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Penumbra Collection (PC) review
"In many ways, Penumbra is exactly what horror games should be like. In many others, the inexperience of the developer cuts through the mix a little too clearly for comfort. This flitting between terrifying and tiring leaves a little to be desired, but Penumbra Collection has enough interesting ideas to sail on, if only for the first two segments of its sinister life."
Freelance review by Lewis Denby (February 11, 2009)
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Dita Von Teese: La Maison Cointreau Burlesque Performance!
Dita Von Teese hits the stage burlesque style at the La Maison Cointreau event held on Tuesday (November 13) in San Fransisco, Calif.
The 40-year-old beauty hosted the private VIP launch of the alcoholic beverage, where she performed and chatted the night away.
Later in the week, Dita was spotted grabbing a healthy snack at Real Food Daily in Pasadena, Calif.
Great news Dita fans: her lingerie line is now available in the US! "My Von Follies lingerie is now available in the US online at http://asos.com!" Dita tweeted.
20+ pictures inside of burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese showing off her stuff at La Maison Cointreau…

subset: commoncrawl


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China's much-anticipated reform of social security and state-owned enterprises marks an important step in the shift to more sustainable growth, further improving the long-term outlook for Chinese consumption and domestically exposed industries despite the current market volatility.
As we have previously noted (1), China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and social security system have been in the sights of the authorities for some time, who understand that reforming them will help smooth the trajectory of the Chinese economy. However, progress has proved to be painfully slow, as bureaucracy and political infighting have caused friction.
In the second half of 2015, the Chinese government finally began taking meaningful steps. In September, it announced the division of SOEs into two pools: those seeking profit and those focused on public welfare. Two months later, it advocated handing the governance and supervision of commercial SOEs to a "Temasek-style" investment company, or an assortment of such companies, which will have responsibility for restructuring and increasing the value of these SOEs. (1)
There are 150,000 SOEs in China, with over 100tn RMB ($15.7tn) in assets. Since the global financial crisis they have exhibited worrying levels of operational inefficiency, recording a 4.6% return on assets in 2014 versus a private-sector average of 9.1% (2). Improving these inefficiencies should contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Chinese economy, even amid the current volatility.
Capital to the people
The government's holding company would manage the equity of profit-seeking SOEs, monitor their management teams and improve operations, as they attempt to produce better returns on state capital. They would do this by better incentivising management, overseeing capital allocations and providing industrial support. In its guidelines, the State Council indicated that these companies would also be expected to dispose of inefficient assets, with a focus on breaking up "zombie" SOEs and those with excess capacity.
Capital released by the disposal of the most unproductive SOEs, alongside savings from reduced investment in others, would be reinvested in major infrastructure projects, newer industries, the industrial supply chain and firms with "strong competitiveness," according to the State Council (3). However, some of the capital released by the restructuring will be distributed into social security funds, which currently have a significant shortfall in assets – particularly pension funds for people without access to retirement savings vehicles, or those who cannot afford to contribute to one.
Greater social security means more consumption
Chinese social security reserves have been under strain for some time. China's state pension programme was launched in 1997, but was only expanded to a broad proportion of its citizens through reforms in 2009, 2011 and 2014. These reforms put the programme's capital shortfall in the spotlight, with a reported unfunded liability of $5bn (¥31.9bn) in 2014 (4), which has grown as the ratio of active to retired workers continues to shrink. The transfer of state assets should help to plug this gap.
Part of our investment case for China is the growth of domestic consumption, which in the short term is partially offsetting declining Western demand for exported Chinese goods, and should be a force for sustainable growth in the long term. While consumption is growing, it has been limited by the lack of social security available in certain parts of the country. In urban areas, where social security is more widely available, consumption growth has been steady; in rural areas with looser social security nets, it has been lower. The additional funding for social security provided by the SOE reforms should help redress this balance, improving the outlook for companies exposed to domestic consumers.
Easing the pension burden for companies
A broader benefit of this transfer of capital is a reduction in corporate pension burdens. At present, China's 20% basic pension contribution rate, funded through a combination of payments from employees and employers, ranks in the top 10 among all nations. When this is combined with other benefits, companies pay out 44% of wages in the form of social security contributions. With the proposed capital transfer, the basic pension contribution rate could be reduced by as much as a quarter to 15%.
Governance groundswell
The reforms should also have a ripple effect on corporate culture and competitiveness. As a controlling owner of state assets, the proposed investment company would likely encourage better corporate governance as it works to improve SOEs. Meanwhile, as the new holder of substantial SOE equity, the National Social Security Fund would also support stronger governance standards by focusing on return on capital and taking a hands-off approach to management, which would be a clear departure from the current situation.
13m hukou for the migrant workforce
These reforms are only one aspect of ongoing social change in China. A month after announcing the boost to pensions for those without contributions, the Chinese state announced that it would allow residency permits, known as hukou, for about 13m unregistered workers in cities (5). This will allow these predominantly rural migrants to access state benefits, such as education and healthcare, in the areas in which they reside and work, rather than those in which they were born. As such, this change will help improve productivity, as workers are more likely to settle in urban areas and establish fuller lives with their families, further increasing consumption and demand for services.
China's economic and political reforms are increasingly important as it seeks new ways to compete beyond cheap manufacturing. With a broader distribution of wealth through stronger social security, and more efficient and competitive industrial companies resulting from corporate reform, the prospects for the long-term sustainable growth of the Chinese economy continue to improve.
This information does not constitute a solicitation or offer to any person to buy or sell any related securities or financial instruments.
1. "Opinions on the Reform and Improvement of State-owned Assets Management System," published by the State Council on 4 November 2015.
2. "China's state-owned enterprise reform plans face compromise," published by The Financial Times on 14 September 2015.
3. "Opinions on the Reform and Improvement of State-owned Assets Management System," published by the State Council in November 2015.
4. "Expert urges pension reform over earlier-than-expected deficit," published by China News Service (ECNS.cn) on 19 November 2015.
5. "China wants hukous for its 13m unregistered citizens," by Shannon Tiezzi. Published by The Diplomat on December 10, 2015.
The views and opinions contained herein are those of Hermes Emerging Markets, and may not necessarily represent views expressed or reflected in other Hermes communications, strategies or products. The information does not constitute a solicitation or offer to any person to buy or sell any related securities or financial instruments. The information herein is believed to be reliable but Hermes Fund Managers does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. No responsibility can be accepted for errors of fact or opinion.
The long and short of the China sell-off


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Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Saint John Sea Dogs 5 @ Val-d'Or Foreurs 7
D Artem Sergeev [7], VDO: 0-1-1, +2, 4 PIM, 2 SOG, 1 Hit
Season totals: 27 GP, 5-16-21, +7, 20 PIM
Artem Sergeev's point streak rose to six games with an assist against the defending QMJHL champs. Saint John, who defeated Rouyn-Noranda on Wednesday night, fought back from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits to tie the game in the third period. Val-d'Or scored the game's last two goals for the victory.
Ontario Hockey League
Belleville Bulls 3 @ Peterborough Petes 4 (SO)
D Slater Koekkoek [8], PBO: 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM
Season totals: 27 GP, 4-17-21, -21, 20 PIM
The Petes snapped their 5-game losing streak and Slater Koekkoek (pictured, Eric DuBose photo) set a new career high for assists in a season as Peterborough beat Belleville in a shootout, 4-3. Koekkoek's second period assist gave him 17 for the year, one more than he accumulated in his rookie season.


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Moderator: Dungeon Masters
silverfields2 wrote:Forest Friends!
Meet outside the Visi portal tower and we'll decide where to go from there! You don't have to be a member or even qualify to be a member to come interact with us!
Blue Wolfy wrote:*Berry waits on Tor's rock at the appointed time but so far doesn't see any Ice Turtles.*
Return to The Avlis Project: General Discussion
Registered users: Bing [Bot], jwhite5730


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 23rd Mar 2010 17:57 UTC, submitted by hotice
There is an ongoing discussion on a Gnome mailing list which points out that Gnome and KDE might collaborate for a new project: a FLOSS alternative to Dropbox. The Gnome and KDE approach is more towards an collaboration tool, but which is very close to Dropbox. The DE independent FLOSS Dropbox alternative idea came because Google Summer of Code is approaching and both Gnome and KDE have a collaboration tool on their list.
Permalink for comment 414975
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE: Don't we already have this
by FrankKarlitschek on Tue 23rd Mar 2010 19:32 UTC in reply to "Don't we already have this"


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Frequently Asked Questions
|What are the specific objectives of the new microfinance policy?
The specific objectives of the microfinance policy are to:
(a) Make financial services accessible to a large segment of the potentially productive Nigerian population which would otherwise have little or no access to financial services.
(b) Provide synergy and mainstreaming of the informal sub-sector into the national financial system.
(c) Enhance service delivery by microfinance institutions to micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs).
(d) Contribute to rural transformation by mobilizing savings.
(e) Promote linkage programme between microfinance institutions (MFIs), Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), specialized Funding institutions.
(f) Create employment opportunities and increase the productivity and household income of the economically active poor in the country, thus enhancing their standard of living.
(g) Promote a platform for microfinance service providers to network, exchange view and share experience.
|Who are the target clients of Microfinance Banks?
Microfinance Banks target client includes the following group of persons:
(a) The economically active poor.
(b) Low-income households
(c) The un-banked and underserved people, particularly vulnerable groups such as women, youths and the physically challenged.
(d) Informal sector operators, micro-entrepreneurs and subsistence farmers.
|What steps is the CBN taking to support the banks in their recovery efforts?
The CBN will cooperate with the management teams in the banks and all relevant government agencies including the EFCC, Police and the Judiciary to support recovery efforts of the banks. As a first step, the major debtors (including officers and directors) who have failed to liquidate their indebtedness have been named through publication in National Newspapers. This effort shall be sustained.
|Why does the CBN have to undertake the audit of deposit money banks?
One of the core mandates of the CBN as contained in section 2 of the CBN Act 2007 is to promote a sound financial system in Nigeria. This function is carried out through the supervision and regulation of financial institutions including Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). In carrying out this function, the CBN relies on the provisions of sections 30-32 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) which empowers it to carry out routine examination of banks, other financial Institutions and specialized banks. The audit of DMBs is therefore in consonance with the responsibilities of the CBN under its enabling Laws.
As a result of the global financial crisis which adversely affected the Nigerian economy, in particular the capital market and oil and gas sectors, it was observed by the regulators that some Nigerian banks had huge concentration of exposure to these two sectors, in addition to general weaknesses in risk management practices, poor corporate governance practices and signs of illiquidity as confirmed by the regular visits of the affected banks at our Expanded Discount Window (EDW) and the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) window from October 2008. It therefore became compelling to ascertain the true financial health of the Nigerian banks in the public interest.
|What is the status of the shareholders of the five banks?
In the light of the measures adopted so far by the CBN, the existing shareholders of these banks still remain intact, because the funds injected into the banks by the CBN are loans. However, the extent of their holdings will be ascertained after due diligence and recapitalization of the respective banks.
|What other steps is the CBN taking to ensure the safety of depositors' funds?
In the short-term, the CBN would continuously enlighten the public on the actions that have been taken and the basis for those actions. In addition the CBN has instituted independent and competent management to run the affairs of the affected banks as going concerns. Furthermore, for the long-term, the CBN has put in place new supervisory techniques such as risk-based supervision, with special emphasis on macro-prudential regulation and sound stress testing practices, consolidated supervision, deployment of resident examiners in deposit money banks and the strengthening of the supervisory process. The CBN has also appointed local and international financial experts to advise the banks on their recapitalization plans, risk management systems, setting minimum disclosure and reporting requirements and standards and identifying potential investors among others. The CBN has assured the general public that no bank would be allowed to fail. Indeed, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has reassured that no bank would be allowed to go under.
|What will happen to the staff of the affected banks?
The staff of the five banks are still bonafide employees of their banks. They are therefore required to cooperate with the reconstituted management teams, discharge their obligations professionally and with the utmost commitment and loyalty. However those that have abused their positions or are found to be involved in the mismanagement of any institution will be dealt with in accordance to the laws of the Federation.
|What would happen to the banks after the exit of the CBN?
Since the CBN investment in these banks is temporary, it is expected that the respective management teams of the banks would nurture them to health for possible recapitalization by the shareholders.
|Why take action on these five banks now rather than wait for the completion of the audit of all the banks?
CBN has a responsibility to act in a timely manner to secure the financial health of banks and to protect all depositors and creditors. The five institutions concerned were in a grave situation and their management had acted in a manner detrimental to the interest of their depositors and creditors, hence the need for CBN's timely intervention.
|Will the full result of the audit be made public?
The CBN carries out its supervisory duties in respect of banks, Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) and specialized banks under conditions of confidentiality as contained in section 30 of the BOFI Act. In this regard, details of the audit as it affects individual institutions cannot be made public. Individual banks are however expected to make appropriate disclosure including full disclosure of loan provision in financial statements in line with international standards not later than September 2009. However, the broad findings as they affect the financial system have been made public and are well documented in the press.
|With the removal of CEOs and executive management in the five banks, what is the status of the respective boards of the banks?
The boards of the affected banks remain intact as the newly appointed CEOs and the Executive Directors to be appointed by the CBN, shall continue with non-executive directors to give board oversight as newly constituted members of the board. The non-executive directors are expected to remain on the boards of the affected banks except in cases where an individual board member is found culpable; such a person shall be removed.
|Would the CBN adopt similar measures after the conclusion of the Special Examination of the other banks?
The current measures adopted by the CBN are part of further reforms to build confidence in the banking system. The ongoing special examination would cover all the other banks as well. Where necessary, similar measures would be applied to any bank found to be saddled with the same protracted problems as in the case of the five banks.
|What form will the capital injection by the CBN take and at what price is the CBN granting banks such capital?
Section 42 (2) of CBN Act provides that the Bank may grant loans and other accommodation facilities at such rates of interest and terms to any bank which may be having liquidity problems. This funding is in the form of a long term loan which forms part of the Tier-2 Capital of the affected banks. Under the current arrangement, the loan has a tenor of 7 years but is non-callable for 5 years and is priced at MPR + 500 basis points i.e. a total of 11% p.a.
|What happens if any of the five affected banks fails to recapitalize within the shortest possible time?
The CBN has assured that no bank will be allowed to fail. Indeed, the Federal Government of Nigeria has also reiterated this fact. However, should any of the affected banks fail to recapitalize within the shortest possible time, the CBN may consider a merger or acquisition option in resolving the problem.
|In specific terms, are the five banks authorized to participate in the Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS)?
The foreign exchange dealership licenses of the five banks have not been revoked by the CBN; therefore as going concerns, they are considered as authorized dealers in the foreign exchange market. Consequently, the affected banks would not be barred from further participation in the WDAS.
|In summary, what were the findings of the audit?
• Excessively high level of non-performing loans
• Poor corporate governance
• Lax credit administration
• Failure to meet prudential ratios such as liquidity and capital adequacy
• High level of loan concentration to the capital market and oil and gas sectors
|To what extent is the interest of all creditors protected under the new arrangement?
With the injection of the sum of =N=420bn into the five banks which are now managed by independent and competent management teams, the creditors are reassured of the commitment of these banks to their obligations. In addition, the CBN has guaranteed all foreign loans and correspondent banking lines of the five banks.
|Was the intervention by the CBN necessary to save the five banks?
The intervention of the CBN to save the five banks was necessary because the banks were systemically important to the banking industry in terms of assets and deposits. For example, the five banks accounted for 39.93% of loans, 29.99% of deposits and 31.47% of total assets as at May 31, 2009 in the banking system. The CBN therefore, believes that the successful resolution of the five banks would address the systemic pressures that the industry was experiencing.
|Are the five affected banks allowed to render normal banking services to customers?
The affected banks are expected to continue to render normal banking services to their customers in line with the provisions of all relevant laws and regulations governing banking business in Nigeria.
|Does CBN have the power to remove CEOs and Executive Management of Banks?
Upon examination of a bank, where the CBN is satisfied that the bank is in a grave situation, with respect to matters set out in Section 33 (2) (c) of the BOFIA, the Governor may by order in writing remove for reasons to be recorded in writing with effect from such date as may be set out in the order, any manager or officer of the bank, notwithstanding anything in any written law or limitations contained in the memorandum and articles of the association of the bank. Also this power is exercisable under the CBN Act 2007 section 42 (1) (b) which mandates the CBN to ensure high standards of conduct and management throughout the banking system.
If you did not find an answer to your question above, try the Glossary of Terms, or use the form below - ask your question, and we will post it here.


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Events for 22nd Dec 2017
Hartlebury Castle's History as a WWI Voluntary Aid Detachment Hospital: 'A Happy Convalescence'
- Date: 12th March 2016 - 23rd December 2018
- Every day
- Time: 10:00 - 17:00
- Location: County Museum at Hartlebury
- Cost: Adult-£9, Concession-£8, Child-£5, Family Ticket-£25 & under fives are free
Stories of fun, friendship and romance that offered a brief respite from the front lines for injured soldiers sent to recover at Hartlebury Castle Hospital.
The exhibition will feature real objects from the trenches, including gas masks, cigarettes and even a surgeon's kit used at the front. The exhibition has been curated from Museum Worcestershire's collection along with loans from George Marshall Medical Museum, The Mercian Regiment Museum and from local people.
A Happy Convalescence, is part of the Worcestershire World War One Hundred project.
The County Museum at Hartlebury closes Mondays.
Please visit the County Museum at Hartlebury page for opening information


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The process of buying a new Dodge car or truck can seem overwhelming if you don't know where to begin. Edmunds.com can get you started on the right track with a convenient directory of Dodge car dealerships in and around Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Compare online price quotes on the new or used car, truck, SUV, minivan, or wagon of your choice to locate the best deals. Edmunds.com makes it easy to find trusted Dodge car dealers in Fort Thomas, saving car buyers time and money on what will be an important purchase.
Non Display Review Name "Just got home from purchasing a Jeep from Jeff Wyler Ft. Thomas. Jason Zylka made the process smooth and painless with his knowledge and helpfulness."... Read more Review by: craig392
Non Display Review Name "This experience was the best I've had buying a car. Salesman helped in every way to get what I wanted for my budget. All the staff was friendly and "... Read more Review by: indianamom
Non Display Review Name "This was one of the best experiences I have had buying a vehicle thank you " Read more Review by: John111111


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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has established a new Office for Applied Oceanography to foster applied research supported by sources beyond traditional governmental agencies.
To sustain growth in an era of flat federal funding for basic research, "we seek to enable scientists and engineers at WHOI to pursue a wider array of applied research opportunities by making connections with industry partners, foreign governments, and U.S. government agencies like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, for example, which fund applied research," said Dan Stuermer, vice president for external relations at WHOI.
"Establishing this office is a way to provide an environment and culture in which scientists and engineers can take advantage of those opportunities."
"During the Second World War, the vast majority of (WHOI's) work was defense-related and highly applied—from developing smokescreen methods to protect landing parties to anti-submarine warfare techniques," acting WHOI Director James Luyten said. "We seek to increase our applied work while maintaining our critical mass in basic research. It's not an either-or proposition; basic and applied science can coexist."
Several newly forged projects demonstrate the potential for such coexistence:
The Office for Applied Oceanography also helps scientists and engineers protect intellectual property, submit patents, and manage technology transfer and licensing.
REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS), designed and built by scientists and engineers in the WHOI Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, are autonomous underwater vehicles that survey at various depths. They have been used widely for scientific, industry, and military operations. (Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)


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Dr. Kathryn Johnson will address "It Is the Worst of Times; it Is the Best of Times" at the Opening Convocation of the 159th Spring Semester at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, February 7, 2013. Convocation will take place in the Frank H. and Fannie W. Caldwell Chapel. The public is invited to attend.
"All around us we see evidence that, taken seriously, could lead us to despair - for our church communities, our vocational futures, our world," said Johnson.
"Yet at the same time there are new beginnings also all around, inviting our discernment and our collaborations," Johnson added. "How do members of a community of theological reflection encourage and help one another to read these signs of the times and find direction toward a joyful and faithful future?"
Johnson first joined the Louisville Seminary faculty in 1984. She returned last spring after spending four years in Geneva, Switzerland where she served as Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs and interim Director for Theology and Studies for the Lutheran World Federation, the global body that includes the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This semester, Johnson will teach History of Christian Experience, sections I and II.
Now back at Louisville Seminary, Kathryn continues to learn about world Christianity. In January, she traveled to Kerala, India, with a group from the Master of Arts in Spirituality program, a joint effort with Bellarmine University. She has a deepened commitment to faithful life in the Church - to honoring its diversities and seeking to heal its divisions.


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Oklahoma Christian University is pleased to announce its participation in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Yellow Ribbon Program.
Veterans and their eligible family members qualifying for 100% of the VA's Post 9-11 GI Bill will attend OC's undergraduate programs tuition-free. Oklahoma Christian will match government dollars to allow for this lucrative scholarship award.
The Post 9-11 GI Bill also provides a stipend for books and supplies and housing.
For more information about the Post 9-11 GI Bill, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/.


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This was the first time in over a month we didn't need leg warmers! Or base layers. Or jackets. Just a steady supply of tubes.
Eric, Karl, Karen, Kevin, Kevin, Marcus & Todd today, rolling out 6 minutes behind schedule since Eric noticed a tire quite low on air and replaced the tube before the start. Thursday, so we rode up through the park… not terribly fast, not terribly slow. I was able to keep Kevin (my son, not the pilot) in sight even at the very end of Kings, so he finished about 45 seconds ahead of me. I can live with that!
Dry roads are something I always look forward to because I can let loose on the descents, but we were held back a bit today by Marcus, who's definitely getting better, but still isn't nearly as fast going downhill as he is going up. He's so fast going uphill I don't even know if it would be possible to safely be at that extreme on the descents! But when we regrouped at Sky Londa, we were missing… Eric. Waited a couple minutes, no Eric. Eric sometimes hangs back a bit on the descents, apparently having greater respect for living a full life than some of us, but still, he's not going to trail by even a minute, so it was back-track time, making sure he didn't need help somewhere… which he did. Kevin, Kevin, Marcus and I found Eric almost at the top of Skyline, working with another flat tire. This time we found the cause (a little sliver of metal often called a "Michelin wire" because they come from steel-belted radials driven too long and now shedding their steel mesh on the road). By now we were so far behind schedule the only realistic option was to keep going back the way we came and descend Kings.
A couple miles shorter overall, a couple hundred feet more of climbing. I miss not seeing West Old LaHonda on a beautiful day, but that's life; this is not a ride where it's OK to ignore that someone's gone MIA, and it never will be.
Arriving home 20 minutes late but still enough time for getting a shower and hopping back on the bike for work, with the mandatory coffee detour that reminds me, when on a bike, how much easier it is to park, how you don't have to pay a meter, and that a standard seat-tube mounted bottle cage works great with a cup of coffee. Just make sure, if you go to Peet's, that you ask for a piece of tape to cover the sipping hole in the cap. Makes a real mess of your bike otherwise. Been there, done that.


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* Baxter treatment now being tested in larger Phase 3 trial
* Results expected early next year
By Julie Steenhuysen
VANCOUVER, July 17 (Reuters) - Four Alzheimer's patients treated with an immune system therapy have seen their disease stabilize for at least three years, raising hope that the drug from Baxter International Inc will prove effective in larger trials.
Scientists say the study released on Tuesday is too small to show whether the drug will ultimately prove effective, but any sign of progress in Alzheimer's research is welcome. Scientists expect Baxter's results next year.
"Over the last few years there have been a lot of conspicuous failures with Alzheimer's drugs," said Dr. Norman Relkin of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Relkin presented three-year results on Baxter's study at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver.
Most Alzheimer's patients typically decline over three to six months, so to have the disease stabilize in four patients -all treated for three years with the same dose of the same drug - is "a very unexpected and very positive finding," he said.
There are no licensed drugs that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's, and currently approved medications only treat symptoms. The disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 5.1 million Americans and 35 million people globally.
Relkin presented three-year data on 16 patients in Baxter's Phase 2 study of Gammagard, which originally enrolled 24 participants.
Overall, all 11 study participants who got Gammagard for the full three years showed improvements in thinking abilities, behavior and daily functioning.
Of these, the four patients who received the most effective dose (0.4g/kg) for the full 36 months fared the best, showing no decline on several standard measures of cognition, memory, daily functioning and mood.
Many drugs fail despite very encouraging Phase 2 results, Relkin said. The real proof of Gammagard's effectiveness will come early next year with the release of results of the large-scale, Phase 3 study, which he is also leading.
Experts predict that without an effective treatment, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's will double by 2050 to more than 10 million, and related healthcare costs could soar above $1 trillion a year.
Other Alzheimer's treatments in late-stage clinical trials - Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc's bapineuzumab and Eli Lilly's solanezumab - use powerful, manmade antibodies to target a protein called beta amyloid that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Late-stage studies of bapineuzumab and solanezumab are expected within the next few months.
Gammagard is different from them. The drug is an intravenous immune system treatment made from natural antibodies taken from young, healthy blood donors. Known generically as intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG, the therapy is typically used to fight infections in patients with weakened immune systems.
Compared with solanezumab and bapineuzumab, which Relkin describes as "industrial-strength vacuum cleaners" used to remove beta amyloid from the brain, he says IVIG's natural antibodies are more like "gentle, whisk brooms."
"It may be that a gentler approach is a more realistic approach in the long run," he said.
Dr. Sterling Williams, an obstetrician/gynecologist from Silver Spring, Maryland, has watched the drug at work. His wife Joice, 71, is one of the four patients who has benefited from Gammagard and is completing her sixth year on the treatment.
"There has been some decline, but it has been very slow, and she is still relatively independent in functioning at home and in her activities of daily living," said Williams, who is also 71. "Every morning, she gets up, fixes breakfast, washes clothes, irons — all of that is fine."
She becomes a bit confused in a new environment, such as a hotel, Williams said.
Some of the other study patients also still function independently. "They travel by themselves," Relkin said. "They take part in community activities. They volunteer."
Over time there have been declines, he said, but these have been consistent with normal aging.
Dr. Ralph Nixon, an Alzheimer's researcher at New York University Langone Medical Center, said the finding was encouraging because it is taking place in a population of patients who were already affected by the disease.
"It's one of the first trials to really show some signs of therapeutic benefit in an affected population," something he described as a "very meaningful and hopeful sign."
Dr. Laurie Ryan, program director for Alzheimer's disease clinical trials at the National Institute of Aging, one of the National Institutes of Health, said the study's findings suggested the treatment should be tested further.
If Gammagard does prove effective in the larger trial, supply and cost may limit its use.
Each dose contains pooled antibodies from the plasma of 1,000 blood donors. Typically, each of the two treatments a month that patients need costs between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on a person's weight.
If the drug works, the challenge will be determining which of the antibodies are actually helping patients and developing a product that is easier and cheaper to make, Relkin said.


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New Techniques for Tracing Ingredients
Its like CSI: New scientific techniques can uncover the source of pathogens, contamination, even genetic modification in foods and their ingredients.
By Kantha Shelke, Ingredients Editor
|The pedigree of food matters now more than ever. Ingredient traceability has become a critical issue for food processors.
The pedigree of food has never mattered as much as it does today, and for different reasons to different stakeholders in the food supply chain. The imperative to know what is in our food and where each of the ingredients came from has made food traceability vital around the globe.
It is no wonder that a new and burgeoning field is food forensics: the unique application of advanced analytical testing and microbial testing techniques to uncover or determine links between food production and illness outbreaks, crimes, accidental contamination and spoilage.
The complexity of food production and manufacturing, and the range of reasons for knowing the history of our food, means no tracking system can ever be truly comprehensive. For example, tracing the coffee beans in one's cappuccino may reveal the formulation at the Starbucks store and where the various ingredients originated, perhaps identifying the bean roaster, the coffee variety and the farm, whether shade-grown or cultivated, and even if harvested by children or mechanically. But the location and proximity of the field to other genetically engineered (GE) and possibly allergenic or even hazardous materials will be unknown.
The system also cannot track the microbiological conditions where the seeds were stored, nor if any hazardous material was shipped alongside. The system certainly cannot confirm "adventitious presence" (AP) - low levels of unintended materials, such as a cross-fertilized seed that can happen simply because of natural inter-variety and inter-species reproduction. So, if the coffee seeds contained seeds accidentally produced by the cross-fertilization of coffee with, say, peanuts or soy - or even a potentially toxic species - there would be no way to know about it.
A comprehensive system that can track every aspect of product history would be cost-prohibitive. However, at least adequate systems designed for relevancy to the business are a necessary investment. "Inadequate traceability is a liability and not a saving on financial investment," believes Peter Harrop, chairman of IDTechEx, a London-based smart packaging and tracking technology firm.
Harrop illustrates how poor traceability greatly escalated costs and negatively affected businesses. In 1990, contamination with benzene, a poisonous and potentially carcinogenic substance, forced the French company Perrier to withdraw 70 million bottles of water from U.S. and Canadian markets. Perrier's inability to trace the source of the problem or identify the cause quickly enough led to a huge loss in consumer confidence and trust, and withdrawal of an additional 90 million bottles globally at an estimated cost of $263 million.
Although the more recent case of mad cow disease in Washington state was contained, about 50 countries stopped importing U.S. beef following the discovery. The estimated $4.4 billion loss in export revenues was partly because it was impossible to trace all the other cows that ate the suspected feed.
Ingredient traceability
Traceability in the food supply chain may be internal or external. Internal traceability entails one-up, one-down links at each stage in the production of a food item. The processor must document who it bought materials from (below them in the food chain) and who receives the products (above them in the food chain). Much of the food traceability legislation relates to internal traceability.
External or "chain" traceability is complex and often involves several countries with different laws and standards and is much more difficult to regulate and implement than internal traceability. Traceability is effective only when information is shared among all links in the chain. The amount of information that should be shared along the chain in order to achieve full traceability while preserving competitive advantage, however, is an ongoing struggle for many companies.
Ingredient traceability has become a critical matter for food processors. The new Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires food products to have "plain English" label descriptions of any ingredients that contain derivatives or components of the major eight food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans. Just "cookie dough" will no longer be adequate. Instead it must specify the cookie dough ingredients - wheat flour, butter, sugar, etc. - and include in the allergen section a "contains [ingredient]" statement.
|Bradley Industries Inc., uses highly refined peanut and soybean oils for Door County Potato Chips. These ingredients do not contain allergenic proteins, so no allergen labels are needed.
That FALCPA has no guidance on ingredient thresholds is a vexing issue. This affects all products that do not have an allergen in their formulation but which are produced in a facility that processes products with a known allergen. In addition to cleaning equipment between batches and scheduling allergen-containing production after allergen-free batches, the processor has to print advisory statements such as "manufactured on equipment that also processes wheat" on the labels.
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Driver Improvement Clinics
Use our search feature to find a list of clinics in your area. If you know the name of a clinic, click search and enter part or all of the name to find the address and phone number.
When you attend a driver improvement clinic, you will learn defensive driving techniques that can help you avoid and prevent crashes. These eight-hour classroom sessions are offered at sites around the state. Check your area for the site closest to you.
DMV is committed to promoting transportation safety through the certification of quality driver training programs.
If you have comments or concerns about this course, call our toll-free number: 1-877-885-5790.


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Citizen Staff Writer
Wildcat blog
Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller's first recruiting class is already getting raves. Adding McDonald's All-American Lance Stephenson would make the class one of the best in the nation.
It's unclear how interested Arizona is in getting Stephenson, a shooting guard/small forward who is rated the No. 8 player overall for the 2009-10 class by Scout.com.
Fox Sports, citing unnamed sources, says Arizona likely won't "make a move on the talented, yet enigmatic wing player" from Coney Island, N.Y. UA is concerned with the player's off-the-court issues, Fox said.
But the New York Daily News, also citing an unnamed source, says Arizona is making "a big-time push" for the 6-foot-5 Stephenson, who passed NBA player Sebastian Telfair as the leading scorer in New York schoolboy history.
One thing working in UA's favor: new assistant coach Emanual "Book" Richardson has strong New York City ties and has coached Stephenson before.
Fox Sports and the Daily News report that new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner, a former UA assistant, is pursuing Stephenson.
Kansas also was in the running, but the Jayhawks opted to take Xavier Henry instead. St. John's and Maryland also wanted Stephenson.
Stephenson also could go the route of former UA recruit Brandon Jennings and head to Europe for a year before entering the 2010 NBA draft.
Three top-100 players already are headed to Arizona: forward Solomon Hill, center Kyryl Natyazhko and wing Kevin Parrom.
As for Stephenson, he already has his own online reality documentary site, BornReadyTV.


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Global Inflation Eased Again in July
Slow Rise in Prices Reflects Sluggish Economic Growth in First Half of 2014 Says OECD
Consumer prices rose at a slower pace across most of the world's largest economies in July as energy prices eased, reflecting sluggish growth during the first half of the year.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Tuesday said the annual rate of inflation in its 34 members fell to 1.9% in July from 2.1% in June, while in the Group of 20 leading developed and developing economies it fell to 2.8% from 2.9%. The G-20 accounts for 90% of global economic activity....


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You are hereHome | Learn About Wildlife | Defenders Magazine | Spring 2011 | Worth Saving: Pacific Walrus
Worth Saving: Pacific Walrus
© Michio Hoshino / Minden Pictures
Nobody wants to be in the way of a 3,700-pound walrus—including other walruses. But they don't seem to have a choice now that climate change is clearly here. Social mammals, Pacific walruses congregate on land to breed each fall. But in recent years, scientists have noticed a disturbing trend: Walruses are heading to shore earlier in the season and gathering in unusually large numbers at fewer locations because of the loss of sea ice. This overcrowding is leading to increased incidences of tragic stampedes.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that 131 walruses in Alaska, mostly calves and yearlings, were trampled to death in 2009. That may not sound like many but, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, it's a new phenomenon for Alaska. Reports out of Russia are even worse, where an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 walruses died in stampedes in 2007.
The Arctic Ocean is expected to be completely ice free in summer by the mid to late part of the century. But it's in Congress—where a comprehensive climate change bill is long overdue—that we really need the dramatic sea change. Then walruses and other arctic species may have a shot at surviving into the next century.
Find out more about what Defenders is doing to save walruses.


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Table Cape Tulip Farm,
Wynyard, TAS
Visit Tasmania from September to November, when blooming gardens provide a backdrop to breathtaking scenery and historic attractions. Embrace dozens of cultures and hundreds of tulips at Hobart's Spring Tulip Festival and wander the grand gardens in Huonville and Richmond. See elms and oaks planted by convicts in Port Arthur. Do the daffodil walk in Launceston's Cataract Gorge and skip between the gorgeous gardens of Tasmania's north-east. Join the tulip festivities in Wynyard and bushwalk past tulips on Table Cape.
Start your floral trail at the Spring Tulip Festival, which hits Hobart's Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens for a weekend in October. It's a celebration both of spring and Tasmania's cultural diversity. Amongst the colourful crowds of tulips, you'll find a multicultural carnival of food, dance and music. Savour the spring scents while deliberating over the smorgasbord of cuisines. Afterwards, join a tour through the groomed parklands and themed gardens or join a community gardening class with a local green-thumbed expert.
Follow the heady scent of blossoms a short drive south to Huonville, on the peaceful Huon River. More than half of Tasmania's apples are produced here, along with apricots, plums, cherries and pears. Drive through the blossom-covered orchards, explore the majestic private gardens and lunch on the Huon River. North in historic Richmond, you can do a guided tour of the gardens before walking across Australia's oldest bridge and standing in the cell of its oldest jail.
You might associate Port Arthur more with convict era floggings than flowers, but in fact the gardens and parklands are some of the site's key attractions. Many of the brick buildings have worn away but the oaks, elms and conifers planted by convict hands still stand. Wander through the ordered Government Gardens, step into the reconstructed 1850s Commandant's Garden and see the early 20th-century flower and vegetable gardens at Trentham Cottage. Find your own piece of history in the seed nursery, where seeds from 19th century plants are on offer between November and January. After Port Arthur, head to nearby Highcroft, where you can stroll through acres of blooming peonies.


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PHILADELPHIA -- Barry University rowing crew's Varsity 8+ finished second in its heat race at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta Friday at Schuykill River.
The Buccaneers 8 boat of coxswain Angela Dasch, stroke Beth Desmond, Kristina Boncheva, Luna Ugrenovic, Jelena Momirov, Paola Girotto, Sam McKenzie, Mandy Carper and bow Anais Foppoli crossed the finish line in 6:39.199. Humboldt State won the five-boat race in 6:33.048. Mercyhurst was third in 6:46.159.
Barry's Varsity 4 of cox Stephanie Dinkel, stroke Ellie Hartman, Rebekah Kilroy, Lulu Mariscal and bow Spiadgie Anthony was third in its six-boat heat event with a time of 7:35.522. Middelbury won the race in 7:25.411 and Florida Tech second in 7:28.176.
Racing continues Saturday. Dad Vail is the largest collegiate regatta in North America.


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"Send your best wishes for any occasion with this elegant gift
of wine and cheese. Perched atop a handsome slate cutting
board sits a bottle of oaky California chardonnay, ready
to be shared. They will enjoy this fine wine along with
Monterey Jack cheese and crispy water crackers. This gift
includes a wood~handled cheese knife and is tied with a
golden bow."
Cheeseboard (1 count); Water Crackers (2 oz. each, 1 count); Monterey Jack Cheese (3.5 oz. each, 1 count); •Cheese Knife (1 count); Chardonnay (750 mL. each, 1 count);
* Please note that on occasion, some items maybe substituted with other items of equal or greater value
Due to various state regulations, gift baskets containing wine may NOT be shipped to the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Utah
*An adult signature (over 21) is required to complete delivery for all wine shipments. We recommend shipping to a business address wherever possible to insure timely delivery.
Copyright © 2018 Sdbrymans Privacy Notice | Conditions of Use


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COLUMBUS — Columbus Crew striker Jairo Arrieta has been called-up for National Team duty ahead of Costa Rica's match in Panama on Wednesday, February 6 to open the Hexagonal round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
Arrieta's call-up comes on the heels of Costa Rica's victory in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana, where the Crew forward earned the tournament's Golden Boot with two goals. Arrieta has earned nine caps for La Sele, dating back to 2011. As a midseason acquisition from Deportivo Saprissa in 2012, Arrieta scored nine goals and recorded four assists in just 18 appearances for the Crew last season.
Arrieta is set to re-join the Crew for preseason training after Costa Rica's match on February 6. The Crew flies to Orlando that same day to participate in the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic following the club's 10-day training camp in Bradenon, Fla. The Black & Gold begin the 2013 Major League Soccer season on March 2 against Chivas USA in Carson, Calif.


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(Model years 2019 - 1947 including exotics and classic cars)
Bentley Prices & Values: Bentley was founded in Great Britain in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley and has since become the ultimate expression of power and luxury. With custom interiors, high-powered engines and traditional qualities of sumptuous trim and fabrics, Bentley is tailored for the elite. Volkswagen now owns Bentley, but the time-honored qualities still remain. See Bentley models below or browse Bentley deals.


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R Majors-Wildman necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 68 diseños de 8 diseñadores freelance.
Startup company needs a professional and creative logo with energy to promote my personal brand. I have a training and coaching company and the logo should be stylish, clean looking, and visually appealing and edgy.
All the Way Success, Inc.
I am looking for a sharp, classy and professional logo which denotes that we get results for our clients. I want the logo to be unique and something that would grab the attention of the person immediately.
I am the CEO of a coaching and training company who target audience is women entrepreneurs who wants to hypergrow their company. Our focus is to get them from possibility to profitability. The logo should be able to be used on both website, business cards and other even clothing (i.e. golf shirts)
- Tagline: We move you from possibility to profitabilty
- Possible color scheme: rich burgundy/silver; or lavender, purple, black and silver; or aquamarine, silver and black- Professional, classy, fonts could be in script or calligraphy style
- Name can be in lower case (possibly)
- Item 1...butterflies, cocoons, rainbows, all cap letters, navy blue color, no greens
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Recall Details
Honda and Acura are recalling numerous 2001–2004 vehicles to inspect for an internal automatic transmission fault. This fault could result in gear failure, which can cause the transmission to lock up. If the transmission were to lock up with the vehicle in motion, a crash could result. If the inspection reveals internal transmission damage, the transmission will be replaced. If no internal damaged is noted, the transmission oil cooler return line will be revised in order to increase fluid flow. For more information, please call Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.


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How technology has transformed reporting on presidential politics Thurs. August 25, 2011
By Jodi Enda Senior contributing writer Jodi Enda (email@example.com) has written about Politico, changes in campaign coverage in the age of Twitter and Bloomberg News in recent issues of AJR.
The late, legendary R.W. Apple Jr. covered 10 presidential elections for the New York Times, the last in 2004. Once dubbed "America's most powerful political reporter," Apple was notorious for his ambition, his appetite and his ability. He lived large, ate large, spent large and, above all, wrote large. Everything about the man was outsize. His Rolodex was especially grand: He knew everyone, from county chairmen to presidents, and they knew him. For decades, it was so.
Yet less than five years after his death, the iconic political reporter better known as "Johnny" would barely recognize the beat he dominated for so long. He wouldn't know many of the young new reporters on the campaign trail, of course, but neither would he know a number of the media outlets that employ them. More significant, Apple wouldn't recognize the way reporters of today do the very job that he defined interview by interview, word by carefully chosen word through all those election cycles.
No longer do reporters slog elbow to elbow with presidential contenders vying for votes in Iowa and New Hampshire. No longer do they get to know the candidates in a way that voters do not up close and personal, with their feet up, their guard down and, perhaps, a drink at the ready. No longer do they have the luxury of weeks or days or even hours to gather string and dig deep and analyze before they write a story. Heck, many reporters scarcely have time to write what Apple would have considered stories, so busy are they thumbing 140-character tweets, tapping out blog posts and shooting or appearing
in video.
Johnny Apple might have ruled the road by virtue of his overbearing personality, abundant eccentricities, audacious expense accounts and sheer chutzpah. Writing in The New Yorker in 2003, Calvin Trillin noted that "Apple stories constitute a subgenre of the journalistic anecdote." But it was his exquisite skill that made him a staple of the Times' front page and allowed him to frame issue upon issue. His reporting was deep, his access to sources vast, his writing both good and fast. On stories long and short, he provided insight that was unique, analysis that was apt, historical details that put the news in perspective. He wrote with the authority acquired not only by spending years on a beat, but by researching excessively and reporting tirelessly. He was a master at what we used to call shoe-leather reporting.
I can't imagine him tweeting.
Or being a captive of a social network culture that measures scoops in seconds and requires journalists to stop reporting in order to tweet or blog or post video in incremental, bare-boned tidbits.
To be sure, Apple valued scoops and had more than his share of them. Then again, he had all day, if not longer, to chase them, confirm them, put flesh on them and make them worth reading. It's a luxury few of his journalistic successors enjoy.
"There truly isn't a news cycle," says Jeff Zeleny, who, as the current national political correspondent for the Times, is Apple's rightful heir.
Although Zeleny still has more opportunities to develop his stories than many of his competitors, he, too, is caught up by the demands of social media. This year, he tells me, he started tweeting. He also blogs and appears in video posted on the paper's Web site. In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 22, I spotted Zeleny sitting alone in the corner of a trendy Washington restaurant during a pulsating party peopled by journalists, lobbyists and political operatives. It didn't take long to discover that he and some others in the room were tweeting the news that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels had decided not to seek the Republican presidential nomination. While Zeleny was hunched over his BlackBerry tapping out a quick story for the Times' blog (which he tells me he expanded when he got home), I heard two party-goers from competing news outlets acknowledge, only slightly begrudgingly, that his tweet beat theirs by some number of seconds.
"As a guy who remembers covering campaigns before cellphones, the whole thing seems stuck on fast forward to me, because we're all essentially on deadline every hour as opposed to a couple times a day," says Howard Kurtz, who for many years wrote about the media for the Washington Post and now serves as Washington bureau chief for the newly conjoined Newsweek and Daily Beast. "The fact that we can post stories or tweet items instantaneously is a terrific development but also threatens to overwhelm us with the ephemeral."
Competition for scoops, always robust, has intensified not only because of the 24/7 news cycle brought on by cable news and the Internet but because of the upsurge in Web sites, including The Daily Beast, that provide original reporting. During the last presidential election, most sites that were not part of larger news organizations primarily the old-school kind such as newspapers, magazines and television networks simply aggregated or regurgitated campaign news that was first reported elsewhere. (Politico, which was created in the Web era and made a splash covering the 2008 race, has a print product.)
That was then. Now, as newspapers and magazines continue to pare both their staffs and their campaign budgets, many old-time journalists are migrating to Web sites with newly minted Washington bureaus and hotel reservations in early caucus and primary states. Well-known Washington fixtures among them Kurtz, Howard Fineman, Tucker Carlson, Carl Cannon left traditional media outlets to play leading roles at Web publications. Some of the sites, such as The Daily Caller, were founded after the last presidential race. Some, like Yahoo!, are dispatching campaign reporters for the first time. Others, including Talking Points Memo, RealClearPolitics and The Huffington Post (now a part of AOL), have beefed up their political staffs appreciably.
Despite hiring in some quarters, it is quite possible that the majority of people tracking the candidates this year don't fit the traditional definition of journalist at all. They include full- and part-time bloggers, paid and un-, people with other careers who report on the side, people who attend campaign events and blog or tweet their impressions, supporters and opponents of candidates, even people called "trackers" who are paid by partisan organizations to follow candidates with an eye toward contradictions or gotcha moments that could take them down a notch or altogether. In 2008, HuffPost broke new ground with a citizen-based reporting project called OffTheBus, which showcased stories by no fewer than 12,000 unpaid bloggers. It is planning an even bigger reprise in 2012.
"Use of social media and electronic media obviously means that anybody with a laptop, anybody with a PDA, is a journalist," says Roger Simon, Politico's chief political columnist and another newcomer to news-by-tweet.
The crucial questions, of course, are whether these changes are good for political journalism and whether they are beneficial to readers and viewers, particularly those who vote. As with so many things, the answers are nuanced and full of he said-she said/on one hand-on the other hand vacillation. Even practitioners of the latest forms of political reporting are torn about their effectiveness. Almost to a person, they bemoan the loss of time to engage in in-depth reporting, to go beyond the story of the day to unearth the insightful gems that really tell us something instructive, something fundamentally important, about the men and women who would be president.
"We're much more likely this cycle to have covered in detail the medication [Republican presidential candidate] Michele Bachmann takes for her headaches than the policy ideas that are coming out of her mouth," says Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today. "One is easy to understand, interesting, likely to get a lot of hits. Policy issues are harder, difficult to make sexy. It requires a different kind of commitment."
At the same time, though, political reporters extol the technology that allows them to know everything a candidate says and does (publicly, at least), that gives them easy access to anything that journalists, bloggers and even regular Joes who attend campaign events write or tweet or post, and that might just might help journalism, if not newspapers, survive. As to my query about the impact on the electorate and, therefore, on democracy itself, my rather large sampling of political reporters (many of whom I befriended not friended while covering earlier campaigns myself) was generally positive. Voters have access to more information than ever before, these journalists say, though they might not have the time or inclination to look for it.
"I think the pluses of technology are obvious. What it allows you to do is layer the coverage in a way that allows voters to drill down and see what they want to," says Kathy Kiely, managing editor of politics at National Journal. She is pleased that news outlets can link to documents and audio and video of candidates. "I'm a big believer in the power of words, but there's nothing like actually hearing the voice of a candidate, the timbre, how they're saying something.
"The downside and this is what we really have to be cautious about is becoming so enamored of the here and now that we forget to put things in perspective. We love to chase the fire bell. One of the things that I worry about is that with Twitter and any of the instant communications tools that, to quote T.S. Eliot, we end up measuring out our lives in coffee spoons. We are obsessed with beating the competition by one or two seconds," Kiely says. "The balancing act is trying to take advantage of the new technology to engage readers, to get the word out about a story but, at the same time, examining your conscience and saying, 'Am I really providing enough perspective, context, or am I just tweeting the election away?' "
Carl Cannon is a veteran newspaper, magazine and Web writer known for lengthy, heavily reported discourses tinged with historical reference. Named in February the Washington editor of RealClearPolitics, a Web site that started as an aggregator and now produces original reporting, Cannon worries that journalists are losing sight of the big picture.
"Everybody wants the latest-latest," he says. "This is the good news and the bad news of Internet journalism. You have something new, people click on it. That's good because we worried for a time that the only thing left would be opinion journalism. But people care about the news. The bad news is it's trivial and/or incremental the latest lint."
Journalists (however defined) aren't the only ones who have changed the way they do things. It was not so long ago that presidential wannabes actually talked to reporters, schmoozing with them on the campaign plane or in the back of the bus, currying favor with the scribes they sometimes loathed and feared but always needed. In 2000, I was among a large group of reporters with whom Al Gore danced and joked (off the record) during a birthday party he threw for his wife, Tipper, atop a riverboat that was slowly making its way down the Mississippi. That same year, many of us spent days crammed into the rear of a campaign bus with John McCain, who answered as many questions as we could ask while crisscrossing South Carolina.
In campaigns of yesteryear, a candidate would wander back to the press section of his chartered plane from time to time so that he (it was always a "he" then) could get to know reporters and reporters could get to know him. They might talk movies or sports or, possibly, issues. Often, these sessions were off the record. That doesn't happen anymore, not in an era when the traveling press records a candidate's every utterance on smartphones.
"The mores of the plane have changed," says Howard Fineman, editorial director for the AOL Huffington Post Media Group and a 30-year veteran of Newsweek. "The old days where the candidates used to play cards and drink bourbon with the reporters are gone with the teletype machines."
Politico's Simon recalls how his access to candidates has declined, bit by bit, during the course of covering 10 presidential races, for several news outlets, starting in 1976. That year, he says, Ronald Reagan routinely invited reporters to sit with him at a table in the rear of his campaign bus. In those years, Simon and other reporters had plenty of time to talk to candidates one on one or in small groups. "Nowadays," he says, "a reporter considers herself or himself lucky if the press secretary returns the call."
While the distance between candidate and reporter is partly a function of the size of the traveling press corps (I've been at events in Iowa and New Hampshire where journalists outnumbered potential voters), it was exacerbated by the Internet and social media.
"The candidates are more afraid of us because of the echo chamber effect that the electronic media feed into," Simon says. "Everything is written, tweeted, retweeted, goes on TV, in print, blogged. The smallest slip can destroy a candidacy."
Adds Kiely: "The ubiquitous YouTubization of campaigns means that everyone is a lot more guarded than they used to be."
No politician wants to be the next George Allen, the Republican senator from Virginia who in 2006 upended his own reelection campaign when he called a Democratic volunteer armed with a video camera at an Allen event "macaca," a term widely considered to be a racial slur. The young Democrat posted the video online, where it went viral, effectively ending Allen's campaign.
These days, candidates prefer to talk directly to voters, skipping the middle men the old media that Apple knew so well and utilizing Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other new-media tools. To sell themselves, they create their own video, carefully scripted and edited, with nothing left to chance. To make announcements, they go straight to Twitter, often not bothering to alert the press first. They live-stream their events so that voters can watch them as they occur, unfiltered by the evening news. They ask supporters to "Like" or "Friend" them on Facebook, endorsements that, cumulatively, could prove at least as influential as those bestowed by editorial boards.
Republican candidates this summer even debated via Twitter, taking questions from, well, people who tweet. President Barack Obama responded to tweeters' questions during a July town hall meeting.
New-media tools allow candidates to engage in conversation directly, in a way they never could before, with citizens who don't live in early voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. And they give campaigns inordinate control over their messages.
Consider the launch of Tim Pawlenty's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Pawlenty's press secretary, Alex Conant, boasted that the former Minnesota governor announced his exploratory committee in a video first posted on Facebook and then on YouTube. The night before he officially joined the race, Pawlenty's campaign posted a "teaser video" online. (It wasn't much of a tease, since Pawlenty's candidacy was never really in doubt.) Video on campaign Web sites or YouTube serves a dual purpose: It gets the message out without the expense of advertising, and it frequently generates free publicity from the press and blogs. (Pawlenty dropped out of the race in August after a disappointing third-place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll.)
Candidates also utilize new-media tools as a means to defend themselves. With the help of electronic alerts, they have near-immediate access to almost everything that is written about their campaigns. This allows aides to lobby writers to quickly change what they don't like.
"During the '08 campaign, I posted an item at one event, and by the time I got to the next event, they were questioning something in it," recalls Mark Z. Barabak, national political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. Today, that would be considered glacial. "Now," Barabak says, "you hear from them minutes later."
By way of example, he notes that he didn't even know the paper had posted his story one night this July until he received an e-mail from an aide to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was displeased with something Barabak had written and wanted it changed. Following a rapid exchange of messages, the two agreed to disagree.
The campaign of Republican Jon Huntsman has set up an entire operation which it calls the "Reality Room" to respond to tweets and other postings that contain inaccurate information about the former Utah governor and ambassador to China.
"That really allows us to rapidly respond in a literal sense," says Press Secretary Tim Miller. "Rapid response has always been part of a campaign. But we're trying to do rapid response in real time."
Not only does the Reality Room react to journalists but also to voters who are tweeting or blogging about Huntsman, Miller says. Eventually, he says, the campaign will have a way to determine which tweets are most influential so it can focus its energy there.
Miller, who worked on John McCain's primary campaign in 2008, says candidates' communications shops have to be more nimble now because reporters and non-reporters are writing and tweeting about things that in the past would have been considered too trivial.
"The day-to-day campaign minutiae is being followed by everybody. Last time it was just Politico and a handful of people that were really looking at the nitty-gritty of the campaign," he says. Now, Miller points out that even the most esteemed newspapers have set up blogs both to break news around the clock and to provide a home for information that might not be significant enough to make the print product. The New York Times has The Caucus; the Washington Post has The Fix and The Fast Fix; the Wall Street Journal has Washington Wire; NBC News has First Read. ABC News, which began The Note as an internal e-mail, now posts it as a blog. And Politico has Mike Allen's influential Playbook. On top of that, several organizations, including Politico, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post, issue "news alerts" e-mails to lists of subscribers notifying them of breaking news stories, significant and not.
Miller has joined the fray in his own way by writing The Morning Hunt, described as "a daily-ish primer of everything in Huntsworld and the random musings of our comms team." Unlike reporters' musings, those of Miller and his colleagues are distributed by e-mail to a select group of people and are
on background.
If you ask a bunch of political journalists to identify the biggest change in political reporting this election cycle, the answer comes in a short burst: "Twitter!"
The microblogging service was founded in 2006 but played little if any role in the 2008 campaign. Now, however, it has become an indispensable tool for campaigns and the people who cover them.
"We all follow the candidates on Twitter," USA Today's Page says. "Twitter for me has replaced watching the wires. It's a faster way to find out what's happening... On Twitter, I see what [GOP frontrunner] Mitt Romney just said but I also see what Herman Cain [a second-tier candidate] just said. You see if the New York Times has posted a story but also if The Daily Caller has posted a story. It's 360 degrees. No one is filtering the news for you. It's not just what the AP thought the lead was."
National political reporters tell me they use Twitter to follow each other as well as to keep track of what local reporters in key political states are writing. It puts them in touch with bloggers from around the country. It lets them know when the campaigns are releasing information.
The proliferation of social media means that reporters have to know how to do a lot more, technologically speaking, than ever before. "Nobody's just a reporter anymore," says Mark Edgar, deputy managing editor of the Dallas Morning News. "Everybody is a blogger, a videographer, a photographer,
a writer, a tweeter." Readers, too. Gone are the days when reporters would open the mail to find handwritten notes from readers, sometimes around the edges of a clipped newspaper article. Instead, reader comments are public, posted at the
bottom of stories.
"It's definitely a two-way conversation," says David Kurtz, managing editor and Washington bureau chief of Talking Points Memo. Readers send links, tips, insights, he says. "That helps inform our coverage."
Political reporters say technological innovations, far from detracting from their journalism, give them new avenues with which to reach readers.
Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, says the trick is to figure out the best way to deliver each facet of information. Consider: In July, Sweet participated in a conference call with Obama adviser David Plouffe, who was opining on the contentious debt ceiling debate. One vivid quote in which Plouffe likened House Speaker John Boehner's proposal to the Loch Ness monster grabbed her attention, so she tweeted it before hanging up the phone. After the call, she lengthened her report in a blog post. She retools stories for the print version of the paper and often posts what she writes on her Facebook page. To complete the circle, all of her work snakes its way onto her blog and into tweets.
"I have it set up so that my blog headlines automatically go to my Twitter feed. It's just another way of letting people know what I file," Sweet says. "Because I have various outlets, I can decide where information goes."
The plane was once the place to be.
Winging across the country, making three, four, five stops a day, chewing the fat with candidates, staffers and other journalists and moving from event to event to event was a treasured opportunity for political reporters. The plane provided journalists with valuable access to candidates and to the people who were running their campaigns, honing their images, crafting their policies and framing their speeches. It gave reporters an inside peek at a campaign. And it was the best way to keep tabs on a candidate.
Not anymore. With Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, live streaming and other innovations, it's no longer necessary to be with a candidate to know what he or she is doing. In fact, several veteran reporters tell me it can be a disadvantage to be stuck "in the bubble."
It's also outrageously expensive. Traveling with campaigns can cost many thousands of dollars a week, money that news organizations can't afford to spend the way they did in the past. As a result, regional newspapers that previously placed reporters on campaign planes, papers like the Boston Globe, the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News,
either have stopped altogether or pulled back significantly. Television networks, meanwhile, stopped assigning their big-name talent to travel with candidates and instead created the so-called "embed" system, in which young producers are on "body" coverage.
"There are fewer people observing these candidates up close and more people writing about them from afar. There are a lot more people opining, blogging, tweeting, but not out there looking at candidates face to face," says Zeleny of the New York Times, one of the papers that still assigns reporters to trail candidates. "That's not a great trend."
Some outlets are trying to continue to travel, in creative ways. For instance, National Journal and CBS are teaming up to embed young journalists bearing video recorders with each candidate, Kiely says. CBS will edit video and National Journal will provide text to be used on both of their Web sites.
Most news organizations are going to more of a zone coverage. They'll send reporters to Iowa and New Hampshire to the first caucus and primary, respectively. After that, they'll travel when they see a good reason to.
"Even if we had unlimited resources, I don't think spending every day trapped in the bubble is the smart way to go," says Howard Kurtz, of Newsweek and The Daily Beast. "I think you learn more when you dip in and out and have more perspective on the race. With so many news organizations covering this campaign, we have no desire to duplicate what the AP does. We are going to concentrate on breaking stories, painting a fuller portrait of the candidates and doing smart analysis of the dynamics of the race."
Kurtz, who continues to critique the media in a blog and on "Reliable Sources," a show he hosts on CNN, voices comments that are similar to many I hear from people at news outlets old and new. Editors at print publications are particularly concerned with saving money, but their counterparts at Web sites are focused on doing things differently. Sure, they say, they'll write about the candidates' activities. But that's just one piece of the campaign puzzle.
"Our task is to find new and interesting stories and not duplicate what perfectly good reporters are doing," says Tucker Carlson, editor in chief of The Daily Caller. Carlson, a print and broadcast journalist known for his conservative punditry, says the one-and-a-half-year-old outlet has 31 reporters and editors, who also write. They are looking for innovative ways to cover the campaign and the candidates. In July, The Daily Caller broke the story that Michele Bachmann suffered from migraine headaches.
Talking Points Memo's David Kurtz (who is not related to Howard Kurtz) says he will use his reporters to write stories not presented elsewhere. "We want to bring a more robust, textured coverage that includes traditional ways of reporting, but that also takes stories that are bubbling up from the state and local level and elevates them to the national level," he says. "We want to cover the horse race, but we also want to go deeper. Horse race coverage is insular and incestuous.
We're very conscious of not getting caught up in that."
He says TPM will assign reporters who are experts on such issues as health care and debt reform to take a close look at candidates' positions and track records.
Chris Lehmann, managing editor of the Yahoo! News blog network, says his staff will use crowdsourcing by asking questions of its readers as one way to learn what voters are thinking. "We understand that our readers are a big asset," he says. "We're a new-media company, and that's how we think. It's the largest readership on the Web. We would be foolish not to get them involved." Lehmann reports that the group of five blogs received more than 1 billion hits in its first year, which ended in July.
The behemoth that is AOL and The Huffington Post will be covering the campaign in a number of new ways this time around, Fineman tells me. First, he says, HuffPost has tripled its Washington staff to 30. Then, he says, it is dispatching a bunch of video people, which it calls "preditors" (for "producer-editors") to the campaign trail to augment staff-written stories and produce some of their own. What's more, it will boost its coverage exponentially through its Patch network of more than 850 hyperlocal news sites in 22 states (see "Hyperlocal Heroes," page 22). Fineman says the company is hiring 33 professional journalists to run 11 Patch sites in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, three of the states where the first voters will weigh in next year. Journalists and nonjournalists blog on the sites.
Patch sites in Minnesota informed HuffPost's coverage of the government shutdown there this summer, and Fineman says a similar partnership will go a long way toward enhancing its coverage of the presidential race.
"We have national reporters to chase after Rick Perry," Fineman says of the Texas governor. "What we want Patch editors to do is tell us what the local selectman is saying. What are they saying at the megachurch? What are they saying at the coffee shop?" Because of Patch's extensive reach, he says, "Nobody else will have that capability, nobody."
OffTheBus, HuffPost's citizen-based reporting project, drew fire in 2008 for its reliance on unpaid bloggers. One of them, Mayhill Fowler, who spent her own money trailing candidates across the country, gained national attention when she quoted Barack Obama telling contributors herself included
that it wasn't surprising that voters in downtrodden small towns become "bitter" and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them..as a way to explain their frustrations."
HuffPost is inviting citizen journalists to come aboard but stay off the bus again.
And what of the plane?
"At the appropriate time, we'll have people on board, of course," says Fineman, an old hand at campaign travel. "We can afford it. But most of the people are standing around on the tarmac twittering the whole time or sending e-mails... When you're on the plane, you're in the worst place because you're not on the ground and you're not in the blogosphere, unless the plane has Wi-Fi."
Reporters might be choosy about which campaign events they attend, but a new breed of players called "trackers" most certainly are not. These people almost always show up, says Miller, Huntsman's press secretary. Trackers are not journalists. They are partisans, and they follow candidates they hope will lose. So far in this campaign, with only a Republican primary, the trackers are Democrats.
Armed with video cameras, the youthful brigade aims to hit just about every Republican town hall meeting, speech, meet-and-greet and press conference.
What does this have to do with journalism? Everything. Rodell Mollineau, president of the new Democratic organization American Bridge 21st Century, oversees 15 trackers and expects to hire more. He has dispatched them to each early primary or caucus state to track nearly every appearance by a Republican candidate. He also has 22 researchers doing what traditionally has been a behind-the-scenes job called opposition (or "oppo") research. The purpose is not only to look for gotcha moments, Mollineau says, though he wouldn't mind if one occurs. It also is to look for contradictions. And to bring them to the attention of reporters.
"There's a very strong press corps out there," says Mollineau, who was previously a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "You can't cover everything. Sometimes our trackers and our research will help uncover story lines that a reporter didn't see or, frankly, didn't have time to cover, because they had to cover the story of the day."
As an example, he mentions a small to-do in May, when Pawlenty repeatedly referred to "Iran" and "Iranians" although he was clearly talking about the American military involvement in Iraq. The reporters on hand largely ignored the mistake. That's where American Bridge stepped in. Mollineau made the video available, and it wound up in many a blog post written by traditional journalists and others. Politico's Ben Smith credited American Bridge for tipping him off.
"Is it game changing?" Mollineau asks. "No. But did it create a little bit of a buzz? Yes."
Next year, after Republicans have selected a nominee, Mollineau anticipates American Bridge's role will be more significant. "I think we all know that candidates on the Republican side tend to run to the right in primaries and then become centrist in the general election," he says. "Voters have a right to know which candidate it is: Is it a radical right candidate or a centrist candidate? It also is something that journalists will want to look at."
American Bridge is not the only group working to fill in journalistic gaps. Bill Burton, until last year a deputy press secretary in the Obama White House, runs Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action. The former is a nonprofit that fights on behalf of the middle class. The latter is a superPAC a political action committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money that fights on behalf of Obama and against potent Republican superPACs that are trying to unseat him.
Because reporters are tweeting and blogging and shooting video and filing all day long, they have little time to dig into candidates' backgrounds and their positions on issues, Burton says. He says his group will "do what we can to raise awareness of some of the issues that are overlooked as a result of reporters doing less in-depth reporting."
When Johnny Apple died in October 2006, his Times colleague Todd Purdum wrote an eloquent obituary that quoted Apple in an old interview with Lear's magazine: "Newspaper people love impossible dreams... I suppose we're reckless sentimentalists. If we didn't love impossible dreams, we would not still be working in an industry whose basic technology was developed in the 16th and 17th centuries."
That technology changed mightily before Apple died, and changes still.
The impossible dreams did not.
As in Apple's life, political reporting is very much about ferreting out information that is important to the functioning and the future of our democracy. Maybe it's the resilience of that dream rather than the tweets, the blog posts, the circle of friends or number of clicks that still defines what or who a journalist is. Maybe it's the curiosity, or the tenacity. Maybe it's the willingness indeed, resolve to get to the bottom of a story, to root out the truth, that will determine the future of political reporting, whether it is delivered in a 140-character tweet, a 240-word blog post, a 10- or 20- or 50-inch story or a two-minute video.
Or whether it is tossed onto doorsteps each morning or whisked across the globe in a matter of seconds.


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Crabmeat Stuffed Potatoes
Makes 6 Main-Dish or 12 Side-Dish or Appetizer Servings
6 (8 to 10 ounce) russet potatoes, as blemish-free as possible
11 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 pounds fresh lump or claw crabmeat
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, cut in 6 pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
1½ teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic®
1½ teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
About ⅓ cup finely chopped green onions (tops only), optional
how to prepare
Preheat oven to 400°.
Wash the potatoes well, then pat dry and place in center of oven rack, being sure to leave some space between potatoes for hot air to circulate. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until soft to the touch (when you squeeze the sides in).
Meanwhile, very coarsely grate the cheese. Then, pick over the crabmeat: Spread the crabmeat out on a large, flat cookie sheet then pick up each lump and visually look for thin, transparent pieces of shell. Remove the shell fragments, trying not to break up lumps of crabmeat. Return crabmeat to refrigerator. About 20 minutes before the potatoes are done, set the butter and cream out to get to room temperature.
When the potatoes are done, remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Turn the potatoes once to let both sides of the skin dry out. (Turn the oven to 350°.) With a very sharp bread knife, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, cutting across the widest part so the potato shells will sit flat. Scoop out the potato meat with a soup spoon to within ¼ inch of the shell, placing the potato meat in the large bowl of an electric mixer (see Lagniappe).
Add the butter to the bowl with the potato meat, separating the pieces. Beat at low speed (with a paddle attachment, if possible-but beaters will work, also) until the butter is just incorporated. With the mixer still on low, add the cream and then the Vegetable Magic® and red pepper, beating just until the cream and seasonings are mixed in well, but the potatoes are still quite lumpy. You do not want to get to a smooth, whipped potato consistency; there should be lots of lumps throughout the mixture. Turn off the mixer and taste for seasoning level - - the mixture will be spicy at this point, but the cheese and crabmeat are both bland, and finished dish will not be spicy.
Spoon the potato mixture into a very large, shallow mixing bowl (if you use a shallow bowl, you'll be able to fold in the crabmeat more evenly throughout the mixture). Using a fork, fold in 5 ounces of the grated cheddar, not trying to make a smooth, even distribution - - you want to have pockets of cheese (they will melt and be fantastic!) scattered throughout the finished stuffed potato. Then gently fold in the reserved lump crabmeat, being careful not to break up the lumps, but making sure all of the mixture in the bowl has crabmeat scattered through it.
Stuff the potato shells until they are just rounded slightly at the top. (You will have extra stuffing, which you can bake in ramekins or a small casserole dish.) Place the stuffed potatoes in a baking pan, fitting them close together, then sprinkle the tops with the remaining 6 ounces grated cheddar. You can prepare the recipe to this point several hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Place the pan in a 350° oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potato mixture is nice and hot.
Serve immediately (sprinkling the tops of the potatoes with green onions, if desired), allowing 2 potato halves for an entrée and 1 potato half for an appetizer or side dish. The potatoes make a wonderful entrée with just a nice crisp garden salad and hot French bread.
LAGNIAPPE: For a really sensational stuffed potato, deep fry the potato shells after scooping out the potato meat. To do so, season the inside of each shell with 1 teaspoon Vegetable Magic® then deep fry the shells at 350° for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shells are crisp and golden brown. Remove from oil and place skin side up (cavity down) on paper towels, then continue with the recipe instructions above.
Copyright © 1995 by Paul Prudhomme


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Tuesdays - SENSUAL TUESDAY (BACHATA & SALSA NIGHTS) @ Club La Vida EDINBURGH (FREE first time and £5)Tuesday 6th November 2018.7pm
Bachata Edinburgh, Salsa Edinburgh
Club La Vida EDINBURGH
3 Queensferry Street Lane Edinburgh
Join us for a FREE taster class in BACHATA. We will start a class for an absolute beginners followed by a demo! :) then you can stay for the party and watch how other dancers do it and make new friends!!
▶7pm Beginners FREE for first timers!!!
▶7:45pm level 2 (progressive level from level 1) that you are welcome to do on the are day!
▶8:30pm Level 3 (or you can sit to have a cocktail & watch how other dancers do it)!! :)
▶9:30pm Level 4
▶10:30 social with new and old friends!!
NOTE: if you are a beginner and never been before, DONT WORRY, you don't have to come with a partner or friends. You can come alone as everybody is in the same boat, then we make new friends as we rotate around dancing with each other having a laugh and learn from zero level. :)
Also if you felt that you can do the following classes other than the beginner, you are welcome to do so but it's a £5 for the following classes on the are day!
Click here for more information
Last updated: 2018-07-31 14:31:57


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10 Kitchens with Tea Kettles Ready for Fall
Each year right around now, the teapot comes out and stays on my stovetop for winter's duration. It's not like there's a special day that it's ceremonially taken out of the cabinet; I just find myself using it more and more as the weather cools and I end up leaving it out between uses. Just the appearance of the teapot sitting out in the kitchen is warming. See?
Seems lots of Apartment Therapy homeowners and renters agree: These ten teapots in kitchens are rounded up from Apartment Therapy house tours:
- Rachel & Jonathan's Cozy Angelino Heights Home
- Holly & Sean's Global Style
- Julie's Artful Home in D.C.
- Grainne and Ian's Characterful Collection in Edinburgh
- Sophia's Bookish Live/Work Apartment
- Lisa's Artistic Time Capsule
- Tom and Justin Gently Shape Their Landmark
- Sarah's Supremely Stylish West Village Home
- Rachel's Weatherboard Cottage
- Kathryn and Finn's "Designed-Around" Bungalow
Does your teapot get more face time in your home when the weather turns colder? Or do you have other seasonal kitchen tools that come out of hibernation in the fall and winter?
(Images: See linked posts for full image credits)


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Almagro, Monaco into Houston semis
Houston, TX – Top seed Nicolas Almagro and defending champion Juan Monaco each secured berths in the semifinals at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship on Friday.
Almagro got past seventh-seeded Italian Paolo Lorenzi in 6-4, 6-4 fashion at River Oaks Country Club. The sweet-swinging Spanish star popped nine aces in the 1-hour, 21-minute victory.
Up next for Almagro will be American wild card Rhyne Williams, who reached his first-ever ATP semifinal by outlasting Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 6-4 in just under 2 1/2 hours on Day 5.
Williams is a 22-year-old from Knoxville, Tenn., and was a two-time All- America at the University of Tennessee.
Monaco, who defeated John Isner in last year's Houston finale, had little trouble with Robby Ginepri in Friday's quarters. The third-seeded Argentine disposed of his American foe 6-1, 6-0 in a match that took just 56 minutes to complete.
Isner set up a rematch with Monaco by topping Ricardas Berankis in three sets, with the towering American outlasting the Lithuanian by a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 score.
The 2013 Houston champ will collect $82,300. This marks the lone ATP clay- court event in the U.S.


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Stem the advance of hatred
To the Editor:
The date that you reported on the Holocaust speaker who visited SS. Rose and Clement Parish was providential. Nov. 10 is "Kristallnacht," which commemorates the horrific attacks on Jewish men, women and children in Austria in 1938.
Such evil must never be ignored or forgotten, which is why I was impressed when the youth of my parish sponsored and welcomed Mrs. Alice Eichenbaum, who told her story of the Holocaust, as well as that of her husband Ray – a survivor of Auschwitz. The evening left an important impression on everyone in attendance.
For making that night possible, I must thank the many who worked so hard and with such passion. Of course, I commend my own parishioners and my parish Youth Groups, but I especially thank the dedicated men and women at the Holocaust Education & Resource Center of Rhode Island.
Additionally, I would like to thank Ms. Jessica Botelho and the Warwick Beacon for their fine coverage of a wonderful night of inter-faith dialogue and community building. You were able to bring the message and lessons of the evening to many more who could not attend.
Together, may we renew our effort to stem the advance of hatred and build up mutual respect and dignity for all human beings. Indeed, as we so often pray at our parish, may God's love transform every element of our society.
Rev. Edward J. Wilson Jr.
SS. Rose & Clement Parish


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Sound Technology announce Logic 101 course
Sound Technology, who exclusively distributed Logic in the days of Emagic, are now an Apple Authorised Training Centre. Their focus will be on the Logic 101 course, which is ideal for new users and aims to introduce Logic's main feature set and user interface to students. Pro and Express versions of Logic are covered, with course topics including software instruments, Apple Loops, MIDI, audio recording and effects.
Sound Technology became sole UK distributor of Logic in 1992 and provided full customer support to users until August last year, when Apple began to offer software support under their Apple Care scheme. Staff from Sound Technology's Logic support team are being used to deliver the new course.
Included in the cost of the Logic 101 course (£470 including VAT) is a multiple-choice exam. Upon successful completion of this, students will become an Apple Certified Pro. For those who don't want to take the exam, the course is available for a reduced price of £412. More information, including dates and contact details, can be found on Sound Technology's web site. Watch out for the forthcoming Logic 301 intermediate course.
Sound Technology +44 (0)1462 480000


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Nationwide Auto Insurance in Hartville, Ohio From Varner Insurance Group, Inc
Jason Varner is an insurance agent who makes it a number one priority to do what's best for members. See what a difference having the right agent and a personalized insurance plan as well as the help of Nationwide makes when it comes to protecting the investment you've made in your wheels.
Insurance needs vary by individual circumstances. For example, your needs may be different if this is your first time getting auto insurance, if you have a classic car, or if you're retired and don't drive your vehicle as much as you used to. At Varner Insurance Group, Inc, we're familiar with working with various types of driving habits, vehicles, and special needs. We also go to every length to make sure our members have every discount to which they're entitled. Let us know what your ideal auto insurance protection plan looks like and we'll work with you to make it happen.
See what a well-balanced combination of dedication and experience can do for your auto insurance protection. Whenever you're ready, call us at (330) 877-3622 or pay us a visit at our offices at 203 S Prospect Ave, Hartville, Ohio, 44632.