text:
June is here, so you know what that means: another S.O.S. Kitchen Challenge! Ricki from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs and I are excited to be hosting our third event this month. First we challenged you to use beets. Last month we asked you to get creative with spinach. What's our ingredient this month? Here's a hint:
When I think of spring and early summer, I think of rhubarb. I love rhubarb. I mention it often and have a handful of tasty rhubarb recipes on my blog. This is no accident; I come from a long line of rhubarb lovers.
Rhubarb is a funny plant. It is a relative of buckwheat, and while it is botanically a vegetable, it is most often treated like a fruit. It is generally used in sweet dishes and is rarely - if ever - eaten alone due to its tart, sour flavor. In fact, it is nicknamed the "pie plant" because it is most often used in pies!
Rhubarb originated in Western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia and other areas of Central Asia. The root was used primarily for medicinal purposes, considered a powerful treatment for a number of ailments. In the the eighteenth century, rhubarb began to be consumed in foods in Europe, primarily drinks and meat stews. By the end of the eighteenth century, rhubarb was introduced to the United States. It is now a popular crop, and many people have thriving plants in the backyard! Besides being delicious in things like cookies, compotes, scones, and bars, rhubarb has a number of nutritional benefits. It is low in sugar and carbohydrates, and is a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin A. It is thought to reduce risk of cancer, may have a positive effect on lowering blood pressure, may help reduce hot flashes, and has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterials, and anti-allergy properties. Unfortunately, it is also high in oxalic acid, so if you are oxalate sensitive, hold back.
Rhubarb is most sweet and tender in spring, but can grow late into the summer if kept well watered and if the weather isn't too hot. When selecting rhubarb, pick firm stalks with the deepest red color. Once picked, wrap rhubarb in a plastic bag, and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to about a week and a half. When you are ready to prepare it, cut off and discard and leaves. Never eat the rhubarb leaf - it is actually poisonous, due to the high level of oxalates and other toxins! After discarding the leaves, trim from stem and leaf end of the stalk, and then chop or slice the remaining stalk to pieces of the desired size. Use fresh immediately, or freeze for later use.
If you can't find fresh rhubarb in your markets anymore - some warmer areas of the country may already be past rhubarb season, or don't have fresh rhubarb at all - you may be able to find frozen rhubarb at your local co-op or natural foods store, or Whole Foods. Stahlbush Island Farms produces wonderful, organic frozen fruits, including rhubarb. Frozen rhubarb will work just as well! Just make sure to use your rhubarb frozen and don't let it thaw - it will just become mushy.
Want to participate in this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge?
Simply post a recipe using rhubarb before the deadline of midnight, June 20, 2010, CST, and send it to soskitchenchallengeATgmailDOTcom (note: you don't have to cook up an original recipe–any recipe that uses the ingredient is just fine, even if you found it somewhere else!).
For full details on what kinds of ingredients to use and how to enter the challenge, see this page. I'll post the roundup (as will Ricki, on her blog) a week after the deadline so you can take your time browsing through the amazing collection of recipes before the next challenge!
Need some inspiration?
Be sure to check out Ricki's kick-off recipe for Millet Biscuits with Rhubarb. Sounds great, huh? And in general, the blogosphere has been crazy over rhubarb the last month or so. Here are some of my favorite recent posts from fellow food bloggers, including one of my own...
- Rhubarb and Strawberry Lemonade from the always charming David and Luise at Green Kitchen Stories
- Rhubarb Hand Pies with Orange and Cardamom from So Good and Tasty
- Orange Rhubarb Butter from Food in Jars
- Rhubarb Tartelettes from Tartelette
- Gluten-Free Rhubarb Financiersfrom Tartelette
- Your Best Rhubarb Recipe Contestfrom Food 52(a MASSIVE assortment of incredible rhubarb recipes!!!)
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from I am Gluten Free
- Rhubarb Cake from C'est La Vegan
- Spring Lamb and Rhubarb Stew from Afghan Cooking Unveiled
- Caramelized Onion, Beet, and Rhubarb Compote from Affairs of Living (yeah, me...)
- 15 Sweet and Savory Rhubarb Ideas from Food2
- Rustic Rhubarb Tarts from Smitten Kitchen
- Some Rhubarb Recipes from the Week from Shauna at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef
A Rhubarb Story.
Before I share my kick-off recipe with you, I want to share the story behind my love of rhubarb. My family has what I consider to the best rhubarb plants in the state of Wisconsin, perhaps in the world, and it has played an important part of our summer tradition for years. The story of how that came to be involves a shovel and some sneaky activity on the part of my father and grandfather. Oh, the intrigue!
Once upon a time, on the land only 1/4 mile from my parents' home, there was a farm owned by an old man named Peter Holer (terrible name, but true). This land is now home to a housing development and a gas station. However, like much of the northside of Oshkosh, it used to rich farmland, rural and undeveloped. Since 1875, my family had farm property, known as the Weideman farm, about one mile north of the Holer property. My great grandparents and grandparents lived on this farm, and my mom, aunt, and uncle were all raised there. My grandpa Herb was a petroleum delivery man; he couldn't farm full time because his feet and legs were badly injured in a car accident just after my grandparents were married, and farming was too hard on him. He knew everyone in town (or at least it seems like it, from the stories I've heard), including old Peter Holer. My grandpa Herb knew that Peter had some pretty rockin' rhubarb on his farm; Peter was on his delivery route, and my grandpa had been eyeing up that rhubarb for years.
One day, about 35 years ago, old Peter Holer died. The farm was left abandoned, and my grandpa saw a golden opportunity. He knew the farm was just going to sold and plowed over anyway for development, why should perfectly good - no, perfectly great - rhubarb go to waste? He convinced my dad of the same. So, one afternoon the two of them loaded up the truck with shovels and newspaper and bags, drove the mile down the road to the abandoned farm, and proceeded to help themselves to Peter's gorgeous rhubarb plants. And not just some of them, mind you. All of them. They returned to my grandparents' farm with 12 beautiful plants and promptly planted it in the backyard behind the house. It thrived, and grew big and strong. My grandmother's collection of rhubarb recipes grew (and I'm guessing my grandfather's waistline did too).
My great-grandparents' farmhouse, circa 1920. The farm was in the family since 1875. The farmhouse was later renovated and they built a new barn. In 1947, shortly after my grandparents were married, they built a house next to this house on the same farm property.
A 1947 aerial view of the Weideman farm. My grandparents raised my mom, and aunt and uncle in the small house in the front. My great-grandparents lived in the old farmhouse, which is hiding behind the trees.
A few years later, my parents bought their first house together. It was in a neighborhood smack dab in the middle between the old Holer farm property and the Weideman farm. My dad dug up half the rhubarb plants from my grandparents' backyard, drove it down the road, and planted in the yard of their new home. It didn't have far to travel! An enormous row of rhubarb now lined the back of the house, and my parents tended it lovingly. Eventually, my brother and I came along, and our toys and a huge swingset now joined the rhubarb in the backyard. We spent hours playing with the huge rhubarb leaves and squealed when bunnies leaped out from under the plants. All summer long we ate rhubarb non-stop. We ate the stalks raw dipped in sugar. We ate rhubarb sauce over ice cream, we made rhubarb cake, and rhubarb tortes, and rhubarb bars, and rhubarb jam, and the epic family favorite 1-2-3-4 Rhubarb Pie (I'll share a recipe for this later this month). When I got old enough to bake, I made that pie for the county fair and got a blue ribbon. Rhubarb was at every family summer function. When my I was 3, my grandparents sold the farm and moved into town. Thankfully, we still had the rhubarb plants growing in our yard.
When I was 12, we moved to a new house about a mile down the road. My parents actually wrote the rhubarb into sales agreement, stipulating that the rhubarb was not included in the sale of the house. Hey, they weren't taking any risks on losing those plants in some kind of legal dispute! So, once again, my dad dug up the rhubarb plants, wrapped them lovingly in newspaper and plastic, and moved them to our new family home. Those rhubarb plants were replanted before the boxes were unpacked.
Year after year, the plants have come back strong. Some years are better than others, depending on how rainy or cool the spring is. But no matter how large or small the plants are that year, it is the most incredible rhubarb I have ever seen or tasted. It is always tender and sweet, never woody, even during those years when stalks grow 1 1/2 inches in diameter and almost 2 1/2 feet long! I once measured a leaf 30 inches in diameter. Yes, I've been spoiled with magical rhubarb, and so have our friends who come pick it and who get to eat tasty rhubarb treats. Last year my dad divided one of the plants and sent roots down to my new sister-in-law's family in Kansas.
I love knowing that those rhubarb roots have history. They reflect my family's roots in the land and in the kitchen. Each year, the rhubarb roots sprout new life, but they remained grounded in the earth, grounded in tradition, just as our family is growing and changing, but honors and cherishes our history. I have so many memories associated with these plants: wrapping grass and weeds and lilac flowers up in the huge rhubarb leaves and leaving them out for the rabbits as "bunny sandwiches", bringing warm pies to my grandparents' houses for May birthday celebrations, poking the dewy sugar drops on the meringue topping of my grandma's Rhubarb Custard Torte, enjoying warm rhubarb sauce over ice cream on hot days, harvesting stalk after stalk late at night for midnight baking projects with my mom. These memories help celebrate times with loved ones and tie me to my family memories who went before. Food is an important tie to the past, and my family's rhubarb tradition is something makes me feel the love and closeness we share. I love knowing that my great-grandparents ate rhubarb pies made from these same plants. How cool is that? It is almost like great-grandma is right there with me when I'm picking a stalk.
Some day I will have the rhubarb in my own yard, wherever that ends up. I will hopefully have the opportunity share it a partner, with children, and with friends. I will tell the story of the rhubarb and where it came from. And I'll serve them all delicious things, like this tasty recipe I'm sharing with you today. In a way, I consider all of you part of my extended family, and this blog is like a huge dinner table.
The famous family rhubarb. The plants are a little smaller and shorter this year due to the dry spring they've had, but they are still pretty impressive.
And finally, as promised, delicious recipe.
In the spirit of communing around a tasty treat, I'm kicking off this month's SOS Challenge with a recipe for a delicious Rhubarb Strawberry Crumb Cake with Rosewater and Pine Nuts.
Rhubarb Strawberry Crumb Cake with Rosewater and Pine Nuts
My recent fascination with crumb cake is something of a mystery to me, as I was never really a fan of crumb cake in my gluten-eating days. Lately, though, I've been a crumb cake monster. Heck, I've been a fruity dessert monster in general. It all started with a rhubarb strawberry pie I made for my mom's birthday, shortly followed up by another rhubarb pie, and another. Then a blueberry crumb cake I made on May Day. Then there was the oatmeal blueberry breakfast cake. Then crisp after crisp after crisp for no apparent reason. And now this crumb cake. I'm out of control! I just really love to bake, I really like to share baked goods with other people, and baking with fruit almost always turns out better than baking without fruit. Here's a few photos of my recent exploits...
Rhubarb Raspberry Pie with Crunchy Sunflower Crust
Blueberry Crumb Cake with Pine Nuts
Blackberry Strawberry Crisp
Hungry yet?
My mom has a recipe for Rhubarb Cake that is absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, that is one rhubarb recipe that I don't have in my box, and my impulsive baking project last night didn't give me time to call her up. So, I came up with this, and served it to my coworkers this morning. And you know what? It is darn tasty, kind of a wholegrain healthy twist on the classic crumbcake. I actually had a different recipe all written up to post today, but was too excited about this crumb cake not to post it. Impulsive baking wins again! That other rhubarb recipe will be posted later this month, don't worry.
This crumb cake has moist, tender, dense layers of cake on the bottom and top, with a jammy layer of rosewater-scented strawberries and rhubarb sandwiched in the middle. It is all topped off with a pine nut and quinoa flake crumble topping. This cake is not overly sweet, which I like, and has a nutty, earthy flavor that is an interesting contrast to the tart berries. It could easily be sweetened up if you have a serious sweet tooth. It can easily be made vegan, doesn't use xanthan or guar gum, and can also be made totally sugar-free if you like (I used a little maple syrup along with stevia). To be perfectly honest, I increased the amount of rosewater and stevia a bit in the recipe below from what I did, because I think it needed just a little bit more. I hope it works! Again, impulsive baking and changes on the fly.
I hope you make this and enjoy it with people you love. And I can't wait to see what you make with rhubarb this month!
Rhubarb Strawberry Crumb Cake with Rosewater and Pine Nuts
yield 1 9"x13" pan, approximately 20 to 24 squares
This is an earthy, whole grain twist on the classic crumb cake. It isn't super sweet, but the rosewater adds a flowery aroma and flavor that provides a nice lightness. Since rhubarb is related to buckwheat, I thought it would be nice to use buckwheat flour, so I opted for home ground white buckwheat flour, made from whole buckwheat groats. Grinding your own white buckwheat flour is easy to do, and yields a lovely, fresh, and delicious flour. I know, I know, there are a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but I think it is worth it! Unlike many of my recipes, this uses maple syrup, about 1/3 cup in total, along with the stevia. You could substitute brown rice, agave, or yacon syrup, or possibly even vegetable glycerin for the maple syrup. If you can't tolerate any sugar-containing sweeteners, try omitting it and and using more stevia, but keep in mind you may need to add a little extra non-dairy milk to make up for the liquid the sweetener provides.
- 2 cups rhubarb, finely chopped (fresh or frozen, if using frozen do not allow to thaw)
- 2 cups strawberries, finely chopped (fresh or frozen)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (omit for ACD and add more stevia)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vitamin C crystals or 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 1/2 Tbsp rosewater
- 1/8 tsp stevia extract powder
- Cake
- 1 cup quinoa flour (or amaranth flour)
- 1 cup white buckwheat flour *see note
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
- 3/4 cup quinoa flakes
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp cinnamon or 2 Tbsp mesquite flour
- 1/2 tsp stevia extract powder (you may want to add 1/8-1/4 tsp more, the cake could have been a bit sweeter)
- 12 Tbsp cold coconut oil, ghee, or Spectrum shortening, cut into small pieces (I used a mix of ghee & shortening)
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp hot water
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (omit for ACD and add more stevia)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used homemade rice milk, but any milk should work)
Crumble Topping
- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes
- 1/4 cup quinoa flour, amaranth flour, or white buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp cold Spectrum shortening,cold ghee, or cold coconut oil, cut into small pieces
- pinch stevia powder
- optional: 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup for drizzling
Heat oven to 350º F and oil a 9"x13" cake pan.
Whisk together flaxmeal and water in a small bowl and let sit while preparing other ingredients.
While the flax mixture sits, finely chop fruit. Combine with other filling ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil while stirring, then cool for 2-3 minutes, until mixture has thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing other ingredients.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, whisking briskly to make light. Cut in cold coconut oil/ghee/shortening until mixture is evenly crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together flax mixture, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla until smooth, then add to dry ingredients, folding together until just mixed. Batter will be quite thick, but add a little more milk if it seems WAY too thick.
Immediately spread 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared well-oiled pan, then spread fruit mixture over the top gently. Spoon remaining batter over the top and try to cover the fruit as best you can, spreading gently (thin out batter a little bit if you need to with more non-dairy milk).
Mix together crumble topping in a small bowl by cutting chunks of cold oil/ghee/shortening into other ingredients until crumbly, and then sprinkle all over the top of the cake. Place cake in a preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes, until cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, place on a rack, and drizzle remaining 2-3 Tbsp of maple syrup over the top of the cake. Let cool completely before slicing, otherwise you'll end up with a very crumbly mess! Cut into 20-24 squares, and serve.
White Buckwheat flour is ground whole, hulled buckwheat groats. It has a lighter flavor and texture than the dark, regular buckwheat flour that is widely available. It lends a moist, dense texture and doesn't become dry or crumby, so it is great for baking. I have never found white buckwheat flour for sale, so I grind my own. Just place whole buckwheat groats in a blender or coffee grinder and grind until fine and powdery. If you have a Vitamix, it works perfectly and is done in seconds. Regular blenders will take a little longer. You could use regular buckwheat flour in this recipe, but it will change the flavor and color significantly. I'd recommend trying out the white buckwheat flour!
*The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
*Heads up! This post may contain some affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links you won't pay a single cent more, but I'll get a small commission that helps keep the content flowing. P.S. I only recommend products I use in my own daily life!


text:
Features in Progress
Loyal users of Voo2do,
You may have noticed that the pace of development on Voo2do has slowed somewhat. I am working on some major new features — group support, reminders, a variety of UI improvements — but I have also just started a new job. Please bear with me while I finish a few of these features, and keep on sending me your excellent suggestions!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Good company: Gov. Douglas ranks on Business Insider's list of 'The 25 Who Won the Recession'
Vermont's foreclosure rate — the lowest in the country — earned Gov. Jim Douglas the number 8 spot on The Business Insider's list of the 25 people who "won" the recession.BI writes that Douglas helped Vermont avoid the sub-prime debacle by maintaining the strict mortgage-lending laws that were in place before Douglas took office. Those conservative rules come at the cost of economic development, the brief article goes on, but also saves the state from what Douglas in a statement to the Wall Street Journal called the "abyss":"We don't benefit from the boom times, but we don't fall as deeply into the abyss when things get tough," Douglas told the WSJ.Douglas crops up among some big names on the list: Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple; Fed Chair Ben Bernanke; former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (on a comeback, BI reports); new SEC boss Mary Schapiro; and head of the FDIC Sheila Blair, among others. What do you think? Did Douglas "win" the recession?


text: The Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center is designed to highlight the town of Jim Thorpe's fascinating industrial and cultural history. The Center is housed in a high-ceilinged former church, a magnificent example of Victorian ecclesiastical architecture. Learn more about this town that took its name from the greatest athlete in the world, and where the great Olympian is buried. Be sure to view the 30-foot model of the Switchback Gravity Railroad. Museum is available for weddings and receptions. Seats 160. All amenities available for groups.


text:
Ridley Fenix, Liz and Helium SL road bikes launched
Plus disc brakes for three cyclo-cross bikes
For 2013, Ridley have created the Fenix racer, the Liz women's road bike and the Helium SL, a super-light version of the current Helium road model. The company have also gone big on disc brakes for cyclo-cross, with three bikes in the line sporting mechanical versions.
New road bikes
The Fenix has elements of Ridley's Damocles and Excalibur frames, said Ridley's US sales manager, Todd Schmidt.
"The down tube and top tube are similar in shape to the Damocles, and with that shaping you get something that is super stiff and extremely strong yet comfortable," Schmidt said of the tube-to-tube Fenix. "It has much bigger chain stays than the Damocles or the Excalibur. And the seat stays are taken from elements of the Excalibur in that they're slimmed down and tapered in the middle for comfort. Andre Greipel was riding this in the Spring Classics."
Like all Ridley's new road bikes, the 1,200g frame has a tapered head tube from 1 1/8in to 1.5in, a press-fit bottom bracket and flip-flop internal routing grommets that can accommodate standard cabling or Shimano Di2.
The Fenix will be available in October as a Shimano Ultegra bike for US$3,195
The Liz is quite similar to the Fenix, but in a women's design. The top tube arc carries into the seat stays.
"This is the first time in our ladies collection that we have a tapered fork and a full-carbon fork," Schmidt said. "Plus, the head tube is 2cm higher than last year, based on feedback from our customers."
The Liz goes down to an XXS size, which has a 50cm top tube. It will sell for US$1,595 for the frameset, or as one of two complete Shimano bikes (Ultegra for US$3,195 and 105 for US$2,495).
The new Ridley Liz is essentially a women's version of the Fenix
The Helium SL came about in response to super-light bikes from other companies, such as the Cannondale EVO and Scott Foil, Schmidt said.
Weighing in at 780g for a medium frame, the SL is 200g less than the current Helium ISP. Part of the saving has come from Ridley shedding the threaded bottom bracket cups for a press-fit 30 system.
"Plus, this [bike] has a much stiffer down tube, bottom bracket area and chain stays," Schmidt said. And, for the first time in recent company history, a 27.2mm seatpost reappears on the Helium SL. All the other bikes have 31.6mm diameters.
Built up with SRAM Red, Fulcrum wheels and the house-brand Forza cockpit, the bike weighs 14.2lb. It will retail for US$6,895 for the complete bike, or US$2,795 for the frameset.
As the name suggests, the Helium SL is a lighter version of the current Helium
For the new men's collection, geometry remains the same as on current Ridley bikes.
New cyclo-cross bikes
"We are still a small company," Schmidt said. "And to have such a deep line of cyclo-cross bikes shows our commitment to the sport. For us, cyclo-cross is not an afterthought."
At the top of the company's cyclo-cross range, the X-Night remains a cantilever brake bike. "The reason we don't use discs is that, for the top-level guys on the World Cup circuit, it's all about being lighter," Schmidt said.
The X-Night will come with Reynolds tubulars this fall
For the first time, the 2013 X-Night will come with tubular tires – Clement PDX tubies, to be exact – and Reynolds Carbon Assault wheels. Other tweaks include Di2 compatibility and a set of water bottle mounts on the down tube. With SRAM Red and and FSA SL-K Light cranks, the complete bike weighs 16.2lb and costs US$5,395. The head tube is shorter than on comparable X-Fire bikes.
"This really is a 'take it out of the box, glue the tubulars and race it' bike," Schmidt said. "But for 'cross in general it's all about disc this year. We're pulling the wagon pretty hard on that."
BikeRadar brought you the first look at the new X-Fire Disc back in May. There are two disc models for the bike – the mechanical Shimano Ultegra Disc for US$3,395 and SRAM Apex Disc for US$2,695.
The X-Fire Apex Disc cyclo-cross bike is the cheaper mechanical disc option
There's also a US$4,395 Shimano Di2 Ultegra X-Fire with rim brakes. "For the customer who's at a point that they're considering Di2 for 'cross, they probably already have a few sets of high-end race wheels," Schmidt said.
The Shimano Di2 Ultegra spec comes with Shimano Ultegra tubeless wheels and Avid Ultimate cantilevers.
The third disc-based cyclo-cross bike offered by Ridley is the US$2,195 X-Ride Disc, which is built from a triple-butted alloy frame with SRAM Apex parts.
At the entry level, the US$1,595 rim brake X-Bow features new, more compact geometry for 2013.
Ridley's X-Bow is designed to welcome new cyclo-cross riders to the sport
"This is the same frame that won two world championships in 2002 and 2003, under [Bart] Wellens and [Mario] De Clercq," Schmidt said. Back then, the bike was called the Supercross, but the X-Bow has the same double-butted alloy frame.
For 2013, it will come with eyelets on the fork, and stays to mount a rack or fenders during the off-season.


text:
Although Larry Mills has worn many hats in the music industry, his career has always focused on the success of independent artists. At age 22 he founded Atlanta based Steam Records which issued early releases by Lisa Loeb and Rusted Root. He then expanded his reach by founding Autonomous Records, helping bands like Sister Hazel and Creed penetrate markets throughout the southeastern United States. Next, he entered into music licensing as VP of Marketing and Partnerships for the trailblazing music licensing company Pump Audio and later becoming the first-ever VP of Strategic Marketing for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Mills' current company Music Media Advisors works with We Are the Hits to monetize user-generated content on YouTube.
Listen to this exclusive interview as Larry discusses his experiences in the industry trenches and shares the valuable insights he has gleaned from running two indie labels, empowering indie artists to license their music, and helping YouTube teen stars earn an income from singing cover songs in their living room. Only on Between The Liner Notes.


text:
Fly Goldfinch
FGF expertise in tailor making packages for new Zealand. With all our team members having been to New Zealand, we know the country on back of our mind. We carter to special honeymoon packages and high end family vacations.
1 / 2
FGF or Fly Goldfinch is where your search ends for the perfect vacation planner for your upcoming New Zealand trip. To sell a product you need to know your product on your tips. For the same, all our team members have been to New Zealand so as to guide you like a local. A team always seats through the night to help with any queries or questions you have during the day time in New Zealand.
We pride ourself has a team who crafts your holiday with passion. Our core areas are based on high end honeymoon couples and family who are looking for some hard core adventure or are looking for some breath talking beauty while driving the length of New Zealand.
Physical address
Fly Goldfinch, A-4/121, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Language support


text:
how to setup adobe illustrator cc +Crack
How to install adobe illustrator cc with Full version. If this video is helpfull for you, please like this video and subscribe my channel.
how to setup adobe illustrator cc +Crack
How to install:
1. Download, extract and run .exe file,
(If your antivirus blocking file, pause it or disable it for some time.)
2. Press Install button
3. Choose destination folder
4. Press Finish
How to Use:
Open destination folder and locate file notes.txt, open it and read step by step.
Please read instructions after installation.
Enjoy how to setup adobe illustrator cc +Crack.
All files are tested before published, some of files may have flagged by AV, but we assure there is no threats to your PC.


text:
Thanks to an evolution in interior design, contemporary kitchens have been classified as a necessity to transform kitchens into he heart of the home. The kitchen is now more than just a room where food is stored and prepared, it is now a place for all of the family to come together and interact.
No matter the purpose of your space, we're bound to offer a unit that meets your aesthetic and functional preferences. With sleek designs and luxurious finishes, there are limitless options from you to choose from; whether it's from our catalogues or from your own design and concept, we can make it happen.
We also give you the option to customise the materials, finishes, sizes and colours of each unit.
With kitchens by Italian market leaders such as Corazzin, Lyon and Mobilegno, you can expect nothing less than quality.
Lyon are currently promoting their two new line of kitchen designs that are Cronos and Energy.
'Cronos' is a kitchen with a versatile design that virtually occupies the room. The concept offers new aesthetic and functional solutions, such as the 'G' and 'V' handles which were created directly on the panel of the door. This not only adds detail to the composition, it adds character and creates a practically invisible handle.
With a wide variety of finishes to enhance the essence of the model, you'll be left in awe as you choose from over 35 different PVC finishes, divided into wood, opaque shades and glossy colours.
'Energy' on the other hand, is a functional, versatile, extroverted, essential and innovative project. It unassumingly interprets the modern kitchen with a young design, where the contemporary materials and dynamic elements restore creativity to the kitchen.
Feel free to have a browse through our catalogues here.
We guarantee that our kitchen furniture from Italian manufacturers are professionally designed and will last for many years. Italian kitchen furniture in performance meets all quality health and safety standards.
The most daring design ideas can be easily realized by our Italian manufacturers. We offer special interior design services for our clients, such as Interior design consultation, Space (Floor) Planning and Furniture layout. Find out more here.
If you have any questions regarding our office furniture, please contact us now by email: firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone 00 44 800 028 8112.
We deliver our goods within the UK and Western Europe absolutely for FREE.


text:
National University of Modern Languages
The National University of Modern Languages was established as an institute in 1970 to help people communicate and understand each other in different oriental and occidental languages, to assimilate different cultures and to act as springboard for emerging disciplines. Initially, the institute provided language training facilities to personnel of armed forces and other government services of Pakistan. It was upgraded to University on May 29, 2000. In achieving this benchmark of a fully autonomous University, it has crossed many barriers and achieved a status of a seat of learning contributing new knowledge in local and global perspective and now teaches 27 oriental and occidental languages in addition to a number of emerging disciplines. Now, the University has a vibrant and well-grounded research program, offering MS/MPhil and PhD research degrees in various disciplines.
The University is open to all classes and creeds, persons of sex, religion, race, color or persons with physical disabilities without any discrimination.
Located in the South West of the stunning capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, in the backdrop of Margalla Hills, it is spread over an area of 25 acres. It can accommodate over 10,000 students for on campus education. There are more than 35 teaching departments. There is a unique composition of student body in the University which comprises of foreign students from Saudi Arabia, China, Korea, Iran, Middle East, Central Asia and other countries, a large number of Pakistani students, armed forces personnel and government officers of Pakistan and foreign countries. The University has more than 500 well qualified faculty members to manage the teaching and research activities in various disciplines. The University campus consists of five multi story academic blocks and an IT block. It has four hostels for students' accommodation. More development /construction plans are in the offering to provide maximum facilities. The library of the university has over 150,000 books with facilities of information communication technology. With a large fleet of buses, it comfortably meets the commuting requirements of both students and faculty members. The University has seven regional campuses in all four provinces of Pakistan. These campuses are fully functional and offering programs in various disciplines.


text:
Posts Taggedbeauty
Beautylish is an online social network totally focused on beauty, including resources, product reviews, video tutorials, makeup tips, trends, celeb looks and more.
The iPhone app feels very much like a magazine chock-full of user-generated content. Browse what other beauty-obsessed individuals are discovering and experimenting with, plus learn how to get the cool looks they're coming up with and share your own.
Click "more" to get started. (more…)


text:
- New Jersey Grand Prix
New Jersey back on course for 2014
The promoter of the New Jersey Grand Prix, Leo Hindery Jr. is confident the race will take place in 2014 after a failure to secure local and federal approvals caused the 2013 event to be cancelled.
"We are back under construction," he told Sports Business Daily. "We have the consents in place that we didn't have last fall, and we will quite comfortably put the race on, now probably in the mid-year of 2014 with [Bernie Ecclestone's] support."
Hindery said there were two main projects which needed resolving. "One is the obvious one in that the course itself has to be paved to take out any crowns in the roadway, make it perfectly flat, and then [the FIA] demands a quality of asphalt paving that's very, very high end.
"We were on track, I thought, pretty well for June 2013 and, to be frank, we couldn't get all of the approvals necessary, most especially right around the river itself. Here in the USA, waterways are the responsibility of multiple jurisdictions. We have now all of those consents."
Hindery added that he though Ecclestone " made absolutely the right decision" in removing the race from the schedule for the current season.


text:
Forms Jobs
Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010Department: City Attorney
The Winston-Salem City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, June 7, to collect public opinion on alternative approaches to fighting graffiti: By prohibiting minors from possessing spray paint in designated areas, or by prohibiting the sale of spray paint to minors who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The proposals are drafted as amendments to the graffiti ordinance the city adopted in 2008. The City Council could consider adopting one, the other, or both amendments.
Under one proposed amendment, "It shall be unlawful for a minor to possess spray paint while in or upon any public facility, park, playground, swimming pool, recreational facility, or other public building or structure owned or operated by the city or while in or within fifty (50) feet of an underpass, bridge abutment, storm drain, or similar types of infrastructure under circumstances manifesting the intent to violate any provision of this section, unless otherwise authorized by the city.
"Circumstances manifesting the intent of a minor to violate this section include, but are not limited to:
The ordinance defines a minor as someone between the ages of 11 and 18.
An alternate amendment states, "No person shall sell or otherwise transfer any spray paint to a minor unless the minor is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at the time of purchase or transfer." Stores would be required to post a sign about the prohibition.
With either amendment, violations would be a misdemeanor and carry a fine of up to $500.
The proposed amendments are based on similar ordinances in other jurisdictions, including Statesville; Chicago Heights, Ill.; and Los Angeles County, Calif.
The full text of the proposed amendments is posted online.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
LEOPOLD - The St. Augustine Catholic Church raffle winners have been released.
The following will be listed by prize, donor, and winner.
$500, Steve Hubert; Chair, Accent, Rosemary Etienne; $50, St. Anthony Mill, Ann Anderson; $50, C&S, Dan Goffinet; Two one-day pass, Holiday World & Splashin Safari, Betty Labhart; $25 gift card, St. Meinrad Gift Shop, Dot Bayens; $100 U.S. Saving Bond, Huber Funeral Home, B. Pfeiffer; Table lamp, Ruxer Furniture, Sara Edwards; $25, Century 21-Arnold Associates, Don and Linda Gengelbach; $50, Harding Construction, Steve Hubert.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Perry County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Car Forums / Ford / Ford Focus
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Meet your fellow owners in our Owners Clubs
2008 Ford Focus
Anyone have any thoughts on the upcoming 2008 Focus.I was always put off buy the many problems that plagued the early Focus models.I wasn't going to give the Focus a look because it is based on a ten year old platform. But some of the tweaks that Ford has made sound interesting.
serenity185 Posts: 22I was considering the 2007 and 2008 Ford Focus over the summer. The 2007 would have been a great deal, but the car was just too dated at that point even though it had a lot of virtues such as a good ride/handling combo. I had hope for the '08 model, but I don't like the way it looks. It'll probably look a bit different in person, but I think that styling could be a deal-breaker.0
I actually like the new styling.I am big on fuel economy and aerodynamics. They lightened the car by 60 pounds.Also I think cutting the 2.3 liter engine is okay.I would only shop this car for the low cost SE version with a manual transmision. I question some of the phone connection options. For instance, does a voice activated text message reader encourage people to text message while driving? I hope not.The ambient color thing is harmless,as long as it doesn't cause the lights to stop working.
The good news is that the suspension tuning,noise supression,and chassis stiffining, all sound like very usefull tweaks.This will probably be the only small american car that I would shop.0
I think it is too bad that the Focus hatch back got the axe. If I had the bucks, my idea of the almost perfect sporty utility vehicle would be the 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5 door hatch.Even though it is awd and is sort of lacking in fuel economy, that is my idea of an (SUV) er I mean sporty car hatch thing.0
fomocona Posts: 19As a Ford representative I'd like to clarify the text message function of SYNC. Through voice commands you can have SYNC read your incoming text messages aloud. After reading or hearing it, the text message can be forwarded to another phone or a reply, using any of the 15 preset text messages, can be sent. However, the text message reply and forwarding mechanisms are speed dependent for safety. If the vehicle is moving more than a couple of miles per hour, then you can't forward or use the preset standard reply text messages in SYNC. For further information about SYNC, please go to syncmyride.com.
As far as the hatchback, you are correct that for the 2008 model year, the Focus will only be available as either a 2 door coupe or a 4 door sedan. There are many reasons behind the model decisions including customer feedback. If you would like to give us your feedback on any Ford product, please type "feedback" at customersaskford.com. Your comment will be forwarded to the proper department for review. Thanks.0
Synch supports all possible bluetooth phone features and through software upgrades can support future ones. BUT not all phones support all features.
Most phones will not support the text messaging. Ford has tested the most proflic phone models nd carriers at www.syncmyride.com.
Also, the same model can support different features depending on what carrier you got it from.
I ran into a guy who CHOSE an 08 Focus over a new Honda Civic AND a new Corolla! It does happen folks.. His reason was value. Like optioned the Focus was thousands less.. :surprise:0
basiliskst Posts: 55After seeing the new Ford Verve show car presaging the next small Ford, I think the production Verve (Fiesta? Who knows what it will actually be called?) will serve those who want a hatchback.
The Verve is pretty striking. The decision on the '08 Focus face lift makes more sense after seeing the rest of the product pipeline.
I just hope the UAW gives Ford time to deliver new products to market. And Ford has to do a better job selling the value proposition evidenced by recent quality and customer satisfaction surveys. Consumer perceptions are lagging behind Ford's efforts.0
They need to have the balls to bite the bullet on a product that isn't a home run.
The new Taurus and Sable do not go nearly far enough to shine in the current market.
IMHO its better for Ford NOT to be in a segment than to have a less than stellar entry.
Fords that are compelling:
New Focus,
New Expedition EL,
New Super Duty,
New Escape (more so when 3.5L and 6spd arrive.)
Products that need to improve to stand out:
Taurus X,
F-150, (still competitive but waning
Explorer, (needs more pizazz, Escape uses the same language but is much more compelling)
passat_2002 Posts: 468Parked my car at Costco today and noticed a brand-new '08 Focus Sedan parked next to me. Took a minute to look at it to see what was new. The exterior styling is at best a refresh. But the interior is drastically improved and looks considerably more upscale than before. The photos I had seen prior to seeing it in person didn't do it justice.0
Makes the old one feel like a 81 Chevette.
The seats are a big comfort improvment and the steering wheel despite not being leather in the SE has a nice squeezeability to it that the Fusion could use. Not so sure about the door panels though. Ford seems to have abandoned cloth inserts on door panels.
A reporter is interested in talking with owners of the Ford Focus who are also parents. If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to [email protected] no later than Thursday, November 27, 2007 and include your city and state of residence, the model year of your vehicle and the age of your child/ren.0
I had a chance to compare the '07 and '08 Focus sedans. I had to picture myself five years from now: which car would I rather be driving? Honestly I liked the more conservative styling of the '07 better than the wannabe-Scion styling of the '08. What sealed the deal was the large discount on the '07 because it is the outgoing model. So now I am the happy owner of an '07 Focus SES sedan, and have not regretted the decision one bit.0
Just because the platform is (almost) ten years old doesn't mean it is a bad platform. The Mustang ran on the same Fox chassis for 15 years, then on a modified version of that for another 11. So is nine years for an economy car really that bad?0
starryknight Posts: 31I looked at the 08 Focus today. I might have considered buying one except I noticed Ford, for whatever reason, took away the telescoping wheel feature. It only tilted. I like to move the seat way back and had to extend my arms too far to grab the wheel. Not very comfortable. What was Ford thinking?0
aladdinsane Posts: 182Better to ask what planet Ford is on, mate. At a time when hatchbacks and wagons are making a comeback of sorts, Ford decided to kill the 3 and 5 door Focus models. The wagon? Out too! Telescoping steering wheel? Old news...let's eliminate that also. Wow! :confuse: Then the suits at Ford wonder why the company is going south in the U.S...
I considered purchasing the '08 Focus too, but not anymore. I'm sure many out there lost interest in this vehicle line too, for whatever reason.
Peace!<-AladdinSane-<- :shades: -0
PF_Flyer Pennsylvania Furnace, PAPosts: 9,235By an odd coincidence, the Alternate Route entry today was about the comeback of hatchbacks.
Hatchback Comeback
Edmunds Moderator
Silver 2012 Nissan Versa Hatchback & White 2019 Nissan Rogue S
Need some roadside assistance? [email protected] - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Just purchased or leased a vehicle? Write your own vehicle review0
shiatt Posts: 3Well, pretty bluntly--Ford couldn't afford to refresh the hatchbacks and wagon as well as the sedan. They said that the steering wheel adjustment was nixed to help increase rigidity, but one suspects it was to save money.
I looked at the 2008 4-door sedan yesterday. We own a 2003 ZX5, which has been incredibly reliable and good to drive (if only the front seats weren't so un-ergonomic/orthopedic--did Ford patent anti-lumbar-support with these?). The new interior is a great improvement (except for the lack of an adjustable steering column); I hope to drive one soon.0
1. 4 door sedans accounted for way over 90% of Focus sales.
2. The US version of the Fiesta will most likely be a small 4dr and a 5dr Hatch, stay tuned for the 09 model year.
3. Wayne Assembly refused to adopt a competitive operating agreement prior to the new UAW contract which pretty much destroyed the business case for the hatches and wagon.
I'm not Anti-Union or anything but 2 tier wages makes sense to me. Why should Ford have to pay the guy who sweeps the floors and scrubs the toilets the same as a skilled tradesman who actually builds cars?
zombietom3 Posts: 74I went looking for Fiesta info when I saw it mentioned here once before. It looks like a case of automotive anorexia to me and could hardly grab much of the lost Escort/Focus wagon/hatchback demand in my opinion. If people want a lightweight the Fit is already well ensconced in that niche, and I think the Fiesta comes in lighter and leaner than that. Who knows whether they will put it on steroids before a US release, but I will not buy what I saw and I can't imagine many others will either.0
netranger4 Posts: 149Here in the Phoenix area, we see Mexican-built Fiestas. Spotted at least five in the last few months. Very nice looking car....much more pleasing to the eye than the now discontinued Focus hatchbacks and wagon. I'd been hoping that Ford would bring them in to the US instead of the Mazda2. Guess not. Believe that they have a 1.8 engine. Am in the Albuquerque area on occasion and see them there too.0
Think Verve:
Those are show car photos, here is the spy photo:
Notice the dramatic grill remains?0
IMHO the proportions of the current crop of B cars is all WRONG. They look squished from front to back and stretched from roof to road.
The Fit for instances looks like a toy with little tiny wheel. The Nissan Versa sedan looks like a clown car. ETC.
Mark Fields killed the Brazilian designed Ford B car because he felt it wasn't compelling enough to be a hit.
I think the Verve, sold as a Fiesta in Europe but possibly the Verve here could be a HIT on looks alone.0
I own an 06 Fusion SEL V6 and just had to test drive a new 08 Focus SES with every option available. Motor Trend ripped on the new 08 Focus like usual, so I had to go see for myself. Styling is a personal choice, for me it was ok, I thought it was middle of the road. Inside was a different story, HUGE improvements. Quality/fit/finish were very, very good for a car in this class. Motor Trend also pounded on Ford for "power" yet Ford boosted the power to match the Civic/Nissan/ or Toyota?? So what gives?? The car had plenty of pep for a car of this class. The car is very quiet and feels solid on the road. Ford did improve the Focus. For those that bother to go for a test drive and compare they will see this hands down. Focus screams value/quality. The pictures don't do this car justice. Go see for yourself.0
isseyvoo Posts: 121I wanted to buy an '06 Focus 5dr. a couple of Springs ago, but the dealer couldn't find me one with side airbags and manual transmission. He told me I couldn't order it, and I didn't want it any other way. I ended up buying a Mazda.
At any rate, I was in a parking lot yesterday and saw the "new" Focus in person for the first time. At first, I thought that (in addition to being ugly) some sort of trim piece had broken off behind the front wheel. Then, on closer inspection, I realized that it was a faux brake vent made of plastic and was INTENDED to look as out of place as it did. That alone was enough to turn me against the redesign. Didn't the stylists learn anything from Pontiac's flirtation with (and eventual abandonment of) pointless, glue-on, plastic trim pieces??? Very off-putting to say the least. At least the inside is a vast improvement.
Why the Europeans get to enjoy the Focus that shares the platform with the Mazda3 and Volvo S40 (not to mention such great cars as the Mondeo) and we are stuck with leftovers is beyond my comprehension. I WANT to like Fords. In Europe I could. But they're just hopeless in the US.0
the ZX SES and only making Focus sedans.
I was going to buy a Focus hatch because of heated seats and price.
Thanks :sick:0
the ZX SES and only making Focus sedans.
I was going to buy a Focus hatch because of heated seats and price.
Thanks :sick:0
Are you sure the '08 US model looks anything like a Focus? The lack of available telescopic steering is telling you something.
Here's what real Focus' are suppose to look like...
MkI (facelifted to look like MkII):
MkII (watch out for the bulky width wider than the 6-ft wide Lexus LS430):
http://www.forddesktops.com/show.asp?f=focus&i=European_Ford_Focus_Mk2_Saloon_01- - - .jpg
MkII (facelifted to look like MkIII):
(I think the rear visibility of the new hatch is gonna suck)
But looks like the 2.3 will not come back , while the next Mazda3 will soldier on with the 4-cyl 2.3 enlarged to 2.5 (That's very Porsche 944-ish ):
Don't worry, the Verve's looks alone will kill the sales of the current American-invented Focus. & we will be getting the MkIII real Focus in a few years -- at least the sedan version.
The Verve sedan may look beautiful -- no doubt about it, but the the lack of sophisticated rear multi-link suspension won't ride beautifully -- just check out the (un) Fit ride quality as you down grade from the Civic.
So the Verve is no substitute for the compact-size C-170 MkI Focus. Unless the MkIII Focus will trim down the excessive bulky width off the MkII, I'll stick w/ my '07 MkI Focus 2.3 ST forever :P Watch me blasting my 2.3 low-end torque out of corners w/ Quaife LSD...0
A reporter seeks to interview buyers of models equipped with Ford Sync. Please respond to [email protected] no later than Friday, February 1 with your daytime contact information and a sentence or two about why you purchased Sync.0
"Just because the platform is (almost) ten years old doesn't mean it is a bad platform. The Mustang ran on the same Fox chassis for 15 years, then on a modified version of that for another 11. So is nine years for an economy car really that bad?"
Nine years for any car really isn't bad at all, especially if the platform was way ahead of its time to begin with.
But wait a minute here. How dare you comparing this stone-age fossil -- the Mustang platform -- to the highly advanced C-170 Focus platform engineered in Germany? In fact, it was so advanced that BMW was drooling & almost bought the platform!
& I can't believe how arrogant Americans are when comes to their own automobile technological advancement. How the hell did this old Mustang, when using the same Nissan engine, kick-[non-permissible content removed] a Nissan Z-car w/ a modern Japanese platform on twisty roads doing drifts in this Hollywood movie Tokyo Drift! :confuse:
Since the '70's, the Mustang rides on an enlarged Pinto platform. Today's new Mustang rides on the Jaguar S-type platform but still using the solid rear axle, which is good for nothing except drag racing & other brawn-but-no-brain behaviors.
So the ignorant Americans should not perceive the German-engineered Focus as a modern-day Pinto, as it has nothing to do with it. The Mustang does.
Now if you don't care about the sophisticated Control Blade rear suspension in the German-engineered Focus, then a solid-axle V8 Focus may suit the taste of those who are still proud of the Mustang platform:
When was the last time you saw James Bond driving a Mustang? Today, James Bond drives the new Mondeo, which rides on an enlarged Focus platform: :P
http://bp2.blogger.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/RdJOBzwDY0I/AAAAAAAACv0/cUafR5XFwiE/s1600-h/- - - cARSCOOP_Ford_Mondeo_307.jpg0
"Today's new Mustang rides on the Jaguar S-type platform but still using the solid rear axle"
This statement is not quite correct. The Jag S/LincolnLS platform known as DEW proved way to expensive for the Mustang. After struggling to engineer the cost down to make it viable to use in the Mustang, Ford decided to adopt components from other Ford platforms, especially in the suspension department.
So where did Ford find the suspension components that eventually went into the 2005 Mustang?...Why from the European C1 Focus platform.
The Mustang platform is...You guessed it, based on the0


text:
My Husband is not Sexy anymore - my husband bores me to death
"My Husband Is a Big Bore"
By Cynthia Hanson
Her Turn
"I'm so bored in my marriage," said Emily, 36, a fifth-grade teacher and mother of two -- Lisa, 9, and Will, 6. "When Joe and I got married 15 years ago he was a great conversationalist with tons of interests, including photography, tennis, and movies. He was also attentive and romantic, surprising me with flowers and weekend getaways. Now he's so preoccupied with running his insurance agency and working on the yard that he has no time for hobbies -- or for me. If I suggest that the two of us go out to eat or to a movie, Joe says he'd rather stay home with the kids. What's more, I shoulder all the parenting responsibilities. Joe's business lets him set his own hours, so couldn't he drive Lisa to ballet or Will to the dentist once in a while? Why must I always be the one who takes a personal day when they get sick?
"On the rare occasions we make love, we just go through the motions. Frankly, I don't find him sexy anymore: He's gained weight and wears outdated, ill-fitting clothes. He looks years older than he is.
"About a year ago I became friendly with a woman who came to our school to speak about art education. Deb's a painter and a free spirit who lives off a trust fund and travels all over the world. Just last week she showed me brochures for a rafting trip and a cruise she's planning to take. I got so envious! She has no kids and is separated from her second husband, so she can paint whenever the spirit moves her. The more time I spend with her, the more tied down and dejected I feel. After her divorce is final she's moving to Tucson to open an art gallery, and she's invited me to work for her. Separating from Joe and moving to Arizona sounds wild and irresponsible -- and appealing, maybe because I've never done anything wild or irresponsible in my entire life.
"Joe was my first and only boyfriend. Sometimes, on my worst days, I wonder if I rushed into marriage at 21 to escape my parents, who were perfectionists with impossibly high standards. If I got a new haircut, they'd tell me it accentuated my chubby face. In fact, Dad was so critical of my size that I joined Weight Watchers at 16, only to be told by the program director that I was at most five pounds overweight! My younger brother, Tom, was their clear favorite. I was expected to do daily chores, but Mom still made Tom's bed when he was in high school.
"Joe and I met on a blind date set up by friends. I was a high school junior from the New Jersey suburbs; he was a college sophomore from New York City. I was instantly attracted to his good looks and by the fact that he was more mature than the boys I knew. Our conversation flowed easily, and when he kissed me good-night it was the best kiss of my life."
"Joe had all the traits I was looking for -- kindness, intelligence, ambition -- and we shared the same goals. I thought I'd found my soul mate. We dated through college and got married right after I graduated.
"Our newlywed years were happy and hectic. I taught elementary school here in New Jersey -- a career I pursued at my parents' insistence, even though I'd wanted to study library science, while Joe sold insurance, hoping to run his own agency someday. We entertained, played tennis, and took road trips. On weekends we often attended crafts shows, since I made pottery and Joe liked photography.
"Back then our only argument was about my parents, who were -- and are -- very domineering. They insisted we celebrate every holiday with them and badgered us to have a baby, stop renting and buy a starter home. Joe said I was too dependent and wanted to limit our contact, but I could never stand up to them. I still can't.
"By the time Lisa was born, six years into our marriage, we'd bought a fixer-upper on an acre of land and Joe had started his own agency. Will came along three years later and we slipped into a totally child-and home-centered lifestyle, with our 'fun' limited to family outings. Joe is obsessed with his business and what he calls our 'property,' so every moment not devoted to his job is spent working on the house and lawn. I've begged him to hire a lawn service and contractors, but he refuses.
"So now we lead separate lives, connecting only at dinner with the kids. Every night after they're asleep I read in bed while he watches TV or works on his home-improvement projects. I'm so disappointed that I don't see any redeeming qualities in Joe or believe that he'll ever make me happy again.
"Last week, when I found myself calling Realtors to find out how much one-bedroom apartments rent for in Tucson, I realized I'd hit bottom. I know I'd enjoy working with Deb in the art gallery and I think I could live without Joe, but I love my kids too much to leave them. But neither would I want to yank them away from everything they've ever known. 'I'm miserable,' I told Joe. 'Join me in counseling, or I'm filing for divorce.'"
His Turn
"So Emily thinks I have no redeeming qualities?" said Joe, 40, sighing. "That's a low blow. I may not be perfect, but I'm a loving husband, devoted father, and excellent provider. I guess that's not enough for her.
"It's true I've neglected my hobbies and I tend to talk about my business and family. But since when does Emily's happiness depend on whether I take photographs or play tennis? Besides, I could say the same about her: When was the last time she made pottery or discussed an interesting book?
"Emily can't accept that we're not footloose single people anymore. We have children to raise, careers to manage, and a house to run. We've achieved our goals, but Emily is infatuated with the freedom her friend Deb has. She's planted crazy ideas in Emily's head about the 'burdens' of marriage and motherhood. Deb's a bad influence, and as far as I'm concerned, she can't move to Arizona fast enough.
"For years now I've been walking on eggshells, fearful of Emily's bad temper and snide comments. We almost never make love; Emily has rejected me so many times I've stopped trying. She's perpetually annoyed with me. If I mow the lawn, she claims I'm more interested in it than her. She's so moody I would rather mow the lawn than be with her.
"I grew up in Queens, New York. My parents instilled strong work ethics in my sister and me, and I grew up helping my dad with home repairs. I take great pride in the way I look after our property today. And yes, I'm reluctant to pay somebody to do work I can do myself. But instead of appreciating my efforts, Emily makes nasty remarks.
"It's almost hard to believe now just how easy it was to fall in love with her. Emily was younger and more sheltered than the other girls I'd dated, but she was also more intelligent, witty, and refined. I liked her looks -- she's a pretty blonde -- and our personalities clicked. But her parents have always pushed her around, and that's been a much, much bigger problem than Emily admits. She wanted to become a librarian, but went into teaching to satisfy them. Her mother -- the most egotistical, overbearing person I've ever met -- phones eight times a day, shows up unannounced, and finds fault with everything. If Emily so much as forgets to send a cousin a birthday card, she hears about it from her mom. Emily's father is just as bad. He insists on being right and belabors every point until you give in to shut him up. I can't stand being around them, and have begged Emily to set limits. But even though she bad-mouths her parents to me, she refuses to do anything to change the situation.
"As for parenting, Emily is being unfair. Her workday ends at 3 p.m., when school is over, whereas that's my busiest time. I simply cannot scoot away from the office in the middle of the afternoon to chauffeur the kids around. When I'm not working I drive Lisa and Will to activities, help them with homework, and take them to the park. Why won't Emily give me credit for that?
"And this is the first I've heard that she hates my appearance. She's never commented on my weight or clothes before, though she did buy me some clothes that were way too trendy for me.
"Despite everything, I love my wife and can't bear the thought of losing her. I'm not mad at Emily for disliking me -- I'm just heartbroken that she feels that way. I'll do my part to improve our relationship, but she needs to do her part, too, by improving her attitude."
The Counselor's Turn
"A common predicament among couples who seek counseling is that one or both feel dissatisfied with themselves, but project that dissatisfaction onto their partners," said the counselor. "In this case, the more I heard Emily complain about her husband's shortcomings, the more I became convinced that the root cause of their marital woes was her profound personal unhappiness -- not Joe's behavior. To explain her misery, she had fixated on petty faults of Joe's, such as his expanded waistline and outdated wardrobe. I thought that if Emily felt better about herself, she would soften toward her husband and their marriage could be revived.
"First, we examined how Emily's childhood had shaped her behavior. After hearing her talk about her parents, I came to believe that both were narcissists -- manipulative attention-seekers who never take responsibility for being wrong. Adult children of narcissists are often insecure and unhappy, having tried to please their parents only to fall short again and again. Emily was typical: She did whatever her parents asked, from becoming a teacher to sending birthday cards to every distant relative, but nothing was ever enough, and she ended up angry and critical. She had unrealistic expectations for herself, Joe, motherhood, and marriage, and when life did not match those expectations, she retreated into a state of perpetual disappointment.
"'Narcissists don't take responsibility for their actions,' I told her. 'Hence, they never change. So the sooner you put some distance between you and your parents, the sooner your healing can begin.' Emily began declining their invitations, screening phone calls, and changing the subject when they criticized her. Midway through the couple's counseling, Emily's parents retired and moved to North Carolina, easing the withdrawal process. 'I haven't cut them off,' Emily said, 'but now I fight back when they try to meddle.'
"Similarly, I believed that being around Deb, whose life Emily saw as exciting and enviable, contributed to her discontent. So I encouraged her to cool things off. This proved to be fairly easy, because Deb was busy finalizing her divorce and preparing for her move. By the time Deb left, Emily was no longer under her spell."
"Next, after hearing Emily voice her regret that she didn't become a librarian, I encouraged her to enroll in a certification program in library science. Soon after being certified she found a job as a middle school librarian, which gave her a professional satisfaction she'd never known. This in turn restored her optimism and enthusiasm for other activities.
"As for Joe, he too needed to regain his spark. While he genuinely enjoyed working on the house and yard, it was partly a way to avoid Emily. I persuaded him to hire a lawn service and, when needed, contractors. He also added two salespeople to his staff, allowing him to be more involved with childcare. By watching his diet and power-walking with Emily, he lost 20 pounds and bought some new clothes that they picked out together. These physical changes brightened both their moods.
"I also encouraged the couple to hire a babysitter twice a month so they could go out alone. 'We eat out, watch movies, and have leisurely conversations without interruption,' said Emily, 'just like when we were newlyweds.' As the pair drew closer emotionally, their sex life picked up accordingly. They also resumed their art projects and even sold some pottery and photographs at crafts fairs. 'Unloading some of our stress helped us be creative again,' said Joe.
"'I've fallen back in love with my husband,' marveled Emily. 'The young me was right: Joe is my soul mate.'"
Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, July 2008.
Links for Further interest:
Read more!


text:
This topic is now open to registered users only. Register with Military Times community forums and join the discussion!
BAH Going Away?
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


text:
think (one's) shit don't stink(redirected from thought our shit don't stink)
vulgar slang To assume an air of arrogance, condescension, or superiority over others; to think that one is better or more refined than other people. Look at her, hobnobbing with the rich upper crust and refusing to come talk to us. Just when did she start thinking her shit don't stink?


text:
Listen to this article
For Hasso Plattner, co-founder and chairman of SAP, the world's largest business software maker by sales, unlocking the full potential of big data is all about speed.
Mr Plattner believes complex business analysis involving both structured data (such as point-of-sale data) and unstructured data (such as social media streams and video) that today can take a day or more to process, will soon run in less than a second thanks to a technology he helped to invent called in-memory computing.
Mr Plattner and SAP have pioneered the concept of in-memory computing – storing data in main memory that is directly accessible by the processor or central processing unit. Most databases use much slower disk storage.
In SAP's case, the database technology and tools behind in-memory computing are known as Hana (Hasso's New Architecture) and, in the face of some doubters, SAP is betting it can remake its business around it.
"I came to the conclusion a while ago that when we build next-generation enterprise systems (running against both structured and unstructured data), they have to have a response time of around a second," said Mr Plattner in a recent interview.
He explains: "We have customers that have [analytics] programs that [take] longer than a day [to run]. In most cases, we could cut this down to under 10 seconds, and with linear extrapolation [of data], we can see that in the next three years we might be able to achieve every single thing we do today in around a second.
"That sounds ridiculous, but it's technically possible. Basically, for a human eye or for a human reaction, this is real time. It is a question of investment, but it's not outrageous…several million, or probably two-digit millions for a very large company, but much less than what they pay for their computers today."
While in-memory computing is technically challenging, the concept behind it is relatively simple. As Alan Bowling, chairman of the independent UK & Ireland SAP User Group, explained recently to Computer Weekly: "Traditionally, data will be placed in storage then, when needed, will be accessed and acted upon in the computer's memory.
"This results in a natural bottleneck that reduces speed – even with the fastest SSD [solid-state] hard drives, there will still be a gap where data must be accessed, transferred to memory and then returned so the next batch of data can be used."
As volumes of data increase, so the time needed simply for access, let alone analysis, increases too. In-memory computing takes advantage of a better understanding of how data are shaped and stored, the constantly falling price of memory and the related greater affordability of faster solid-state memory to do away with the traditional concept of storage.
"Instead, data [are] stored directly in the computer's memory. As a result, when [they] need to be analysed [they are] already available and can be accessed near-instantaneously," Mr Bowling said.
That means instead of analysing data that may be days or weeks old, or settling for a subset of the full data set because of the time it would take to analyse the full set, companies can analyse and make decisions almost immediately.
The power of in-memory computing also allows companies to process much more complex data, including unstructured data, rather than having first to reformat it into a structured database.
The need for this type of computing power and performance was highlighted in a recent report from Aberdeen Research, which noted that business data were growing at an average of 36 per cent a year. "Organisations of all sizes, across all countries and industries, have to face the challenge of scaling up their data infrastructure to meet this new pressure," Aberdeen noted. In a 2011 study on the state of big data, Aberdeen's research showed that organisations that had adopted in-memory computing were not only able to analyse larger amounts of data at faster speeds than their competitors – they were also literally orders of magnitude better.
"This technology is crucial for combating big data issues that require advanced data manipulation around increasingly performance-intensive applications," says Charlotte Dunlap, a senior analyst at Current Analysis, an analytics provider.
SAP says its customers are finding a range of uses for the technology, from real-time analysis of the human genome in cancer treatment to the mapping of stars to the monitoring of changing customer sentiment on social media and undertaking predictive analysis.
For example, Colgate-Palmolive, the toiletries company, is using Hana to improve profitability analysis reporting, enabling the company to complete intensive calculations on growing product data volumes in record times.
Similarly, Centrica, the UK energy group, is using Hana to perform complex smart energy meter data analysis and to help the company's customers become more energy efficient.
One of Mr Plattner's favourite examples is Nongfu Spring, a Chinese spring-water distributor. "China has a huge transportation problem because it is as big as Europe," he explains. "Nongfu's transportation optimisation program used to run for several hours. It's now down to 3.5 seconds. Nongfu [has] saved 35 per cent [of its] transportation costs."
The leap in speed and performance claimed for Hana has made it one of SAP's fastest growing new products in years and has led other enterprise software makers, including Oracle, IBM, Software AG and, most recently, Microsoft with its Hekaton project, to follow suit.
It seems in-memory computing is here to stay and will form an increasingly important part of companies' efforts to take advantage of big data analytics.
Get alerts on Technology sector when a new story is published


text:
- "The Harry Potter Alliance fights the Dark Arts in the real world by using parallels from Harry Potter. We work for human rights, equality, and a better world just as Harry and his friends did throughout the books."
- —From the site's What We Do section
The Harry Potter Alliance is a Harry Potter activism website co-founded by Paul DeGeorge and Andrew Slack in 2005. The site is the home for an alliance of fans of the series who work together to improve conditions in the real world, including literacy, equality and human rights.[1][2]
The site was the final winner of the Fan Site award on the J. K. Rowling's official site in 2008. It was also mentioned in Time Magazine.[3]
The site includes a detailed Press section, an Action section describing how visitors can get involved, a regular blog, a shop and more.
Wrock the Vote
Wizard Rock the Vote was a collaborative effort by the HP Alliance and several Wrock bands to encourage voter turnout. Participating bands included Harry and the Potters, The Remus Lupins, Catchlove, The Whomping Willows, Roonil Wazlib, The Parselmouths, Draco and the Malfoys, The Moaning Myrtles, Ginny and the Heartbreakers, Creevey Crisis, Gred and Forge, The Hungarian Horntails, and others.


text:
Wexford Real Estate
Located off the sixth green of the Granite Bay Golf Club, Wexford is one of Granite Bay's most prestigious gated communities - the embodiment of luxury resort living. It is one of the few neighborhoods in the area to employ a full-time guard at the front gate, but residents can bypass it when accessing the course via their own private golf cart entrance.
In addition to golf, residents can enjoy two tennis courts, a basketball court, and meeting room on the shores of a private lake. The grounds are lush and manicured, but embrace the region's natural landscape with oaks, pines, and granite outcroppings integrated throughout.
Wexford is comprised of 145 custom, palatial homes. Wexford falls within the Eureka Union School District and Granite Bay High School. Eureka Union consistently holds the highest academic performance index of any district within 50 miles of Sacramento and is a major draw for the community. Nearby parks include Miners Ravine Nature Reserve, Treelake Park, Douglas Ranch Park, Sterling Point Part, Ronald L. Feist Park, collectively offer a number of playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis courts, and soccer and baseball fields.
Quarry Ponds Town Center in Granite Bay makes it convenient for residents to get tapas, Thai food, Peet's Coffee, or glass of wine. For more extensive shopping needs, Roseville Galleria and Fountain Shopping Centers have most everything you can possibly need.
Search for Homes in Wexford, CAView all Wexford listings
Real Estate
Commute to Work
No properties currently
No properties currently
No properties currently


text:
|San Jose, Calif.
|High School:
|Bellarmine College Prep
Twice an All-WCC Honorable Mention (2009 & 2010)
WCC All-Academic Team (2009 & 2010)
JUNIOR (2010): One of 11 players named to the 2010 All-WCC Preseason Team ... earned WCC All-Academic Team honors for the second straight season of eligibility ... played in 20 of SCU's 21 matches and earned all-league honors for the second straight year ... key contributor to the Broncos' WCC Championship season of 2010, tying for the team lead in goals (5) ... had 20 shots and put 13 on goal and netted a game-winner ... scored the decisive goal in a 2-0 victory over Marquette (Sept. 12) ... had at least one shot in seven consecutive October matches - during a 12-game stretch in which SCU did not lose ... scored his second goal of the year at Gonzaga (Oct. 1) ... scored two goals in three games to help SCU beat St. Mary's (Oct. 10) and tie San Diego (Oct. 17) ... scored SCU's lone goal in NCAA tournament play at Sacramento State (Nov. 18).
SOPHOMORE (2009): Outstanding sophomore season ... emerged as one of the best forwards in the league ... named an All-WCC Honorable Mention player ... also named to the WCC's All-Academic Team ... saw action in all 20 contests, starting eight ... second on the team in goals (5) and points (10) ... scored twice in the second half vs. Cleveland State (Sep. 5), netting the game-winner ... collected a loose ball in front of the net and scored the golden goal to give the Broncos a 1-0 overtime victory over Gonzaga (Oct. 30) .... scored a goal vs. Brown (Sep. 25) and San Diego (Oct. 18).
FRESHMAN (2008): Saw action in 14 games ... recorded five points on two goals and one assist ... made his first collegiate appearance of the season against Cal (Sept. 12) ... earned his first career start against USF (Oct. 24) ... scored his first two collegiate goals, including the game-winning shot, against Portland (Nov. 2) ... dished out his first career assist on Sean Danzeiser's goal against San Diego (Nov. 16).
HIGH SCHOOL: 2008 graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, Calif. ... coaches were Patrick Lowney and Jeff Rhodes ... CCS champions his sophomore year and with a 26-1-2 record his senior year also won the CCS title ... ranked third nationally ... logged more than 75 hours of community service in high school.
PERSONAL: Born in San Jose, Calif. ... parents are Charles and Sharon Masch ... dad went to Stanford and mom graduated from South Florida ... has two siblings: Ryan and Lauren ... hobbies include scuba diving ... major is finance.
Points…4…2x, vs. Cleveland State 9/5/09
Goals…2…2x, vs. Cleveland State 9/5/09
Assists…1…at San Diego 11/16/08
Shots…3…5x, vs. LMU 10/15/10
Shots on Goal…2…5x, at Marquette 9/12/10


text:
MassDOT MBTA API - Developers
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). has released a series of static and real-time data sets and feeds. The primary static data set is the MBTA's GTFS file. Real-time service alerts are provided directly by the MBTA. Feed data is available in XML, JSON, TXT, RSS and KML formats.


text:
Asparagus with Roasted Red Pepper and Prosciutto
Thick juicy spears of tender asparagus, stuffed with sweet roasted red pepper and creamy aioli, and wrapped with salty savory prosciutto. This is a great appetizer or first coarse, and can be prepared a bit in advance, served either at room temperature, or cold. It's also great for brunch.


text:
NCLB Update
Grant Awards
IDEA Determination Letters
CC Virtual Summit
Education Surveys
Title IX Anniversary
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
NCLB Update
This week's National Summit on Supplemental Educational Services (SES) and Public School Choice was an opportunity for states, school districts, SES providers, comprehensive centers, parents, and federal staff to share strategies and tips for better implementing the SES and choice provisions of No Child Left Behind. At the event, Secretary Spellings released a study on the achievement of students participating in SES and school choice in nine large urban districts. "This report reinforces what I hear from parents from across the countrythat SES is helping more students achieve," she asserted. "SES is a lifeline for students who need more resources and for parents who want more options. And, research shows that students benefiting from SES are improving in both their reading and math skills." Among the study's findings:
- Participation in both Title I SES and school choice was highest in elementary grades. Indeed, for SES, 24% to 28% of eligible students in grades 2-5 participated, while fewer than 5% of eligible students in high school participated.
- African-American students had the highest rates of participation in SES and school choice, compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Hispanic students had higher rates than white students in SES but lower rates in school choice. Also, limited English proficient (LEP) students and students with disabilities had relatively high rates in SES and relatively low rates in school choice.
- Across seven of the districts (those with at least 100 participating students with test score data), student participants in SES experienced gains in reading and math achievement that were statistically significant. In many cases, students participating for two or more years experienced gains twice as large as those of students participating for one year.
The Department's No Child Left Behind reauthorization proposal seeks to expand SES and school choice by allowing schools to make tutoring available to students as soon as they know they need improvement; providing more funding for SES to students who need more help; and giving districts more discretion in using federal funding to inform parents of their options and to operate the program. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/choice/implementation/.
The Secretary previewed the study's findings when she touted SES in a USA Today op-ed. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/edit/2007/06202007.html.
Grant Awards
Several Department grant competitions strategically invest in core academic subjects. For example, on June 14, the agency announced 52 school districts in 20 states received $8.7 million in grants to increase the number of American students learning foreign languages essential to commerce and national security. As part of President Bush's National Security Language Initiative (http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/competitiveness/nsli/), the grants will encourage students to study such languages as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Russian in programs from kindergarten to college. Currently, less than one percent of U.S. high school students study those languages, and only eight percent of U.S. undergraduates take any foreign language courses (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/06/06152007.html). Also, on June 21, the agency announced 122 districts in 40 states received $116 million to improve the quality of American history education. The Teaching American History program supports three-year projects to improve teachers' knowledge and understanding of traditional U.S. history through on-going professional development. All grantees must work in partnership with one or more organizations that have extensive background in American history, including libraries, museums, non-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/06/06212007a.html).
IDEA Determination Letters
As required by statute, the Department recently issued determination letters regarding states' implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each state was evaluated on key indicators under Part B (ages 3 through 21) and Part C (infants through age 2) and placed into one of four categories: meets requirements, needs assistance, needs intervention, and needs substantial intervention. Staff carefully considered states' Annual Performance Reports, information obtained through monitoring visits, and other public records. Overall, most states fell into the two middle categories. Nine states earned the highest rating for Part B, and 14 states earned the top rating for Part C. No states were in the lowest category on either part. For states in the lower categories, the IDEA identifies technical assistance or actions which the agency must take under specific circumstances. The Department will work with states that need assistance or intervention using its network of technical assistance centers. Determination letters will be issued annually. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/monitor/factsheet.html.
CC Virtual Summit
Yesterday (June 28), the Department hosted its second Virtual Summit on the Community College. Building upon the recommendations of the Secretary's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, the event focused on four issues: the two-to-four-year transition, approaches for serving adults and working students, accountability, and leadership. A distinguished panel of community college leaders interacted with a live audience in Washington, D.C., and four downlink sites: Coastline Community College in California, Monroe Community College in New York, Central Piedmont Community College in North Carolina, and the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin. These institutions invited area colleges, high schools, businesses, community leaders, and policymakers to participate in the summit. The broadcast will be posted online in the next couple of weeks. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cclo/.
Education Surveys
Attention number crunchers!
- According to a survey commissioned by the Educational Testing Service, when clearly defined, there is strong public, parent, teacher, and administrator support for reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (although teachers and administrators are calling for major changes). Also, the greatest segment of respondents (45%) say the federal government should play a role in funding and accountability. For more information, please go to
- To help administrators pursue partnerships with business, DeHavilland Associates polled business coalitions on their activities, interests, and experiences in working with schools. Coalitions ranked workforce preparedness as their top priority, followed by graduation rates and mastery of basic skills. For more information, please go to http://www.dehavillandassociates.com/DeHavilland
- The National Council of Teacher Quality has unveiled a 51-volume report on how policies affecting the teaching profession (preparation, licensure, evaluation, and compensation) vary from state to state. A national summary draws 10 striking conclusions. For more information, please go to http://www.nctq.org/stpy/.
Title IX Anniversary
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of Title IX, the Department's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe released a data-packed letter detailing the significant strides women have made in education since 1972. "While Title IX has attracted much attention in the areas of interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics, it profoundly affects all aspects of education far beyond the playing field," she said. Consider just a few of the statistics: from 1972 to 2005, the percentage of women who enrolled in college immediately after graduating from high school rose from 46% to 70%; between 1971-72 and 2004-05, the percentage of bachelor's degrees earned by women increased from 44% to 55%, with similar increases in master's (41%-59%) and doctoral (16%-49%) degrees; and, by 2004, 71% of female high school students had completed advanced-level biology, chemistry, and/or physics and 52% had completed advanced-level math. Yet, challenges remain. For instance, there is still a notable gap between the percentage of degrees awarded to men and women in almost all math and science fields. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague
Quote to Note
"Our ability to compete in the 21st century depends upon educating children just like the ones standing behind me.... As Presidential Scholars, you leave your high school with confidence in your ability, and you've got a great foundation for success. We want to make sure the same confidence is instilled in every single child that's getting out of high school. And so what can we do? First, we can make sure No Child Left Behind gets reauthorized."
|President George W. Bush (6/25/07),
at the Presidential Scholars award ceremony
Upcoming Events
Over the next two weeks, the Department will be exhibiting at Baltimore's sixth annual African-American Heritage Festival (July 6-8); the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's annual convention in Detroit (July 7-12); the League of United Latin American Citizens' national convention in Chicago (July 9-14); the College Board's Advanced Placement annual conference in Las Vegas (July 11-15); and the American Federation of Teachers' QuEST (Quality Educational Standards in Teaching) conference in Washington, D.C. (July 12-15). If you are attending any of these events, please stop by the Department's booth.
Credits, Subscribe & Unsubscribe
Please feel free to contact the Office of Communications and Outreach with any questions:
Director, Intergovernmental AffairsRogers Johnson, (202) 401-0026, firstname.lastname@example.com
Deputy DirectorMarcie Ridgway, (202) 401-6359, email@example.com
Program AnalystAdam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, email@example.com
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/index.html.
This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.


text:
Samsung S7500 Trebon
Read help info
When someone calls you, the number or the name of the caller is displayed and your phone plays the ring tone you've chosen. Follow these instructions to answer a call.
1. Choose option
Answer call, go to 1a.
Reject call, go to 1b.
Silence the incoming call alert, go to 1c.
2. 1a - Answer call
3. 1b - Reject call
4. 1c - Silence the incoming call alert
The incoming call alert is silenced.
If you take no further action after silencing the incoming call alert, the call continues until the caller disconnects or the call is diverted to your voicemail.
Email this article to your friend
Required information *


text:
A few weeks ago I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn't had a chance to bake much this summer. The heat wave in July just about zapped all the cooking energy out of me. Summers should be filled with homemade pies, cobblers, and sorbets, but I had been resorting to the store-bought versions instead. Which was sad, given all the bright beautiful fruits in the markets.
Or as my friend Dave said a few weeks ago,"It's one of life's great tragedies that the best season for food is the worst season for cooking."
But August? August has been almost perfect, weather-wise. Some nights it has even started to feel like fall, which I'm 100% happy about. So when my friend Veronica asked me to be a part of the Cherry Challenge that her company OXO was sponsoring with Northwest Cherry Growers, to be sent 10 lbs of cherries and equipment and make cherry-filled goodies, I was game.Read More


text:
Techdirt Is Now 100% SSL
from the it's-about-time deptBack in December, the Washington Post had an article about how news sites could go full SSL, encrypting all connections, but probably wouldn't, because most of the major ad networks simply aren't set up to handle it -- meaning that doing so, while it would protect their users, would likely harm revenue. Chris Soghoian, famed security researcher and technologist at the ACLU even claimed he was offering up two bottles of whiskey to any news site that would turn on SSL.
This actually hit home for us, because we had actually started exploring the very possibility of going full on SSL about a month earlier, and realized that we'd be giving up ad revenue to do it -- but, after thinking about it, we decided to do so anyway. Over the last few months, we've actually ended partnerships with a few ad providers who were unprepared and unwilling to support full SSL, and set ourselves up to make the full switch. In fact, we've quietly made sure that most of the site was fully SSL-capable for quite some time now. And, today, in conjunction with the Reset the Net campaign in honor of the first anniversary of the very first Ed Snowden revelation, we've officially flipped the switch to make the site fully SSL. While we've been quietly testing it for a while now, and it's been working fine, it's possible that some of you will come across errors or issues along the way -- so please let us know if you come across any problems.
I also believe that a number of other sites, including, potentially, some media sites, are making the leap as well, so we're not alone in this -- and I hope that Soghoian is busy sending out whiskey bottles (though, no need to send any here, thanks!). Either way, we believe that this is important in protecting your privacy and security, even if it means less ad revenue for us, and it's great to see websites across the internet doing a variety of things to make users more secure, whether it's better encrypting email, or adding more protection for their own users. It's a huge testament to how much Snowden has made the world aware of the importance of greater encryption.
While we still have some ads on the site -- from providers who were actually willing to support SSL -- we are still taking a cut in revenue in doing this. As such, if you'd like to help keep this site going strong, we'd like to remind you of the other ways you can support us via the Insider Shop, where you can become an Insider, and get access to our Insider Chat or the Crystal Ball to get access to stories before anyone else. Or you can go all in with the Behind the Curtain offering, giving you access not just to the Insider Chat and the Crystal Ball, but the special "Crystal Ball Plus" that shows you many more stories before everyone else. See stories we're working on days or even months ahead of time -- and talk about them with us as well. We also have opportunities to get lunch with me or, even, spend a whole day with us (this has been a lot of fun for the folks who have done it). We also have a bunch of merchandise, including our popular "seized" t-shirt. If you don't want to do any of that, then just keep on doing what you've already been doing, coming here every day, reading, sharing, commenting and discussing. Just know that you're doing it in a way that protects your privacy.
Filed Under: privacy, reset the net, security, ssl