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Riethmeyer's Auto Repair Can Meet All Your Mercedes-Benz Repair and Maintenance Needs
Riethmeyer's Auto Repair has a team of well-trained Mercedes-Benz technicians located in Austin, TX, 78758, who are ready to assess your vehicle's situation. Our staff understands what the Germany luxury brand is all about, and the prestige our customers feel while driving it.
Mercedes-Benz, the luxury brand of Daimler, combines luxury and sporty driving dynamics across a wide range of models, ranging from entry-level luxury to high-end luxury vehicles that other automakers strive to build. The German automaker is a leader in design and pushes the boundaries of what is considered luxury, packing more technology and luxurious amenities into its cars.
Even with the reliability of German engineering behind the Mercedes-Benz brand, there will come a time when your Mercedes-Benz vehicle, old or new, will need to be serviced, whether for regular maintenance or for some other service problem. Aside from general maintenance, you could see problems with the electronics, interior quality over the life of the vehicle and engine problems, depending on the model and year of the vehicle.
German Luxury Fixed At Affordable Prices
Riethmeyer's Auto Repair and its staff is ready and waiting to fix your Mercedes-Benz and get you and your car back on the road as soon and as conveniently as possible. Not having a car can create hardships and our shop understands how important it is to get you back on the road. Riethmeyer's Auto Repair prides itself on offering affordable and efficient repairs at top-notch quality. We're waiting to service all your Mercedes-Benz needs so give us a call or stop by our service center. Our friendly staff is waiting. You can call us at 512-836-6615.


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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
45 comments:
- Anonymous1:56 AM
Ohhhh Congratulations to us
I know you're in Paris during the election but I figure that we are of like mind. It's strange to be out of our country for something
so enormous. I was in Paris when our whole financial system tanked. It was bizarre to read about that with such detachment... so I was thinking about you tonight as I was
curled up on my sofa in Los Angeles watching the results.
When it was 8:02 LA time and MSNBC declared Obama the winner, I sobbed for at leat 5 minutes then called every person I know. I don't remember a time in my lifetime when I've been so proud to be an American and I wanted to share that with you so many miles away. OMG........omg, it
happened. Congratulations to us........and to the world.
I've never before gotten such a sense of pride in what our
country represents.
Big hugs from LA.
Terrie - Anonymous2:02 AM
Us too!!
Sidiq's mum was so happy, she never thought this would happen in her lifetime, well neither did Sidiq lol!..Its wonderful, and it makes me think America is wonderful all over again like when I was little!!
Strengthened my faith in the democratic process.
And whether it was an election night, Gay Pride, or New Year's Eve 1999, I've never witnessed so much unbridled joy in the streets. - Anonymous2:29 AM
Thank you for supporting our president. I love your website and find it most informative concerning the wonderful world in which my family has lived for several generations on George X and Avenue Montaigne.
Like Barrack Obama, I am the mother of a bi-racial child whom I try to raise in a Culturally sensitve & healthy way.
Respectfully Yours,
Lady Gwen SOOOOOO ESTATIC!!!!! It's a great feeling right now for me to know that we will now have a competent leader in the Whitehouse, a man who is FOR the people and who will make good/wise decisions for the common good. I feel now that America's very strained reputation will also now begin to improve, as well. After 8 long years, I finally feel proud to be an AMERICAN!!!! It's been a LONG time. God bless all those Americans who went out to the polls and voted for CHANGE!!! Yes, WE can!!!!! AMEN!!!!
ReplyDelete- Anonymous8:56 AM
After 4 decades as a resident alien I became a citizen so I could vote for Obama and I have been richly rewarded!
To I.said: I know you feel disheartened because I felt it too after so many election nights of the past. I hope the months ahead will give you some reason to appreciate our new president: we want ALL Americans to share in a better future.
MS Breakfast, I love your site! - Anonymous2:50 PM
Congratulations,dear Carol.
You must be happy today.Anyway,you,as the America people,prove again to the whole world why you´re the oldest democracy in the world ;D
Even you know my opinion about Obama(following my admired Giuseppe T.di Lampedusa thoughts)I´m happy for you and I hope he will be the inspired man everyone expects : )
XOXO - Anonymous3:00 PM
I am always delighted to start my day with your post. I am a Canadian, married to a man with Acadian heritage and I honeymooned in Paris nearly thirty years ago. Your sense of humour and your art work never fail to delight me.
This morning I am a little groggy having stayed up too late to watch with great interest to see what our wonderful neighbours to the south would do. Would they seize the opportunity of a lifetime and elect this magnificent leader who has offered his skills to them? Oh what a night! History …
Imagine my delight to see this wonderful poster on your website this morning. No further delay. Can you tell me where I can if possible purchase a copy of this which encompasses an exposition featuring a man I admire in a city I'd like to call home? It's calling out to me. - Anonymous4:07 PM
I cannot think of anyone in Politics (in my lifetime) that ever made me feel the optimism of positive change, or that their intentions were "real" until Obama. I could not be more THRILLED or hopeful about future possibilities now. I am so proud of each and every American who made the effort to vote for this exceptional man. This demonstrates faith and restored hope. When is the last time such massive numbers of people were genuinely on the same page?
This vast world of ours that encompasses so much difference is really so much the same because at the end of the day, our values aren't all that different. Apparently more and more people have awoken to this truth, so things can only get better :) The people have spoken and I just want to say "GOD BLESS AMERICA"!!!!
One favor please…clone him and send him over to Canada….pleeeeeeease! Maybe with exception of our "so-called politicians" (hah), our entire country has been backing Obama!!! Thank you Carol Have a blast :D

subset: commoncrawl


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Postpartum Care
The postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother's body has returned as closely as possible to its pre-pregnant state. This period usually lasts six to eight weeks.
The postpartum period involves the mother progressing through many changes, both emotionally and physically, while learning how to deal with all the changes and adjustments required in becoming a new mother. The postpartum period also involves the parents learning how to care for their newborn and learning how to function as a changed family unit.
Listed in the directory below, you will find information regarding postpartum care, for which we have provided a brief overview.


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Tammy Ignacio, former executive associate principal at Minnie Howard, was named Alexandria City Public Schools' chief administrative officer earlier this month.
Ignacio, who will officially begin overseeing Superintendent Morton Sherman's office January 2, is a 20-year veteran of ACPS. Before being tapped to manage the superintendent's office's daily operations, Ignacio served as an executive associate principal at T.C. Williams, assistant principal at James Polk Elementary School and human resources' employment services' acting director.
At the same time, Sherman has asked former Jefferson Houston School principal Kimberley Graves to take the reins at Minnie Howard, T.C.'s satellite campus for freshmen students.
Graves, who recently left Jefferson-Houston to serve as a principal on assignment for central administration, has a history with Minnie Howard. She held a teaching position at the West Braddock Road school from 1999 to 2004.
"I know that [Graves] and [Ignacio] will work closely together to ensure a smooth, seamless transition for our students," Sherman said in a statement. "The dedication of these two individuals to step up to serve where they are most needed is commendable."


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After icing the project to compromise with city preservationists and planners, city council candidate Boyd Walker gained approval to open a gelato shop at 200 Commerce St. in Old Town last week.
Built in 1931, the quaint corner structure once housed ice for Mutual Ice, a local distributor. Now it will house the trendy Italian dessert, coffee and baked goods at what Walker hopes will become a neighborhood staple.
To get the planning commission's blessing, Walker conceded live music and a midnight closing time. The shop will open at 10 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. seven days a week, with about 8 seats available inside and 30 outdoors, a block off of King Street.
The shop should be open by Memorial Day, Walker said.


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Guess what arrived? I'm smitten! It's big enough to hold all of my stuff AND my camera (plus few diapers and wipes when duty calls) but so no big it looks like an overnight bag. Naturally I love the colors and leathers since I picked them out but its nice to have something I know was made just for me. In case you are wondering the specifics, here were my choices: Large Duffle in navy ostrich, white saffiano and pebble turquoise.
Want to make your own Wink & Winn creation?
Enter by:
- adding a comment to this post about what you want in a handbag
- for extra entries, add another comment with a link to your Twitter or Pinterest share
- don't forget to include your email and/or blog address so I can reach you if you win
Good luck! A winner will be drawn later in the week.
Want to make my day? Follow mrs. limestone on twitter and like brooklyn limestone on Facebook. You'll get the heads up on giveaways, behind the scenes peeks and deep thoughts. thanks!


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Here are all the onsite Tokyo Disney hotels that have tennis courts.
Tokyo Disney Hotels - Tennis Courts
None known.
Overview | Author Ratings | Reader Ratings | Amenities |
Num. Rooms Cost Ranges Parking Fees Resort Fees Themes Websites Phone Numbers Fax Numbers Addresses |
Overall Rooms Fitness Centers Pools Sound Lighting Pillows |
Overall Room Quality Check-in Efficiency Quietness of Room Shuttle Service Hotel Pool Staff Food Court |
the park operator-owned Early Entry Fitness Centers Water Sports Marinas Beaches Tennis Biking Suites Club Level Room Service Wireless Internet Shuttle to Parks Airport Transportation |


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By providing your details above, you are agreeing to being contacted by a representative of Isuzu UK with more information about our vehicles and offers. Once submitted, you will receive an email confirmation. This email will contain a link to our Preference Centre, where you can control the marketing you wish to receive, your preferred dealership as well as set your preference for offers and upcoming events.
Tell us about your current vehicle
Fill in your vehicle registration and current mileage to request a valuation. Your local Isuzu dealer will get straight back to you with a valuation.


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[Coursera] Data Analysis with Python
About this Course
Learn how to analyze data using Python. This course will take you from the basics of Python to exploring many different types of data. You will learn how to prepare data for analysis, perform simple statistical analysis, create meaningful data visualizations, predict future trends from data, and more!
Topics covered: 1) Importing Datasets 2) Cleaning the Data 3) Data frame manipulation 4) Summarizing the Data 5) Building machine learning Regression models 6) Building data pipelines Data Analysis with Python will be delivered through lecture, lab, and assignments. It includes following parts: Data Analysis libraries: will learn to use Pandas, Numpy and Scipy libraries to work with a sample dataset. We will introduce you to pandas, an open-source library, and we will use it to load, manipulate, analyze, and visualize cool datasets. Then we will introduce you to another open-source library, scikit-learn, and we will use some of its machine learning algorithms to build smart models and make cool predictions. If you choose to take this course and earn the Coursera course certificate, you will also earn an IBM digital badge. LIMITED TIME OFFER: Subscription is only $39 USD per month for access to graded materials and a certificate.
What you will learn
Describe Python data acquisition and analysis techniques.
Analyze Python data using a dataset.
Identify three Python libraries and describe their uses.
Read data using Python's Pandas package.
Size: 156.21 MB


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Well readers, I'm off! I'm actually writing this from the airport, where Jeff and I are catching a flight to Virginia to spend Christmas with his family. I have a beading project packed, and my finished red lace dress in a bag at my feet, since I couldn't bear to stuff it in the suitcase. (Pictures to come!)
I've been winding things down here this week, and I've decided to take a complete blogging break for at least the next week. I plan to come back refreshed and with many more Crepe tutorials!
I wish you all the happiest of holidays!
P.S. Isn't the above pic of Henry just precious? He takes his belly rubs very seriously.


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Summer….easy living, easy going. When the casual becomes upscale and the impromptu becomes routine. I love that. Summer evenings around here are something to be savored, never rushed. In that regard, I have retained a great deal of my home country in the way friends and family gather around our dinner table. Long evenings with simple, fresh and seasonal dishes, something cold to sip on and a light summer dessert to end.
Growing up, summer desserts rarely consisted of cakes or pastries and chocolate was pretty much forgotten until the Fall. Not always but often. Instead we would always have some fruit, either raw or slightly grilled, a drizzle of lavender honey and maybe a dollop of fresh cheese. Sometimes it was ice cream. Sometimes it was sorbet. Sometimes it was just a plate of cherries and some cheese.
This week French Word feature is all about l'ete (summer), les cerises (cherries) and les vacances (vacation) (lucky you!)
Taking advantage of the bounty of summer. Letting your senses get their fill of fragrant peaches, apricots, lavender, your taste buds get tickled with tart raspberries and red currant while your eyes can't get enough of all the colors around. Red. Yellow. Green. Orange. I can easily get lost in everything that the season brings forth. Hurricanes and heat waves included.
After a busy workday, I find myself craving simplicity. A lot. Summer is perfect for that. The South is prefect for that too. I love bumping into neighbors and settling on their or our front steps, talking for hours. Often times, I make a quick run to the house and bring back some ice cream, some cones and some bowls and we just sit there in the magic hour of the sunset and laughing life away.
I am dipping (pun intended) into the archives today to bring you a recipe I've made about every other month since I first posted it: Cherry Rose and Coconut Ice Cream. It's got all my favorite in one nice scoop: coconut flavor, cherry bits, and a hint of rose. Sometimes I skip the latter but this is by far the most requested ice cream flavor I get from my friends and I am far from complaining. Hehehe!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Cherry, Rose and Coconut Ice Cream:
Makes a little less than a quart.
Notes: don't just go use any dried rose for this! Make sure to get food grade, organic and non treated rose petals or rose buds. Most can be food at health food store in the bulk spices and tea section and are quite cheap. I got about 1 cup for $1.50.
For the rose infused cherries:
1 cups (145gr) pitted and halved cherries
1/4cup (60ml) water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
6-8 food gradedried rose buds (more or less depending on your own liking)
For the ice cream:
1 cups (250ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 cup (250ml) whole coconut milk
1 cup (200gr) granulated sugar
Prepare the cherries:
Place all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat off and let steep one hour (longer for an even intense rose flavor). Remove the rose buds and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the ice cream:
In a large saucepan set over medium low heat, bring the cream, milk, coconut milk and sugar to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, preferably overnight.
Process the mixture into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's intructions.
Once the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, pour into a freezable container. With a spatula, swirl in the cherries and a few tablespoons of their liquid. Freeze a couple of hours.
No ice cream maker? No problem, but really it is worth the $50 investment. Pour the cream into a freeze proof container and freeze for a couple of hours. Take it out and whip it with an electric mixer or immersion blender, freeze it again, whip it again….do that four or five times. The mixture won't be quite the same but pretty darn close.


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Dates 1870
Very decorative.It looks great when framed.
The overall size of this print with margins approximately 11" x 7 3/4".
Condition can be see from the scan.
Verso is blank
Original old colored lithograph print/old book plate(not a modern reproduction)
Condition : Condition : In a wonderful condition but please do examine the print as it's been said that beauty is an eye of beholder.
Rarity : Extremely Rare and becoming hard to find.
Shipping : I take huge pride in packing since it is a delicate and important part . This print will come in an acid free backing board as well as in an acid free sleeve.
Authenticity : All our prints are guaranteed to be an original.
Refund : within 7 days.
1-2 business days
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:


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Every time a new challenge is about to be revealed, I get all excited as well as a little worried, because I always wonder what kind of surprises our hosts have in store for us! One thing I'm sure of is that it will once again be the occasion for me to learn new tricks and push my borders a little further each time.
It is for those reasons that the February recipe particularly attracted me. I knew that this month's trial was going to be fun as I love bread and enjoy testing all kinds of new and unknown (to me) baking techniques. Well, I was not going to be disappointed!
The word "Bread" rings very poetically in my ears. It evokes wonderful yeasty fragrances, the smooth and elastic inside of a loaf, the thrilling pleasure one gets while watching his/her bread bake, a delightfully crunchy crust that snaps when you bite into it, an incomparable gustatory adventure, the incredible vastness of breadland, the amazing possibilities that baking offers and so much more... So many things that make our daily life all the more enjoyable.
Although I have a minuscule kitchen, an itsy-bitsy working space (the sides of my sink) and no special equipment on hand (everything is done by hand and I have a limited amount of kitchen gadgets/ustensiles), this bread turned out smashingly well and looked pretty much like the ones you can find at a bakery. A great fulfillment for a perfectionist like me!
I must say that it was time-consuming as it took me a whole day from 11h00 am till around 18h00 pm to finish those three loaves. Yet, at the same time, it wasn't extremely difficult technically speaking. Of course, there were a few tricky moments/parts to go through like the shaping and the transferring from the towel to the baking sheet. Certain stages were a little critical, but otherwise, it was quite a straight-forward and flawless process which demanded a lot of patience and concentration.
For me, things went smoothly and I met no problem at all, apart from the post-baking disaster I had to face once the breads were cooling on the rack. I mean, hell! My kitchen looked like a disaster area and the whole place was covered with a layer of flour. A real mess!
That "French Bread" was really gorgeous. It looked just perfect, had a shiny and crispy crust and the most beautiful and smooth inside I had ever come across. Taste-wise, it was heavenly. Just with a little butter, this bread tasted awesomely good and was magnificently fragrant! Yummy!
Another brilliantly amazing recipe that I will keep preciously!
Thanks to both our hosts Breadchick Mary from "The Sour Dough" (USA) and Sara from "I Like To Cook" (USA) for the diverting day I had!!! You made a damn good choice here!!!
~ Pain Français (French Bread) ~
Recipe taken from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two" by Julia Child and Simone Beck.
Recipe Quantity:
3 x Baguettes (24" x 2") or batards (16" x 3") or
6 x Short loaves, ficelles, 12 – 16" x 2" or
3 x Round loaves, boules, 7 – 8" in diameter or
12 x Round or oval rolls, petits pains or
1 x Large round or oval loaf, pain de menage or miche; pain boulot
Recipe Time:
7 – 9 hours.
Equipment Needed:
Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a baker's oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain themselves when you read the recipe.
4 to 5 quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward slanting sides.
A kneading surface of some sort, 1 1/2 to 2 square feet.
A rubber spatula or either a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal spatula.
1 to 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon which the dough may rise.
A stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 – 20 inches long and 6 – 8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet.
Finely ground cornmeal or pasta pulverized in an electric blender to sprinkle on unmolding. Board so as to prevent dough from sticking.
the largest baking sheet that will fit in your oven.
A razor blade or extremely sharp knife for slashing the top of the dough.
A soft pastry brush or fine spray atomizer for moistening dough before and during baking.
A room thermometer to verify rising temperature.
1/3 Cup (75ml) Warm water (not over 100° F/38° C)
3 1/2 Cups (about 1 lb/490g) All purpose flour
2 1/4 Tsps (12g) Salt
1 1/4 Cups (280 - 300ml) Tepid water (at 70°–74 F/21°- 23° C)
1. Stir the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl.
2. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water.
3. Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough and making sure that all the bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in.
(Depending on the humidity and temperature of your kitchen and the type of plain (AP) flour you use, you may need to add additional flour or water to the dough. To decide if this is necessary, we recommend stopping during the mixing process and poking your dough ball. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour one handful at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and tacky, but not dry. If the dough is dry and feels hard, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.)
4. Turn the dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean.
(The dough will be soft and sticky.)
5. Let the dough rest for 2 – 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.
6. (The flour will have absorbed the liquid during this short rest, and the dough will have a little more cohesion for the kneading that is about to begin. Use one hand only for kneading and keep the other clean to hold a pastry scrapper, to dip out extra flour, etc.. Your object in kneading is to render the dough perfectly smooth and to work it sufficiently so that all the gluten molecules are moistened and joined together into an interlocking web. You cannot see this happen, of course, but you can feel it because the dough will become elastic and will retract into shape when you push it out.)
Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough, using a pastry scraper or stiff wide spatula to help you if necessary, and flipping the dough over onto itself. Scrape dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip it over again, repeating the movement rapidly.
7. (In 2 -3 minutes the dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over.) Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. (If the dough remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. The whole kneading process will take 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how expert you become).
8. (Shortly after this point, the dough should have developed enough elasticity so it draws back into shape when pushed, indicating the gluten molecules have united and are under tension like a thin web of rubber; the dough should also begin to clean itself off the kneading surface, although it will stick to your fingers if you hold a pinch of dough for more than a second or two.)
Let dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes. Knead by hand for a minute. (The surface should now look smooth; the dough will be less sticky but will still remain soft.) It is now ready for its first rise.
9. (You now have approximately 3 cups of dough that is to rise to 3 1/2 times its original volume, or to about 10 1/2 cups.)
Wash and fill the mixing bowl with 10 1/2 cups of tepid water (70 – 80 degrees) and make a mark to indicate that level on the outside of the bowl.
(Note, that the bowl should have fairly upright sides; if they are too outward slanting, the dough will have difficulty in rising.)
10. Pour out the water, dry the bowl, grease it and place the dough in it.
11. Cover with a greased plastic wrap, and top with a folded towel. Set on a wooden surface, marble or stone are too cold. Or on a folded towel or pillow, and let rise free from drafts anyplace where the temperature is around 70 degrees.
(If the room is too hot, set bowl in water and keep renewing water to maintain around 70 degrees. Dough should take at least 3 – 4 hours to rise to 10 1/2 cups. If temperature is lower than 70 degrees, it will simply take longer.)
12. (When fully risen, the dough will be humped into a slight dome, showing that the yeast is still active; it will be light and spongy when pressed. There will usually be some big bubbly blisters on the surface, and if you are using a glass bowl you will see bubbles through the glass. The dough is now ready to be deflated, which will release the yeast engendered gases and redistribute the yeast cells so that the dough will rise again and continue the fermentation process.)
With a rubber spatula, dislodge dough from inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, scraping bowl clean. If dough seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour.
13. Lightly flour the palms of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them.
14. Lift a corner of the near side and flip it down on the far side. Do the same with the left side, then the right side. Finally, lift the near side and tuck it just under the edge of the far side.
(The mass of dough will look like a rounded cushion.)
15. Slip the sides of your hands under the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise again, this time to not quite triple, but again until it is dome shaped and light and spongy when touched.
16. Loosen dough all around inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
(Because of its two long rises, the dough will have much more body. If it seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle lightly with flour.)
17. Making clean, sure cuts with a large knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into:
- 3 equal pieces for long loaves (baguettes or batards) or small round loaves (boules only)
- 5 – 6 equal pieces for long thin loaves (ficelles)
- 10 – 12 equal pieces for small oval rolls (petits pains, tire-bouchons) or small round rolls (petits pains, champignons)
- 2 equal pieces for medium round loaves (pain de menage or miche only)
- If you making one large round loaf (pain de menage, miche, or pain boulot), you will not cut the dough at all and just need to follow the directions below.
19. Cover loosely with a sheet of plastic and let rest for 5 minutes before forming.
(This relaxes the gluten enough for shaping but not long enough for dough to begin rising again.)
20. While the dough is resting, prepare the rising surface; smooth the canvas or linen towel on a large tray or baking sheet, and rub flour thoroughly into the entire surface of the cloth to prevent the dough from sticking.
21. (Because French bread stands free in the oven and is not baked in a pan, it has to be formed in such a way that the tension of the coagulated gluten cloak on the surface will hold the dough in shape.)
For the "Long Loaves - The Batard":
Baguettes are typically much too long for home ovens but the shaping method is the same.
I. After the 3 pieces of dough have rested 5 minutes, form one piece at a time, keeping the remaining ones covered.
II. Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8 to 10 inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them.
III. Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over the near edge.
IV. Being sure that the working surface is always lightly floured so the dough will not stick and tear, which would break the lightly coagulated gluten cloak that is being formed, seal the edges of the dough together, your hands extended, thumbs out at right angles and touching.
V. Roll the dough a quarter turn forward so the seal is on top.
VII. Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands.
VIII. Press a trench along the central length of the oval with the side of one hand.
IX. Fold in half again lengthwise.
X. This time seal the edges together with the heel of one hand, and roll the dough a quarter of a turn toward you so the seal is on the bottom.
XI. Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on top of your right hand.
XII. Roll the dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your hands towards the two ends as the dough lengthens.
XIII. Deflate any gas blisters on the surface by pinching them. Repeat the rolling movement rapidly several times until the dough is 16 inches long, or whatever length will fit on your baking sheet. During the extension rolls, keep circumference of dough as even as possible and try to start each roll with the sealed side of the dough down, twisting the rope of dough to straighten the line of seal as necessary. If seal disappears, as it sometimes does with all purpose flour, do not worry.
XIV. Place the shaped piece of dough, sealed side up, at one end of the flour rubbed canvas, leaving a free end of canvas 3 to 4 inches wide. The top will crust slightly as the dough rises; it is turned over for baking so the soft, smooth underside will be uppermost.
XV. Pinch a ridge 2 1/2 to 3 inches high in the canvas to make a trough, and a place for the next piece. Cover dough with plastic while you are forming the rest of the loaves.
XVI. After all the pieces of dough are in place, brace the two sides of the canvas with long rolling pins, baking sheets or books, if the dough seems very soft and wants to spread out. Cover the dough loosely with flour rubbed dish towel or canvas, and a sheet of plastic. Proceed immediately to the final rising, next step.
For the "Long Thin Loaves – Fincelles":
Follow the steps above but making thinner sausage shapes about 1/2 inch in diameter. When they have risen, slash as with the Batard.
For the "Oval Rolls – Petits Pains, Tire-Bouchons":
Form like batards, but you will probably not have to lengthen them at all after the two foldings and sealings. Place rolls on a floured canvas about 2 – 4" apart and cover with plastic to rise. When they have risen, make either 2 parallel slashes or a single slash going from one end to the other.
For the "Small, Medium, or Large Round Loaves – Pain de Menage, Miches, Boules":
The object here is to force the cloak of coagulated gluten to hold the ball of dough in shape: the first movement will make cushion; the second will seal and round the ball, establishing surface tension.
I. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
II. Lift the left side of the dough with the side of your left hand and bring it down almost to the right side.
III. Scoop up the right side and push it back almost to the left side. Turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise and repeat the movement 8 – 10 times. The movement gradually smooths the bottom of the dough and establishes the necessary surface tension; think of the surface of the dough as if it were a fine sheet of rubber you were stretching in every direction.
IV. Turn the dough smooth side up and begin rotating it between the palms of your hands, tucking a bit of the dough under the ball as you rotate it. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped ball with a little pucker of dough, le cle, underneath where all the edges have joined together.
V. Place the dough pucker side up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the pucker by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with either a long central slash, two long central slashes that cross at right angles, or a semi-circular slash around half the circumference.
For the "Small Round Rolls – Petits Pains, Champignons":
The principles are the same here as for the preceding round loaves, but make the cushion shape with your fingers rather than the palms of your hands.
I. For the second stage, during which the ball of dough is rotated smooth side up, roll it under the palm of one hand, using your thumb and little finger to push the edges of the dough underneath and to form the pucker, where the edges join together
II. Place the formed ball of dough pucker side up on the flour rubbed canvas and cover loosely while forming the rest. Space the balls 2 inches apart. When risen to almost triple its size, lift gently with lightly floured fingers and place pucker side down on baking sheet. Rolls are usually too small for a cross so make either one central slash or the semi-circular cut.
For the "Large Oval Loaf – Pain Boulot":
Follow the directions for the round loaves except instead of rotating between the balms of your hands and tucking to form a round loaf, continue to turn the dough from the right to the left, tucking a bit of each end under the oblong loaf. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped oval with tow little puckers of dough, le cles, underneath where all the edges of have joined together.
I. Place the dough pucker sides up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the puckers by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with parallel slashes going diagonally across the top starting from the upper left and going to the lower right.
22. (The covered dough is now to rise until almost triple in volume; look carefully at its pre-risen size so that you will be able to judge correctly. It will be light and swollen when risen, but will still feel a little springy when pressed. It is important that the final rise take place where it is dry; if your kitchen is damp, hot, and steamy, let the bread rise in another room or dough will stick to the canvas and you will have difficulty getting it off and onto another baking sheet. It will turn into bread in the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees about 30 minutes before estimated baking time.
23. (This is only a description of the unmolding of the "Batard", but the unmolding process is the same no matter the shape of your loaf or loaves. The key to unmolding without deflating your bread is slow and gentle!his is only a description of the unmolding of The Batard but the unmolding process is the same no matter the shape of your loaf or loaves. The key to unmolding without deflating your bread is to do things slowly and gently! The 3 pieces of risen dough are now to be unmolded from the canvas and arranged upside down on the baking sheet. The reason for this reversal is that the present top of the dough has crusted over during its rise; the smooth, soft underside should be uppermost in the oven so that the dough can expand and allow the loaf its final puff of volume. For the unmolding you will need a non-sticking intermediate surface such as a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood sprinkled with cornmeal or pulverized pasta.)
Remove rolling pins or braces. Place the long side of the board at one side of the dough; pull the edge of the canvas to flatten it; then raise and flip the dough softly upside down onto the board.
24. (Dough is now lying along one edge of the unmolding board: rest this edge on the right side of a lightly buttered baking sheet.)
Gently dislodge dough onto baking sheet, keeping same side of the dough uppermost: this is the soft smooth side, which was underneath while dough rose on canvas. If necessary run sides of hands lightly down the length of the dough to straighten it. Unmold the next piece of dough the same way, placing it to the left of the first, leaving a 3 inch space. Unmold the final piece near the left side of the sheet.
25. (This is only the description of the slashing for the Batard. All other slashes for the other shapes are described in Step 6: "Forming the Loaves". The top of each piece of dough is now to be slashed in several places. This opens the covering cloak of gluten and allows a bulge of dough underneath to swell up through the cuts during the first 10 minutes of baking, making decorative patterns in the crust. These are done with a blade that cuts almost horizontally into the dough to a depth of less than half an inch.)
Start the cut at the middle of the blade, drawing toward you in a swift clean sweep.
(This is not quite as easy as it sounds, and you will probably make ragged cuts at first; never mind, you will improve with practice. Use an ordinary razor blade and slide one side of it into a cork for safety; or buy a barbers straight razor at a cutlery store. For a 16 to 18 inch loaf make 3 slashes. Note that those at the two ends go straight down the loaf but are slightly off centre, while the middle slash is at a slight angle between the two. Make the first cut at the far end, then the middle cut, and finally the third. Remember that the blade should lie almost parallel to the surface of the dough.)
26. As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface either by painting with a soft brush dipped in cold water, or with a fine spray atomizer, and slide the baking sheet onto rack in upper third of preheated oven. Rapidly paint or spray dough with cold water after 3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later.
(Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer. The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped. If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in cold water as soon as you slide the baking sheet out of oven.)
29. Cool the bread on a rack or set it upright in a basket or large bowl so that air can circulate freely around each piece.
(Although bread is always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed itself.)
Because it contains no fats or preservatives of any kind, French bread is at its best when eaten the day it is baked. It will keep for a day or two longer, wrapped airtight and refrigerated, but it will keep best if you freeze it – let the loaves cool first, then wrap airtight. To thaw, unwrap and place on a baking sheet in a cold oven; heat the oven to 400 degrees. In about 20 minutes the crust will be hot and crisp, and the bread thawed. The French, of course, never heat French bread except possibly on Monday, the baker's holiday, when the bread is a day old.
After each bread session, if you have used canvas, brush it thoroughly to remove all traces of flour and hang it out to dry before putting away. Otherwise the canvas could become mouldy and ruin your next batch of dough.
Serving suggestions:
Eat this bread with cheese, pate, dried meat/sausages, savory and sweet spreads or alongside a bowl of soup. Use it to make toasts, bruschette, bread pudding or sandwiches.
Voici les blogs où vous trouverez cette recette en version française:
chez Vibi de "La Casserole Carrée" (Canada)
chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)


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We told you on Monday about the death of one of the stars of the MTV reality show Buckwild. The Kanawha County, W.Va., Sheriff's Office said there were no signs of foul play in the death of Shain Gandee, 21, his uncle David Gandee, 48, and a third, unidentified person. On Tuesday, there's more news: The sheriff's department said all three men died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
"The manner of death is accidental," a statement from the department said.
The department also identified the third person as Donald Robert Myers, 27. All three men were from the Sissonville area of Kanawha County.
More from the statement:
"The vehicle and bodies were found by one of Shain Gandee's friends who was searching the trails and ridges in the area for him and the others. The vehicle sat unevenly, but upright, and was partially submerged in deep mud. Mud was covering the lower part of the passenger side door of the vehicle, but the driver's side of the vehicle was above the mud. The muffler of the vehicle was completely below the surface of the mud.
"The Bronco was found next to a ridge-top trail. That section of the trail itself was passable for four-wheel drive vehicles. However, the Bronco was in a mud pit next to the trail. That area is accessed by following the wooded trails for approximately one mile from Shain Gandee's residence, near Thaxton Hollow in Sissonville."
An MTV spokesman told The Associated Press that shooting for the second season of Buckwild had been suspended. The AP has also been reporting on Miley, one of the most popular cast members on Buckwild, who was dubbed "Gandee Candy":
"Gandee was a true outdoorsman, shedding modern conveniences such as cell phones and computers for his proud redneck ways. He loved to hunt, ride all-terrain vehicles and go "mudding," or off-road driving. He went mudding in the show's first episode and ruined his pickup truck's motor."
As we told you Monday, Gandee and his uncle had been reported missing over the weekend. They told patrons at a bar at 3 a.m. on Sunday that they were going off-roading in the 1984 Ford Bronco.
Buckwild, which was filmed last year around Sissonville and Charleston, followed the adventures of a group of young friends. Last month, MTV said the series was drawing about 3 million viewers per episode and was the most popular original cable series among 12- to 34-year-olds on Thursday nights.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The Force Ricochets
December 22nd, 2019
In the beginning, there was the Word…or a bunch of words, anyway. They began with, "It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire." Once seen, it was impossible to forget. Film historians will tell you the first blockbuster was Steven Spielberg's Jaws in 1975. That's true, but there's a galaxy's worth of difference between a blockbuster and a frickin' phenomenon. On May 25, 1977, Star Wars changed everything. The brainchild of George Lucas erupted from theaters and soon laid claim to... Read More


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Event Description
Hike Barbados takes you through cane fields, gullies, tropical forests and coastal communities to explore the unique geological and social structure of Barbados.
Along the way you will meet new friends, enjoy healthy exercise and observe the delicate balance of the unique heritage and environment of Barbados.
Hike Times: 6:00 am and 5:30 pm
Barbados National Trust Hikes
The hikes are FREE, but donations are welcome towards the work of the Barbados National Trust (preserving our built and natural environment).
All morning hikes start at 6:00 a.m.
Afternoon hikes (Stop 'n' Stare only) start at 3:30 p.m.
The Moonlight Walks start at 5:30 p.m., you are advised to bring a torch to these walks.
There is a morning hike and, in addition, either an afternoon hike or a moonlight walk on every hike date EXCEPT the date of the Great Train Hike.
All hikes start and finish at the meeting place.
There is a printed booklet with a calendar of the year's hikes available from the National Trust at Wildey House, Wildey, St. Michael
Loose clothing, comfortable hiking boots/sports shoes, sunscreen, hat. Bring your camera and a bottle of water. Refreshments are on sale after the Hikes.
Walk Descriptions
In the morning, there are four hikes of different pace.
All hikes last approximately 3 hours., but…..
The Stop 'n' Stare group walks for 5-6 miles,
The Medium group 8-10 miles,
The Fast Medium group 10 to 12 miles, and
The Fast group 12-14 miles.
Advice for first time walkers
The sun is hot! You will get tired more quickly than you think.
The best thing to do is to go on the Stop 'n Stare on your first hike.
If you're comfortable with that, work your way up.


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Need Help?
Using the FAQ database
All FAQs are displayed when first visiting the page. They are ordered by most recent or recently updated and can be filtered by keyword search term, by category, and by manually selecting the page number buttons. To view any FAQ, click on the title to open the answer. Submitting a question is done by selecting the "Ask a question" tab along the top of the FAQ.
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Chose the category to filter by and click Apply button. This will display only the FAQs related to an assigned category. To return to all FAQs click the Clear button next to the search by keyword field or select ALL from the drop down menu and click Apply button.


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Hip hip hooray!!! Today is Heather's birthday, of which birthday will remain undisclosed. She is 7.5 years older than me, but I will put it in writing (and online) that often people think we're twins. We both just hope they think we're my age :)
One last little story...as I sit here freezing (in AZ!) I am totally reminded of a story growing up. Heather and I often shared a room even though we didn't have to. We lived in Colorado and she being a teenager and me just a kid, she'd stay up late and come in to bed late and wake me up. How did she wake me up? She would attack me with her icy cold fingers and toes!! I have freezer burn to this day... :)
1. Comment and tell us about your best birthday!
2. Visit Poppy Seed Fabrics and let me know your favorite fabric line(s).
3. Visit Cuddle with Aloha and let me know your favorite item.
4. Visit Poppy Seed Fabrics the blog and become a follower and let us know you did.
Good luck! This giveaway will run until through Tuesday Dec 13th. Winner announced the following day.


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CHEBOYGAN, Mich. -- From the bridge of the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw, northern Lake Huron looks like a vast, snow-covered field dotted with ice slabs as big as boulders -- a battleground for the icebreaker's 58-member crew during one of the roughest winters in memory.
It's been so bitterly cold for so long in the Upper Midwest that the Great Lakes are almost completely covered with ice. The last time they came this close was in 1994, when 94 per cent of the lakes' surface was frozen.
As of Thursday, ice cover extended across 88 per cent, according to the federal government's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor.
Sections of the lakes, which hold nearly one-fifth of the freshwater on the world's surface, harden almost every winter. That freezing keeps the Coast Guard's fleet of nine icebreakers busy clearing paths for vessels hauling essential cargo such as heating oil, salt and coal. But over the past four decades, the average ice cover has receded 70 per cent, scientists say, probably in part because of climate change.
Still, as this season shows, short-term weather patterns can trump multi-year trends. Winter arrived early and with a vengeance and refuses to loosen its grip.
"That arctic vortex came down, and the ice just kept going," said George Leshkevich, a physical scientist with the federal lab.
The deep freeze is more than a novelty. By limiting evaporation, it may help replenish lake water levels -- a process that began last year after a record-breaking slump dating to the late 1990s. Also getting relief are cities along the lakes that have been pummeled with lake-effect snow, which happens when cold air masses suck up moisture from open waters and dump it over land.
Buffalo, N.Y, got nearly 43 inches of snow in January, but this month just 13 inches have fallen, a decline resulting largely from the freeze-over of Lake Erie even though Lake Ontario has remained largely open, said forecaster Jon Hitchcock of the National Weather Service.
Heavy ice can also protect fish eggs from predators, and it has delighted photographers, ice anglers and daredevil snowmobilers.
At Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, the rock-solid cover has allowed around 35,000 visitors to trudge miles over Lake Superior to explore caves featuring dazzling ice formations. It's the first time in five years the lake surface has been firm enough to allow passage.
With no letup in the cold, the ice hasn't experienced the usual thaw-and-freeze cycle, so nature's artistry is even more delicate and beautiful, with needle-like hoarfrost crystals sprinkled across sheets that dangle from cave ceilings like giant chandeliers.
"Seeing them like this is almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Superintendent Bob Krumenaker said.
There's even an (apparently) tongue-in-cheek Facebook page inviting people to join a convoy of snowmobiles, cars and other vehicles on a nearly 80-mile trek across Lake Michigan. Never mind that its waters remain partly open and experts warn the ice can be dangerously unstable.
"If it freezes, and you miss this chance, when will it happen again?" the page says. "Feel free to invite more folks!"
For Coast Guard icebreaker teams, it's all business. They've logged four times more hours this season than the average for the same period in recent years, said Kyle Niemi, spokesman for the agency's Cleveland district headquarters.
The 240-foot-long Mackinaw began its duties Dec. 16 -- several weeks earlier than usual -- and worked nonstop until Feb. 8, when traffic slowed enough to allow a break.
"As you can imagine, the crew's tired," Cmdr. Michael Davanzo said this week during a tour of the ship in its home port of Cheboygan.
A 35-year Coast Guard veteran who has spent 12 years on the lakes, Davanzo said this winter is the toughest he's experienced because the ice came so soon and is so thick and widespread, and the weather has been constantly bitter.
The Mackinaw, commissioned in 2006 to replace an older vessel with the same name, is designed specifically for duty on the Great Lakes. It's propelled by two "Azipod" thrusters that can spin 360 degrees and fire jets of water at adjacent ice, weakening it. Sometimes the crew will drive the ship's bow onto an ice sheet to crack it with sheer weight. Or they'll go backward, chopping up ice with the propeller blades.
When the going gets tough, there's the battering-ram option -- hurling the reinforced hull directly against walls of ice that can be several feet thick.
The workload typically drops sharply after navigational locks on the St. Marys River, the link between Lakes Superior and Huron, close in mid-January and most large cargo haulers dock for winter. But the ice was so thick this year that a number of freighters were still struggling to complete final deliveries days later. Even now, demand for road salt and heating oil in the Midwest is keeping some icebreakers busy.
One day last month, the Mackinaw spent 16 grueling hours helping a freighter squeeze through a narrow 3.5-mile section of the St. Marys. As the Mackinaw attacks the ice, the engines roar and the ship vibrates. The noise and motion are "like living in an earthquake 16 hours a day," Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Alderman said.
Davanzo hopes for rain and warmer temperatures that would melt some ice before the locks reopen in late March, when the Mackinaw will venture onto Lake Superior and clear paths for iron ore and coal haulers.
"But if the weather stays like this," he said, "we could be breaking ice all the way to the middle of May."
Despite the inconvenience, there's a silver lining for shippers. Since the low-water period began in late 1990s, they've been forced to carry lighter loads to avoid scraping bottom in shallow channels and harbours. Heavy snow and rain in 2013 finally raised water levels.
Ice cover blocks evaporation, the leading cause of low water. It also will keep the lakes cooler for a longer time this year, delaying the onset of heavy evaporation season, scientist John Lenters reported in a paper last month, although the benefit is partially offset by stepped-up evaporation shortly before the ice forms.
In Lake Superior, snowbound Isle Royale National Park is home to a dwindling and inbred wolf population that is usually trapped on the island. Biologists hope a newcomer or two will venture to the park now that the lake is almost entirely frozen over. The park's first wolves are believed to have crossed an ice bridge from Canada, 15 miles away, in the late 1940s.
There's also a chance that one or more of the island's wolves could grab the rare opportunity to escape.
"They are inveterate travellers," veteran wolf expert Rolf Peterson said. "And they don't need a reason that would make sense to us."


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From the Buyer's Perspective
A home purchase is a business transaction that requires multiple parties and often outside services including, financing, appraisers, home inspectors, title work and often many others. These services require more time than most people think, but the key to moving the entire process along is an agreement, legally binding, between the buyers and sellers of a home.
Whether you are buying or selling a home, consider the sale as a transaction beneficial to both parties. It is true that an asking price is exactly that an asking price, but very often buyers and sellers become emotional, feel slighted or even offended if neither party makes responsible and realistic offers.
When you find the house you want, make your most reasonable offer. Be sure you understand all the items included in the sale. Items that are permanently attached are included in the sale of a house, but if in doubt, include the items in your offer. Spelling out all specifics in the contract will result in a clear understanding at the closing.
If you wish to obtain information about crime statistics, state ratings for the local schools or the residence location of registered sex offenders, you may find it on websites that are easily accessible by the public. If you cannot locate those sites, your real estate agent will be able to direct you to them.
As a buyer, use the following guidelines:
- Let the Real Estate Agent do the negotiating.
- Do not call the seller.
- Include everything in the bid that you want, including home inspection service, repairs, appliances, etc.
- Don't request personal property, including washer and dryer unless you know the seller is planning to leave them.
- If the seller is present during viewing don't give your personal opinions about the home.
If you have questions regarding any step of the buying process or require more information, please contact us.


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ADDRESS Corporate Office: 202, Dev Arc, Opp. Iskcon Temple,S.G. Highway, Ahmedabad - 380015,Gujarat, India.
EMAIL email@example.com
Enhance your ambiance with the best-in-class AGL tiles
Bathrooms are a vital part of our life, and they should be extravagant and luxurious. They are just as important as our bedrooms. A beautiful bathroom design can soothe our minds & souls. Therefore, one should do thorough research before renovating their bathrooms.
The phrase 'Sanitaryware' or 'Sanitary Ware' refers to sanitary hardware found in installations such as toilets and bathrooms, although it's a bit of an umbrella term. It includes WC bowls, cisterns, bidets, urinals, washbasins, etc. In spite of being one of the most important parts of our houses, sanitary products sometimes go unnoticed. With a little information and understanding about sanitary goods, you can turn things around.
Your bathroom may be hidden from the public eye, but that doesn't mean you can get away with buying whatever sanitary ware you choose. As with your bedroom or living area, it also requires creative input and meticulous attention. Why? Because it's not just about aesthetics but also about comfort. Due to the fact that a bathroom is a personal place that is frequently subjected to wear and tear, the best thing you can do is choose products that are long-lasting and durable. Ensure that the quality of your Sanitaryware is never compromised.
Here are a few things you should consider while selecting your Sanitaryware products in India:
AGL offers Sanitaryware for bathrooms like a premium selection of Table Top Basin, Indian Sanitary Pan, Urinal, Wall Hung Toilet and Wash Basins Pedestal, as well as a comprehensive choice of other Best Sanitaryware Products and Accessories. Our sanitaryware product line is made utilising high-quality raw materials and advanced technologies in compliance with specified criteria.
To satisfy your aesthetic demands, we have made it our mission as a leading sanitary ware manufacturer to continually improve our products. You can now bring home a spa-like experience with our contemporary Sanitaryware fixtures.
AGL, a reputed Sanitary Ware brand, allows you to choose from our wide range of Sanitaryware products, ranging from urinals to faucets, from water closets to basins, so make sure to check it out. To find more about the Sanitaryware price, visit our showroom, and you can buy our sanitaryware products online as well.


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Number of Failed Banks Half That of 2012
The number of bank failures in 2013 stands at 22 as of Oct. 11, compared with 43 as of the same time last year according to new research from SNL Financial.
According to SNL, only three of the 22 bank failures thus far in 2013 have involved a loss-share agreement. In 2012, the FDIC entered loss-share agreements with the buyers of 20 of the 51 closed banks. In 2011, the FDIC entered loss-share agreements with the buyers of 58 of the 92 closed banks. Under a loss-share agreement, the FDIC absorbs a portion of the loss on a specified pool of assets which maximizes asset recoveries and minimizes FDIC losses.
According to SNL data, the 22 failed banks had a total asset size ranging from $20.2 million to $5 billion. The most recent banks to close were Connecticut-based Community's Bank, established in 2001 and Texas-based First National Bank, established in 1934.
[See Also: Number of Undercapitalized Banks Falls To Lowest Level in Five Years]
Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio


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To meet your research needs, Jena Bioscience offers more than 1000 functionally active and highly purified recombinant proteins. Our portfolio covers a wide range of functions and applications - see below for details.
You work with interesting proteins and want to commercialize them? We can help you! Please contact us at email@example.com for details!
All proteins are supplied either as lyophilized powder or as pre-adjusted solution ready to go for your research in medicine, molecular biology, cancer, pharmacology or signal transduction.


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HOUSTON – A white Houston-area man was arrested Thursday on federal hate crimes charges for allegedly shooting video of himself sucker-punching a 79-year-old black man in a "knockout game"-style attack.
Conrad Alvin Barrett, 27, made a brief appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy, who scheduled a detention hearing for the Katy man on Friday.
According to prosecutors, the attack happened Nov. 24 in Katy, but it wasn't until 12 days later that authorities connected the attack to the cellphone video of it.
Authorities learned of the case because Barrett allegedly showed the video on the night of the attack to an off-duty arson investigator he had just met at a restaurant in nearby Folshear. According to the criminal complaint, Barrett asked the off-duty investigator and the woman with the investigator if they knew about the knockout game. He told them he played earlier that day, then showed them the video, prosecutors allege.
The investigator then flagged down a uniformed officer across the street and led him to Barrett.
The attack video doesn't show Barrett's face, but investigators matched his voice to the voice in the video and the couple at the restaurant told investigators that Barrett was wearing the same shorts and shoes at the person who shot the video.
According to prosecutors, the video shows Barrett approach the victim and ask, "How's it going, man?" A "loud smack" is then heard, the victim falls to the ground, Barrett laughs and says, "Knockout." The assailant then flees in his vehicle.
The victim lost three teeth and needed surgery to repair his jaw, which had been broken in two places. He was hospitalized for more than four days, authorities said.
Investigators retrieved other videos from Barrett's phone, including some in which he uses racial epithets and talks about trying to work up the courage to play the knockout game, the complaint states. In one, Barrett says: "That plan is to see if I were to hit a black person, would this be nationally televised?"
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson said Thursday that such crimes won't be tolerated.
"Evidence of hate crimes will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted with the assistance of all our partners to the fullest extent of the law," Magidson said.
Barrett's attorney, George Parnham, said Barrett has bipolar disorder and has been prescribed heavy medications to treat it. He said Barrett's family "feels horribly sympathetic" for the person who was attacked.
"When you start peeling back the layers of the onion and look at the mindset behind the action you soon realize there's a mental issue," said Parnham, who added that he's trying to gather as much information about Barrett's mental health as possible.
If convicted of the hate crime charge, Barrett could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined up to $250,000.


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After making the summery version of the parmesan crusted pesto tilapia bruschetta I could not help but think to update this fall/winter version. The only difference between these recipes is that the summer version uses beautiful fresh ripe tomatoes but when they are not available this version works better, roasting the tomatoes to help concentrate and bring out more of their flavour. This dish could not be easier to make, you simply sprinkle the parmeson on the fillets and broil them along with the cherry tomatoes until the fish is cooked and the tomatoes have roasted up and started to burst. If you are looking for a tasty, quick and light dish you really cannot go wrong with this parmesan crusted pesto tilapia with roasted tomatoes!
I like to use small tomatoes on the vine for a nicer presentation.
Parmesan Crusted Pesto Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes
A light, simple and delightful tilapia fillet topped with melted parmesan, basil pesto and roasted tomatoes.
- 4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan), grated
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes or small tomatoes on the vine
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- Season the fillets with salt and pepper, sprinkle on the parmesan and broil along with the cherry tomatoes until the parmesan is golden brown and the fish is no longer translucent, about 10-12 minutes. (Tip: Broil the tomatoes on aluminum foil to catch all of the juices.)
- Serve the fish topped with pesto and roasted tomatoes.
Parmesan Crusted Pesto Tilapia Bruschetta
Bruschetta Chicken Pesto Tart
Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Tomato and Basil Pesto Parmesan Tart
Pesto Grilled Shrimp Caprese Quesadillas
Caprese Salad
Diced Caprese Salad with a Pesto Dressing
Stacked Diced Caprese Salad
Caprese Sandwich
Caprese Chicken Pesto Pasta
Pesto Grilled Chicken, Zucchini and Tomato Skewers
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken


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Show off your artwork in "Kill Your Darlings" art exhibition; attend opening with Daniel Radcliffe!
In honor of Daniel Radcliffe's film, Kill Your Darlings, a cut up art exhibition is being held in London, and your submissions are needed! The cut up technique was used by the Beat Generation poets, including Allen Ginsberg, who is portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe in the film. It involves physically cutting up an original text into pieces with a word or a few words on each piece and rearranging the pieces into a new text.
Your artwork can be based on whatever creative inspirations you have! Submit an image of your work to the Kill Your Darlings UK Facebook page by Sunday, November 17 for a chance to have it included in the exhibition, and to attend the opening. The artwork will be projected across various London locations from November 21-23, and Daniel Radcliffe himself will be launching the exhibition!
For more information go to the announcement from Little White Lies magazine. Will you be submitting your artwork? Let us know in the comments what creative inspirations you'd like to use!


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Puzzle Categories
Download a FREE Solution for your puzzles!
Object | Remove the string |
Difficulty | Level 10 - Mind Boggling |
Brand | Puzzle Master |
Type | Puzzle Master Wire Puzzles |
Dimensions | 4 3/4 in x 1 9/10 in x 3/5 in / 12 cm x 4.9 cm x 1.5 cm |
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Product Info
Made from strong and durable nickel plated wire, the Keyhole puzzle keeps a secret hidden that you need to learn. To do that, you must be able to remove the string from the frame, which won't be an easy task. A very original design and one of our toughest puzzles. Only for courageous puzzlers. The Keyhole is from our wide selection of PuzzleMaster Wire Puzzles and it comes in a reusable clam shell packaging.
Customer Reviews
Disclaimer: These reviews are written by our customers. Puzzle Master makes every attempt to keep these posts informative and relevant. If you find a post objectionable or inappropriate, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected]
This puzzle is truly the most difficult puzzle I have got so far (if I don't count "Alcatraz the puzzle", which is another page of the story). The thing about this puzzle is that you don't know where to start from. There are thousands of positions and movements on it, that it feels like a maze. To be honest, I must have been one or two steps away from completely solving it at one point, but I guess I took a different path afterwards. So, at the end, I solved mine with force and one forbidden move, just because I saw the chance to separate the string from the wire. Then, I made a custom string and tried to put it back, but as I had no idea where I had to enter the wire, I looked up the solution. I would recommend this puzzle only to people, who are experienced and have the time, nerves and patience to solve this puzzle. And even if you do - I am sure it will take twice or triple more time to memorize the intended solution all alone (if you are using the intended solution - who knows, there could be more than one solutions).


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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Legendary singer-songwriter, record producer and record executive Smokey Robinson will make his Wynn Las Vegas debut in Feb. 2019 with his new show, "Live in Vegas!"
With more than four decades of hits, Robinson will present his most beloved numbers in a three-night-only engagement at the intimate Encore Theater on Feb. 27, and March 1-2.
Famous for co-founding Motown Records with Berry Gordy, Robinson has been making and breaking records since 1960 when his group, The Miracles, sold one million units of their first hit, "Shop Around." Over the next decade, Robinson and the Miracles produced 26 top 40 hits, including several top 10 hits like "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "I Second That Emotion," "The Tears Of a Clown" and others. In this special engagement, fans can enjoy these chart-topping hits, as well as other favorites like "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "My Girl," and "Get Ready."
- Dates: Feb. 27, 2019 & March 1-2, 2019
- Public On-Sale: Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 at 10 a.m. PDT
- Price: $59.50-$199.50 plus applicable fees
- Points Of Purchase: Wynn Las Vegas Box Office (702-770-9966) or WynnLasVegas.com
Celebrated for his contributions to the music industry and the Motown era, Robinson is an inductee of the Kennedy Center Honors and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has received numerous accolades, including the GRAMMY Living Legend Award, BET Lifetime Achievement Award, the Heritage Award at the Soul Train Music Awards, and the National Medal of Arts. Howard University also conferred on Robinson the degree of Doctor of Music in 2006, as did the Berklee College of Music in 2009.


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The idea behind this look is really simple - though it takes a little time to put into practice - and will make your parcels really stand out! I think it's an ideal way of decorating gifts for men and boys who (let's be honest now) probably have no interest in a "pretty" or "chic" looking parcel and can't undo a ribbon to save their lives. This is certainly the giftwrapping idea which has had the most positive response from my boyfriend!
First up you need to make some letter templates. Print out the letters you need using your computer - you'll need a pretty big font size but this will depend on the size of the presents you're wrapping, and remember to set them as "outline" to save ink! I used Arial set to bold to make nice fat simple letters, and I should have printed out a whole alphabet in different sizes to save time as I just kept thinking of more people this idea would be great for.
I just printed my letters onto paper but if you wanted to use them a few times (or just to make using them easier) you could print onto card instead. Cut them out and you've got your templates:
To really save time you could print the letters directly onto coloured paper... but doing it the long way you can use a variety of decorative papers or use up all those small pieces of giftwrap you get left-over after wrapping your parcels. Draw round each letter with a pencil and cut it out, remembering to reverse the letters so they're the right way round when you turn them over (if that makes sense!). Then use some prittstick-type glue (something light that won't seep through the wrapping paper you've used) and stick your message onto your parcel.
I used bright red giftwrap on nice shiny gold paper for nephews and neices who like something cheerful...
... and lovely gold lettering on kraft paper, which is probably my favourite:
I'm sure you can think of lots of variations - letters cut from pictures in glossy magazines for example would work really well on brown paper, and plain white letters (nice and easy to print straight from your computer) would also look pretty cool.
Please feel free to borrow one or two photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your site. Thanks!
Enjoyed this gift wrapping idea? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!
Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.
Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:


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Jeff Grubb and friends make a meal out of today's top stories in video games.
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The Community Spotlight 2024.05.11
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"I have a very chess match-like mind, and fighting to me is just a game of chess." - Michael McDonald
"I don't like making excuses," said Michael McDonald, referring to his first and only WEC bout last November against Clint Godfrey. Stricken with the flu on fight week, the highly-touted Modesto, California native called it "a trial of faith", and even four hours before the opening bell, he was stuck in bed and feeling miserable.
"That was very hard mentally and spiritually," he said.
Oh yeah, and he went on to win the fight, submitting the South Dakota veteran with an armbar at 2:42 of the first round.
Imagine what he would do if healthy. Yet that's the thing about the 20 year old bantamweight prospect, who at the moment is the youngest fighter in the UFC; the expectations are so high that anything less than perfection would be a disappointment. It's a unique situation, but McDonald takes all of the growing attention in stride.
"It is a crazy thing, but I try not to focus much on anything that comes with fame," he said. "Honestly, I'm just trying to soak it up. I try not to focus on any of the perks – the fame, the women, the parties, or any of that stuff. That's not what I'm in this for. I just want to fight, do my job, and go back to the gym and train. That's what I love to do and I don't want to focus on anything else."
11-1 in mixed martial arts, the buzz is growing about "Mayday", and with good reason. An amateur at 14 and a pro at 16, McDonald has risen quickly through the ranks and has shown himself to be able to do it all thus far. He already has a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, he's ended seven of his 11 wins by knockout, and he's not even 21. And if you think that he's feasted on cupcakes to get here, former WEC bantamweight title challenger Manny Tapia and former WEC featherweight champ Cole Escovedo dot his pre-Zuffa record.
Escovedo's name is there twice, as he was the one who handed McDonald his lone loss in May of 2009. Stopped in the second round, the young man who you see today is far removed from the one who entered the bout against Escovedo nearly two years ago.
"I felt like I had all these pressures on me when I fought Cole Escovedo for the first time," he said. "I had the weight of the world on me and it just broke me. I didn't want it anymore, I couldn't bear to let other people down, and it literally just tore me apart."
He was only 18, but he had spent much of his teenage years being anything but a typical teenager.
"I actually had a major struggle with that in my high school years because everyone was going to football games on Friday night, they're going out partying, having fun, they're hanging out every day, and I couldn't do that. I was in the gym every day, and for a while, I mistook this as a burden."
Then, predictably, came the rebellion.
"I never got into parties and drugs and stuff like that, but I love women, and that was always my thing," said McDonald who moved out with his girlfriend at 18.
But after his first loss, McDonald got a heavy dose of what really mattered to him, and it wasn't hanging out at the local football game or with his girlfriend. He was a fighter.
"I went back to the drawing board to re-evaluate why I was even fighting," he said. "Sometimes I just wanted to be a normal kid, but I know that every normal kid wants to be me, so I learned appreciation for the gifts that God has given me and the opportunities that he's given me."
Along the way he found his way back to his church, and he hasn't looked back since. As for the fighting end of things, that's been smooth sailing as well. In October of 2009, he returned with a TKO of Carlos Garces, and four months later he needed just 4:31 to defeat Tapia, who had gone into the middle of the second round with Miguel Angel Torres and went the distance with Eddie Wineland.
Then, in July of 2010, it was the rematch with Escovedo, who was riding a four fight winning streak that included a head kick knockout of Yoshiro Maeda in a DREAM bout in Japan. This wasn't the same Michael McDonald.
"I believe that it was just mental, emotional, and spiritual maturing," he said. "At the time of the first fight, I still felt inside like I was a boy dealing with all these pressures and not wanting to grow up. When I lost I really had to go back and accept everything that I was doing and kinda re-evaluate everything, and when I came back, I felt like I was mentally one hundred percent. I was just confident and I was in a better spiritual place."
At 1:12 of the second round, McDonald knocked Escovedo out, exorcising this particular demon and moving on. His next stop would be the WEC and now, he enters the UFC Octagon with his first assignment being fellow newcomer (and late replacement) Edwin Figueroa this Saturday on the UFC Fight Night card in Seattle. As is his custom, he's calm, cool and collected, something he owes not only to his work ethic in the gym, but outside of it as well.
"I do a lot of studying," he said. "I have a very chess match-like mind, and fighting to me is just a game of chess. I have to break everything down incredibly, but the biggest thing for me is that when I'm spiritually good, everything's good. I can come in the gym and put all these extra hours in, but nothing's gonna matter if I'm not right in the head, and that's what my team has kinda had to learn about me. When I'm motivated and everything's good inside, then everything is good and I'm a very hard person to deal with. But when it's not, I get tore up by everybody."
He laughs, and when you're this good, you can afford to joke about getting your head handed to you in the gym. But refreshingly, he's not cocky. He's just a young man with his head on straight, his faith in order, and possessing the talent to possibly do great things in this game. Not that it all came overnight.
"I've been kinda cocky and I've been humbled," he said. "So I don't want people to see me and say 'oh, this kid's this or that,' because I'm nothing special. I didn't plan this. I never woke up and decided in some great epiphany that I wanted to be a UFC fighter. But this is the biggest thing for me right now and I feel that's where I've been called to. Eventually I would like to get more involved with my church and I would like to open up my own school, but those are long-term goals right now."
Saturday's goal? Win.


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"It just becomes part of you. You don't feel right and don't feel comfortable unless you're training and in that environment. I've kinda gotten used to grinding it out and banging it out. It's become a part of my life."
When it comes to certain aspects of mixed martial arts, there are few better than Randy Couture. Wrestling, clinch work, ground and pound, 'The Natural' is the master.
But at the same time, Couture is a fierce competitor, one who always likes to push the limits. So while the angel on his shoulder is probably telling him to take three-division boxing champion James Toney to the mat in their UFC 118 bout Saturday night and pound him out, is the devil on the other shoulder tempting him to stand with "Lights Out"?
Couture laughs.
"I learned to put that devil in a box a long, long time ago and keep him locked up. He does not get out. I think there are a lot of people who would like to see me stand with James and punch him in his mouth, but I'm a lot more comfortable putting him on his back and punching him in his mouth there."
Right there is the other part of Randy Couture speaking up, the master gameplanner, the tactician who can rip apart any fighter and come up with a solid plan to beat him. Against guys like Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia, Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera, and Mark Coleman, that was relatively easy, given the fact that they were all mixed martial arts fighters. With Toney, who is making his MMA debut, it gets a little tougher, but Couture and his team have found a way to compensate.
"It's been a little more difficult because there's no MMA footage on James and we don't know what kind of things he's trying to train to do, and how much is he going to realistically be able to learn between when we started this and the fight," said Couture. "So we're predominantly going off his boxing style and technique, and if you take him at face value, that's basically what he's dragging up into the cage and he's pretty confident that's gonna be enough for him. So I've been working pretty diligently with Gil Martinez and Ray Sefo on the striking piece of this puzzle, and figuring out the distance and the angles and the best way to set James up. And obviously I've been working diligently with Neal Melanson on my ground game for quite some time now, making some changes and some big improvements in that area of my game. So I think both of those things are gonna come into play in this fight."
It's obvious from talking to Couture about the fight, that for him, it's just another night at the office, a chance to compete and put another big name on a stellar resume that has already landed him in the UFC Hall of Fame. So there's no pressure on him to 'defend the honor' of MMA against the boxing invader. In fact, he's a big boxing fan himself.
"I've always liked boxing and been a fan of it," he said. "I tried to box when I was a kid, but that was the one sport my mom told me I couldn't do. (Laughs) Now she thinks that's pretty funny. But I grew up during the heyday of Muhammad Ali when I was a kid, with (Joe) Frazier, (George) Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and all those huge fights happening through my youth and teenage years."
Now Couture's the equivalent of an Ali, Frazier, Foreman, or Leonard for younger fighters and fans, a surreal place to be for the 47-year old native of Everett, Washington. But he also went through some role reversal recently when he was the new kid on the block around action film icons like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and Bruce Willis while on the set of his new movie 'The Expendables.'
"I grew up watching Sylvester Stallone movies like Rocky, Rambo, and all those, so to be able to play a part in one of his movies, especially with that great cast of guys, is pretty cool," he said. "It was certainly a pinch me moment walking on set, especially that first time in Rio when all The Expendables came together for those first scenes. The whole set was electric, and everybody was fired up about it, so it was pretty neat. It was definitely a unique experience for me."
So here's the dilemma for most people: if you have a solid role in a major motion picture like that and the possibility of more down the road, does it get harder to drag yourself back to the gym daily for hours of torture that will culminate in James Toney trying to punch you in the face?
Again, a laugh from 'The Natural'.
"I haven't found it difficult at all. It's been a nice break from the normal grind of training camp, but it hasn't been a distraction and hasn't been difficult at all."
What's the secret of the hold that the sport has on Couture then?
"I don't know, I think it just becomes part of you," he said. "You don't feel right and don't feel comfortable unless you're training and in that environment. I've kinda gotten used to grinding it out and banging it out. It's become a part of my life."
Yet while Couture is understandably comfortable within the confines of the Octagon, it's his job to take Toney out of his own comfort zone Saturday night, and if he does, it's going to be a rough night for the former middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight champ.
"It's real important to take him out of where he's comfortable and certainly out of that range of exchanging and striking, and it's not some place where I really want to play around with him," said Couture. "Statistically, if you look at what he's done, 80 percent of his knockouts occurred when he was under 200 pounds. He hasn't had a lot of time knocking out big guys, and with the bigger guys he's kinda gotten used to them coming after him because he is smaller, and that allows him to use his shoulder roll and his head movement and all the things that he's known for – that uppercut, left hook, and right hand. It's obviously a lot different in mixed martial arts for a lot of reasons, and I can't walk out and come to him the same way I would with some of my other opponents. I've got to make him extend himself and make him come after me a little bit, which I think is gonna be something definitely new for him."
That's not the only new thing Toney will be dealing with. Just for starters, he'll have four ounce gloves, no shoes, wrestling, takedowns, jiu-jitsu, and kicks to deal with. And while lifelong wrestlers have been able to adapt striking into their games (see Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, and Cain Velasquez, to name just three), history has shown that it's a lot tougher for strikers to pick up solid wrestling techniques – or better put, to implement solid wrestling techniques.
"Strikers are capable of learning the wrestling – it just takes time," said Couture. "There's a muscle memory that comes from years and years of wrestling and it isn't easy to pick up. It's one thing to learn the technique by the numbers, and another thing to be able to execute it in real time against a resisting opponent. It seems, at least from my experience, that wrestlers have a particular mindset that they've had ingrained in them from the time they were young and learning wrestling technique, and they've applied that same mindset to the striking. And it's still different, even for a wrestler, to learn the striking, but it seems to come easier going that way than going the other way for some reason."
Most strikers have taken years to make the attempt and they still get taken down by superior wrestlers. Toney has had a mere few months, making this, on paper, an open and shut case for Couture should he survive Toney's initial onslaught and get him to the mat. It's the perfect recipe for your typical fighter to get a little overconfident. But Randy Couture is far from typical.
"I've certainly looked at the tape and I realize that James poses some interesting problems and is going to be very dangerous early on in this fight," he said. "And if I get careless or reckless or am overconfident, he's got the tools and the power to end the night real quick. I give him respect for that and I take that very seriously. So I don't think there's any way I can get careless or be reckless or overconfident in this fight. I've got to be sharp and I've got to be ready to go."
And he always is.


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Unlike its functionality and design, the content of a website can be changed quickly and easily. Anyone with a CMS login and an idea has the keys to the castle. When web content is developed and maintained effectively, it's a huge asset to the user experience, but poor content maintenance is the quickest way to wreck the whole thing.
We've all been there. You launch something big—a website or a ground-breaking app. The business is happy. The users are happy. You sit back and look at your work; it's pristine, perfect. Or, at least it's the best it could be considering the ridiculous timeline, budget, and requirements.
Fast-forward six months, and things have changed. A bunch of new content has been added in awkward places. Other things are exactly how you left them, but they were supposed to be updated regularly. You ask yourself, "Why did they add an entirely new category of information just six months after launch? Why is the 'help' text different? What's the deal with the strange graphic on the home page?"
Establishing content maintenance processes and practices can help you ensure the user experience is great at launch and remains happy ever after. Even if you don't consider content to be part of your job, there are few content-related things that can help your projects succeed long term.
Launch with Good Content
As the adage says, "Start as you mean to go on." When a site is launched with a good baseline of content, it's easier to avoid unpleasant content messes later. Sounds like common sense, right? Unfortunately, content work takes longer than most people expect. As a result, there's often a big rush to create content right before launch, which leads to irritated stakeholders, sub-par content, and a promise to "fix it all later." (Hint: It almost never gets fixed.) Avoid falling into this trap.
Think about content early and strategically
Content needs to be considered during the strategy phase of the project. Someone needs to think about:
- Substance (what content topics and messages will be covered)
- Structure (how content will be formatted, organized, and accessed)
- Workflow (who will create and maintain content, what processes will be followed)
- Governance (how content will be managed over time)
This work can be done by a content strategist, another member of the team, or collectively as a group. It just needs to get done.
Be realistic about content development time
Even when you don't count content strategy and planning, content creation is a mammoth effort. For a traditional website, creating one page of content takes an average of 6-8 hours (with approvals and revisions). Some pages take less time and some take much, much longer. So, for example, if you have 75 pages to create, you can estimate around 525 hours of work.
Launch small
Short on time? In many cases, it's better to launch with less quantity and more quality. Prioritize the content that is most important, and see how it goes. That will help everyone understand the complexity of the content process and develop realistic timelines for the rest of the content.
Educate the Internal Content Team
The majority of people who make web content are neither web nor content professionals. They may not understand what kind of content is appropriate for the Web. So you can't expect them to know exactly what to do; you need to give them some guidance.
Provide training
First, they likely need to get some information about the web property itself: its business goals, user research, and the concepts behind the overall UX design. They also need to know what their role on the content team is and how to perform it. For example, if they have to create content, they may need a workshop on web writing. Or if they will be reviewing content before it is published, give them guidelines about what they should be looking for. It helps to do some practice exercises, too.
Create some how-to tools
Take the time to provide the team with guidelines and tools that make content tasks easier. Develop a content style guide that includes things such as preferred word choices, grammar choices, or copyright requirements. It can also help to create content examples that demonstrate tone, voice, and content best practices.
With the right training and tools, the internal content team will have a much better chance of creating user-targeted and user-friendly content.
Prepare for Change
Things move quickly online, and content needs to change frequently to stay relevant. If there is no plan in place for maintenance, content updates become a free-for-all or they don't happen at all. Pre-defined change management processes protect the integrity of the content and the sanity of the content team.
Plan for routine maintenance and updates
Many websites or applications are designed to have content that changes constantly. Other web properties simply need annual maintenance checks. Either way, an editorial calendar can keep the content update process running smoothly.
An editorial calendar is simply a schedule (usually a spreadsheet) that details what content needs to change, when it needs to change, and who needs to change it. In addition to regular content updates, editorial calendars can include known events that might influence content (e.g., the results of ongoing usability tests or pending government legislation), ensuring the content team ready is for action.
Plan for the unpredictable
There are times when something happens that nobody expected—natural disasters, a social media uproar, or a new mind-blowing product from a competitor. In these cases, the organization needs to react quickly. Although it's not useful to plan for every contingency, it is important to have an emergency action plan that details what to do when major content changes need to happen fast. Someone needs to define:
- What constitutes an emergency?
- What steps can be skipped in the normal content workflow?
- Who creates and approves emergency content?
Sloppy, inaccurate content can make a bad situation even worse. An emergency action plan ensures the content quality doesn't suffer, even during unforeseen circumstances.
Get User Opinions about Content Specifically
Of course, the user has an important role in defining what good content actually is. And they have the right to change their minds as the web property matures. So someone needs to ask the users what they think about the content before launch, immediately after launch, and regularly over time.
Without user input, it's hard for stakeholders to choose and prioritize what content updates need to be made. (That's how the CEO's awkward blog post gets prioritized over something the user actually wants to see.) To get user feedback about content, start by designing research and tests around three areas of focus:
1. Interest: What kind of content do users want and why?
- What content do users say they want? What content do they actually use? If there is a difference, why is that?
- If users can select which content they view, what topics or pieces of content do they gravitate toward?
- When presented with a piece of content, does it capture users' attention or keep them engaged?
- Do factors such as voice, tone, author, or context increase or decrease interest?
2. Comprehension: Can users understand and use a piece of content?
- How much can target users be expected to understand? What is their reading level or native language? Do they have prior knowledge of the topic?
- Do the users understand the content? Can they repeat or paraphrase key facts or messages?
- After reviewing a piece of content, do they know what to do (or where to go) next?
3. Influence: Is the content helping achieve the business goals?
- Does the content help users make decisions or take action? If so, are the decisions or actions ones the organization wants to encourage?
- Does the content change users' opinions about an organization, its products, or its competitors? Are the changes in opinion positive or negative?
- Would users share the information with their friends or colleagues? Why or why not?
For more information, start with a podcast (mp3) by Colleen Jones and Kevin O'Connor available on Boxes and Arrows called Testing Content: Early, Often and Well, as well as Angela Colter's article on A List Apart called "Testing Content."
Keep Up on Content and Keep Things Consistently Great
It's a fact of life: things change, and web content is no exception. But proactively planning your content maintenance initiatives will help your user experience—and your content team—survive whatever comes next. And keep your users coming back for more.


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(Um, I can still come over for New Year's, right?)I've already gone through a great deal of the film but was STUPID enough to open the DAMN DOOR. Well how was I supposed to know it's supposed to remain shut? They should give you a lock or something.Or, as a young David Thedarith might have guessed, little ants or squirrels or midget guitar teachers would be inside the camera, holding the film door shut. Now THAT would be a quality camera. Honestly. I could befriend the little camera elves and dress them up in tulle and Vegas makeup, and if they ever got into fights I could peacefully resolve the problem by scaring them to silence with the camera's electronic flash.My tolerance level for an overwhelming amount of keffiyehs and fedoras is smaller than a microbe, but I did really like the tights and hair stufffff selection at UO, if overpriced. Speaking of microbes, HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT THIS GIANT PIMPLE?[giant microbes-a new trend of 09!]
I also got to wear my favorite sunglasses out for the first time. Finally. Gosh, anti-social, darkness-loving, best-friends-with-couch-and-tv self. It's about time.
When I wear them I see purple.
No outfit-analyzing today, I just wanted to be warm and not colorful. I love the ropes attached to my gray dress though. Sophie had to hold me back from using them to strangle this V-neck (and I mean VVVVVV NECK) wearing punk at H&M.
I probz won't post tomorrow, so happy new year everyone! It feels like 2008 went by so fast even though it was probably the most eventful year of my life.
Oh, and guess who's going to the Inauguration? Suckers~~
mom's old wool jacket. chris & jaime dress and vintage lace crinoline, gifts (thank you lauren and yokoo!) slow and steady wins the race shoes/bag/sunnies.