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Sebastian Biot looks at KDE Usability in the first of a series of studies. "While some participants noted that KDE looked different from Windows, none seemed bothered by the differences and the look-and-feel of KDE. Users identified all the elements of the interface without any trouble including KDE's Konqueror and KMail icons. Most users seemed to understand the K menu's presence and function intuitively and they used it much more than I had anticipated. This test conducted in early July 2002 with four participants outlines of some of KDE 3.0's shortcomings including inconsistencies in KFileDialog and the difficulties of working with Konqueror's embedded viewers." It's good to see people stepping up to do this kind of work -- the good news is that discussion of the study has already been started (kde-usability, kde-cafe).
I have to second the findings of the usability test.
When I first used KDE 3.x, the single-clicking thing also
threw me. It should be double-clicking by default.
Second thing that threw me was that when the mouse passed over a desktop icon,
the icon changed to an "active" state. I generally have about 5-10 icons on the
desktop. The effect is that everytime I move the mouse the entire screen is jumping with various changes. This behaviour should also be turned off by default not because it wastes cycles, which it does, but because it makes the desktop non-estetic.
And my last pet pieve (it didn't show up in the study, because users were not asked to perform it) is clipboard. Ctrl-V/Ctrl-C works - that's great. But it is worthless if everytime you select something, the clipboard gets overwritten. I still haven't found a way to turn off this ridiculous behaviour (am I missing something?). Sometimes I want to highlight a url somewhere and paste it into Konq, so I highlight the URL, then I try to highlight the URL in the address bar, so that I can overwrite it with the url I selected, but the clipboard just got whacked. Anyway, there should be an option to turn off the X clipboard behaviour, because it is simply non-intuitive.
And my last pet pieve (it didn't show up in the study, because users were not asked to perform it) is clipboard. Ctrl-V/Ctrl-C works - that's great. But it is worthless if everytime you select something, the clipboard gets overwritten. I still haven't found a way to turn off this ridiculous behaviour (am I missing something?).
Yes, you are. Did you notice the clipboard (Klipper) in the system tray? When you click on it, it presents you with a clipboard history.
Not to mention that this has been fixed in KDE 3. Selecting something and then pressing Ctrl-V does produce the desired effect. The only way you could have problems now is if you tried to mix the two clipboards: if you press Ctrl-C and then middle-click, or if you select something and try to paste it with Ctrl-V.
Oops, I stand corrected. Clipboard actually does work. Sorry, I was thinking about a different workstation which has an earlier rev of kde installed.
> I have to second the findings of the usability test.
When I first used KDE 3.x, the single-clicking thing also
threw me. It should be double-clicking by default.
WRONG!!! I can't stress enough how much this is a terrible idea!!! Just because thousands of lemmings run off a cliff doesn't mean it is a good idea. Where did double clicking come from? Apple advanced the GUI they got from Xerox with a single button mouse. This pretty much indicated double clicking since a second button was not optional. I too found single clicking strange when I first started using KDE. However within a few weeks I found double clicking way more obtuse. Consider that it is not at all uncommon for people to suffer from repetative stress disorders, in particular carpal tunnel syndrome induced by double clicking on a mouse. This is a very real thing. Your chances of having real and painful medical problems after decades of double clicking are very good. They put warnings on cigarette packs about heart and lung disease. There ought to be one on your mouse about double clicking. A quick search on carpal tunnel syndrome and double clicking reveals plenty of activity including expensive ergonomic mouses that have a double click button so that people can use windoze without having to double click. I for one would feel ill if I thought KDE users were buying them because they did not know that a free software solution for the insanity of double clicking was there already.
KDE should be saluted for doing the right thing... even though some people find it inconvenient to be open minded and realize the it is more productive, logical and less injurious to click once when the only need to click twice is the one button mouse and the morons in Redmond who never had a fresh idea or any sense. It seems to me if you are coming to KDE from windoze you will find yourself rebooting less and clicking less... both of which will make you more productive.
God help us if we allow "usability" to pander to the worst inclinations and stupidist conventions. Sometimes it's worth taking the heat for being right!
I agree 100%.. Single clicking is the way to go. When you browse internet, do you double click on links? When I first started using KDE, even I didn't like single clicking.. but then it felt so natural after a while. The only time I don't like single clicking is when I am in file browsing.
Another observation I would like to put forth is that of my father. He used Windoze till now but moved to Linux/KDE (KDX!) recently. He is not a techie person.. a complete newbie. After a while, he loved single clicking. When I asked him if I should change snigle click to double click like in windoze, he said no.. he likes it this way.. he said he got irritated at times with the windoze doubleclick.. mainly because he had to click within that short time else it wouldn't click!
I find single cliking much better, but you have to get used to it. About a week and you don't want to go back. Only problen is at work, me sitting and waiting but nothing happens, darn NT.
Overheard 2 coworkers talking, both had installed win2k and they agreed on one thing, the best ting sice sliced bread was the abillity to set it to single clik.
I agree completely. If KDE adopts this notion, maybe we can also get them to drop the metric system:) The Windows 95 interface was so badly done that it spawned several well known usabilty "Hall of Shame" sites. Everytime I see Windows-type mistakes repeated in KDE it makes me boil. Add this to your usability test: Special=Inconsistent=Bad. I single click a registered mime type on the KDE desktop to open it with my preferred application, but have to middle click the same file in Konqueror. One or the other should be the default behavior, but not both.
A mouse is a pointing device, by default that's the way it should behave. I work in industrial automation. It's typical now to use industrial touchscreens to provide graphical operator interfaces. Many times these are simply an X86 PC in a special form factor, with the touchscreen connected and configured as a serial mouse. I've never seen an instance where anyone "intuitively" attempted to double click a graphical control panel touch object. The same applies to kiosks or automatic teller machines - Mac and Windows users seem to grasp how to operate those machines at a glance.
The faster we make PC's work like everything else in the real world, the better off we'll be. Most of us don't double click to start a car, turn on the living room lights, and etc. ad infinitum. I don't want to click a desktop icon two or three times (to give it focus and to launch the associated application).
Should KDE make that the default behavior based on some vague claim of "improved usability" without first asking for a rational explanation of how it improves the functional utility of everyone's desktop?
I'm all for single clicking, except that it is kinda frustrating to figure out how to simply select something for a change.
The automatic select cannot read my mind, if it is not fast enough, then it is not fast enough. Then other times it is too fast, or it can be a bit "sticky" in which everywhere I move my mouse, it follows, and messes up a bunch of selects.
What I'd like is...if there was a way to simply select something. And I would like it if it could be done on a click. So far, the mapping is: left opens, middle open in new window, and right opens the menu. Can I win something here? How about this: in single click, if the menu is open, and I click on the same icon I opened the menu on, it should leave it selected, period! I not care if the mouse moved ever so little off the menu, select the thing, not open it! I know that is 2 clicks, but I can live with that. It would be nicer if a double click would select for a change. If you are in single click mode, isn't it intuitive to assume that there was a role reversal in which select is now double click? I don't know exactly how the GUI thing handles events, but if it is possible to reverse the role, then that would be nice. Have a checkbox under the configuration for single clicking saying "Double click selects".
Ctrl-click selects a file.
So to select file(s) with single click I have to use 2 hands. That sucks.
No, you just point to it. Right mouse button gives you the option. If you want to move it, just press left mouse button and don't release it until you draged whatever you are dragging above the target. Drop.
That's it.
There is a guy who even wrote a mousedriver which works without any clicks. Could this be done in KDE too?
Already done: http://accessibility.kde.org/kmousetool.html
Full ACK!
"better usability" doesn't mean "no evolution".
The simple click is a good evolution because:
->easier to learn
(beginners move the mouse when "double clicking"
=>so windows move the icon while they want to open an application, ...)
->better consistancy
(why a simple clic open a menu
and I need double clic to open a folder in windows)
->less effort
Thanks for the simple clic
I agree, too.
Actually, the whole thing is a non-issue anyway because a new KDE-user should see the wizard where you can choose a look-and-feel right in the beginning, and all users who think that think Windows is the best can choose Windows right there, with double-clicking and all.
KDE is a great desktop, while I certainly acknowledge that there is room for improvement (there always is), please don't do something just because "it's in Windows".
wow, and i thought that the mac vs pc war was gross....
i can't believe you can actually start an overheat discussion on double-clicking vs. single-clicking.
Note that he didn't ask the User how they felt about it. I'm pretty sure if he explained what was happening and why the user would soon feel at home. My dad for one lives quite well with the single-clicking.
And we come to the central matter: making users _know_. I.e., given the absolute truth that users don't read documentation unless their lives depend on it (it always does, but we, users, are crazy risk freaks :-/ ), we should find another way to make people know.
One thing would be a mandatory tutorial at the first use of the computer. This won't trap users that start to use an already configured/existing account.
Another thing would be to have "intelligent assistants" (hello, Microsoft) that would detect "erroneous" double-click usage etc.
Bad huh? But don't despair. There is a probable solution, and it's even as old as unix/X, probably. Fire up the "xfig" program (you don't have it installed? Shame on you!). And look in the top right corner. Move your mouse cursor over different elements of the display. Choose tools from the palette. You'll see there, in the top right corner, a small mouse buttons depiction, with explanations.
Now, imagine we would add a general mechanism that would allow, at user's demand, the display of a panel on the desktop (or in the kicker) that would list the actions associated with the mouse (and perhaps with the keyboard buttons too), depending on the element of the desktop over which the mouse cursor is, and/or the element which has the focus.
This technique would also solve another usability problem mentioned: opening documents _for viewing only_ in the konq-embedded viewers. Well, the above technique would show that middle-clicking on a file opens it in a full-blown editor.
Nice huh?
> When I first used KDE 3.x, the single-clicking
> thing also threw me. It should be
> double-clicking by default.
I think single clicking makes more sense. Why should your bias have more weight than mine?
> everytime you select something, the clipboard
> gets overwritten. I still haven't found a way
> to turn off this ridiculous behaviour
Some of us like the normal X behavior. Anyhow, as far as I know, your painful windows/mac way works fine in KDE 3.
I Agree! I like single clicking I'm used to it!
I like X clipboard / clipboard history combination, it's good and I'm used to it. Btw. in konqueror there is the cross button to clear the URL text box. And in all text boxes right click and "Clear" deletes the text. That's as efficient as selecting it and pressing "Del" IMHO.
IMHO the preference wizard should make clear to users who are used to Windows that they use the Window profile. Maybe it would be right to preselect the profile, many people dont read any text. But it is also important to make the KDE settings default for people without Windows (or MacOS) exposure, because double clicks are very complicated for newbies.
>I have to second the findings of the usability test.
When I first used KDE 3.x, the single-clicking thing also
threw me. It should be double-clicking by default.
No way ... Double Click is for other world not for ours. Yes is good to configure this double click , triple click etc but not by default.
Just because windows does it this way doesn't necessaryly mean that it's better.
But in this case I think you are right. The users have already made their choise.
Even Microsoft tried to introduce single click as part of their active desktop, but
failed miserably. Almost all users turned it off. My guess is that users feel that
they want the double click to make sure that they don't do anything by mistake,
as you use clicks to select and double click to perfom an action.
Another good reason is that there are so many windows and mac boxes out there
all configured with double click and chances are that KDE users will use one
of those as well as KDE. In this case a different click behaviour would be
There is however one place in KDE that not should have double click,
and this is the tree in the "Control Center" where you select controls.
You should not need to double click here. This is a selection where you
only can select one control at the time. It should work like the tree
view of the filemanager.
So much about consistency.
I personally like single clicks, because double clicking requires too much effort when you actually use mouse to do things. The only reasonable reason for double clicks I can think of is that double clicking was invented before multiple buttons on the mouse. We should not hang on to this medieval habit.
The annoying thing about having single-click by default is that it makes the following actions harder to do:
* Selecting multiple items. Generally, I want to select one icon as an "anchor" and then use Shift-Click or Ctrl-Click to extend my selection.
* Right-clicking. Generally, I want to select an icon before right-clicking it, just to be sure I'm working on the correct icon.
"Selecting multiple items. Generally, I want to select one icon as an "anchor" and then use Shift-Click or Ctrl-Click to extend my selection."
start with ctrl than start clicking...
"Right-clicking. Generally, I want to select an icon before right-clicking it, just to be sure I'm working on the correct icon."
An icon is highlighted before you right click it, how sure do you wan't to be?
I don't know why people like the C-c, C-v stuff so much. I think the X mechanism
is so much better and simpler.
The author mentions that applications like Mozilla continue the double-clicking trend. This is a very bad example in my opinion.
There's nothing to double click in the browser, and in the mailer, the only thing I can see is to open up a mail message in its own window instead of using the preview pane.
I do agree with his point though, I see people double clicking on hyperlinks all the time ... ugh ...
The problem with the KDE default single-click mode is that the novice user that's accustomed to double-clicking everything ends up with 2 launches - which is exacerbated when launching is slow and they double-click again.
Can't KDE (or QT, or whatever is handling mouse clicks) just be set to ignore a second click if it comes within the double-click time interval? That way, single-clicking would still work, and double-clicking wouldn't hurt anything.
(or I have actually no big complaint appart from the control center)
* Redesign the kde control center. I have often to use the search ability to find all the places that, for example, deal with fonts.
* Improve the defaults for new users.
* A window maker clip utility, bringing up a nice app launcher menu specific for wach desktop.
* Make some of the window decorations have good size (or configurable size) grab bars. Glow, for example is very poor in this issue.
* Better color support for reverse color schemes. Some apps assume that the background is always some sort of white and the fonts some sort of black. konqueror should have independent link color settings.
* The possibility to embed the 'desktop preview' pager into the panel. I'd really like to see the icons of the apps running in each desktop. I had kpager in KDE1 working very well with auto-hiding panel and tasklist.
* Seed up the hide/unhide of the external task list.
I have been using KDE since one of the betas of the 1.x series, so i'm not really representative for any usability study. :)
I believe Charles pushed some changes to the KC in CVS. I haven't checked it out yet, but it sounded much better than the previous layout.
Why not a "user mode" menu entry en KC?
Something in the line of Expert, (Intermediate?) and beginner?
In beginner mode, KC would boil down to a slide bar for eye candy settings, together with basic look and feel (and mouse) config options. Probably also a dropdown menu for styles and icons.
PS: Why not a spell checker for these konq edit boxes :o)
i understand how appealing the concept of user levels are when you don't really bother to think much about it, but trust me: the idea is braindamage of the first degree, which is why it is condemned by most usability experts and not implemented very often at all. why, you ask?
first off, users are not uniformly "expert" or "novice" or whatever.
they may know how to use the spell checker very, very well but know next to nothing about using tab stops. so are they an expert or a novice? or somewhere in between? reality is that they are an expert spell checker and a novice tab stop user. which means you really need these settings for each different major aspect of a program, which is obviously unworkable (you can end up with more user level settings than settings themselves!) ...user-levels only "work" when they are fine grained, which sort of defeats the purpose.
second, users are horrible at determining their own user level. few get it right, especially when you ask them how well they know something when they may not understand what you are asking them about.
third, interfaces that change are the devil. they render past learned lessons less reliable and useful. so if someone uses the user-level system, this only extends the learning process and makes the system seem perpetually uncomfortable or else they never progress to being anything but a novice. in which case, why have any features that aren't novice features?
fortunately user levels aren't really needed anyways. good defaults, well designed UIs and a measure of restraint on the feature count and feature duplication works quite well.
The GNOME people already tried this "user mode" thing before, both in Nautilus and in Sawfish control center. But they both failed, everybody (users & developers) thought it was a bad idea, and eventually they removed it.
> * The possibility to embed the 'desktop preview' pager into the panel.
> I'd really like to see the icons of the apps running in each desktop.
> I had kpager in KDE1 working very well with auto-hiding panel and tasklist.
Have you tried Kazbar? It's a panel applet (or extension or whatever they're called this week) that does pretty much what you describe here.
It's not the sanme thing.
Kasbar is like a iconbox, it lists the icons of the apps currently running. What I am refering to is a kpager-like app that could be embeded in the kicker window, with icon and pixmap preview and window drag and drop between dekstops.
First off, I'd like to point out that I respect the developers who developed some nice archive readers like ark. However, if I was to statistically observe my own web browsing behavior, I'd say that pretty much 99+% of the time that I click on a tar.bz2, tar.gz, or even tgz files, I'm looking for a download, NOT for opening up the file to read it!
That is precisely why ark has became an pet peeve for me. And it is a pretty annoying one because almost every time I click on a tar.bz2 file, I'd say to myself "oh no, now I need to press backspace and then use right click to save as!"
The quick solution to this problem, in my mind, is to make saving those types of archive files the default, and perhaps have ark (Archiver) as one of the top program in the "open with" for those users who love to look at their tar files (honestly, it beats me). I think kdownload is going in the right direction here.
The ideal solution in my view is pretty much what Microsoft, like it or not, does. I'm not a big Microsoft fan, but they seem to allow you to make different actions the default, like view, open, etc. What we could do is, we could have "save" as default, and then open with ark as another good option. If someone wants to change that, all they have to do is go through the file association properties and change it there.
Of course, those opinions are not representative of a new user, but I think a new user would prefer if those tar.bz2 files were saved, not viewed -- or even better, just give them a dialog box that gives them the option of doing any of those actions.
I agree completely! I *always* download compressed files, or rpms, or what-have-you, then go to a command line and extract/install/whatever. For a complete GUI solution I suppose you could use Ark, though I find "tar zxvf file.tar.gz" or "tar jxvf file.tar.bz2" to be infinitely faster and simpler. And for rpm's, I've never encountered an intuitive rpm GUI (especially now that I'm using Mandrake, and can just type "urpmi file.rpm"..... heh heh heh.
But, I would say that a default of download makes *much* more sense, as its (like it or not) the default behaviour of Windoze. Besides, what good is viewing the contents of an archive on a remote computer? (well, in a temp file, but that's how it appears to the user). Also, in file-browsing mode, the whole archive-as-a-pseudo-directory is useless: 9 times out of 10 (or even 9 :) whatever is in the archive will not work in a pseudo-directory type thing. The best thing, probably, would be to have the default left-click option in filebrowsing mode to open Ark (or even be the "Extract Here" option from the context menu)
That should be all
I think consistency means that left-clicking a link should always open it in the preferred application, or ask what to do if there is none.
By the way: try holding down the Shift key while clicking on a link.
Sure. Have you ever tried shift-clicking on a link that redirects to another link that downloads the archive file? That is where the REAL annoyance is.
Because that way it is very difficult for me to catch the link in order to right click to save it as something.
Just wondering, does shift-click solve that problem?
Tim Vail
That's why you should use the side bar in Konqueror. You drag the tarbol/rpm
to a directory. Konqueror then pops up a thingy asking if you want to
copy, link etc the file. This is what I use all the time. If I need to
take a look at the contents of the tarbol, I can click on it. Konqueror makes
my life so easy... And no double clicking!
OK, to take a concrete example, if this is such an easy thing to deal with, would someone please tell me how, using konqueror, to get dvr-2.7.9.tar.gz off of sourceforge? When I tried any of the methods that have been suggested in this discussion, I got a 10k file that was not a valid archive. The actual size of the archive is more like 2.7 meg. And when I finally removed x-tgz from the file associations, that is in fact what downloaded.
You click on the link, a page is displayed with a number of mirror sites - you've been downloading that page. The key here is *not* to right click and "Save Target As...", as the link to the file on Sourceforge is no longer a link to the file, but instead a link to the page of mirrors.
Wait a few seconds, and you will automatically, without clicking anything, be presented with a dialogue box asking you to save or view. If you don't want that, hit stop as soon as the mirror page appears, and there will be a link at the top of the page, saying "If your download doesn not start automatically in a couple of seconds, you can manually download the file from...", and a URL. You can right click on *this* URL, and choose Save Link As.... If you are not on a page with a bunch of corporate banners and country flags all over the place, don't right click.
I agree - the mirror system is a PITA, and I've downloaded that 10k file (which is the html page of mirrors, btw) several times myself, as you expect that link with the file name to be the link to the file - but it isn't. If it's any consolation, you're not the only one, and Konqueror users aren't the only ones having issues with the new SF file system.
That doesn't seem to be a correct way to me.
In fact, I like the bahaviour of konqueror when dealing with file I have on my local disk.
Regarding archives that I want from the net, the behaviour should be always to download.
Anyone knows how to set this kind of behaviour ?
After one hundred years of using typewriters, people were used to pressing enter at the end of the line, when they first encountered word processors. In general they learn(ed) pretty quickly not to do that and I doubt that anyone in the right mind would ask that we all change to the previous behaviour.
I have a mother who had a fairly limited exposure to Windows before I put Linux with KDE on her machine. From the start she didn't have any problems using single click and is in general quite happy with how the things are working. Or in her own words:"This is much easier to use than Windows!"
Sure, there are things that need to be fixed and article exposes a lot of them, but I'm not in favor of forcing next generations to learn old behavior just because it would save a bit of learning to the current generation of computer users. Obviously I BELIEVE that single clicking like word processor example is clearly superior and worth the trouble of learning it for those who got bad habits in other environments.
If anything, I'd make the change to double-clicking easy for users, but default should be sensible, not entrenched.
the only thing I know : new KDE and Linux users always have difficulties with the single-click at the beginning. But, then, they change their Windows preferences to single-click... I see that beheviour numerous time. So, I think it's not a real favour to make double-click by default.
Yes. Double clicking is a bad idea used in Windows. single click in Windows selects, something less used than double click. so single click by default is the way it should go.
KDE people add brilliance to the common functionalities. The drag and drop pop-up menu, for example. And the split window facilty that makes drag and drop cool to do, the multisession tabs in Konsole.. thanks to the developers


text:
Whoo Hoo! The Winter Olympics in Vancouver start today!
Born and raised in Los Angeles with no snow, I'm not a winter athlete (heck, I'm not a summer athlete either!), but I love grabbing a mug of hot chocolate and watching the Winter Olympics. And I think the mascots are cute! Miga the sea bear (part whale and part bear) is adorable!
So, I made some Olympic mini-donuts to celebrate the start of the games! Which can be translated into "the beginning of my sleep deprivation watching the Olympics..."
And I wanted to tell you about my mini-donut maker. I got this months ago and am finally posting about it.
If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I'm all about the Bundt, the miniature and the Hello Kitty.
Mini = Freakin' Cute.
My friend JustJenn has a mini-donut maker. Williams-Sonoma sold it for only one year. I've tried to distract her and steal it from her. I've checked eBay for one. No dice.
For something crazy cute, check out JustJenn's Coffee and Donut Cupcakes. Too cute.
I mentioned this dilemma on the blog and Wendy of Pink Stripes told me that King Arthur sold a donut maker. Holy Smokes. I bought it within HOURS of this comment.
It's very similar to JustJenn's but hers makes 7 donuts while mine makes a half dozen at a time. They are baked so they come out like cake donuts, not like a fried Krispy Kreme donut. And since they are mini, well, you can eat a bunch!!
Mini Donut Maker - $39.95 on the King Arthur website - as of today, it says it isn't available! Bummer!
Happy Olympics! Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Lunar New Year! Whew! Lots going on this weekend! :)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te'o's Dying Girlfriend Was a Hoax
In early September, Notre Dame linebacker and Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Te'o—just days after learning of the death of his girlfriend—led the Fighting Irish to an emotional upset of then-#10 Michigan State. However, in one of the most bizarre twists we've seen in college football, it now appears that the whole story about a dying girlfriend was a hoax.
Lennay Kekua was reportedly a 22-year-old student at Stanford whom Te'o met following an Irish game in Palo Alto in 2009. The pair reportedly started dating in early 2012. But in the last year, Kekua supposedly was involved in a serious auto accident, was diagnosed with leukemia, and had a bone marrow transplant before succumbing to the disease just hours after Te'o's grandmother also passed away on September 11.
But investigative reporters at Deadspin started looking into the story and quickly found some problems, including:
- Stanford had no record of a Lennay Kekua being a student
- There are no public records of a Lennay Kekua being in a car accident on the night in question
- There are no death records for a Lennay Kekua passing away in mid-September
- There were no death notices or obituaries for a Lennay Kekua
- The photo of "Lennay Kekua" used by various media outlets were actually pirated from another woman's Facebook page
The whole story about Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend was all a hoax. But the question now is, by whom? In a press conference late Wednesday, Te'o claimed that their relationship had all been online or on the phone and that he had been the victim of a cruel hoaxster who had carried on the ruse for several months. But with Te'o claiming to have never actually visited Lennay Kekua in person despite "dating" for more than eight months and her supposedly having several health issues, his announcement may raise more questions than answers.


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Monday, March 8, 2010
Roast Lamb - Blue Monday
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was sent this photo by a friend who has long insisted that photography is an art form. She's made it very hard for me to argue the point and in the process managed to stimulate my taste for lamb and excite an already chronic case of wanderlust. Hopefully, the yen for lamb will be satisfied by tonight's dinner, but wanderlust is another story. Normally, we'd just pack up and go. That would be fine if Bob and I could agree on which continent to visit, but at this juncture he's in Africa and I'm in Asia and we may have to settle the stalemate with a roll of the dice. After looking at the photograph, I decided that if I paired the photo with a recipe, I could share it with you. I still had a gorgeous piece of of lamb that had been sent to me by the folks at Lava Lake Ranch several months ago. It was a top round roast which I decided to bake and serve with a new sauce. I really like this particular cut of meat. It comes packed as a 1 to 1-1/2 pound roast which is perfect for folks who love lamb, but don't want to deal with leftovers for days on end. Roasts this size can be baked in about 20 minutes and while they require another 20 minutes to rest, they can be table ready within an hour. I decided to do a coffee based sauce but I wanted to brighten it with pomegranate molasses and orange essence or zest. It worked out well and we had a lovely meal. Here's the recipe for the roast lamb.
Roast Lamb with Coffee and Orange Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
1-1/2 lbs lamb top round, room temperature
1 large clove of garlic, finely slivered
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Cut slits into top of lamb with knife tip and insert garlic slivers into them. Rub outside of roast with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover top surface of lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3) Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Add reserved olive. Place lamb, seasoned side down, into skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle exposed meat surface with reserved salt and pepper before turning. Turn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for about 15-20 minute, or until an instant read thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from oven, transfer roast to a serving platter and tent with foil. Let sit for 20 minutes.
4) Deglaze skillet with 1 cup strong coffee. Add sugar, molasses, orange zest and juice and boil rapidly to reduce by half. Add cream and any accumulated meat juices. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Keep warm.
5) Cut lamb into thin slices and serve with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lamb Shanks with Black Cherry Wine Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Moroccan Shepherd's Pie - One Perfect Bite
Persian Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Quick Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce - No Recipes
Pomegranate Molasses - The Hungry Mouse
Lamb Stew with Dill - Bitten
This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday
38 comments :
- SmilingSally said...
That is an artistic shot, Mary. Happy Blue Monday.
- March 8, 2010 at 11:18 AM
- SashaInTheKitchen said...
the lamb looks amazing. I love the combination with the orange sauce. And photography is indeed an art form, which you did a great job with here.
- March 8, 2010 at 11:24 AM
- Queen B. said...
- March 8, 2010 at 11:25 AM
- Allie and Pattie said...
Mary, this recipe looks wonderful- I can almost taste the blend of flavors. Thank you
xoxo Pattie - March 8, 2010 at 11:35 AM
- Lea Ann said...
Great photo of your meal! Looks delicious.
- March 8, 2010 at 11:37 AM
- Maria said...
Love your photos!
- March 8, 2010 at 11:38 AM
- ♥ Kathy said...
I agree, photography is an art form and I love that picture! The recipe looks good too... Happy Blue Monday Mary :)
- March 8, 2010 at 11:46 AM
- Laurie said...
How interesting.. I have never used coffee in a sauce like this.. I would love to try it! I love that this recipe gives you a beautiful well prepared lamb in such a short time.. sounds like a great preparation.
Thank you for sharing! - March 8, 2010 at 12:00 PM
- Karen said...
That lamb looks perfectly done and the sauce sounds really good with the coffee/orange flavor to it.
- March 8, 2010 at 12:14 PM
- Ciao Chow Linda said...
Your lamb dish looks perfectly cooked and so appealing, but I am in love with that photograph. wow talk about being in the right place at the right time!
- March 8, 2010 at 12:35 PM
- Arlette said...
Gorgeous looking Lamb...Yummy
The Lebanese eat lamb more than any other meats, and the lamb in the Middle East taste 100% better than North American.
Great photos... - March 8, 2010 at 1:18 PM
- Bob said...
I. Love. Lamb. In fact, I'm eating it right now. :D
That roast is gorgeous, I have a hard time getting anything chops or legs. - March 8, 2010 at 1:23 PM
- Ed Schenk said...
Great Photos! What an interesting combination (coffe,orange and lamb).
- March 8, 2010 at 2:03 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
Oh my, my, my. I feel Spring coming...
- March 8, 2010 at 4:30 PM
- Small Reflections said...
Oh my ... this makes my jaws juicy ... seriously! It MUST be time for lunch. Love the beautiful photo your friend sent. Thanks for sharing ;-)
Hugs and blessings, - March 8, 2010 at 4:39 PM
- Tuty @Scentofspice.com said...
I imagine that the sauce has a complex flavor. Is pomegranate molasses sold in specialty store?
- March 8, 2010 at 6:55 PM
- Anna said...
The picture is beautiful, I would hope for you that the dice could choose Asia, I'm dying to go there and taste all the amazing flavors. Love the flavor combination you used, looks delicious. :-)
- March 8, 2010 at 7:11 PM
- DailyChef said...
Wow, that's a gorgeous picture. Your recipe also looks delicious. The addition of coffee is so intriguing. Definitely bookmarking this!
- March 8, 2010 at 7:56 PM
- Zurin said...
beautiful and intriguing photo. why is it that the sheep dont fall off?amazing.
the roast looks mouth watering..my favorite meat is lamb..mmmm - March 8, 2010 at 8:56 PM
- Kathleen said...
This looks marvelous, Mary! My hubby would so love this for dinner!
- March 8, 2010 at 9:04 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Zurin, I think the path is enclosed on both sides, but I'mm not certain.
- March 8, 2010 at 9:08 PM
- Lori said...
I would love to know more about that photo- very intriguing.
Africa or Asia- I am totally envious.
I just love lamb. I always end up making gyros when I buy it. - March 8, 2010 at 9:33 PM
- Glennis said...
That is an awesome photo.Where is it?
I adore lamb. The roast sounds fantastic. - March 8, 2010 at 9:52 PM
- NKP said...
Wonderful! I really must remember to cook lamp more often. I don't think I have seen top round for sale here.
What a wonderful photo. Makes me want to hug sheep. - March 8, 2010 at 11:01 PM
- Joie de vivre said...
I say a dice roll would settle the argument nicely. :)
- March 8, 2010 at 11:08 PM
- Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...
My first time see lamb combine with coffee recipe, a very interesting dish!! From the photo, the lamb look just very juicy.
- March 8, 2010 at 11:10 PM
- Juliana said...
Nice shot! The lamb sounds and looks delicious with orange...I always like meat with fruit :-)
- March 8, 2010 at 11:22 PM
- Miss. Clippy said...
That's an awesome shot! But then, looking at the awesomeness of those lambs lined up, I don't think I'd have the appetite to eat lamb! Looking at the recipe, though, it does sound really good :)
Happy Blue Monday!
-Rach - March 8, 2010 at 11:29 PM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
wow--that photo is amazing...and the lamb looks delicious too!
- March 9, 2010 at 4:25 AM
- My Little Space said...
OMG, that 2nd photo is stunning! Btw, roasted lamb sounds great to me too!
- March 9, 2010 at 4:42 AM
- Stacey said...
I love, love lamb! Thank you, Mary for the comments on the Peeps LOL! I'm with you on that - don't know when/if I'll ever eat another ... Stacey
- March 9, 2010 at 7:54 AM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Lori and g, the photo was taken in Scotland.
- March 9, 2010 at 10:43 AM
- pigpigscorner said...
The lamb looks perfectly cooked. The addition of coffee sounds really interesting.
- March 9, 2010 at 12:39 PM
- Claudia said...
Okay, I came for the lamb - I just love it - and yours is perfect. But that photo- oh my what a gorgeous slice of life. I want to hang it up over my computer. It would always make me smile.
- March 9, 2010 at 6:17 PM
- Beth said...
Mary, Amazing photo! Your food photography is exquisite as well. Everything looks really good! I love your blog!
- March 10, 2010 at 8:29 AM
- sokeleng said...
Your lamb looks truly delicious. I roasted 500g of lamb few nights ago. I did it slightly different. I chopped onion, garlic and celery finely with blender and smeared the mixture & honey all over the lamb and let it marinate for overnight. Before I roast it I topped with a lot of cracked black pepper, cumin powder, Szechuan ground pepper, 5 spice powder and pinch of chilli powder .It tastes delicious, the only disappointment is I forgotten to baste the chicken with my new purchased thermometer
Bon appetite. - December 28, 2010 at 10:27 AM
Mary, this sounds yummy. Where do you obtain pomegranate molasses?
- January 18, 2015 at 4:43 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Suzanne, you can purchase it at any mideastern grocery store, or on Amazon.com. The blog Simply Recipes also has a recipe for making it yourself.
- January 18, 2015 at 7:14 PM


text:
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Burden of Being BSNYC
For every person I meet who likes BSNYC, I meet another who finds the blog harsh, mean-spirited and not reflective of the average cyclist's views.
When I was in second grade I read a short story about a monk who was given a vision of heaven. Angels gave him this glimpse of the afterlife as a reward for his piety, but his return to daily life was hell itself. In his glimpse of life behind the pearly gates, he heard music. Music the angels make to serenade God himself. The sound was pure, without dissonance and a beauty so haunting that it lasted in the listener's mind the way a taste of fine wine lingers on the tongue.
On the monk's return to our waking life, music was ruined for him. Even the greatest symphonies were cruel taunts barely hinting at what beauty was truly possible. He hated music.
I think the same thing happened to BSNYC. I think he got a vision of cycling in heaven. How else can you explain such a finely honed sense of style.
Even the gentlest, most forgiving roadie knows there is a PRO way to do things and a NOT way to do things. You take your turn at the front. You don't spit into the wind. You don't show up with tube socks. You don't turn your bike into a piece of art. You show respect for the riders around you. And sometimes you chuckle at the clueless.
One can be forgiven for imagining BSNYC hasn't shared the road with a knowledgeable rider since the advent of indexed shifting. He suffers hell here on earth. We decided to interview him to find out why.
BKW: You have a finely honed sense of roadie style. What riders exemplify your sense of proper style?
BSNYC: Hard to say. Proper style varies from race to race and from decade to decade. You know--Grand Tour style vs. classics style vs. crit style. It even varies from body type to body type. You just know it when you see it.
Helmets have pretty much killed style in road cycling anyway. Not that I have anything against helmets, mind you, but let's be honest. Cycling looked better before helmets.
BKW: A lot of being a good rider is basic consideration: not being a squirrel in the pack, blowing your nose down and not out, pointing out road debris. As crimes against cycling go, is there anything that offends you more than lack of consideration?
BSNYC: I think one of the biggest crimes in cycling is whining. I see this in people who yell "Close that gap!" or "Pull through!" all race long, or who get angry at others, or who make excuses and look for someone else to blame when they don't get a result. If you want a gap closed, close it yourself or keep quiet. Bragging is another unforgivable crime. Strong cyclists never need to brag. You brag with your legs. Road riding is about class, and class is the absence of whining and bragging.
BKW: Is there anything about your own riding or personal sense of style about which you are sensitive?
BSNYC: I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin. I have no illusions about my abilities, I love to ride and race, and I'm happy being pack-fill.
BKW: It seems one of your pet peeves is practicality, that is, anything a cyclist uses ought to make sense. How do you define practical?
BSNYC: What's practical obviously varies from discipline to discipline, but what drives me crazy in all cases is when vanity trumps common sense. On the road, a good example is the person doing a Sunday group ride on a $2,000 tubular wheelset. If you've got the cash you can afford training wheels. Practicality is using the right tool for the right job. Save the jewels for the ball--don't wear them to the bar.
BKW: The subtext of your posts, the way I read them, is that those cyclists you write about are missing an opportunity to enjoy all the sport has to offer. Do you despair that those cyclists will learn how it's done?
BSNYC: Well, of course I understand that some people enjoy different aspects of cycling than I do, so it would be wrong of me to say somebody else is missing the point. At the same time, though, I do think people who become hyper-focussed on certain elements of the sport do sometimes miss out. This goes for me too, by the way. As cyclists, we're a very anal species, and we need to be careful not to get too obsessive. We need to look out for each-other! That's part of the reason I often make jokes about getting hung up on your equipment, or on training, and why I try to make light of our tendency to take this whole thing too seriously. Because getting too obsessed with training or upgrading or being overly fastidious about your bike is a great way to waste time, energy, and money that could be better put towards enjoying yourself on your bike. We need to let go sometimes and remember to have fun.
BKW: Shouldn't it be enough that if a cyclist is having fun, then they must be doing it right?
BSNYC: Absolutely.
BKW: What does cycling in heaven look like?
BSNYC: New York with better weather.
43 comments:
Great interview (and excellent intro)! Nice to hear BSNYC in "civilian" mode. This is soon going to turn into a for-profit newsletter, isn't it?
One question: It's still OK for me to roll up for my Sunday group ride on my Ksyrium Es's, right? Sure, the red spoke speaks to my aesthetic sensibilities, but they are true workhorses.
Or should I slap on my old Shimano R-whatevers?
Hurry, I need to know before Sunday!
Fletcher - February 29, 2008 at 1:20:00 AM CST
- Jason said...
Great interview. I read BSNYC and love it. I find it like reading The Onion. You read it, laugh your head off and then feel ashamed that you just laughed at it.
I sometimes have a tough time reading it just because I probably commit so many BSNYC "offenses"! You KNOW in the summer I gotz to wear my tube socks and "daisy dukes" when out on a rid! OK, I was kidding about the socks and "dukes".
Loved Snob's comment about bitching. I can't stand complaining on a ride or during a race. Man up. If you sucked, you sucked. I'm not gonna bust out "i was just using this as a training race," etc., etc.,
It's a great read as is BKW. Even for a road bike using mountain biker like myself.
great post. - February 29, 2008 at 6:21:00 AM CST
- Watts said...
Cyclists only need 2 blogs, Belgium Knee Warmers and BSNYC. 'nuff said.
- February 29, 2008 at 6:51:00 AM CST
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- February 29, 2008 at 6:59:00 AM CST
- James T said...
Great interview. While I general agree with the comment about practicality, my attitude about equipment has changed a bit over the years. When I raced in the early nineties, I always felt like I should be better than my equipment (even if I had good bikes in my garage). It felt good to ride an old steel bike with worn out components and still be able to ride fast on club rides and win sprints. I often didn't even take my newest bike to our local weekly time trial because I was cocky and thought it was better if I could win on a grease smeared beater with torn bar tape. I considered it to be an unspoken way of bragging to the older customers who spent a lot of money on bikes in the shop in which I worked. Cycling is about the engine, not the bike was definitely how I felt.
These days, cycling is something I do for myself. I am not even close to being the fastest guy in town, but my current fitness level doesn't dictate my equipment choices. I have 9 bikes at this point because I enjoy each of them. Some are better than others, but there is something about each one that makes it worth keeping in my mind. If I could afford a 10,000 dollar road bike, I would probably use it for Sunday rides; not to show off, just because that is the only type of riding I do now. Maybe the 20 something year old version of me would have a problem with that, but the older version of me doesn't really care. I say, ride what makes you happy, practical or not. - February 29, 2008 at 8:18:00 AM CST
- Alan said...
I've only recently discovered both BKW and BSNYC, and love them both. Fantastic interview.
- February 29, 2008 at 9:06:00 AM CST
- gewilli said...
gary's correct but BKW and BSNYC ain't really blogs. they are internet short story sources. more like Maynard writing's on the back page in Winning.
These two transcend or go beyond what web logging is about. They are serials in the old classic sense.
Required reading most definitely.
Flipping AWESOME interview, both in questions asked and answers given. - February 29, 2008 at 9:14:00 AM CST
awwww the end of the interview just melted my little heart
- February 29, 2008 at 10:22:00 AM CST
petition to get google maps to add a "bike there" option:
pass it on. - February 29, 2008 at 10:32:00 AM CST
- Matt Schulte said...
BSNYC is like the Maddox of the cycling world. I find pleasure reading about cycling bs just as much as the social bs found in Maddox-ian cynicism.
- February 29, 2008 at 11:32:00 AM CST
BSNYC reminds me of "Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, Freshly Updated."
- February 29, 2008 at 11:35:00 AM CST
Not to sound like an idiot, but isn't the adjectival form of 'Belgium' 'Belgian'? I mean, shouldn't it be Belgian Knee Warmers, or perhaps Belgium, Knee Warmers? Or maybe Belgium: Knee Warmers.
- February 29, 2008 at 11:39:00 AM CST
- keithwwalker said...
Heaven would be NYC with better weather and less autos, somewhat like Park Ave. in this photo:
http://clevercycles.com/?p=181 - February 29, 2008 at 12:07:00 PM CST
- erik k said...
my two favorite blogs coming together, keep up the good work guys, Im glad you could see past BSNYC taunting people in full assos kits. haha
- February 29, 2008 at 12:13:00 PM CST
Amen in regards to closing the gap during a race. Remember the line from the original Shaft film:
Close it yourself, shorty!
Dave - February 29, 2008 at 12:25:00 PM CST
when is the panel going to convene.
a bobkestrut-bkw-bsnyc threeway would be a glimpse of internet bike insight heaven that might make be unable to ever able to ride happily again like the monk and his heavenly music.
then again I would probably ride all the more often as we all know that to ride is as much about the ecstasy as it is about the agony.
this was a great pre-weekend/post ATOC/pre Paris-Nice reminder of all the rides and all the riders that have been in hiding all winter about to be unleased on the pavement in all their pro transgressions.
I'm sure that there are things that I am guilty of (riding too damn close seems to be the one that most people bitch about on rides) and work hard every day to be a more pro rider.
what about you? - February 29, 2008 at 2:24:00 PM CST
- Matt Boulanger said...
Anon 12:25
If you heard "close it yourself, shorty," you must have been watching Shaft on TV.
Yippee Ki-Yi-Yay Mr. Falcon. - February 29, 2008 at 4:02:00 PM CST
- Cyclocross Magazine said...
awesome interview. in our 2nd print issue (http://cxmagazine.com) BSNYC wrote a fun article about why 'cross has no danger of being too popular.
keep up the great content. - February 29, 2008 at 4:08:00 PM CST
- blue squirrel said...
damn it, as one of those that thought BSNYC was mean spirited and doing harm to those that actually pay for stuff [insert, keep our bike companies and shops going], i have to grudgingly admit i feel a bit of simpatico with him.
and yes, fill your own gaps [although it is smart racing to get someone to do it for you, LOL].
great job BKW and BSNYC.
p.s. are there any mountains in that version of cycling heaven? i vote for soCal with no cars. - February 29, 2008 at 6:58:00 PM CST
Gary and Erik said it best - BKW and BSNYC are the cream of the blog crop, for sure. My two favs.
And Fletcher - it's not my opinion you're looking for, but I'd say Ksyrium E's are just fine for training. Its stuff like Boras or Lightweights... - February 29, 2008 at 7:11:00 PM CST
- bikesgonewild said...
...bkw meets bsnyc...awesome...
...one defines just exactly what PRO is & the other lambastes the pretension of the PRO attitude while skewering pretty much anything else of a two wheel self PRO-pelled pedaling nature...
...checks & counter balances...just as it should be...omg, it's like a big karmic wheel...why, it's almost perfect !!!... - February 29, 2008 at 7:51:00 PM CST
- Radio Freddy said...
Anon - Ksyruims are the navy blazer equivalent for the Sunday group ride. Ride them, and ride them well. - RF
- February 29, 2008 at 8:00:00 PM CST
- LK said...
BKW, I have never thanked you for your article on 'How to Wash Your Bicycle." Thank you.
As an american cyclist for some 30+ years it was the most useful information since some guy showed me how to change an inner tube. Which has proven more useful than the guy that taught me how to glue tires.
It may be the best unknown old-school knowledge.
As for cycling Heaven, NYC is too flat for me. I think of Bédoin. - February 29, 2008 at 8:22:00 PM CST
- Padraig said...
Mr. Complaint: Bedouin is a special place darkened by my favorite shadow.
All: Thanks for your comments; the interview was fun to do and your feedback has made for a fun piece of reading. Thanks even more for the kind words as there's nothing as good as a loyal readership. - February 29, 2008 at 10:41:00 PM CST
- Chunk said...
I just want to go on record as saying that "Blue Squirrel" dislikes the Bike Snob because of the snob's disdain for Power Cranks.
Blue Squirrel, while an all-round great guy to ride with, is an avid user of the Power Cranks. - February 29, 2008 at 11:12:00 PM CST
- Ari said...
I hope this weather breaks soon so we can all get out and make fools of ourselves again! My favorite is the freshly shaven legs with skin that resembles
chicken flesh.
Ari - March 1, 2008 at 12:45:00 AM CST
- Bluenoser said...
Classy interview. True on the whining, it goes on long after the race also. Kind of the poor loser pointing the finger thing.
Pro. - March 1, 2008 at 6:44:00 AM CST
"Ksyriums are the navy blazer equivalent for the Sunday group ride. Ride them, and ride them well. - RF"
"And Fletcher - it's not my opinion you're looking for, but I'd say Ksyrium E's are just fine for training. Its stuff like Boras or Lightweights..."
Noted and noted. Thanks! - March 1, 2008 at 6:56:00 AM CST
BKW - you got it wrong on 2 points:
1) "and you aren't likely to find a greater moral outrage over more minor infractions than on BSNYC."
The infractions BSNY draws attention to aren't minor - they're usually quite egregious.
2) "Don't show up in tube socks". Wrong - any ride where tubes socks are shunned is a ride I don't wanna join. - March 2, 2008 at 6:35:00 PM CST
- Hamfist said...
I thought this was a great interview, but don't agree with the equipment comment. You know, you want to show up at the Sunday am coffee ride with Lightweights, go for it. Its your 4 grand if the tool riding the fixie mid-pack goes OTB and takes you and your gucci wheels out. No skin off my back unless you take me down as well. I'm always a little suspicious of the 'gear police.' What do you care if i take my pull, exhibit good pack habits, bike control and am generally a good ride?
- March 3, 2008 at 1:46:00 PM CST
- Unknown said...
Cycling in heaven? BSNYC must be thinking of Portland, Oregon.
Yeah, definitely. - March 3, 2008 at 1:56:00 PM CST
- j. dunn said...
An amazing interview. Finally someone to bring out a little humility, or...god forbid...humanity? in The Snob.
- March 4, 2008 at 5:05:00 PM CST
I had a brief moment of confusion there with the BSNYC Seal of Disapproval at the top of my BKW RSS feed. :)
Great interview.
Long live Bike Snob NYC!
(When my fiancee hears me giggling while on the computer, she often asks, 'Are you reading Bike Snob NYC again?' - if it's funny on the internet, chances are it's BSNYC!) - January 9, 2009 at 10:38:00 AM CST
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 9, 2009 at 1:21:00 PM CST
- Garnet said...
Believe it or not, this was the post that started it all for me. When I linked to it from BSNYC last year, it was the first BKW post I'd ever read. I've been a loyal reader ever since, and my life, on and off the bike, has been all the better for it.
I'd forgotten how good this interview was, and what an interesting mind lies behind BSNYC's unflagging caustic wit. Keep the good stuff comin', guys! - January 9, 2009 at 1:42:00 PM CST
- Unknown said...
I dont believe in starting helmet wars but BSNYC said :
"Helmets have pretty much killed style in road cycling anyway. Not that I have anything against helmets, mind you, but let's be honest. Cycling looked better before helmets."
1. Look, helmets protect brains and possibly, even impotent, vegetative lifestyles post injury. Is style more important or, your or your kid's life?
2. They hide bad hair days. Also, Bjarne Riis never looked super beautiful minus the helmet.
3. You may say such homogenization of heads is cutting into what makes you YOU, but there are various styles of helmets you can get and wear today.
4. He needs to ask himself whether he's really a champion of practicality.
He was doing better in the rest of the interview. - January 9, 2009 at 1:56:00 PM CST
- Dan O said...
I'm a big fan of both blogs - BKW and BSNYC - and check 'em almost daily.
Of course, the styles are complete different and that's a good thing.
BKW and BSNYC are great at what they do. Don't change. - January 9, 2009 at 5:03:00 PM CST
- Mark said...
I read two blogs regularly....BKW and BSNYC...perfect together!
- January 10, 2009 at 5:26:00 AM CST
- AGL said...
Since retiring from the bike shop ranks after almost 20 years, I find myself as obsessed with bikes and cycling as ever.
BKW perfectly captures my aspirations and nostalgia. BSNYC perfectly captures my snarky inner dialogue.
And of course HTATBL perfectly captures my sense of camaraderie.
Essential. Many thanks to you all. Keep the shiny side up, the rubber side down, and get as much rad as you can handle! - January 10, 2009 at 4:20:00 PM CST
- brettok said...
Bikesnob at least doesn't recycle posts from a year ago....
- January 12, 2009 at 12:46:00 PM CST
- Zhivago said...
Hey Brettok, chill out. Some of us may not have seen this post the first time around. So it is quite nice to see it "recycled." Think of it as blog TIVO, if you don't like reruns, don't watch them.
- January 12, 2009 at 9:22:00 PM CST
"Helmets have pretty much killed style in road cycling anyway. Not that I have anything against helmets, mind you, but let's be honest. Cycling looked better before helmets."
Yeah cause we all know how cool we look in cycling caps, huh? - January 15, 2009 at 3:36:00 PM CST
Brettok, this post is how I stumbled onto BSNYC. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Still true to BKW--check it daily. - January 16, 2009 at 4:48:00 PM CST


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Young adults from 18 to 34 are only 24 percent of total enrollment, the administration said in its first signup figures broken down for age, gender and other details. With the HealthCare.gov website now working, the figures cover the more than 2 million Americans who had signed up for government-subsidized private insurance through the end of December in new federal and state markets.
Enrolling young and healthy people is important because they generally pay more into the system than they take out, subsidizing older adults. While 24 percent is not a bad start, say independent experts, it should be closer to 40 percent to help keep premiums down.
Adults ages 55-64 were the most heavily represented in the signups, accounting for 33 percent of the total. Overall, the premiums paid by people in that demographic don't fully cover their medical expenses. Some are in the waiting room for Medicare; that coverage starts at age 65.
Some questions remained unanswered.
For example, the administration is unable to say how of many of those enrolling for coverage had been previously uninsured. Some might have been among the more than 4.7 million insured people whose previous policies were canceled because they didn't meet the law's standards.
"The uninsured folks for whom the law was intended don't seem to have signed up in nearly as high numbers," said Richard Foster, a former statistics chief for the Health and Human Services department. "There is still a huge unknown aspect to this."
But even if the age mix remains tilted toward older adults, "it's nothing of the sort that would trigger instability in the system," said Larry Levitt, an insurance expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Premiums would go up next year for the overhaul, along with taxpayer costs per enrollee, but not enough to push the system into a "death spiral" in which rising premiums discourage healthy people from signing up.
Levitt and other experts expected older, sicker people to be more heavily represented in the early numbers. They would have had strong motivation to persevere in the face of website dysfunction.
Still, he said "it underscores a need to heighten outreach efforts to young people." Adults ages 18-34 represent 40 percent of the target group for the health care law, according to a recent Kaiser study. Open enrollment ends March 31.
Considering that the federal health care website was down most of the time in October, administration officials said they were pleased that the percentage of young adults was as high as it was.
"We think that more and more young people are going to sign up as time goes by," said Gary Cohen, head of the HHS office in charge of Obama's push to cover the uninsured. And there's a hammer, too: Those who fail to sign up face a tax penalty in 2015 for being uninsured.
With Monday's numbers, a fuller picture has started to emerge of who's signing up.
Some of the highlights:
⢠The administration continues to play catch-up. Originally, officials hoped to sign up more than 3.3 million people through the end of 2013, nearly halfway to the goal of 7 million enrollments by the end of March. Instead, enrollment as of Dec. 31 was not quite 2.2 million.
⢠Fifty-four percent of those who signed up were women, a slightly higher proportion of females than in the population.
⢠Nearly four out of five who signed up got financial help with their premiums.
⢠The most popular coverage option was a so-called silver plan, which covers about 70 percent of expected medical costs. Three out of five people picked silver. One in five picked a lower-cost bronze plan. Only 13 percent picked gold, which most closely compares to the typical employer plan. Another 7 percent went for top-tier platinum plans, and about 1 percent picked skimpy "catastrophic" plans available only to certain groups of people, including those under 30.
⢠A few states accounted for a huge share of the enrollment. California alone had 23 percent of the signups. California, New York, Florida, Texas and North Carolina accounted for nearly half the total.
Officials remain confident they'll be able to get young adults interested. Insurers, nonprofit groups, and advocates are moving ahead with marketing campaigns that were put on hold when the federal website that serves 36 states was struggling.
Administration officials said that in the coming weeks they plan to increase outreach to young people in 25 communities located in states served by the federal website. That effort includes a national youth enrollment day on Feb. 15 and targeted outreach by sororities and fraternities, as well as Voto Latino, which focuses on Hispanic youth.
In Miami, 19-year-old college student Stacy Sylvain was one of the last-minute online signups as 2013 drew to a close. In about an hour, the part-time waitress signed up for a plan with a $158 monthly premium, with the feds kicking in $48. She has a $2,500 deductible. Sylvain said she had no trouble navigating the website.
"Many people have a preconceived notion that young people are healthy and don't need to go to the doctor," said Sylvain, who suffered a minor injury when she fell and hit her head during an indoor soccer class in 2012. "Not having to worry about being uninsured and the what-ifs has made an incredible impact on my life."
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From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
And we begin this hour with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's plan to cut the military. At the Pentagon today, he called for a smaller Army and Marine Corps. He also suggested grounding a vintage Cold War plane and asked troops to pay more for health care and other benefits. Hagel said his budget plan offers a new post-war vision for the Pentagon. But as NPR's Tom Bowman reports, it's a vision that veterans groups and many in Congress don't share.
TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: The biggest cutbacks will hit the Army. Hagel wants to trim as many as 50,000 soldiers, more than the Army generals anticipated. After a dozen years of war, the defense secretary made clear that the days of large American forces endlessly patrolling a foreign land are over.
SECRETARY CHUCK HAGEL: After Iraq and Afghanistan, we are no longer sizing the military to conduct long and large stability operations.
BOWMAN: So the Army would drop to its lowest level since World War II, about 450,000 troops. The Marine Corps would shrink by a smaller number, the cut of only 8,000, because Hagel said the Marines can deploy to deal with the world today, everything from crisis response to humanitarian disaster. Special operations forces, Navy SEALs and Green Berets will actually increase by a few thousand under Hagel's plan. That's because they, too, can provide what's needed, such as sweeping in and hitting terrorist bases in places like Somalia.
HAGEL: Our recommendations favor a smaller and more capable force, putting a premium on rapidly deployable, self-sustaining platforms that can defeat more technologically advanced adversaries.
BOWMAN: So things like armed drones and surveillance drones will remain and even expand, Hagel said. And he also wants to invest in better technology, from jet engines to ships. Besides ground forces, Hagel proposed cutting the weapons of another era. Gone is an aircraft designed to attack Soviet tanks, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the Warthog. And gone is the U-2, another staple of the Cold War. Proposals to eliminate weapons will likely get some opposition on Capitol Hill, but nothing like Hagel's plan to trim compensation.
HAGEL: We must also address spending on pay and benefits for service members, which since 2001 has risen about 40 percent more than growth in the private sector.
BOWMAN: So the Pentagon is proposing a one percent pay raise and will ask soldiers to pay more for their housing, the food they buy on post and their health care. That doesn't sit well with retired Air Force Colonel Mike Hayden with the Military Officers Association of America. He said the Pentagon is once again making a mistake.
COLONEL MIKE HAYDEN: We did this after Desert Storm One and starting bring down the force, as well as with the Cold War era ending. We started drawing down the force, we started capping pay and cutting back on benefits. And we then get ourselves to a position where we can't find people to recruit or retain because the pay and benefits get cut so far.
BOWMAN: But Hagel said that all the services continue to make recruiting and retention goals. And unless the Pentagon trims pay and benefits now, the personnel costs will continue to grow and crowd out other parts of the budget.
HAGEL: We will inevitably have to either cut into compensation even more deeply and abruptly, or we will have to deprive our men and women of the training and equipment they need to succeed in battle.
BOWMAN: Another kind of battle begins next week. That's when the budget goes to Capitol Hill. Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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(1 - 2 of 2)
- Title
- Album of Japanese Photographs
- Date Created
- 1909
- Description
Katherine Wolcott and her uncle, Robert Hull Fleming, compiled this photo album on their visit to Japan in 1909. Part of a larger Asian trip, the two stopped in Japan and collected photos, postcards, bookmarks, and other materials. Fleming was a graduate of the University of Vermont, and in 1929...
Show moreKatherine Wolcott and her uncle, Robert Hull Fleming, compiled this photo album on their visit to Japan in 1909. Part of a larger Asian trip, the two stopped in Japan and collected photos, postcards, bookmarks, and other materials. Fleming was a graduate of the University of Vermont, and in 1929 Katherine Wolcott helped to fund the construction of the Robert Hull Fleming Museum in memory of her late uncle. This album, a memento from their trip, was part of Wolcott's own collection.
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- Title
- Fletcher Family
- Date Created
- 1826-1903
- Description
The Fletcher Family collection includes family correspondence from the period 1826-1903 and photographs from circa 1860-1890. The material comes from the Fletcher Family subseries of the Consuelo Northrop Bailey Papers, which contains family papers collected by Consuelo's mother, Katherine...
Show moreThe Fletcher Family collection includes family correspondence from the period 1826-1903 and photographs from circa 1860-1890. The material comes from the Fletcher Family subseries of the Consuelo Northrop Bailey Papers, which contains family papers collected by Consuelo's mother, Katherine Fletcher Northrop. The correspondence included in this collection was collected by Ruth Allen Colton Fletcher, Henrietta Smith Fletcher, and Katherine Fletcher. Ruth was born in 1810 or 1811 to Lydia and Lemuel Colton of Sharon, VT. She married Andrew Fletcher in 1839, and lived in Waterville, Belvidere, and then Johnson, VT until her death, circa 1903. Her oldest surviving child was Andrew Craig Fletcher, who married Henrietta Smith in 1869. Henrietta was born in 1845 to Catherine and George Smith of Burke, NY. Katherine Fletcher was born in 1870 to Henrietta and Andrew Craig Fletcher of Jeffersonville, VT. She attended Johnson State Normal School from 1885-1887, graduating in January 1888. The correspondence describes the experiences of several family members who moved west to New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and California. The correspondents recount in great detail the work of creating and managing their farms in these new states or territories, and many letters give meticulous lists of the prices of land, grains, stock, and groceries. The families in this correspondence endure a great deal of sickness and deaths and these as well as some accounts of their medical treatments are described in the letters. There are a few letters from Enos Fletcher and Charles Hogan that are from the Civil War, and several letters refer to the War and its effects on their communities. There is an account of the "St. Albans Raid" by Ruth's son Andrew Craig Fletcher, who was working in St. Albans at the time. Katherine Fletcher's correspondence with her family and classmates document her life and studies at Vermont's teacher training institution twenty years into its history as such. Below is a list of most of the correspondents and their basic biographical information if known. Some of the dates are those found in Katherine Fletcher's geneaological research and some have been inferred from the correspondence. The list is alphabetized by first name. Addie Melvin (friend of Katherine) Addie Quimby (friend of Della Fletcher Oakes) Almira T. (friend of Ruth) Andrew Craig Fletcher (son of Ruth) (b. 1842; d. 1917; m. Harriet Smith 1869; ch. Katherine, Carrie, Rhett, Ray, Bess) Andrew Fletcher (husband of Ruth) (b. 1812; d. circa 1892; m. Ruth Colton, 1839) Angie Day (friend of Katherine) Arvilla Coats Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Moses S. Colton, 1824) Ashley Dixon (uncle or friend of Andrew Craig Fletcher) Bertha Daggett (friend of Katherine) Betsey Verona Colton Jagua (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla) (b. 1828; d. 1872; m. Seth Jagua; ch. Sarah Eveline) Carlos Colton (nephew [older] of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (m. Hannah) Carlos Colton (nephew [younger] of Ruth; son of Lemuel and Matilda Colton) (died young) Carrie Blodgett (friend of Katherine) Carrie Carroll (friend of Katherine) Carrie Fletcher (sister of Katherine) Carrie Maude (friend of Katherine) Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge (niece of Ruth; daughter of Moses and Arvilla Colton) (b. 1826; d. 1852; m. William Potter, 1843?, and Hiram Holdridge 1850?; ch. Cyril and another son) Catherine Emily Alvord Smith (also spelled with a "K") (mother of Henrietta) (b. 1820; d. 1885; m. George Smith, 1840; ch. Edward, George Bent, Henrietta) Clara Gris (friend of Carrie Fletcher) Clark Pratt (m. Susan Colton, 1831; d. 1839?) Cora Davis (friend of Katherine) Curtis Colton (nephew of Ruth; son of Zebina and Lois Colton) (d. 1859?) Cyrus Cornelius Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1833) Daniel Willey (brother-in-law of Ruth) (m. Lydia Colton [sister], 1849) Della (Adella) Fletcher Oakes (daughter of Ruth) (b. 1857; m. ? Oakes) Edward C. Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1843; d. 1933; m. Marilla S. Derby, 1869; ch. Carl Carlsmith, Mattie, Grace [died young], George [died young], Mabel [died young], Winifred) Elias Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth) Ella Fletcher [s.n.] (daughter of Ruth) Ellen Colton Church (niece of Ruth; daughter of Zebina Colton) (m. John Church) Enos Fletcher (brother-in-law of Ruth) Florence [s.n.] (friend of Carrie Fletcher) George and Mary Sprague (friends of Ruth from Craftsbury) George Bent Smith (brother of Henrietta) (b. 1841; m. Lucy A. Brown, 1879; ch. Edward, Gladys) Gertie Harrington (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Harriet Fletcher Perham (friend of Ruth; sister of Andrew) Harriet Hodgkin (acquaintance of Ruth) Harry C Fallangton (friend of Katherine) Henrietta Lurena Smith Fletcher (b. 1845; d. 1916; m. Andrew Craig Fletcher, 1869; ch. Katherine, Allison Craig [died young], Carrie, Edward George [died young], Rhett, Ray, Bessie) Hiram Holdridge (2nd husband of Carseldana Colton Potter Holdridge, m.1850?, d. 1854?) Ida Barton (teacher in Jeffersonville 1886-1887) Ira Clark (nephew of Ruth by marriage) (m. Mary Powers) Isa Hazen Thorp (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Jane Fletcher (sister-in-law of Ruth) Jennie Perry (also known as "Joe") (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Joe [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Julie Galushia (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Katie Smith (daughter of George B. and Lucy Smith?) Lemuel Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1800?) (m. Matilda) (ch. Lemuel and Carlos) Lemuel Colton, Jr. (nephew of Ruth, son of Lemuel Colton) (m. Lue) Levi Pratt (nephew of Ruth; son of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1835) Lizzie Harvey Hobart (grandniece of Ruth; daughter of Mary Pratt Harvey) Lois Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (m. Zebina Colton) Lucy [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Lucy Brown Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. George B. Smith) Lucy L[eland?] (friend of Katherine) Lue Colton (niece of Ruth; wife? of Lemuel Colton, Jr.) Lulu F. R. (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Lydia Colton (mother of Ruth) (b. 1767; d. 1852; m. Lemuel Colton, 1796) Lydia Colton Willey (sister of Ruth) (b. 1804; d. before 1885; m. Daniel Willey, 1849) Lyman Colton (nephew of Ruth; brother of Betsy Verona and Carseldana) (b. 1830?; d. 1884; m. Nancy, 1859?) Mamie Flagg (friend of Katherine) Maria Fletcher Horner (sister-in-law of Ruth) Marilla Derby Smith (sister-in-law of Henrietta) (m. Edward C. Smith) Mary A. Johnson (friend of Ruth) Mary Powers Clark (niece of Ruth) Mary Pratt Harvey (niece of Ruth; daughter of Susan and Clark Pratt) (b. 1831; m. Caleb Harvey; ch. Lizzie and Clark) (Not to be confused with Caleb's sister, Mary Harvey) Matilda Colton (sister-in-law of Ruth) (d. 1883; m. Lemuel Colton) Moses S. Colton (also known as Shepard) (brother of Ruth) (b. 1799; d. 1868; m. Arvilla Coats, 1825; ch. Carseldana, Betsey Verona, and Lyman) Myrtie Grean (friend of Katherine) Nate [s.n.] (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Nida George (friend of Katherine) Ruth Colton Fletcher (b. 1810/11, d. circa 1903; m. Andrew Fletcher 1839; ch. Infant, d. 1841; Andrew Craig; Frederick Cornelius; Emma Alvora, died young; Ella Aldora; Allison Evelyn, "Allie," a boy, died circa age 15; Ruth Adella, "Della") S.H. Alvord (sister of Catherine Smith?) Sally Dwinnell (aunt? of Ruth) Sarah Nolan (sister-in-law of Catherine Smith) Susan Colton Pratt (sister of Ruth) (b. 1806 or 1807; d. 1839; m. Clark Pratt 1831; ch. Mary, Cornelius, Levi) Tom Guild (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Willis Hubbard (friend and JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Will Newcomb (JSNS schoolmate of Katherine) Zebina Colton (brother of Ruth) (b. 1802; d. 1856; m. Lois Buck, 1831; ch. Zebina, Curtis, Carlos, Ellen)
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The letters HELPER unscramble into 41 new words! This word cheat tool is the perfect solution to any word!
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Americans whose spouses have been exiled for years as a result of strict immigration penalties took their plight to Congress Thursday, begging legislators to help them as lawmakers discuss overhauling immigration laws.
Some of the affected families met with a key figure in the immigration fight, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who told them that he believes there is a new bipartisan spirit in Congress, and a readiness to eliminate at least some of the mandatory penalties Congress approved in 1996. Members who approved the punitive laws in 1996 said they wanted to try to deter illegal immigration by punishing offenders more harshly. The penalties have split up families for years at a time.
The punishments, mandatory terms of exile known as "bars," must be imposed on an undocumented spouse when he or she tries to go through the process of becoming a legal resident. Americans have a right to sponsor foreign spouses for legal residency, but their citizenship does not trump the penalties Congress currently requires be handed down.
Thousands of Americans' spouses — many of them parents of children who are U.S. citizens — have received these bars since they started kicking in, after delays, around 2002. A basic bar ousts spouses for 10 years. But some spouses have been barred for 20 years, even for life with no possibility of return.
On Thursday, affected Americans with small children told Gutierrez of relocating to Mexico to reunite with spouses. They complained of multiple hardships, including health problems and threats of kidnapping and extortion.
"What devastation," Gutierrez said, calling the bars "cruel" and "fundamentally wrong" because they force a U.S. citizen to raise children alone, without a spouse, or face exile to keep a family together. Gutierrez sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, key forums where negotiations over immigration proposals will likely occur.
Los Angeles resident Chris Xitco, whose story was featured in a recent Center for Public Integrity report on the bars, traveled to the Capitol to participate in the Thursday press event. It was organized by American Families United, a group urging Congress to make changes that would reunite families and put more flexibility into immigration penalties.
Xitco met with aides to his two senators, California Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as with an aide to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who could be critical to mustering GOP support for immigration reform.
Rubio's press secretary did not respond to requests for comment.
"I don't know how optimistic I can get," said Xitco, 49, who fears for the safety of his wife Delia and their two small children, who live south of Tijuana, and whom he visits on weekends.
His wife, whom he married in Los Angeles in 2002, was barred at least until 2018, a punishment meted out because she had crossed the border a second time after getting caught once. She received a lifetime bar that can only be appealed after 10 years.
Margot Bruemmer, 40, of New Jersey, recounted moving to a rural area in Mexico's Veracruz state after her husband was barred in 2005.
The couple has two children, ages two and four. Bruemmer said her lawyer failed to warn the couple that her husband would end up barred for at least 10 years when she tried to legalize him after marrying. Because he had crossed the border more than once, he too was given a lifetime bar that can only be appealed after a decade.
Bruemmer and her husband received news that he would be barred as others have — back in his home country, at a U.S. consulate, where undocumented immigrants are required to report for a legal-residency interview as a last step before getting green cards.
"I cried, and I begged," Bruemmer said, remembering when the U.S. consular officer in Juarez, Mexico, gave the couple the shocking news that her husband was barred.
Bruemmer said her children have to sleep under a mosquito net and live with the threat of catching a fever. But she loves her husband and wants to keep the family together.
"I want my daughters to grow up the way I grew up," Bruemmer said. She said her husband is eking out a living running a store. Because she is an American, she said, her family has become a target, and has been threatened with kidnapping and extortion.
"I am begging for our lawmakers, in this upcoming immigration reform debate, to not forget those of us already living outside the country, already barred," Bruemmer said. "Please, do not forget us."
In the 1996 legislation, Congress did include a system of hardship waivers that can shorten bars for some affected families. But that's an option only if the undocumented spouse entered and resided illegally in the United States once, without multiple crossings.
In addition, up to now, spouses have only been able to apply for hardship waivers after they have been barred and are outside the United States. There are no guarantees that waivers, which are notoriously difficult to argue, will be approved. Thousands have been rejected, and many families have waited for months, or years, for word on applications.
Americans' complaints about lengthy separations have resulted in some changes.
Starting in March, under order by President Obama, undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens will be allowed to apply for hardship waivers before going to their final residency interview back in their home countries. Rep. Lamar Smith, at the time the GOP chair of the House Judiciary Committee, denounced Obama's change on the waiver procedure.
"Who is the president batting for — illegal immigrants or the American people?" Smith said in a statement. He was the author of the 1996 immigration reform.
But Obama's waiver change won't help Xitco, Bruemmer or Edgar Falcon, a citizen from El Paso, Texas, who also traveled to Capitol Hill this week.
Falcon's wife, Maricruz, 24, has been barred for life, and now lives in Durango, Mexico. She arrived in the United States when she 16, brought in illegally by family members. Because her sister used a false ID to enter, a U.S. consular official decided Maricruz must have used one as well, Falcon said.
"I thought there was a waiver for teens," Falcon said. After Maricruz was barred, Falcon contacted his congressional representatives, but received no reply. "They turned their back on me," the 27-year-old said.
Gutierrez said he has been contacted by many Americans with barred spouses, and many others who are too afraid to try to legalize their spouses.
"The American public does not understand this situation," Gutierrez said. But he sees potential allies for reform among some Republicans, he said, including Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the former vice presidential contender, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho. Gutierrez said he met with Rubio for an hour recently, and has also discussed the situation with Ryan.
Kathy McGroarty, 36, a resident of Chicago, read an emotional statement Thursday while at the Capitol, recounting how she and husband tried to live in Mexico after he was barred nearly a decade ago. They ended up returning to the United States — he illegally.
"For almost 10 years, my husband, Ines, and I have lived every day with the fear that our lives could be destroyed by a deportation order," McGroarty said. "We have two boys, Estevan and Diego, who have no idea that their father's immigration status could ultimately bring unbelievable heartache to our home. As far as they know, we are just another regular American family."
Read more in Inequality, Opportunity and Poverty
Witnesses tell Congress that Americans, legal residents' families suffer due to immigration laws
Mental-health study of U.S. kids affected by surge in deportations
Researchers urge Congress to consider impact on U.S. kids who lose parents or are forced abroad


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The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, released earlier today, help us see how where we live, learn, work and play influences how healthy we are and how long we live. The Rankings & Roadmaps show us what is making residents sick, where we need to improve, and what steps communities are taking to solve their problems. Forsyth County ranked 28th among the 100 counties of N.C. with regard to Health Outcome status (mortality and morbidity) compared to 25th last year. Forsyth County ranked 4th among the largest 5 counties and 8th among the 10 largest counties with regards to Health Outcomes.
Forsyth County ranked 24th among the 100 NC counties with regard to Health Factors (health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment) compared to 21st last year. Forsyth County ranked 4th of the largest 5 counties and 8th among the10 largest counties with respect to Health Factors.
The Rankings confirm the results of Forsyth County's 2011 Community Health Assessment top priority focus areas which are physical activity & nutrition, chronic disease prevention, maternal & infant health and social determinants of health. Newly formed coalitions, existing coalitions and health department programs are addressing some of the health factors such as sexually transmitted infections, smoking, teen birth rates and access to healthy food.
As a community we need to focus on other issues as preventable hospital stays, inadequate social support, children in poverty and unemployment. When most people in Forsyth County are healthy, there are lower health costs, fewer sick days, and increased productivity, all of which are critical to economic growth.
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European classic lace pattern (23193) Free EPS Vector
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