn't see anything happening. I was so afraid to speak out of fear of being harmed.
Another way is I had a high girly voice during Elementary, Middle, and even some High School. My voice didn't change until the second year of high school. I was called names like gay and fag. I am straight. One guy posted and told me online that it was because of the way I talked and acted.
4. Names you have been called
Gay, Fat, Fag, Bi, Handwriting messy, Walk Funny, Weird, Never talk, Random
5. Tell Me About how bullying has effected you
Bullying and name calling made me not to be able to trust other people. I was afraid to stand up to them and tell someone. Why get close to them, if they are only going to tell me how to be. People wanted me to be a certain way all the time. It was never enough for them to approve of me. I believed that lie and their lies. It was hard for me to make friends at school. It made me want to be "safe". It was a longing to be liked by my peers. I would also try to be someone I wasn't to be accepted.
6. Have you thought about suicide? If so, what did you do about it.
I have thought about suicide. I thought I was worth nothing. I didn't know what love was. I had a false sense of love in me. I didn't like myself for a lot of years. I had a deep shame base in me. I didn't try to ever kill myself, but I have thought it.
7. What are ways you have dealt with suicidal thoughts?
I had to learn to heal from my wounds. My pain has become my message. God always loves me and always approves of me no matter what I do. I can't change his love for me. I may not always perform perfectly, but he always forgives me.
8. What makes you a survivor?
I am a survivor who was picked on throughout his life. I was always in fear and afraid to speak up, and this is a huge honor and accomplishment that I am able to share my story with you. I didn't let their comments and abuse control and define me. I didn't let them change who I am. I had to not let them tear me down anymore. My life was worth living freely. I have a right to stand up and open my mouth. I don't have to live in fear or being rejected or abused.
9. What is your message of hope to the person just like yourself?
I want to tell kids, teens, and adults to love who they are. Don't let people's comments and approvable define and change who you were meant to be. God made you to be special the way you're meant to be. It doesn't matter if people say hurtful things about you. They don't make it the truth about you. You are; who you are. Don't change because someone thinks you're too big or too small. If you can't play sports like they can. If they call you gay because you're voice is different and high and you're a guy. Maybe you're a girl and they make fun of you because of your weight. Their comments don't make you; who you are. Be the way; you want to be! Being yourself is good enough; don't let anyone tell you different. Don't you dare believe their lies, not for a second, or a day, or even a minute! If you are being kicked or picked on stand up and tell someone! If that person doesn't listen, hold your head up high and tell someone who will listen. Parents, school professions, and bullying hotline numbers are a great start. Just stand up for yourself and tell someone please.
10. The quote that you live by today because of your experience is....
"Difficult situations, ones that are hard to bear, are the ones that give you strength to soar, so do not run away from them. " Joyce Meyer
"I don't wanna spend the rest of my life And wonder why the world passed me by While I wasn't lookin' or laughing Gonna cut loose from all these chains Turn 'em into a fist full of reigns And ride out cause now there's no doubt Everyday I'm alive you can bet that I'm gonna shine." Jo Dee Messina - Shine
Here is a CBS Video showing The Bully Suicide Project :
Stop Bullying! Speaking Up! My Survivor Story
Posted by Andrew Smith at 11:50 PM
Labels: advice , bullying , Determination , different , help , Jo Dee Messina , share , stand up , suicide , teens
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METRO VANCOUVER -- A Surrey man, an ordained minister in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, is involved in a holy war of sorts with ICBC over his right to wear his religious headgear — a spaghetti strainer — in his B.C. driver's licence photo.
Obi Canuel, 36, raised some eyebrows last November when he walked into an ICBC office with a colander on his head. He was there to renew his licence and update his photo.
Since ICBC's own website states "ICBC affirms your rights to religious expression. You will not be asked to remove any headgear that does not interfere with facial recognition technology as long as it is worn in conjunction with religious practice," Canuel said he didn't think it would be a problem.
Pastafarians, the name that church followers have given themselves, have already won the right in the U.S., Czech Republic, New Zealand and Austria to wear colanders in their driver's license photos. In Pomfret, N.Y., Christopher Schaeffer wore the headgear when he was sworn in to town council earlier this year.
ICBC, however, doesn't appear to be as friendly to the Pastafarian cause.
It's been nine months and Canuel still doesn't have his license.
"I kept being told it was under review," said Canuel, who says he made dozens of calls to ICBC since last November. "Each time I was put on hold for at least 20 minutes. It was very difficult to get a clear answer as to what was going on."
In July he received the bad news in the form of a letter from ICBC. They weren't going to approve the photo of him with the colander on his head.
"Based on the information you have provided, we understand there is no religious requirement that prohibits you from removing the colander for the purpose of taking the photo to appear on your driver's licence," the ICBC letter stated. "However, you may attend the nearest ICBC Driver Licensing Office and have a free duplicate photo captured without head coverings and we will then issue you a Driver's Licence with the new photo."
ICBC supplied The Sun with the letter it sent to Canuel but refused to answer any question related to his file.
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which was formed in 2005, may not have the same cachet as some of the world's major religions — and sure, its followers say they worship a giant spaghetti monster that created the universe 4,000 years ago while drunk — but the church was officially registered as a non-profit society in British Columbia last year.
"I don't think ICBC should be deciding which religions are appropriate or not," said Canuel, one of five church directors listed with the BC Registry Services.
The exact same photo being denied by ICBC was approved for use on his BC Services Card.
Canuel, who has a philosophy degree from Simon Fraser University, isn't giving up his fight and has uploaded a video detailing his struggles with ICBC — including audio from his numerous dealings with phone representatives — onto YouTube at http://bit.ly/1lVWnnz.
"I have tried to go through the proper channels and have gotten nowhere. For that reason I've taken this private little dispute public," Canuel said at the end of the five-minute video. "If you care about religious freedom and you think people should be free from discrimination based on religion, if you don't think that the government should be asking me questions about my religious beliefs, then please share my story."
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Itsy bitsy scare: Black widow found in grapes
A beautiful bunch a'ripe banana
(Daylight come and he wan' go home)
Hide three deadly black tarantula
(Daylight come and he wan' go home)
Harry Belafonte doesn't have anything on Dr. David Krese. While the "Day-o" calypso singer bemoaned "three deadly black tarantulas" in his bunch of bananas, the Albemarle County dentist says he recently found a fearsome black widow spider cozied up in its nest in a bunch of red grapes.
Krese's discovery is one of several reported over the last few months by surprised lunch-packers from Hawaii to Massachusetts to Scotland.
"I've seen two black widows in the past year," Krese says, "one at home and now this one in the grapes." The father of three says that he had washed the grapes and tried to persuade his two-year-old son to eat some.
"I heard a shriek," Krese reports. "They had pulled the grapes apart and found the spider. I picked it up in a hemostat, and it didn't look like a traditional black widow. It wasn't shiny, and its abdomen wasn't ovoid. It was elongated." The red hourglass marking convinced Krese the critter was a black widow.
Black widows (Latrodectus mactans Fabricus), while small an adult female is about a half-inch long are some of the most feared spiders. Their name derives from the female's habit of eating her mate after she has laid her eggs, which she does only one time in her life.
Krese bought that particular bunch of red grapes at the Rio Hill Kroger. Paul Waddy, interim produce manager, says the store gets its grapes from California, which was also cited as the source of spider-harboring grapes sold in Massachusetts in November.
Environmentalist and nature writer Marlene Condon doubts the spiders are in the grapes when they're picked.
"I want to stress the fact that this is not a field problem," she says. "It's a storage/shipping problem." Condon points out that black widows are notoriously reclusive and tend to shun the light and people.
Increased pesticide use by growers would not address the problem, she says. "People should not want shippers to start spraying crates, because pesticides would then get on the grapes, and people are more likely to be sickened by the pesticides than hurt by a spider."
Her solution is simple: "The pickers should just be checking the crates for spiders and removing the spiders before filling the crates with grapes."
Black widows are poisonous, but, according to the encyclopedia, their bite is not life-threatening to most people. Symptoms of a black widow bite can include swelling, nausea, and fever. The concentrated neurotoxin in the venom isn't strong enough to kill a healthy adult, but small children are at risk if bitten.
Krese wasn't taking any chances. He says he put the pesky arachnid in the garbage disposal.
"I didn't want to squash it between paper towels and risk getting bitten," he says. "I'm usually pretty spider-friendly, but with my kids I don't like poisonous things around. They're pretty spider-friendly, too, but my two-year-old is the one who found it, so it had to go."


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I made this Key Lime Cream Cake to go along with a fun handbag giveaway for today.
If you've followed the blog for a while you may remember this Red Velvet Clutch or this Buttercream Bag from a while ago. I know – handbags are kind of weird to show on a baking site, but not when the theme is cake and when the bag colors come in fun flavors like Key Lime Cream. Umm… yes please. The bags are from the Petunia Pickle Bottom line called … Cake. And I've been enamored with them for a while now. They are actually fashionably disguised diaper bags. But you can totally rock them without having to carry diapers around all day to justify wearing one. They are definitely too pretty for just one purpose.
I'll show you in a minute. But first… a little Key Lime Cream Cake.
Decorated with swirls of whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs. Yum!
And four layers of key lime cake. Four uneven layers that I could have split better. But that's okay. Still good.
Here's the recipe or if you are more interested in the giveaway, just keep scrolling.
Key Lime Cream Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup key lime juice
3/4 cup sour cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans.
- Sift flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt into mixer.
- Add eggs, oil and lime juice. Beat until smooth.
- Add sour cream and beat until smooth.
- Pour in prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost.
1 cup butter, softened
2 – 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 – 16 oz boxes confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup key lime juice (optional)
green food coloring (optional for color)
- Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. For really creamy frosting, mix in 1/4 cup of key lime juice. You can also leave it out or add more confectioners sugar to make it thicker. Add a small amount of green food color if you'd like the frosting tinted.
Whipped Cream
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Chill metal bowl and beaters in freezer for about 20 minutes. When ready to whip, add ingredients to the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Divide cake into four layers and frost. Pipe top with whipped cream or add crushed graham crackers to the side of the cake if desired. Refrigerate.
Hey there! Want to know more about the giveaway. Well, here's the bag in Key Lime Cream Cake. It's made of cut velvet and comes with straps to carry several ways. Pretty handy. Oh and it has a separate little clutch, too. Check out this post on the red velvet bag I gave away a while back – it really shows off some of the details. The custom stamped name and zipper pulls are enough to make you swoon. And for more info on the bags from Petunia Pickle Bottom, click here.
Want one? Want to pick your own flavor?
Enter for a chance to win a $325 Petunia Pickle Bottom Society Satchel Cake Bag.
- To enter, just leave a comment on the blog and tell me which one of the flavors below that you'd like to win. Easy enough.
- Deadline to enter is Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 7 pm ET. Sorry, TIME'S UP! Winner announced below.
- One winner will be chosen at random and announced sometime Tuesday evening.
Disclosure stuff: Handbag is courtesy of Petunia Pickle Bottom and giveaway is sponsored by me because I like these bags.
Good luck!
Okay, we have a winner. Yay! And I thought for sure it would be someone that picked Black Forest Cake based on all of the responses.
Congratulations Jamie! I hope you love your plum tart cake bag!


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Designed for you
Space. Storage. Instruments and information exactly where you need them. A comfortable seat. An adjustable steering wheel. And low interior noise. Welcome to the Volvo FL cab – your premium workplace on wheels.
Ergonomic thinking
Instruments. Gearshift. Controls. Storage. In the Volvo FL, everything you need is exactly where you need it – and within easy reach, too. It means fewer movements. Less stretch and strain. So your hands spend more time on the wheel and your eyes don't leave the road.
The driving seat
It's where you spend your day. So it has to be perfect. We redesigned the Volvo FL seat to make it safer, more stylish and extra durable. Anchoring is improved. The headrest and seat belt are now integrated. And the heavy-duty dirt-resistant textiles complement the rest of the interior.


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Let us take you there
Escape to the spectacular Amalfi Coast with British Airways.
Greater flexibility on bookings
Book now, change laterFind out more
Escape to the spectacular Amalfi Coast with British Airways.
It is with good reason that Italy's Amalfi Coast has a reputation as being one of Europe's most beautiful places. With its emerald green cliffs rising dramatically from a glittering azure sea, this vast stretch of coastline is nothing short of spectacular.
Hugging the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast is where pretty pastel-painted villages and fragrant citrus groves cling to towering cliff terraces. Among the string of picturesque towns that bedeck the verdant coast is charming Amalfi, with its meandering medieval streets and majestic 9th century cathedral. Climb the winding stairways of Positano and drink in breathtaking vistas from the aptly-named Path of the Gods. Gaze in awe at the vivid hues of the Emerald Grotto, or take a boat cruise to the chic island of Capri. Discover the celebrated Amalfi Coast for yourself, with British Airways.
Explore the meandering alleyways of pretty Amalfi, stopping to buy artisan paper and limoncello at quaint souvenir shops. Or watch the world go by while enjoying a cappuccino at a pavement café. On the town's central piazza, climb the steep flight of steps to the beautiful, 9th century Duomo. Then take a boat trip to the famed Emerald Grotto and marvel at its impressive stalagmites illuminated with brilliant green light.
Find a British Airways flight for less, we'll refund the difference.
Fly with British Airways and enjoy award-winning service, excellent value for money and no hidden charges:


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Clattenburg returns on Sunday
BY foxsports • November 23, 2012
Referee Mark Clattenburg will return to action this Sunday, the Premier League has announced.
Less than 24 hours after being cleared by the Football Association of making a racist comment to Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, the Premier League confirmed Clattenburg has been appointed as fourth official for the London derby between Tottenham and West Ham at White Hart Lane.
The 37-year-old from Gosforth will also referee Southampton's match against Norwich on Wednesday.
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Dear old Maggie the staffy, 19, just keeps on going
TRACY Noe doesn't know what the secret to the longevity is, but her American staffy, Maggie, is celebrating her 19th birthday on Wednesday.
Tracy said one of the reasons Maggie had lived so long was that she was treated like part of the family.
Maggie was a birthday present to her then seven-year-old son, Daniel.
"I've had her for nearly half my life. I don't know what her secret is. She's still quite fit and just keeps on keeping on," Mrs Noe said.
"Right now it's all about quality of life, and she seems to be doing alright.
"She has a few old-people type illnesses - but that's okay considering she's 133 in human years."
Tracy also had a six-year-old rottweiler which had to be put down recently.
"Maggie was really depressed when Eva left.
"She was very down and lonely, but now she has Lola, an RSPCA rescue puppy, for company. It has really brought her spirits back up."
Maggie still enjoys going for car rides, going on walks with her dad Ray, the occasional chicken neck and cooling off in the pool or with an ice block on a hot day.
The record for the oldest dog to have ever lived is held by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939, aged 29 years and five months.


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Abuja Climate & Weather
Abuja experiences three seasons each year: a hot and humid rainy season from April to October; a dry season from October to April; and a brief windy season in between known as the Harmattan season, when the dry and dusty West African trade wind blows through the city, coupled with intense cold. Sometimes the dust storms severely limit visibility and can even block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog. During the rainy season average daytime temperatures reach around 86°F (30°C) while nights are relatively warm. In the dry season, daytime temperatures in Abuja can soar as high as 104°F (40°C) and evenings can be chilly, with temperatures dropping as low as 54°F (12°C).
Become our Abuja Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Abuja travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Abuja or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.


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2014 Delaware Waterfowl and Trout Stamp winners announcedIndiana artist Jeffrey Klinefelter wins both trout and waterfowl contests
DOVER (April 16, 2013) – The results are in, and the winner of both of Delaware's sporting tamp art contests is Indiana artist Jeffrey Klinefelter. His painting of a blue winged teal will become the 2014 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, and his painting of brown trout will become the 2014 Delaware Trout Stamp.
The paintings won top honors in the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife's annual stamp art competition, held Thursday, April 11 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover. This year's competition drew 41 entries for the 2014 Waterfowl Stamp and 13 entries for the 2014 Trout Stamp.
A resident of Etna Green, Ind., wildlife artist Klinefelter has numerous stamp art wins in state competitions, including two past Delaware Waterfowl Stamps and four past Delaware Trout Stamps. Most recently, Klinefelter won the 2013 Duck Stamp competitions in North Carolina, Indiana and Ohio, as well as the Trout Stamp and the Game Bird Stamp in Indiana. Klinefelter first became interested in art at age 5, began working in oils as a sixth grader and now favors working in gouache and acrylics.
Klinefelter said he was surprised when he heard about his double win. "To win both is just something else," he said. "I'm very, very pleased … and I'm going to keep painting."
As the Trout Stamp winner, Klinefelter receives $250 and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp. As Waterfowl Stamp winner, he receives a $2,500 prize and 150 artist's proofs of the limited edition print series of his first place duck entry.
Other winners included:
The winning 2014 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available July 1, 2014, and the winning 2014 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available Jan. 1, 2014.
Waterfowl and Trout Stamp entries are on display through Monday, April 29 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, 866 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, just south of Delaware State University. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about the museum, please call 302-734-1618.
The 2014 Waterfowl Stamp judges were Delaware Ducks Unlimited Chairman Louis Caputo, local artist and six-time Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner Richard Clifton, collector Lloyd Alexander, and biologists Susan Guiteras and Charlie Miller.
The 2014 Trout Stamp judges were Biologist Bill Jones, National Trout Unlimited members Ed O'Donnell and Rick Stephens, Trout Association member Noel Kuhrt, and angler Roy Miller.
DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, began the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp (formerly known as the Delaware Duck Stamp) and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving the wetland habitats that are vital for the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $2.5 million has been raised. Waterfowl Stamps go on sale July 1 for $9 and are required, in addition to a general hunting license, when hunting migratory waterfowl in Delaware.
The Division began requiring trout stamps in the 1950s, and a trout stamp and a general fishing license are required to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Trout stamp art was first used in 1977. The fees paid for Trout Stamps are used to purchase rainbow and brown trout from commercial hatcheries. The purchased trout are stocked in two downstate ponds and selected streams in northern New Castle County for Delaware's trout seasons.
Waterfowl and Trout Stamps and general hunting and fishing licenses are available for purchase at Division of Fish and Wildlife offices in the Richardson and Robbins Building at 89 Kings Highway in Dover, at license agents throughout the state or online at www.fw.delaware.gov, which also includes a list of license agents. Collector stamps and prints are sold only at the Division's administrative offices.
For more information on Delaware's stamp art competitions, please call the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 739-9911.
Vol. 43, No. 150


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Goods: Freestyle Watches- Graduation Gift Guide
Necessity is the mother of invention but authenticity derives from those who've innovated and lead the pack. Freestyle lead this revolution back in 1981, when a couple of Free spirited Southern Californian action sport addicts decided to make products with purpose and function for those that were just like them. This is where Freestyle was born, but being born isn't as important as how you grow through your life and Freestyle grew by always challenging the standards and supporting those who choose to go out and do. We do it for you because you're free to have your own style but there are no requirements so do so at your own pace.
We don't just make watches, we create performance timing pieces for those that choose to go out and do, for those that enjoy the outdoors and the active sport lifestyle.
Since 1981 Freestyle has been the true timing leader for outdoor sports enthusiasts. Tried, Tested and proven the world over.
find more at www.freestyleusa.com


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Dinner Tonight: Heirloom Tomato and Lemon Mascarpone Tart (via Food52)
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
Editor's Note: We're teaming up with our friends over at Food52 to bring you even more easy weeknight recipes. Food52 recipes will appear on this site every Tuesday and Thursday, and are carefully curated by the Serious Eats team. Check back on Serious Eats every weekday afternoon for a new quick and easy weeknight dinner idea from our own test kitchens, or from the good folks at Food52.
This tart has a crumbly crust to die for while the filling is a creamy, bright, and lemony mascarpone cheese. Save this one for when you have some really, really good, fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes are laid on top of this tart, which means it's important to have the best ones you can find. Think of this like an amped up summer tomato sandwich.
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Heirloom Tomato and Lemon Mascarpone Tart
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Why louder classical music is better classical music
In the frantic search for classical music's new audience the importance of dynamic range – the variation between quiet and loud passages – has been curiously neglected, possibly because the mechanism of hearing is little understood. If a listener is played the same piece of music twice on identical replay equipment at two different levels (volumes), he/she will judge the louder of the two auditions to be "better" quality. The explanation lies in the non-linear frequency response of the human ear which is plotted on the diagram below (source J.Crabbe Hi Fi in the Home). The curved shape of the lower line in the diagram marked 'Threshold of hearing' shows how as the replay level increases the range of the human ear increases, meaning that extreme highs and lows become audible; this gives the music more impact and makes it sound "better".
The human ear's non-linear frequency response is why rock music is compressed. Applying compression to music decreases the dynamic; this both raises the average level of the music and increases the level of bass passages making them more audible. Compressed music contains more acoustic energy, and as a result sounds subjectively better – see this resource for ten reasons why compressed music sounds 'better'. Which almost certainly explains why minimalist music and Gregorian chant – both of which exhibit limited dynamic range - have reached beyond the traditional classical audience, and why the high energy levels of the opening of Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra make it one of the best known classical works of all time. It also indicates that the much-vaunted commodity of silence is the last thing that new audiences want.
Coincidentally, or perhaps conveniently, the need to reduce file sizes means new media formats such as MP3 compress dynamic range. At which an important and crucial divergence can be identified. Outside classical music dynamic range is ruthlessly compressed, both creatively in the music production and technically in the music reproduction. But within classical music dynamic range is increasing via high-resolution formats such as SACD and FLAC lossless files, and by applying acoustic science to new concert halls. Just as human beings are creatures of habit, so human ears are organs of habit. Which means that over time our hearing becomes conditioned to norms of replay level and dynamic range. It happens particularly to untrained ears – classical music's elusive new market – but also to trained ears, and this post was sparked by my own trained but also conditioned ears being disoriented by a new CD player which exploits the wider dynamic range of SACD replay.
My thesis is that the divergence between high energy compressed music – to which the mass market has been conditioned - and lower energy art music – to which the cognoscenti are accustomed - is an overlooked explanation as to why classical music is struggling to gain traction with new audiences. If I am right the outlook for classical music is somewhat bleak as there is no quick fix. Amplification and turning up the bass are options that have been discussed here previously. But they have limited application as they would almost certainly replicate the BBC Radio 3 model of alienating the core audience while failing to replace it with new listeners.
But the outlook is not totally bleak. Technology may have a part to play in the form of apps allowing users of portable media players to remix classical works into high energy mixes. But if there is an answer it almost certainly lies in the music itself. Composers have traditionally incorporated folk idioms as a means of engaging a wider audience; so perhaps compressed dynamics are the waltz of the 21st century. There are already contemporary composers writing high-energy music, Louis Andriessen and Guillaume Connesson – see CD above - are two that immediately spring to mind. Composer of the moment Edith Canat de Chizy's overture Yell – see CD below - would bring much-needed energy to the concert hall if it was programmed more often, while works such as York Höller's Sphären for large orchestra and live electronics – see footer image of score - show how the gap between high energy and art music can be bridged.
One of the problems is that the current obsession with accessibility favours 'safe' new music incorporating legacy cues such as extreme dynamics. Much bolder commissioning and programming of high energy music alongside the core repertoire would reverse this trend and may just engage new audiences, and if it creates some controversy in the process that cannot be a bad thing. What goes around comes around: dynamics were used sparingly by composers until the late 18th century and perhaps contemporary music should now be entering its high energy neo-baroque period. Nobody is suggesting throwing the dynamic baby out with the bath water. But new listeners hear louder music as better music; so if classical music really wants a new audience it needs to get louder.
* Header image shows Future Radio editor Tim Wilds and me toiling with the dynamics during editing of my 2010 Jonathan Harvey interview. That programme has taken on a life of its own, and it is now available on a number of platforms including Soundcloud and YouTube (extract), as well as the original Future Radio stream. In that interview Jonathan Harvey highlighted the need for classical music to drop its silly conventions, and the post above is another contribution to that valuable debate. My thanks also go to Andy Moore at Arcam for an illuminating email discussion about dynamics and music reproduction. This post is also available via Facebook and Twitter. No review samples were used in its preparation. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk
3 comments:
- mrG said...
Isn't that a little like saying if a haute cuisine restaurant wants more customers, it should start serving big macs?
I don't doubt your thesis, but I do doubt the intention: is the purpose of classical music simply to put bums in seats? I don't want to believe that; art music should be about advancing the art, and in painting that means attention to the skill and craft as much as to the message and even more so the advancing of the ability of the audience to see. It is, by nature, educational because it is to elevate the receiver. Classical music (whatever that label may mean in 2013) needs to reclaim its role as the vanguard of the sonic arts, as the exploration into the depths of our ability to hear and connect to each other. Pop music, on the other hand, is a classical burlesque, it is about the illusion that anyone can be great if they just let it all hang out. One hopes there is a better destiny for humanity than that.
- 6:48 pm
- Pliable said...
mrG, as I was at pains to point out I am suggesting "commissioning and programming of high energy music alongside the core repertoire" and "Nobody is suggesting throwing the dynamic baby out with the bath water".
You are right, the purpose of classical music is not simply to put bums in seats. But if it is to live and grow it has to have a relevance, and that means exploring the vocabulary of contemporary music which includes compression and high energy.
Are you really suggesting that works such as Louis Andriessen's Worker's Union are the equivalent of "big macs"?
- 7:22 pm
- Unknown said...
Love post and chart on Sound Sensitivity Relative to Frequency (or should I say; Equal Loudness Curves rel-to Music). My standard had been that music should be 78-86dB (Avg Pk). That's right around the 80 Phons mark.
For an article dated in 2013, mp3 is not a new format but get the point being made (mp3 is dead in my book). There are better, more dynamic formats today as you mentioned. There just needs to be better, informative information out there (as the Internet is plagued with misguided info), along with education by example regarding playback gear and the use of sonically superior media formats.
I recall a chat with a salesman in a high-end audio store as he showed an article of another salesman's complaint of having 'shown the customer the door' after asking the best method of connecting his iPod. That, was a real failure to communicate the finer points of music.
Here's a review I posted on the subject of Loudness and Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay.
- 1:00 am


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Advocacy group to campaign for NC tax reform
Conservative political group Americans for Prosperity is launching a $500,000 marketing and advocacy campaign to push tax reform through the North Carolina General Assembly.
The group's state chapter announced its campaign for major tax reductions and reforms Tuesday outside the legislature.
Legislators from both parties have long talked about reforming the state's outdated tax code to make it more competitive. This session's proposals have come from Senate Republicans who want to reduce the individual income tax, which would require increasing the sales tax well beyond the current 6.75 percent.
Opponents counter that a higher sales tax hits the poor especially hard.
Americans for Prosperity chapter president Dallas Woodhouse said the group will advocate for a large initial tax cut and broader reforms.


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All Posts Tagged 'nurse practitioner'
Prenatal ClassesTuesday, January 31st, 2017
As it is the start of another new year I am struck yet again at how quickly the time passes. Our babies become toddlers and then pre-schoolers, grade-schooler and beyond. And it happens in what feels like a moment. I thought we would spend this week talking about all the possible classes that can prepare you for the new adventure of bringing home a new baby (or two).
Tori Kropp, RN: The Voice of Common Sense PregnancyTuesday, April 5th, 2011


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Casey Affleck assumes the quiet, thoughtful demeanor of his cowardly killer in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford again in Director David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Less a coward than a lovesick ne'er-do-well, Affleck's Bob Muldoon takes the blame for shooting a cop to save his girlfriend, Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), from prison. Facing years in confinement, Bob writes earnest, heartbroken letters to Ruth, promising his return and begging her to stay faithful. Lowery's film is a beautifully shot and scored poem about separation and redemption that is set in a 1970s Texas hill country. The visuals and fine, subtle performances show Lowery is a talented young director, and his past experience as an editor is evident in each frame. Lowery also wrote the script, which proves to be the film's biggest detractor. Meager to a fault, the narrative begs the audience to feel emotion for the characters that the film never achieves, leaving Ain't Them Bodies Saints an attractive but somewhat stilted rumination on love.
The intense courtship of Bob and Ruth comes to an end amid a hail of gunfire. Outlaw and miscreant Bob has made a living on the wrong side of the law, and trampled many friends and acquaintances along this bumpy road. Ruth proves a catalyst for change, but Bob still takes one last big job in hopes of providing her and their unborn daughter a proper home. This ends in a standoff, in which Ruth wounds a local officer. Bob begs her to run and, against Ruth's wishes, surrenders to face his crimes. He winds up on the front end of a lengthy prison sentence, and Ruth raises her young daughter with financial help from a local store owner (Keith Carradine). As Ruth grows distant from her incarcerated love, a local officer (Ben Foster) befriends her and grows close to the broken family.
With a title open to interpretation and an unhurried, wandering pace, Ain't Them Bodies Saints feels like something Terrence Malick or the Coen Brothers might have directed, abet to different degrees of indulgence and quirkiness. There's little that is definitive in the film, with its thinly drawn characters and unexplained dramatic shifts. This structure is purposely constructed, of course, by a director less concerned with feeding his audience's appetite for answers than using light, sound and mood to create an immersive experience. The core relationship between Bob and Ruth is similarly illusory. The film doesn't specifically define their past, but it hints that they have only been together for a short time. I imagine a period of discontent for Ruth before she storms out of the house and threatens to leave in the opening scene. I'd label Bob as infatuated, while Ruth is in love but wavering thanks to Bob's chosen career. Ruth's love is stretched thin while Bob is in jail, but she continues to hold out hope for his promised escape. The film never shows her break down or get particularly upset, but her lack of emotion is telling.
The small town setting, unhurried lives and golden-hued backdrops create a warmly nostalgic mood, and Lowery proves adept at shooting folky Americana in a way that never turns it to kitsch. The framing and use of natural light are beautiful, as is Daniel Hart's score. Affleck, Mara and the supporting cast do a fine job, often substituting body language for dialogue. I was somewhat frustrated that I never felt the jabs of heartache and loneliness that film tries desperately to evoke. The film straddles the line between evocative and detached, and the latter lessens the emotional impact. The tone and pace remind me of the aforementioned Jesse James, and Affleck is slowly building a career as the perpetual outsider. If his brother, Ben, is the popular jock, then Casey is the sensitive theater student with untapped emotion. I look forward to seeing both Affleck and Lowery's next projects. Ain't Them Bodies Saints is not perfectly executed, but it comes close to being an authentic exploration of misunderstood love and the American home.
The cinematography by Bradford Young and complementary direction from Lowery are the film's best assets, and the 2.40:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer does a nice job preserving the intended look of the film. The 35 mm production looks like film - as it should - and the Blu-ray replicates the beautiful natural light and shadow captured in camera. Detail is generally excellent, as is texture, which is abundant in the flannel shirts, worn-plank houses and muddy grass fields of Texas. Black levels are strong with only slight crush due to the filming techniques. There are a couple of spots when I noticed some aliasing and shimmer, though nothing too obtrusive, and both color saturation and contrast and handled well.
Save the few gunshots at opposite ends of the film, Ain't Them Bodies Saints is quiet and dreamy, but you'll notice the environment immediately via the subtle ambient effects prominently featured on the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The hum of insects and soft roar of the wind outside surround the viewer, and these ambient effects are balanced nicely with dialogue and score. The action heavy moments are appropriately handled and awaken the subwoofer, and both separation and clarity are more than adequate. There's also a 2.0 LPCM mix and English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
This single-disc release comes with dual-sided artwork. I suspect the marketing folks asked for the outward-facing side, which features Foster and another actor holding guns. The reverse, with a dreamy image of Affleck and Mara being led by a deputy, is a more appropriate representation of the film. Extras include the Untitled Ross Brothers Documentary (13:21/SD) about the production and some Deleted Scenes (8:59/HD). The Lights (3:32/HD) is a music video by Keith Carradine, and Behind the Scenes (4:48/HD) is little more than EPK fluff. You also get the film's Trailer (2:29/HD); a Bob Muldoon Teaser (0:53/HD); Ruth Guthrie Teaser (0:48/HD); and some Color Bars (2:53/HD) that are followed by some unexpected Bloopers. The best extra is a complete film: St. Nick (1:24:44/SD). This is Lowery's first directorial feature, previously unreleased, and concerns a young brother and sister who leave home to live in the wilderness.
Audiences looking for a cut-and-dry narrative and thoroughly explored characters may find Ain't Them Bodies Saints frustrating in its lack of definitive answers. This beautifully shot rumination on love in small-town Texas benefits from strong performances by Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and Ben Foster, as well as David Lowery's keen direction. The film is subtle to a fault and never quite achieves the emotional response it desires. Even so, Ain't Them Bodies Saints is an impressive attempt at American authenticity and a handsome diversion worth viewing at least once. Rent It.
William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.


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For fifteen years, Muniyamma, a farmer in Karnataka, India, practiced agriculture with the help of agro-chemicals, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but in recent years she noticed a drastic decrease in yield.
After attending a village meeting conducted by the GREEN Foundation about organic farming, she decided to try their environmentally friendly techniques to grow bananas. When it was harvest time, Muniyamma's plot was healthy and green, while her neighbor's banana plot, which still relied on agro-chemicals, showed stunted growth, pale leaves, and thinner stems. That was enough to convince Muniyamma of the benefits of organic farming.
The GREEN Foundation works to preserve natural ecosystems and sustain rural livelihoods by teaching farmers the importance of agricultural biodiversity. Through village meetings, the foundation informs farmers about organic practices, such as creating fertilizer from organic waste, that are better for the environment and result in higher yields, at a lower cost, for farmers.
To protect the local biodiversity and preserve traditional seeds, the GREEN Foundation, in partnership with other NGOs, including the Seed Saver's Network and The Development Fund, has created community seeds banks throughout the state of Karnataka, India. All villagers can become a member of a community seed bank by paying an annual nominal fee. Members, who receive seeds free of cost, sow the seeds, harvest the crop and return double the amount of seeds to the bank. To maintain purity of the seeds, farmers must follow rules – such as no chemical fertilizers and pesticides – when growing their crops.
Because these seed banks are managed by self-help groups (SHG) made up of women, they also act as a means of empowering women farmers through leadership roles. It is their responsibility to ensure that the seeds are stored properly, the records are maintained, and quality seeds are selected from those returned.
To maintain the diversity of the seeds stored in the community banks, the GREEN Foundation assists in the creation of community gardens. While all members of the community seed bank are responsible for maintaining the community garden, landless women farmers are especially encouraged to produce indigenous vegetable seeds, helping them earn additional income. The foundation provides farmers with technical guidance for inputs, including creating fertilizer from unwanted materials like dried leaves, mud and cow dung through the process of vermicomposting. This method, that uses worms to make the compost, ensures high quality by storing the unwanted waste materials in cement tanks for 45 to 60 days.
In addition to popular varieties of crops, individuals are also encouraged to grow rare crops, such as red beans and chilies, to add to the diversity of the seed bank. Farmers use a small plot of their land to grow these traditional, but unfortunately disappearing varieties of vegetables, and can either sell their harvest to other farmers for additional income as well as contribute to the seed bank.
Through organic practices and the preservation of local crops, the GREEN Foundation is helping communities in rural India improve their livelihoods and help protect the environment.
Can you think of other innovations that are helping empower women, while preserving biodiversity? Let us know in the comments section!
Supriya Kumar is a communications associate for the Nourishing the Planet project.