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Here at Playground Number Grid, we specialise in these educational markings, so children can start to learn fundamental maths skills at school through enjoying different activities while they play outside.
If you would like more help and advice on playground number grids, our friendly and experienced team are here to help.
Over recent years, more and more schools have been making improvements to their outdoor playgrounds in order to create engaging learning environments such as a number grid.
Thermoplastic playground markings are often used as part of this process and number grid designs are very popular.
These educational graphics can vary in size, colour and specification so let us know what type of number grid you are looking for. One of our experts will gladly advise you on the costs for playground markings if you complete our contact form today.
It's great to introduce nearby children to maths from an early age in nursery and EYFS groups, even before they start school. By playing different games and activities using these outdoor surface graphics, the kids are able to understand things more easily.
For younger children, a simple number grid with 1-9, 1-12 or 1-15 would be perfect to teach the basics.
In primary schools, larger graphics can be made with up to 1-100 number grid sizes for older children who are learning more about maths. OFSTED usually rate these features highly because they contribute to active learning in an outdoor space.
Our local experts closest to you can install these playground marking designs either with an outline or with solid colour squares. The outline option is created by laying out coloured thermoplastic lines to make up the squares, then putting the numbers in each box.
The plastic will then be heat applied meaning it melts onto the tarmac playground and sticks in the desired position.
For a solid coloured design, the lines are laid out, then coloured shapes are placed in between the lines, and the numbers will be put on top of these squares. The same heating process will then be carried out to apply the playground markings and ensure they are secure and durable.
If you are looking at having a mathematical number grid applied to your school's tarmac play area, please get in touch with our team.
Our nearby installers have worked on many projects and we can create a design which is in keeping with your budget and what your pupils need. Simply speak to us through the enquiry box and we'll come back to you with a price as soon as possible.
Learning times tables is a fundamental part of maths in school. This is an activity which can be incorporated into outdoor games with a thermoplastic multiplication table.
The design will be applied onto an existing tarmac playground surface in brightly coloured thermoplastic material. Features like this mean that fun activities can be made a part of the learning process, making it easier for children near me to take in the information.
Just like the standard number grid playground marking, the multiplication tables come with a range of dimensions and colour choices to suit you.
Most schools and surrounding areas choose to have times table playground number grid designs from 1-10 or 1-12. These can be done with either the simple outline effect or in the solid colour design to create a vibrant appearance.
Depending on your budget you may opt for a simpler design, or you could choose a large set of playground markings with loads of bright colours.
It is completely up to you and how you would like the finished graphics to look and be used. Our team of installers have plenty of experience in working with primary schools, Early Years Foundation Stage teachers and nurseries.
So don't hesitate if you have any questions about the different designs and types of graphics we supply.
We'll point you in the right direction and offer some expert advice about what would be best for your pupils.
Please feel free to speak to one of our specialists about applying thermoplastic number grid playground marking designs by getting in touch with us today.
You can simply full out the quick contact box with a description of what you need and we'll come up with a quote for the costs.
We are happy to help with any enquiries you may have and are flexible with our quotes to find a price suitable to you and your budget.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Sarah Berry
FESTIVE obligations fulfilled, the chance for a fresh start is here.
Detoxes are the favoured formula for many in the new year. They are seen as a cure for celebratory congestion and act as a quick kick back to bodily balance and health.
A new survey by Hepatitis Australia has found about 70 per cent of people believe a detox diet or product can restore their body and liver's health. This is despite the fact that going on a detox diet "is futile when it comes to liver health".
Instead, it encourages a constant focus on health. "Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help optimise liver function and prevent liver damage," it says.
A GP, Ginni Mansberg, is also critical of the quick fix of a cleanse. Her main frustration is the "pseudoscience" behind many detoxes and the often epic prices charged for the privilege.
"The concept of a detox is that your body is full of toxins . . . that your body can't [process] on its own. It's complete crap," she says, pointing out that sweat, urine, faeces and the breath all work to rid the body of toxins.
That's not to say cleansing is complete crap. Mansberg says there are three things that "are ubiquitous to detoxes and they're really good".
First, hydration. As little as 2 per cent dehydration is detrimental to our brain function, she says. "So more water is No. 1."
Second is cutting alcohol intake. "Most of us drink too much, particularly in the merry season," she says.
Third is eating fibrous foods, and the benefits that brings. As most detoxes encourage consuming a lot more fruit, vegetables and fibre, "that will have you pooping for Australia and [subsequently] means you have less bowel gas."
Plus, a restart to the system can set you back on the path of relative virtue.
With longer-term lifestyle changes in mind, this is what to expect from three different detoxes:
It ought to be the easiest detox but losing the social lubricant of alcohol in the lead-up to Christmas proves a challenge. Also, a short shock of a detox seems more manageable than something sustained.
But sustainable is indeed the point, so I start an plan, called 10 Days to a Healthier You, created by Kathleen Alleaume, a nutritionist.
It's as simple as it is sensible and she provides an eating plan with recipes including high-fibre fruit smoothies (psyllium husks and chia seeds blended with yoghurt, milk, cinnamon and frozen berries) and harissa lamb with a chickpea salad. It's based on proven weight-loss principles of loading your plate with good greens and combining lean sources of protein with low glycemic index carbohydrates. There are free foods, including green vegetables, cherries and berries, and you can even enjoy a treat twice a week (100 millilitres of wine or a couple of squares of dark chocolate, for instance).
It's helpful getting into the rhythm of portion sizes, which she provides. Alleaume also suggests five daily rituals for feeling healthier: hydrating to quench your thirst; "eating a rainbow" as "each colour carries its own set of unique, disease-fighting chemicals"; exercising for 30 minutes a day; chewing each mouthful 10 to 20 times to improve digestion; and getting eight hours' sleep a night. Quality sleep, she says, resets your metabolism and "is essential for optimising appetite and controlling hormones."
Lucky You juices are apparently Miranda Kerr's tipple when she arrives in Australia. And if it's good enough for Miranda . . .
The idea of a juice fast is to "shake the junk from the trunk", says the founder of Lucky You, Heidy Jameel, who insists the fasts are not about deprivation, but rejuvenation.
The benefits, she says, are giving digestion a rest, rehydrating, alkalising and creating better eating habits. As a virgin cleanser, I start with a three-day program. You can also do five or seven days.
Lucky You delivers cold-pressed juices (which retain more vitamins, minerals and enzymes than other juicing methods) to your door. The array of juices is visually appealing and the different flavours of nutrient-dense juice keep my tastebuds entertained. There's even a sweet, protein-packed nut and date "mylk" to sip on "if you are feeling overly hungry or in need of something sweet".
Chaste as I feel, by the end of day two I'm pretty over it and my colleagues taunt me with solid food. Jameel sends an email to touch base. If you feel "like things are unravelling . . . Don't PANIC. This too is normal," she says. She suggests taking 15 minutes to chill out.
By the time I'm done I do indeed feel cleaner, lighter and happier and continue with a lemon and warm water to start the day as well as vegetable juice later on to amp up my intake of greens.
It is something I'd happily do once or twice a year. While it's on the expensive side, it's a whole lot easier having someone else do the hard work so you can just sit back and . . . have a drink.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared about having a plastic tube put up my bum and pumped with 20 to 30 litres of water.
But, when I read in Dr Bernard Jensen's book Dr Jensen's Guide to Better Bowel Care that "the average person may have 10 to 25 pounds of dried fecal matter in their colon," I was terrified.
I turn up not knowing what to expect, but Natalie Purcell, who runs Byron Bay Detox Retreats, makes a daunting process as decorous as possible.
I'm on another three-day juice fast, this time with a daily colonic. As juicing removes the fibre of the fruit and vegetables, making sure you eliminate is important.
She uses the FDA-approved and TGA-recognised open system. This means a smaller tube and gentle flushing rather than the forceful pumping of the "closed system".
One problem with colonics is the removal of beneficial bacteria along with bad from the gut.
With up to 80 per cent of our immune system residing in the gut, a growing body of evidence reveals just how essential good bacteria is for health and metabolism as well as allergy and disease prevention. Purcell addresses this by reinoculating with probiotics.
After three days, I'm hungry but squeaky-clean and ridiculously relaxed. I have sparkly skin, clear eyes and a flat belly.
I'll do it again and have taken much from the three programs on board. But I do have one word of advice. Remember that the purpose is to kick-start a cleaner you. If you're going to bother doing a detox, try to refrain from rocking straight into a retox.


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There are only a few known photographs of al-Baghdadi, an ambitious Iraqi militant believed to be in his early 40s with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. Since taking the reins of the group in 2010, he has transformed it from a local branch of al-Qaida into an independent transnational military force, positioning himself as perhaps the preeminent figure in the global jihadi community.
Al-Baghdadi's purported appearance in Mosul, a city of some 2 million that the militants seized last month, came five days after his group declared the establishment of an Islamic state, or caliphate, in the territories it seized in Iraq and Syria. The group proclaimed al-Baghdadi the leader of its state and demanded that all Muslims pledge allegiance to him.
In the video, the man said to be al-Baghdadi says that "the mujahedeen have been rewarded victory by God after years of jihad, and they were able to achieve their aim and hurried to announce the caliphate and choose the Imam,'' referring to the leader.
"It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you,'' he adds. "I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God.''
Speaking in classical Arabic with little emotion, he outlines a vision that emphasizes holy war, the implementation of a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and the philosophy that the establishment of an Islamic caliphate is a duty incumbent on all Muslims.
He is dressed in black robes and a black turban, a sign that he claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad. He has dark eyes, thick eyebrows and a full black beard with streaks of gray on the sides.
At the beginning of the video, the man purported to be al-Baghdadi slowly climbs the mosque's pulpit one step at a time. Then the call to prayer is made as he cleans his teeth with a miswak, a special type of stick that devout Muslims use to clean their teeth and freshen their breath.
The camera pans away at one point to show several dozen men and boys standing for prayer in the mosque, and a black flag of the Islamic State group hangs along one wall. One man stands guard, with a gun holster under his arm.
Aymenn al-Tamimi, an expert on militant factions in Syria and Iraq, said al-Baghdadi has come under some criticism since unilaterally declaring the establishment of a caliphate, in part for not appearing before the people.
"He had declared himself caliph, he couldn't hide away. He had to make an appearance at some time,'' al-Tamimi said. Traditionally, a Muslim ruler is expected to live among the people, and to preach the sermon before communal Friday prayers.
The brazenness of his purported appearance _ nearly unheard of among the most prominent global jihad figures _ before dozens of people, and issued on a video only a day after its occurrence, suggested the Islamic State's confidence in their rule of Mosul.
"The fact that he has done this without any consequences in Mosul's biggest mosque is a sign of (the Islamic State group's) power within the city,'' said al-Tamimi. He said it would likely boost the morale of al-Baghdadi's fighters, and deal a blow to the group's rivals.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official said that after an initial analysis the man in the video is believed to indeed be al-Baghdadi. The official said the arrival of a large convoy in Mosul around midday Friday coincided with the blocking of cellular networks in the area. He says the cellular signal returned after the convoy departed.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
A Mosul resident confirmed that mobile networks were down around the time of Friday prayers, and then returned a few hours later. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety.
Another aspect of the rule al-Baghdadi envisions was made clear in a series of images that emerged online late Saturday showing the destruction of at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory his group controls.
The 21 photographs posted on a website that frequently carries official statements from the Islamic State extremist group document the destruction in Mosul and the town of Tal Afar. Some of the photos show bulldozers plowing through walls, while others show explosives demolishing the buildings in a cloud of smoke and rubble.
Residents from both Mosul and Tal Afar confirmed the destruction of the sites.
Sunni extremists consider Shiites Muslims heretics, and the veneration of saints apostasy.
Also Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki removed the chief of the army's ground forces and the head of the federal police from their posts as part of his promised shake-up in the security forces following their near collapse in the face of the militant surge.
Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said al-Maliki signed the papers to retire Lt. Gen. Ali Ghaidan, commander of the army's ground forces, and Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Kaabi, the chief of the federal police. Al-Moussawi said both men leave their jobs with their pensions. No replacements have been named.


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1832 - Lincoln begins his political career in the Illinois legislature
"I presume you all know who I am. I am humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by many friends to become a candidate for the legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance. I am in favor of a national bank…in favor of the internal improvements system and a high protective tariff."Lincoln hits the ground running with central banking, corporate welfare, and high taxation. We are still living with all of them...only the players have changed.
1838 - Lincoln's corporate welfare brings Illinois to its knees
William H. Herndon, Lincoln's law partner and one of his closest friends, wrote:
"Every river and stream…was to be widened, deepened, and made navigable. A canal to connect the Illinois River and Lake Michigan was to be dug…cities were to spring up everywhere; capital from abroad was to come pouring in; attracted by the glowing reports of marvelous progress and great internal wealth, people were to come swarming in by colonies, until in the end Illinois was to outstrip all others, and herself become the Empire State of the Union."...Not much has changed. Today, Illinois is a financial train wreck waiting to happen.
"The internal improvement system, the adoption of which Lincoln had played such a prominent part, had collapsed, with the result that Illinois was left with an enormous debt and empty treasury."
But back to Lincoln. You'd think that after such a disaster, one would lose all credibility and trustworthiness.
Nope! When it comes to government, nothing succeeds like failure.
1858 - The Great Emancipator on the black & white races
Lincoln's words from the famous Lincoln vs. Douglas debate on Sept. 18, 1858:
"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause] — that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, not to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will for ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."1861 - Abraham Lincoln - The First Republican President
The dreadful political party that we're still battling today began with Lincoln.
Please don't fool yourself into thinking that somehow The Republican Party, that was born in tyranny, will end up getting taken over by Libertarians; and the country will return to the freedom-loving days of the founding fathers.
It surely can't happen that way.
The Republican Party, since day one, and all the way up to today, is no friend of liberty. The saying "by their fruits, ye shall know them" speaks volumes here. It reminds you to look at the root.
The root of The Republican Party tree lies here in 1861. Don't ever expect it to grow the fruits of liberty.
Before moving on, let's not skip past Lincoln's first inaugural address. He touched on the question of slavery and quoted one of his earlier published speeches:
"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."1861 - Lincoln refuses a peaceful Southern Secession
Many Americans (educated by their government, of course) believe that "The Civil War" was fought to free the slaves. This is just not true. This was a war over Southern secession.
The war is misnamed. It was not a Civil War. The South had no interest in taking over the Northern government.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis wanted to make clear to the North that the Confederates did not constitute a threat to the government in Washington:
"We seek no conquest, no aggrandizement, no concession of any kind…all we ask is to be let alone."President Davis appointed three commissioners to negotiate with the North. The commissioners reached Washington on Mar. 5, 1861, the day after Lincoln's inauguration.
Lincoln's response? He outright refused to see the commissioners, and also refused to recognize the Confederate government.
Whether the South wanted conquest or not made no difference. It was the economic policies of the South that enraged the North.
You see, the Confederate Constitution created, in essence, a free trade zone with opposition to protectionism. It stated:
"but no bounties shall be granted from the Treasury; nor shall any duties or taxes on importation from foreign nations be laid to promote or foster any branch of industry."Davis, in his Inaugural Address stated that he was "anxious to cultivate peace and commerce with all nations," and that "our policy is peace, and the freest trade our necessities will permit."
This was in stark contrast to the North's high-taxes and protectionism. And remember what Lincoln said when he entered politics: "I am in favor of a national bank…in favor of the internal improvements system and a high protective tariff."
Free Trade? Ha!
The North was in no way going to allow the South become an attractive market for the rest of the world, while at the same time, pricing out the North.
On Apr. 2, 1861 The Newark Daily Advertiser, warned ominously that Southerners had apparently "taken to their bosoms the liberal and popular doctrine of free trade" and that they "might be willing to go…toward free trade with the European powers" which "must operate to the serious disadvantage of the North" as "commerce will be largely diverted to the Southern cities."
This is America...the "land of the free"...and if there's one thing that will not be tolerated, it's free trade.
When Lincoln was in Congress, he had no problem with secession. In a speech on Jan. 12, 1848, he said:
"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable, a most sacred right - a right which we hope and believe is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people, that can, may revolutionize, and make their own of so much of the territory as they inhabit."But as President, Lincoln's words went out the door as fast as George W. Bush's "humble" foreign policy.
As President, Lincoln called secession the "essence of anarchy."
In other words, if the South wanted free trade, then it was time for Lincoln to invade.
Now the fun begins....
- Apr. 19, Lincoln imposed a blockade on Southern ports of South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Did Congress declare war? No. Constitution violated.
- Apr. 20, Lincoln ordered the Sec. of Treasury to spend public money for defense without congressional appropriation, violating the Constitution.
- Apr. 27, Lincoln made the unprecedented move of suspending, through an unconstitutional order, the writ of habeas corpus, or the protection against unlawful imprisonment.
- Lincoln signed a warrant for the arrest of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court because the Judge rendered an opinion that Lincoln acted unconstitutionally by suspending the writ of habeas corpus.
- Lincoln had U.S. Rep. Clement Vallandigham of Ohio arrested for "disloyal sentiments and speeches." Vallandigham opposed the Morrill Tariff and the central bank.
- An estimated 13,000 Northern citizens were detained for merely expressing opposition to the war. This group contained hundreds of newspaper editors and owners. None of these people ever heard evidence against them and were never brought to trial.
- During the war, adult male civilians in the South were compelled to take a loyalty oath to the federal government or be shot. In the words of Justice Benjamin R. Curtis, Lincoln had established "a military despotism."
1862 - What's war without paper money to pay for it?
In the Legal Tender Act of Feb. 1862, Congress authorized the printing of $150 million in new "United States notes" (Greenbacks) to pay for the growing war deficits. "In God We Trust" was also introduced on the U.S. dollar in 1862 when it's gold backing was dropped.
Lincoln wrote to Horace Greeley:
"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union."Lincoln's America
In the interest of brevity, I'll end with a quote from H.L. Mencken. He talks about Lincoln's absurd claim, in The Gettysburg Address, that Northern soldiers fought for the cause of self-determination:
"It is difficult to imagine anything more untrue. The Union soldiers in the battle actually fought against self determination; it was the Confederates who fought for the right of their people to govern themselves. The Confederates went into the battle free; they came out with their freedom subject to the supervision of the rest of the country."The "Union" was saved...geographically. The spirit of self-determination and decentralization was crushed.
Sadly, for generations to come (including us) the power of centralized government in America had only just begun.
If the above has piqued your interest, and you want more, I highly recommend the following from Thomas J. DiLorenzo: The Real Lincoln and Lincoln Unmasked.


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Okay. I will admit it. When it comes to baking, I am a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to baking something that I think I am especially good at. In today's case: Michael's favorite chocolate chip cookies. This is one of my favorite recipes and one that I am very proud of. I used to make these cookies with wheat flour. When I started the gluten free diet this is one of the first recipes I converted. We love these cookies and it's one recipe I can always count on to turn out well.
I've had many, many compliments on these cookies. I think Gluten Free Steve declared me a friend for life when he made these cookies, and he never fails to make me blush by reminding me how much he enjoys them! I've had many readers of the blog to let me know how much they enjoy them... but for all the people who love them, there are many who said they didn't work.
The biggest complaint is that the cookies spread too much when baking. Another complaint was that they were too salty. Up until this experiment I've never had a problem with these cookies.
Today I will share a tutorial with you on how I make perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies.
I ended up making 2 batches of cookies because I thought I overcooked the first batch -- they spread! Make sure to keep your eyes open at the end of the post for what happened between the first batch and the second batch of cookies, to see WHY they spread!
A revised gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe will be included at the end of this post!
One thing to remember is that: all baking is a scientific experiment! Baking is a science and the ingredients have to be measured properly and used properly for the recipe to work. It is also important to follow recipe directions exactly the FIRST time you are making something. That way you have a standard to compare too when you want to experiment!
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- First preheat your oven to 350 degrees. USE an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is baking at the correct temperature. This is VERY important! My personal oven underheats by 30 degrees, so I have to adjust for this!
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Then gather together all your ingredients. I completely forgot to take a picture of this, but here's what you will need for the dry ingredients: sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Now we are going to measure out the dry ingredients into our bowl.
- Add 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder. Make sure to level your measuring spoon. This is very important in baking!
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Again, try to make sure it's close to level. The salt is important in chocolate chip cookies because it makes a perfect balance to the sweet chocolate. If you leave out the salt, you'll know!
- Now add a level 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
- Now it's time to measure the flours. With each flour, first OVERFILL your measuring cup.
- Then, using the straight side of your knife, level off the cup. I pack down the flour as I level off the cup. When you are measuring tapioca flour or any starch, you may have to overfill the cup several times and level off with the knife to make sure you have the correct amount.
- This is what a correctly measured cup should look like. Very even on the top, level with the lip of the cup. Add your measured flours to the baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Some gluten free bakers like Gluten Free Mommy, actually weigh their measuring cups for accuracy. I've never done this, but if you have trouble with your baking, you may want to look into it!
- Next, we will whisk together all the dry ingredients. This is a very important step because whisking will thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together. I definitely recommend DOING this step, if you don't: you may get a clump of baking powder or xanthan gum in one area of your dough, and you'll definitely notice! Your cookies will also bake more evenly if the dry ingredients have been thoroughly whisked together. Now at this point, you could stop and bag your dry mix. You would have a pre-made mix for a batch of chocolate chip cookies! All you would have to do is add the sugar and wet ingredients later! But, I'm hungry... so let's continue with these cookies! Set aside your whisked dry ingredients.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco.
- Use your paddle attachment for mixing and lock the stand mixer into place.
- Cream your sugars and butter flavored Crisco on medium speed in the mixer bowl. You will mix these together for about 3-5 minutes. You want the mixture truly creamed. Here is what you DO NOT want:
- Here, the sugar and cream are just barely mixed together. There are still large clumps of sugar and Crisco. This is what you DO NOT want. Often when I made cookies by hand, I thought this was "creamed." Stand-mixers are a baker's best friend!
- THIS is what your creamed butter and sugar should look like. Light, fluffy, and really creamy. YOU should not be able to tell where the sugar and Crisco separate.
- Next, add your egg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.
- Again, we want to then mix them in on medium speed, until you no longer can see wet streaks of egg. The mix should be fully incorporated like this on the paddle attachment:
- Perfect! That's what you want! The dough should be clinging to the paddle and you should just barely see the sugar granules! Let's continue!
- Now we are going to add in the dry ingredients to the dough, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Mix in each addition of dry ingredients completely on medium slow speed. Your finished batter should look similar to this:
- Use a rubber spatula occasionally to scrape the dough down from the sides to the bottom of the mixing bowl, to make sure it's combined evenly. Once your dough is mixed, it's time for the good part!
- Ahh... the chocolate chips! These chips are from my assorted chocolate chip bag. The bag that gets all the leftover chocolate chips from random bags. So we have a nice assortment here! Use whatever chips you like best! Enjoy Life sells allergen free chocolate chips.
- Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, using the rubber spatula. Now it's time to get the lined cookie sheet. Let's make some drop cookies!
- Using a small spoon get around 1 tablespoon of dough. This does NOT have to be a perfect measurement. If you want bigger cookies use a larger amount of dough, but be aware they will take longer to cook!
- Drop the dough about 2 inches apart on the silpat mat. This was a large pan so had 5 rows of 3 cookies each. Place into the oven for baking. DO not overcrowd your oven. If you do, the cookies may not bake evenly.
- Keep an eye on the cookies. YOU DO NOT want them to overbake!! I baked these for exactly 8 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, THEY WILL NOT look completely done. That's okay! These are perfect! Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. If you do not let them cool, they may fall apart!! The cookies will look puffy and underdone when they come out of the oven! That's good! As they cool they will slightly deflate and harden into their shapes.
- See the difference, now that the cookies are cool? If your husband or kids haven't eaten all the cookies yet; let them rest on the wire rack until they are COMPLETELY cool. I normally leave them on the rack for at least an hour before moving them!
- The underside of the cookie should look like this! There will be lovely little air pockets, evenly spaced. The edges will be very slightly brown and crisp!
- The inside of the cookies are chewy and the chocolate should still be hot and "melty." Mmmmm... Michael says thank you to everyone who had problems with these cookies... he hopes the home experiments will continue! The cookies are now done and you can move them into an airtight container for storage! I have no idea how long they will last since they don't last 2 days at our house.
NOW.... this is the fun part of what I discovered last night!
In my first batch of cookies, I didn't follow this recipe exactly. I was ONE tablespoon short of butter-flavored Crisco, so I added ONE tablespoon of Spectrum non-hydrogenated organic shortening in place. Here is what happened to the finished cookies:
Look familiar anyone?? These cookies spread and they darkened very quickly! Now, these were STILL very good cookies... but that ONE tablespoon of non-hydrogenated shortening caused this to happen to the whole batch! I imagine if you used a gluten free margarine, butter, or non-hydrogenated shortening for the WHOLE half cup called for, the cookies would spread over the whole pan and you'd have one big cookie! Notice a side-by-side difference here:
These cookies (Darker cookie is Batch #1, Lighter cookie is batch #2) were both cooked for exactly 8 minutes on the same pan at the same time. The difference is remarkable!
The only additional difference in the lighter cookie of batch # 2 is that I just used 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and skipped the baking soda called for in the original recipe. This batch of cookies used a whole half cup of butter flavored Crisco. Michael preferred this lighter, chewier batch.
Here is my slightly revised recipe of Michael's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Ginger Lemon Girl's BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Before or After going Gluten-Free!)
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (NO SUBSTITUTES!!)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. GF chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl: cream crisco with sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together flours, salt, xanthan gum (opt.), baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add flour mixture to crisco and sugar mixture. Last, mix in chocolate chips. Drop dough by tablespoons, 2 inches apart on an parchment paper -or-silpat mat lined cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or JUST UNTIL edges are light brown.
(The cookies WILL NOT look completely cooked when you pull them out of the oven! That's what you want! That's part of the secret to these awesome cookies! DO NOT overbake them!)
Let cookies cool on a wire baking rack or the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. This will allow cookies to retain their shape for eating!
This recipe doubles easily!
For a printer-friendly version, click here.
** I hope this post helps people make these gluten free cookies better!! I learned a lot from this experiment and this is really what I love about gluten free baking! You only learn when you make mistakes! Embrace them and move on!
Happy gluten free chocolate chip cookie making!!**
Happy gluten free chocolate chip cookie making!!**


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In each Festival match of 30 overs we scored over 115 runs and on average only lost 4 wickets an innings – well done the batters.* [Derbyshire Cricket Board]So...this well done the thing. I can't say it. Better Half says he hears it often in cricket commentary, but that it's rather new. I can't find anything discussing it in the usual places I'd look.
Well done the players, we knew you had it in you and well done Juande Ramos, you sorted the tactics just right to get the best from our lads [comment on SkySports]
Well done the runners [comment on a JustGiving page]
This for us was an excellent result, playing in a section above a our current one and finishing in the top half of the results, nothing wrong with that, well done the band. Well done the other bands yesterday, it was by all accounts a great contest [Amington Band]
* I also found one example of Well done the batsmen. I know cricket purists will be annoyed by the batter in that example--but BH tends to associate the expression with batter rather than batsmen, so that's what I looked up first.
It looks like a congratulatory utterance directed at the named group, but if you're congratulating someone, you'd usually do so by addressing them. In the second example we see an example of that: well done Juande Ramos. But if you're addressing a group by common noun rather than by a proper name, you wouldn't normally in English use a definite determiner (the). So, Well done, runners would be fine in any form of English.
The other thing that it could be is a sort of indirect congratulation, where you're not addressing the congratulatee (congratulee? congratuland?) directly, but expressing your congratulatory sentiments about them to someone else. In this case, common core English would usually use a to: Well done to the runners! Or 'Well done!' to the runners.
Most of the cases of this that I've found involve no mid-phrase punctuation. With a comma after done, I'd think it a straightforward case of direct congratulations, and so would note the weird use of the whoevers as a term of address. Without the comma, it's less clear--though note that the comma is not always used when address terms are used--and may be less often used (or used less often) in less-comma-ful British English. One doesn't see things like the runners being used as a term of address elsewhere in the language. Race officials don't welcome racers with *Hello, the runners. So, it's less than clear that the runners is being used as a term of address.
But I can see no motivation for dropping the to in the indirect form either. I can't imagine similar droppings of to in other indirect greetings. Hello to the children, yes. Hello the children, no. So, I'm sticking with my initial assumption that we're supposed to understand the runners as a term of address in Well done the runners. But then again, there is the BrE Up the runners, which is also missing a preposition (with) from my AmE perspective. BH's perception is that that use of up is (his words) (BrE) "toffee-nosed Oxbridge talk" and well done the is in a different class--but others may have different perceptions of the two constructions. I'd love to hear about them.
Because BH knew this from cricket, I had a snoop around other countries--I found only one case on an .au site (searching for batters, batsmen, bowlers, players and runners), none on .ie, .pk, .nz or .za, and the only one I found in a few pages of sorting through Indian sites was by a New Zealander. So, it's looking pretty British to me--though whether it's coming from a particular dialect is not at all clear, since I've found it all over the country.
So, who's got [orig. AmE] the scoop on the origins of this construction? And is there anyone out there whose brain isn't a bit jangled by it?


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Running errands and getting around with your child has never been easier, thanks to the City Mini. This stroller is the essence of urban mobility: lightweight, compact and nimble. Its sleek and practical design makes it the perfect choice for traversing the urban jungle.
- Patented Quick-Fold Technology - allows you to fold your stroller in one simple step
- Swivel front wheel for quick and agile maneuverability can lock into place for long distance strolling
- 8" quick-release EVA wheels with sealed ball bearings
- Padded seat reclines to a near flat position with a vented seat top and retractable weather cover
- Patented universal accessory mounting bracket – accessorize your stroller with ease
- Large multi-position sun canopy with clear view windows
- Rounded handlebar for pushing comfort
- Front wheel suspension provides a smooth comfortable ride
- Seat back storage compartment
- Under seat storage basket
- Adjustable five-point safety harness with shoulder pads and buckle cover
- Rear parking brake
- Fold strap to keep stroller folded for transportation or storage
- Weight Capacity 50 lbs


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Christoph Benjamin Schulz, guest curator at Tate Liverpool, is a German research scholar at the University of Bochum with a particular interest in and extensive knowledge of how Lewis Carroll's work has influenced the visual arts. Alice in Wonderland ran at Tate Liverpool until 29 January 2012. www.tate.org.uk/liverpool
How would you explain the perennial popularity of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson's creation (written under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll) and what is it about the work that inspires visual artists?
For me, one of the main draws is the importance of perception. Perceptions may change due to the development of technique, mass media and society, but we are still dependent on our senses. In Alice, Dodgson continually returns to issues relating to perspective and the search for personality and identity in the fantastic worlds he creates. On another level, the stories are very much about conversation and communication via language. This capacity and necessity to communicate is a very basic theme for everyone as social human beings.
Could you talk us through some of the key pieces in the show?
We are very proud to be showing Charles Dodgson's original manuscript of Alice's Adventures Under Ground for the first time in a gallery setting. We are also showing works by artist friends of Dodgson from the Pre-Raphaelite era, a selection of Surrealist works by Dalí and Ernst, and work by the British Surrealists who were known as the "Children of Alice." There is also a display of great contemporary works (Tim Rollins, Kiki Smith, Luc Tuymans), which mirror the richness and complexity of the reception of the Alice books and of Alice in a wider sense.
Many artists have used Alice as a symbol for the chasm between the real and the virtual. How compatible are these themes with this show?
Dodgson's Alice books deal with the transformation of something real into something highly fantastic. In that sense, the Surrealists saw him as a surrealist "avant la lettre." Tenniel's illustrations also conceived an ongoing play with the iconography of Alice, which was important for many of our artists, particularly those who play with the process of understanding and creating meaning.
The number of artists who have referenced Alice in art from the 1930s onwards is almost overwhelming. How has this influenced the process of curating the show?
The sheer quantity of works relating to or inspired by Alice is fascinating and proved to us the importance and relevance of this exhibition. We had to develop a strong and convincing curatorial concept in order to structure it. We wanted to show artistic responses and approaches on different levels, ranging from very literal depictions or explicit Alice references to thematic and atmospheric connections. In speaking to contemporary artists about the exhibition, they have suggested works in which they saw a link to Alice, such as Dan Graham's Girl's Make-up Room (1998–2000).
What impact do you hope Mel Bochner's reprisal of his seminal 1969 work Measurement: Eye-level Perimeter will
have on viewers?
Mel Bochner's Measurement: Eye-level Perimeter (Ask Alice) (1969/2011) is a wonderful piece. In the new version the line running across the walls and the pillars of Wolfson Gallery at Tate Liverpool is at the exact height that Alice grows to at the beginning of the book, so not only do we perceive the exact size of the room, but also our own size in relationship to the world that Alice experiences. In addition to that, a strange optical illusion means that the height marked on the pillars somehow appears to be higher than that on the walls. It's an allegory for one of the most important messages of the Alice books: what we see, think and know is essentially dependent on our point of view and perspective.
After its showing at Tate Liverpool, the show will tour to MART, Italy and Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany. Do you think audiences will fully appreciate the show's themes outside its literary home?
Although the books were created in England, the stories don't lose their meaning outside the country's geographical borders or even outside the English speaking regions. Being translated in many ways enhances their meaning and lets us read and understand the original work differently. Walter Benjamin expressed the idea that a translation doesn't take the essential away from the original text but, in fact, adds a layer. From that point of view, there are many more perspectives on this text thanks to its many different translations. One could even speak of the works in the Tate Liverpool exhibition as "translations" of the text in the visual arts.


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This pensive post was inspired by a Metro poster of a French kid clutching her Doudou.
I kept seeing clutched doudous like on rue de Rivoli and the wheels started turning. *Note French adult on the right clutching his iPod (a doudou in disguise)
A chic or tres classe doudou in mariniere stripes matching the kid's shirt, seen in a high-end shop on rue Tronchet - being well co-ordinated in Paris starts early.
A giant doudou at ART-PARIS
Ecole Ritz Escoffier has plenty of adorable doudous (presumably for adults) if you want to shell out 39-69 euros...
Can you take your doudou to Angelina?
Oui, as long as he puts his purse on a chair and NOT the floor.
Reading a table is allowed.
The doudou as fashion accessory - I first spotted Bear at Sonia Rykiel Saint-Germain it was a coup de foudre/instant love.
Once I owned another Sonia doudou. In the '80's SR made fab faux furs. Matching jaguar doudous were slung round the neck. I bought a black one and used to perch it on my suitcase at customs - I would sail through with ease. French doudous are part of my history.


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Clemmons, NC - Entering its 21st season, the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park will be open nightly from 6:00 pm-11:00 pm starting November 17, 2012 to January 1, 2013. Forsyth County Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce that Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) has committed to a three year sponsorship agreement for the Festival of Lights. This sponsorship agreement will begin during the 2012 season.
This season visitors can experience new and interactive musical displays. Music provided for the interactive musical displays are from original compositions from the UNC School of the Arts Music Technology students. In addition to new displays, Tanglewood will be creating different scene set-ups with the light displays along the route to give the show a new feel for our faithful visitors. Also, to make the show more eco-friendly and brighter, all new displays and majority of the old displays will now feature the low-energy LED Lights. We encourage visitors to tune their radios to 99.5 WMAG until Christmas to hear the themes of festive holiday music as they drive through the Festival of Lights.
The Holiday Gift Village, located halfway through the light show route, will feature the Gift Shop, concessions, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Gift Shop will have holiday crafts, wood workings, and other fine gifts for sale made by over 70 local vendors. For those who like to visit the Gift Shop during the day, it will be open from 12:00 pm—4:00 pm on Saturdays, November 17 and December 18; otherwise, the Gift Shop will be open throughout the duration of the Festival of Lights. There will be photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00 pm – closing. Visitors have the option of paying for tractor-pulled hayrides and horse-drawn carriage rides. Reservations are required and can be placed by calling Tanglewood Stables at (336) 766-9540.
There will be several special events that encompass the Festival of Lights. Make-A-Wish Walk for Wishes is on November 10. Festival of Lights Golf Tournament is November 17. Throwback Nights, which offers discounted admission rates, are on November 19 -20, November 26-27, and December 3-4. Festival of Lights on Wheels by Arts for Life is on November 16. Running of the Lights by Setup Events is on December 31st. Heaven View Christmas Choir will sing at the Gift Village on November 17 and December 8. The RV Campground will have an extended season from November 17-25. Print Media Night is on November 15 and Media Night is on November 16.
The cost for the Festival of Lights for a family vehicle is $10 for Monday-Thursday and $15 Friday-Sunday and on holidays and holiday "eves." Commercial vans are $20 Monday-Thursday and $25 Friday-Sunday and on holidays and holiday "eves." Buses and motorcoaches are $90 every day. This year's festival will run November 17, 2012-January 1, 2013. Last year, Festival of Lights attracted an estimate of 263,100 visitors.
For more information about Tanglewood Park or the Festival of Lights and special events surrounding the light show, visit our newly designed website or call 336-703-6400.


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Weatherizing for Less Than $150
Weatherizing your house improves the likelihood of maintaining a steady temperature inside your home. John Krigger and Chris Dorsi, nationally recognized experts in the field of energy conversation for buildings, and authors of Residential Energy, explain, "Heat flowing out of and into buildings is a major energy consumer. Air leakage and ventilation intake are heated or cooled by the building's space conditioning systems. For every cubic foot of air that enters, a cubic foot leaves, taking the heating or cooling energy with it."
You don't need to spend a lot to realize savings. Here are a few simple, inexpensive ways to reduce energy consumption and save on heating and cooling costs.
Insulate outlets and switches
Applying electrical outlet foam sealers to all receptacles and switches will eliminate the flow of air from the outside. Air leaks from drafty basements and attics can travel through interior as well as exterior walls. A package of 50 foam sealers costs about $12-14. When you remove the plate, check to see if there are open, unsealed spaces around the outlet box. If so, use a spray foam insulating product to fill any open areas around the perimeter of the box only (NOT inside). Great Stuff spray foam insulation manufactured by Dow sells for about $3 a can. Their product website has instructional videos providing tips for how to use the product effectively.
Weatherstrip and tighten up doors
Tighten up hinges, door knobs and strike plates first. Loose doors are leaky doors. Next, try this test: Take a hair dryer on high heat setting, close your door, aim and blow at the level of the threshold. If you feel a draft or heat on the other side, you can bet the door isn't properly sealed.
Gaps at the bottom of a door cause a tremendous air leakage which equates to heat or cool air loss. Woodbridge Environmental, an energy audit company in Edison, NJ, said on Hometalk.com, "Depending on the door type, you can purchase replacement rubber strips for the bottom of your doors. These oftentimes slide right into the door bottoms. Also some doors have adjustable thresholds ... typically made of a wood strip that has large screws mounted flush with the top of the board that comes in contact with the door gasket. By turning these with a large screwdriver, you can raise and lower this and thus tighten or loosen the gap between the door gasket and the threshold. If you're seeing a gap between the doors like a little hole, then you need to find out the name of the door that was installed. There are special gaskets for double doors that will seal the little space between each door corners where they meet. A good quality lumber yard would have to order these for you. You will not find them in any of the big box stores."
After you've tightened up the door and installed a door sweep, apply weatherstripping to the door jamb. There are several kinds: Adhesive foam tape (with a peel-and-apply backing), pile felt, plastic V-seal or P-shaped silicon bulb are the most common, ranging in price from $3 -10 for approximately 10 –17 feet. Top-of-the-line is a bronze V-seal, but you must have at least 1/8 inch of space between the edge of the door and the jamb to install this type. Otherwise, get the most flexible stripping you can. For the longest wear, install stripping against the jamb, not the door.
Also consider removing the trim around the door, using Great Stuff Window & Door spray insulation to fill gaps in the frame, then re-nail or replace the trim. This type of spray foam insulation is soft and malleable, and will flow into small gaps easily without warping the framing as it expands.
Weatherstrip windows
The process for insulating windows is dependent on whether you have a casement or double-hung window, but essentially V-shaped plastic weatherstripping and adhesive foam tape work well. You can usually find detailed instructions for installing any weatherstripping product at the brand's website. As with doors, you can decrease air leakage and drafts by removing window trim and applying spray foam insulation in the surrounding frame.
One of the most overlooked methods of reducing drafts during winter months is to close and lock your windows. Locking windows pushes the top and bottom sashes tightly against the frame, creating a tighter seal.
Replace dryer vent
If you have an old-style dryer vent, consider replacing it with an energy efficient one ($15) which uses a floating shuttle that remains closed when the dryer is not in use.
Laura Foster-Bobroff is a Networx - https://www.networx.com - writer. Read more articles like this one - https://www.networx.com/article/weatherizing-for-less-than-150 - on Networx.com.
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Barely a month ago, hundreds of initiatives were organized around the world to demonstrate against Monsanto, the corporation that became a household name through their domination of GM seeds and pesticides. But the thousands of people who took to the streets to say "no" to the aggressive policies of the St. Louis-based multinational were not enough to prevent yet another scandal.
On June 19, the biotechnologist Robert Fraley, who has worked for Monsanto for years and was responsible for the development of the first GM soya seed in 1996, was awarded the World Food Prize. Started by Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, the prize is given to individuals "who have made vital contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world." Slow Food firmly believes that GMOs do not respond satisfactorily to any of these criteria.
There is clearly a conflict of interest inherent in the assignation of the prize, which is funded by, among others, Monsanto. Furthermore, we want to highlight the fact that many farming communities and consumers, and in general increasing numbers of people around the world, do not see Monsanto and other multinationals as able to provide solutions to problems like food security. As Eric Holt Gimenez summed up in his article for the Huffington Post last week: "The trouble is, GMO seeds produce feed and fuel, not food. Over the last 20 years they've yet to feed any of the planet's poor or hungry."
Slow Food looks to the thousands of examples of communities promoting local seeds as the basis of sustainable food production. In Egypt, for example, the Nawaya organization runs the "Bozoor Balady" (seeds of the country) campaign in collaboration with Nabta, 350.org and Greenpeace to "raise awareness among consumers about an issue that is still not common knowledge." Sara El Sayed, a young biologist and a Slow Food International Councilor explained: "To do this, we are organizing many initiatives that aim to inform everyone about the bad quality of the seeds – not just GMOs – currently available on the market. What we are doing now, we are doing to attract attention in the media, on television, in magazines and newspapers, which have shown themselves willing to let us talk about seeds, their importance to the local diet, why the taste of foods has changed in recent years."
For Sara and the young activists involved in this difficult battle, the challenges are many. "First we have to collect more information: about the commonly sold seeds, about the actual presence of GMOs in our country, about their harmfulness to human health… Then, our aim is to involve more and more people, starting with the women and men who have been working on these issues for years and who can contribute their experience. Our actions are symbolic. For example, we made 'seed bombs,' balls made of local, organic seeds, which we threw into public parks and gardens which then grow into new plants."
In Uruguay, Laura Rosano, a chef and leader of the Slow Food Canario Convivium, is strongly committed to the fight against GMOs, in a country where they have come to be an important part of the economy. "In Uruguay, 98% of the soy grown is transgenic. GM corn, meanwhile, represents 90% of the national corn harvest, which means an increasing loss of traditional seeds and biodiversity. In all this, the government is not implementing awareness-raising policies, because it is interested in promoting the development of its flagship product, GM soy. As for us, we're working to develop a proposal for a law on GM product labeling, which we'll send to parliament, and to organize a third seminar on this subject, with the plan of raising awareness among young people, consumers and civil society."
The voices of Sara and Laura are not isolated. Along with them, many farmers, consumers, journalists and researchers around the world are fighting against the iniquity of GMOs, and trying to make people understand that they are not the solution to world hunger. It is to them that we would like to award our World Food Prize. We are on their side.
Read more about Slow Food's campaign to Say No to GMOs!
Follow Slow Food on Facebook and Twitter for updates and commentaries.


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Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers!
Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to:- Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing.
- Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership.
- Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more.
- Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords.
Mary has generously offered a copy of WRITING IRRISISTABLE KIDLIT: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CRAFTING FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULT AND MIDDLE GRADE READERS for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you're not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on December 8th. I'll announce the winner on December 10th. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry.This contest is open to US residents only. Please mention if you're not a US resident in your comments if you don't think I know that.
And don't forget to enter my giveaway contests for THE SPINDLERS, CONJURE, ROOTLESS, and RENEGADE. The links are at the top of the blog.
Here's what's coming up:
Hope to see you next Monday!


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The Future of Surround Sound
Close your eyes. Wait, don't do that. You won't be able to read. Imagine yourself sitting in the center seat, center row, of a dark and empty theater. It's a good theater, quiet, and you can feel the space stretching out from you in all directions. A sound rises to an audible level far in front of you. It's a bee. Okay, maybe you don't like bees. It's an old plane, rotary engine struggling to turn over, the sputters emanating from a center channel speaker unseen behind the screen in the dark theater. The plane taxis left. There's no picture on the screen: You localize it just by how the sound moves toward the left speakers.
The unseen pilot jabs an unseen throttle, and the engine noise increases in fervor and volume. You hear the plane move to the speakers on the left wall of the theater. Then it passes behind your head, the sound of its many pistons taxing the little speakers on the back wall. It continues its audible flight, passing to the right wall and then the right speakers, finally settling down back in the center. Best case, this is what surround sound has been for more than 2 decades. Indeed, the experience surrounds you with sound. But... But...
The unseen pilot jabs the throttle, and the engine rises in pitch and intensity. It rises in dimension, too, taking off and sliding smoothly down the left wall of the theater. Suddenly, it loops overhead and around behind you, unbroken in timbre, pitch, or volume. As it passes back along the left the way it came, it soars up again, high above and in front of you, to continue its seamless flight down the right wall and back to the center of the theater.
This is the promise of Dolby Atmos. It's what surround sound has always strived to be: perfect audio envelopment. Forget the number of speakers, channels, or anything else. That's the "how," and while interesting, it belies the success of the "what." Not only is Atmos a much more audibly convincing surround sound experience, it's also a new method of audio mixing and distribution that gives audio mixers the tools to create the next generation of multichannel surround sound, while also being backward-compatible with legacy gear.
Here's how Dolby pitches Atmos: "Content creators will welcome the new power they have to tell their stories with Dolby Atmos. Studios will appreciate the simplified distribution. Exhibitors will be able to offer audiences a new, compelling, only-in-a-theater experience. The audience will enjoy a completely new listening experience with enveloping sound that brings the stories on screen more fully to life."
Grandiose marketing language aside, Dolby's pitch indicates the multiple changes Atmos promises to bring to movie sound. And while on the surface Atmos is about many more channels than what's available now, the company is careful to not alienate current 5.1 and 7.1 theaters. Atmos isn't about more speakers per se; it's a better way of dealing with the speakers that are already available, and it also offers the potential to add more.


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A message from Mamas of Color Rising:
Mamas want You!
After two years of pushing for change in Texas Medicaid, Mamas of Color Rising (MOCR) in collaboration with others, is on the verge of winning a major victory for Women of Color and poor women in Texas. If we are successful, pregnant women on Medicaid will now have the option to choose a Midwife and deliver at a birth center as opposed to the OB/GYN and the hospital as their only choice. This choice allows women to receive more personalized and holistic care, longer and more comprehensive appointments, as well as shorter waiting times prior to appointments. This is in contrast to the more prevalent 5 minute prenatal checks and three hour waiting times in clinic lobbies and waiting rooms. These more "healthy" and ideal scenarios are choices that the wealthy and privately insured are currently demanding. Due to an implant exposure, I had to take antibiotics. During the entire time I would have no side effects and although I'm a real sensitive as far as drugs. I did not even read the leaflet, because that's what drives me crazy most of the time. If you have a sensitive stomach like me, you should always take the medication.
For women of color, this victory will represent much more than a "healthy" choice. According to Amnesty International, in the U.S. African American women are four times more likely to die of pregnancy related complications than white women, and Latina women are 2.5 times as likely as white women to receive late or no prenatal care. The outcomes in Texas are actually worse than these national averages. Research shows that access to the midwifery model of care can tangibly improve these outcomes.
MOCR has never asked broader friends, supporters and allies to come out for an action before. As busy mothers ourselves, we only ask when its absolutely needed. BUT today we are asking!
Come out next Tuesday August 28th to the public hearing at the Health and Human Services Braker Center, located at 11209 Metric Boulevard, Building H, Austin, Texas. The hearing will be held in the Lone Star Conference Room from 9am-11am.
Wear one of our stickers and represent the fight for equal access to healthier birth choices for ALL women!
Support our mamas members testimonies!
Call or text 254-421-4059, if u have any logistical questions the day of.
If you are interested in providing a testimony as well please feel free to email us at email@example.com.
Not a mama? Don't have kids? Don't even want kids?
This issue affects us ALL. For all folks committed to racial and economic justice, next Tuesday's Medicaid ruling is critical!
For Mamas of Color Rising the right for women on Medicaid to choose their type of birth provider directly addresses the larger social issues that we are working on such as:
* The current HEALTHCARE APARTHEID we are living in this country which particularly affects African-American and Latino immigrant communities.
* The WOMB TO PRISON PIPELINE- that according to MOCR begins earlier than school, since discrimination, policing and tracking actually begin in the womb.
* And finally, a JUST and LOVING world is one world where all mothers and babies receive attentive quality loving care.
It's THAT simple.
We will see you at the hearing!
In Solidarity,
Mamas of Color Rising Collective Members


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CONGRATULATIONS to winner with the username Jurica please post a comment with your email address within 48 hours to claim your prize.
We have teamed up with Kiss Me I'm Queer a retailer of LGBTQ pride clothing and items to raffle off a prize for one of our readers. Anyone is eligible to enter, old and new readers alike for a chance to win a prize of your choice (t-shirts, hats, teddy bears, pins or even a thong!) the only item excluded from the store are the sweatshirts.
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*The contest will last 1 week from 8/25-9/1 and all comments up until midnight will be accepted. Please subscribe to this post by email for comment updates or check back when the contest ends. The winner must provide their email and will be put in touch with the distributor. If the winner cannot be reached within 48 hours after the contest results, another poster will be selected.
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"I'm really eager to go in and destroy my opponent, and it's not the smartest move, but it's in my genes and it's what I learned when I was young. You go in there and try to knock the person out."
A fighting landmark is fast approaching for Gilbert Yvel. It is a blessing and also a curse to be a fighter, as the constant menagerie of ups, downs and in-betweens can haunt you, and to have milestones come across your lap in this game is rare indeed.
This Saturday, October 23, 2010, will mark the Yvel's 14 year anniversary as a fighter, an accomplishment not many can claim. In those 14 years Yvel has seen his share of glory, both achieved and stolen, and throughout the whole time he has only sought to stay relevant amid the positive bustling times that MMA has now undergone worldwide. To his delight and chagrin, the game and its players have evolved and he has been studiously observing the whole journey.
"Back in the day, it was just get in the ring and fight, but now there's a whole game plan like an American football game," says the veteran Yvel. "It doesn't matter how strong you are or how fast you are or how good you've got it, if you don't have a good game plan they'll just take everything away from you. Nobody wants to stand with me; they'll just take me to the ground because that's my weak point. They are so smart and now I have to learn an all-new game. I'm really eager to go in and destroy my opponent, and it's not the smartest move, but it's in my genes and it's what I learned when I was young. You go in there and try to knock the person out. You don't run or try to take somebody down or hide or whatever; you fight and it's a little bit different now."
In American marital folklore, a 14-year anniversary is classified as the ivory anniversary and since in this case MMA is the loving spouse of Yvel, ivory, with its hard, yet regal, veneer, is the perfect accompaniment to Yvel's milestone. Like Yvel it is rare and considered old school luxury, fitting since this PRIDE vet has survived wars inside rings and cages across this planet that most fighters can only wish to enter into. His list of competitors reads like a who's who of MMA dossier. With wins over Pedro Rizzo, Gary Goodridge, Fabiano Scherner and Cheick Kongo, Yvel has seen the best of the big men during their prime. Now planted in the UFC heavyweight division, Yvel hopes to further propel his name and career amid the new giants of the game.
"The whole game is so different after the 14 years since I started, and everyone is so smart and using tactics. They're not going toe-to-toe anymore, everybody's moving, everybody's getting better stand-up, everybody's getting better on the ground," says an excited Yvel. "Only a game plan can make the difference for a fighter. I think if half of the fighters fought without a game plan and without all the tactics like back in the day, nobody would've made it. But everybody's so smart right now. Every single heavyweight with a smart game plan and a strategy can be champion, that's how I see it."
After two showings in the UFC, Yvel has yet to live up to his former glory within the Octagon's hallowed walls. Falling first to Junior Dos Santos via first round TKO at UFC 108 and then via unanimous decision to Ben Rothwell at UFC 115, Yvel is in need of some resuscitation, but to him, it is simple preparedness and conforming to the new school ways of tactics and strategy that will move him past these losses.
"My first Junior Do Santos fight I took it on really short notice and I wasn't really prepared and I lost, but it happens," said Yvel. "My second fight was really tough against Ben Rothwell. We were so focused on the stand up fighting and our game plan wasn't perfect for that fight, but he just took me down the whole time and I just didn't train my wrestling. I'm learning a lot of stuff right now."
On the day of his anniversary, Yvel faces a new challenger in undefeated Jon Madsen. This being Madsen's fourth UFC visit, with all the others going his way, Yvel definitely will find a perfect storm of new meets experienced on this special day. Yet to Yvel, Madsen is just another guy who probably won't want to trade blows with the always-dangerous veteran.
"Madsen's a good wrestler and I don't really like wrestlers because all they want to do is take it to the ground, but I'm really prepared," said Yvel. "This is a good fight for me maybe because I have more experience than him and the only thing he knows is wrestling. Stand up is his weakness and he also doesn't have that really good jiu jitsu. I have good jiu jitsu but it doesn't come out all the time because my wrestling sucks. Let's just say his only strong point is wrestling. Give me until after the fight, let me first knock him out and then I can tell you all about why that was a good fight for me."
Having incorporated new staples into his training regimen like morning running, which Yvel hates, sprints in the evening, which Yvel never did until this camp, and training with Muay Thai trainer, Shawn Yarborough, MMA training with John Lewis and the addition of a former Boise State wrestling coach, Yvel is ready to change his UFC course. Now if only someone will stand with him.
"What I like to give people is action. I like to fight with no emotions, I just go in the cage and try to knock my opponent out I think it's why most of the people love me because that's what I always like to do. Of course, there are some awesome ground fighters, but I think people like the action. I step in the ring and I show people I just want to fight, I want to destroy my opponent, and I want to knock him out. There's no other way for me."


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NEW YORK — To Derek Jeter, it was just another day to get ready for spring training.
On a minor league field at the New York Yankees' complex in Florida, he took batting practice, fielded grounders and chatted with teammates. And then he drove away in his Mercedes, offering no hint that the countdown to his retirement had already begun.
Hours later, Jeter alerted the sports world: This will be his final season.
"I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," Jeter posted Wednesday in a long letter on his Facebook page.
"I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets," the shortstop wrote.
While it was no secret the team captain was getting close to the end of his brilliant career as he neared 40 — especially after injuries wrecked him last season — Jeter's announcement caught many by surprise.
In fact, some people wondered whether his account had been hacked. But it was quickly confirmed that one of the greatest players in the history of baseball's most storied franchise was serious.
A 13-time All-Star shortstop who led the Yankees to five World Series championships, Jeter was the last link to the powerful Yankees teams that won three straight crowns from 1998-2000. Longtime teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte retired after last year.
"Derek Jeter is Mr. Yankee of his era," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press. "He was the face of one of the greatest teams ever."
Jeter was limited to 17 games last season while trying to recover from a broken left ankle sustained during the 2012 playoffs. He hit only .190 with one homer and seven RBIs.
"Last year was a tough one for me. As I suffered through a bunch of injuries, I realized that some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle," Jeter wrote. "The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started to feel more like a job, it would be time to move forward."
"So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I came to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold off saying anything until I was absolutely 100 percent sure," he wrote.
"And the thing is, I could not be more sure," he wrote.
His agent, Casey Close, said Jeter wanted to declare his intentions before the Yankees start spring training later this week so that his future status wouldn't be a distraction.
The Yankees open camp for pitchers and catchers on Friday. Jeter has said he's healthy and ready to go — at 39, his next birthday is in June.
"Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season," Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said.
Said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, a former Jeter teammate: "I'm excited for him. It's kind of nice to see him go out on his own terms."
Jeter is the Yankees' career hits leader with 3,316. He's ninth on the all-time list; a 200-hit season would put him in fifth place.
Jeter is a lifetime .312 hitter in 19 seasons, with 256 home runs and 1,261 RBIs. He has scored 1,876 runs, stolen 348 bases and is a five-time Gold Glove winner.
Added up, his numbers put him among the greats in Yankees history, with fans often invoking the names of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle when mentioning Jeter's legacy.
But No. 2 is defined by so much more than his numbers. His backhanded flip in the playoffs, his diving catch into the stands, his speech to close old Yankee Stadium and his home run for career hit No. 3,000.
An October presence for so many years — Jeter is a career .321 hitter in seven World Series — he also became Mr. November in 2001. His winning, 10th-inning homer came shortly after midnight in a Game 4 that began on Halloween.
Jeter was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1996, the season the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978 and re-established themselves as a major force. He was the MVP of the 2000 World Series.
"He made me a better player and a better person," longtime teammate Jorge Posada said. "I'm so proud of our friendship and I love him like a brother. Derek was a true champion."
Commissioner Bud Selig said that during his tenure, "Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter."
A staple for so long in the Yankees' lineup, Jeter missed the first 91 games last year. He felt pain in his right quadriceps when he returned July 11 and again went on the disabled list.
Jeter came back for three games but strained his right calf. In early September, he was done for the year.
The Yankees will open the 2014 regular season on April 1 in Houston. Their final game is scheduled to be at Fenway Park, against the longtime rival Boston Red Sox.
New York's final regular-season home game is set for Sept. 25 against Baltimore. After Jeter's announcement, StubHub said the ticket demand zoomed to make that night the highest-selling game of the 2014 season. Before Wednesday, it wasn't among the top 50 in sales.
Rivera said a year in advance that he would retire, and was saluted everywhere he played last season. Jeter is sure to get a similar farewell tour.
"I wish everybody does it like that," Rivera told ESPN radio. "I think that would be the right thing for him to do."
Jeter wrote that he wants to pursue business and other interests "in addition to focusing more on my personal life and starting a family of my own."
"And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation," he said.
"But before that, I want to soak in every moment of every day this year, so I can remember it for the rest of my life. And most importantly, I want to help the Yankees reach our goal of winning another championship," he said.
Yankees shortstop Jeter announces plan to retire after season
Professional Sports
Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell signs with Raptors
Kansas State star Keyontae Johnson continues his comeback story as NBA Draft pick
From Wichita to KU, and now NBA, Gradey Dick aims to rep Kansas well
Sam McDowell: How Patrick Mahomes has forever changed the game — and his legacy — in Kansas City


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New US secretary of state to visit Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar; Spokeswoman Nuland says Kerry will arrive in Jewish state with Obama in the spring, 'after Israel forms new government'
Secretary of State John Kerry will bypass Israel on his first official trip to the Middle East, US officials said Tuesday as they announced a jam-packed itinerary through nine nations, including several in Europe.
Kerry's maiden voyage begins Sunday. He will visit close US allies and partners in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. His diplomacy will focus on the conflicts in Mali, Syria and Afghanistan, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
But there will be no stops in Israel or the Palestinian territories, which together have formed an epicenter of American diplomatic efforts over the past six decades.
Nuland said the US was waiting for Israeli political parties to form a new government after their recent elections. "The Israelis are still working on their coalition," she told reporters, adding that Kerry won't travel to Jerusalem or Ramallah until this spring – when he accompanies President Barack Obama to the region.
The announcement will likely dampen any lingering hopes that the Obama administration might unveil a fresh initiative to revive the moribund Mideast peace process.
The State Department never formally announced Kerry stops in Israel or the West Bank on his first trip, but officials had included them among the most likely destinations and predicted that the 2004 presidential candidate's visit would lay the groundwork for Obama's upcoming visit.
Kerry, who is scheduled to return to Washington on March 6, will meet first with senior British officials in London. He'll then discuss trans-Atlantic issues with German youth in Berlin, where he spent time as a child as the son of an American diplomat posted to the divided Cold War outpost.
In Paris, Kerry will discuss France's intervention in Mali. And in Rome, he will attend a meeting with Syrian opposition leaders.
Nuland said the former senator is primarily on a "listening tour" when it comes to Syria, and would not be advocating any shift in US policy that would see American military support for the rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's regime. He will continue Syria diplomacy in meetings in Cairo; Ankara, Turkey; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Doha, Qatar.
Not on the agenda as of yet is a face-to-face meeting with the foreign minister of Russia, which up to now has stymied American efforts to halt the violence in Syria through international sanctions or other pressure. Washington also charges Moscow with providing Assad continued military and diplomatic support two years into a civil war that has claimed some 60,000 lives.
Kerry spoke by telephone over the weekend with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the two agreed to meet soon – despite the disagreements between their governments.
"If it works on the trip, that's great," Nuland said. "If not, then we'll keep working on soon thereafter."


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Maybe it's time, though, to think outside the box on DWI instead of relying solely on criminal enforcement.
My better half observed recently that in London there's not nearly so much drunk driving as here because there's good public transit and a bar within walking distance in virtually every neighborhood. Examining data from Texas vs. the UK (pdf), our police make about one DWI arrest per 244 residents annually, while in England and Wales that figure is one out of 499. They also have FAR fewer alcohol-related traffic deaths compared to Texas (1,544 vs. 550 in 2006), though we have less than half their population.
By contrast, in Texas there is little public transportation (in Austin the bus route in my neighborhood quits running at midnight, even though bars close at 2 a.m.), but providing alternative transport would do a lot more to reduce drunk driving than further ramping up penalties.
What's more, most cities zone businesses that serve alcohol to non-residential areas, but then arrest drinkers who drive to and fro. How much sense does that make? Our laws have created a situation where you basically MUST drive to drink but then are subject to punishment for it.
Backing up this notion is a recent analysis showing DWI arrests are less common in "wet" Texas counties than "dry" ones. Why? IMO it's because people don't have to drive home from another county after they want to get a drink.
To believe the statistics from MADD, cops stop only a tiny fraction of those who drive drunk. So why not pursue complementary strategies? Investing in public transit and allowing bars zoned in or near residential neighborhoods would likely do more to solve this problem than further ramping up penalties or mandatory blood draws.


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Places > Great Britain > in County Highland
Below is a list of places we know about in Highland, Great Britain. Click a name to run a search for images in that area, the number shown is the approximate number of photographs surrounding the place based on a cross-section of the Geograph archive. If there is only one photograph identified you will be taken directly to the photo page. Note that not all places are shown - we try to pick bigger places, but this selection is approximate.
Great Britain locations based upon 1:50 000 Scale Gazetteer with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. All Rights Reserved. Educational licence 100045616.


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Good morning.
Our early headlines:
-- In Syria, Peace Plan 'Is Unraveling'.
-- Pentagon Condemns Actions Of Soldiers Posing With Suicide Bombers' Remains.
-- Ted Nugent Stands Firm, Secret Service To Look Into His Words About Obama.
Other stories making news:
-- "Obama, Romney In Dead Heat Among Registered Voters." (CBS News)
-- Norway's Mass Murderer Says "He Should Either Be Acquitted Or Executed;" A Jail Term Would Be "Pathetic." (The Guardian)
-- "Secret Service Inquiry Leads To Colombian Brothels." (The New York Times)
-- "GSA Official's Wife Accompanied Him On Trips At Taxpayer Expense." (The Washington Post)
-- "Ozzie Guillen Back In Marlins' Dugout, Promises To Manage His Mouth." (Miami Herald)
-- "Spanish King Juan Carlos Sorry For Botswana Hunt Trip." (BBC News)
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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My next stop in exploring anchovies was a tapenade. A tapenade is a dish that is made from chopped olives, capers and olive oil at its base. Tapenade can also include other ingredients like garlic, herbs, lemon and of course anchovies. It is generally made from black olives and I took the opportunity to try some nicoise olives. The nicoise olives were smaller than the kalamata black olives which I am more familiar with. The tapenade was so full of flavour! Once again the anchovies melded into the dish and added a nice saltiness without making the tapenade taste like fish. The tapenade reminds me of a hummus or a pesto except that it is based on olives. Though I simply served if on crostini I wonder in what other ways it can be used. Maybe in pasta, or a sandwich or on fish…
- 1 cup black olives (pitted)
- 1 tablespoon capers (rinsed)
- 2 anchovy fillets (rinsed)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
- juice of half a lemon
- pepper to taste
- Pulse the olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and olive oil in a food processor.
- Chop the olives.
- Mix the chopped olives, parsley, lemon juice and pepper into the tapenade.
Green Olive and Preserved Lemon Tapenade