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When you hear that your friend's band is playing a festival like SXSW or CMJ, maybe you conjure images of cocaine-fueled nights spent mingling with emerging rock stars, maybe even a few celebrity sightings at some small venues? That fantasy is not reality. The experiences of the CMJ attendee and CMJ performer are very different, and while obviously not every performer at the CMJ Music Marathon is going to have the same schedule, for me and my band Valley Queen, the term "hectic" was an understatement.
We knew what we were getting into booking six shows in five days. This sort of week provides plenty of logistical nightmares, hardwood floors on which to sleep, and a slew of characters along the way. Unfortunately for us, it doesn't allow for much of a spectator's view of the festival. Going from floor to couch, cafe to venue, Valley Queen's week in New York proved to be both stressful and blessed.
Upon arrival at JKF airport, eyes wide with a gorgeous view of the Sunday sunset, jet lag and impatience kicked in immediately when all three of our guitars on loan from Guild were not present at baggage claim. They showed up two hours later in the "irregular sized items" area. Good thing we didn't have a show that night.
Between that hiccup and getting on a rerouted train, it would be over a mile on foot and nearly five hours until we reached our destination on Manhattan's Upper West Side. We stayed there in a friend's room for two days. Five adults, one bed, two air mattresses, luggage, guitars, cymbals, and literally no room to step anywhere until everyone woke up.
Monday night was our first show, a perfect warm-up for our CMJ showcases. We stopped by a local rehearsal studio for a quick run through of our set to tighten up, then headed over to Arlene's Grocery on the Lower East Side.
Being a drummer, I tend to play on a variety of drum kits. It would cost way too much money to ship out my drums to the East Coast and either rent a van or Uber them from venue to venue. Thankfully, most ("most" will come into play later in our adventure) venues in New York have drums set up already. Drummers just have to bring their cymbals.
According to their sound man (and I completely agree with him), Arlene's Grocery has the nicest house kit in New York. As I walked in for sound check, he was putting brand new drum heads on a Yamaha Oak Custom kit (for you drum nerds). I generally had good luck with house kits, but this left me with way-too-high expectations.
As a musician, you don't always play shows you might expect. For instance, opening for Rock & Roll Karaoke. I obviously can't see your expression while reading this, but whatever it is (confused? excited?), the night was exactly what it sounds like. After we played a great set to a solid crowd, we joined locals in taking turns singing classic rock hits with a live band behind us. This went well for some, not so well for others. I did my best Fred Schneider and butchered "Love Shack," and our bassist killed it with "Seven Nation Army."
Our week went on, with us picking up our official CMJ badges and wristbands on Tuesday. Those allowed us as a band to access a variety of venues, talks, and mixers and get some free swag. We opened up our free reusable CMJ totes and thumbed through the official schedule of performers and panels, many of which we hoped to see, few of which we actually could. Shlepping gear all over New York takes lots of planning and timing if you aren't trying to see any shows — if you are, it's damn-near impossible.
Tuesday night started our most exhausting 48 hours. We played three shows in that amount of time, one of which was the first of our three official showcases. The Sidewalk Cafe was a fun show, and we made a few new friends after the set. We followed that by moving our gear and luggage to a friend's Air BnB in Brooklyn.
The next day was epic, with a great set at The Shop in Brooklyn followed by a midnight set at the Bowery Electric. Here we would see my favorite act of the week, Tim Pourbaix. This band has a very clean way of balancing dynamics, rhythms, and songwriting in the vein of The Whitest Boy Alive mixed with Spoon. Although it was a tiny room, their sound complemented the venue's size with precision and intimacy.
Thursday brought us to The Rock Shop. I had a funny feeling about this one from our messages with the booker. They said we needed to bring an extra guitar amp and all the drum hardware (stands). After calling about a dozen different friends and rental spots, I was able to get ahold of a friend who plays for a band called Outernational who was out of town and let me borrow his drum gear.
This epic journey led me to another part of Brooklyn where I met my friend's roommate and carried about 50 lbs worth of equipment up the stairs from his basement and in and out of cabs. After unloading it into the venue, the sound guy told me I would not need the equipment because the venue was providing it. This is the moment in the movie where I break the fourth wall and give the audience a side-eye.
Regardless of the hassle of carrying extra gear, this may have been our best show. The Rock Shop filled in nicely with a very attentive crowd there to support CMJ bands from all over the world, including Robbing Millions from Brussels and Grounders from Canada. This was just the kind of show you want as a band performing out of town. A warm welcome from unfamiliar faces and solid performances from every band on the bill. The only downside of the night was the Dodgers losing and hearing the chant of "Let's go Mets" in the restaurant portion of the venue.
Our week wrapped up Friday with a glimpse of the one panel I got to see prior to our last show. A discussion on touring in the modern music era was fascinating as artists delved into creative outlets for navigating the nation. Gabe Kubanda of Epic Proportions Tour talked about bringing his solo shows to high schools all over America, taking a band out with him each time.
From there we made our way to the esteemed Rockwood Music Hall. Regardless of the early set time, those who were there enjoyed our final performance. The beautiful wood-lined venue served us well as our week of insanity ended.
As a fan of music and someone who was excited to see many artists at CMJ, I was disappointed when I realized that we were also performing while The Maccabees would be on stage. While Perfect Pussy undoubtedly torn the house down, we were also performing. While Protomartyr was performing… You get it. The opportunity to catch a live performance from one of the most exciting names in jazz, Kamasi Washington, was quickly struck down when one of our sets was pushed back. It's the nature of the game.
CMJ proved to be a whirlwind week, running from venue to venue, and couch to floor in various apartments. We are lucky to have gone and look forward to our upcoming tours and album releases, but for now, it's just good to be home in Los Angeles.
For more info:


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This document provides information to help you understand the concepts of identity in SharePoint 2010 products, how Kerberos authentication plays a critical role in authentication and delegation scenarios, and the situations where Kerberos authentication should be leveraged or may be required in solution designs. The document also shows you how to configure Kerberos authentication end-to-end within your environment, including scenarios which use various service applications in SharePoint Server. Additional tools and resources are described to help you test and validate Kerberos configuration. The "Step-by-Step Configuration" sections of this document cover several SharePoint Server 2010 scenarios.
Download: Configuring Kerberos Authentication for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products

subset: commoncrawl


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Centenary of the House of Windsor
Wednesday, 31 May 2017 | Gareth
As the longest reigning Windsor Monarch Her Majesty The Queen has actually ended up being one of the hardest working members of the royal household. Throughout her 64-year reign she has embodied the commitment she made in her 21st birthday speech, in 1947. Though it was l five years before she replaced her father, George VI, on the throne, she spoke the famous words:
"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." Since her coronation she has kept this pledge, travelling to 117 countries across the world and the Commonwealth and has been understood to perform numerous public engagements every year. She and the other members of the Royal Family continue to support a huge variety of charities and organisations, from education and the environment, to healthcare facilities and housing.
Call Us: 0843 289 9298 Mon - Thu: 9am - 5pm


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Over 200 vendors participating, including Again & Again at their new location, where customers can enjoy food truck fare from Nammi and Three Men and a Taco while shopping for discounted vintage furniture
Dallas, TX. October 19, 2011!
From 11am to 2pm, Again & Again will host Dallas food truck favorites Nammi and Three Men and a Taco, serve Pearl Cup Coffee, and provide live tunes by Dallas DJ, Mr. Diamond. Together, interior design-loving customers can ogle over Again & Again's fabulous selection of vintage furniture while taking part in Dallas' trendiest way to dine. Shoppers will love the outdoor sale, where inventory will be discounted up to 75%.
This event is part of the annual Riverfront Antiques District Street Wide Sale, where this Saturday 9am-5pm, over two hundred vendors will set up along Riverfront, Parkhouse Street, Howell, and Riveredge. Visitors will find antiques, mid-century modern and vintage furniture, designer art, architecturals and lighting of all kinds.
Again & Again, Dallas' favorite consignment shop, now has a 14,000 square foot space at 141 Howell Street, filled with high-style, high-quality vintage pieces. Fashion-forward clients with discerning eyes can buy furniture as-is or use the Again & Again design experts to re-fashion with paint, upholstery, and tons of creativity for a fabulous custom piece.
This is just a sample of the kind of furniture and accessories you will find on Saturday:
Again & Again's selection of one-of-a-kind pieces run the gamut from Mid-Century modern to Hollywood Regency, pieces with classic lines and those with flair. There's something for everyone - all at a very reasonable cost. For customers who have a look in mind, but cannot find it, Again & Again makes custom furniture of the finest quality.
For more information about Again & Again and the participating food trucks, please visit their Facebook page.
Look Forward To Seeing You There!!


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The Faughan Valley has been described as a honey pot for ancient woodland, albeit small fragmented areas. Ancient woodland is the UK's most precious natural heritage. These woods are the UK's equivalent of the rain forest, providing the richest habitat for biodiversity and taking centuries to evolve – making them irreplaceable. Ancient woodland is our only link with the forests that once covered the UK. Very little of our original forests remain and that which does is now fragmented, isolating and threatening the survival of many of our rarest and most immobile native plant and animal species. We can never replace the ancient woods that have been destroyed, but we can buffer, extend and protect what is left.
The Woodland Trust aims to create a minimum of 100ha of woodland within the Faughan Valley Landscape Scale area, protecting and buffering fragmented pockets of ancient woodland, and creating access corridors between them for both the public and wildlife.
To achieve the 100ha Woodland Trust will be encouraging land owners and community groups to plant native woodland. Woodland Trust will be offering to plant and establish these areas for free, by availing of the Forest Service's Woodland Grant Scheme, which will cover the cost of planting and establishment of the trees for the first five years. Landowners will also be offered a grant for livestock, rabbit and deer protection, these will include improvement to fencing around areas to be planted, installation of tree guards and canes, the landowner will be asked to make a 50% contribution towards the cost of tree guards and fencing. There will be an opportunity to acquire woodland wildflower bulb packs (sufficient bulbs to get a small area of wildflowers established within the planted area).
In order to protect the areas that are planted the Landscape Partnership Scheme will aim to run a series of training courses that will teach interested landowners and community groups about woodland establishment, from the basics of learning to plant a tree, its aftercare, getting native woodland flowers established and managing the woodland to benefit the ground flora, such as encouraging ancient woodland ground flora to spread into neighbouring woodland creation. Other elements of the training will include noxious/invasive weed control and utilising native woodland for recreational and economic benefit.
To encourage the local community to plant trees Woodland Trust will be offering tree packs to schools and community groups within the area. There will be several pack sizes available, a 30 tree/native hedge pack that will be offered to schools, and then a ¼ acre pack (105 trees) and an acre pack (420 trees) that will be offered to community groups.
The LPS will also hold a number of woodland creation focused events throughout the lifetime of the project, these will include tree planting, nature detectives and seed collection.


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How to Score good Marks in Bihar Board Exam | Tips and strategy for Score marks in BSEB Inter / Matric Annual Exam
Hello! the student you are students of Bihar School Examination Board and you are going to appear in the intermediate or matriculation examination this year and willing to know how to score good marks in the board exam. Board Exam of any education board student is very important time for giving a shape of their career as well… Read More »


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Rails 4.0 has yet to be released, but since it might be here by Christmas, it's time to start getting ready.
Rails 4.0 has yet to be released, but since it might be here by Christmas, it's time to start getting ready.
At Highgroove, we love giving each other compliments. In fact, since everyone at Highgroove kicks ass in some way, compliments are constantly flying around (actually, I think that in and of itself was a compliment).
One of the more complicated Ruby/Rails projects we work with at Highgroove has many points where it interacts directly with the filesystem.
Like many software professionals, developers at Highgroove tend to code a lot outside of the work we do for our clients. In fact, Highgroove specifically allots each developer time to work on non-billable projects. Usually this time is used for some combination of sharpening our axes by reading technical material or watching screencasts, and working on open-source software or other internal projects.
At Highgroove, we build database-backed web applications. These days, there are many options when choosing a database backend. We normally start with relational database systems (e.g., PostgreSQL and MySQL) because they are very mature and feature niceties like ACID transactions and locks.
At Highgroove, we test our code extensively. The best testing code has solid coverage, yet also shares many of the qualities of well-written code in general, such as readability and lack of repetition.
At Highgroove, we are pragmatists. While we value writing clean, maintainable, and extensible code, we also value shipping features for our clients in tight iterations.
Because Highgroove is growing, I am no longer the newest employee, though having been on the job only about two months now, I still feel pretty new.
If I simply wanted to learn the basics of Cucumber, RGeo, TorqueBox, or any number of other interesting open-source Ruby technologies, I could sit down at my desk and read documentation, check out the source code, or post to a mailing list if I ran across a problem.


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Author of
LIGHT SURFER (Savant 2012)
Originating from a small, dilapidated suburb west of Sydney, Australia, David Allan Williams has tried his hand at many things before turning his intellect to writing. His professional career as a technical trainer and specialist in computer hardware took him to some of the best parts of America, Asia, Europe and the tropical islands before he decided life should be more challenging. He then turned his hand to warehouse and operations management for a few years before feeling like life needed yet another bend to put him on the right path. Thus, Light Surfer festered in his head and computer for a couple of years when the journey suddenly became a "strap-me-in-and-let-gravity-take-control" kind of ride. Writing has now become the career path of his choice, and with his slanted view of reality, this indeed could be a long ride.


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Hi Friends! Today I decided to create a fun Christmas card for the "Mad About Plaid" Theme Week challenge using the the even cuter Brooke - For Someone Sweet.
Copics used:
Skin - E04, E11, E21, E00, E50 R20
Hair - E55, E53, Y17, Y13, Y11
Greens - G28, G16, G14
Reds - R29, R24, R22, R21
How to Play Along:- Create a new project and use a plaid print.-Share your creation at Our Facebook Group HERE by December 8, 2017-Only one entry -A stamp of your choice will be awarded to the winner, if we have five or more entries.


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From Chronicle Staff Writer Susan Slusser at Phoenix Muni
Manny Ramirez was hitless in his first eight at-bats with the A's, but in the second inning today, he crushed a homer to left center on a 2-1 pitch from Mike Fiers of the Brewers. He then drew his first walk of the season his next time up.
Ramirez's homer was a no-doubter, so maybe he has shaken off the rust after being away from the game for nearly a year.
Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is having a rougher day: He struck out in his first two at-bats and he grounded out his last time up. This is still just his third game, however.
Also having a bad day: closer candidate Brian Fuentes just allowed four runs, three of them coming on a homer by Martin Maldonado.


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[WATCH] – Webinar: AI in the Inbox
How to Put AI in the Driver's Seat of Your Marketing
How do you tell personalized stories to millions?
The biggest challenge is scaling 1:1 marketing. AI fixes that.
Stop fighting with your technology and start using the right platforms that are designed to work FOR you and place AI in the driver's seat of your marketing. It's time to marketers are allowed to market the way they've always wanted and returned the creative element that often gets sidelined.


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Tag : history
Tag : history
previous saturday spices
Running out of vanilla for a baker is the equivalent of running out of garlic for a cook. Or olive oil.
Or for those of you who still think I'm off my rocker, it's the equivalent of your car running out of gas when the two nearest gas stations are both over 40 miles away (my car warns me when I have 40 miles left. Praise the Cube.)
Vanilla is the everything in baking. We use the term diminutively because it is so ubiquitous that, compared to most other sweet flavors, it is the least exotic thing we can think of.
This is why, when I ran out of vanilla extract a month ago, I went to THREE different stores (I would have made it five if I had known that the other two carried vanilla, though in retrospect it would not have made a lick of difference), to compare not only prices, but types of vanilla on offer, as well as sizes. Then I made a note on my phone, listing types of vanilla and stores in order of where I could get the most vanilla for the best price, without compromising quality.
I am that obsessive these days. Also, I'm budgeting.
Turns out, I can get a 32-ounce bottle of vanilla bean paste (it's syrup made from the beans and the extract) at a specialty kitchen store that will last two years (translation: two months) and save about $0.30 per ounce. That's 16 times the usual bottle size.
Most people probably wouldn't go for such a large bottle. But my name is not Most People. It's not even Most.
why is something liquid-y like vanilla being included in "saturday spice?"
I won't go into detail in this post about the history of the word "spice," but 1) my goal with this series was to explore the history of what we use to make our food, whether it's the spicy buds and barks of South Asia, or the sweet, creamy beans from Mexico, and 2) I wanted to take a short vacation from sailing between India and Indonesia, so now we're in Mexico.
[vanilla, vanilla planifolia/fragrans/tahitensis]
Vanilla beans come from an orchid native to central America, vanilla planifolia, which flowers only for one day and must either be pollinated by bee or hand, making cultivation of the plant labor intensive, and therefore making the pure vanilla beans among the most expensive spices in the world.
little sheath orchid
Fun fact, the word "vanilla" comes from the same Latin word that produced "vagina." I wonder why…
When the Spanish invaded Mexico, they named the plant vainilla, "little pod," a diminutive form of vaina, meaning "sheath." The latter comes from Latin vagina, which meant "sheath or hull of a plant."
to the invaders, with love from the natives…not
The orchid, the only fruit-producing member of its floral family, was first discovered and cultivated by the Totonacs, native central/south Americans, who were later conquered by the Aztecs, and used medicinally. The natives relinquished control not only of their nation but also the vanilla to the Aztecs, but when Hernán Cortés arrived in the 16th century, it was then given up to the Spanish conquistadors.
It was the Aztecs who first used the bean for culinary purposes. Cortés saw them adding vanilla, called tlilxochitl in the native language, to their xocolatl (chocolate, also indigenous to the region), and in 1518, he brought the beans back to Europe. Unfortunately, for the crime of executing their emperor, Moctezuma, the Aztecs refused to teach the conquistadors how to cultivate the bean (among other things they probably refused to do, I'm sure.)
Because of the difficult cultivation methods and a symbiotic relationship between the orchid and the Melipona bee, for 300 years after Cortés, Spain held a monopoly on vanilla production and the beans couldn't grow anywhere else in the world.
But all that changed when the fire nation attacked…I mean when a slave discovered how to pollinate the plant in Africa…
the slave who taught us how to pollinate vanilla
Kids are so bright. We have a 12-year-old slave, Edmond Albius, living on the French-owned island of Réunion, to thank for the vanilla we consume today.
Réunion is one of the five Bourbon Islands, east of the southern tip of Africa. The other four are Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoro, and Seychelles. When you see "Madagascar Bourbon" vanilla, it's named after this region (as opposed to Mexican or Tahitian vanilla), and has nothing to do with the liquor.
In 1793, a plant had been smuggled from Mexico to Réunion, but without the Melipona bee, the beans of the plant suffered. In 1841, Edmond Albius discovered a method of hand-pollinating the orchid so that the beans grew in abundance, and shortly thereafter, plants were carried to Madagascar, where farmers learned how to space the flowers out to promote the growth of high quality beans.
Now the beans are grown all over the world, each region producing vanilla with different qualities (Tahitian vanilla, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, etc.), with Madagascar producing the highest quality and most consistent bean, and 75% of the world's crop, and Mexico exporting only a small percentage of the global product.
Oh, how the tides have shifted to another beach house.
how do i use vanilla?
vegan snickerdoodles | | gluten-free brownies | | blondie bars | | ginger turmeric sugar cookies | | lemon sugar cookies | | basic sugar cookies | | vegan spiced banana nut muffins | | lemon whole wheat muffins | | cardamom brownies | | cardamom shortbread | | spiced, salted chocolate chocolate chip cookies
crème brulée | | custard cream | | choux pastries | | chocolate chip cookies | | vanilla ice cream | | vanilla café au lait | | vanilla cupcakes | | buttercream frosting | | vanilla olive oil cake | | linzer cookies | | seafood marinades | | scones | | French toast | | pancakes | | gelato | | soda
Later, we'll look at regional varieties, the science of the plant, and its journey from Mexico to Africa, north to Europe, then back west to the United States. And perhaps in a few years, I'll have learned how to make extract from the beans.
¡Hasta luego, mis amigos!
Nick P.
Chow, Kat. "When Vanilla was Brown and How We Came to See it as White." NPR.org. 2014 Mar. 23.
Earthy Delights. A Brief History of Vanilla.
Rupp, Rebecca. "The History of Vanilla." National Geographic: The Plate. 2014 Oct. 23.
Ruud, Kirsten. "A Brief History of Vanilla." 2009 Apr. 14. Vanilla Planifolia: A Food of the Gods, Now and Forever.
Schneider, Caitlin. "The Flavorful History of Vanilla." 2015 Oct. 6. mental_floss.
Vanilla's Origins. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.
upcoming spices
ginger health benefits
the bourbon islands
Categories: food history, saturday spice
previous saturday spices:
[ginger, zingiber officinale, india/china]
Let's get back on this boat and sail a little north to our next destination: China!
But first I need to take a potty break in India. So typical, stopping the entire carpool half an hour after setting out from the last potty break.
I'm sorry.
Ginger is most often associated with China, and for good reason, but based on examining the large amount of genetic variation among ginger species on the Indian subcontinent, it is assumed that the root is native to this area. Perhaps some species of ginger are indigenous to China, or maybe the Chinese were the first to get to the root.
The reason we most associate ginger with China is that they wrote about it first. The first known mention of ginger, dried or whole, in China showed up approximately 4,000 years ago, while Indian texts started mentioning the spice only 2,300 years ago. For the sake of simplicity and fairness, let's assume ginger is native to both India AND China.
To be honest, though, it doesn't even matter: ginger no longer grows in the wild, and is now cultivated all over the world. Furthermore, the root has been propagated from trimmings for so long that it can't produce seeds anymore.
Arab traders, for a long time the rulers of the eastern spice trade, brought ginger from east Asia to Roman Alexandria, planting rhizomes all along the way. Fun fact, people from the Arabian peninsula not only helped spread ginger around the world, but they were also the first to bring coffee from Ethiopia east to Yemen. Those of us who love coffee and gingerbread (and really anything using eastern spices) owe a lot to the Arabian peninsula.
When Rome fell in the first half of the first millenium C.E., Gallic and Gothic nations helped proliferate some spices (and another fun fact: the reason we still use the word "spice" to refer to the species of ancient Rome is because the Goths had no appropriate word of their own, and adopted from Latin), but unfortunately, ginger was not one of them. For half a millenium, the root was lost to Europe.
Right when Y1K struck, making all those medieval computers go bonkers, Europe rediscovered ginger, and by the 14th century, the only spice more valuable was black pepper (which has been among the most popular spices since the trade first started.)
The Portuguese, who, thanks to Vasco de Gama, took over the spice trade in the middle of the second millenium, introduced ginger to west Africa, while Spain carried it over to the Americas later.
but where did those little luscious human-shaped cookies come from?
Queen Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603) is credited with the invention of gingerbread cookies.
Also, you can thank Queen Isabella of Portugal for helping bring spices to North America (while also cursing European royalty for the damage they did to the Native Americans), and Marie Antoinette for the invention of croissants.
what can i make with ginger?
vegan spiced banana nut muffins | | balinese ginger tea | | ginger turmeric cookies | | cardamom molasses cookies | | apple chai-der pie | | gluten-free sweet potato muffins | | black tea butter cookies
other ideas:
crystallized ginger | | fried rice, stir-fried noodles (mie goreng, etc.) | | pickled ginger for sushi | | gingerbread | | ginger pork | | ginger syrup (for lattes or cocktails) | | ginger ale or ginger beer | | ginger cupcakes | | Japanese pork dumplings | | Chinese chicken rice porridge, congee
Later, we'll take a look at uses and health benefits of the root.
Get pumped, y'all.
Nick P.
"Ginger History." www.InDepthInfo.com.
Hubpages. "The History of Ginger: From India to the New World." 2010 Feb 16.
Kaminsky, Steffany. "The History and Use of Ginger." 2010 Jan 21. examiner.com.
"Origin and History of Ginger, Traditional and Current Uses." 2015 Sep 20. MDidea.com.
Turner, Jack. Spice: The History of a Temptation. 2005 Aug 9. pub. Vintage.
upcoming spices:
ginger: health benefits
Categories: food history, saturday spice
previous monthly muffins:
11/15, pumpkin streusel | | 12/15, gluten-free sweet potato
It's easy to say that muffins were "invented," but in fact, they weren't. Bread was invented. When and how bread came to be is an entirely different blog post.
Bread is a universal food, and everything from doughnuts to muffins to biscuits to that childish "bread dough" I used to make by soaking a hunk of bread in my wet mouth, those are all variations on the world's oldest baked good. Even beer comes from bread, an accidental discovery in ancient Mesopotamia when John in marketing mis-calculated how much flour they needed and ended up hammered on the conference room floor.
But how did American* muffins come to be?
*American and English muffins are different. One is yeasted and cooked on a griddle, and the other is superior in every aspect. That one is made of batter, then baked in the oven in cupcake pans.
As far as the etymology goes, "muffin" began appearing in print in the early 1700s (1703) and recipes showed up half a century later (1747.) Some sources say the word comes from French moufflet, meaning "soft" in reference to bread, while others say it comes from a German word muffe, meaning "cake."
Hannah Glasse is credited with the recipe in her cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. Although the American and British breads are now completely different, a look at culinary history tells us this was not always the case. At some point between the 1800s and now, American muffins became more cake-like, sweeter, and deeper. Old American culinary sources describe muffins as small cakes**, or poundcakes baked immediately in "snowball cups." At first, American muffins were relatively uniform: flour, rye, or bran, with apples, dates, raisins, and/or nuts. In the late 1900s, only a few decades ago, we went muffin crazy: they blew up in size and people started adding all kinds of new flavors (I guess I'm 45 years late to this party.) Modern American muffins, so ubiquitous a pastry, were the cronuts of the late 20th century.
Think about that the next time you throw your cronut against the wall to see if it makes the poof sound.
**Maybe the subject of a future Monthly Muffin, but there are vast differences between cake/cupcakes and muffins now. More on that later this year.
In short:
American and English muffins are like chimpanzees and orangutans: they come from the same ancestor but are now as different as chimpanzees and orangutans…or as American muffins and yeasted biscuits.
Cheerio, y'all,
Nick P.
Olver, Lynne. Food Timeline FAQs. 3 January 2015.
Categories: Breads, food history, muffins
previous saturday spices:
[cloves, eugenia caryophyllis/syzgium aromaticum, the nail spice]
The word "clove" comes from the Latin clavus, meaning "nail" on account of their being shaped like nails. The spice is the dried, unopened bud of an evergreen, Syzgium Aromaticum.
Cloves, like cardamom, are a native of the Spice Islands (Molucca Islands/Malaka Islands) in Indonesia, east of Sulawesi, west of New Guinea, and north of Timor. The spice has played a major role in world history since before the birth of Christ. From the 4th to the 15th century, common era, the Arab world controlled the spice trade, until the Portuguese sailed all the way to Indonesia in 1514 CE and established a monopoly. During the 8th century, spices were commonly traded throughout Europe and Italy, the port of entry, profited from the industry.
In the early 17th century, the Dutch landed in the Molucca Islands and established their own monopoly alongside the Portuguese. Together, they ruled over the spice trade until the 18th century, when spices were being grown all over the world, prices were lowered as a result, and people at all levels of society had access to the materials.
In order to maintain their control over the trees, the Dutch burned any clove trees planted outside their dominion, upsetting the locals. It was a tradition in Indonesia to plant a clove tree for the birth of a child, linking the life of the tree to the fate of the child, and the destruction of these trees by the Dutch was a great offense to the children to whose lives they were tied. People revolted, inciting bloody war over the clove trees.
While the Dutch and Portuguese held reign over the spice trees, cloves and other spices were worth their weight in gold, but by the time Magellan reached them, prices had dropped dramatically and the monopolies had dissolved. Now, cloves are grown in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mauritius, Ternate, Tidore, and around Indonesia. In fact, Tanzania now produces 80% of the world's supply of cloves.
how cloves are used
Cloves have significant medicinal value, as well as long-standing culinary use. The buds contain eugenol, a natural anesthetic, and salicylic acid. As a result, they have served to relieve toothaches, nausea, indigestion, coughs, and other medical ailments. In food, they're a key ingredient in meat glazes, soup stocks, spice mixes, Worcestershire sauce, gingerbread, spiced pastries, and winter beverages, as well as the base for Indonesian clove cigarettes, kreteks.
As I have learned from first-hand experience, the flavor of the bud is powerful, so use it sparingly. If you're using 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, for example, consider only using 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, unless you like the fuzzy numb feeling on your tongue.
what can i make with cloves?
Cloves pack a punch, so beware how much of the spice you use. A small pinch is enough to give you a full flavor experience. Here are two of my recipes that use the spice:
spiced black tea apple pie | | pumpkin streusel muffins
other ideas:
gingersnaps | | glazed ham | | indian curry | | eggnog | | pumpkin pie | | spiced apple cider | | mulled wine | | chai | | cincinnati chili | | soup stock
ACH Food Companies. "Spice Encyclopedia: Cloves." Spice Advice.
Bentley, Robert and Henry Trimen. Medicinal Plants. UCLA History and Special Collections. London, Churchill, 1880.
Discover Indonesia Online. "Maluku: History of Maluku." indahnesia.com. (20 May 2011.)
Gladen, Cynthia. "Cloves." University of Minnesota Libraries.
Rayment, W.J. "History of Cloves." InDepthInfo.
Happy Holidays!
Nick P.
upcoming saturday spices:
cayenne pepper
Categories: saturday spice
Six years ago, my local favorite coffeeshop back home tried as its summer specialty to make a caramel cardamom iced latte. Six years ago, I wasn't yet a fan of the spice, so I bought the latte out of curiosity (now will someone please pay me for my gustatory curiosity???) and suffered through it. Over the years, I've developed a taste for cardamom and now I can't get enough, as anyone who has ever looked at this blog can affirm.
My favorite use of cardamom: in tomato curry. Swoon.
[cardamom, elettaria cardamomum, india]
Known as "Queen of Spices," and second only to black pepper, "King of Spices," cardamom has an extensive history and a very, very high value (don't I know it.)
Originally native to India, cardamom was introduced to the rest of the world thousands of years ago by traders, who carried it from India to Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Much later, the Vikings discovered the spice in Constantinople/Byzantine when that was the capital of the spice trade, and claimed it for use in their rich, buttery pastries (cardamom is fat-soluble, so the flavor intensifies in butter) (3.)
Cardamom, known in the scientific community as Elettaria Cardamomum, is a relative of ginger, and it grows in lush tropical rainforests. After India, the largest producer of cardamom is Guatemala, where the spice is produced solely for export. Harvest is done from October through December, before the pods of the plant ripen so they don't split open too early and begin to lose flavor.
After saffron and vanilla, cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world (and the most expensive in my cabinet. I vow never to buy a jar of saffron because I enjoy all of my arms and legs.) Because of its high price, the spice is often adulterated or substituted with products of lesser quality, such as Siam cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged Java cardamom, or a something known as "bastard" cardamom. (1)
why is it so expensive?
Because it's harvested by hand (3), and anyone who's been outside from October through December knows it is not a pleasant time to be harvesting anything but snot-cicles from their nose. Fortunately, it's also a very strong spice and you only need a small amount.
In ancient Egypt, people chewed the buds to clean their teeth, while in Greece and Rome, only the wealthiest could afford cardamom-infused perfume. I'm very much content using a toothbrush to clean my teeth, and YSL as my cologne, but cardamom is also good for digestion (it certainly helped me digest the cardamom brownies.) (1)
there are two main strains of the spice:
Green and black, with some other local varieties in other countries. Green cardamom, or "true cardamom" (elettaria cardamomum), comes from southwest India and is also grown in Guatemala, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Costa Rica. This is the type used most often in powder form for baking, and it's also the most highly-valued of the cardamom family. Black cardamom (amomum subulatum), is native to Nepal, Bhutan, India, and China. It has a bolder flavor than its green counterpart, so it's more fitting for meat rubs and stews, rather than in delicate pastries. Black cardamom is used whole, then discarded (3), while green cardamom can be used as whole pods, split pods, whole seeds, or ground. The flavor disappears rapidly so it's best purchased whole and used quickly, if you can afford it. (1)
In Scandinavia, you can find cardamom in sweets and meatballs (mmmmmmmmeatballs), and a liquor called akvavit. (1)
what can I make with this so-called "queen of spices"?
Stumped on where to start? That sucks for you.
I'm kidding. Every chance I get, I use cardamom in my own baking so here are all the recipes I've posted on this blog that use the spice:
pumpkin streusel muffins | | vegan spiced banana nut muffins | | cardamom brownies | | cardamom ginger molasses cookies | | cardamom shortbread
In fact, a few of my upcoming recipes also feature cardamom. It's not only Queen of the Spices, but it's a popular holiday spice, as well.
Nick P.
upcoming saturday spices:
Categories: food history, saturday spice
|« Aug


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Yes!You can really feel so free during your menstrual cycle period!
You can not miss the very best menstrual mug set!Unlike tampons and pads, when a menstrual cycle mug is appropriately placed, it hardly ever leaks! To make sure an appropriate seal, after insert the folded mug inside your vagina canal, you release your fingers, and give the mug a 360 level twirl to guarantee it opens appropriately and produces a seal!
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Conserve loan, conserve the earth!Conserve loan, conserve the earth! We intend to compensate you for attempting a menstrual cycle mug, we provide you a collection of 2 shade, Blue & Pink, at an affordable cost! Clike "Add to Cart" to get currently!


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Adrian G Duplantier Financial Disclosure Report for 2004
Category:Financial Disclosure
Number of Pages:7
Date Created:November 11, 2005
Date Uploaded to the Library:November 12, 2013
Donate now to keep these documents public!
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Autogenerated text from PDF
FIN,ANClA.L DlCLOSURE REPORT Name Person Rcponing O:nC' otnepon ADRIANG 112112005 IV. REIMBURSEMENTS 1ranspona1ion. lood.


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Our Story
BetterBump has been developed by Mother Hen Products, an Australian owned and run business based in Melbourne, Victoria. Born from a passion for food and a life-long interest in healthy nutrition, BetterBump offers good clean eating with extra support for mothers and mothers-to-be.
Enjoying healthy and happy children is wonderfully fulfilling and BetterBump aims to enhance this magical experience. Mother Hen Products is proud to be manufacturing this unique and innovative product in Melbourne.
Who is BetterBump for?
This unique and innovative product has been desinged specifically with maternal mothers in mind. The bar can be consumed by anyone looking for a delicious and healthy snack but is scientifically designed to enhance your pregnancy Before, During, and After child birth.
Oats, Maltitol Syrup, Liquid Polydextrose, Soy Protein Isolate, Dark Chocolate Compound ((Sugar, Vegetables Fat, Cocoa - 6%, Milk Solids - 9%, Soy Lecithin Emulsifier, Flavours, Salt)), Brown Puffed Rice (Brown Rice, Rice Bran), Dried Apricots - 5%, Slivered Almonds - 3.7%, Erythritol, Inulin (from Chicory), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Oat Bran, Dried Yeast, Vitamin and Minerals (Calcium Phosphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide Zinc, Iron) Chia, Flaxseed, Natural Flavours, Stevia Extract (Reb A)


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Well Expanderrr has moved to servus.at, the one real Host and Hub for Linz based cultural initiatives, artists and other open-source – sharing – collaboration orientated individuals and groups.
During the relocation and even much longer expanderrr.org, still hosted on tumblr will stay online, but we will not maintain it anymore.
Hopefully we will have completed our migration soon and if things work well we should be able to transfer even the old posts from tumblr into our new virtual base.
Meanwhile we will post most important news on both sites!
The most important in the moment, that we changed our communication too:
You can reach us using firstname.lastname@example.com, the other, older email adresses will not be maintained, but we will forward messages from there to our new account.
As you will recognise we still use a blog blueprint for our presence, we do not like that very much, but unfortunately we do not have the skills to do it in a different way yet and there are many other things to be done, but if you know well how to use e.g. drupal and want to offer collaborative help with these things feel free to contact us, we want to learn and we still believe that we should expand


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Title: Story of a Kiss Anthology
Authors: Various
Publisher: Good House Publishing
Release Date: February 1, 2016
Genre: Romance
There will be a thousand kisses in a lifetime but only a handful trapped forever in your heart. This Valentine's day, join The Story of a Kiss anthology as we take you into the lives of thirteen couples. From a very first kiss of a high-school prom queen, to a kiss that travels the width of time. Kisses of redemption, heartache, discovery, and so much more.
Thirteen authors.
Thirteen kisses you'll never forget.
Taylor Sullivan- Never Regret
At twenty-four, Margaret Andrews is still a virgin and sick of it. After a year on the top dating site in America,and a late night episode of HUNG on HBO, she's decided to take matters into her own hands and hires a professional.
Kelly Lincoln- Maybe Now
Maybe now I should kiss her.
The thought haunts fourteen-year-old Hunter whenever he is with his best friend, Ava. The second he makes his move, their moment is destroyed and Ava leaves town. Ten years later, she's back, and so is the maybe now that Hunter thought was buried.
Kathryn L. James- Crazy Beautiful Kiss
Two years after Calista DeLuca and Colin Williams shared a sizzling kiss…the one she couldn't forget and the one he didn't remember, their paths cross again. Secrets unfold. Tears fall. Hearts open. He's the only one who can fade her pain into non-existence, but is it enough?
Sha Renée- Forbidden Kisses
Layla is enlisted in the Navy. Ethan is an officer. According to rules, personal relationships between officers and enlisted personnel are prohibited, but their desire is so strong, they can't stand to be apart. Can military regulations separate lovers who are destined to be together?
Leslie Kung- At Long Last
Janny and Tom grew up together, but right before their friendship could turn into a budding romance, life and gravity pulled them apart. When the friends reconnected, their chemistry was undeniable–but tragedy put distance between them again. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to finally fall in love.
Emma Marie Leigh- Wrong Time
Jo Stevens is an archaeology graduate student on the opportunity of a lifetime- an excavation in Pompeii. When her group discovers a basement, everything Jo knows is rocked. Rules are broken. Lines are crossed. Jo unearths everything she's ever wanted. She's just in the wrong time.
Louisa Blackwood- Can't Let Go
Josephine "Joe" Burke has been running from the past since the night her mother died, choosing solitude over dreams. She's suddenly forced to return to her Tennessee hometown and to her old flame, Colton James. Joe can feel her defenses crumbling under his irritating charm, but with the past still haunting her future, can she open her heart to happiness again?
Polly J. Brown- Ever Be
Evangeline's life revolved around the water until she nearly drowned. Now, she's returned to the beach to confront her fears, and Gregory Owen, the super-bro who saved her life. Greg wants to help, but can she trust his intentions? Or worse, her own?
Jaye Cox- Love in Photographs
When her heart remembers but her head doesn't, will one photograph change everything? Claire didn't need her memories when everything within her knew she loved him.
Brandy Ayers- Fighting Faith
At nineteen, Faith spent one perfect, passion-filled summer in San Sebastian. But just when she thought she might have her happy ending, Jasper, the love of her life, shattered her heart. Now, ten years later, they're forced together once more. Can she hold onto the last few remaining pieces of her heart?
Kate DeHart- Missed Kisses
Struggling with the recent death of her mother, Jess finds solace in her best friend Ben. Everything about them says they shouldn't click. He's the trendy guy with the damaged family; she's the bookish introvert with a lonely heart. Years of sweet memories cause their feelings to grow, until he does the one thing that could tear them apart.
Jody Pardo- Left Swipe Chronicles
Roommates Liz and Michelle venture into the world of online dating. After a series of bad first dates, how many swipes will it take to find her Man of Steel?
Cherry Shephard- Precious
18 year old Precious Montgomery is a nobody, she's never even had her first kiss . . . but that's about to change. When her best friend nominates her for prom queen, Precious has just one week to make over her image and beat the queen bee – Amber Delancey. Amber has everything Precious doesn't: Confidence, sophistication and popularity. But a chance meeting with Amber's boyfriend changes everything.
Now, Precious has to decide what's more important; what she's always wanted . . . or what she's always had.
Can a crown . . . or a kiss, really dictate your self-worth?
This is a beautiful collection of stories. Each is different except for one thing: that kiss.
My favorites are Never Regret, Love in Photographs, and Precious.
Never Regret is about a virgin and an escort. Maggie's desperate to rid herself of her virginity and James is the man hired to achieve that goal. Except the night of "just sex" turns into something more, exchanged names, meaningful conversations, and sex that rocks both their worlds. James might be an old hand at this and Maggie might not have anything else to compare that night to (yet) but there was an incredible amount of tenderness between them that made their arrangement sweet and touching.
Love in Photographs is heartbreaking yet hopeful. Each part bears the title of a song that ties into that part of the story, and each part is a step Claire makes towards remembering who she was, who her family is, and why she feels something for Jayce after an accident stole her memory. The journey they make as they spend time together creates new memories for them and Jayce captures them in photographs as much as possible. It's a photograph that brings their shared past rushing to the front and pushes Claire to go to him, to tell him she remembers him, remembers them, and remembers how much she loves him.
Precious. I don't usually read YA but this story really got to me. Precious represents every insecure high school girl out there who longs for popularity and wants the cool guy to notice her, yet hides in her insecurities with whispered answers and downcast eyes. But an unexpected kiss from the cool guy sends Precious reeling. Winning the Prom Queen title puts her at his side. A moment of weakness gives the popular girl a chance to wreak havoc and Precious nearly loses her best friend. This is high school drama in a few short pages with a very sweet, very sigh-worthy romance woven into it.
I never really thought about the story of a kiss bestowed and shared but this collection showed how unique a kiss can be, in fiction and real life.


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But really, isn't every day a lipstick day? I truly don't understand women who don't wear lipstick/lipgloss. A little splash of colour to brighten up your face never hurt anyone.
However, as much as I love and hoard my lippies, current inventory says I'm in the 60+ range (true number unknown for sanity reasons), the truth is: I probably use less than 10% of them. And then I have another 20% that have never been used. In fact, I can safely say that the more expensive and/or "Limited Edition", the less likely I am to have used it.
What a shame. So, in honour of National Lipstick Day, I'm vowing to change that! I'm going on a lippie ban until Christmas and shopping my stash! Good thing my stash has as many reds, nudes and vamps as a girl can need. I may even have a fuchsia or two in there, although never my first, or second choice. But really, I always proclaim to NOT be a make-up collector and to be user of the products… yet my own stash is silently mocking me. By the end of the year, every lipstick will be mashed and used goddamit!
So yes, no new lippies, with the exception of lipbalms as one always needs those, and I am down to less than 3. (First world problems). I will also give myself one pass in October for my hubby's birthday. He hates lipstick, therefore it seems appropriate that I should be able to purchase one then. Right? I'm already dreaming off all the money I will save….
Is this a new project-use-it-up? Perhaps.
Here's what unused, and never touched.
Here's what sometimes used. Basically, all of these have been used at least once.
Here's what lives in my makeup bag – these are pretty much the only ones I use daily.
And here's as much of the total as I could find. Of course I found one the minute I was done taking all the pics. Then I found 3-4 in my "toss" pile. They were just old and gross looking.
And to end it all, I'm missing two – my holy grail Guerlain lippie (the back-up is pictured above in the never used category), and a MAC Alluring Aquatics lipstick. Another excellent nude shade. You know, I'm not surprised by the number of reds I have, I'm total red lippie whore; but I have so many nudes! WTF did they come from? WHERE? Check out my previous lippie inventory here. Looks like I've doubled in number, and it's good to see that many of the ones I have now are brand new.
Well, happy national lipstick day. Slap some on, its cheaper than many other vices out there. Thanks for stopping!


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Roger Linn posted two new demos of his Linnstrument using Synful Orchestra as the soundsource virtual instrument. LinnStrument Violin and Cello Performances and demonstrations showing LinnStrument controlling the virtual instrument Synful Orchestra. The pressure sensitivity of the LinnStrument has been assigned to vibrato for Synful Orchestra. This can be very expressive combination.
"Manhã de Carnival", performed by Roger, sound source by Synful Orchestra.
Along with Cello performance.
There is also an hour long interview and demonstration from Sonic Talk below. Worth watching if you are interested in hearing more about the development of the Linnstrument.


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This One's For You by Brandy Jellum
Published: July 22, 2015
Publisher: Booktrope
Add to Goodreads
SynopsisAll alone in a new state, Brennan Daniels has only the memories of her best friend, Reagan, to keep her company as she starts college. Reagan is the reason for everything Brennan does—before she died, she made Brennan promise to stay good until she found a man worth keeping. No boys, no dating, and definitely no falling in love—those were the rules for college, and Brennan carved them into the brick walls guarding her heart… But there's a fire burning behind those walls, and when Brennan meets Owen Scott, the (mysterious) new guy across the hall, she can't deny the pull between them. He is everything she should never want. Everyone warns her to stay away—even Owen himself—but the heart wants what the heart wants, even if it knows that it's going to get hurt—even if it means throwing old promises to new flames.
My body started to shake as the first tears streamed down my cheeks. I slid down to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest, and rocked back and forth. As more tears fell, my sobs became louder. Everything I had been holding in until that moment burst free from the dam I had carefully built.
Every emotion: anger, sadness, guilt, desperation, fear, anxiety, remorse, and rage overcame me in that single second. Everything I was afraid to let myself feel, I was feeling all at once. My body shook violently as the tears continued to stream down my face, and my throat was hoarse from crying.
It happened—I finally broke.
For the first time in almost a year, I let myself feel something—really feel something. The tears I had shed in the past were nothing compared to the ones I was crying now. The pain was unbearable. I wanted it to all go away. I wanted to rewind the clock just a little bit. I'd rather deal with my brothers acting like fools than to feel this.
This was the moment everyone close to me was waiting for, the moment when I finally let everything sink in. They were waiting for me to break. I was surprised it wasn't sooner.
My sobs echoed the breaking of my heart. Speaking for the things I couldn't say—the one thing I wanted to shout loud enough for everyone to hear; it wasn't fair! Why was the most beautiful person I'd ever known stripped from this earth before it was her time?
Seeing Ronnie, hearing his plan, brought everything to the surface. Why couldn't he stay away? Everyone was constantly pushing me, and this time they pushed me too far. I went right over the cliff, and there was no end in sight.
I barely heard the soft knock against the bathroom door over the sound of my own sobs. I held my breath, waiting to see if it was just my imagination, when there was another rap against the wooden door.
I heard a loud sigh and a soft thump against the sturdy wood. My chest heaved as I kept as quiet as I could, my face soaked with tears. I wiped at them furiously, trying to get them to stop. The more I fought against it, the faster they seemed to fall.
My mouth was dry. I licked my lips, tasting the saltiness of my broken heart.
"Brennan . . ." Owen said.
"I'll be out in a moment."
I bit my bottom lip. I had to get myself together. I needed to get up off the floor, put a smile on my face, and go on like nothing happened. There was a reason why it had taken so long for me to break—I kept pretending I was fine. It wasn't healthy, but staying on the cold bathroom floor bawling wasn't either.
I had to go back to the way I was prior to this. I had to grin it and bear it. Like nothing in the world could get me down. It was the only way I was going to survive.
October 27 – Lozza's Book Corner –Excerpt
October 27 – Change the Word – Interview
October 28 – A Southern Girls Bookshelf– Excerpt
October 29 – Living Life With Joy – Q&A& Excerpt
October 29 – Ai Love Books – Review & Excerpt
October 30 – I Love My Authors – Excerpt
November 2 – The Phantom Paragrapher– Review
November 3 – CDyess Writes – Excerpt
November 4 – The World As I See It –Review & Excerpt
November 4 – Chick Lit Goddess – Excerpt
November 5 – A British Bookworm – Excerpt
November 6 – Authors and Readers Book Corner– Excerpt
November 10 – Evocative Book Reviews –Review & Excerpt
November 12 – Book Groupies - Excerpt
November 12 – Ashley Book Blog –Review
November 13 – Two Children and a Migraine– Review & Excerpt
November 13 – Sweet N SassyBookaholics – Review & Excerpt
November 13 – Granny Loves To Read – Review &Excerpt
November 16 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews –Review, Q&A & Excerpt
November 16 – Kelly's Nerdy Obsession – Review &Excerpt
Click HERE to Enter
Author Bio
Brandy's passion for writing began long before she actually sat down to write. As a child, she has had an obsession with reading, everything from the classic stories by Jane Austen to YA Fiction by Richelle Mead. Finally, in 2012, she decided to create her own stories for people to fall in love with. Brandy bounces back and forth writing both Romance and Young Adult Fiction (which is mainly just for fun). At the beginning of 2014, Brandy signed a contract with publishing company Booktrope. She is very excited about the next chapter of her life and cannot wait to share her books and passion with readers. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab, Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.


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St. Patrick's Day is a great holiday for children! It is such a magical day full of shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots of gold at the ends of rainbows, all of which naturally lend themselves to fun and creative craft projects like these 15 Wonderful St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Crafts.
One of my favorite things about these projects is how versatile they are. Each project is simple enough that young children can enjoy them, but creative enough that older children and adults will have fun with them too.
Many of these craft ideas are made with simple items you already have around your house. Some are made with more specialty items, like Perler Beads or ribbons, but in my house, these items are commonplace.
I am also a big fan of activities that spark creativity and a sense of wonder in children and these 15 Wonderful St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Crafts are perfect for that. So whip up a batch of some yummy green goodies, play and sing some Irish folk songs, and get busy making beautiful rainbows! But make sure to keep an eye on your surroundings. All that fun and frivolity might just capture the attention of a leprechaun or two!
15 Wonderful Rainbow Crafts For Kids
Teach Me Mommy – Rainbow Perler Bead Keyring
Fireflies and Mudpies – Rainbow Suncatcher Craft For Kids
Temecula Blogs – Rainbow Weaving Art


text: Research is not only critical to the economic and social development of society; it is also critical to the mission of our University. It is this research which is the foundation for knowledge that makes possible so much of the innovation and application that provides wider benefit. Research, adds to the stock of global knowledge and provides the source of new ideas, methods, techniques and innovation across a whole range of disciplinary and multi-disciplinary areas. Our mission is to support and empower teachers, leaders and scholars to succeed in their educational endeavors. Qurtuba University of Science & IT publishes two journals The Dialogue (Quarterly): Social Sciences and Journal of Managerial Sciences (bi-annual): Management Sciences - to disseminate scientific research results both within Pakistan and internationally.


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East Anglia Local Produce: Norfolk Crab
Norfolk Brown Crab
Crabs come in many shapes and sizes and can be prepared in even more ways, but it's hard to beat a crab from Cromer, simply served up in a crusty brown-bread sandwich.
Justifiably famous worldwide, and practically required eating in north Norfolk, Cromer crabs are renowned for their sweet, delicate flavour and their higher proportion of white meat to dark. Local hero Delia Smith raves about them; Stephen Fry famously campaigned for them.
Where to get it
First stop - head to Cromer! It is considered the home to Norfolk crab and there are many fishmongers who sell fresh crab every day from their shops or event stalls outside their houses. Be sure to get there early as when in season it sells out fast!
Blakeney and Wells-next-the-sea also both have great fishmongers who stock Norfolk crabs by the dozen.
Top tip: Cookies, Salthouse
Whilst you are not paying for the decor, Cookies crab shop is THE place to get a crab sandwich. Made to order you can't go wrong with a crab sandwich, eat in and bring a bottle, or take your sandwich out with a cup of tea, down to one of the local beaches, Salthouse or Cley-next-the-Sea for an unmissable Norfolk foodie experience!
Don't fancy eating crab?
Why not try crabbing instead? Check out our top tips for becoming a champion crabber as well as the best places to catch those crusty critters.


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The California Assembly will hold a hearing Wednesday to determine what exactly went wrong with a botched upgrade to the state's unemployment benefits computer system that has left thousands without jobless checks for weeks.
The Times has reported extensively on the problems that began over Labor Day weekend, when the California Employment Development Department launched the update.
A problem occurred when transferring old claims data to the new software, which was designed by Deloitte Consulting, a New York firm with a record of delivering IT projects in California over budget and often with problematic results.
LIVE CHAT: Join us at 11 a.m.
The glitch affected as many as 300,000 claims, delaying payments to tens of thousands of unemployed Californians, according to internal emails. The EDD pegs that figure closer to 150,000.
The agency continues to be plagued by problems related to the software upgrade and is still working to address some of the underlying issues.
Join consumer columnist David Lazarus, reporter Ricardo Lopez and a guest who has been affected by the computer glitch for a Google+ Hangout discussing the latest developments.
Here's Tuesday's story by Lopez and Sacramento bureau reporter Marc Lifsher that details some of the problems the EDD has experienced.
SAC agrees to plead guilty to insider trading
Anthem Blue Cross is sued over policy cancellations
Lawmakers to examine causes of state jobless benefit delays


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The university seal is the unifying theme evoking wisdom and positive virtues and qualities that can be attached or displayed with pride in every object of communication – letters, websites, products, billboards, banners, etc., is a trademark of identification and ownership and an assurance of quality and excellence so identified with ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY.
The New University Seal was created with elements associated with symbolic meanings. The following describe these symbolisms from the use of space, objects, text, and colors in the making of the seal.
Space allocation: The circular is divided into two areas the ratio of which is patterned after the golden ratio – a ratio symbolic of beauty, balance, and perfection. The nine golden rays of the sun emanate from the core center of the circle and each ray cuts an angle of 24.72 degrees for a total of 222.5 degrees. The other area cuts an angle of 137.5 degrees. The ratio of smaller area to bigger one is 0.168 is referred to among the Greeks as the Golden ratio. The radius of small circle cuts that of the bigger one dividing into two segments exhibiting the Golden Ratio even as it does for their areas. Objects divided using this ratio exhibits an excellent proportion that produces beauty, balance, and equity.
Color scheme: In some cultures, yellow is associated to observed cowardice. Among the Japanese, it is the symbol of courage. Other cultures use the color to emphasize care and hope. The use of the Golden Yellow seal symbolizes humility amidst greatness, a hidden power that drives hope for greatness in the future. Precisely it is the color of early morning sunshine that beats darkness and illuminates the greatness of space and the vastness of what it contains even the golden rays of the early morning sun gives the feeling of elation and hope for a better day. It gives hope and life as water is one of the four basic elements of nature bears the color yellow .it depicts in the seal that education illuminates the world from and break the bondage of ignorance; it is the great equalizer that empowers humankind that brings about goodness of life.
- Bright Red is the color of energy. It symbolizes the strength of its drive and commitment to its vision and mission. Red is the Chinese color of good business relation. While it symbolizes energy and strength, it is consistently used among cultures to seek or ask for restraint, danger, and help. Restraint is symbolic of accountability and as a state institution, of public accountability – public trust, public service. The bright red color denotes the university"s quest for and responsible exploitation of knowledge – information, skills, and technologies.
- The Leaf Green color in its various hues is the color of life and intelligence – the environment: people, the flora and fauna and all the intelligence of the elements of their ecologies exhibit. Its use in the seal is symbolic of the university"s original mandate in agriculture and forestry education and now as a comprehensive university, it depicts the character of the institution as the University for People and Nature.
- The Brown Color is a versatile foundation of many colors. It is the color of the earth, a strong foundation from which to build upon. It is symbolic of capacity and strength in unity – binding all the elements of the institution together. Brown is also the color of acceptance symbolic of the university"s inclusive character inviting the participation of many without discrimination to build a synergy that can build wisdom and positive virtues.
- Deep Blue is the color of confidence and security. Aside from red for good business relations, blue is used by banks to create the feeling of security and confidence among its clients. The blue skies is seen as one that binds the universe in peace, and giving it the promise of a vibrant good life. Its use in the seal symbolizes Integrity as one of the valued institutional character.
The green fields represent the potentials of the university from where many will be built and grown. The vanishing horizon spells out an unlimited arena for academic activities as well as the boundless extend of what knowledge and products can bring.
The torch with the acronym of the university, ISU, as its burning red hot flames depict the institution"s energy and dedication to its mission. It shares the rays of its illuminating lights rays with the sun"s rays depicting the university as one of the leading universities enlightening this world through education.
The shapes of concentric circles holding every element of the seal symmetric to their common center is a symbol of balance and academic neutrality. The outermost one is of rope spliced throughout its length of no distinguishable end strips symbolizes the strength and unity of the elements therein. The institution"s official name, ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY wrapped around it beginning from.
Overall, the SEAL is a simple uncomplicated creation that evokes integrity, intelligence, excellence, beauty, energy, unity, peace and hope as it depicts an institution – a University for People and Nature, Keeping Faithful to its past and steadfast building a great future for people and the environment.


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Even though 10% of the people in the world are left handed, it seems that the rest of the world is not really bothered about it. A lot of times those of us who write with our left hand have to face problems because everyone else conveniently forgets that we exist and makes everything to suit right-handed people! That can actually lead to some very unfortunate and sometimes comical situations.
1. The Right Class
Classrooms are supposed to be a place of learning, but if you spend all your time bending over the desk and trying to keep everything from falling off while writing something in your notebook, you are not going to learn much. Lefties often face this problem in many schools and universities. Maybe there should be major requirement for them to order left-handed desks!
2. Oops Coffee
Coffee shops tend to spend a lot of effort in crafting a heart on your mug. Unfortunately, they always do it assuming you are right-handed. If you happen to hold the cup with your left hand, then the heart does a 180 flip and loses all meaning. We're feeling a little less like the making of this coffee was heart felt!
3. Deep Insights
Being different means being grouped. So, if you are a painter people will always regale you with stories of their so and so who is also a painter. And it happens with left-handed people as well. While it usually is just an attempt at small talk, one can get sick of hearing it!
4. Drinking Problems
Creative coffee mugs are all the rage these days, and they are especially useful in getting kids to sit down long enough to drink something. But if the kid happens to be left-handed and is presented with a mug, all you are heading towards is a case of spilled milk!
5. Surprise Surprise
If people chance upon you writing with your left hand, then there are a very standard set of responses that you tend to get. The most common of them is a question of whether you are left-handed! Yes, we exist, and it's not a defect or a hindrance (usually)!
6. Silver Surfer
Whoever devised writing was apparently not thinking about those of us who are left-handed. Because our text is written from left to right, left-handed people usually have to place the side of our hand on the portions of the page where we have already written something. That leads to the hand getting covered in pencil, leading to the silver surfer syndrome! Pen isn't much better…
7. Hefty Cuts
Scissors are a nightmare for left-handed people. Using a right-handed one often leads to bad cuts and precarious situations. But that does not mean that left-handed scissors do not exist. And even though everything is pretty much the same, it often costs more! Discrimination anyone?
8. Shake it Off
Handshakes are one of the most common and natural things to do, but if one of you is left-handed, the chances are that you are in for some awkwardness. That's where fist bumps come to the rescue!
9. Icy Disasters
Everyone loves ice cream, and a lot of us like to keep it in the freezer for that midnight snack. But when it comes to scooping it out, people often forget that those of us who are left-handed might want to eat ice cream too without it getting all messy and confusing!
10. Existential Questions
A lot of times those of us who are left-handed have to answer this question of why we are left-handed. Duh! It is not a choice per say. Same as it was not your choice to ask annoying questions! Actually, that might not be the best comparison… Let's start over and be friends.
11. Mind Binder
Binders are a really great way to organize your notes and stuff. Unless you happen to be left-handed, that is. Because it is actually a huge problem trying to write in a binder if you favor the left hand and end up with a doctor's handwriting!
12. Odd one out
They say misery loves company and it is definitely the case when it comes to being left-handed while eating. Your elbows just keep bumping if the person next to you is right-handed. It can actually bring tears of joy if you happen to have another left-handed person to sit next to you!
13. Musically Challenged
There are very few better ways of becoming popular than being able to play a guitar around the campfire. And while you may be great with it, you would probably find yourself passing up the chance of being popular if you happen to be a left-handed because the strings are all wrong on the standard guitar!
14. Check it out
If you ever chance upon the to-do list of a left-handed individual, you will probably wonder what they are up to. After all, they just cleaned the room but put some weird symbol next to it! Well, get used to it because that is how we make a tick mark a lot of times!
15. Long Short Cuts
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Keyboard shortcuts were devised to make your life easier unless you happen to be left-handed, of course. Then it is just a way to add to the stress level! When was the last time you heard of a left-handed keyboard?
Source: BoredPanda


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Herbs are healthy and are fun to grow. Not only are they able to spice up your home cooking, but they are also helpful in terms of keeping you healthy as they provide essential nutrients to your body, including antioxidants. If you enjoy growing plants, then growing the following herbs would not be difficult for you.
- Rosemary. First on the list is Rosemary. This is an aromatic herb, which is a delight to keep around the house. This herb contains carnosic acid that is known to fight the growth of cancer cells. In addition, the scent of rosemary can improve your memory. This is according to the study conducted by the University of Northumbria in the United Kingdom. If you have children, you can introduce rosemary to help with their studies, especially during exams.
- Thyme. Next on the list is Thyme. This herb has been used many years ago to help remedy respiratory problems like bronchitis. It has also been used for antiseptic purposes. This herb is a very suitable addition to your salad, soups, and other recipes and meals you have in mind. It is virtually calorie-free, which is good news to those who does not want the extra calorie in every meal.
- Lavender. Not only is lavender very pleasant and beautiful to look at, but it is also beneficial to your health. If you have sleeping problems, having a lavender around would be very helpful as its fragrance is very soothing and calming that it will help you fall asleep. It also has antioxidants (polyphenols) which are very helpful if you are bloated. Its antioxidants help get rid and fight bloating.
- Basil. If you are one that likes to party, having basil around is something that you want to consider. Basil is helpful in detoxifying the liver. It also has the ability to calm the nerves of the body and is rich in fiber. Basil oil is also helpful in getting rid of skin blemishes as It has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Parsley. Parsley is something that a lot of people would leave out on the plate. But, this practice should be corrected as Parsley is packed with different nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is also rich in Vitamin K, which is essential for blood production. One tablespoon of parsley a day will be enough to supply you with the needed Vitamins A, C, and K for the day.
- Sage. Sage is known to have antiseptic and antioxidant properties. With its antioxidant property, sage is able to help fight early aging. It is for this reason that a lot of beauty products sold in the market contains sage. In addition, it is known to help fight fatigue and anxiety. It also can help enhance memory.
- Cilantro. Cilantro is a staple in Mexican and Asian countries. It is a good source of iron and fiber. It also helps detoxify the body of heavy metals, like mercury and lead. Cilantro will attach itself to these heavy metals and keep them away from body tissues.
- Chives. Chives is known to boost the immune system. Eating chives, combined with scallions and garlic, will help lower the risk of developing certain types of cancers, like breast cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.
- Dill. Dill is very flavorful and can be used more than just for pickles. It is full of antioxidants, like beta-carotene, and is helpful in managing hiccups. The next time you get a hiccup, you can mix a teaspoon of this herb to a boiling water to help get rid of it. Strain the leaf from the boiled water and drink it slowly. In no time, you will not have hiccups.
- Mint. Mints are nice to have at home as it provides a calming aroma. It is no wonder spas smell like mints. In addition, this plant is rich in Vitamin A. Two tablespoons of mint a day will provide you more than half of the needed nutrient of your body. It is also good for digestion, headaches, nausea, asthma, respiratory disorders, pimples, cavities, and for your breath. A recent study also revealed that peppermint oil is good for managing blood pressure. It has also been found out that peppermint is a good complement to exercise rate and respiratory rate.
Now that you know the different benefits of having these herbs around, it is time that you grab your planting gears and start growing these herbs. It is not only fun to grow them, but also beneficial to be around.