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Post #5 was written by…well you'll have to guess. But in case you still don't know at the end, I'll leave you a little hint.
My guest post looks back on Dec 29, 2010 and the creative writing that occurred as a result of that now infamous snow storm that hit the northeast.
Can you guess who I am?
Lisa took on the Governor of Pennsylvania and from that rant managed a quote in the Wall Street Journal. She was so excited to reach such stardom! Now for the side story.
I was on a business trip when the Wall Street Journal article hit the streets. I, along with my business associates, spent some time trying to get a copy of the January 4, 2011 issue because I knew Lisa was quoted, and I would be mentioned in the article; so excited, so proud. First, we read the blog; then we opened the paper, found the article and read with mounting excitement – this was a big day!
And we finally reached the quote where in an instant I became one of the "fearless, bumbling morons in pickup trucks who like to drink beer, go shirtless in the freezing cold for football, and drive in blizzards." This was not the exact interpretation we had hoped for. Fortunately, I have a sense of humor when it comes to my business associates, and we all had a good laugh about it.
Can you guess who I am?
Now it's 2013, and I am with the same business associates again. They don't remember why we met in January 2011, but they do remember the laugh we had over the Wall Street Journal article and the original blog post.
Congratulations, Lisa, on 10 years. Your writing is creative, insightful and witty – always an enjoyable read.
I'm sure you guessed by now, but if not, here's your hint.
Also, not to brag or anything, but that dumb fake letter to the governor of Pennsylvania was also quoted in The Economist a few days later. =)


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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Estate Sale?
Estate Sales is an on-premises sale of the contents of an estate. It is not an auction or a garage sale.
What should you expect from an estate sale provider?
- All Minnesota Estate Sale Liquidators must be Bonded
- A provider who will sign a contract, contracts are not just for the estate liquidator but also for you. They protect you by communicated price and work to be completed
- A provider who will clearly convey all of the aspects of their business
- Interview 2 or 3 providers before making a decision
- Check for workers comp and liability insurance.
- Check for business legitimacy on sites, such as: BBB and Secretary of State of MN/Business- https://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/Business/Search
- Most Estate Sales will not charge you upfront. The cost of the sale will be taken from the proceeds of the sale. If you are being charged up-front for fees, be clear what the fee is for so you understand why you are writing a check
- https://www.estatesales.net/help/choosing-a-company
Why do I need an estate sale company?
Yes, people can do their own estate sale. However, a legitimate company will drive business to the estate sale thus increasing your ability to sell more.
What kind of price can I expect?
That will depend upon many factors, such as:
- The contents of the sale
- The type of sale - is it an estate, online auction or both
- The difficultly of the setup
- The difficulty of working with the owners
- Clean out or not
Taxes - do I need to pay taxes on the estate sale?
That will depend upon the type of sale and where the sale will be held, check with the State Department of Revenue.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm a non-fiction reader, but not reading To Kill a Mockingbird? Very Sad:
"American literature classics are to be replaced by insulation manuals and plant inventories in US classrooms by 2014. A new school curriculum which will affect 46 out of 50 states will make it compulsory for at least 70 per cent of books studied to be non-fiction, in an effort to ready pupils for the workplace.
Books such as JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird will be replaced by "informational texts" approved by the Common Core State Standards.
Suggested non-fiction texts include Recommended Levels of Insulation by the the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Invasive Plant Inventory, by California's Invasive Plant Council. The new educational standards have the backing of the influential National Governors' Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, and are being part-funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation."


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FREE Tie Hanger & Shipping over $60 at Checkout
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Natalie Cole said today (July 16) that she has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
The virus was discovered during a routine medical exam, and is likely a result of the Grammy-winning singer's drug use many years ago.
"I've been so fortunate to have learned so much from my past experiences," Cole said in a statement.
"I am embraced by the love and support of my family and friends; I am committed to my belief in myself and in my abiding faith to meet this challenge with a heartfelt optimism and determination. This is how I intend to deal with this current challenge in my life."
Cole's doctor said that she is responding well to anti-viral medication and the problem may clear up over time.
They believe it should not interfere with the September 9 release of her new album 'Still Unforgettable'.
–By our Los Angeles staff.


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Training Fee Schedule: Your first training fee will be due on August 1st. All training fees will be paid by check to SLSC Competitive or paid online*. The fees are due on the 1st of each month and a late fee of $10 will be assessed after the 10th of each month. Non-payment can result in suspension of the player from participation with the team.
You can also choose to make a full or partial payment for the year.
1. $880 X 1 (August)
2. $440 X 2 (August and January)
3. $110 X 8 (Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar)
Checks should be mailed to the following address:
SLSC Competitive
c/o Beverly Wright
208 S Wyndemere Lakes Drive
Moore, OK 73160
Questions regarding your training fee account are handled by our Competitive Treasurer Beverly Wright.
* Online payment will incur a transaction fee.


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Our main product that we offer is TRUST. Excellent customer service is our goal. THE BUCK STOPS HERE!! Not at some faceless corporate office in another state. Our manager has the power and authority to make it right. Oil changes are offered everywhere but they do not include the reliability, security, and guarantee that our clients enjoy. At your convenience, our certified technicians deliver the highest trust with the fastest speed using premium products. We believe that our greatest asset is our technicians. They are the most qualified and highest paid in the field. Each and every one is required to be certified by the AOCA. We have the highest employee retention which provides our clients with familiar faces and the most experienced technicians available.
Trust is the main reason that "IT MATTERS WHERE YOU GET YOUR OIL CHANGED".
Jenny from Frostproof says, "I make the 45 minute drive to American Lube Express for a 10 minute oil change because I feel safe and secure there knowing that the guys there will not take advantage of my lack of car knowledge plus the same techs have been there for years and I've gotten to know them."


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- 5 Tips To Finding Peace Within Yourself
- The Do's and Don'ts of Learning How to Accept Yourself
- How to Find Your Inner Peace and Transform Your Life
- 8 Benefits of Having an Open Mind and How to Get One
- Learn How To Be A Happier Person
- What Is The Meaning Of Life?
- Laws of Abundance – The Riches of Love and Joy
- How to Be Laid Back By Following These 9 Simple Strategies
- The meaning of confucius' golden rule – 4 practical ways of living it
- 3 methods of unleashing the power of contentment in your life
Eight Effective Pain Management Techniques that Work
Aristotle called pain the "passion of the soul." Your thoughts regarding pain are probably not quite as intellectual as Aristotle's. Pain, however unpleasant it may be, is the body's mechanism of self-preservation. It alerts us when we are in danger of injury. Basically, having some mild, acute pain is a good thing. But dealing with chronic pain can be exhausting and intolerable. This has become a big business for holistic practitioners, as well as conventional healthcare providers. More than half of Americans suffer some form of chronic or recurrent pain, according to a nationwide 2005 survey conducted by Stanford University Medical Center. Discover these 8 effective pain management techniques you can employ to avoid the use of addictive pain medications.
1. Exercise
One of the simplest pain management tips your doctor or advisor can offer is exercise. Physical exertion promotes strength of muscles, as well as improves cardiovascular health. Experts say that exercise can lessen pain, maintain function, and reduce swelling and inflammation. What's more, exercise boosts the natural endorphins in the body. These chemicals not only improve your mood, they block pain signals, therefore reducing pain. Ask your doctor what exercise routine is best for you, considering your individual health conditions.
2. Manual Manipulation
Chiropractic adjustments and osteopathic maneuvers help alleviate pain for many individuals. These techniques use physical touch to alter tissue structure, function, and morphology with the primary goal of increased circulation to the muscles and joints.
3. Biofeedback
Another one of the best pain management tips is the behavioral modification of biofeedback. This technique is where you control your own body function. It may sound like science fiction, but research suggests that biofeedback eliminated pain by optimizing your response to pain and pain stimuli.
4. Cutaneous Stimulation
Cutaneous stimulation involves the superficial cooling or heating of the skin. This age-old technique yields the best results when used together with exercise and other circulatory methods. Heat and cold treatments alleviate the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis and disc disorders. The cold therapy works by numbing the area and reducing inflammation, while the heat increases blood flow to the area.
5. Electrotherapy
A pain management tip fairly unknown to many is electrotherapy. The doctor or therapist uses a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS unit) to attempt to reduce your pain. This device produces low-voltage electric stimulation that corresponds with the sensory nervous system to reduce pain sensations.
6. Massage Therapy
One of the oldest pain management tips around is massage therapy. The reliance on a variety of massage techniques allows you to increase water flow and decrease swelling. Massage relieves tense muscles, promotes endorphins, and soothes aching joints. The massage therapist can use a comprehensive approach of massage techniques, such as reflexology, neuromuscular therapy, or Swedish massage.
7. Meditation
To help your body relax, try deep breathing with meditation to relieve tension and tightness from your muscles. Focusing on your breathing, repeating a phrase or word (mantra), and ignoring other thoughts all cause your body to relax. With meditation, you reduce the stress that intensifies chronic pain and worsens conditions like anxiety, depression, and anger. Meditation with progressive muscle relaxation enhances the release of endorphins and serotonin, two chemicals that help with pain management.
8. Manage Your Stress
It sounds like simple advice, but stress management is a crucial component of pain management. Stress and fatigue increase pain and make it worse. Schedule appointments, keep a daily routine, avoid stress triggers, and learn to say no to added responsibilities. By decreasing the stress in your life, you can also decrease the pain.
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Moving Boxes: How To Pack Your Home Without Stress!
What often leads us to utter a cry of exasperation when the word move is spoken, is the apprehension of having to pack (practically) the whole house in moving boxes! You certainly know the importance and the effectiveness of a good packaging technique, if you also at the grocery store, make sure you do not put in your reusable bag the carton of milk over the eggs!
Here are a few tips, in preparation for your move, to make your boxes strategically, without stress.
Sort it out!
Set time goals to keep your things in the moving boxes, based on the number of rooms in your home. To save your energy, in view of your move, plan to do your storage over a period of several days.
For each room in your home, assess the items you will keep or reuse, and the items you will need to recycle or throw away. Dispose of the items you want to dispose of in an eco-responsible manner, in the appropriate recycling bins or by following the regulations of your municipality for this purpose. Sorting is really the most difficult part; the rest of the packaging of your goods is quite simple!
What to pack first?
Or rather what to pack last! In each of your rooms, there are (absolutely) essential elements which you will undoubtedly need in the days preceding your move. File them only on the day of the move or the day before.
Obviously, everything else, what you do not use on a daily basis, is what can be stored first in the moving boxes.
Pack your clothes quickly
Instead, opt for a few wardrobe boxes to store your fitted clothes, which will allow you to transport dresses, suit jackets and delicate clothes easily, without creasing them. You will be able to place these clothes directly in your new wardrobe in a very short time. This will save you time on ironing!
Maximize the space in your moving bins
Fill the larger bins with smaller or lighter items, and keep the smaller boxes for heavy items. The boxes will be more compact and easier to transport without breaking.
When removing the clothes from your wardrobe, fold the larger pieces inside the boxes, and roll the smaller or lighter ones to fill the empty spaces. Also, the majority of your kitchen tools fit together: pots, preserves, bowls and others. So nest these items to maximize your use of space.
The Box of the First Day
This unique box will save you from feeling overwhelmed by the stress of change. You are free to put in it the personal elements which you consider essential, and which will allow you a comfortable transition in your new home.
Place it, for example:
- the comfortable clothes you will need for the first 2-3 days;
- the essentials for staying clean (bath towel, toothbrush, soap, toothpaste, etc.);
- chargers for your laptop, cell, tablet, etc.
- small precious objects that you absolutely do not want to part with;
- A first aid kit
Remember to take into consideration your daily routine or your obligations for the days following the move, and this will allow you to pack your first box accordingly.…
5 Tips For Easy Moving
In this article, we are going to give you five tips to make a move, if you follow our advice the process will be easier and more comfortable. Don't get overwhelmed, sit down, take a deep breath and take note!
1.-Get Rid Of Everything You Don't Need : It is a good time to clean, get rid of everything unnecessary, what you no longer like or do not make you happy, we know that sometimes it hurts, but it is the best to start a movement on the right foot. Do you know the KonMari method? If you do not know it, we encourage you to do a little research, and it will make this process much easier. "Dare to live only with the essential, with the beautiful, with what really brings you happiness", is the main motto of his program and his lifestyle.
2.-Plan The Packaging : If you organize this step well, everything else will go smoothly. Start packing early, at least two weeks before moving. Remember the material you are going to need:
- cardboard boxes of different sizes
- bubble wrap
- Scotch tape
- stickers
Remember that there are more delicate items such as tableware or decorative objects that you will have to wrap with bubble wrap so that they do not suffer any damage. The adhesive labels are going to be great for you to organize when you have everything in your new house, so you can sort the boxes by room and avoid back pain.
3.-Ask For Help : Any help is always welcome and in one more move. Surely your friends or family will be happy to help you, and the more people help, the faster and easier the whole process will be. If you embark on this "adventure" by yourself, remember that it can become a perfect time to have a meeting of friends when everything is over and invite them to some canes !!
4.- Take A Vacation : When you consider making a move you have to be aware that the process takes time, especially if you work, it will be complicated, so we advise you to ask for a few days of vacation. In all labour agreements, you have one day to transfer your usual address, if you think you will need more time, do not hesitate to talk to your company, the sooner you finish the move, the sooner you can start enjoying your new home!
5.- Hire A Good Moving Company : Not being the last point is the least important; on the contrary, hiring the right movers that offer you a fast and quality service will save you a lot of time and money. Although you take care of the transfer of certain personal belongings, do not forget that there are certain furniture and appliances of considerable size and weight, the best, leave it in the hands of professionals, its main advantages are the following
- You will have personalized insurance that will take care of any accident that may happen
- It has the necessary tools to assemble and disassemble the furniture
- Permission management
- Cleaning service (optional)


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This is a simple story, a space-filler, something to write about in the monotony of 15 spring football practices.
Wade Yandall, the freshman offensive lineman graduates from Carson High early, enrolls for spring ball, the only UCLA Bruin recruit to take this head start. How is life with the big boys? How hard was it to leave high school? How are you adjusting?
A simple story.
And then Henry Yandall starts to talk.
He talks about his son with not just great admiration, but also with great sadness.
Wade may be the first in his family to do this – to play major college football, to even make it to a school like UCLA – and Henry is proud. But he is sad.
They are apart now, separated by just a freeway. Yeah, just a freeway. Might as well be the Berlin Wall.
Wade is gone, off to college, off to Bio 101 and dorm rooms, and yes, coeds. Wade is gone, off to Westwood, off to the Rose Bowl, off to life and yes, Henry is sad.
"Sometimes, I just feel like it's best I don't talk to him too long. If I do, we get too emotional," Henry Yandall said. "I'm having a tough time adjusting. Nobody told me how to do this. When he was here, I'd be up early in the morning, getting stuff done.
"Now it's like I just lay around the house. I'm a pastor, and (his congregation) knows that when he left, it messed me up a little bit."
Henry Yandall is not having separation anxiety. He's having separation devastation.
To understand the depths of Henry's loneliness, first realize that Wade is supposed to be home. He is not supposed to be playing college football, much less playing for UCLA, much less leaving high school early.
Yandall only got his football career on track before his junior year, roughly two years ago. Yandall first tried to play the game in fourth grade, but quit on the first day because he was allergic to the conditioning. He tried again in high school, but his first two years were all but stolen by ankle injuries and a bout with meningitis. He was frustrated and sullen, but resolved to give football an honest go.
He just needed one important conversation.
"I had a talk with Rey Maualuga of USC – forgive me – and he said, `If you play, you've got to have the desire. If you don't, you should just quit," Wade Yandall said. "That set me off. I felt I had the desire and passion for the game, and I needed to play it."
He needed to play the game for his family, all his little cousins and nieces and nephews, whose fathers had all the potential in the world to play college football, but never the grades to follow through. Yandall had the grades, now all he needed was the football.
"I had a lot of cousins who should've done this before me, but grades always came into the equation," Wade Yandall said. "That's when everybody messed up. Now, my whole family, all the kids want to go to UCLA. All my cousins – even my uncles are now pushing their kids, trying to find what their kids are interested in because of me. That's what my dad did, `Do what you gotta do, and your kids can end up like mine."'
Yandall is not the first Bruin to enroll in college early, nor will he be the last.
Last year, two players decided to cut their high school careers short to enroll for spring ball – quarterback Richard Brehaut, and Yandall's high school teammate Morrell Presley.
They have both been there when Henry is not. There to direct Yandall to the right spot, there to pat him on the back, there to get in his face if he needs it.
"It was hard coming in last spring; I struggled a little bit," Presley said. "I really didn't have anybody to guide me, to show me the ropes. I had to really make mistakes first-hand. (Yandall) doesn't have to. I told him, `You're gonna make mistakes, but make mistakes 100 percent and learn from them."'
And yes, Yandall has made mistakes. It's all part of the process. There have even been doubts.
He had his first spring practice two days after his first college class. Instead of high school senioritis, he has been feasted on by 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive linemen who don't care if he's 17 or 20 or 31. He's in front of them, and he's going to get punished.
"The first couple weeks were real harsh," Yandall said. "Thoughts did go through my mind like, `Man, I should've just stayed in high school.' But I signed up for this. I wanted to come early. I'm acting on it, I'm learning how to do deal with it, and I got rid of those thoughts."
Or so he says.
Until he calls Henry to commiserate about the course load or the dorm situation or the rough practice.
They are important phone calls, held quite often, typically filled with fatherly advice. Typically filled with tears.
"Every time I see him, man, he seems like he's about to cry," Wade Yandall said. "I'm like, `Aww, come on Dad, you're going to make me get all teary-eyed.' He's trying to deal with the fact that I'm starting to become a young man."
The mornings are the hardest. Henry will wake up, stretch, rub his eyes, maybe yawn. He'll lift himself out of bed and walk to the kitchen. He'll pass Wade's empty room.
"Thank God he's nearby, but honestly, it's hard," Henry said. "People tell me I'm not the same, that my whole life was wrapped up in this boy. I gotta find something to do, man. I have to find something. I know he has a long way to go, but I gotta find something."
He fills his time at church, where he is trying to work with others' kids the same way he worked with his own. He's running for a seat on the Carson City Council, which he knows will keep him busy.
And he talks. To his wife, to his congregation, to his son.
That is to be understood. Henry is a proud pastor.
That is to be understood. Henry is a proud father.
"We did not expect this," Henry said. "We had no idea he'd even play football. For this to happen, it's a lot to take in. But it's sparked a fire, a fire in our family. A spark in the church we go to. Education is taken very seriously, respect and trying to do better in life has become a big thing for us now. It's changed. From where we came from until now. Not only just the kids. He's even sparked a fire in some of his uncles. School, striving to be at your best was not something that was with us until this happened to Wade."
It is here now, and they are grasping this opportunity as a family. Father and son.
"I always told him, `I am not your friend, I am your dad, and don't you ever cross that line,"' Henry said, choking up once more. "But honestly, we've become the best of friends, too. I think that's good. That is good."
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Since meetings are a key form of communication in most organizations, you'd expect them to be effective. But you're painfully aware that too many meetings are long, boring and unproductive.
While you can't fix every meeting, you can improve employee briefings or forums—those sessions designed to explain complicated topics, providing context and allowing employees to get their questions answered.
These meetings have such potential that I've created this mission statement for what I'd like them to be: Meetings should not only share information but also engage, motivate, educate and solve problems so that participants think and act differently as a result.
Is this possible? Absolutely.
The key concept is this: Good meetings begin at the end
By "the end," I mean outcomes: objectives you want to achieve by getting people together. The worst meetings contain a kitchen sink full of miscellaneous stuff, messy and without direction. By contrast, the best are focused with a clear purpose. What's the difference? Having clear objectives, of course. (You know by now that I'm a big fan of objectives, and I recommend that you use them for meetings as well as other communication.)
To decide on your focus, set one to three objectives that address at least one of the following questions:
- What will participants learn by the end of this meeting? What decision will be made?
- How will participants think differently? What will they believe?
- What actions will participants take after the meeting? What will they do?
Once you've set objectives, the best meetings are carefully designed to achieve them. The old-fashioned word for this design is "agenda", but you need to do more that create a bulleted list of content to cover. You should structure your meeting to have a flow that makes sense, build in opportunities for participants to . . . well, participate, and to manage time so that you get everything done.
To get started, think of your meeting as a television talk show. Channel your inner Oprah. You'll need a dynamic host, interesting guest, supporting visuals, and opportunities for audience (participant) feedback. Your agenda becomes a guide that helps you:
- Devote time to things that matter most
- Set aside blocks of time for important topics
- Allow adequate time for recharging, informal discussion, and relationship-building
It's simple, but it's not easy. Great meetings take work. But the result can be dramatic, since good meetings are memorable, helpful and meaningful.
And isn't that what it's all about?


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Friday, December 31, 2010
Re: Double-walled vessel - Mellie Lonnemann -2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Re: Slip casting with multi-piece mold - Bailey Arend -2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Basic press mold Erin Paradis -2010
Various Textures - Micah Cain -2010
Micah is a resident at the Energy Xchange and lives in Bakersville NC.
John Britt
Monday, December 27, 2010
Bringle Workshop .. Jekyll Island
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Throwing a hollow handle -Sue Grier 2010
John Britt
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Ceramics Monthly December 2010
"Asheville in Atlanta" always a beauty but last year was the best of all time!
John Britt
No Drip - No Trim Pitcher - Video by Gabriel Kline
You can check him out at http://redmoonrisingstudios.com/index.html
John Britt
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Oil Spot Bowl
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sisyphus ( or every man - Mitchell County)
Here is an image of what happens when you forget to get your snow tires installed. Reminds me of Sisyphus.
John Britt
Sandra Wright Ceramic
Here is a fun piece of Sandra Wright's that was in a show at Odyssey in Asheville.
John Britt
Kyle Carpenter Show at Crimson Laurel
Great show of Kyle's Work at Crimson Laurel Gallery. You can buy on-line too!
Tzadi Turrou also has a fantastic concurrent show there!
John Britt
Pottery Stuff For Sale
Here are some items I am selling.
A 30 cubic ft. stacking space gas car kiln for $3500 . . this includes the burners, all bricks although some will be in pieces when the arch collapses but many will be fine and all the metal infrastructure. Also a digital pyrometer is included.The 12 x 24 silicon carbide shelves are separately priced at $600 for the 30. I also have 11x18 silicon carbide shelves at $20 ea.A Venco 4 inch nozzle de-airing pugmill at $1500.Trina Buff clay at .20 a pound. 50 lb. bags of Gerstley Borate at $40 each.I have a wedging table which is free for the taking but it's heavy. Also I have 5 gallon buckets of cone 10 glazes which I hate to just dump so they are free. Also a 4 x 8 work table that is available before I cut it up for kindling :)Contact Jody at firstname.lastname@example.com and my phone is 828.696.8121. My address is 270 Never Blue Rd. Flat Rock, NC 28731 in case someone wants to mapblast search the location.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Before Desert
Panne all'Olive (Olive Bread)
Reprinted from My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Knead, No-Work Method by Jim Lahey. Copyright © 2009 Published by W.W. Norton & Co.
When I first opened Sullivan Street, with Roman baking in mind, this slightly pungent olive loaf immediately became my signature bread. As a result of the brine the olives release during baking, this recipe calls for no salt.
- 3 cups bread flour (400 grams)
- About 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pitted olives (200 grams, see note)
- 3/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast (3 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups cool (55 to 65 degrees F) water (300 grams)
- wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dustingb
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, olives, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.
2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.
3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.
4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place a covered 4 1/2 - to 5 1/2 -quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.
5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use cautionóthe pot will be very hot; see photos, page 55.) Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.
NOTE: For this loaf, any pitted olive will yield something worth eating. (You don't want to go to the trouble of pitting them yourself, because it is tedious and the results will not be as neat.) But what I turn to most often are pitted kalamata olives soaked in a pure salt brineónothing else, just salt. A commonly available kalamata that I'm very fond of is made by Divina and can be found at many supermarkets and gourmet stores. You might think that because they're black they will change the color of the bread, but they won't, unless you carelessly dump some of the brine into the dough. Green Sicilian colossals, sometimes called "giant" olives, packed in pure salt brine, are another good option; they're often available at Italian food stores.
December Clay Club 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Clay Club Dessert Wars- part deux
Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake Gourmet | March 2000
by Mary Laulis
Bridge Street Bakery, Waitsfield, VT
The chef uses Valrhona cocoa powder in her cake, but other Dutch-process cocoa powders work equally well. The filling is made from sweetened condensed milk that is cooked in a water bath in the oven until it caramelizes. While the milk is baking, you can prepare your glaze.
Yield: Makes 12 servings.
Active Time: 1 1/2 hours
Total Time: 4 1/4 hours
For cake layers
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup boiling-hot water
For filling
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
4 ounces coarsely chopped pecans (1 cup)
14-ounces can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
For glaze
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Special equipment: 3 (9-inch) round cake pans
Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350°F and oil cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together whole milk, butter, whole egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract in another large bowl until just combined. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, then beat on high speed 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and beat in water until just combined (batter will be thin). Divide batter among cake pans (about 1 1/2 cups per pan) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes total.
Cool layers in pans on racks 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment or wax paper and cool layers completely.
Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Spread coconut in a large shallow baking pan and pecans in another. Bake pecans in upper third of oven and coconut in lower third, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 18 minutes. Remove pans from oven.
Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
Pour condensed milk into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and cover tightly with foil. Bake milk in a water bath in middle of oven 45 minutes. Refill baking pan with water to reach halfway up pie plate and bake milk until thick and brown, about 45 minutes more. Remove pie plate from water bath.
Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla and keep warm, covered with foil.
Make glaze while milk is baking:
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and corn syrup, whisking until chocolate is melted. Transfer 1 cup glaze to a bowl, reserving remaining glaze at room temperature in pan. Chill glaze in bowl, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.
Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch excess glaze). Drop half of coconut filling by spoonfuls evenly over layer and gently spread with a wet spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with remaining filling in same manner. Top with remaining cake layer and spread chilled glaze evenly over top and side of cake. Heat reserved glaze in pan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and pourable, about 1 minute. Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, making sure it coats sides. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze.
Chill cake until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to a plate.
Cooks' notes:
•Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
•For easier handling when assembling cake, place bottom layer on a cardboard round or the removable bottom of a tart or cake pan.
John Britt
Clay Club Dessert Wars
(From "Seven Deadly Sins of Chocolate" by Laurent Schott)
Choux Pastry
½ cup water
½ cup milk
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all- purpose flour
4 large eggs
• Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and add all of the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon over low heat for about 1 minute until the dough forms a smooth, thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the eggs, one at a time, making sure you stir each one in well before adding the next.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F. cover a baking sheet with baking parchment. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2" tip, pipe 6 small balls (about he size of a walnut) for the tops, and 6 large balls (about 2-2 ½" in diameter) for the "bodies of the religieuses. Discard the remaining dough or pipe and bake more balls to freeze for another use.
• Bake for about 25 -30 minutes (the large ones will take longer), until they are golden brown and crisp.
• Cool completely.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
3 ½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 ¼ cups pastry cream (see recipe below)
¼ cup heavy cream
• Stir the chocolate into the warm pastry cream. Let stand until the chocolate melts. Add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth.
• Transfer the pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8 inch tip. Pierce a small hole in the base of each ball, and fill with the cream.
Pastry Cream
Makes about 1 ¼ cups
1 cup milk
¼ cup sugar
½ vanilla bean, split open
2 large egg yolks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Bring the milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla bean to a boil in a saucepan.
• Whisk the yolks, flour and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a heatproof bowl until the mixture is pale yellow. Gradually whisk in the hot milk (after removing and scraping the vanilla bean).
• Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the cram is very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Use immediately. The recipe can be doubled if needed.
Chocolate Icing
Makes about 1 ½ cups
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
¾ cup Dutch-processed coca powder
¾ cup heavy cream
• Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water in a custard cup and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring the sugar, cocoa, heavy cream and remaining ¼ cup water to a boil in a sauce pan, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, add the soaked gelatin and stir well to dissolve the gelatin.
• Pour into a bowl and let stand until the icing is tepid but still fluid. The recipe can be doubled, if needed.
To Assemble the Religieuses
(silver drageés, for decoration)
• Warm the icing in the microwave (or a very low oven) until tepid and liquid. Dip the top half of each choux into the icing, turn the right way up and cool slightly.
• Place the small choux (heads) on the larger ones (bodies) and top each with a drageé while the icing is till soft.
John Britt
How to VIDEO
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Walking to Work
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Snowing in Mitchell County NC
Don't know if it will be anything like last year but it is beautiful.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
December Clay Club
We are planning the December Clay Club for Wednesday December 8th, 2010 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Odyssey Center in Asheville. It should be another great one.
We are planning to have a pot luck with emphasis on dessert. Everyone will vote on the best dessert and the winner will get a prize. (probably something shitty but that is all we can afford in these economic times. Besides potter's know that what really matters is gaining the satisfaction of doing what you love, so share the love, pass the dessert!)
We will also have a voluntary cup/mug/object exchange. So bring an extra mug/cup/ object.
And for the Main Program we will have demonstrators present a 5 minute demo on something they do, for your viewing pleasure. These are going to be 5 minutes max. so we can video them and post them on the blog. (Demonstrators will include: Kyle Carpenter, Sue Grier, Micah Cain, Alex Matisee, Erin Paradis and many more!)
Don't miss this one with some lame ass excuse that you don't have time to visit your clay friends. Get off your ass, make some dessert and get your priorities straight! :)
I will post the whole line up on Sunday night, or so.
If you need directions let us know (or Google Odyssey Center).
Last Clay Club of the year!
John Britt
Friday, December 3, 2010
TRAC Sale Today and the rest of the weekend
I have a special deal on seconds from $5.00 - $25.00 while they last! Great simple handmade Christmas gifts!!
John Britt Pottery
154 Sparks Road
Bakersville, NC 28705
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
December Ceramics Monthly 2010
Anyway PROPS to all!!
Rock on Western NC!!
John Britt


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The University of Southern Maine has announced a collaboration that will bring the Composite Engineering Research Laboratory to its Michael E. Dubyak Center for Digital Science and Innovation.
The partnership between the university and the Maine Composites Alliance will bring $1.5 million worth of equipment to the Portland campus. The Composite Engineering Research Laboratory is an independent lab that specializes in education, analytical services and product development.
The laboratory will be in the Dubyak Center, which was established in October with a $1 million donation from Michael Dubyak, the current chair and former president and CEO of Wex.
Stephen Von Vogt, managing director of the Maine Composites Alliance, said the organization sought out a relationship with USM to "solve the problem of workforce development."
"Being at USM will allow us to teach students about materials science, engage them in technical problems that CERL is solving for industry, and then place them with companies in Maine and New England that desperately need their assistance," Von Vogt said in a statement.
Composites are made by chemically bonding fibers from various sources, such as Kevlar and resin, a process that creates a super strong material. They are increasingly used in industries such as boat-building and construction, which are looking for workers with composites experience and skills.
Officials from USM and the Maine Composites Alliance will officially announce the collaboration Friday at the university's Portland campus.
"USM's exciting new partnership with CERL is another terrific example of our commitment to meet the needs of Maine employers, while at the same time providing our students with real-world, hands-on experience," USM President Glenn Cummings said in a statement. "The equipment our students will be working with in the CERL research lab will help prepare them for a wide array of high-tech, in-demand jobs upon graduation."
CERL previously was associated with Southern Maine Community College in Brunswick, but that partnership ended in 2015. The lab was then moved to Brunswick Landing's TechPlace.
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Ingredients (makes about 1 pint):
Using a blender or a food processor, purée the rice, 1/2 cup milk and sugar.
Mix in rest of milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest.
If you have an ice cream maker, add heavy cream to the mixture to make gelato. If you do not own an ice cream maker, follow steps 3-7.
Keep heavy cream aside, freeze mixture from step 2 in a large ice cube tray for more than 3 hours.
After 3 hours, whip heavy cream in a bowl to a soft peak.
Place frozen ice cubes in a food processor or a blender and make a smoothie.
Combine whipped cream and smoothie. Place in a container and freeze for 3 hours or more to your preferred hardness.
Serve with fruit and enjoy!


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A bit Short is added under low VIX condition. Pain also reacted to it. Time to do call ratio or reverse call calendar
Jegathesan DurairajJegathesan Durairaj, a mathematician by qualification, an Ex-software professional and now a full time Risk Defined Option Writer. With his Open Book Strategies, he is the most known identity in twitter as itjegan, with huge followers. He had won Zerodha 60 Day Challenge – 10 Times round-the-clock. He is


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The Game Academy
18 Aug 2017
Building a computer game can seem a daunting task, but the Shaun the Sheep Game Academy site offers plenty of help and resources. Although the guide has been written with families in mind it can easily be adapted for classroom use. The guide includes support and activities on:
- Getting started – includes what is needed to begin, to plan the work and tips on using Scratch
- Introduction to game design – includes thinking about what makes a good game and planning the game's overall design
- Developing the game characters – includes deciding what characters to use in the game and choosing what they do
- Designing the game levels – includes planning what happens in each level of the game


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Bush Blitz is Australia's largest nature discovery program. Its aim is to document plants and animals across Australia.
This exciting and ambitious aim is supported by a pioneer partnership between the Australian Government, BHP and Earthwatch Australia.
Bush Blitz involves scientists, Indigenous communities, local landowners, teachers, students and BHP employees. They are working together to make an extraordinary contribution to the protection of our country's natural heritage.
The official Bush Blitz website
Bush Blitz TeachLive
Through the innovative 'Bush Blitz TeachLive' project, teachers accompany scientists on field expeditions and help to document plants and animals and discover new species. Students are engaged in this exciting process of discovery. While on the expedition, the teachers teach 'live' back to their classrooms via the TeachLive website, taking their students on a virtual expedition and involving them directly in the scientific research and discoveries.


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Gripped by the accelerating viral outbreak, the U.S. economy is under pressure from persistent layoffs, diminished income and nervous consumers, whose spending is needed to drive a recovery from the pandemic.
A flurry of data released Wednesday suggest the spread of the virus is intensifying the threats to an economy still struggling to recover from the deep recession that struck in early spring.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week for a second straight week to 778,000, evidence that many employers are still slashing jobs more than eight months after the virus hit. Before the pandemic, weekly jobless claims typically amounted to only about 225,000. Layoffs are still historically high, with many businesses unable to fully reopen and some, especially restaurants and bars, facing tightened restrictions.
Consumers increased their spending last month by just 0.5%, the weakest rise since the pandemic erupted. The tepid figure suggested that on the eve of the crucial holiday shopping season, Americans remain anxious with the virus spreading and Congress failing to enact any further aid for struggling individuals, businesses, cities and states. At the same time, the government said Wednesday that income, which provides the fuel for consumer spending, fell 0.7% in October.
The spike in virus cases is heightening pressure on companies and individuals, with fear growing that the economy could suffer a "double-dip" recession as states and cities reimpose curbs on businesses. The economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, is expected to eke out a modest gain this quarter before weakening — and perhaps shrinking — early next year. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, predicts annual GDP growth of around 2% in the October-December quarter, with the possibility of GDP turning negative in the first quarter of 2021.
Economists at JPMorgan Chase have slashed their forecast for the first quarter to a negative 1% annual GDP rate.
"This winter will be grim," they wrote in a research note.
Zandi warned that until Congress agrees on a new stimulus plan to replace a now-expired multi-trillion-dollar aid package enacted in the spring, the threat to the economy will grow.
"The economy is going to be very uncomfortable between now and when we get the next fiscal rescue package," Zandi said. "If lawmakers can't get it together, it will be very difficult for the economy to avoid going back into a recession."
Some corners of the economy still show strength, or at least resilience. Manufacturing is one. The government said Wednesday that orders for durable goods rose 1.3% in October, and sales of new homes remained steady, the latest sign that ultra-low mortgage rates and a paucity of properties for sale have spurred demand and made the housing market a rare economic bright spot.
But at the heart of the economy are the job market and consumer spending, which remain especially vulnerable to the spike in virus cases. Most economists say the distribution of an effective vaccine would likely reinvigorate growth next year. Yet they warn that any sustained recovery will also hinge on whether Congress can agree soon on a sizable aid package to carry the economy through what could be a bleak winter.
"With infections continuing to rise at an elevated pace and curbs on business operations widening, layoffs are likely to pick up over coming weeks,″ said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
The government said he total number of people who are continuing to receive traditional state unemployment benefits dropped to 6.1 million from 6.4 million the previous week. That figure has been declining for months. It shows that more Americans are finding jobs and no longer receiving unemployment aid. But it also indicates that many jobless people have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months.
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This wacky guide to Stratford-on-Avon has been compiled to help mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.
Nineteen-year-old Alex Manners, a Solihull native with dreams of becoming a television presenter, has created the video to help shed inform the world of the wonders of the Warwickshire town.
Later this week, the world will unite to remember the Stratford playwright as Warwickshire hosts a vast programme of commemorative events across the region.
And Alex, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is doing more than his fair share to help out.
The video - which takes you across the Bard's hometown in six minutes - features some of the most interesting places the town has to offer.
Alex accompanies you as you travel down some of the main streets in the town, as well as a whole host of Shakespeare-related attractions and properties.
The teenager says: "Why not do something, while I'm in Stratford, that is different and quirky?
"I did it in my own unique way, to make myself stand out and to make it more interesting for listeners."
For Alex's YouTube channel, click here.


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It is pretty easy to find a pet friendly apartment complex in Central Texas. Unfortunately, it is less easy to find an apartment that allows for large dogs. It is common to find apartments with weight limits of 35-50 pounds. This can make finding housing for you and your furry family member difficult. The Apartment Experts have experience with working with pet owners and pet friendly apartments. There are several things pet owners can do to make renting an apartment with a large dog easy and stress free.
Big Scary Dog or Gentle Giant?
There are many misconceptions about large breed dogs. One assumption about large dogs is that they are meaner than small dogs due to their size. In addition, some large breed dogs have gained bad reputations for being aggressive or unfriendly. If the property manager is concerned about the demeanor of your big dog, the AKC suggests scheduling a pet interview. The pet interview will help the leasing staff get to know you and your dog. As a result, they will have more confidence in your dog and you.
Present Vet Records For Your Large Dogs
Apartments will require your pet's most recent shot records to ensure the animal is properly vaccinated. Other papers may include proof of breed and an official temperament test from the vet. Create a plan to present these documents to the leasing staff to review before you sign your lease. This helps the leasing process move smoothly and allows the apartment management to gain confidence in your big dog.
Work With A Locator
If you are having a hard time finding a place that will allow your large breed dog, contact your local apartment locating service like Apartment Experts. These licensed real estate agents are up to date on pet policies and procedures at different properties in the area. Apartment locators stay in constant contact with property management about different breed and weight restrictions. They will narrow down your options to reflect the best apartments for you and your big furry friend.
Renting an apartment with a large breed dog doesn't have to be stressful. Our licensed real estate agents are pet friendly and ready to help you with your housing search. Call us today at 512-805-0123 or visit our website to schedule your free appointment!


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"There is a special place in hell for British electronic musicians who don't try to emulate other British electronic musicians" - Madeline Albright
Even if Albright aka DJ Maddy A's cool music knowledgebombs can't outweigh her uncool hawkish desire to drop actual bombs in a way meaningful enough to stop America's youth from #FeelingTheBern she's not wrong on the above subject matter. And since that's the case, Mod Exist will be going to heaven. They continue the tradition of trippy electronica fellow countrymen Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, and the Prodigy have set out. If you are on fun drugs and seek to get sweaty, putting on "Beef Chops" should be your next move.
-- Roy Blumenfeld


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Updated: August 12, 2011
If I had a country, it would be called Dedoimedoland. And it would be the bestest country in the world. Of course, I would be the supreme ruler. Now, at this point, you may be wondering whether I've hit the senility stage or perchance started using hallucinogenic acids. The answer is neither. What I want to do today is debate how the world ought to be governed. I'll give you my personal vision of what a proper country should look like.
Democracy? That's for the weak. Oligarchy? Dictatorship? Maybe, but not the way it's done today, the old-fashioned way. Perhaps weighed-democracy with stock options like civil merits plus a benevolent tyrant helping people make the best decisions? Not bad. What about the economy? What about education? All shall be answered today. And then you will realize it's a shame that I have not yet been chosen as King of the Solar System.
Form of government
If you've read my whitelist vs. blacklist article, you will know by now that democracy has a higher overall stability, since changes are spread over a large base, resulting in tiny fluctuations. This means that both progress and regression are slow. In a way, it's the rule of the average. Autocratic governments allow for much faster, more radical changes, for better or worse. This means that you can achieve tremendous prosperity in a very short span of time with the right man or woman ruling. At the same time, you can bring about ruin just as quickly.
So why not combine both?
My recommendation is to grant people the right to vote, but make the vote unequal. Today, everyone can vote, and this is a little disturbing. You would not everyone to be a doctor, nor a police officer, so why give these people the power to decide the future of your country?
Now, what criteria would I base the voting power?
Nothing racial or stupid like that. First, every adult would have one voting point by the grace of their existence. That's basic democracy right there. Now, you earn extra points for being a good citizen, so to speak. One point for higher education, one point for high income, one point for volunteering in the community, one point for a spotless criminal record, minus one point for having a criminal record, and so forth. Fine tuning the criteria with small decimal point merits would be things like: smoking, owning pets, number of children, and so forth. But we'll get there, too.
In the end, everyone would have a vote that mirrors their influence in the society. Which stands to logic. People are not equal, in deeds, intentions, spirit, or influence. Therefore, their votes cannot be equal. In pretty much every single company, senior management gets more money and more stock options than junior grade workers. Now, no one finds this unfair or unbalanced, so there's no reason why this model cannot be applied to society.
You may say that more powerful people would get more points and that this kind of governing would be skewed in the favor of the rich and beautiful. This is not true. Wealth would grant you just one voting point above the declared threshold, so someone with an average income and a good community spirit would have the same amount of influence in the final vote. A PhD student with no social favors would get the same points as an ordinary citizen with no criminal record.
While most government simply penalize offenders, they do not reward good citizens. In my country, good people would get their extra points. This would make benevolent mankind-bettering efforts worth the bother on all levels, rather than just being a personal, inner need that it is today in most countries.
Thus, the spectrum of politics would be based on logic rather than breeding, which happens across the world today. My voting method would rule out the quantity over quality thingie and allow useful people more influence in this world. Religious parties would be banned. Race-based parties would be banned.
National symbols would include the following:
Never Gonna Give You Up would be the official anthem, the Trollface would be the emblem and the national animal would be either Dangermouse or Gecko. National holidays would include an eight-day-long independence week, just to be different from everyone else celebrating their independence days, the New Year, as well as original airing dates for Miami Vice and Magnum, P.I.
Civil liberties
The country would be as liberal as it gets on one hand and as strict as possible, on the other. For example, corporal punishment would be allowed alongside free abortion and two-year maternity leaves. There would also be a death penalty. The punishment would include the standard array of capital punishment, but also things like assaulting elderly, torturing animals, driving under the influence of alcohol, and more.
Smoking would be banned. Reality TV would be banned. People would be allowed to vote, drive and drink only above the age of 21. Light drugs would be legal, too. Oh, selling drugs or alcohol to minors would also be a capital offense. Prostitution would be legal, but it would mandate taxes and healthcare and benefits and everything. Same-sex marriage would be a normal part of the marriage institution. Body organs would be harvested from all dead bodies. There would be no burial, only cremation, to conserve space and preserve the environment.
There would be a mandatory two-year national service for everyone. Both men and women would be allow to enlist in the army instead. There would be no discrimination, with men-only or women-only duties. The same applies to all emergency services, including firefighting, police, and others.
Cars with automatic transmission would be banned - save for people with handicaps. Speaking of cars, European cars would only be allowed, American and Japanese cars would be banned, except a small collection of reasonable models. For example, vintage Mustang and Pontiac GTO in, pretty much everything else out.
Ritalin would be banned. People who take their children to a psychiatrist for ADHD diagnosis as a substitute to good parenting would be jailed. Movies would have to be screened in their original language, with subtitles provided. Dubbing would be disallowed. Computer installations would be in English only. Modding cars with tailpipe rattle, NO FEAR stickers or similar nonsense would be disallowed. Stupid music would also be banned. Crocs would be banned. Open-toe high-heel shoes would be banned. Pinup looks would be banned. Musicals would be banned. Mimes and clowns would be banned.
And Internet would be free! There would be no stupid regulation or bullshit supervisions of any kind. In fact, citizens would have to share using P2P, but only approved material would be allowed for sharing, mostly free and open-source stuff, like Linux distributions. Sharing of copyrighted material would be included in the government education bill, with everyone paying a mandatory monthly fee. Proceedings would go to copyright owners, while users would enjoy instant access to culture and entertainment.
Daily news would be replaced by half an hour of soft porn. There would be a mandatory break for yoga or basketball at the workplace. Health enemas would be banned. Writing in lowercase would be banned. Using words like your when it means you are would be an offense punishable by 100 hours of community service. Kids wearing jewelry would be banned. UFO sightings reports would be banned.
People would be granted a parenting license, after proving they are capable of raising children. Tests would be based on a few simple factors, including basic intelligence, education, criminal past, profession, and others. Depending on the test outcome, parents would be granted children points. For example, an average middle-class family would be permitted two children. This means they would be provided with all the benefits the country provides, like extensive maternity leaves, children grants and so forth.
If a family decided to have more than their allotted quantity, they would either not receive additional benefits or even be fined for breaching the civil status quo. On the other hand, domestic housekeeping would be recognized as a full-time job with all its benefits.
Healthcare & education
Healthcare would be free, as simple as that. Education would also be free, including a promised job opportunity for university graduates. In addition to voting favors that education brings, there would also be handsome scholarships and grants. Quasi-disciplines like alternative medicine and birth helping would be illegal.
Twelve years of education would be mandatory. Trades with apprenticeships would also be recognized as valid substitution to formal education. People dropping earlier from school would not be allowed to vote.
At least one and possibly two foreign languages would be taught. The country itself would be English-speaking, with foreign languages including Chinese and Spanish. Physical education would be favored. Real-life education would also replace some of the classic subjects that no one cares about. Classic literature, which is simply depressing and too difficult for children, I mean kids can all easily relate to the light-spirited and ultra-modern nature of Les Miserables, right, well, those depressing titles would be replaced with fun books like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Religious studies would be banned. Education would also include watching Monty Python. There would be some mandatory volunteering for children, like helping elderly three hours a week or so.
Money would come from extensive gold, uranium and oil deposits, but failing that, the economy would be based on tourism and high-tech industry, minus the dotcom bullshit. The country would also have a modern and powerful military and sell weapons worldwide.
The standard model would be free market, capitalism and all that, with several notable exceptions. Financial institutions like banks and insurance companies would be strictly regulated. Taxes would be paid based on an incremental percentage level. There would be a cap on public salaries. Doctors and teachers and police officers would be favored. Politicians would have to work pro-bono.
Buying with credit would be severely limited. People would be allowed to take no more than 49% property value mortgage or loan, if that. Negative balance in your bank account would not be allowed.
There would be no permanent tenures. People could be let go from their workplace at any time, but they would be given one year unemployment allowance if they do not choose to seek further employment or as long as they continue to be rejected in job interviews by potential future employers. Similar terms would apply to people completing their civil or army service and university graduates. However, simply choosing not to work would not grant you any benefits. People who simply quit their jobs would be given three opportunities for re-employment in their profession or one opportunity for studying a new one. Should they turn these down, they would not be given any additional allowances. Moreover, there would a much stricter penal code for unemployed criminals. Volunteering in the community would extend the grace periods, though.
Work week would be five days for most jobs, four days for some, nine to five, no overtime allowed. Retirement age would be 60, but people would be allowed to continue working. The country would permit professional or skilled workers immigration. Foreign investment in real estate and high-tech industry would be encouraged, but the economy laws would be enforced.
Foreign policy
The country would be a nuclear power, and as such, exercise the pompous meddling that most countries do. There would be no definite global policy; it would change every three to six months, wavering between support and endorsement for certain countries one quarter and condemnation the next one. The country would be a proud member of various global assemblies, but refuse to cooperate citing bureaucracy difficulties, just to spite everyone.
In general, Dedoimedoland would favor more modern and progressive countries, but it would exercise no moral superiority on any subject or pretend to know what's best for everyone elsewhere. As such, it would have a strict rule of no military intervention anywhere in the world. However, it would automatically blacklist countries that discriminate people based on race or religion.
The country would also be a space power and sell bogus land plots on distant planets. Dedoimedoland would deploy a belt of nuclear-power nuclear-armed satellites into the orbit and threaten to slow them down if annoyed. Rather than deliberately firing missiles, the satellites would fall into the atmosphere and plunge somewhere randomly, causing a massive environmental hysteria. It would also train a huge force of ninjas, who would be the ultimate reaction force to attacks against the country. These special forces would be sent out on assassination missions against any aggressor.
In general, public practice of religion would be banned. Personal, at-home practice would be allowed. All forms of religion would be tolerated. There would be no government-sanctioned sponsorship of religious bodies of any kind. Religious institutions would be not be allowed to register as charities or volunteer organizations, either.
And that's about it. The end. Full stop.
In a nutshell, that's the perfectest country ever designed. It would be the ultimate punch in order, efficiency, obedience, happiness, and overall quality. It would be based on logic and productivity. No longer would the senseless mass called people rule, but people properly guided and goaded and whipped.
My weighted rule democracy, with me as the one-man veto power, would be awesome, so much better than its classic one-vote counterpart. Not only would it maintain its stability, it would also gain from additional factors that are completely disregarded today, like the actual individual impact and influence on the society.
Combined, the economy, the foreign policies, healthcare, education, and civil liberties make Dedoimedoland the new Utopia that works so much better than the naive, daydreaming ideals of olden philosophers, who believed in the betterment of mankind. I have no such illusions. Hence, I can drive toward efficiency. Rather than trying to make humans into something they are not, let's face the reality and make the best use of the force at hand. Damn, I am winning!
P.S. The images of books, the ninja and the London Stock Exchange are in public domain.


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SSC CHSL Tier 1 Marks Released: The Staff Selection Commission has released SSC CHSL 2016 Tier 1 marks today. From 5th January to 8th February, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducted Tier-I Examination for SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL). Lakhs of aspirants appeared for this exam and were now waiting for their SSC CHSL 2016 Marks.
Scroll down to check SSC CHSL Tier 1 Marks (Zone-wise).
SSC CHSL Tier 1 Marks Released: Check your Score
For SSC CHSL Tier-I Examination, 30,57,993 candidates appeared on the exam day and among those, only 53201 candidates have been shortlisted. The selected candidates will appear for category-wise details of candidates who have qualified for appearing in the Descriptive Paper (Tier-II). Click on the below given links & check your exam marks:
SSC CHSL Tier I Marks 2016 (REGION:WR, SR, KKR)
SSC CHSL Tier I Marks 2016 (REGION: CR)
SSC CHSL Tier I Marks 2016 (REGION: NR)
SSC CHSL Tier I Marks 2016 (REGION:NWR,NER,MPR)
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The services for both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur were each attended by more than 300 people and were very well received. Based on the core membership and people who became members out of their participation in the High Holy Day services, Beyt Tikkun began its first year with Shabbat services held two Friday evenings a month at the Noe Valley Ministry. The schedule was expanded to include a joyous Chanukah celebration, a spiritually moving community Passover Seder and celebrations of other holidays, all of which were well attended.
Since the first year, the Congregation, under the guidance of Rabbi Lerner, expanded both in membership and scope of activities. The expansion has included the following:
Now in its eighth year, Beyt Tikkun is a growing and vibrant community, which offers spiritual nurturing for a diverse population-Jews and non-Jews, married people and singles, straights and gays, families with children. We look forward to continued growth and contribution to our members and to the community at large in the years ahead.
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Hello girls! In summer cucumber is very easily accessible; well I have seen that in metro cities it is available throughout the year. So this fruit is quite cheap and we all can have this easily. It is not only good for our skin but helps us to stay healthy too. It keeps our body hydrated and helps us to avoid from getting sick. So I decided to give a treat to myself and to all my lovely readers with this post Reasons Why Cucumber is Your Skin's Best Friend.
Cucumbers are good for our skin and health; it gives a treat to our whole body. It is must have in summers especially. It contains more than 95% of water and other ingredients which are necessary for our skin. It has a rich content of vitamin C which helps us to soothe our skin and make it look younger. It helps to replenish the skin tissues and avoids pre ageing of skin. It helps in reducing the redness of skin due to heat of sun. it not only gives refreshment to your skin but also clears the dirt out of your pores and make your skin glowing. Cucumber helps to take out toxic from a bodily fluid and make our skin healthy from inside. It is very helpful in removing puffy eyes. Even it can help you to reduce dark lines. So let us see?Reasons Why Cucumber is Your Skin's Best Friend
Removes Sun Tan
Cucumber helps you to remove tanning. This happens because cucumber has a high content of anti oxidants and citrus juice which fight against the sun and gives you tan free look. You can use cucumber toner and moisturizer for this purpose
Removes Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes
Cucumber is proving to best suited for eyes; it helps not only in reducing dark circles around your eyes but also removes puffiness near eyes. For this purposes you can use or make your own cucumber ice cubes and rub it around your eyes twice a day to get rid of dark circle and puffiness.
[Photo credit : photopin.com by Dave Soldane]
Reduces Fine Lines
Use cucumber paste to lighten your skin tone. It helps to remove blemishes and improves your complexion. I generally use cucumber face packs for this purpose. I go for home made one.
How to Remove Under Eye Dark Circles
How to Reduce Under Eye Wrinkles
Avoids Wrinkles
Cucumber tightens your skin and makes it look younger. This property of cucumber helps you to get rid of wrinkles, well I feel instead of getting rid of wrinkles one must avoid them by using cucumber juices and gels.
Gives Healthy and Refreshed Skin
After all it is full of water, and in summer you need more amount of water. This will keep your skin hydrated and make it glowing radiant throughout the day. I use to drink 3 to 4 cups of cucumber juice for this purpose.
Well friends cucumber is a king in itself we can say goodbye to all our skin problems if we regularly intake cucumber in our diet and use it strictly for our skin daily. Hope you all agree with my post. Let me know what you all feel about cucumber.


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text: It has been awhile since I have done a full family session and man how I have missed it! Elina turned one year old and a what a perfect reason to get some family photos taken. She was very serious, but oh my how her daddy could get her to smile. Sometimes things we see on pinterest (such as a baby sitting still and smiling next to balloons) just isn't possible depending on how mobile a child is or what mood they seem to be in. I love the candids more anyway, but I'm guessing you all knew that already;) Enjoy some images of this beautiful family!


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State-run ONGC has received environment clearance (EC) for carrying out onshore exploration, development and production of oil and gas in 100 locations in the non-forest area of Assam, that would entail an investment of Rs 3,500 crore, according to official documents.
The Union Environment Ministry has given green clearance to ONGC, the country's largest oil and gas exploration and production company, after taking into account the recommendations of a green panel.
"The EC is however subject to obtaining prior permission from the wildlife angle, including clearance from the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife," the ministry said in a letter to ONGC.
The company proposes to carry out drilling in 100 locations to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of 21 different onshore Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) blocks in a non-forest area covering 944.39 km in Assam and Assam Arakan Basin covering whole of the Upper Assam North in Sivasagar district.
After establishing the potential, the company will put the field under development and production. The project cost is estimated to be Rs 3,500 crore, the company added.
According to ONGC, there is still a lot of scope in exploring new sub-surface structures in Assam for hydrocarbons.
The total area of Sivasagar district PML is 957.73 square kilometre, in which Lakwa, Rudrasagar, Geleki and its adjoining areas are important oil producing fields in North Assam Shelf of Sivasagar district.
So far, more than 500 wells (including exploratory wells and development wells) have been drilled in this field with depths ranging from 2,400 metre to 4,200 metre.
The current EC has been granted for exploratory drilling of 100 wells which is a part of ongoing exploration efforts in various PML areas falling within the three main blocks of North Assam Shelf in Sivasagar district.
India is dependent on imports for crude oil, and the government is encouraging exploration and production of oil and gas.
ONGC produces 70 per cent of the country's crude oil and 60 per cent of its natural gas
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Bartholomew of Lucca – Wikipedia
Bartholomew of Lucca, born Bartolomeo Fiadoni, and also known as Tolomeo da Lucca or Ptolemy da Lucca[1] (c. 1236 – c. 1327), was a medieval Italian historian.
Born in Lucca, probably in 1236, at an early age Bartholomew entered the Dominican Order. He was distinguished for piety, and his intense application to study, for which reasons he won the respect and warm friendship of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was not only his disciple, but also his confidant and confessor.[2] In 1272 he accompanied St. Thomas from Rome to Naples where he still was in 1274, when the news of his master's death at Fossa Nuova reached him. He was elected prior of the convent of his native city in 1288. At Naples (1294), he took an active part in the public demonstration which was made to prevent Pope Celestine V from resigning.
In 1301 he was elected Prior of Santa Maria Novella at Florence. Later he removed to Avignon where he was chaplain for nine years (1309–18) to Cardinal Patrasso, Bishop of Albano, and after the Cardinal's death in 1311 to his fellow-religious Cardinal William of Bayonne. Jacques Échard affirms that he was the close friend and often the confessor of John XXII, who appointed him Bishop of Torcello, March 15, 1318. A conflict with the Patriarch of Grado concerning the appointment of an abbess of St. Anthony's at Torcello led to his excommunication in 1321, and exile. In 1323 he made peace with the patriarch, returned to his see, and died there in 1327.[3]
The best-known work of Bartholomew is his Annales (1061–1303), finished about 1307, wherein are recorded in terse sentences the chief events of this period.[4] His Historia Ecclesiastica Nova in twenty-four books relates the history of the Church from the birth of Christ till 1294; considering as appendixes the lives of Pope Boniface VIII, Pope Benedict XI, and Pope Clement V, it reaches to 1314 (Muratori, loc. cit., XI, 751 sqq.; the life of Clement V is in Baluze, Vitae pap. Aven., 23 sqq.).
He also wrote a Historia Tripartita known only from his own references and citations. The Extract[us] de chronico Fr. Ptolomaei de Luca and the Excerpta ex chronicis Fr. Ptolomaei are no longer considered original works by separate authors, but are extracts from the Historia Ecclesiastica Nova by some unknown compiler who lived after the death of Bartholomew. He is also well known for his completion of the De Regimine Principum ("On the Government of Rulers"), which Aquinas had been unable to finish before his death. This was no small task, for the share of Bartholomew begins with the sixth chapter of the second book and includes the third and fourth books (vol. XVI, in the Parma, 1865, edition of St. Thomas). Though he does not follow the order of the saint, yet his treatment is clear and logical.
A work on the Hexaemeron by him was published by Masetti in 1880. The lives of the Avignon popes were written from original documents under his hands and were controlled by the statements of eyewitnesses. His acceptance of fables now exploded, e.g. the Popess Joan, must be attributed to the uncritical temper of his time.
- Ptolemy of Lucca. On the Government of Rulers (De Regimine Principum). Tr. James M. Blythe. Philadelphia, 1997.
- Ptolemy of Lucca. Historia Ecclesiastica Nova: Nebst Fortsetzungen Bis 1329 [= New Ecclesiastical History, with continuations until 1329], ed. Ottavio Clavuot and Ludwig Schmugge. Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores, vol. 39 (Hannover, 2009).
- ^ Ptolemy or Tolomeo da Lucca, Tolomeo di Lucca, Bartolomeus de Fiadonibus.
- ^ Ptolomy of Lucca, Historia ecclesiastica, XXIII.viii.
- ^ On the life of Bartholomew, see Ludwig Schmugge, "FIADONI, Bartolomeo (Tolomeo, Ptolomeo da Lucca)", in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, 47 (1997).
- ^ Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores, XI, 1249 sqq.; or in the better edition of C. Minutoli, Documenti di Storia Italiana, Florence, 1876, VI, 35 sqq..
- Attribution


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Santorum Adviser Tells Cain to 'Be Forthcoming' on Sexual Harassment Allegations
Herman Cain came under intense scrutiny after allegations of sexual harassment hit his campaign Sunday evening, but it didn't seem he needed to worry too much about questions from GOP presidential rivals. That all changed Tuesday morning, when a longtime strategist of Rick Santorum called on Cain to give a more forthcoming explanation of the allegations.
"What I would encourage the Cain campaign to do is, if you are the front-runner and you plan to be the nominee, to be forthcoming so that you are vetted, and we don't get into a situation where you're our nominee and we find out things after the fact," said Santorum adviser John Brabender, speaking at an election preview forum hosted by the National Journal, as reported by the Washington Post .
It's been hands off since Sunday night, with none of the other campaigns responding to the Cain allegations, which were first reported by Politico. But Brabender's comments could open the door for other campaigns to demand answers from Cain.
Politico reported Sunday evening that two women had received settlements from the National Restaurant Association after accusing Cain, then the CEO, of sexual harassment. Cain has had conflicting answers since the story broke, and he even refused to give a flat out no when asked in a PBS interview Monday if he had ever met one of the women in a hotel room during a Restaurant Association conference.
"That I absolutely do not recall. You know, I have no recollection of that," Cain said.
This is the Santorum's campaign second hit on Cain in recent days. Last Friday Santorum released a web ad attacking Cain on his varying and seemingly conflicting statements on abortion. Brabender seemed to suggest abortion would remain an open issue of attack for the Santorum campaign.
"As part of this process, it's a fair thing for people to ask campaigns to specify when they say one thing here and another thing here," Brabender said. "We're still waiting for clarification from the Cain campaign. We're as confused as ever."
In last week's Des Moines Register poll, Santorum came in with only 5 percent support, but he has an intense campaign schedule in the Hawkeye State, planning to hit all 99 counties by Wednesday, in the hope that hard work and a focus on such social conservative issues as abortion will help him gain traction in the state.


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Fruitland Park calls itself, "The Friendly City." It predates the Civil War, though the name did not come until later. The first settlers planted citrus groves. The city was named for the nurseries that eventually populated the area. Fruitland Park is also home to the oldest Dirt Kart Track in America, dating back to 1956.
Lake Griffin State Park is home to Florida's second oldest Live Oak Tree, which is approximately 400 years old. It is a great place to sightsee and enjoy nature. The park offers 40 campsites, each with water and electricity, and some even include a sewer. Activities offered at Lake Griffin State Park include kayak and canoe tours, boat tours, and hiking. Various wildlife such as raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, and bears are all commonly found in the park's trails.


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Ruffles Dress
New dress for the Sims girls, is available in casual, formal and party, 20 options.
This dress has a problem I could not solve, don't work well on fatter Sims.
I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Custom Content in Model:
Skin Tones Glow Edition by Kijiko
Children skin 2 – SET by RemusSirion
Polygon Counts:
5071 polygons
CmarNYC for TS4 Mesh Tools
The Sims 4 Studio
Thanks to the creators of the custom content that I used in my model
Please give me credit with a link when using my stuff.
For more information see my policy
Download and Install Instructions:
First Download, click the download link and save the package file to your computer.
Final, cut and paste the file into your Mods folder, Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods\


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MF Chicken with Sichuan-style Chill Sauce 250g
The brand-new fast food brand "Mama Formula", the product design is convenient, you can taste the taste after heating, no need to worry about seasoning and fire throat, and avoid complicated preparation work. At the same time, Mama Formula uses natural ingredients, including natural British pork, hormone-free chicken, and the famous local Yuehe soy sauce. You can enjoy the taste of "home" at any time and anywhere.
Our commitment to our customers begins with our commitment to quality, and our commitment to quality begins long before our products reach our shelves. We take great care to ensure excellence in the way our food is grown, prepared and handled.
We believe it is time for food to go 'back to basics' – safe, natural, nourishing and wholesome.
In the fast-paced city of Hong Kong, easily accessible food at affordable prices is our priority, so healthy home eating can become part of everyday life.
Eat Wise
Choose FoodWise
MF Chicken with Sichuan-style Chill Sauce 250g


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It appears Motorola have updated their Android Update Schedule, and as usual with Motorola, bad news. The Moto DEXT, Quench & Backflip will never (read it: never) be updated past Android 1.5 as Motorola says:
Will remain on Android 1.5 for the best combined hardware and software experience
So if you're an early adopter of these devices that helped bring Motorola back into the mobile market, they've returned the favor by stabbing you repeatedly in the back. Well done, Motorola.
Thanks to our reader, Dave, for pointing this out.


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AirAsia celebrates their Manila – Iloilo inaugural flight
Guess what, guys. The "City of Love" has never been closer! That's because AirAsia is now flying to Iloilo International Airport, the primary gateway to Western Visayas and Panay region. The airline voted the World's Best Low Cost Carrier for nine years running flew its maiden flight from Manila to Iloilo today with Dinagyang-themed festivities held at both Manila and Iloilo airports to welcome guests and passengers.
For the benefit of my foreign readers who aren't aware, the Dinagyang festival is Iloilo's most celebrated religious and cultural festival held every January.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of this inaugural flight which brings me back to Iloilo after 3 long years.