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Lately a colleague of mine has been working on his master thesis which involves the design of a vision sensor inspired by principles occurring in the human brain. The idea behind his and in general neuromorphic vision sensors / neuromorphic computing is brilliant, and in the same time extremely challenging to fully understand and reproduce with existing silicon VLSI technologies.
Vision sensors emulating the human retina.Getting inspired by the principle I'll try to cover the basic idea behind human retina emulation sensors in a nutshell. I will also try to give a history de-brief of computing inspired by human brain.
OK, so what vision sensors do we use now in 2014 as a tool for transforming light into digital images? According to various data sources the dominant technology nowadays leads towards CMOS imagers.
Slipping off-track with the chart above, we can stress that probably 99% of all mass-produced machine vision sensors base on raw image data extraction and processing. While there has been a very significant progress in image recognition and a number of very successful machine vision algorithms have been invented (3D object, scene, texture recognition etc...), there is still a huge gap between the performance of the aforementioned algorithms, as compared to even the most primitive biological species as insects. One of the key differences is the way the data processing and analysis is done.
An ordinary machine vision system today would capture and process the full number of pixels and frames which a raw data vision sensor would provide. While capturing full frame data relaxes the complexity of used vision analysis algorithms, it imposes a tremendous computational and data-transfer bottleneck on the analytical device, in other words the computer. The key "feature" which biological retina stands-out from "ordinary" raw data vision sensors hides in the information capture and transfer between the imager and the processing device. I.e. a bio retina would trigger, send and process only newly entered light information into it. This key-feature avoids the further computational and data-transfer bottleneck. In a nutshell a bio-inspired vision sensor would send information only for newly triggered pixel events.
Going back to my colleague's vision sensor and the very basic principle of operation of integrate-and-fire neuron pixels. Instead of reading-out an absolute voltage level, bio-inspired integrate-and-fire neuron pixels would instead generate a trigger event with change of light intensity. Here is a very primitive example of such an event generating (spiking) circuit.
The input current coming from the photo diode pixel is integrated over a capacitor Cm, as the integrated voltage on the top plate of Cm increases until it reached the threshold level of the CMOS inverter-based buffer. When the buffer switches the output voltage changes to Vdd switching-on the reset transistor. The positive feedback capacitor is Cf forms a capacitive divider with Cm and acts as a pulse sharper. By controlling the bias voltage on the reset transistor branch one can control the sensitivity of the integrator and the duration and number of the spikes. Here is a link to Mead's original publication.
OK, so what do we do with all these spiking pixels? The second part of the puzzle hides in a tracking system that senses and takes decisions on which pixels generate spikes and which did faster. There seem to be a number of various architectures but all of them base on WTA circuits as well as Address Event Representation (AER) protocols.
Having determined the spatial location of the events, the newly generated scene information can be further supplied to a machine vision processing system. A comprehensive paper by Giacomo Indiveri et. al. is Neuromorphic silicon neuron circuits.
Here are some pictures of my visit to Lukasz's lab and his neuromorphic vision sensor.
Some history de-brief on neuromorphic computing.
Possibly one of the first elaborate publications on bio-inspired computing tracks back to 1958 and John von Neumann's last book entitled The Computer and the Brain, where he gives diambigulations and analogies between existing computing machines and the living human brain. A general conclusion is that the brain functions in a partly analog and digital domain.
Later Carver Mead published the first ever book on neuromorphic computing Analog VLSI and neural systems. It gives a good representation of AI principles applied in analog VLSI systems.
Speaking of bio-inspired vision sensors, the first publication and bio-inspired vision sensor was reported by Misha Mahowald a student of Mead, her 1988 publication A silicon model of early visual processing describes an analog model of the first stages of retinal processing.
Well, with this my inspiring Saturday afternoon finises, hmmm... would all major electronic systems be bio-inspired one day???


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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sells San Antonio mansion for $3 million
Gregg Popovich just bagged $3 million for his mansion in San Antonio, the city where he led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships over the last 24 years.
Records show the coach bought the home back in 2005 a few months after leading the team to its third title. The sale was a multi-year effort for Popovich, who first asked $4.5 million in 2018 before eventually trimming the tag to $3.1 million over the summer.
The 2.6-acre spread is tucked in a gated neighborhood within a gated neighborhood, so there's plenty of privacy. In addition to the 9,600-square-foot home, there's a swimming pool shaded by trees and a 600-square-foot wine cellar made of reclaimed Jerusalem stone secluded at the edge of the property.
Stone covers the exterior and continues inside, lining dramatic columns and a wall in the two-story great room. Other voluminous spaces include a foyer with a sweeping staircase and a kitchen with a curved wall of windows.
Elsewhere are four bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, a gym and a billiards room. A wood-paneled elevator navigates the two-story interior, leading to a spacious owner's suite that expands to a wraparound deck overlooking the property.
Popovich, 71, is the winningest coach in NBA history, and his 24-year tenure with the Spurs is the longest active stretch of any U.S. major sports league. During that time, he's led the team to 1,447 wins and was thrice named NBA Coach of the Year.
Binkan Cinaroglu of Kuper Sotheby's Internatioal Realty held the listing. Ilissa Serena of Hance Realty represented the buyer.

subset: commoncrawl


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After Jenn sent us this link about how maternity uniforms have changed in various branches of the US military I was curious to know if any of our readers have served in the military while pregnant. Maura wrote about her experience and… here ya go! — Stephanie
Being a woman in a male hyper-sexual environment is difficult enough, but being pregnant is a whole new story. I was serving on board a US Navy command ship in Yoosuka, Japan, as an electronics technician when I found out I was pregnant. The field I worked in put me with an all-male workforce — it took me almost a year to be seen as a hard worker and as an equal. I pretty much dominated my job. I was the best of the best.
Outside the Navy, I was dating my now-husband. We spent every hour of every day together — literally. We worked on the ship together, had the same friends, and I would stay at his house off base. We made it work, and I loved always being around him. I had no female friends — not by choice, but because I was around men all the time.
We found out I was pregnant in December 2010. I had been especially hormonal — I like to say I was a little more "dynamic" than usual. My co-workers all thought I was going insane, and when my husband and I bought a pregnancy test that turned up positive, I kind of agreed with them.
We had to go to a farewell dinner for one of our beloved chiefs immediately afterwards. As soon as I walked in the door I was having alcohol pushed in my face — "Try this one! Have a beer! Do a shot!" Typical sailors. When I turned them down and ordered a chocolate milkshake instead I was given strange looks.
Nobody drinks milkshakes at a Sailor's going away party.
Soon after I sat down with my chief and told him the news. The entire time I was speaking he had a 1000 mile stare and was muttering "no" to himself. After the initial shock and upset (about losing me on the workforce), he congratulated me. My upper chain of command was happy for me personally, but they were extremely upset that I was going to be put on shore duty. This meant leaving another male sailor in charge of all of the navigational equipment — they weren't happy.
Aiden will know that my boyfriend is not his biological father. He will also know how much more this means to his mommy: he's not... Read more
I got my orders in and had ten days to pack up my entire life — ten days to say goodbye to my boyfriend and all my friends. I was devastated. The Navy doesn't recognize a family unit unless they are a married man and woman, so I was sent back to the States alone.
I was in the middle of nowhere in California — alone in a barracks room with little money. I began working in the barracks as a Barracks Petty Officer. I also began to work at the OB/GYN clinic as an equal opportunity advisor — I wanted to do all I could for myself and the women who worked for me. Throughout my pregnancy I did my best to educate the people around me about what the Navy mandates for pregnant servicewomen.
My boyfriend and I got married in June, the month before I was due. It was safe for us to get married since I wasn't stationed at the same command as him. This was the first time he put his hand on my large belly and he couldn't keep his hands off of it.
I worked everyday up until I gave birth. The navy allows for six weeks maternity leave, ten days of paternity leave. My husband was not able to be there because he was deployed. The first eight to nine hours I labored by myself at the hospital. My mother and sister arrived an hour before my son was born, and my husband was on speakerphone during the birth.
I opted for an early out, and will hopefully begin life again as a civilian with my husband, and finishing my education. People tend to forget that service members were civilians once upon a time. We have to be strong with our choice to enlist, but we also have our weaknesses — we get upset, we cry. Being a mother in the Navy, I have to take it one day at a time.
The Navy has given me a free education, free healthcare, and the opportunity to travel to more countries than I can recall. I met some wonderful people and fell in love. But… I do not want to be away from my son. I do not want to be away months at a time on deployments. I know what I am capable of, and what I've done for the Navy while I served, but I don't want my son to have to go without seeing me because I decided to enlist over five years ago.


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Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
Clone Drone in the
Danger Zone
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is a robot voxel slice-em-up where any part of your body can be sliced off.
With your mind downloaded into a robot gladiator, you must survive the sinister trials of the arena.
Singleplayer Game Modes:
• Story Mode – One part epic tale of human defiance, another part laser swords.
• Endless Mode – Challenge yourself to fight through 86 level variants spread across 7 difficulty tiers. Can you make it to TITANIUM?
• Challenge Mode – Bow-only, hammer-only, can you still survive the arena?Multiplayer Game Modes:
• Last Bot Standing – A Battle-Royale-like game mode with short, 5-10 minute play sessions and up to 15 players. Survive, and shower in the remains of your fellow robot competitors.
• Private Duels – Challenge your friend to a 1v1 duel!
• Online Co-op! – Use the power of human friendship (and laser swords!) to survive in the arena!Features:
• Epic Voxel Dismemberment – In addition to looking cool, the ability to cut off body parts is central to the gameplay. Jumping on one leg is a common occurrence.
• Sharp Sword Combat – Combat is fast and intense, putting great emphasis on movement, timing and positioning. You are never safe, as any blow can instantly kill or dismember.
• Entertaining Commentary – With over 38000(!!!) spoken words, Commentatron and Analysis-Bot provide a running commentary of your performance and react to your activities.
• Upgrade your robot – Jetpack, bow, kicking, deflection, clones, armor, FIRE!
• Terrifying robotic enemies that actually get pretty hard! Sword robots, bow robots, Spidertron 5000, Spidertron 6000, gigantic hammer bots. So many things to dismember.
• Achievements! Unlock upgrades, emotes and multiplayer skins by achieving a rich variety of things!
• Emotes! – Do the Funky Pillar Dance, mock your foes, or flap your arms delightfully!


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If you've been unlucky enough to be involved in a car accident then it is likely that you have felt the financial sting of repairing your car. Even if you are insured, insurance companies usually include a premium that must be paid to cover any claim made sometimes reaching into thousands of dollars. Ouch!
That said, at least you don't have to cover the bill for these four accidents, which we believe could be the world's most expensive.
No.4 – Ferrari 250 GTO
Let's just say that crashing one of these rare beauties would definitely ruin your day. Between 1962 and 1964 only 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs were built. At last valuation, the 3.0 litre, 300-hp V-12 engine Ferrari 250 GTO is fetching prices around $52million.
That's an expensive pay out for American investor, Christopher Cox and his wife Ann, who in 2012 crash their 250 GTO on a racetrack in France. With no details regarding the repairs costs and insurance premiums being released, we have no idea how much the Cox's have to pay. But given its $52million value and rarity, we'll just say it's a lot.
Source: http://www.wreckedexotics.com/articles/002.shtml
No.3 – Mr. Bean Crashes his F1 McLaren
Oh dear! With a roaring V-12 engine that can reach speeds of 230mph, the F1 McLaren is a special kind of car. However, all that speed means that it is easier to lose control; which is exactly what happened to Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean) on a British motorway in 2011.
It took four weeks for insurers to estimate the damage and another year for it to be repaired, with the bill priced at $1.25 million for insurers.
Mr Bean is back to driving his F1, but don't think he won't feel the pain: according to experts, the star's car insurance premium is now priced at $100,000 a year.
Source: http://www.cinema.com.my/news/news.aspx?search=2011.n_mrbeansurvivesaccident_5607
No.2 – Bugatti Veyron in the Lake
At $2.5 million each, the Bugatti Veyron is the most expensive road car ever built. It's fast, it's beautiful and it's rare with only 300 ever produced. So when one goes to waste, you'll feel pretty stupid about it.
That's what happened to Andy House, who in 2009 crashed his Veyron into a Texas lagoon. House said that a pelican had distracted him and sent him off course, into the water. The accident was captured the film.
Regardless, the Veyron's repair bill was estimated to cost around $1.6million, and House put in a claim of $2.1 million. The claim has since been disputed by House's insurance company.
Source: http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/03/top-10-most-expensive-car-crashes-2580652.html
No.1 -Japanese Ferrari Pile-Up
While all the previously mentioned car accidents cost a pretty penny, they are in pale comparison to a multiple car crash on a Japanese Expressway in 2011 which claimed eight Ferrari's, a Mercedes and a Lamborghini.
This epic crash started when the lead Ferrari driver, lost control of his vehicle forcing the 10 supercars behind to slam on their breaks, resulting in the pile-up.
The total repair build was estimated to be around $4 million.
Of course, it wasn't smooth sailing for those involved. Despite the fact their premiums are now sky-high, police are looking to charge those involved for breaking traffic laws. So let's add lawyer fees on top of those premiums now.
Despite such fast and reckless driving, all car manufacturers take the utmost care to ensure passenger safety for their road vehicles. To ensure that safety is their highest priority manufacturer's conduct extensive research, and advanced tests to understand the processes to why and how a wreck happens.Coupled with the development of computer systems in cars to be prepared for accidents, cars are relatively safe these days.


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Neurotic defense mechanisms are processes that are developed by the ego and are believed to have the capability to destroy a person's mentality. They work by helping an individual avoid guilt and anxiety that is caused by inhibitions connected with aggressive tendencies and sexual desires, revealing the vicissitudes and complexity of the relationships between representation and affection.
As noted by Sigmund Freud in 1894 and 1896, there is a number of neurotic defense mechanisms that he had referred to in all of his written works. He got help from his daughter, Anna, who developed and elaborated on such concepts, even adding five of her own. In 1896, Freud concluded that defense is the essence of neurotic psychic mechanisms, which is an idea that came after his analysis of the neuro-psychoses of defense in 1894.
Aside from Freud and his daughter, many other psychoanalysts added more types of ego defenses, and here are the primary ones:
This was the first neurotic defense mechanism discovered by Freud and is believed to be the most important. Basically, repression is an unconscious process that is developed by the ego to keep threatening or disturbing thoughts from becoming conscious, especially those that result in feelings of guilt from the super-ego. It is deemed as not a very successful type of defense mechanism, especially in long-term situations, as it forces disturbing ideas, wishes or memories into the unconscious, which can still create anxiety even if they are hidden. In the Oedipus complex for instance, aggressive thoughts about same-sex parents are being repressed.
Identification with the Aggressor
Basically, this focuses on feared or negative traits, such as when you are afraid of someone and then try to become more like him/her to practically conquer such fear. One of the best examples of this is the Stockholm Syndrome, where a hostage would identify him/herself with the terrorists. In the case of Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, she was raped and abused by those who captured her, yet she still joined her captors' movement and then took part in one of robberies they committed, though she was acquitted at her trial because she was found to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
Displacement is the case where a person redirects an impulse to a powerless, symbolic substitute target, which can be an object or a person. For example, someone who feels uncomfortable with his/her sexual desire for a real person might substitute a fetish, or someone who feels frustration towards his/her superiors might go home and beat up a family member, kick the dog or engage in cross-burnings.
This type of defense mechanism is where people attribute their own motives and feelings to others, especially those that would cause guilt, such as sexual fantasies and aggressive thoughts. As an example, you might hate a certain person, but your superego would tell you that such feeling is unacceptable, so you tend to solve the problem by believing that he/she hates you.
This involves blocking external events from awareness, like if a situation has become too much to handle for you, you would refuse to experience it. Now, this is said by experts to be a primitive and dangerous defense mechanism, where no one can disregard reality and get away with it for long. For example, a smoker might refuse to admit to him/herself that smoking is bad for his/her health.
Sublimation is quite similar to displacement, only that it takes place when you manage to displace your emotions into an activity that is constructive, rather than destructive, such as switching your focus to something artistic or athletic. In fact, many great artists, musicians and athletes have had unhappy lives and then used the medium of art, music and sports to express themselves. For Freud, sublimation is the cornerstone of civilized life, science and the arts.
Rationalization is defined as the cognitive distortion of the facts in order to make an impulse or an event less of a threat. It often occurs on a fair level of consciousness when a person provides him/herself with excuses. But for those having sensitive egos, making excuses would be so easy that there would be cases where they are not aware of it. Simply put, these people are quite prepared to believe their own lies.
This is a defense mechanism that especially occurs when you are faced with stress, frightened or troubled, where your behaviors would often become more primitive or childish. For example, a child might once again start to suck his/her thumb or wet the bed when he/she is required to spend some time in the hospital. For teenagers, they might giggle uncontrollably when they are introduced into a social situation that involves the opposite sex.
Reaction Formation
This is a situation where you would go beyond denial and tend to behave the other way from which you feel or think originally. Through reaction formation, the id is said to be satisfied while the ego is kept in ignorance of the true motives. In most cases, this type of neurotic defense mechanism is marked by compulsiveness and showiness. According to Freud, some individuals who are prejudice against homosexuals are creating a defense against their own feelings of homosexuality by adopting harsh anti-homosexual behaviors that help with convincing them of their heterosexuality.
Final Thoughts
The analysis of neurotic defense mechanisms has been extended and refined through decades of studies by experts, such as Helene Deutsch and Otto Fenichel, among others. This has added more types to the list, such as for the phobic neurotic, avoidance of anxiety and canceling. The refinement of such analysis has even allowed the consideration of neurosis as other than an essential pathological system. Currently, neurotic defense mechanisms are already described in the context of the so-called normal-neurotic psychic activity. Also, research on traumatic neuroses since Freud, including mechanisms of splitting, repetition and denial, as well as research on psychic functioning in borderline processes, were said to have contributed to a certain vulgarization of these defensive mechanisms, which are essential to understanding the Freudian metapsychology.


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2021 was the planet's fifth-hottest year on record as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise
The seven hottest years on record were the last seven – by a clear margin, scientists say
Scientists have revealed that 2021 was the fifth-hottest year on record, as emissions of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane, the main drivers of the climate crisis, continue to rise.
The annual analysis from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) also found that the seven hottest years on record were the last seven, by a clear margin.
While 2021 was one of the cooler years out of the last seven (on a par with 2015 and 2018), Europe still experienced its warmest summer on record, according to the report published on Monday. 2020 and 2016 remain tied as the hottest years on record.
The lower average temperature was in part due to La Nina conditions in the first months of 2021 – a climate phenomenon that causes colder waters in the Pacific Ocean.
The annual average temperature globally was 1.1-1.2C higher than at the beginning of the industrial era in the mid-19th century.
The adverse effects of rising temperatures were evident in the number of extreme events around the world over the past 12 months. Summer 2021 brought deadly heatwaves and floods to central Europe, with Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands heavily affected.
In Sicily, a temperature of 48.8C was recorded – breaking the European record by 0.8C – amid a prolonged heatwave in Greece, Spain and Italy.
The intense heat and arid conditions created a tinderbox, sparking massive wildfires in the eastern and central Mediterranean, with devastating consequences for Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Albania, North Macedonia, Algeria and Tunisia.
Parts of North America also experienced significant temperature anomalies in 2021, resulting in the warmest June on record for the continent. In the northwest US and Canada, an "exceptional" heatwave descended, with maximum temperature records broken repeatedly on consecutive days.
The small town of Lytton, British Columbia, hit 49.6C in June, breaking Canada's maximum temperature record. An international team of climate scientists concluded that the record heat would have been "virtually impossible" without human-driven global heating.
The hot and dry conditions drove raging wildfires throughout the summer. The Dixie fire, the second largest fire recorded in California's history, became the first ever to crest the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Along with widespread destruction, pollution from the wildfire led to a drop in air quality for thousands of people in the west and beyond, as particulate matter drifted across the US.
"2021 was yet another year of extreme temperatures, with the hottest summer in Europe, heatwaves in the Mediterranean, not to mention the unprecedented high temperatures in North America," said Carlo Buontempo, Director of the C3S.
"The last seven years have been the seven warmest on record. These events are a stark reminder of the need to change our ways, take decisive and effective steps towards a sustainable society, and work towards reducing net carbon emissions."
However, despite a temporary dip due to the Covid-19 pandemic, global concentrations of carbon dioxide are still steadily rising, according to preliminary analysis of satellite data.
Concentrations of the potent greenhouse gas methane are growing "very substantially", C3S scientists noted, and have slightly increased on the 2020 growth rate.
Climate experts noted that figures for both 2020 and 2021 were "very high" compared to methane rates over the preceding two decades, saying that "at present it is not fully understood why this is the case".
"The identification of the origin of the increase is challenging as methane has many sources, with some anthropogenic (eg exploitation of oil and gas fields) but also some natural or semi-natural ones (eg wetlands)," the European agency's report noted.
Wildfires around the world, but particularly those in Siberia, have added to the carbon spewing into the atmosphere. North America experienced the highest level of carbon emissions from summer wildfires since records began in 2003.
"It gets difficult to say something new each time we see signs of another nail in the planetary coffin!" wrote Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, chair of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, in a statement.
"Yet another warning of what we are doing to our planetary home. Real action to curb our greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and globally is desperately needed."
To stabilize Earth's temperature and prevent an ever-worsening spiral of climate disasters, nations have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This means that greenhouse gas emissions, largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels, must be brought down by around 50 per cent by the end of this decade.
The annual European State of the Climate report from C3S will be published in April 2022.
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21 Day Vegan Kickstart: Day 5
Donna Dennison is an UnchainedTV writer, graphic designer, video editor,…
Day 5 of the PCRM 21 Day Vegan Kickstart
It's day 5 of the 21 day vegan kickstart collaboration with #LunchBreakLIVE, and today's guest Chef is Lisa Karlan. Lisa made two amazing dishes, full of color, flavor, and nutrients, a Quinoa and Red Bean Salad and a Pita Pizza! These are easy vegan recipes, with simple ingredients and simple instructions. Let's see how Lisa put these two meals together…
Let's Meet Our Chef
Lisa Karlan is a Health Educator, Nutrition Consultant, and Media Journalist. She is an Anchor/Producer at the JaneUnchained News Network creating shows for #LunchBreakLIVE, a daily #LIVE vegan cooking show, featuring a variety of interesting people from prominent chefs, cookbook authors, and home cooks to leaders in the field of plant-based medicine. Lisa developed the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart collaboration with JaneUnchained News' #LunchBreakLIVE in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
Lisa is the Host/Producer of "Hey Doc! What's New in Plant-Based Medicine? a weekly show on Fridays at 10 am PST/ 1 pm EST on the JaneUnChained News Network bringing the latest evidence-based medical news from distinguished medical professionals from around the world. Lisa also covers scientific conferences, such as the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine, and provides media coverage about notable events in the animal rights community, such as The Save Movement's, Los Angeles Animal Save. Additionally, Lisa covers legislative issues about animal rights and plant-based nutrition in Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Lisa is a Certified Food for Life Instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). She teaches cooking classes using the curriculum and recipes created by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, designed to reduce risk factors and prevent and reverse many chronic diseases. Lisa is also the recipe editor for Animal Culture Magazine, a Patreon supported publication.
Lisa has been the Director of the Learning Kitchen for VegFest Los Angeles since 2016. This annual labor of love spreads the vegan message, at one of the largest vegan festivals in the nation, through food demonstrations with notable vegan chefs to nearly 15,000 attendees. This program has moved online until Covid-19 is resolved and it's safe to gather outside in groups again.
Lisa teaches people how to make informed food choices for disease prevention and reversal of chronic diseases and compassionate choices for clothing and product use. Her goal is to raise awareness, knowing that these ethical choices will contribute to fewer animals destined for pain, suffering, and death while reducing the environmental impact on the Earth from animal agriculture and excess water consumption caused by unsustainable industrial practices that exploit animals and contribute to climate change.
21 Day Vegan Kickstart: Recipe 1
Recipe 1 for day 5 of the 21 day vegan kickstart looks so refreshing. It is a Quinoa and Red Bean salad, filled with all sorts of colorful yumminess. It's got tomatoes, squash, corn, salsa, red beans, quinoa, and MORE. This is like a fiesta in your mouth. I love this salad so much because every bite is filled with flavor and a satisfying corn crunch. This is a super healthy salad, with a low-fat salsa verde dressing that will blow your mind. There is definitely no lack of taste in this big bowl of goodness. The recipe is below…give it a try.
Quinoa and Red Bean Salad
- 3/4 cup salsa verde
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 small tomato diced
- 1 yellow squash diced
- 4 green onions sliced
- 2 cups Napa cabbage sliced
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup red beans rinsed (we used black beans)
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves chopped (we used 1 tbsp)
- Combine the salsa verde with the apple cider vinegar. Toss all the salad ingredients together.
21 Day Vegan Kickstart: Recipe 2
The 2nd recipe for today is a Pita Pizza. Anything with the word PIZZA is a go for me. This delicious meal has veggies piled on top, is filled with high nutritional content, and has a flavor score of TEN. The roasted garlic as one of the toppings is just perfect. Lisa used a whole wheat tortilla as the crust, instead of pita, but either work great. The flavorful hummus is a perfect alternative to cheese. This is one of those meals that will keep you coming back for more…it's that good. The recipe is below so you can make it yourself at home. Be sure to let us know how you liked it.
Pita Pizzas
- 1/4 cup red pepper hummus
- 1 whole-wheat pita We use a whole wheat tortilla
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- baked toppings: thyme, green olives, roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cipollini onions (to taste)
- fresh toppings: sliced basil, Roma tomatoes, Peppadew peppers, arugula (to taste)
- Spread the hummus over the pita (or tortilla), except for the edge. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Add the baked toppings (these toppings are not baked before they go on the pizza; the name just refers to toppings that get baked on top of the pizza). As a variation, add pizza sauce instead of hummus.
- Bake the pita pizza at 350 F for 7 to 8 minutes. Then spread any of the fresh toppings on the pizza after it comes out of the oven.
Thank You For Joining Us For Day 5 Of The 21 Day Vegan Kickstart
Day 5 of the 21 day vegan kickstart was awesome. These were two of my favorite recipes from the 21 day program. I hope you consider signing up for the kickstart and joining in on the healthy fun. And if you are interested in more delicious and easy vegan recipes to cook up, check out the #LunchBreakLive page for a ton to choose from. Until next time…keep cookin'!
What's Your Reaction?
Donna Dennison is an UnchainedTV writer, graphic designer, video editor, and IG contributor. Donna is also a creative in the film industry.


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Access Press appreciates the work of all of the groups that provided information, to help us compile our legislative summary coverage. We could not do this without you.
The Arc Minnesota, ARRM, MAMES, Minnesota Council on Disability, MOHR, NAMI Minnesota, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, the publications by the staff at the Minnesota Legislature and many others have help us to track legislative issues this session. Everyone has informed out coverage.
We give special thanks to the Minnesota Consortium for citizens with disabilities and all of its member groups. The Tuesdays at the capitol mare very helpful for anyone wishing to follow what is happening in state government.
2019 was an incredibly busy and complex session, in large part because so many of the state's disability advocacy groups were trying to catch up on and rectify the vetoes of previous years.
Access Press typically continues its legislative coverage as bills go into effect and 2019 will be no exception. If there is an issue you'd like us to expand upon, please contact Managing Editor Jane McClure at 651-644-2133 or [email protected].
Thank you for your interest.


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iTunes l Stitcher l Spotify l Google Play Music
Anyone can get motivated for a short period of time, especially if you have a very specific reason or goal. But motivation doesn't last and if you rely on it solely to get you through the ups and downs of your fitness program, you'll likely end up failing.
Much like willpower, motivation is a finite resource, and the rush of adrenaline you get after watching Rocky 3 or watching The Iron Cowboy doing 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 days, will wear off pretty quickly.
Instead, I propose using two things to help you stay focused on your goals and that's inspiration and habit.
Inspiration is the thing that lights you up inside and resonates with you on a deep emotional level. Maybe it was your father dying in his fifties from diabetes and you're scared it might happen to you.
Maybe you've always been the "fat guy" and it's shaken your confidence in yourself. Or maybe you're a former athlete and want to feel strong and athletic again.
There is no right answer for this and you'll have to look deep to find what truly inspires you but once you find it, you can use it to keep you pushing forward even when you really, really want to stop.
I've spoken with hundreds of men about this and sometimes inspiration is deeper than one is willing to look. And in that case, I'd tell you to rely on good old-fashioned habits.
Habits are nothing more than the things you do on a day to day basis and unfortunately, many of ours aren't conducive to optimal health.
Most of us have habits that have been part of our lives for a long time and things like eating snacks late at night or drinking that early morning Red Bull are very hard to just stop cold turkey.
In my experience, taking small steps is the best approach and replacing one unhealthy habit with a better one every 7-14 days is a great start. The key is not to overwhelm yourself with trying to totally revamp your entire lifestyle because that always almost ends of crushing failure.
Take it one day at a time and remember, you're in this for the long haul.


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Welp.., Last night 'The Four' had us on edge yet again. While fans saw some of the most anticipating battles, others where cringing as the show cut to commercial breaks before announcing who the crowd voted for.
Jason Woods kept his seat, against angelic singer RaVaughn but...
Rell had to give up his seat to another rapper, Nick after judges agree he just didn't give it everything he had!
Some other highlights were Orlando's own Nicolina who many knew had a great voice but might chosen the wrong song to wow the judges.
However the nights best moment might have been the battle between beloved Zhavia and new comer Kendyle who came just for her seat.
Unfortunately it was the end of the road as far as the show goes for Z, but judges still had nothing but great things to say about her!


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The Senate tonight narrowly passed a bill that would create a "high-cost fuel standard" in Washington.
House Bill 1091, approved 27-20, returns to the House of Representatives for concurrence, or agreement, with a Senate amendment to the proposal.
"This bill is the latest attempt by Governor Inslee to cram what he calls a 'low-carbon' fuel standard down Washingtonians' throats," said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. "There certainly is no guarantee this bill would improve the climate, but we can be guaranteed that fuel costs will skyrocket once this bill becomes law. Worse yet, it will act like a very expensive gas tax, but without any benefit to our roads."
Schoesler said the Puget Sound Area Clean Air agency estimates costs of a similar localized LCFS program in 2019 would increase 57 cents per gallon for gasoline and rise 63 cents a gallon for diesel.
"Between the sharp increase in fuel prices caused by this bill and the 'cap and tax' bill that the Senate passed earlier tonight, it's going to be a total shock for drivers when they fill up at the pump once these bills are implemented," said Schoesler. "If you need to drive long distances for work or other reasons, this one-two punch courtesy of the Democrats is going to hit your wallet hard. This bill punishes people who can least afford it, and it will hurt agriculture in our state by imposing extra costs on farmers. This bill will put our economy at risk. People should think of Governor Inslee when they pay more at the pump because he's the one who wanted it all along."
The proposal would direct the Department of Ecology to adopt rules aimed at achieving a 20% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from fuel by 2035.
Under HB 1091, refiners would be required to blend gas and diesel with advanced biofuels to reduce the carbon content of fuel. Only a 2-4%reduction in emissions can be accomplished this way, and this is only a small part of the program. Most of the program (80-90 percent) is about creating a "credit market" managed by Ecology, requiring refiners to pay for government-approved carbon-reduction programs. Costs likely would be passed on to consumers. At least half the money would go to programs to promote electric cars.


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The Young and the Restless spoilers for Friday, February 26 find Adam hurrying to hide his latest misdeeds while Sharon and Rey struggle to figure out where they stand thanks to him. Meanwhile, what does Sally want from Jack? And what does he want from her in return?
The Young and the Restless Spoilers: Hide Don't Seek
Adam (Mark Grossman) has been swearing devotion to Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) as she recovers from her stroke – while ambushing Sharon (Sharon Case) with a kiss. Which somebody photographed. And put on the Internet.
Faith (Alyvia Alyn Lind) has already seen it and had her traditional meltdown. But is that just a tiny preview of the explosion to come if Chelsea gets the ability to let loose?
Adam, obviously, thinks he can stay a step ahead of her (silly fool) and doesn't want her to see the image — he cannot allow that to happen. How far will he go to ensure that?
Can This Marriage Be Saved?
Rey (Jordi Vilasuso) has had enough of Sharon (Sharon Case) running whenever Adam comes a-calling. He's put his foot down. It's Adam… or their marriage. And even if Sharon picks their marriage, he needs to be convinced that this isn't just another of her empty promises. She needs to make him believe this time she really means it. No matter what.
Name Calling
Jack (Peter Bergman) called his and Sally's (Courtney Hope) dinner a date. Now Sally calls their coffee get-together a date. A date implies that something romantic is – or could – happen.
Is that what Jack wants? Is that what Sally wants? Are both of them prepared for the shade they're going to get?
And we don't mean just from the usual suspects, like Summer (Hunter King) and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). They both hate Sally and see Jack as their personal property. We mean just people who are otherwise utterly uninvolved but will still have an opinion of their age difference. And their motives. The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.


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Old classic cars are back in fashion. They have high demand and a super high price range. Though they are popular among the riches around the world, they lack lots of twenty-first-century features. Therefore, you may need to find a way to add an AUX input to your car stereo if your car doesn't have this customized already.
All the cars from the year 2010-2011 offer modern playability via stereo. So, you can play MP3 or stream podcasts from your smartphone. But if you own a car that doesn't include this feature, you may need to learn how to install an auxiliary input in the car stereo without going to a repair shop and wasting your money.
Read More- How to find the best budget cars subwoofer?
What is An AUX Input?
The auxiliary port or AUX is shortly called aux-in. It is a standard communication port. This port is required to use headsets and headphones. Many devices have this port including your mobile phone, computer's CPU, laptop, tab and many more to catch audio signals for mp3 players.
Supplies You'll Need to Add an Aux-in
Things you will need to add the auxiliary port:
- Aux input jack
- Two normally-closed shunts
- Screwdriver
- Plier
- Socket
- Soldering iron and wire
- Electrical tape
- Drill machine
- RCA-aux adapter/cable
- A professional service or repair manual
If you don't have any of the items, you can get them at any supply stores near your home or online.
How To Install An AUX Input To Car Stereo For Mobile Tunes
To install the aux-in follow the given method-
Step 1: Detach the negative terminal
On the very first step, before you start to work, disconnect the negative battery terminal. It's a mandatory thing to do to avoid putting your car on fire or getting electrocuted.
Step 2:
Now get the best service manual available for your car model. Remove the stereo with the instruction for your particular car.
Now, depending on the type of stereo installed in the car, you can use either-
- An RCA-aux cable and adapter or
- Install a whole aux-in jack
Use RCA-Aux Cable/Adapter
So, if the car has an RCA input, then the installation is less hazardous. You can know by checking the backside of the RCA.
Step 1: You'll need a ready-made adapter cable. Plugin the input jacks in the stereo. Also, use a 3.5 mm pin for aux input.
Step 2: Attach the other head with your smartphone's port.
This is it. And now you can listen to your favorite podcasts whenever you would like to from your car stereo.
Install An Aux-in Jack
Step 1: Remove the stereo from the dashboard
In the first step, you need to remove the stereo from the dash. Get help from a professional-grade manual to do it perfectly.
Step 2: Identify the CD changer pinout
Now you need to identify the CD changer pinout. To do that, you need to figure out where it is installed. So, after you've removed the stereo from the dash, check out the user manual or do some online research to find out where it is exactly located. Then identify the left, right, and ground channel pins on the pinout.
Step 3: Soldering the wires
The third step is to solder the aux-in jack. You'll identify a standard aux-in jack by three different colored wires (usually red, black, and white) on one end and a 3.5mm male jack on the other side. Now solder the wires to the pins of the CD changer using a soldering iron in this manner- solder the red wire to the right channel, the white or yellow one to the left channel, and the black wire to the ground channel.
Step 4: Mount the jack
In the fourth stage, you'll have to mount the jack on the dash. Drill a slot if you need to mount the jack in the dash.
Be careful about the fact that you choose a solid background to drill, or you may ruin other parts. Mount it in a suitable place where you can easily reach it.
Step 5: Testing
After mounting the jack, check out the aux input if it's working or not. Plug in the jack in your phone and play the FM. you need to make sure before reinstalling the dashboard that the audio is working. Now, fit the head in the docking area and set back the dashboard. But if you've found the system dead, then troubleshoot the issue and recheck the connections.
Faq's- About aux input for car
Most important and frequently asked question on Car Aux Input system.
Can You Add an AUX port to A Car?
Yes, you can add an auxiliary port to your car. If your car requires an additional auxiliary port, you can add it to the stereo.
What Skills Do I Need To Add An AUX Input to Car Stereo?
To install an aux-in in your car's stereo, you should know how to solder. But, if you're using the soldering iron for the first time, then practice before applying it to the project to avoid any unintentional occurrence and understand the flow.
We hope this article was helpful to solve the issue of adding an aux-in audio system to your car stereo. However, if you still couldn't get what it was about, ask for professional help.


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Ablutions (Wudu')
Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 4 :: Hadith 150
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
I went up to the roof of Hafsa's house for some job and I saw Allah's Apostle answering the call of nature facing Sham (Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon regarded as one country) with his back towards the Qibla. (See Hadith No. 147).
Source materials are from the University of Southern California MSA site Hadith eBooks converted from Imaan Star |


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Welcome to the online Wellington County Business Directory. The County of Wellington has made every effort to ensure that the information in this business and community directory is accurate. However, businesses and organizations are in a continual state of change and therefore, the County cannot guarantee the absolute correctness, absence of errors or omissions of all information furnished.
If you require changes to your existing entry please use the login button below, or contact the County of Wellington's Economic Development Office at 519.837.2600 x2614 or by e-mail. If you would like to register your business, please use the Register button.
Please note: Only business located in Wellington County, and that are Taste Real Programme Partners are promoted in the County directory. Information may be shared with the local municipality in which the business is located.
Beaver Mills Design Inc.
- Address:
132 Main Street
Erin, Ontario
N0B 1T0 - Phone:
- 519.833.1143
- Email:
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website:
- https://www.beavermillsdesign.com/
- Social:
- Products/Services:
Beaver Mills Design offers a curated selection of quality antiques; furniture, art, china, silver and lighting options at a variety of price points. We specialize in refurbishing upholstered pieces and customize antique beds, sofas, and chairs.
At Beaver Mills Design, we provide a full-service interior design service, including staging and renovation consultation. In addition to being a Farrow & Ball paint and wallpaper stockist, we are able to provide fabric, upholstery, flooring, window coverings, and the accessories needed to craft your ideal space.


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ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2 is the latest game to have its own dedicated competitive league. ArenaNet announced on Wednesday a partnership had been made with Electronic Sports League (ELS) with $400,000 in prizes in a professional tournament series which will be called ESL Guild wars 2 Pro League.
League play will start November with open qualifiers, culminating in a Season Finals LAN event held at ESL studios. A second season will run later (a date to be confirmed) then the $400,000 in prizes is divided between the two seasons. After the two seasons wrap up, ArenaNet will hold a World Championship event to determine the overall winner. The ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League replaces the previous World Tournament Series.
An open qualifier tournament to determine four of the eight teams to be featured in the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League will begin in mid-November. The other four teams will be drawn from World Tournament Series finalists and the best-ranking teams of October's Go4GuildWars 2 Cups. The teams that make it to the finals are guaranteed a slice of the $200,000 prize pool for each series.


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FX market outlook
Posted on Wednesday, March 27 2019 at 9:52 am GMT+0000Dollar edges up as Treasury yields stabilize; Kiwi slumps as RBNZ hints at rate cut
– Dollar firmer despite weak US data as Treasury rally eases
– New Zealand dollar nosedives after RBNZ says rate cut more likely than a hike
– Pound choppy ahead of crucial indicative votes on Brexit in Parliament
Steadier Treasury yields help dollar regain some footing
The US dollar edged higher against a basket of currencies on Wednesday, extending Tuesday's gains, as steadier Treasury yields alleviated the recent selling pressure, especially against the yen. The dollar index rose to a 2-week high of 96.98, but versus the yen, it was flat around 110.60 having rallied sharply yesterday.
However, market fears of a possible US recession remain heightened despite the easing of the rally in US Treasuries as the yield curve between 10-year and 3-month notes is still inverted. An inversion of the yield curve between 10-year and 3-month notes has accurately predicted a recession in the past. Data out of the US yesterday added to investors' concerns that the American economy is slowing. Housing starts plunged by 8.7% month-on-month in February, while the consumer confidence index missed forecasts by a wide margin to fall to 124.1 in March.
Nevertheless, with the growth outlook even gloomier elsewhere in the world, the dollar remains well bid and there was additional support from a strong performance on Wall Street on Tuesday.
Pound moves sideways as indicative votes awaited; euro subdued
The British pound continued to hover around $1.32 in a choppy sideways range as traders hoped that the indicative votes due to take place in Parliament later today would provide some much-needed clarity on the next steps in the Brexit process. Lawmakers will vote at 1900 GMT on a number of possible Brexit scenarios, including a customs union, revoking Article 50 and May's deal, in a bid to find a majority in Parliament for a way forward. However, a clear outcome is not likely today and voting is expected to continue over several days into next week until a preferred option is found.
But even as the chances of a softer Brexit rise, there appeared to be a change of tone from some key Eurosceptics in Theresa May's party, signalling they may be ready to back May's unpopular deal in order to prevent less favourable outcomes such as closer ties to Europe or even a cancellation of Brexit. The pound briefly spiked higher yesterday on speculation that May's deal is not dead just yet.
The euro, meanwhile, resumed its slide versus the greenback, hitting a two-week low $1.1245, but managed to steady after ECB chief, Mario Draghi, sounded a little more upbeat about the Eurozone economy than in earlier remarks. Speaking in Frankfurt on Wednesday, Draghi said the domestic economy has remained "relatively resilient" even though the risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside.
Kiwi slumps after RBNZ surprise dovish shift
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept interest rates unchanged at 1.75% at the end of its policy meeting on Wednesday but said "the more likely direction of our next OCR move is down". The increase in the dovish bias led investors to price in a 25-basis point rate cut before the year end, pulling the local dollar to 2-week lows. The kiwi dipped below the $0.68 level before recovering slightly above it but was still down by 1.4% on the day.
The Australian dollar also came under pressure as the RBNZ's change in tone increased expectations that the RBA will follow suit with a more dovish stance. The aussie was last trading down 0.4% at $0.7104.
Looking at equities, major indices were mixed in Europe and Asia, while in commodities, both gold and oil eased from recent highs. Oil prices came close to hitting fresh 2019 highs on Tuesday amid tightening supply. Gold fell back below the $1320 level as the dollar and Treasury yields recovered slightly.
Trade talks to come back into focus
With the US economic calendar looking relatively light over the next couple of days, the markets' attention will turn back onto trade talks between the US and China. The US trade delegation will travel to Beijing tomorrow for a new round of negotiations as hopes remain high that the two sides are moving closer to reaching a trade agreement. With fears of a global recession running high, any setback in the trade talks could have major repercussions on risk sentiment.
Fed speakers will also be watched in the coming days. Kansas Fed President Esther George is due to give a speech at 21:30 GMT.


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The price of Bitcoin has increased almost 4.5% this year alone but that is nothing compared to the meteoric rise of GameStop's share price over the past couple of days.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have found themselves in the headlines recently following a surge in popularity and value; they've become mainstream. An increasing number of companies accept cryptocurrency from their customers, making them more appealing to the masses. Financial institutions are slowly embracing virtual currency, including Paypal, while NBA fans are now permitted to purchase tickets and merchandise with Bitcoin on the team's website.
Cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile with investors and traders experiencing massive swings. Tradition investing in the stock market has less volatility, as a rule, but not if you've been keeping an eye on GameStop.
"GameStop" by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Struggling GameStop Sees Share Price Increase Almost 200%
GameStop is one of the world's biggest video game retailers. It has struggled with store closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and several major investors have shorted the stock.
Shorting a stock is essentially a bet that the share value will fall, the opposite of purchasing a share in a company that you expect to yield a profit for your investment. Many see GameStop as a dinosaur, one that refuses to fully embrace the online world, instead of relying on customers walking into their stores to make purchases.
You could buy shares in GameStop for $3.25 each last April following a statement from the company announcing mass store closures. Those same shares soared to almost $148 each on January 26 thanks to a campaign by a group on Reddit. They hit $365 during after-hours trading, valuing the stricken company at $25 billion, making it the 350th biggest company in the world for a short while.
Redditors' War Against Short Sellers
An online war broke out last week with Citron Research, one of the biggest short-selling investment companies on the planet, said it had placed a significant bet against the stock. GameStop is "pretty much in terminal decline," said a statement from Citron.
A day traders group on the Reddit forum decided they were going to try and push the price of the stock through the roof and it is fair to say they achieved their goal and then some. Citron believed the stock would halve from approximately $40 per share to $20. Instead, it has skyrocketed to almost $148, but why?
Something is known in investing as a "short surge" is responsible for the massive increase in GameStop's share price. The WallStreetBets Reddit forum aggressively pushed GameStop to its army of members and a flurry of buys saw the share price naturally increase. The buys quickly gained momentum and the share price began rising rapidly.
Those with a short position – betting on the price falling – had no other choice than to buy more shares to cover their growing losses. These buy exacerbated the rising share price further. The rise was so intense that the New York Stock Exchange was forced to halt trading nine times throughout the day.
$50,000 Investment Turns Into Almost $23 Million
The cost to GameStop short sellers is currently unknown but is likely to run into billions of dollars. Those on the other side of the coin, however, have seen a massive return on their investment.
One Reddit member decided to buy $50,000 worth of GameStop shares in 2019 and promised to hold onto them regardless of what happened. He's seen several wild swings but nothing compared to January 26 which saw his $50,000 investment swell to an almost unbelievable $22.845 million!
Chief Strategist at Interactive Brokers, Steve Sosnick, described the share price surge as madness. He likened the movement to an ant colony to explain why a share's price increases.
"It's like an ant colony. Each individual ant may not be able to move much, but if you have enough of them they can move a remarkable amount. If enough people buy $40 calls on a $35 stock, the market-makers will have to hedge eventually. In the short term you can really make yourself right.


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Underwater Centre ~ Dive Seychelles
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Visit from the Spanish Navy
We are always pleased to see a return visit from the Spanish Navy and were delighted to hear from James who booked 13 students for the PADI Open Water diver certification course .
Issac also got in touch with bookings for the certified divers over several days in port .
Thanks guys . Always happy to assist
11 students completed the course on 1st February. The last 2 students completed today, 2nd February
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On a map, a border is a thin, black line—a scribble of ink delineating where the jurisdiction of one nation ends and another begins. It is a final thing: negotiated, tweaked, surveyed and marked. Blood was spilled along every international boundary in the world. When the fighting finished, more died trying to get to the other side.
Academics call either side of a new boundary a "borderland," where the line is vague and populations on both sides are still interconnected. As the border becomes more defined and enforced, it evolves into "bordered lands"—where movement and commerce are restricted. What was once a singular region becomes two, and both sides develop individual identities, economies, and cultures.
America's borders exist somewhere between these two. In the north and south, they are a place of commerce, a smuggler's haven, a barrier that divides families and communities. U.S. borders become political pawns to politicians looking to control their constituency, bargaining chips in international trade deals, the object of threats to neighboring countries that do not bend to the desires of a leader.
Collected here are seven books that discuss two things often left out of border discussions: land and people. The land could not care less what lines are drawn across it. It will always retain its own geological, climactic, and ecological borders (that outlast anything drawn by man). As for the people, many were living along the line before it was ever considered—some for thousands of years before newcomers arrived and divvied it up.
The books below tell these stories. They are real narratives about the way things really are along the boundary, not what they look like on a map.
All the Agents and Saints: Dispatches from the U.S. Borderlands by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Travel Writer Stephanie Elizondo, a native South Texan, researched Mexican revolutionaries, Spanish conquistadors, ranchers, Texas Rangers, and entrepreneurs in her portrait of the Rio Grande Valley. Then she compared it with another ethnic group displaced by a border: the Mohawks of the Awkwesasne Nation on the U.S.-Canada border. The story of the two vastly different regions and communities shows some striking similarities—like the way that ill-conceived treaties stole their land, how children were forced into English-only schools, and how entrepreneurs led the charge to take over their land. The result is a disturbing examination of how much of the U.S. came to be and how the original residents of this borderland continue to be oppressed.
Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer
To see what life was like in North America before borders, read David Hackett Fischer's masterpiece. Fischer travels in Champlain's footsteps from Brittany to Nova Scotia, recounting the great, somewhat unknown explorer who inadvertently drew the first thousand miles of the U.S.-Canada Border. Champlain's meticulous journal is the basis for much of the story and follows the Frenchman into battle against Mohawk armies, down death-defying whitewater on the Saint Lawrence River, and on foot farther inland than any white man had before. Champlain's ease and lasting friendship with Native American chiefs throughout speaks to his humanist faith and fortitude. Following him into the wilds of interior America—all the way to the Great Lakes—the reader begins to understand America before it became America.
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantú
Francisco Cantú once worked for the U.S. Border Patrol. His mother was a park ranger and also the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. While on duty, he was stationed in remote regions of the southwest border to watch for smugglers and illegal immigrants. Some died trying to cross; others were taken into custody. The job haunted Cantú and after an immigrant friend disappeared over the border—traveling to Mexico to visit his dying mother—and didn't return, Cantú realized that he had to write about it. It is clear that the border is in his blood as he describes violence, injustice, and the brutal landscape of America's southwest boundary. One of the more shocking revelations is how far that violence and injustice reaches into both nations, well beyond the line.
Wolf Willow by Wallace Stegner
Wallace Stegner's memoir about growing up along the U.S.-Canada border in Montana is a portrait of the borderland, set sometime between when the line was drawn and when people started actually observing it. Stegner lived in an abandoned dining car near the Canadian Pacific Railroad as a child. In the summer, his family moved to a shack right on the boundary to farm wheat on what was then an honest-to-God no man's land. "The first settlement in the Cypress Hills country was a village of métis winterers," he writes. "The second was a short-lived Hudson's Bay Company post on Chimney Coulee, the third was the Mounted Police headquarters at Fort Walsh, the fourth was a Mountie outpost erected on the site of the burned Hudson's Bay Company buildings to keep an eye on Sitting Bull and other Indians who congregated in that country in alarming numbers after the big troubles of the 1870's."
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
No border reading list is complete without at least one volume from Cormac McCarthy's trilogy. His raw and insanely detailed descriptions of the landscape and people on both sides of the border make you nostalgic for the age when the accuracy of your six-shooter determined how far north or south you could range. As the young Billy Parham trots south, with a wounded wolf in tow, McCarthy writes, "[they] crossed sometime near noon the international boundary line into Mexico, State of Sonora, undifferentiated in its terrain from the country they quit, and yet wholly alien and wholly strange." A teacher I once had put his finger on McCarthy's descriptions of the borderland: "He knows the names of things."
Arc of the Medicine Line: Mapping the World's Longest Undefended Border Across the Western Plains
by Tony Rees
You rarely hear about how borders were drawn. Tony Rees's meticulously researched Arc of the Medicine Line tracks the British and American surveyors, astronomers, axemen, soldiers, cooks and laborers as they haul sixty-foot Gunter's chains, theodolite survey telescopes, air levels, sextants, compasses, and synchronized chronometers—top-of-the-line equipment for mid-Victorian field science—more than a thousand miles along the U.S.-Canada border. The Northern Boundary Commission of the mid-1800s, dressed Hudson's Bay Company hooded greatcoats, moccasins, and sealskin pants, fought off mosquitoes, extreme heat, thunderstorms, and prairie fires while painstakingly making their way across the northern plains. Much of the border ran straight through Sioux territory, making British surveyors, who had never had any problems with the Sioux nation, terrified of being mistaken for American invaders. Sioux scouts were uninterested in the bearded and bespectacled foreigners and three years later the American commission's 140 horses, 38 wagons, and 270 tons of supplies reached their destination: a limestone pyramid on Montana's Mount Akamina that marked the end of the known border reaching east from the Pacific.
Border Contraband: A History of Smuggling Across the RioGrande by George T. Díaz
Stories about mobsters running booze over the border tend to focus on the forested northern fringe of the U.S. But there were bootleggers in the south during Prohibition as well. Tequileros delivered tequila from distilleries in Mexico to many southwestern towns and cities. Most of the runners were men, but there were a few women as well. The Texas Rangers infamously targeted (and murdered) hundreds of tequileros before they were taken into custody—a harbinger of the violence that would continue along the southern border. This book offers an interesting perspective into the first days of smuggling across the bushland of the U.S.-Mexico border, along some of the same back trails that smugglers use today.


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Liverpool unveiled an about 40-minute podcast at the team Web site looking back on 2006, and, to my surprise at least, the jewel of the piece is Jamie Carragher's End of Year Awards.
You can download the podcast by following this link here.
After going through some of the standard stuff: Player of the Year, Goal of the Year, etc., the interviewer leads Carra down the road of setup->punchline, and our boy doesn't disappoint. Honorary Scouser of the Year? Carra says Didi Hamann would get it if he was still here, but instead, he honors Pepe Reina because he speaks pretty good English. Funniest Moment of the Year? Carra picks the time Pepe kicked a ball that hit the manager in the back of the head, sending him to the ground. Then, he second-guesses himself and suggests beating Everton at Anfield with 10 men. "It's always funny beating Everton, isn't it? Beating Everton at Anfield with 10 men is quite funny."
It gets better and sillier than that, though. Carra goes on for about 10 minutes, and it's well worth the download. Nightmare roommate? "It was Josemi. He'd be up all night watching videos or on his computer or ... (laughs)."
I just picture some hotel room in Istanbul, Carra trying to get some sleep before the European Cup final, and Josemi is up at 4 a.m., watching a Knight Rider rerun on TV and blogging about the food in Turkey. Odd, funny stuff from Jamie Carragher, great if for nothing else than to hear about how bad of a dresser Craig Bellamy is.


text: Kishio Suga uses everyday materials, including rocks, pieces of wood, wire, paraffin, stones – in fact, almost anything to hand, both natural and manufactured – to create what he calls 'situations.' Bringing materials together, often in apparently random combinations and configurations, Suga aims to highlight their physical qualities, interdependent relationships and their connections with the surrounding environment. The artist moved to Tokyo in 1964 to enrol at Tama Art University, where he studied oil painting. Upon graduation in 1968 he became associated with the group of Japanese and Korean artists collectively known as Mono-ha (School of Things). These artists rejected traditional representational art in favour of ephemeral and site-specific installations, which were in part physical and material responses to the rampant industrialisation of post-war Japanese society. Suga's solo exhibitions and retrospectives include the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima (1997), the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2015), Dia: Chelsea, New York, and Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan, (both 2016). The artist lives and works in Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.


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Monday, March 04, 2024 |
This past Saturday was the final BoMM run of 2004. This officially meant that we boated every single month of 2004! Along for the ride were myself, Cheri, Eric, Mike, Sean, Julie, Blair, Andrea, and Mariah. We went from Harbour North to the Chesapeake Inn and back. The weather was actually really nice and we were all warm! When we got back, I pulled Bad Influence out of the water and winterized it. Sniff. While we're all waiting for the weather to get warm enough to put the boats back in the water, check out the pictures from the December BoMM run.
I've got some great news! I've added a total of 5 new pages of pictures! You can check them out here or from the Photos menu up top. Also, my 2005 Sunset Calendars should be arriving any day now, so head on over to the calendar page and order yours before I run out! They're ten bucks cheaper than they were last year, so there's no excuse not to buy one. You won't be disappointed!
My deepest apologies to all of my loyal viewers! I have neglected this site for way too long. Once July was half gone, the months just flew by, with some great boating adventures! Time to catch up. First of all, here's a rundown of the BoMM runs since my last posting:
August: This BoMM run was again on Eric's boat, however it was the farthest from home BoMM run ever, in St. Michael's. The crew was myself, Eric, Cheri, Tim, and Rick
Maas. Here are a few pictures.
September: This BoMM run was the fastest run ever, aboard Sean's boat. The crew was myself, Sean, Eric, Rich, and Ross.
October: This was a bit of an emergency BoMM run, since October was an extremely busy month. At the last minute, just me, Cheri, and Eric did a run on Eric's boat.
November: On the last Saturday of the month, we used Cheri's boat for the BoMM run. It was a bit chilly, but we had the canvas up. The crew was myself, Cheri, Eric, Mike,
and a few first-time BoMM guests, Ted, Karen, and Shilo.
December is upon us, so the next BoMM run will happen shortly. It got real chilly real fast out there, so I'm hoping for a last burst of warm weather before we get into the real tough months.
October was very busy, with a trip to Baltimore for the Fell's Point Festival, a trip to Annapolis for the Powerboat Show, and the Halloween Party at the Chesapeake Inn. I've been going through my pictures, and I'll be posting some shortly!
I'm also working on the 2005 calendar, trying to get a nicer and cheaper one than last year. I know I'm running short on time for people that want to buy before Christmas, but I'll post something here when I get some new information.
This past Saturday, the 10th, we did the official July BoMM run. This month Eric Miller hosted the run aboard the Acadia. Onboard were myself, Eric, Cheri, Blair, Andrea, and Mike. We got under sail, drank Acadias, and made our lame destination, which actually was a specific latitude and longitude near Veasey Cove. In the past we've said that the requirement was to "drink beer" while on plane or under sail, but we agreed that any form of alcoholic beverage is good enough, and Acadias are even better.
Happy Canal Day! I posted my pictures from my four-day Canal Day adventure. You can find them here or from the menu up top.
Today was the official June BoMM run. Another month where we almost weren't able to pull it together! These summer months are actually tougher than we thought to do the "official" run, which of course involves videotaping. We had to adjust the rule again, now allowing three times for one boat. I think we'll adjust this rule back to the one-run-per-boat stance next year. the crew for the June run was myself, Cheri, Eric, Mike, Eric's brother-in-law Tim, and long-time friend Ken Gobble and his two boys, Nick and Jonathan. We cruised from Long Point marina to Veasey Cove, the lame destination, and hung out for a while before heading back to Long Point.
Next weekend is Canal Day! I have a feeling this is going to be the biggest one yet. I'll try to get some good pictures. I'll be heading down on Thursday and staying until Sunday. I'll report back after then!
I finally posted my tugboat page! You can find it in the menu up top, or click here.
We finally got the BoMM run in on the last day of May, in the rain. Eric videotaped as usual. We made a slight adjustment to one of the rules, which is that you can use the same boat twice in a given year, instead of just once. The crew consisted of myself, Cheri, Eric, Mike, and Sean. Even though all first and second place qualifiers held their position, we needed to make the official BoMM run for the month.
Canal Day is just a few weeks away!
Wow this month is going fast! I got home safely from my tugboat adventure, and the tug is now nestled in its new home at Harbour North. I have all my pictures together, I'll get them posted ASAP.
We spent this weekend in Annapolis and had a great time. We took 2 boats, Cheri's boat and the Kolbes' boat. The four of us went down together on Friday, and Sean, Gary, and Nancy drove down by car and met us. I didn't take any pictures since I have so many I still haven't had time to post, but rest assured we hit many great bars and restaurants and shops in that great town!
I still have to put together the May BoMM run. Everyone who is already in first and second place has made a qualifying run for the month, so it will just be a formality at this point. Looks like it will have to be during Memorial Day weekend, which is going to be tricky. We'll see what we can pull together...
I'm writing this in South Carolina while riding aboard the John Arthur. John Arthur is George's tug boat, and he's bringing it from Louisiana to Chesapeake City. I'm fortunate enough to be able to tag along for a week or so. My journey started in Jacksonville, Florida, and will end in Norfolk, Virginia. I've already got some good pictures, so I'll post a page with the details of my trip as well as the pictures. You can visit George's site www.ghcoates.com for the details of his entire trip!
The April BoMM run happened this past Saturday, the 24th. We had a great turnout! We used Rich's boat, and had 10 people for the run. The crew was myself, Cheri, Rich, Karin, Eric, Blair, Andrea, Mike, John Wilson, and Dave Monzo. John has volunteered his boat for the May run. The actual run was fairly short, but several of us stayed on board and boated all day. The first and second place rankings stay the same as last month.
April really turned out to be a great boating month. We had several days in the 80s, and one or two in the 90s. I managed to keep my tan from Antigua going quite nicely. I have some April pictures, so I'll sort through them soon and get them online. Stay tuned for details on the May BoMM run...
Antigua was awesome! I highly recommend a trip there to anyone wanting to visit the West Indies. Our trip included myself, Cheri, Denise, Julie, Blair, and Andrea. Together we took 1570 pictures! As soon as I get time to sift through them all, I'll post the good ones. We did a lot of boating down there too, which was great and really got us itching for summer. Oh yeah, and we all got some good tans going too!
Well March turned out to be a pretty nice boating month after all. We got in several good days, and the BoMM run was a cinch. The April run is scheduled for Saturday the 24th, and we'll be taking Rich's Maxum.
I expect April to be at least as good as March as far as boating goes. And 6 of us are taking a trip to Antigua for a week, so our tans should be well underway for the April BoMM run! I'm sure we'll take plenty of pictures on our trip, so I'll post the good ones when we get back. I'm also planning a trip down south to hitch a ride on George's tugboat toward the end of the month. You can read about this adventure on ghcoates.com. I'm sure I'll get some picture from that adventure too. It's going to be an interesting month!
I'm actually writing this on April 23rd, but the official BoMM run did indeed happen on March 27th. It was our longest BoMM run yet! We left Harbour North, headed to Bo Bay to fuel the boat, then headed to Casey's to fuel our stomachs.
During this outing we came up with one additional rule to add to the official rule list. This rule is that we must use a different boat for each month of the year. This helps make things more interesting in the "easy" summer months! So here's the run-down of the boats we used this year:
January: TRs Chris Craft
February: TRs Sea Ray
March: Cheri's Sea Ray
Our March crew consisted of myself, Cheri, Rich, Karin (she's back!), Blair, Andrea, Mike, Eric, and his friend Elliot.
We boated several other times in March, and Sean joined us on several of those, so he maintains his second place position. Jim Burnett also maintains his position. Here's the list of qualifiers:
1st Place: Cheri, Eric, Rich, Mike
2nd Place: Blair, Andrea, Sean, Jim
With the Ides of March behind us, it's time to get serious about the March outing for the BoMM. So far this month has had varying weather, with snow yesterday even though I was boating in 60 degree weather the day before. This weekend doesn't look too promising, but the following weekend sure does. So the 27th and 28th are when the March run is planned.
I want to officially list the 1st and 2nd place qualifiers since I kind of screwed it up below, so here it is:
1st Place: Cheri, Eric, Rich, Mike
2nd Place: Blair, Andrea, Sean, Ross, George, Mark, Jim, Brian, Kelly
Hopefully I'll have some more pictures from the March run, I'll keep everyone posted!
I put up a new page of pictures, which can be found here, or from the menu at the top.
I also made a few corrections to previous postings below. I unintentionally left out Andrea when I listed the people who participated in Leap Day boating. Sorry Andee!! Also, I left out Jim from the list of people in second place for the BoMM. I forgot that we picked him up and took him for a ride, at which time he drank the required beer, so therefore he's qualified.
February was a great boating month, and so far March has been great too. The season is getting off to a great start!
Well, re-winterizing the boat didn't last long. It sat quietly for 5 days, and then on Saturday I removed the shrink wrap again and dropped the boat in the water. This time I disposed of the shrink wrap, so I think that officially marks the beginning of the earliest boating season of my life.
Another first was Leap Day Boating. Never before have I boated on February 29th, and I won't get another chance for 4 years. Special recognition to fellow Leap Day boaters: Cheri, Sean, Andrea, Brian, Kelly, Mike, and the other Mike.
Speaking of Mike, I'm officially adding Mike Mangini to the list of 1st Place qualifiers in the BoMM. I forgot that he boated in January, and I've seen him on the water three of the four days in February that we were out. Never have I boated so many times in February. I have some pictures I'll be sorting through soon and helpfully get them posted ASAP!
This weekend officially marked the February run for the Boating Madness Marathon. There was an excellent turnout of people, forcing me to go out both Saturday and Sunday to make sure there was enough room for everyone. On Saturday the crew consisted of myself, Cheri, Blair, Andrea, George, and Mark. On Sunday, it was myself, Cheri, Ross, Eric, Rich, and Sean. Both days were pretty windy, but we stayed in the Canal, and the temperature wasn't too bad.
I have yet to decide on what prizes will be rewarded for people completing the 2004 BoMM. I do know that there are two levels: 1st place, for anyone who boats all 12 months in 2004; and 2nd place, for anyone who boats 11 months in 2004. In 2005, there will only be 1st place; no slack next year! Here are the current qualifiers for this year:
1st Place: Cheri, Eric, Rich
2nd Place: Blair, Andrea, Sean, Ross, George, Mark, Jim
Now I've got to go re-winterize the boat and try to get the shrink wrap back on!
Well, February's half over, and there still hasn't been a decent boating weekend. However, I'm looking at the weather for the weekend, and I see 51 on Saturday, and 48 on Sunday. Since that puts us only a week away from March, I'm thinking this might be the opportunity for the February BoMM run. The ice at the marina is thawing nicely, I think I'll head down there tomorrow and take a closer look. Anybody who's interested in making a run this weekend, let me know, and let me know your thoughts on which day would be better.
I'm prepared to remove the shrink wrap from my Sea Ray, but if anyone has any other ideas for a boat we can use, let me know.
The Kolbe's are exempt from the February run, since they'll be boating in Marco Island, Florida. Therefore they automatically qualify for February. I'm not sure when they're leaving to head south, but if they're still around this weekend they're certainly welcome to come!
Drop me an email if you're interested…
Happy Birthday to me! Today I turn the big three-oh. If you can't email my present to me, just drop it off at the Chesapeake Inn and I'll pick it up in the spring.
Speaking of spring, it's definitely not spring out there. In fact, as I type this, it's 15° Fahrenheit outside. But not to be deterred, I have posted some new pictures on the site. You can find them in the 2004 section of the Photos menu up top, or you can click here. I've decided that anytime I post new pictures, I'll mention it here in this "What's New" section, so that visitors can tell at a glance if there's new material.
In other news: Now that February is upon us, there's only 4 weeks left for the February outing of the Boating Madness Marathon, known now as simply the BoMM. (Thanks Eric.) Right now there's this little issue of the foot thick ice at the marina, so dropping my boat in the water tomorrow isn't an option. But I'll come up with something, and when I do, you'll be able to read about it here.
The Atlantic City Boat Show is coming up, the 4th through the 8th. I'm planning on heading up there. By car. I'm not sure if there will be any good photo opportunities, but if there are, you'll see the results here. Drop me an email if you're thinking of heading up there.
Well today was the official first outing of the Boating Madness Marathon. I de-winterized the Chris Craft, and after some minor mechanical difficulties, we were on our way! Myself, Eric, and Cheri cruised over to Port Herman to pick up Rich, and then we took a ride to the Chesapeake Inn and back. I don't have any exciting pictures to post, but the point is that we boated in January! We also came up with some rules for the Marathon, as follows:
I'll have more updates on the Marathon as the year progresses. Anyone who wants to join, either as a crewmember of mine, or with their own boat, just let me know...
Happy New Year!!
I have a few announcements to make. Most noticeably, BoatingWithTR.com has a new layout! I'm hoping this helps with navigation around the site, and also just makes it more pleasant to look at. Take a look around and let me know what you think. Please send any comments or suggests to me, I'm anxious to hear some feedback.
The second announcement is that we have a new regular visitor to the site, and this one is a true celebrity. I went to visit him to answer some questions about the site. Below is a photo of the two of us together:
Finally, I want to let everyone know that the Boating Madness Marathon 2004 is on! After two months of training, the real deal is about to begin. Basically, I intend to get in at least one day of boating every single month in 2004. This includes January and February! So I'll be looking for volunteers to brave the elements with me on some of the more challenging days. If the weather forecast predicts a day where temperatures are above 50°, I'm going to de-winterize the boat and take a cruise. I'll try to post the date here as early as possible so anyone who wants to join me can be prepared. There will hopefully be a lot more details about this whole thing soon.
I think that's about it for now. I'm looking forward to a great 2004 boating season!!
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This page was last modified on 3/5/2009 6:25:11 PM.


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We are moving across the country in less than one month.
Like, totally across the country. If you look a map, put your finger in the center of Oregon on the West Coast, then drag your finger straight across (and south a little), then you will reach Charlottesville, Virginia, and you'd be touching our new home.
When you move a whole family across the country, many questions arise – not the least of which is…
"Do I really need all this CRAP?!"
And since I've known that the answer to that is a resounding "NO!" for many years, I've taken this opportunity to give away, sell and otherwise "release" a LOT of Stuff. (How can we not watch this George Carlin clip on Stuff as we broach this topic?) It feels good to slim down, for sure. But it's also disconcerting. What does it mean that I have kept all of this crap for so long? And, the opposite really, what if I need it again and I end up having to go out and buy it? I can't answer either, really, until I make the trek and see how it all shakes out.
Location Independence
Meantime, I'm thinking a lot about my goal of the last few years of location independence. This cross-country move is a real test of how successful my venture toward location independence is turning out to be. Essentially, for me, location independence means that I can live and travel anywhere and still make money from wherever I am. It doesn't mean I don't work. I'm not looking at early retirement (not yet anyway.) It means that my systems are set up such that I can make my coaching calls, create products and deliver consulting services from anywhere in the world in a way that delights and provides genuine awesome value for my clients. I've tested this out many times on vacations, while participating in coaching and consulting calls and providing consulting services while on vacation and it's worked beautifully. Therefore, it should work very nicely with this cross country move.
Only this is a little different.
Where business isn't easy.
For one thing, a number of my clients seek me out because I run my business in a place where growing a successful business is not easy (we have an over 13% unemployment rate.) They believe that my experience of substantially growing a business in a place where business is difficult will help them grow businesses where they are. I know that my actual location has nothing to do with my ability to provide coaching and consulting that helps them grow their dream businesses, but that's not the point. That I am moving away from the difficult spot makes it seem like it's not possible. Or maybe it's just that I'm afraid they'll think that. (I should ask them.)
I learned what works the hard way.
And for the record, it does matter that I learned how to grow a business in such a tricky location. But at this point, I get it about what works and doesn't – even in a difficult location – and that I can share from any location.
Hell, maybe I'm just afraid that it actually won't translate. That it's all been a fluke. That's possible, too. Rationality doesn't always sync up with emotions – and my emotions are on a bit of "alert" right now. Truthfully, I know that this stance will serve me with my clients even better than not being connected to the inner turmoil of a cross-country move that tests my location independence (aka business growth success.)
For now, I pack.
Right now, I know that my most important move is to keep getting rid of crap, be sure I know where my headset and iPhone are at all times, and that I spend as much time as possible with my girls as they also traverse the mix of emotions that is a move like this one.
I'll keep you posted on how it all shakes out. Meantime, if you know anyone who needs infant gear or a box of old sand toys, please send 'em my way. Oh, and if you've got any great tips on how to make a West Coast to South East Coast move go more smoothly, you are warmly invited to send those my way, too.
Thank you, bfhoyt, for the perfect picture of moving boxes. If only mine looked so beautifully organized.


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Published: 03-07-2017
Published: 03-07-2017
Sir John Pryce of Newtown Hall died in 1761. He kept the embalmed bodies of his first two wives on either side of his bed – until his third wife insisted that they were removed.
In 1856 Ronald Rhys from the Vale of Neath disappeared for a week after seeing a strange light in a field and hearing a loud noise. He remembered being examined by small creatures who took a sample of his blood.
Oh yes, and America is named after a Welshman and the Holy Grail is kept in a bank vault in West Wales...
This book contains hundreds of 'strange but true' facts and anecdotes about Welsh history. Arranged into a miniature history of Wales, and with bizarre and hilarious true tales for every era, it will interest and delight readers everywhere.


text:
The Metallica frontman has donated ten of his highly regarded vehicles to the museum.
According to Hagerty.com, among the items that will be available for viewing include his Voodoo Priest, which was based on a '37 Lincoln Zephyr, a '36 Auburn roadster named Slow Burn, a Delahaye-inspired '34 Packard, Aquarius, a '36 Ford in bare metal called Iron Fist, a purple '56 Ford F-100 pickup truck, and three cars by custom fabricator Rick Dore: Black Pearl, a custom 1948 Jaguar, a '52 Olds named Grinch, and Skyscraper, a 1953 Buick Skylark. READ FULL STORY HERE ON LOUDWIRE


text:
Tow, Texas : when the water recedes
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
As a town reliant on the waters of northern Lake Buchanan, Tow, Texas has been devastated by the state's ongoing drought, which began in 2008. For six years the water has been low. For the past two years, the lake has vanished. Tow locals say the problems stem from both poor water management and natural disaster. Water authorities contend the lakes are functioning properly, that the water has dwindled due to the large number of water users and the harsh and unpredictable Texas climate. Regardless of the cause, the lack of water in Tow has ruined a beautiful lake, destroyed individual livelihoods and crippled a small town's economy. This is the story of several Tow locals' struggle to stay afloat through a drought that could soon become the drought of record.


text: Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma has been nominated for Best Female Rapper for the BET Awards. This will be aired June 25 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Nicki Minaj has won this award since 2010 but since Remy Ma has been nominated its a whole different story. Even though the two rappers said that the beef was settled, this award will confirm who the real queen is.


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BAGUIO CITY – As new challenges emerge, mayors from Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan Tuba and Tublay (BLISTT) met once more during the second week of the enhanced community quarantine to create BLISTT-wide community quarantine policies to avoid confusion and address emerging issues given the towns' socio-economic interdependence. BLISTT Chair and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong emphasized the need for urgent reciprocity and complementing policies as frontline workers and vital resources are shared between towns. As such, Baguio City has started ordering PPEs on behalf of the BLISTT governments to ensure the equipment of a unified BLISTT frontline and the mayors agreed to purchase these in bulk to minimize the cost.
Food security is a top priority also, however, Mayor Magalong shared that international data shows public markets are next to hospitals as places with the highest risk of transmission. Even then, he added that Baguio City can begin to buy farm products from the LISTT farmers and to combat the spread of the disease, rolling stores have been initiated. The municipality of Tuba has launched its rolling stores in selected barangays, Baguio City will launch within the first week of April once supermarkets have properly restocked. The director of the Cordillera office of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-CAR) Milagros Rimando urged that other municipalities coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry for assistance in establishing rolling stores. La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda said that his office and the province of Benguet are working to distribute vegetable marketing in the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) to ensure the availability of vegetables while preventing the overcrowding in these facilities.
Brig. Gen. Henry Doyaoen of the 503rd Brigade Commander emphasized that movement between boarders and in and out of the house must be minimized. Mayor Magalong encouraged the BLISTT mayors to increase efforts in keeping residents within their homes adding that the target in Baguio City is for only 4% of the population to be outside at the most. Mayor Salda added that his office continues to increase transportation services for residents of La Trinidad who are vital workers in Baguio City. Col. Allen Rae Co of the Baguio City Police Office continues to gather information on BLISTT-wide municipal and barangay permits for proper coordination of checkpoints.
As a primary gateway to the rest of Cordillera, the BLISTT plays a vital role in keeping COVID-19 infections in the Cordillera to a minimum. Specifically, the Tuba was singled out as the area's first line of defense. A meeting is set within the third week to further unify the BLISTT policy in implementing the quarantine. NEDA-CAR will facilitate planning activities for both the BLISTT quarantine plan and the CAR Resilience and Recovery Plan. NEDA-CAR heads the economic response cluster of the Regional Interagency Task Force against Covid-19 and the Vice-Chair for Rehabilitation and Recovery under the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
By Marlo T. Lubguban


text:
The magic and misfortune of the world's greatest migrating bird.
Albatross are best known for their enormous wingspan and global migrations. They are also the subject of intense scientific scrutiny. Recent DNA studies have revealed that there may not be just 13, but 21 to 25 albatross species. With all but two of them endangered, the albatross may disappear just as we are discovering more about it.
Tui De Roy and Mark Jones set out in a 43-foot sailboat to cross the world's oceans in search of the albatross. They weathered storms, finally arriving to camp on barren landfalls, where they studied and photographed these fascinating birds. Albatross features the very best writing and research on these extraordinary creatures. The book includes a breathtaking photographic portfolio, a series of essays by leading experts, and a natural history section with detailed information on each species.
Along with commentary on the authors' adventures, topics include:
- Size and population distribution
- Biology and recent DNA discoveries
- Food and reproduction
- Breeding sites and courtship behavior
- Albatross in exploration, exploitation, myth and legend
- Migratory routes and the mysteries of migration
- Conservation threats and status.
Albatross is an impassioned, authoritative and richly illustrated study of a magnificent creature.


text: Photo courtesy of Austin Meatball Festival The meatball is more than just a topping for grandma's spaghetti. At the inaugural Austin Meatball Festival, the humble meatball is the star of the show as various Austin eateries go head-to-head to see who has the best in the business. Listen to live music from The Rocketboys, Dan Dyer, and Nelo while enjoying a whole new food competition.