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January 2017 Volume LII Number 1
Dental Home Day Turns Five
Time sure flies. While that's hardly an observation for the ages, it certainly applies to Dental Home Day. The 2017 Dental Home Day will be at Children's National Health System on Wednesday, May 24, during AAPD 2017 in Washington, D.C.
It will be our fifth annual Dental Home Day, which has been sponsored each year by Sunstar Americas, Inc. The event is designed to give back to the AAPD Annual Session host community by providing care for up to 100 children, providing participant children with ongoing care for the following year, and raising awareness of the importance of child oral health.
Every Dental Home Day has been different.
• AAPD 2013, Orlando—Our host clinic, Orange Blossom Family Health Center, made our first Dental Home Day a huge success, with more than 90 children receiving care that day. More than 50 AAPD volun- teers participated.
• AADP 2014, Boston—Tufts University School of Dental Medicine played host to our second Dental Home Day. More than 50 volunteers, dental students and pediatric dental residents saw nearly 80 children that day.
• AAPD 2015, Seattle—The Center for Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Washington cranked up our third Dental Home Day, with 40 volunteers, dental students and pediatric dental residents seeing 156 chil- dren (only four missed appointments). The Center also saw every wait-listed child following the event.
• AAPD 2016, San Antonio—The School of Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio upped the Dental Home Day stakes, holding the event in two locations: their new dental school clinic and their community-based clinic. Between both locations, UTHSCSA saw more than 200 patients!
• AAPD 2017, Washington, D.C.—We're anticipating the 2017 event will care for 100 patients – the major- ity of whom will be special needs or medically-compromised children. It will be our first Dental Home Day held in a children's hospital.
Thanks to the generosity of Sunstar Americas, Inc., volunteers, and host clinic personnel, more than 500 chil- dren since 2013 have received care because of Dental Home Day. And 100 more will receive care on May 24.
There are many intervention events held around the country. They usually cover a day or so and they're over. Yes, these events can provide interim relief for children in need, but where do these children go after the last patient has been seen and the event pulls up stakes? Yes, some care is better than no care, but that's why Dental Home Day is a day of service and a year of care. We hope it's the beginning of a lasting patient/parent-dentist relationship.
Dental Home Day is the embodiment of our entire approach to grantmaking. We do our best to ensure every dollar we grant supports activities that are designed to keep children in care throughout the year.
We can't do any of this without your support. Thanks to you, HSHC grantees give kids smiles every day!
Click here for a PDF version of this article.


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Stress in the digital workplace
"Stupid ****** system!" is certainly something that many people have muttered at work; over computer systems, databases, intranets that are hard to navigate and impossible to comprehend – but that you have to use, nevertheless.
Badly designed and implementd computer systems have created several new kinds of work-related stress. And the gap between the many burdensome systems we are forced to use at work, and the smart, pleasant applications we use as consumers (as in our smartphones), is actually widening.
Furthermore, IT systems are a major force behind the re-shaping work towards more and more 'command and control', and behind the rise of the 'audit society' and a "Bureaucracy 2.0" in many organisations.
This is a blog about the problems, and the solutions.
Recent comments
- En organisation utan uppåtgående information om Who SUNCS at your office? Probably everyone.
- When "delightful complexity" is relevant – and when it's not | Stupid **** system! om We demand consumer-grade usability at the office!
- When "delightful complexity" is relevant – and when it's not | Stupid **** system! om Who SUNCS at your office? Probably everyone.
- Who SUNCS at your office? Probably everyone. | Stupid **** system! om We demand consumer-grade usability at the office!
- We demand consumer-grade usability at the office! | Stupid **** system! om Who SUNCS at your office? Probably everyone.
Kategoriarkiv: Uncategorized
Proud recipient of the Grand Prize for Human-Computer Interaction
I'm extremely proud to be the recipient of Sweden's finest award in human-computer interaction: Stimdis's Grand Prize. Stimdi is the Swedish professional organisation for everyone active in HCI, in interaction design (IXD), user experience (UX), information architecture (IA) and all … Läs mer
We demand consumer-grade usability at the office!
We're very happy to welcome the distinguished Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton to the ranks of our campaign for consumer-grade usability in enterprise software. She joins her colleague, the former Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Bildt, who … Läs mer
"Workplace Tetris"
Fun metaphor from a great talk by @oscarberg of The Content Economy, given at Intranatverk, the intranet conference in Gothenburg (May 21, 2013).
UX Podcast about "Stupid bloody system!"
Per Axbom, James Royal Lawson and me talking about poorly designed digital systems and the work related stress this causes. Where did it all go wrong? How do we fix it? Can we fix it? Listen to it here: Episode … Läs mer
My talk at Euro IA 2012
Now with full and corrected speaker's notes.
New edition of "The design of everyday things" in August
Donald Norman just tweeted: "Design of Everyday Things, Revised now on track. Pub date August. Same length but w/ new examples, HCD methods, signifiers – eBook in color." Cool! "Signifiers" is what Norman now prefers instead of "affordances", the term … Läs mer
It's the user-testing, stupid
One of many bad ideas: not to do user testing. "… ORCA, [the Romney campaign's] much-touted computer system for tracking voters on Election Day, collapsed. It was supposed to be a high-tech approach to poll-watching, a system by which campaign … Läs mer
Onceability: The consequence of technology rot
(Note: I wrote this some time ago for the Inuseful blog – my only English post in an almost entirely Swedish blog. When starting up this English blog, it seemed appropriate to include it here.) I installed a wireless network … Läs mer

subset: commoncrawl


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A severely disabled man stranded on a school bus over a brutally cold night has gone home from a Brooklyn hospital.
A spokeswoman says Edwin Rivera was discharged from Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center on Monday, five days after he was found curled up in a parked bus. Prosecutors say the 22-year-old was stuck there for more than 17 hours after leaving his special-needs school.
Rivera has cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate verbally.
Authorities say bus matron Linda Hockaday knowingly left Rivera to rush off to an appointment. She has been fired and arrested on a reckless endangerment charge.
Hockaday's lawyer has suggested the bus driver should bear some of the blame.
A telephone number for Rivera's family rang unanswered Monday.


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 220.127.116.11
Forum Moderators: martinibuster
However, when the page shows up in SERPs for what is likely a "common search phrase", the old description shows up. This has been repeatable for multiple searches over the last day and a half; I don't believe it is the result of multiple data centers.
Has anyone else noticed this effect? If it is a known effect, what is the cache latency for common search phrases?
The quick cache updated its copy of my page in the last few hours. On a very specific (but not so common) 3-word search phrase, the page is listed in the #4 slot and shows current information. The slow cache has a snapshot of my page from maybe a month ago. On a less specific but likely common 2-word search phrase, my page is in the #161 slot, and the description is based on the info in the slow cache. The cache links really point to two different generations of my page.
After seeing this effect for several days, I'm almost certain it is not due to a random delivery of info from different data centers. There is something very specific which causes it to use the slow cache for the common search phrase and the fast cache for the more specific phrase (and various other uncommon phrases).
-- Rich
If you are right then you are on to a great point. I am thinking back now to the time when Y dropped G search results. I have another site and we were working on optimizing for a keyword with over 3 million pages competing. We played with it and within a week or two of the switch we were in the top five - usually 4 or 5 - sometimes 3 if we were lucky. Then sometimes we disappeared and I attributed it to datacenters - but then we disappeared for several weeks altogether - only to reappear with two pages - one holding the #2 and another holding the #3 spot where we have been locked since then. In light of your slow/fast cache theory, maybe the fast cache picks things up that would rank well and throws them up in the SERPs - then it takes some time for it to digest into the slow, lasting cache. What do you think? How sure are you of this cache theory as it relates to the SERPs?
-- Rich
The sequence might work like this.
1) take the quick (fresh) cache off line
2) do lots of heavy database pre-processing on it for optimization
3) replace the previous slow cache with the newly optimized one
4) build up a new quick/fresh cache
5) rinse and repeat every few weeks
-- Rich
For what it is worth I've been seeing these two sets of SERPS for some time.
Previously I was just interested in watching - moving from position 1 to 3 then back to 1.
But to move from 1 to +200 has be a littl emore worried!
So the subsequent question would be, what to do to get the pages into the "slow" more permanent cache?
One thing changed today, though. The page's description had always begun with the contents of its meta description tag. Now the listing only contains visible content from the page itself.
-- Rich
They show this only when you type the domain name in the search box. It is still the old cache when you type the Company name...
That's not really applicable in my case. There is no company; I have a personal, non-commercial site. And with the updated cache, they are beginning the page's description once again with the contents of its meta description tag.
-- Rich
On the much more common 2-word search, the older version (25 days old) still shows in the cache, and SERP position remains in the mid-130's. I'm hoping when the cache's resynch, my page position will get better than the 60% improvement for the 3-word search.
-- Rich


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The report "Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006," published last week by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, blasted democratic processes in Russia and the current situation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights protection.
"The Federation Council [the upper house] views the report as interference in Russia's internal affairs and those of other sovereign states, and as an unfriendly act capable of provoking extremist sentiments, and categorically opposes the accusations against Russia as ungrounded," the statement says.
Lawmakers said that the report demonstrated that the U.S. State Department's political interests covered Russia's legislative branch, the election system, political parties, NGOs, mass media and business associations.
The Russian government has faced criticism from Western leaders for restrictions imposed on rights groups and NGOs operating in the country, and the issue is often cited as an example of Russia's alleged backsliding on democracy.
The April 6 report said in particular that if it was not for the United States and its embassy in Russia, which supported various NGOs and democratic initiatives, the political and social situation would have deteriorated much further in the country.
"With U.S. support, NGOs continued to monitor the work of deputies in regional legislatures, encouraging interaction between constituents and their elected officials and promoting good governance. Sixteen U.S.-supported coalitions of business associations united more than 170 associations nationwide; these groups won at least 30 legislative changes in various regions of the country. The ambassador met with the head of the Central Election Commission and with political party leaders, including opposition leaders, throughout the year to emphasize the need for transparent and fair elections," the report said.
"Considering this, the Federation Council states that Russia is a free and sovereign state which has conducted independent domestic and foreign policy for centuries and does not intend to break this tradition today," the Russian senators said.
They voiced their particular concerns over U.S. attempts to be a mentor to democracy in Russian political processes, and also to participate in them pursuing its own interests, an activity they said had been boosted in view of upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.
"In this way, the ground is being prepared for a deliberately negative assessment of the election campaign and the outcome of the popular vote," the senators said.
Members of the lower house, the State Duma, said they would demand that the government, prosecutors and the Public Chamber, a body set up to act as a bridge between society and the state, ensure the observance of a new, more stringent law on NGOs in Russia and check their financial sources. Under the law, NGOs are prohibited from receiving funds from foreign states for political purposes.
The U.S. "will not take the modern realities of Russian public life adequately, trying to influence the political situation in our country," lawmakers said.
Confirming a desire to continue the constructive development of Russian-American relations, the upper house called on the U.S. to respect the rights of sovereign countries and democratic basis for nations' life.
Senator Viktor Ozerov, who heads a defense and security committee, said democratization in line with American standards can cost nations dearly and that implementing goals to democratize Russia and other former Soviet republics "has led to sad consequences in some independent states."
"The infamous 'color revolutions' and developments in social, political and economic life in Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan demonstrate this," Ozerov said.
He said the State Department's report was of a provocative and doctrinal manner with clear guidelines designed to pressure Russia and other countries.
Ozerov said the report contained ungrounded accusations against security bodies, which he said the authors blamed for "all the miseries and failures in our democratic development."
He called on the U.S. to start analyzing their own human rights and democratic principles, adding that there was enough proof of their democratic backsliding in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons, CIA secret jails and "the democratic actions" in Serbia and Iraq.
Discussions in the Federation Council were distinguished by calls to set up a fund to develop democracy in the U.S.
"Let us establish a fund for supporting democracy in the U.S. and allocate funds for this purpose," senator Valentin Zavadnikov said.
His proposal was backed by Deputy Speaker Svetlana Orlova: "We should offer them loans and hold forums and seminars [in the U.S.] teaching democracy."
She said the U.S. position on Russia was caused by Washington's concern that "the world was changing and many countries were becoming more democratic that the U.S. itself."
Citing an example of U.S. undemocratic conduct, Orlova gave an insulting fingerprinting procedure one has to undergo in order to obtain a U.S. visa.
"Imagine that! I was supposed to have my fingerprints taken! We should demand the same from the deputy speaker of the U.S. Senate so that he can get a Russian visa," she said.
Senator Sergei Lisovsky proposed considering economic sanctions against the U.S.
"The State Department's next step after the report will be to impose economic sanctions against our country, and we do not even expect this," he said.
"We should make the government notice these unfriendly measures and find some economic levers of influence," he added.


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- Business hours
- Open 24 hours
- Kitchen hours
- Kitchen may not always be open during business hours. Call ahead to be sure.
- Credit Cards Accepted
- No
- Parking
Valet: Unknown
Parking fee: Unknown
- Attire
- Casual
The restaurant part of the operation opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It operates from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Is something wrong with the information on this page? E-mail us at:


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As you grow old, you will think that there is no way for your mental capability to go but down. Truth is, you can be able to develop your mind no matter how old you are. In fact, here are some ways on how you can do so:
- Exercise properly.
When you see people with bulky muscles and big body, you will surely think that they are just meatheads– all body and no brain. Because of this, people never consider exercising as one way to achieve a smarter mind. For your information, it is about time that you change your mindset about people who exercise and have strong body. Truth is, the blood flow to your brain is restricted when you are unfit. The unhealthier your body is, the harder it is for you to think. If you wish to get smarter, you need to have a sound body.
- Get good night sleep always.
If you wish to maintain, even improve, your brain abilities, then having enough hours of sleep in a day is a must. In the event that getting full hours of sleep at nighttime is quite difficult, you can try taking a nap during daytime. When you sleep well, you can be able to regulate your mood which helps to promote logical thinking.
- Exercise your brain.
We all know that exercises can help us to keep our bodies in tip top condition. This is also the same with mental health. The more you exercise, the more mentally strong you will become. If you wish to become smarter and you wish to become smart for the rest of your life, then take some time to exercise your mind with the help of some thinking exercises, games, puzzles and many more.
Meditation is not just for the soul, it is for the brain too. When you meditate, you will employ some techniques that can help you to become more mentally alert, allowing you to think sharply at all times. Additionally, the relaxation techniques that are used in meditation is beneficial to our cerebral cortex which is the part of the brain that we use in solving problems. Practice meditation everyday so you can have a sharper mind.
- Eat a balanced diet.
As they say, you are what you eat. When you eat healthy foods, then you will also be healthy– both physically and mentally. Because of this, it is best that you eat a balanced diet and try to consume more of these foods: salmon, eggs and nuts.
Help others to achieve a smarter and sharper mind by sharing to them the tips given above. Share this post now and let people know that there is a chance for them to become brighter.


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Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! Or is it fill that balloon?
In the next week, students will be designing, testing, modifying and racing a balloon powered car. The goal of this project is to get them to see how Newton's Laws are at work in the car. How a car with lower mass is easier to accelerate (Easier to overcome its inertia) and that that acceleration will be greater because of the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration (Newton's second law). They will hopefully also be able to make the connection of Newton's third law and figure out exactly what force is propelling the car forward. The project guide along with the deadlines is below. Please take some time to review the materials and CONTACT ME if you have any questions. Thanks!
Project Guide (With All Four Parts)
- Part 1: Monday 11/16 (20 pts)
- Part 2: End of Class Tuesday 11/17 (40 pts)
- Part 3: Beginning of Class Thursday 11/19 (50 pts)
- Race Day: Friday 11/20 (50 pts)
- Part 4: Monday 11/23 (The whole packet will be collected this day) (10 pts)
Total Project Points: 170 points (This will be weighted in fast direct to reflect a normal test grade)
Note: If a part is not completed by its given deadline a 25% reduction PER DAY will be applied until it is completed. Students need a teacher signature to advance through each part so it is important that each part be completed on time.


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Will This Be on the Test?: Making Content Relevant
Rae Pica with Andrea Brixey, Glen Lineberry, Mary Beth Hertz
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges you face as a teacher is making content interesting to all of your students, all of the time. Is this even possible? If so, how? Our panel of experienced teachers share what they've learned about this from practical experience..
Follow: @AndreaBrixey @mbteach @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork
|Play Episode
|Subscribe on iTunes


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Audio Player
Well, if you've been here, you'll know we're learning what God has to say to us through the story of Ruth. And I think the best way to start is to remind you of…
The Story So Far
So imagine a timeline, with us at the 2017 end of it. Now go back 2,000 years and you get to when Jesus lived here on earth, died on the cross and rose again to show he's the rightful King of everyone and everything. That's what the New Testament part of the Bible is about. Then go back before Jesus and you get into what's in the Old Testament part of the Bible. For example, 1,000 years before Jesus you get back to David. He was the king God gave his people Israel – both to lead them and to start teaching them the idea that Jesus would one day come as the rightful King of everyone and everything. And 300 years before that you get back to Moses, and God rescuing his people from Egypt and then taking them into the land he'd promised them. And somewhere in between Moses' time and David's time comes the story of Ruth.
So in chapter 1 we met Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi – in what looked a hopeless situation. Both had lost their husbands and had no children to provide for them. And Naomi had also lost the family farm, so they had no way to provide for themselves. But God had provided for hopeless situations like that in the law he gave through Moses. It's easy to think of his law as something negative – but it was an expression of his love. And God's law said that if you were a near relative of someone like Naomi, and had the money, you should buy back the land for her. And God called that acting as a redeemer – because to 'redeem' something means to buy it back. So look at the part of God's law which provided for that. It said (Leviticus 25.25):
"If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold."
So then in chapter 2, we met this man Boaz – who began to help Ruth and Naomi with amazing kindness, which makes you wonder whether he was maybe beginning to have feelings for Ruth. And Naomi then spills the beans to Ruth that Boaz is actually a near relative of hers – which means he could act as a redeemer for them. So in chapter 3, Naomi engineers a meeting between Boaz and Ruth, hoping that he'll both commit to acting as their redeemer and propose marriage to Ruth – which would provide amazingly for both of them.
Now you've probably heard of some unusual marriage proposals. For example, when Ken Matthews (on the church staff) proposed to Fiona, he did it by sticking each word to a tree in the line of trees which Fiona walked past each morning: 'Fiona – will – you – marry – me – ?' (And, as it happened, she walked past it that day without noticing!) Well things were even more unusal with Boaz and Ruth. Because instead of waiting for him to propose, she jumped in and said, 'Will you marry me and act as our redeemer?' So let's turn in the Bibles to where we left off last week and see what Boaz's answer was. So we're starting at Ruth 3.11-13, where Boaz says to Ruth:
"And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet… there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you."
So Ruth had said, 'Will you marry me and act as our redeemer?' And Boaz's answer was, 'Yes… but…' And the 'but' was that there was a nearer relative who had the right to act as Naomi's redeemer – so he'd have 'first dibs' on helping them, and he'd have to be asked first. So chapter 3 ends with a cliffhanger:
Ruth: 'Will you marry me and redeem us?'
Baoz: 'Yes… but it depends how the conversation with this other bloke goes in the morning.'
So let's find out how it did go in the next part of the story – where the next thing we see is…
1. The Costliness of Redemption
So look down to Ruth 4.1. This is the morning after the proposal the night before:
"Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there."
And back then, the town gateway was like a courtyard where you did public business. Read on (v1-2):
"And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken [in other words, this nearer relative], came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. And [Boaz] took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down."
So they're all very obedient. Boaz says 'Sit' and they sit – he'd have made a good puppy trainer! And the ten elders were there to be legal witnesses – like a registrar. Verses 3-4:
"Then [Boaz] said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech [that was Naomi's husband who'd died]. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it.""
So it's another cliffhanger – it's like an episode of Downton or Poldark. Is the apparently developing relationship between Boaz and Ruth going to be cut in on by this other bloke? Well read on, verse 5:
"Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.""
Now earlier, we looked at that law about acting as a redeemer to help a needy relative. And it said nothing about marrying them. But there was a different law which said that, in some circumstances, if my brother died childless, I should marry his widow to try to continue his family line. And that's the idea Boaz seems to have here. The law about redeeming relatives doesn't mention marrying anyone; and strictly speaking, Naomi was the widow Boaz was related to and had a responsibility to help. But Boaz rolled Naomi and Ruth into one and said to this other bloke, 'Redeeming Naomi involves marrying Ruth – at least, that's what I'm prepared to do for them.' Which is meant, perhaps, to raise the stakes in front of the watching witnesses: is this other bloke prepared to do that?
Now up to that point, this other bloke's calculations would have gone something like this: 'OK, there'd be an outlay of money and Naomi to look after. But the money would buy a farm, which would become mine when Naomi dies. And Naomi is past having children – so it's just a matter of one extra mouth to feed plus kitting out a granny flat. So it's a no-brainer – I'll do it.' But what he hadn't calculated for was Ruth. So all of a sudden he's thinking, 'Hold on… Ruth isn't just an extra mouth to feed – she's young enough to have children. And that's not just more extra mouths to feed: if she has children they'll inherit the farm – so having paid for it, I'll lose it again.' And so this time, he calculates it as a no-brainer the other way – verse 6:
"Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.""
And so Boaz does. Skip to verses 9-10:
"Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech [Naomi's husband who had died] and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon [Naomi's two sons who had also died]. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.""
Now let me clear up something that may have bothered you. This Bible translation talks about Boaz wanting to 'acquire' Ruth and having 'bought' Ruth. But the original language doesn't actually say that. And it would be better to translate it as Boaz saying, 'In acquiring or buying back this family's farm, I'm also taking Ruth to be my wife in the process' (or 'into the bargain', as we might say). The point is: the Bible does not see a wife as her husband's property. In fact, the Bible was unique among the surrounding cultures of that time, in teaching that men and women were equal and that wives were to be the friends, companions and lovers of their husbands – rather than the servants or 'property' of their husbands.
So having ironed that out, what's the point of this first bit of chapter 4? The point is: that we see the costliness of redemption. What you see in this other bloke is the calculation of self-interest. You see the business-minded man doing the sensible thing. But in Boaz, you see the costliness of redemption, as he throws calculation to the wind and makes Naomi and Ruth's interests his own – at whatever price to himself it will take.
And at one level, going back to the timeline we imagined at the start, Boaz is being held up to us as an example to follow as we live for Jesus – an example of costly love that's really prepared to make the interests of others our own, however involving that may get. But at another level, Boaz was pointing forward to Jesus. Because, in one way or another, everything in the Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus – so that when he came we'd be able to understand who he was and what he came to do. And the New Testament says that what he came to do was to redeem us by his death on the cross. So for example, Ephesians 1 says to anyone trusting in Jesus:
"In him [in other words, in Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…"
(Ephesians 1.7, NIV 1984)
And if we ask, 'But what does redemption mean?' the New Testament sends us back to the Old Testament to find out – the Old Testament is like our dictionary of terms for understanding Jesus. So you can go back to the book of Exodus and see on the grand scale how God redeemed his people from slavery in Egypt. And that shows you what redemption means. Or you can go back to Ruth and see on the highly personal scale how Boaz redeemed her. And that shows you what redemption means. It means finding someone in a hopeless situation, making their interests your own responsibility, and paying the price of putting their situation right again. And that's what the Lord Jesus did on the cross – when he found us in the hopeless situation of facing judgement, made our sins his own responsibility, and paid for our forgiveness by taking on himself the punishment they deserved.
And this bit of chapter 4 gives us a glimpse of what must have gone on in the mind of the Lord Jesus as he committed himself to doing that for us. Because it underlines the costliness of redemption – and how it's the complete opposite of self-interested calculation. After all, think of Boaz marrying Ruth. Marriage is about the most uncalculated, 'un-sensible' thing you can possibly do. Because as one Christian writer puts it:
"Marriage is a relationship far more engrossing than we want it to be. It always turns out to be more than we bargained for… and that's exactly the way it was designed to be. [It is] to urge us into the deep and unknown waters… of real love. [And] its closeness is bought at a cost [which] is… nothing less than one's own self."
(The Mystery of Marriage, Mike Mason)
And that's why the New Testament uses marriage as the picture of our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Because it cost him the cross, so that he could commit himself to us forever, like a perfect husband. So what Boaz thought and did here isn't just an example for us, it's a pointer to what the Lord Jesus thought and did for us in going to the cross.
So the first thing to see in this part of the story is the costliness of redemption. But the other thing to see is that…
2. Lives lived for God serve his plan – even if we can't see how at the time
So back to this gathering at the Bethlehem town gate. Boaz said, 'I'm redeeming Naomi and taking Ruth as my wife… You are witnesses this day.' And look at verse 11:
"Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. [And then they pray:] May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.""
In other words, 'May Boaz and Ruth have children.' Which is a good thing to pray for a married couple, and a good thing to pray at a wedding – because children can't be taken for granted. Because they're not a right, but a gift from God. And marriage doesn't guarantee the gift – after all, chapter 1 says Ruth was married to her first husband for ten years – apparently without children. And it is a mystery of God's sovereignty over a fallen world, why some couples go through so much painful waiting and disappointment before they conceive, and why others face the pain of discovering they can't have children of their own at all. But those hard, inexplicable things do serve to remind us that children can't be taken for granted, and that we need to take this area of our lives to the Lord in prayer.
But then notice why they're praying for Boaz and Ruth to have children. It's so that they'll build up God's people, numerically. Look halfway through verse 11 again:
"May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel."
So Rachel and Leah were Jacob's two wives who bore most of the sons who then fathered the twelve tribes of Israel. Now that polygamy was not God's will – that part of the story carries an implicit 'Do not do this at home' message – but God used it to serve his plan. And where would we be if he wasn't able to use sinful people like us, and sinful situations, to serve his plan?
And the people here in Ruth 4 prayed for Boaz and Ruth to build up God's people numerically in a similar way. Because in Old Testament times, God's saving plan involved his people being a nation – so that Israelites having children was really significant in serving his plan. But since Jesus, having children doesn't have the same significance in God's saving plan. We still live in a creation that needs the procreation and nurture of the next generations, and he wants Christian parents to nurture their children in the atmosphere of the knowledge of the Lord. But when it comes to salvation, God isn't working any longer through one national people. He's working though the international body of all who trust in Jesus – which you don't join by being born, but by being born again spiritually. So I pray that my physical children will also become my spiritual children, by God bringing them to faith as Tess and I (with the help of you, our church family) teach them Christ. But whether we're married or single, and whether or not we have physical children, we can all serve God's plan as we work and pray for him to add more spiritual children to his family through our sharing of the gospel. And remember: his family is the ultimate – and ultimately lasting – family; not the biological family.
But the final thing to notice is that they prayed for children – or a child – who'd be really significant in God's plan. Look down to verse 12, to end with. They prayed:
"…and may your house [in other words, family] be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman."
No reason you should know, but Perez was thought of as especially important and significant in the tribe of Judah, which Boaz belonged to. So these people were praying for offspring as significant as that. And little did they know how low they were aiming! Because little did they know that Ruth's baby Obed would have a son called Jesse, who would have a son called David, who would become the king of all Israel – and even more significantly, would be the start of the royal family line into which Jesus would be born as the rightful King of all.
Ken will unpack that more in the last of this series. But the point for now is that, in their time, Boaz and Ruth had no idea of the significance of their lives and marriage and child. We can see it, looking back. But at the time they had no idea. They just felt like ordinary little people living ordinary little lives. As I guess we mostly do (if we're being humble, anyway). So we watch the Olympics or true life story films like Hacksaw Ridge to see the extraordinary. But most of us are just plugging away as ordinary people in ordinary jobs and ordinary family life facing the ordinary struggles and problems of life. And some of us have had that 'mid-life crisis' of realising we're never going to be more than that, now. And others of us have had that later-life crisis of wondering what our lives have really counted for.
And the reassuring answer of the book of Ruth is that lives lived for God do serve his plan – even if we can't see how at the time. We may not be that much or achieve that much in the world's eyes. But if, like Boaz and Ruth, we simply seek to live godly lives, then God will take and use that godliness to serve his plan.
And one day, in heaven, we'll fully and finally see how.


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What to Expect Before Getting LASIK Surgery
LASIK is a popular surgical procedure used to correct conditions that affect vision such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Almost all patients will gain their desired vision after the procedure. Also, while changes made to the cornea cannot be reversed, in most cases, patients have reduced or lost altogether their dependence on using eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Before scheduling a LASIK session, you have to meet with an eye surgeon who will discuss what to expect during and after it. An evaluation of your medical history will be performed along with a thorough examination of your eyes. These steps are needed to determine whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. If you are wearing contact lenses, it is strongly advised that you do not wear them for at least three weeks before your evaluation.
At this point, you should also tell the doctor about the medicines you are currently taking (including over-the-counter products) and other medications that you might be allergic to. Take time to weigh the possible risks and benefits of undergoing the procedure, asking your eye doctor for input as needed.
Remember that the results of the LASIK procedure cannot be reversed. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor for detailed information about it.
Keeping the Windows to the Soul Clean and Clear
Ask anyone about which sense they fear losing the most, and a majority would definitely give "eyesight" as their answer. It's not difficult to understand why: humans function and react based mainly on what they can see. Eye doctors can attest that only with proper care and maintenance will our eyes serve us well in our lifetimes, with little or no impairment whatsoever.
Eat right to see right
Proper nutrition will help keep your vision clear as well as maintain overall health. Vegetables like carrots contain Vitamin A that is beneficial to eye health; a deficiency in this important nutrient often results into xerophthalmia, or drying of the eyes which could lead to permanent blindness. Food that contains antioxidants and zinc is also good for the eyes.
Eye ailments
If you were born with defective eyes, you could develop congenital eye disorders such as astigmatism, myopia, and glaucoma. These can be corrected via surgery, eyeglasses, or eye drops. Patients with cataracts and macular degeneration should consult an ophthalmologist.
Adequate protection
Each time you go out into the world, anything from a speck of dust to sunlight can result in eye discomfort and might even escalate to something serious. Use protective eyewear when travelling or working with industrial equipment to avoid flying debris. Dark sunglasses with ultraviolet-rated protection should be used to prevent damage caused by intense light. Also, avoid rubbing your eyes with your hands and reading in dim light.
Answers to Common Questions about LASIK Surgery
Most people are aware that LASIK surgery is a procedure that aims to restore a person's efficient vision. However, some of its aspects are still unknown to most people. As such, here are the answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions regarding LASIK surgery: Continue reading →
What Happened to the EENT Doctor?
At one point in time, some doctors specialized in eye, ears, nose, and throat health. They were known as EENT doctors. However, all these changed in 1979.
Ophthalmology and otolaryngology grew together during the early 20th century. In 1903, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology was formed, dedicated to the major advancement of both fields. Its recruitment base expanded from the New England area to the rest of the United States. Continue reading →
All About Astigmatism
Does your vision blur no matter how near or far you are from an object or person? Do you often find yourself squinting trying to see well? Do you often experience eye strain or headaches, especially after reading or prolonged computer use? If you said yes to any of these questions, you may have astigmatism. Continue reading →
Does Eye Color Affect Eyesight?
For the record, eye color has little to no bearing on visual acuity. However, it may tell a different story about a person's optical profile.
Before delving into details, it's important to know how eye colors are formed. Brown is the most common color, shared by over half of the world's population. Brown eyes come from inheriting at least one dominant gene from one or both parents. Due to variations in genetic coding, it's possible for both blue-eyed parents to have a brown-eyed offspring.
Perhaps the biggest impact eye color has on a person, other than defining his or her looks, is light sensitivity, or photophobia. Brown eyes are less light-sensitive because of the high presence of melanin in them, as produced by a gene known as OCA2. On the other hand, light-colored eyes can be more light-sensitive as they have less protective pigments.
This puts athletes with blue eyes at a slight disadvantage, as their reduced resistance can blind them while playing on a sunny day. The glare can also disrupt an affected person's situational awareness, an essential skill in daily life that can save one from a roadside mishap.
Other causes of photophobia include contact lens irritation, corneal abrasion, and meningitis. Because of its possible implications, it is important to have this condition checked by an eye doctor, who can make a proper diagnosis and prescribe the right solution.
On Recovering after LASIK Surgery
Many people today assume that it's all downhill when their eyesight begins to lose its usual sharpness. Fortunately, one does not have to resign himself or herself to to wearing spectacles just yet: LASIK surgery can help blurry-eyed patients recover their ailing vision.
The surgery, however, will render the patient's eyes sensitive for an amount of time. It is important for these patients to properly take care of themselves and their eyes, or they risk losing what they had repaired at the hands of a reliable professional.
Here are some tips that can help patients recover post-LASIK surgery:
Be Careful Around Water
The eyes are still sensitive after the procedure it went through, so exposure to water may nullify (or worsen) their condition. Patients should not take a bath for a day after the procedure, nor should they get soap in their eyes.
LASIK surgery is not a procedure that affects physical function significantly, but it is important to be careful with certain activities. Exercise and swimming should not be done for a week. It is also important to avoid rubbing the eyes a month after the procedure, as tempting as it might be. Eye makeup must also be avoided for a week.
These steps will help ensure the success of the LASIK eye surgery, and will help people like you to live spectacle-free lives.
Tips for Minimizing Your Risk for Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by excess pressure in the eye due to poor circulation of eye fluids. If left untreated, the pressure could damage the optic nerve and cause permanent blindness; in fact, it is the second most common reason for blindness in the world.
Most of the risk factors for glaucoma, such as age and race, are out of your control. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk:
Eating Right
Make smarter decisions when eating. Cutting down on trans fats helps lower high blood pressure. This means reducing the amount of fried foods and processed foods in your diet.
Increase the amount of fish, particularly ones rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon— in your diet. Blueberries and cranberries are rich in bioflavonoids, which strengthen the capillaries in the eyes, allowing more essential nutrients to reach it.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise has been proven to be effective in lowering your intraocular pressure (IOP). You do not need to work out in the gym like a bodybuilder to achieve this effect though. Moderate exercise like jogging three times a week is enough to lower your IOP.
Take note that you can still develop glaucoma despite following the tips above, especially if you have a family history of the disease. With that in mind, it is best that you see an ophthalmologist for a thorough eye exam every year once you reach the age of 40.
Before and After a LASIK Surgery
LASIK is a corrective surgical procedure that reshapes a patient's cornea to improve vision. This treatment may get rid of such conditions as near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK is known to be very effective, but not all patients can undergo the procedure. Those who are thinking of getting this treatment must first consider a few details. Continue reading →
The Four Main Types of Refractive Errors
Do you have trouble reading objects from a distance or up-close? Then it is likely that you have a refractive error, a condition wherein the shape of your eye prevents sufficient light from focusing on your retina. Refractive errors come in one of four major types: myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism. You need to go to reliable eye doctors and get tested to get proper diagnosis. Continue reading →


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uBeam wireless power's CEO Meredith Perry steps aside amidst B2B pivot
After repeatedly missing self-imposed deadlines for progress on its wireless charging-at-a-distance phone case, uBeam's CEO Meredith Perry has decided to shift out of the CEO position and into a board member and senior advisor role. She'd founded the company in 2011 from her dorm room and brought in over $40 million in funding by selling a wide range of elite investors on her vision for a cordless future, including Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, CrunchFund (disclosure: started by TechCrunch's founder), Marissa Mayer and Mark Cuban. Now rather than […]Read more


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Parallax website to showcase award-winning UK jewellery designerAndrew Geoghegan · Digital
One of the UK's most innovative jewellery designers, Andrew Geoghegan, needed a modern website to showcase his cutting-edge collections.
Andrew's award-winning jewellery melds industrial process with an artist's finesse and intricacy, but the existing site didn't reflect his unique approach to jewellery design.
The finished website compliments Andrew's premium designs, with subtle parallax elements to add a sense of fluidity and movement, aping the smooth curves and lines in Andrew's work. And by integrating a robust content management system (CMS), including a user-friendly stockist location finder, Andrew and his staff are able to update the site with new information quickly and easily.
The new site was launched to coincide with the release of a hotly anticipated new collection of Andrew's work in London.


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Aesthetic and Stem Cell at The Orchard are carried out by qualified medical practitioners
Nestled amidst a century-old Malaysian tropical rainforest and located only a 1 and half hour drive from Kuala Lumpur
Easy and relaxing way to reshape your body by eliminating fat cells underneath the skin without damaging the skin.
Spa journey that has been designed to improve your well-being and helps you to find balance in life.
Master the ability to control your stress, mood and overall wellbeing. Created for guests who feel over-stressed or a lack of energy.
It's especially beneficial for cleansing the arteries, lymph nodes, lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder, gallbladder, colon and skin.
Guests enjoy the serenity that envelops them during their stay.
At Orchard Wellness Resort, our resort has the facilities for retreat, and services ideally suited for your groups.
Celebrate the finest qualities of life steeped in oriental chic tropical luxury, elegant accomodations, a world-class spa, gourmet dining.
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No ned to go to India. We brought India to you.
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© 2016 D'candley | All rights reserved


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I hope you are all enjoying the April showers!
This is just a quick update about two talks I am giving in the upcoming couple of weeks. Both are in Toronto and both are free of charge… or pay what you can. Come meet me in person and get a signed book! If you want to know when and where here are all my EVENTS.
If you can't make either of these, feel free to invite me to your workplace! Just email email@example.com for any inquiries. Learn while you lunch.
Still don't have a book?! It is now available at Indigo, Amazon, Book City, Healthy Planet and more. For more info here is the LINK
Warm regards,
Dr. Thalia


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The common law followed by most states is the so-called "employment at-will" doctrine – that employees can be terminated for any reason. There are many exceptions to the "at-will" doctrine. Discharges in violation of federal or state statutes, for example non-discrimination statutes such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, are forbidden. Further many employment agreements, for example collective bargaining agreements applicable to union shops, forbid discharges without "just cause".
Victims of discriminatory discharge because of race, gender etc., and protected by statute can often enforce their rights by filing charges with the appropriate governmental agency, for example the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Where an employment agreement forbids unjust discharge victims may obtain relief for breach of contract under state law in state court or in federal court where there is diversity of citizenship. Wrongfully discharged employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement usually can seek relief from an arbitrator selected under agreement procedures.
Victims of wrongful illegal discharge can recover damages based on lost wages and benefits e.g. the difference between normal wages and post dismissal earnings. Punitive damages, emotional distress damages and attorney fees may be available where the discharge involves a tort or violation of a statute.
Previously representing individuals in wrongful dismissal cases was a lonely exercise. Most tort personal injury lawyers were unfamiliar with workplace issues. Union labor lawyers were reluctant to represent nonunion individuals. The law governing individuals was uncertain and evolving.
However, a handful of lawyers in 1985 joined together and formed the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) (https://www.nela.org/NELA/), dedicated to the rights of non union employees. NELA's growth paralleled the growth of common law cases filed by individuals – usually victims of wrongful dismissal. NELA provided a home for lawyers for whom traditional bar associations had no role. Gradually tort and contract law opened up for individual employee victims of defamation and breach of employment agreement. Today individual non union employees have many viable common law and statutory remedies which provide substantial damages.
NELA boasts over 2500 members in all 50 states and its annual convention draws over 500 attendees. NELA has a paid professional staff and has filed many amicus briefs in state and federal courts. NELA members have formed state and local chapters in most states and major cities. NELA lawyers continue to successfully advocate modification of out moded common law rules. They seek to preserve and expand statutory remedies and craft new procedures protecting and expanding individual rights.
Paul Tobias, HLS '58, is the founder of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and a partner in the law firm of Tobias, Torchia & Simon in Cincinatti, Ohio. He is the auther of many articles and books on employment law.
Latest posts by The Record (see all)
- Mythbusters: Top Five Myths About Prison Divestment - March 25, 2019
- Meet the Candidates for Student Government, 2019-2020 - March 11, 2019
- Class of 2021, Welcome to HLS! - September 6, 2018


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About me
Daytime, I'm PhD Candidate at the department of Social Work at Mid Sweden University. But I'm also active in and a former board member of the first and feminist party in the world; The Feminist Initiative (Fi). This blog i mostly about my political commitment.
The Feminist Initiative is spreading throughout the world and is established to some extent in several European countries and elsewhere around the world. The Swedish Feminist Initiative have received support from several wellknown person's like Jane Fonda, Eve Ensler, Lillian Hall-French, and Rada Boric, which were all involved in the Feminist initiative's campaign for the parliament election in 2006. Several musicians as Benny Andersson (ABBA), Robyn and The Knife also support us.
In October, 2010, an Umbrella organization of European Feminist Parties was established at the first European Conference of Feminist Parties, in Valencia. Iniciativa Feminista (Spain), Feministische Partei Die Frauen (Germany), Partia Kobiet (Poland), and Feminist Intiative (Sweden), took part in this conference. An European Feminist Coordination Board was established with the aim to unify criteria and settle the basis for the next European electoral program.
You can read more about The Feminist Initiative (and don't forget using Google Translate if needed!):


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Serves 6.
Catch of the Day
Serves 6.
24 comments:
This looks and sounds like such a delicious meal! I love fish and these flavors are like home for me. There are beautiful pictures with great colors in this post, David!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Marcelle - don't you love when food brings "home" to mind? I guess that is the definition of comfort.Delete
I've had pan fried fish with tomatillos but I like the international mash up here even more. GREGReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Greg - nice to mix things up now and then.Delete
What a fab way to serve 'fish and chips', David. Love it. What do tomatillos taste like?ReplyDeleteReplies
Sorry, Liz – I'm behind in my comments. A tomatillo taste a bit like a green tomato, yet meatier and a bit sweeter.Delete
Hi David!ReplyDelete
This looks fantastic! I do love a good fish and chips and though this is very different, I think I would have no problem eating this up.
It was absolutely wonderful seeing you on Thursday. It wasn't enough time because I didn't get to tell you everything I wanted to! Even though we talked for 5 hours straight, it still wasn't enough.
Come back and visit soon. I guess in the meantime, we can call each other.
Nazneen xxReplies
Obviously, five hours wasn't near enough time to spend together! We look forward to another visit to Denver soon. I think you would really like this fish and chips, because the tortilla chips add a wonderful crunch.Delete
Mmmmm.....sounds just delicious!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Caterina. Are you able to get any good fresh fish where you are?Delete
Mexican salsa verde really does make just about anything taste better, doesn't it? I remember having it for the first time back in the 80s... I was hooked at the very first taste.ReplyDeleteReplies
Frank – I think salsa Verde is probably my favorite, but this one takes it to a new level! Definitely worth trying.Delete
A great name for this recipe, love your take on it.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Caroline! Can you get tomatillos in your part of the UK?Delete
This sounds "to die for" as I love tomatillos and love the idea of using chips for the crust. What wine would you recommend?ReplyDeleteReplies
Susan – sorry for the late reply. I think a full-bodied white wine is perfect with this dish, but a rosé would work pretty easily as well.Delete
Love the idea of a crunchy tortilla crust--and I'm a long standing salsa with fish person. I don't see tomatillos here a lot, so some years have grown them myself.ReplyDeleteReplies
We grow tomatillos at the Honors College in Tucson! Some years, it's just too hot here and they don't make it to fruit. I imagine you have a much better time in Wisconsin.Delete
When we were staying in NY a few years ago I did exactly the same thing. Tomatillos were everywhere and I bought some to cook with in our apartment. I really like what you've done here!ReplyDelete
I just wish we had a kitchen on our current trip!Replies
John – I have to say that I really wish you had a kitchen on your trip, too! I would love to see what you would do with the local flavors and ingredients! I no longer travel without a kitchen…Delete
Sounds wonderful, David. If I'm staying in a flat when out-of-town, I always head to the nearest produce stand/market and then cheese shoppe. I may not be overly adventurous but it sure is nice to have fresh fruit and cheese around for snacking. I only recently used tomatillos to make salsa and will be sharing that recipe in a couple of weeks. My recipe is far simpler and I cannot wait to give yours a try. It sounds quite flavorful.ReplyDeleteReplies
It sounds like we travel very similarly, John. I'm looking forward to our trip to the UK and Paris this winter, to see what's in the markets. I'm hoping for truffles… And maybe a few more Porcini mushrooms!Delete
Haha! I was looking for potatoes in your recipe and then realized when you said fish and chips, you meant tortilla chips! What a concept! I love fried fish (but yes, like you, the odor is the worst)! Lovely recipe and I rarely use tomatillos, myself. Need to use them more often!ReplyDeleteReplies
Christina, this makes me wonder if tomatillos are used in non-American (North, Central, and South) cuisines. I tend to think not, unless the chef is doing fusion work.Delete
Thank you for taking the time to leave me a note - I really appreciate hearing from you and welcome any ideas you may have for future posts, too. Happy Cooking!
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"Cassy?" my father asks in a serious tone, blue eyes as solid as his voice. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay. I'm obviously dead."
My parents look at each other and I can see the questions they're asking without speaking. What has gotten into her?
"I'm not insane," I argue, pulling away from them. "This place stinks." I storm off wondering why, if this is heaven, they are acting so oddly?
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Audience desire to worship at the altar of Channing Tatum is now impacting a studio's bottom line.
The official reason for the announced delay last week of "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" by a full nine months was that it gave Paramount the time it needed to give the film a proper 3D conversion (including some additional shooting of scenes to really utilise the format).
Now though, Deadline reports there was another reason – the "21 Jump Street" star himself and his growing appeal.
Perhaps the single worst kept secret of any film this year is that Tatum's Duke character, the main hero of the first film, gets killed at the start of 'Retaliation'. It seems the death is so abrupt that it did not go over well with test audiences, while the studio itself only recently realised the power of 'The Tatum' and his rise to prominence in recent months. Their source says:
In our first screening of the film the reaction from audiences was good but with two big concerns: 1) They didn't like the fact that Channing and The Rock really didn't have any time to develop a friendship before Channing died, and 2) Why wasn't it going to be in 3D?
We went back and shot another week with Channing to develop more of his story with The Rock, which made the film play much better. But we didn't have the time to be in 3D."
But it wasn't just the Tatum love that was the issue, there is also what could be unfairly nicknamed the 'Kitsch factor' – how big-budget disasters "Battleship" and "John Carter" would've been far worse had it not been for each film raking in $200 million worth of ticket revenue from international markets (mostly through 3D screenings). Their source says:
That ['Battleship' and 'John Carter' flopping domestically] was just a wake-up call that said to us we need to offer the best version of the film irrespective of summer market share to ensure the best possible performance. Not being in 3D will cost us a ton of business internationally.
Another issue was the competition. On the one hand there was "Magic Mike", Steven Soderbergh's male stripper film, which also stars Channing Tatum but in a much bigger and more revealing role. The source claims Paramount "didn't want uniformed Channing to compete with stripping Channing on the same weekend."
Over at THR, a producer told the trade that Sony's "The Amazing Spider-Man" reboot opening a few days later also generated fear that the film simply couldn't compete – especially in a Summer where only the biggest of the tentpoles seem to be thriving while mid-range titles from "Dark Shadows" to MIB3 have underwhelmed.
With the delay though, the most important question now becomes one of cost. 'Retaliation' cost $125 million and the studio claims that only a further $5 million will be spent on the conversion as all the extra time allows them to negotiate better deals with the companies doing the work.
Another concern is that of buzz. Whether the studio likes it or not, a delay of this size is almost always seen as a negative. in In recent years however, Paramount has had big critical and/or commercial success with films that were delayed by at least four months from their originally intended release such as "Star Trek" and "Shutter Island".
Earlier this year the studio also pushed back its Brad Pitt-led tentpole "World War Z" by six months and its Jeremy Renner led action fantasy "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" by ten months.


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HP Shows Foreign Bribery Can Bite U.S. Companies at Home
In HP's case, the charge is that several employees paid $10.9 million in bribes through a German subsidiary to win a Russian computer contract. The company has already tried to distance itself from the matter:
"This is an investigation of alleged conduct that occurred almost seven years ago, largely by employees no longer with H.P.," Hewlett-Packard said [in a statement late Wednesday]. "We are cooperating fully with the German and Russian authorities and will continue to conduct our own internal investigation."According to a German prosecutor, the investigation currently views HP as a victim of the action by a few rogue employees. But in the U.S., none of that may matter, which is why operating in countries were bribery and corruption are more common can become a problem back home.
"I think it's incredibly likely, almost a certainly, that there will be an investigation on the U.S. side, especially since the money allegedly was channeled through shell companies in Delaware and Wyoming," says Matt Reinhard, a Miller & Chevalier attorney who specializes in white collar crime. According to Reinhard, there are two areas in which an investigation, at least, is likely to happen. One is on the civil side through the SEC, which is unlikely to be swayed by HP's claim of victim status:
The SEC requires that companies have adequate controls in place to prevent this very thing from happening. The SEC will say that it may have been rogue employees, but you didn't have sufficient controls in place to prevent this from happening or even alert you it was happening.A civil case could be no trifle, because SEC penalties can be "pretty severe," including disgorgement of all profits from the transactions in question. If prosecuted and convicted, a company like HP could potentially have to cough up millions that it had made. A concerted effort would also be required to restore the integrity of the HP brand.
It seems fairly certain that the DOJ will investigate whether HP violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Reinhard thinks that there may already be an investigation under way, because of the close working relationship between German and American anti-corruption authorities after the big Siemens $800 million settlement for allegations of $1.4 billion in bribery payments. That gives an idea of how bad monetarily things can get.
[UPDATE: The SEC has now officially started an investigation of whether HP violated any provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA.]
If you think that perception of corruption correlates to the actual practice, then some of the biggest foreign countries for U.S. high tech companies have have some of the worst exposure. Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index, based on surveys, rates countries on a 1 to 10 scale, with higher scores meaning that countries are perceived as less corrupt. The top score of 9.4 goes to New Zealand. Germany is in 14th place with 8. The United States sits at number 19 with a score of 7.5. China's score is 3.6, with India getting a 3.4. Russia is at 2.2. Chances of running into trouble -- or having employees who bring it to you -- seem increasingly high, and, as the saying goes, "ignorance of the law is no excuse."
A short aside -- just what do you have to do to get smacked down for bribery in Russia, which has a long-standing reputation for corruption? Could HP, through the actions of some employees, have become the pawn in some internal Russian political fight? Could that turn into yet another source of pain for the company? And one more question: could the equipment exported have violated U.S. technology export controls? There is much to watch, but many US tech firms may have in interest in the outcome.
Image: stock.xchng user svilen001, site standard license.


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We all know setting is important to a story or novel. It can add atmosphere or sometimes even function closer to a character. I'm working on a short story that relates back to a specific time period and place. Except that my story is now in present day. My research started with the internet – doing what most likely other writers do as well – searching for answers as to the history of the place, landmarks, etc. In this instance, I looked at the historical buildings that still mark the area and was getting a sense of the place. My story moves back and forth through time – so I needed information on both the then place and the now place.
I've read numerous discussions about whether you need to visit the place or whether you can imagine it and create the details you need. I think both are valid. While I think you can imagine and write what you need (based on some research and the data available on computer these days), I find that visiting a place gives me much more if I can actually visit. Walking a place gives me a sense of its atmosphere that I can't get from pictures. I know I could write something to create an atmosphere in my story but I love the idea of capturing what I sense when I am there. If I create a different atmosphere, I wonder what readers who have been there will think since we all bring our own experiences with us when we read.
For my story, I was able to drive through and visit the town. I hadn't completed my research before I went so I found some things I didn't expect. I also found some things I wouldn't have seen or thought of for my story if I hadn't done the research. In this instance, a combination worked best for my story. I realize that it won't always be possible but I find that part of what I love about writing is learning something and exploring new places.
What's your process? Do you try to visit places you include in your story? Do you only write about places you've been?


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Copetown Woods Golf Club has become known as one of the area's top golf & banquet facilities. We also offer a variety of packages that will suit your every need to make your next meeting both productive and enjoyable. Choose from a banquet room with flexible seating for 200, or our Executive Boardroom for 12 guests; both with direct hook ups for your laptop to view presentations, along with wireless internet for your convenience.
Our professional staff will be on site to manage every aspect of your corporate event. A variety of Food and Beverage packages are available to keep you energized throughout the day. Combine business with pleasure and include a round of golf on our championship links style golf course; or have one of our teaching professionals lead your group in a private lesson!
Download - Copetown Woods Meeting Options
Banquet Hall
- Seating for up to 200 guests
- Many seating styles available (ie. Half-Round, U-Shape, Theatre, etc.)
- Ceiling mounted projector with 8-foot screen for presentation
- DVD/VCR Player
- Complimentary Wireless High Speed Internet
Please contact Lori Sinuita at 905.627.4653 ext. 24 for rates and information.


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|www.BedandBreakfast-Directory.co.uk - The Bed and Breakfast Directory Website.
Home > England > Bristol > Bristol
Premier Inn Bristol Cribbs Causeway
Just off the M5 (junction 17) and close to the M4/M5 interchange, this modern hotel offers free parking and spacious, modern en suite rooms with Freeview TV.
Catbrain Lane
United Kingdom
|Visit our website for more details and online booking
More Bed and Breakfasts accommodation in
Bristol Bristol South West | England
Find Self Catering accommodation in Bristol |A Directory of hotels, inns, B&Bs and bed and breakfast accommodation in Bristol Bristol England
Owners Logon - 20/06/2019 - AnyRoadUp21
© 2019 www.BedandBreakfast-Directory.co.uk The Bed and Breakfast Directory est 2001.


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Ok so I read this blog Mckmama and she has a new link system. There's a great new "linky" service available and I wanted to let you know about it. It's called MckLinky – www.mcklinky.com. After realizing the need for a new, reliable linky capability, Brent Riggs and MckMama got together to create a free, easy to use linky service for all their blog friends.
MckLinky is a free link list feature that allows you to do include lists of other blog links like MckMama does on Not Me! Monday. You can use MckLinky any time you want your blog readers to leave a list of links on your blog. It's simple, reliable, free...and loads of MckFun! Ok that was written by Mckmama...so try it out!!
1 day ago


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Explore our website to find out how our surrogacy program works — including the financial considerations, the basic qualifications and how to get started. Please feel free to contact us and get your questions answered about our surrogacy program.
A gestational surrogate mother (also known as a gestational carrier) carries a child conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) using the eggs from an egg donor or the intended mother. The child will not be genetically related to the gestational surrogate.
Here are just a few of the requirements for becoming a surrogate in West Virginia:
• 21 to 43 years old
• given birth to a child of your own
• financially stable
• healthy with a body mass index (BMI) 32 or less
Find out about some of the additional requirements and how the program works.
Our founder, Meryl B. Rosenberg, Esq., has over 23 years of experience matching and guiding hundreds of surrogates and intended parents. She understands how truly personal and life-changing the surrogacy process is for the gestational carriers and intended parents alike. Integrity, expertise and caring are ARTparenting's hallmarks.
As part of our program, Meryl meets with each prospective surrogate. Our surrogates are carefully consulted about who they would like to work with — every match with the intended parents is a partnership and a mutual decision. We make sure every surrogate is fully supported throughout the process.
Read what others have to say about ARTparenting. Find out more about Meryl Rosenberg.
To qualify, it is important that you are already financially stable to minimize any stress for you or your family. The compensation for your time and effort is based on a number of personal factors. For more information, please see Fees and Expenses for Gestational Surrogates, or contact us directly for specific details.
Becoming a surrogate requires a capable and nurturing woman who knows that raising a child is one life's greatest joys. The desire to share that joy with another family is what motivates our surrogates and is what inspires our work at ARTparenting. For more thoughts about making your decision, you may find it helpful to read our article, "Becoming a Surrogate Mother: Is it Right for Me?"
We are grateful for your interest. If you would like to learn more about participating in our surrogacy program in West Virginia, we would love to hear from you.
To begin the conversation, please fill out our short SURROGATE FORM or call 301-217-0074.
ARTparenting works with surrogates and intended parents in West Virginia to help build their families through gestational surrogacy.
For more information please contact Meryl at 301-217-0074.
Please fill out our
intended parent inquiry,
or call 301-217-0074.
More praise for ARTparenting >
* Gestational Surrogate Mothers are more commonly referred to as Gestational Carriers, Gestational Surrogates and less accurately as Surrogate Mothers.
MERYL B. ROSENBERG, ESQ. email
READ ABOUT SURROGACY IN Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
© 2018 Meryl B. Rosenberg, Esq.
This website is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site or any email communication from this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
Note: Certain pictures included on this website are of models and are for illustrative purposes only.


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What is Managed Forex?
Managed Forex are accounts that are professional managed by seasoned Forex experts who employ a diverse range of strategies and strict money management principles to help grow your capital with as little risk as possible. Our expert trading team monitors the market and trades for you 24-hours a day, 5-days a week.
How it Works?
- 1Open a LIVE Broker Account with FinFX or Pepperstone (Non US Only) .
- 2Sign a limited power of attorney and e-mail or fax it to us.
- 3E-mail or fax your ID and proof of address to your broker.
- 4Fund your account with your broker.


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Delbert and LaDawn Hickman will celebrate their 10 year contest anniversary with the 10th Annual INBF Tri-State Bodybuilding, Figure, Fit Body, Bikini, and Men's Physique Championships on Saturday, 20 May 2017! We will award 8 World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) professional cards to winners of amateur divisions (denoted with an asterisk below) as well as great prizes to celebrate (and they will be GREAT!)! Competitors and fans, you will definitely want to join us. This contest is open to all amateur athletes! Hope to see you there! More contest details and announcements will be posted soon.
- Men's and Women's Open Bodybuilding *
- Women's Open Figure *
- Ms. Fit Body *
- Bikini *
- Men's Physique *
- Men's Master Bodybuilding (40 and Over, 50 and Over, and 60 and Over) *
- Women's Masters Figure (40 and Over and 50 and Over) *
- Masters Bikini (over 40)
- Novice Bikini
- Novice Figure
- Novice Bodybuilding
Follow us on facebook at: www.facebook.com/wnbftristate/
See our Official Event Web Site is at: www.wnbftristate.com


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Real food again
We're now on day two of getting Namine back to a regular diet. She's had a variety of things – popsicles, Jell-O, chicken broth, and applesauce. She still hasn't eaten a whole lot, but the fact that she's willing to try a larger variety of food is enough for now.
Remember the pleural drainage tubes? The amount of blood coming out of the tubes is minimal enough now that the doctors are thinking it's time to remove them. According to Namine's nurse, this could happen as early as tomorrow.
Namine keeps getting a fever. It spikes and drops, varying from day to day. I talked to a doctor about it, and he told me that it's to be expected. As part of the recovery process, a fever is no surprise; in fact, they'd actually be concerned if she weren't experiencing fevers. As long her body is still healing from (highly invasive) surgery, this could go on for the better part of a month.


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Stage 2 chip. Stage 2 is for STOCK TBI heads with no more than 360ci. This chip comes in 6 versions so its more customized than the Stage 1 chip.
you REALLY need to rebuild motor with flat top pistons and measure out for about a 9.5-9.8:1 compression ratio and you WILL need a 2000 rpm stall converter in the transmission and geared to run about 2100 rpms @ 70mph using the calculator on this website. Here are the LEVEL 6 CAMSHAFTS.
Elgin E1166P 216/228 duration @ .050 .453/.477 112 LSA
Lunati 20120702 219/227 duration @ .050 .468.489 112 LSA
Comp cams 12-236-3 218/224 dur @ .050 . .462/.477 112LSA
or roller versions are:
comp 08-417-8
comp 08-502-8
GMPP LT4 hot cam
NOTE: All of these cams either intake or exhaust lifts are over .475″ so not only do valve springs need to be upgraded but the valve guides need machined for clearance so that the valve locks wont hit the valve guides.
I have had more request for this level of camshaft as everyone wants that sound but stock vehicle was geared for a tiny level 1 camshaft as well as the stock stall converter.


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Kevin Blackwood started playing blackjack during the early 1980s. In the last three decades he has become one of the foremost players in the world of blackjack and has published a blackjack novel, The Counter, as well as a book on blackjack strategy, Play Blackjack Like the Pros.
Kevin Blackwood started playing blackjack after being inspired by an article he read in Sports Illustrated Magazine Primarily of NFL betting. The article featured blackjack great Ken Uston. Learning the story of how Ken Uston learned to count cards and beat the house at blackjack made Blackwood want to get into blackjack. He decided to go for it and learned to count cards by reading books by Uston, Stanford Wong and Lawrence Revere.
As Blackwood improved his skills he started playing blackjack professionally, as a career. Though he has suffered losses, he has won more often than not and was able to live more than comfortably off his blackjack earnings. Blackwood says he has worked harder on card counting than anything else he has worked on in his life, and it paid off for him.
He shares tips and insider secrets in his book Play Blackjack Like the Pros. He covers everything from myths about the game to basic rules and strategy, money management, camouflage, team play and more. However, one of the most valuable things in his book is an explanation of card counting for beginners, intermediate and advanced players.
Blackwood's card counting method of choice is the Hi-Opt II system. He believes that, although many pro players use simple card counting methods like the High/Low count, the key to card counting is moving up to more complicated two-level and three-level counts.
These days, Blackwood still plays but has moved on to sharing his blackjack knowledge with others through writing. He also wrote Casino Gambling For Dummies.


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A leading provider of medical professional liability insurance.
Patricia A. Costante serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MDAdvantage Insurance Company of New Jersey. Ms. Costante led the formation of MDAdvantage during a time when the medical professional liability insurance market in New Jersey was considered in crisis by state policymakers. Since then, the company has grown to be a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance in New Jersey. In 2006, MDAdvantage was the recipient of an Outstanding Employer Award from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.
Ms. Costante's professional career has been spent primarily within the healthcare sector, and has held numerous executive positions in the medical professional liability insurance field prior to the formation of MDAdvantage. She was also the founding partner of Costante Associates, Inc., a regional consulting and management firm, where she specialized in strategic planning, business development, market feasibility analyses, and contract management for healthcare providers.
In addition to her Master of Business Administration degree from New York University's Stern School of Business, she holds a Post Master Certificate in Administration from Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, and has achieved the status of "Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives" (FACHE), the highest achievement in that field. She is also a Certified Healthcare Consultant and an NACD Fellow, which is the highest level of credentialing for corporate directors and corporate governance professionals. She is an author and frequent lecturer on medical professional liability issues, healthcare compliance, clinical practice and program development.


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You're ruining your champagne and you didn't even know it
Most of us can admit to raiding the fridge for a champers come 5pm Friday (and Saturday night, and Sunday brunch, and anytime we are feeling even remotely like a tipple) but experts have revealed that our storage methods might be sabotaging our favourite pastime.
Moet & Chandon wine quality manager Marie-Christine Osselin recently told HuffPost that keeping your beloved bubbly in the refrigerator is doing it a disservice.
"If you're planning to enjoy your bottle of Champagne (or sparkling wine) within three to four days of the purchase, it is fine to store the bottle in the refrigerator," Osselin said.
But just don't leave it any longer.
"If it sits in the fridge for weeks, the cork can dry out due to no humidity," she said.
"As corks dry out, the seal between the bottle and the cork loosen up and the Champagne will oxidize faster, changing its aromas."
So for best results, store your Champagne in a cool, dark spot and place it on ice around 15 minutes before serving it.
But if you've still got a bottle languishing in the fridge? Well, there's no better excuse to drink it ASAP.
Also, think about getting a stylish champagne bucket to serve your favourite drop in. Nothing says 'I know what I'm doing with champagne' than a stylish bucket! These are from BHG Shop. Click here.
This article first appeared on InStyle Australia.


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Roger's post at Facebook is, essentially, a link to his editorial at the Horn Book website. Because the editorial is about diversity and meaningful inclusion of characters who are from marginalized populations, I assumed Rosoff's "at it again" was a reference to my question about her use of the word "squaw" in her book Picture Me Gone, and a reference to more recent critiques I've done of The Hired Girl and A Fine Dessert. (She subsequently wrote about critiques of those two books.)
Rosoff did not reply to my question. She did continue to participate in the ensuing discussion, however. I don't know if she didn't see that I was in it, too, asking her a question, or if she was deliberately ignoring me. In her next comment she said, in part
Doesn't anyone find it odd that so many of the books Debby Reese and her followers attack for "micro and macro aggressions" are on the prize lists for best books of the year? [...] Funny how much time we YA writers spend in schools talking to kids about the corrosive effects of bullying, and then to discover the worst bullies of all in our own community. The strongest backlash, by the way, is coming from editors. Who tell me they are backing away from publishing books featuring diversity characters/stories in order to avoid attacks for "micro and macro aggression." That's a result, then.A short while later, Roger wrote that he was not "joining in the debate" because he counts me and Rosoff as professional friends and valued colleagues. She replied to him:
Your professional friend and valued colleague has accused me repeatedly in public of being a racist and an enemy of diversity. I can wait very patiently for an apology on that score.I was surprised by her comment. I have not accused her of being a racist. Nor have I called her an enemy of diversity. I was curious, however, to know why she thinks I did.
As that thread continued, I began to see her commenting elsewhere. I was surprised to see her referencing me so much saying things like "I know all about Debbie. She loves calling people racist" and "There are some very toxic so-called diversity advocates out there." I saw that she coined a phrase using my name: "The Debbie Reese Crimes Against Diversity stormtroopers." (Note: I was intrigued by what she was doing, and glad she was using my name, because it would lead people to my work. See, too, my post on her use of "stormtroopers.")
And then I saw this:
The extraordinary woman was the one who proved I was a racist by the use of the word 'squaw' in one of my books -- by an 11 year old English child. I had to look it up to realise it is sometimes (not always) considered insulting -- particularly if you're mainly reading to be insulted. I've written 600,000 or so words in my career and that's what she's taken out of it. Impressive.Obviously, I am that extraordinary woman. Rosoff doesn't know, however, that when I picked up her book, Picture Me Gone, it was to read for pleasure. I primarily read books that are specific to my area of scholarship and expertise (depictions of Native people) but I read for pleasure, too, and usually seek out books that have done well. That's why I was reading Picture Me Gone. I was into it, too, but then, I got to this part:
A painting in a big gold frame of an Indian squaw kneeling by a fire needs dusting.I stopped reading. The enjoyment, for me, was over. I set the book aside. I didn't blog or tweet about her use of "squaw." I just stopped reading it.
When she jumped onto Edi Campbell's Facebook page on October 10th, I remembered her book. What she said on Edi's page prompted a lot of people to write to her on Facebook and on Twitter. In response, she wrote:
God, twitter makes me laugh. Book I'm finishing now for Mal Peet is about a black kid in love w/a native American woman 15 years his senior.I was angry at her for what she said on Edi's page, especially because Edi's post was about Large Fears by Myles E. Johnson and Kendrick Daye, a book that is about a queer black boy. Edi Campbell, Myles E. Johnson, and Kendrick Daye are three people trying to do some good in the world, shining bright lights on populations that are misrepresented and underrepresented in children's literature.
And there was Meg, like a ton of bricks, out of the blue. From that angry space, I replied to her tweet by asking her if she was going to use "squaw" to refer to that "native American woman." Here's a screen cap:
She didn't reply, but as her comment above indicates, she did not know the word is "sometimes (not always) considered insulting." As she said, she's written 600,000 words in her career, and she's impressed that out of all those words, I'm choosing to focus on one of those 600,000 words.
She is right. I am focusing on that one word as symbolic of the ongoing misrepresentation of Native peoples in children's and young adult literature. But I did not call her racist there, or anywhere.
My focus is on Meg Rosoff's response to being questioned. Her response about the word admits that she didn't know it is problematic. There is a way to respond to ones ignorance that can move children's literature forward in its depictions of those who have been omitted and misrepresented for hundreds of years, but Rosoff's dismissal and subsequent comments disparaging me are not the way to move forward.
Her response stands in sharp contrast to the response Emily Jenkins posted yesterday, in response to criticisms about the depictions of slavery in A Fine Dessert, and it stands in sharp contrast to Sarah McCarry's response to my question about her use of "totem pole" in All Our Pretty Songs.
Some people are rising to defend Rosoff. Some are defending Jenkins and Blackall, too. Some of them know Rosoff, Jenkins, and Blackall personally, and feel--as they should--empathy for people who they feel fondly towards.
Teachers and librarians are forgetting that their primary responsibility as educators is not to an author or illustrator they like, but to the children in their classrooms. As parents, we trust you to do right by our children and what they learn from you. What you give them is something they will carry with them as they grow up.
The larger point of what I'm saying is that people of marginalized populations are using social media to ask questions. We are using social media to shine lights on problems that our children grandchildren are confronted with everyday, in and out of the classroom.
The country is growing more diverse with each minute. What you do in the classroom matters to the future of our country. That cliched bumper sticker that teachers touch the future is more than a cliche. It is a fact. Expand how you think about that future. We're all here, talking to you, and hoping you'll pick up the lights we shine, too, and do right by the children you teach.


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With the completion of the last set of qualifying matches, we now know which 32 national teams will compete for the World Cup in Brazil next year. Here is the list:
Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay
The United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico
Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland, England, Russia, Belgium, Switzerland, Bosnia, Portugal, France, Greece, Croatia
Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon
South Korea, Japan, Iran, Australia
Brazil and defending champion Spain will be the favorites, probably in that order. Germany will be the next choice, along with Argentina if Lionel Messi is fully fit and its defense begins to look more credible. Colombia and Begium will be fashionable dark horse picks. England will favorites for elimination sooner rather than later on penalty kicks.
No important soccer power failed to make the field. Often that is not the case. In 1994, for example, neither France nor England qualified.
This time, four important teams needed playoffs to qualify, having failed to make it in the initial qualifying process. They were Mexico, Uruguay, Portugal, and France.
Mexico, saved by the U.S., easily defeated New Zealand in their two game (home-away) playoff. Uruguay, a semi finalist in 2010, had little trouble with Jordan.
Portugal needed two late goals to ensure qualification over Sweden. This playoff was billed as a clash between superstars Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden). And rightly so. Between them they scored all six of the goals in Portugal's 4-2 aggregate win.
The most dramatic qualification was France's. They needed to overcome a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Ukraine. This they did with a convincing 3-0 win before a boisterous, and ultimately ecstatic, Paris crowd.
Veteran star Franck Ribery brilliantly led the attack and fellow veteran Kareem Benzema contributed a goal. But it was the performances of newer players — Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi in midfield and Mamadou Sakho and Rafael Varane in defense — that provide hope that the French can atone for their embarrassing 2010 World Cup performance and their less than satisfactory showing at Euro 2012.
Looking at the field as a whole, one sees that at least one-fourth of the teams probably lack the quality to contribute much in Brazil. This is inevitable given the inflated size of the field and the use of geographic quotas to populate it.
Moreover, history tells that another quarter of the teams will fail to come together as a credible force. In 2010, for example, France, Italy, and England — winners between them of six World Cups — all failed to deliver the goods.
On paper, though, there is enough quality to produce, with luck, some terrific clashes in the latter stages of the tournament. And we can be pretty sure that, in the earlier stages, one or two of the "minnows" will produce a little magic.
Next month, the teams will be divided into eight groups of four, each of which will eventually produce two teams for the Round of 16. The U.S. will be hoping for a group like the one it had in 2010 — England, Slovenia, and Algeria. At a minimum, it will hope to avoid a Group of Death, the formation of which is made almost inevitable by the competition's ridiculously crude seeding system.
My next report will follow the drawing of the groups.