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South Carolina's suit against the Department of Justice over the state's new voter ID law comes amid a big to-do in the state over whether hundreds of "dead" voters cast ballots in past elections.
The issue has been used by ID supporters as evidence that voter fraud in the state is a serious problem. But it looks as though that's not going to turn out to be the case.
The State Election Commission is doing a name by name review, and a spokesman told NPR this week that, after looking through about a quarter of the names, they have yet to find any evidence that "something funny is going on." The results of this initial review — which involves the 2010 elections — are expected to be released later this week or next week.
The Election Commission's Executive Director Marci Andino gave a preview last month that what looked like widespread fraud, might turn out to be much more benign — as these cases often are.
She said that out of the first six names checked, five involved clerical or poll worker errors, such as someone marking the wrong voter's name in the poll book. The sixth case involved a man who had sent in an absentee ballot, and then died.
The alarms about possible voter fraud came from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, which was trying to determine how many registered voters didn't have photo ID. In the process, the DMV found what it said was evidence that some 37,000 deceased individuals were on the state's voter registration list, and that of those, some 953 had ballots casts in their names.
The head of the department, Kevin Schwedo, said that was "probable cause" to believe a crime had been committed. So he turned the information over to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who alerted the Justice Department that it appeared that "over 900 persons who were deceased at the time of the elections" had voted.
Wilson also happens to be the state official suing Justice over the new voter ID law. The suit says ID is needed to enhance "public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process in South Carolina."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
We offer a Free quote and UK design service, get in touch today.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Restaurant Team Member
Davis, UT
Loves Travel Stops & Country Store
Please explore other opportunities in Davis, UT by clicking here.
Req ID:410033
20 South 1550 West St Brigham City, UT, 84302
Welcome to Love's!
Where People are the Heart of Our Success
Restaurant Team Members
At Love's, our values go beyond our name. We look for those same values in our people. Our network of travel stops is growing at a tremendous rate as we become the leader in highway hospitality.
As a restaurant team member, we want you to go beyond the day-to-day work and truly succeed. You will have the chance to interact with people from all over, making their travels and their day better. If you enjoy making people smile and are looking for a great opportunity to grow along with a winning team, join us today.
We are hiring immediately!
How You Will Fit In
Be at least 16 years old.
Win customers over by being friendly and impressing them with your care.
Prepare and maintain food products in accordance with health regulations and company standards.
Always put the safety and happiness of your customers first.
Operate all assigned equipment safely and efficiently.
Ability to work a flexible schedule to include some nights, weekends, and/or holidays.
Be reliable, accountable, and presentable.
Capability to lift up to 50 pounds, working up to 8-hour shifts and doing light paperwork, including basic math.
Benefits That Can't Be Beat
Medical/Dental/Vision and Life Insurance Plans
Flexible Scheduling
Road to Success Program for career development
On-the-job training
Competitive pay (weekly pay)Team Member bonus program
Referral bonuses
Holiday pay401(k) with matching contributions
Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Pet Insurance
Benefits for part-time team members too!
Employee Assistance Program
Typical Physical Demands
Regularly required to talk and hear
Requires standing and walking, with some bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing
Occasional lifting of up to 50lbs
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus
Work Environment
While performing these duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to outdoor elements in all seasons. Occasionally, the employee will also be exposed to fumes and particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration. The noise level in the work environment can be loud at times.
While performing these duties, the employee may be exposed to dirt, dust, grime, grease, oil, gas, high-concentrated cleaning solutions, etc.
Diversity Statement
From the founding of Love's, our leaders have been passionate about providing excellent customer experiences and helping our Team Members grow. We do both within a culture of respect and inclusion. In order to sustain this culture, we will welcome individuals who are diverse in experiences, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and physical or mental ability.
Also, we are committed to sustaining a professional working environment where ALL people feel respected. By doing these things we will cultivate a diversity of thought and a spirit of innovation.
Grow Far with Love's
Opportunity is our biggest benefit! As a family-based company, we are committed to adhering to our values. Ensuring that each and every one of our people succeed is central to these values. The Road to Success Program offers leadership and management skills training.
If management is your path, we will help you get there. As a merit-based culture, we champion creative and valuable ideas and hard work is not only recognized but rewarded. Whether you're looking for part-time work to supplement your income or to grow into a leadership role, with Love's all roads lead to success.
Job Function(s): Restaurant
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores is the industry-leading travel stop network in the United States. For more than 55 years, we have provided customers with highway hospitality and "Clean Places, Friendly Faces." We are passionate about serving drivers with clean, modern facilities stocked with fuel, food and supplies.
We offer meals from popular restaurant chains, trucking supplies, showers and everything needed to get back on the road quickly. The Love's Family of Companies includes:
Gemini Motor Transport, one of the industry's safest trucking fleets Speedco, the light mechanical and trucking service specialists Musket, a rapidly growing, Houston-based commodities supplier and trader Trillium, a Houston-based alternative fuels expert


text: The grownups in your life have probably told you that you aren't allowed to have alcoholic drinks, such as beer or wine. But what do kids think about this issue? KidsHealth wanted to know, so we asked 690 kids ages 9 to 13. Most kids said teens who drink alcohol are not cool. More than 90% of the kids said they are very uncool (86%) or uncool (6%). And 89% of kids said that drinking alcohol at their age (9 to 13) was never OK. That shows that a lot of kids are pretty smart about the dangers of alcohol. They probably know that it's risky for kids to drink alcohol because: It can make them sick (like making them throw up, pass out, or worse). It can hurt their ability to make good decisions. It can make them do things that are embarrassing. It can get them into trouble (with parents or police). It can be addictive, meaning that the person might start needing alcohol to feel good. But what about the kids who didn't agree? Three percent of kids said, at their age, it was always OK to drink alcohol. And although 90% of kids said they never tried alcohol, or only tried it once, 6% of kids said they often drink more than a sip — every week or every month. Some kids might drink because they have problems they don't know how to deal with. These kids need caring adults to help them solve their problems in a healthier way. Drinking alcohol is bad for your brain and your health, but kids who drink can decide to be successful at stopping. Caring adults can teach kids how to give and receive respect, take better care of themselves, and make better choices. In addition to parents, a caring adult could be an aunt or uncle, an older sibling, doctor, teacher, or school counselor. Kids might start drinking alcohol because it makes them feel good at first or like they can escape their problems for a while. The trouble with this is that drinking alcohol makes them feel bad or sick afterward — and they may become addicted to it. And as for the problems — they're still there anyway, because escaping doesn't solve any problem. Why Do Kids Try Alcohol? Here are the top three reasons kids gave when asked why they try alcohol: to look cool to see what it's like because other kids are doing it All kids want to be cool. The good news is that most kids we surveyed don't think drinking makes a person any cooler. But the few kids who said they drink seem to believe it does. In other words, they might think they're cool, even though other kids don't. It's easy to see how a kid might get the wrong message about alcohol. If you have seen beer commercials on TV, the people drinking it seem like they're having a good time. They often feature bar or party scenes or people watching sports on TV. Why can't kids have this kind of fun? Well, alcohol also has a darker side. Alcohol is a depressant. That means it slows down or depresses the brain. Like many drugs, alcohol changes a person's ability to think, speak, and see things as they really are. A person might lose his or her balance and have trouble walking properly. The person might feel relaxed and happy, and later start crying or get in an argument. When people drink too much, they might do or say things they don't mean. They might hurt themselves or other people, especially if they drive a car. Someone who drinks too much also might throw up and could wake up the next day feeling awful — that's called a hangover. Over time, someone who abuses alcohol can do serious damage to his or her body. The liver, which removes poisons from the blood, is especially at risk. Because alcohol can cause such problems, the citizens and government leaders in this country have decided that kids shouldn't be allowed to buy or use alcohol. By setting the drinking age at 21, they hope older people will be able to make good decisions about alcohol. For instance, they don't want people to drink alcohol and drive cars because that's how many accidents occur. If you know someone who is drinking, you might tell one of your parents, a teacher, or a school counselor. The person may need help, counseling, or other treatment to stop using alcohol. It's also OK to ask questions about alcohol and ask for help if you feel pressure to drink it. Often, parents are a strong source of support because they want you to stay healthy and they don't want you to get in trouble. Sometimes it can be hard for kids to say no if someone offers them alcohol. They might feel peer pressure to do what someone else is doing, even if they know better. Other kids might act as if drinking alcohol makes a person grown up or say that a kid who refuses to use alcohol is uncool or immature. But kids can say no to peer pressure when they know their own minds and know that alcohol can be dangerous or harmful to them. Some of the kids we surveyed said having other fun things to do was a good way to prevent underage drinking. Even more kids (nearly half) had a really good thought on how to prevent drinking: They said kids should learn more about the dangers of alcohol from doctors and nurses, through lessons at school, and by talking with people who have had alcohol problems. That's smart because the more kids know about alcohol, how it affects people, and the dangers of underage drinking, the better they can be at making good decisions about their own behavior. And that — unlike drinking alcohol — is truly cool. Back to Articles Related Articles Word! Alcoholism Alcoholism means that someone frequently drinks too much alcohol (such as beer, wine, or liquor) and can't stop. Read More Alcohol Do you know how beer and other alcoholic drinks affect the body and mind? Find out in this article for kids. Read More Dealing With Peer Pressure Did you ever feel like another kid was trying to get you to do something you didn't want to do? If so, you've felt peer pressure. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.


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Summer is looking to find Fall around here it seems. Today for example is what I like to call "une journee formidable" – a glorious day. And as corny as it sounds, (I like corny, there) I've been humming this old song all day. Bright sunshine, mild temperature and a nice breeze. I turned the A/C off and opened up all the windows.
And breathed. I have put myself on mandatory time outs at 11 and 3 o'clock every day and go outside, do a funky shake down – move about in the house or just play with the pups. Days are intense, yes, but absolutely gratifying. I was just thinking the other day that I may have a lot of projects in the works but all have a wonderful personal relationship attached to them. Everyday I am given the chance to help someone's vision come true. That is a privilege.
When Holly and I decided to celebrate our working together on her cookbook, she graciously invited us to her house and I volunteered to bring dessert. I was not going to bring tarts, that's for sure…! I took advantage of the farmers market bounty one weekend and bought tons of fresh dark and juicy plums.
I needed something that could go on a little ride around the block and still make it in presentable form. I was, indeed, going to have dinner with a Cordon Bleu graduate, eheheh! As usual at our farmers market, I bought a little more than what I needed so I made one 8×8 crumble to take to dinner and a few smaller ones for us to enjoy again later.
With travels, work and just "being" (friends, weeekends, parties,…), I did forget they were there, all by their lonesome self in the freezer. Yep. I know. Sad. Well only for a brief moment when I realized they had been hanging out with a full container of ginger ice cream I had just made for a party. I took the crumbles out one evening and selfishly kept some of the ginger ice cream for us too.
Indeed, Summer was calling on Fall that night. And quite perfectly so…
Plum Crumbles With Ginger Ice Cream:
Serves 4 to 6
Notes: you can replace the gluten free flours and the cornstarch with the same amounts (for each) in all purpose flour.
For the plums:
4 plums, pitted and thinly sliced (skin on)
1/4 cup sugar (I used sucanat – a non refined sugar)(use regular sugar if needed)
zest of one lemon
2 Tb lemon juice
2 Tb cornstarch
For the crumble topping:
For the topping:
3/4 cup (90gr) millet flour
3/4 cup (120gr) brown rice flour
1/2 cup (65gr) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (80gr) unsalted butter, cold, in small pieces
1/4 cup sucanat (or sugar)
Prepare the crumble topping:
In a large bowl, stir together all the flours and cornstarch, cardamom and pinch of salt. Add the butter and sucanat and start mixing everything together with your fingertips. You want to form a few large clusters of dough. It will be easier to grate once cold. Freeze the mixture while you prepare the fruits.
Preheat the oven at 350F and position a rack in the middle.
Prepare the plums:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the plums and the rest of the ingredients. Toss well. Divide between 4 -6 ramekins and place them on a baking sheet as the fruits are most likely to release their juice, causing a spill. When ready to bake, grate the crumble over the ramekins (use a box grates) and bake for 30-35 minutes.
For the ginger ice cream:
See this post.


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Aller Vale's history goes back to 1865. The Torquay company originally made earthenware domestic goods. John Phillips started the Aller Vale Art Pottery in the 1880s after the original pottery (J Phillips and Co) was damaged by fire.
In the last decade of the nineteenth century the company gained public approbation when its wares were stocked by Liberty & Co. of Regent Street, London. After the death of Phillips in 1897, the company was acquired by Hexter Humpherson & Co., who amalgamated it with another of their acquisitions, Watcombe Pottery, and the new firm was known as Royal Aller Vale & Watcombe Co.
The company continued to produce pottery until 1962.
Further Reading: |
Aller Vale Art Pottery by Virginia Brisco (Editor) |


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In a spectacular fall from political prominence, former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife agreed Friday to plead guilty to federal charges growing out of what prosecutors said was a scheme to use $750,000 in campaign funds for lavish personal expenses, including a $43,000 gold watch and furs.
Federal prosecutors filed one charge of conspiracy against the former Chicago congressman and charged his ex-alderman wife, Sandra, with one count of filing false joint federal income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2011 that knowingly understated the income the couple received. Both agreed to plead guilty in deals with federal prosecutors.
Both face maximum penalties of several years in prison; he also faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and forfeitures. But the government did not immediately release the text of its plea agreements. Such agreements almost invariably call for prosecutors to recommend sentences below the maximum.
The son of a famed civil rights leader, Jackson, a Democrat, entered Congress in 1995 and resigned last November. Sandi, as she's known, was a Chicago alderman, but resigned last month amid the federal investigation.
Jackson used campaign money to buy such things as a $43,350 on a gold-plated, men's Rolex watch and $9,587.64 on children's furniture, according to court papers filed in the case. His wife spent $5,150 on fur capes and parkas, the document said.
"I offer no excuses for my conduct, and I fully accept my responsibility for the improper decisions and mistakes I have made," the ex-congressman said in a written statement released by his lawyers. "I want to offer my sincerest apologies … for my errors in judgment and while my journey is not yet complete, it is my hope that I am remembered for things that I did right."
Several messages left with Jackson's father, the voluble civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, were not returned Friday. The elder Jackson has often declined to comment about his son's health and legal woes over the past several months.
The government said, "Defendant Jesse L. Jackson Jr., willingly and knowingly, used approximately $750,000 from the campaign's accounts for personal expenses" that benefited him and his co-conspirator, who was not named in the one-count criminal information filed in the case. The filing of a criminal information means a defendant has waived the right to have a grand jury consider the case; it is used by federal prosecutors when they have reached a deal for a guilty plea.
The prosecutors' court filing said that upon conviction, Jackson must forfeit $750,000, plus tens of thousands of dollars' worth of memorabilia items and furs. The memorabilia includes a football signed by U.S. presidents, a Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen guitar, a Michael Jackson fedora, Martin Luther King Jr. memorabilia, Malcolm X memorabilia, Jimi Hendrix memorabilia and Bruce Lee memorabilia — all from a company called Antiquities of Nevada.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and other penalties. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Wilkins is assigned to the case.
Tom Kirsch, an attorney for Jackson's wife said she has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors and would plead guilty to one tax count.
Kirsch said his client and her husband have supported each other. He said the episode has been stressful for Sandi Jackson, but she "expected to be held responsible … and wants to put (it) behind her and her family."
The charge against Sandi Jackson carries a maximum of three-year prison sentence. But Kirsch says the agreement "does not contemplate a sentence of that length."
The court papers said that Jackson filed false financial reports with the U.S. House of Representatives in an attempt to conceal his and his wife's conversion of campaign funds for their personal benefit.
A black and red cashmere cape cost $1,500, a mink reversible parka cost $1,200 and a black fox reversible cost $1,500, prosecutors wrote.
According the government's court papers:
—Jackson and his wife carried out the scheme by using credit cards issued to Jackson's re-election campaigns to pay personal credit card bills for $582,772.58 in purchases by Jackson. Jackson provided his wife and a long-time campaign treasurer $112,150.39, solely for having the two carry out transactions that personally benefited Jackson.
—In a false filing with the House, the owner of an unidentified Alabama-based company issued a $25,000 check to pay down a balance on one of Jackson's personal credit cards. Jackson's financial disclosure statement with the House omitted the payment made on Jackson's behalf.
—In a false campaign filing with the Federal Election Commission, an unidentified treasurer for Jackson's campaigns reported that the campaign spent $1,553.09 at a Chicago Museum for "room rental-fundraiser." In fact, said the court papers, Jackson spent those funds to buy porcelain collector's items.
Jackson's resignation ended a once-promising political career tarnished by unproven allegations that he was involved in discussions to raise campaign funds for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for appointment — which never came — to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. The House Ethics Committee, which no longer has any power over Jackson, may choose to issue a report on the matter.
Jackson denied any wrongdoing in the Blagojevich matter. But the suspicions, along with revelations that he had had an extramarital affair, derailed any aspirations for higher political office. It wasn't clear from the court papers whether the woman with whom he had the affair was among the half dozen people identified the documents by letters of the alphabet rather than by their names.
Since last June, Jackson has been hospitalized twice at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for treatment of bipolar disorder and other issues, and he stayed out of the public eye for months, even during the November elections.
Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2013 Capitol Hill Blue


text:
Friday morning I took the train to Chateau de Chantilly to see the newly renovated Grand Singerie.
No one is quite sure if Wateau or several other artists painted these murals since they are unsigned.
Back to Paris after lunch to visit Musee Carnavalet, the history of Paris museum in the Marais.
I'm collecting bits of Louis XV details.
On walls.
On frames, like this one at the Musee Cognacq-jay a few blocks away.
Saturday was a "lite" day. I only made it to the Musee des Arts Decoratif.


text:
Our basic T-Shirts are 100% cotton, heavyweight, and pre-shrunk.
We support businesses that offer fair wages
and safe working conditions.
Event T-Shirts
Organization T-Shirts
Family Reunion T-Shirts
Political Campaign T-Shirts
Team T-Shirts (with numbers)
Future Famous Band T-Shirts
Prices will change depending on the style and cut.
XXL and larger sizes are slightly more.
Call or email us for details.
There is a 36 T-Shirt minimum on regular shirts.
Union-made T-Shirts require an order of 100 T-Shirts
Graphics or more complicated design work is extra. We prefer graphic in Photoshop or Illustrator formats. Please do not email files larger than 500K.
If you'd like to request a bid for custom printing, please call our toll-free number (800) 258-8579 or email at email@example.com with as many specifics as possible: item type(s), quantities, ink colors, sizes, design type. We're happy to work from your digital files, but each printing technology has its own requirements. Please email email@example.com before preparing electronic art for printing. We can't work from MS Office files or web graphics.
See Northern Sun categories of T-Shirts, Stickers, Buttons, Magnets, Posters, Car Plaques-Emblems, Note Cards, Calendars, Flags-Banners, Music-Instruments, Toys-Novelty, and topics that include Evolution-Darwin, Diversity, Education, Science, Environment, Womens Issues, Funny. Gay-Lesbian, Imports, Politics-Peace, Religion-Spirituality.


text:
Home » Of Interest » BLONK, JAAP: Ursonate
BLONK, JAAP: Ursonate
Kurt Schwitters' legendary 'sonata in primordial sounds', a tour de force of abstract voice composition (the entire phonetic text is printed in the book) here in two versions by Jaap Blonk, one made in 1986 (and not released then for legal reasons) and a live version made in 2003 in a powerful acoustic space. In structure, there are 4 movements, with themes and developments, each centred on a clear structural idea, with a cadenza as the 4th part. A critical art-historical work, very plausibly performed (maybe a little overserious). Dry, austere and not for everyone.
Code: BASTA3091452
Price: £14.50


text:
Navigating a whole new area on your own schedule was never easier than with a cheap car rental from Amsterdam City. As soon as you arrive at Amsterdam City, Netherlands, you can look forward to exploring straight away. As well as having the freedom to drive to exciting new locations on a whim, you can plan day trips and excursions to nearby attractions that capture your interest.
With a simple booking system and a great selection of vehicles, Europcar is the perfect choice for your Amsterdam City car rental. Book online before you go and discover a range of options; we have hourly, daily, short term, weekly, monthly and long term deals available in this location, and you can talk to us to find out which one will be best suited to your trip.
Rent a car in Amsterdam City and prepare to hit the road for a whole new heap of memories
Remember to always bring your driver's license, valid credit card and additional proof of identity (such as a passport if you are renting abroad).


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Beth Orton Rolling Stone Premiere
Rolling Stone is exclusively premiering "Magpie" today from Beth Orton's new album, Sugaring Season (Anti-). Haunting and insistent, the track builds from spare acoustic guitar to an intricately orchestrated crescendo of strings, drums, and layered vocals: href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/song-premiere-beth-orton-magpie-20120813">Rolling Stone
"I am obsessed by the birds outside of my window," she told Rolling Stone about the song's inspiration. "Wherever I live I am followed by two blue jays. These birds have many stories attached to them. There is a lot of superstition and conjecture around their stories. These birds hold wisdom for me. They are also oblivious to the fear they raise in others. All the time people are inventing stories to justify actions that often have no bearing on reality. I have experienced being silenced and this song came out of that. It was my way of keeping my voice and a sense of freedom alive."
And in case you missed it, watch Beth premiere three new songs live via NPR's Tiny Desk: http://www.npr.org/event/music/157322326/beth-orton-tiny-desk-concert>NPR>. She'll kick off her fall tour 9/20 in Nashville (full dates here: http://shorefire.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=5963>http://shorefire.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=5963>).


text:
It was just about a year ago that I was frantically packing my suitcases, mentally reciting a few lines from my presentation and packing my camera equipment, heading towards Florence. I always love traveling to Italy as it's a country I feel attached to - its rich culture, the atmosphere, the people and the food, all entice me and inspire me on many levels. Traveling to Florence this time was special however, as I was going to be joined by 3 dear friends and 12 new faces. What I did not know however I was going to come away with many new friends and cherish the old ones more.
I was headed to Tuscany to join Ilva, Jeanne and Jamie for our second From Plate to Page workshop under the Tuscan sun. I love the way these workshops were coming to life and with each one we were gaining not only experience but making contact with some incredibly warm, loving and talented people who came to our workshops as participants but within a few days we were laughing, sharing stories and singing together like we had known each other for a lifetime.
We have very successfully completed three From Plate to Page workshops, Weimar our first workshop, which we dived into with all our gusto, then came Tuscany, which we mastered with the typical Italian charm and this year we hit the rolling hills of Somerset for the best of Britain. What a roller coaster ride each one has been.
I have many fond memories from each one of these workshops. Moments that I have captured in my head and there they will be cherished. Be it moments like singing Abba while hulling strawberries in Weimar, bulbs exploding over our heads in Somerset or sitting on the stone wall and allowing the Tuscan sun to rejuvenate me in a quiet moment - there are many such moments.
One of the fondest memories I have is the one of walking into the rustic stone floored kitchen of Il Salicone, at our spectacular venue in Tuscany and seeing Ilva standing alone at the stove stirring a wooden spoon in a fairly large metal pot. Behind me in the dining room there were squeals of joy from our Tuscany group as they discovered boxes of Prosecco and wine from our exceptional sponsors. In comparison the kitchen was quiet and cool. I stood there for a few seconds watching Ilva.
See, Ilva is a cherished friend and although I've known her for close to 7 years this was actually only the second time I was meeting her in person! Every time I tried to imagine her cooking the delightful dishes she creates on her blog, this was very much how I pictured it. On this evening she was in charge of cooking and was preparing one of my favorite Italian dishes pollo alla cacciatora or hunter's style chicken. As I walked up to Ilva I was embraced by the soothing scent of tangy tomatoes, garlic and onions. I stayed for awhile helping with the preparations and we chatted, giggling and making jokes, feeling relaxed. Soon the kitchen began to fill up with the other members of our group and the moment faded. But it was branded in my head.
This week we mark another milestone in our Plate to Page story. We've been working on our sparkly new website behind the scenes and putting together a brand new workshop for 2013. We've worked hard and there were many frustrations, highs and lows but in the end we rocked it. The Plate to Page website is looking hot - isn't it?
We're absolutely thrilled about our fourth workshop in May 2013 in Dublin, Ireland. Mark those calendars! From 10th - 13th May 2013 we're taking the From Plate to Page workshop to the beautiful rolling green hills of County Meath, Ireland. You'll find all the details to the workshop in our Ireland announcement page.
This time we have changed our registration procedure by opening the workshop for pre-registrations and offering the opportunity to register your interest before officially opening the registrations. Those who are pre-registered will be getting timely updates and details to everything concerning the workshop and you will have plenty of time to check dates, flights and budgets in advance. Also different this time is that for those of you who are certain about attending this workshop now, have the option to bindingly secure a spot on the workshop by selecting the appropriate field on the registration form. As always the group is limited to 10 participants. Our comprehensive FAQ page covers a variety of topics, explaining many details to how we work behind the scenes.
My favorite page however is the "What Participants Say" page! It makes me beam from ear to ear when I read it and I am filled with joy to read that what we do has touched so many of our attendees in such an inspiring and positive way. We cherish our alumni, and where possible keep a track on how they progress, exchange emails and advice. Staying in touch beyond the 3 days of the workshop is proof of the bond formed during the time. We even like to integrate our alumni in other workshops like we did in Somerset. Hayley, a dear alumni from our Tuscany workshop was the driving force behind the meals on the last day in Somerset, creating a varied and mouth-watering menu, which was relished by the Somerset attendees.
I hope you enjoy browsing through the pages of our new website. We have a lot of motivating and inspiring articles by incredible guest writers - really great reads all of them. We would love your feedback if you have any suggestions on a professional writer/photographer you would like to see on our website.
Maybe you can feel how excited I am about this. I am also sentimental and to celebrate the awesome team I work with, the past and future workshops, the generous and incredible sponsors we have partnered with and the brilliant friends we have made along the way, I decided to re-create pollo alla cacciatore.
Pollo alla cacciatore or chicken cacciatore in English, is a simple dish that is popular not only in Italy but around the world and there are many varieties of this dish. The ingredients for chicken cacciatore vary, but its essentials are chicken, onions, tomatoes and wine. It is often made with rabbit, and many recipes call for mushrooms, both things an Italian hunter might come across in the woods.
In my version I use divine free-range organic chicken and add carrots and parsnip to the dish. I omit the onions allowing the smoked garlic to lead the flavors. Mushrooms, the vegetables and a handful of olives top off the stew perfectly.
Printable version of recipe here
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus overnight marination
Total Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6
- 2 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin left on
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 2 slices
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 parsnips, chopped
- ½ bottle of chianti
- flour for dusting
- fleur de sel and freshly cracked pepper
- 200g small button mushrooms
- handful green olives
- 800g canned tomatoes
- Pat chicken pieces dry and season with fleur de sel and cracked pepper. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, add the bay leaves, rosemary and crushed garlic and cover with wine. Leave to marinate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Drain chicken, reserving the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Dust the chicken lightly with flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat an ovenproof pan, add a glug of olive oil, fry the chicken pieces until browned lightly all over. Add carrots, parsnips and sliced garlic and continue to fry for a few minutes then add the tomatoes and the wine marinade. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid or a double thickness layer of aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1.5 hours.
- Add in the mushrooms and olives 15 minute before dish is finished, stir to combine
- Adjust the seasoning and serve with polenta or as I love with rosemary roasted potatoes and cannellini beans
As I wrap up this post I am once again frantically packing my bags, reciting lines of my presentation as I head to Dubai this weekend. My parents are awaiting Soeren and me eagerly and this time next week I'll be in the middle of my second Dubai Food Styling & Photography workshop, which I am very excited about. You'll find an overview of all my workshops for 2012/2013 on my workshop page. The page will be updated as I finalize other upcoming workshops in 2013.
Wish me luck and I'll see you when I return with lots of stories and recipes. See you soon!
More great chicken recipes from WFLH:
Italian Roasted Chicken and Vegetables | Lime Chicken and Vegetable Farro Risotto | Parmesan Thai Basil Crusted Chicken |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2012 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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Lindsay and Dina Lohan scrapped last night. They were at a club at 4am. On their way home to Long Island they started slapping each other. Lindsay has a cut on her leg and her ma broke her bracelet. The cops were called on a domestic. No one was arrested.
I would like to believe that Dina was finally giving her daughter some structure -- at dawn, after a night of partying. I would like to believe that she was finally trying some tough love and discipline. But that would be dumb. Because, well, that would be what a decent mother would do. And Dina is not decent.
No, it turns out that Dina was drunk. According to TMZ Mother Lohan was "wasted" and the two were arguing about whether or not the limo should take her home to Long Island first or drop off Lindsay at her hotel. THIS is what these people throw down over -- a limousine and not even a bump of cocaine? I think I might be disappointed.
At press time, neither Lohan has commented. Oh but it's coming. You know it's coming. And who will they blame this time? I nominate those Honey Boo Boo people. They've been getting much too much press lately.


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Correction: Obit-Julie Harris story
NEW YORK, N.Y. - In a story Aug. 24 about the death of Broadway star Julie Harris, The Associated Press reported erroneously the date of "The Member of the Wedding" as 1950. It was 1952.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Julie Harris, Broadway star, dies at 87
Julie Harris, Broadway star who won 5 Tonys for best actress, dies at 87
By MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer
Julie Harris, one of Broadway's most honoured performers, whose roles ranged from the flamboyant Sally Bowles in "I Am a Camera" to the reclusive Emily Dickinson in "The Belle of Amherst," died Saturday. She was 87.
Harris died at her West Chatham, Massachusetts, home of congestive heart failure, actress and family friend Francesca James said.
Harris won a record five Tony Awards for best actress in a play, displaying a virtuosity that enabled her to portray an astonishing gallery of women during a theatre career that spanned almost 60 years and included such plays as "The Member of the Wedding" (1952), "The Lark" (1955), "Forty Carats" (1968) and "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" (1972).
She was honoured again with a sixth Tony, a special lifetime achievement award in 2002. Only Angela Lansbury has neared her record, winning four Tonys in the best actress-musical category and one for best supporting actress in a play.
Harris had suffered a stroke in 2001 while she was in Chicago appearing in a production of Claudia Allen's "Fossils." She suffered another stroke in 2010, James said.
"I'm still in sort of a place of shock," said James, who appeared in daytime soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live."
"She was, really, the greatest influence in my life," said James, who had known Harris for about 50 years.
Television viewers knew Harris as the free-spirited Lilimae Clements on the prime-time soap opera "Knots Landing." In the movies, she was James Dean's romantic co-star in "East of Eden" (1955), and had rolls in such films as "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1962), "The Haunting" (1963) and "Reflections in a Golden Eye" (1967).
Yet Harris' biggest successes and most satisfying moments have been on stage. "The theatre has been my church," the actress once said. "I don't hesitate to say that I found God in the theatre."
The 5-foot-4 Harris, blue-eyed with delicate features and reddish-gold hair, made her Broadway debut in 1945 in a short-lived play called "It's a Gift." Five years later, at the age of 24, Harris was cast as Frankie, a lonely 12-year-old tomboy on the brink of adolescence, in "The Member of the Wedding," Carson McCullers' stage version of her wistful novel.
The critics raved about Harris, with Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times calling her performance "extraordinary — vibrant, full of anguish and elation."
"That play was really the beginning of everything big for me," Harris had said.
The actress appeared in the 1952 film version, too, with her original Broadway co-stars, Ethel Waters and Brandon De Wilde, and received an Academy Award nomination.
Harris won her first Tony Award for playing Sally Bowles, the confirmed hedonist in "I Am a Camera," adapted by John van Druten from Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories." The play later became the stage and screen musical "Cabaret." In her second Tony-winning performance, Harris played a much more spiritual character, Joan of Arc in Lillian Hellman's adaptation of Jean Anouilh's "The Lark." The play had a six-month run, primarily because of the notices for Harris.
The actress was something of a critics' darling, getting good reviews even when her plays were less-well received. These included such work as "Marathon '33," ''Ready When You Are, C.B.!" and even a musical, "Skyscraper," adapted from an Elmer Rice play, "Dream Girl."
Her third Tony came for her work in "Forty Carats," a frothy French comedy about an older woman and a younger man. It was a big hit, running nearly two years.
Harris won her last two Tonys for playing historical figures — Mary Todd Lincoln in "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" and poet Emily Dickinson in "The Belle of Amherst" by William Luce. The latter, a one-woman show, became something of an annuity for Harris, a play she would take around the country at various times in her career.
The actress liked to tour, even going out on the road in such plays as "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Lettice & Lovage" after they had been done in New York with other stars.
Harris' last Broadway appearances were in revivals, playing the domineering mother in a Roundabout Theatre Company production of "The Glass Menagerie" (1994) and then "The Gin Game" with Charles Durning for the National Actors Theatre in 1997.
In 2005, she was one of five performers to receive Kennedy Center honours.
Harris was born on Dec. 2, 1925, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the daughter of an investment banker. She grew up fascinated by movies, later saying she thought of herself as plain-looking and turned to acting as a way of becoming other persons.
She made her stage debut at the Grosse Pointe Country Day School in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at age 14. In the years that followed, she studied drama in finishing school, prep school, Yale University and the Actor's Studio.
Before "Knots Landing," Harris made numerous guest-starring television appearances on dramas and was a regular on two quickly cancelled series — "Thicker Than Water" in 1973 and "The Family Holvak" in 1975.
Her Emmys were for performances in two "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentations: "Little Moon of Alban" in 1958 and "Victoria Regina" in 1961.
Harris was married three times, to lawyer Jay I. Julian, stage manager Manning Gurian and writer William Erwin Carroll. She had one son, Peter Alston Gurian.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
The late AP Drama Writer Michael Kuchwara contributed to this report.


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If you are not now aware of them, here they are:
- How much is a customer worth to you?
- How many repeat customers do you actually have?
- Who is your largest customer & which country are most of your buyers from?
- What time do you get most of your sales?
- How frequently do your sales come in?
We have been waiting for these features to be added to PayPal for so long, but it didn't happen. This could the reason why we are still paying to an account firm to answer all of these things.
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Wanna know more? Let's go read this review!
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[vimeo 201663607 w=800 h=450]
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- Need fast internet connection to function well
- Need to contact support desk if there is an unknown drawback
Would you still pay to an account firm after this? Save more money and start growing your business. GET Your copy of PayDrill Here!


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Are you reading this when you should be working? If so, then it may be because your brain signaled that continuing to work was not worth the cost in tedium of forcing yourself to stay on task.
New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers insight into how people decide when to keep going and when to take a break. That decision apparently hinges on a specific signal that at its peak— say, when your muscles are screaming that you can't do another rep or your brain refuses to focus on the page — prompts you to quit. And when your body and brain are refreshed and ready to go again, the signal quiets down and gets out of your way.
MORE: Healing the Hurt
The peaks and valleys that trigger these decisions, however, are not pre-set: they're influenced by how much effort you're expending and how big a reward you expect from the work. The bigger the reward and the smaller the effort required, the more likely you are to keep going until you've done what needs doing. As you work, it seems, your brain continuously calibrates your breaking point in relation to your expectations of gain.
To understand this signaling, researchers led by Mathias Pessiglione of the Motivation Brain and Behavior Laboratory of INSERM in Paris, France, studied 39 people using two brain imaging techniques—fMRI, which maps blood flow to particular brain regions as participants perform certain tasks, and MEG, which uses magnetic fields to follow the brain's electrical signaling. They were tested while squeezing a handgrip at maximum effort to earn varying monetary rewards. The handgrip was calibrated to each person's strength and the intensity of effort was displayed on a computer screen as a thermometer— participants had to keep the fluid level in the thermometer over a certain point in order to win the money.
While the volunteers were warned that the amount of effort required might vary during the test, they did not know when it would change. They were shown on the screen how much money was at stake in each 30 second trial— 10, 20 or 50 cents in Euros— and instructed to try to win as much as possible.
MORE: Marshmallow-ology: Why Wait, When the Better Treat Might Never Arrive?
During the challenge, both types of brain scans showed activity in a region involved in pain perception, known as the posterior insula. The signal there became more intense when greater effort was required— but less strong when the same level of effort was connected with a bigger potential reward. Bigger rewards also led to a muted signal during rest periods between the tests, meaning people would both expend more effort and require less rest when more was at stake.
The authors write, "[This] process might implement the intuitive psychological phenomenon that, when motivated, we literally push back our limits," allowing us to worker harder for longer. The study did not ask participants about whether they actually felt less pain or fatigue when expecting bigger rewards, although other research suggests that this change in perception may drive the way the signal affects behavior.
For example, research on pain perception shows that placebos and medications can both relieve pain by changing signaling in this region— and other studies suggest that situational factors like music, stress or the presence of an attractive potential mate also affect how much pain is seen as tolerable.
"[T]he brain can indeed adjust the sensitivity of these regions depending on expectations," the authors conclude. To push yourself through the pain, it seems, it helps to expect great gain.


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The T.C. Williams Titans eked out a 50-49 victory against West Springfield on Monday night, building on a win against Lee last weekend.
The road win marks the second consecutive victory against a Patriot District rival for the Titans and bumps their overall record to 10-7. Both teams have struggled against T.C., losing matchups against the Titans earlier this season.
With just a .500 record in the Patriot District a week ago after struggling throughout the season, the Titans have moved to 7-5 in conference action. They have two conference matchups left in the season: a home game against Lake Braddock on Tuesday and a showdown with Annandale on February 10.
The last time Lake Braddock and T.C. squared off, the Burke squad dealt the Titans a 60-54 loss. Annandale proved less formidable during their January 17 matchup, falling 64-39 to T.C.


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College's diminishing returns
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 29, 2014
President Obama is correct in wanting to make higher education more affordable and accessible, but Americans would also be correct in wondering just what they're paying for.
The need for a better-educated populace is beyond dispute. Without critical thinking skills and a solid background in history, the arts and sciences, how can a nation hope to govern itself?
Answer: Look around.
The problem isn't only that higher education is unaffordable to many but that even at our highest-ranked colleges and universities, students aren't getting much bang for their buck.
Since 1985, the price of higher education has increased 538 percent, according to a new study from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group that encourages trustees and alumni to foster improvement where institutions may be reluctant to go against popular trends.
For perspective, compare tuition increases to a "mere" 286 percent increase in medical costs and a 121 percent increase in the consumer price index during the same period, according to ACTA.
Although the council confined its research in this study — "Education or Reputation?" — to the 29 top-ranked liberal-arts schools in the nation, where tuition, boarding and books typically run more than $50,000 per year, the trends highlighted are not confined to smaller, elite institutions. These include an increasing lack of academic rigor, grade inflation, high administrative costs and a lack of intellectual diversity.
While these findings are not so surprising to those who follow such studies, one can still be stunned by what can only be described as a breach of trust between colleges and the students they attract with diversions and amenities that have little bearing on education and will be of little use in the job market.
One need only be reminded of the recent scandal at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where a whistleblower revealed that phony classes and fake grades have been offered mostly to athletes since the 1990s. UNC, one of the historically great institutions of higher learning, quite apart from its legendary basketball team, is scrambling now to repair its damaged reputation with oversight and other fixes. But reputations, cultivated over decades and sometimes centuries, are like love — hard to repair once trust is broken.
On the flip side, ACTA proposes that many schools, rather than offering the educational quality that earned them a golden reputation in the first place, often depend on public reverence for the past rather than on present performance.
Of great concern is the diminishing focus on core curriculums — the traditional arts and science coursework essential to developing critical thinking necessary for civic participation. Among the 29 schools surveyed by ACTA, only three require U.S. government or history, just two require economics and five colleges have no requirements at all.
In a separate study, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy found that though Americans pay the highest per pupil tuition rates in the world, most graduates fall below proficiency in such simple cognitive tasks as comparing viewpoints in two editorials or buying food when given in price per ounce.
Instead of the basics, students might look forward to more entertaining fare, such as Middlebury College's "Mad Men and Mad Women," an examination of masculinity and femininity in mid-20th-century America via the television show "Mad Men."
I confess I'd enjoy a dinner discussion along these lines, but as an education consumer, I'm not sure a semester-long investigation is worth even a tiny percent of the tuition. ACTA President Anne Neal acknowledges such courses may be interesting and even valuable. "What we do question, however, is allowing such classes to stand in lieu of a broad-based American history or government requirement," she said, "when we know how severely lacking students' historical literacy can be."
Out of the 29 colleges evaluated, 22 have administrative budgets that are at least one-third of what the schools spend on instruction. More than a third of the college presidents earn as much or more than the president of the United States ($400,000), for running schools, many of which have fewer than 2,000 students.
Other findings of the 46-page report are equally compelling but too lengthy for this space. Summed up: American students are paying too much for too little — and this, too, should concern Obama as he examines ways to make college more affordable. Getting people into college is only half the battle. Getting them out with a useful education seems an equal challenge.
Email: email@example.com.


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WASHINGTON– The United States Senate and House of Representatives passed resolutions this week urging the Government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic, transparent, and fair election process leading up to the March 31, 2002, parliamentary elections.
The resolutions stress that Ukraine stands at a critical point in its development to a fully democratic society, and the March 31 parliamentary elections will play a significant role in demonstrating whether the nation continues to proceed on the path to democracy or experiences setbacks in its democratic development.
"Ukraine's success as an independent, democratic state is vital to the stability and security in Europe, and that country has, over the last decade, enjoyed a strong relationship with the United States," said Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) who sponsored the measure in the United States Senate. "The Helsinki Commission has monitored closely the situation in Ukraine and has a long record of support for the aspirations of the Ukrainian people for human rights and democratic freedoms," noted Campbell.
"It is important to underscore the reason for this congressional interest in Ukraine," said Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), an original cosponsor of the House version. "The clear and simple reason: an independent, democratic, and economically stable Ukraine is vital to the stability and security of Europe, and we want to encourage Ukraine in realizing its own often-stated goal of integration into Europe."
"It is my hope that this resolution will send a clear message to the Government of Ukraine that the U.S. Congress will not simply rubber stamp funding requests for Ukraine without also considering the serious issues involved in Ukraine's democratic development," said Commissioner Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY) who sponsored H.Res. 339 in the House.
The House and Senate resolutions also state that the Government of Ukraine can demonstrate its commitment to democracy by conducting a genuinely free and fair parliamentary election process, in which all candidates have access to news outlets. The resolutions note that in recent years, incidents of government corruption and harassment of the media have raised concerns about the commitment of the Government of Ukraine to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The case of murdered journalist Heorhiy Gongadze is also addressed in the resolutions.
Helsinki Commission Members co-sponsoring the Senate resolution, S.Res. 205, include Senators Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT), Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). Commissioners co-sponsoring the resolution in the House were Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL).


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Our afternoon class was "Spinning for Knitting" with Merike Saarniit.
This is Merike Saarniit.
I went into Merike's class with a Bad Attitude that makes me want to smack my own head. The reason? That curious object she's holding in her right hand: a drop spindle. In the registration packet I received for Stitches Midwest, the description of this session had been amended to note that we'd be using spindles in class, and could only use a wheel if we brought our own.
Upon reading that, my inner brat kicked into high gear. You see, among my many neuroses is a gigantic fear of doing something in front of other people if I'm not reasonably certain I can pull it off. This has made me a pain in the neck to many people on more occasions than I care to ponder. Even worse, it has often kept me out of situations in which I might have learned something new and valuable.
I'd gone ten rounds with my spindles, of which I possess two, and been knocked out cold every time. On my wheel, I'd turned out acceptable beginner's yarn. On a spindle, I'd spun exactly 17.5 inches of a nice Merino singles while Ted was there to watch. Everything else: Variations on a Theme of What the Fuck Is That Supposed to Be.
Things improved somewhat, I will admit, with the arrival of a new spindle. I had been working with a spindle of which I am fond because 1) it is lovely to look at and 2) it was a present from one of the best bloggers on the Web, of whom I am even fonder. Ted admired the spindle as well, but suggested that for my purposes another tool might be better for learning.
And did he have a specific tool in mind? He did. And here it is.
This little gem is a 1.6 ounce top-whorl comet by Tracy Eichhelm of Woolly Designs. Ted gave me my spinning lesson on one of Tracy's spindles, and I was encouraged enough to immediately order one. It's made with tender loving care. Look, it's even signed.
As well it should be. A tool of superior make is a work of art, after all.
More about Tracy's spindle further along. Now, back to Merike.
When I found out I was going to be called upon to spin on spindle in front of a class, and therefore make a Gigantic Honking Ass out of myself, I wrote a couple things in this blog that sounded exactly like the noises you would expect from a Gigantic Honking Ass. I did something one ought never to do: I judged something before I experienced it.
So when Sean and I arrived at the classroom, I was actually shaking. That may sound bizarre; but I was confronting one of my great fears. And I was immediately set upon by Merike, who ran up to me, said she loves this blog–and gave me a big hug.
Whereupon I blushed beet red with shame and the neon "ASS" sign over my head began to flash.
It burned brighter as class progressed. Merike is so in love with spinning that the warmth pours out of her in great waves and within about two minutes, I realized I was no longer shaking. She was not at Rosemont running through the basics with Beginner's Class #2,752 just to make rent money. She was genuinely joyful to be sharing her spinning know-how.
I wrote the following quote in my class notes and surrounded it with stars:
When she said that, a frisson ran through my entire body. The sheer arrogance of what I'd been feeling appalled me. There I was, a link in a chain of spinners going back to the beginnings of twisted fiber. To learn to spin from a good teacher is a privilege. And to presume that I could, or should, know everything perfectly before even showing up was not only absurd, but an affront to the subtleties of the craft.
At a pace that was (for me, anyhow) perfect, Merike took us through the steps of changing Coopworth roving into yarn using our spindles. She was such a good teacher that even the two women who had brought their wheels did not (so far as I saw) even touch them. We spun, and we spun some more. And then we plied.
There was a feeling in the room that I hope I never forget. Most of us, it turned out, were spindle novices and there was a release of warm energy as our spinning found a groove and we began to produce. Round and round the spindles went, copps were built up, and although we were mostly silent you could almost hear a buzz of happiness.
And then Merike told us we were going to ply what we'd spun. She set us up around the room and neatly demonstrated the technique, and before I knew what was happening I'd created the best yarn I have ever spun: an almost perfectly balanced, miniature skein of pretty, even yarn.
Here it is, knitted into a swatch. Until now, I've never liked my yarn well enough to bother knitting it.
It ain't much, but it means a lot to me.
Thank you so much, Merike. What you taught me is already making me a better spinner on the wheel, too. And kids, if you ever get a chance to take a class with her, do it–even if you think you hate spindles.
More About Tracy's Spindles
They spin like a dervish on speed, the prices are insanely reasonable, and Tracy can also provide you with one of these:
It's a spindle safe. I was able to carry my spindle around even in the crowded Market without worrying it was going to get bent or broken. In these days of You Can't Take That On a Plane Anymore,* can you think of a better invention?
One Last (And I Mean Last) Word About the Missing Men's Room
I note that two commenters have no sympathy for the removal of the men's room from the Stitches Classroom area. That's okay. I still have sympathy for you, and the fact that all too often you encounter a long wait in public spaces. I hope things will improve for you.
Next, my complaint is not "hating on" XRX. I don't hate XRX. Why would one waste valuable energy hating a fiber publications company?
If one has an issue with a business, one has three options. One can suck it up and keep buying. Or, if the business is doing something truly egregious, like polluting the environment, one can (and should) protest and take action. If the business is merely unsatisfactory or unresponsive, one can withhold one's business. This is what I will do if XRX confirms that they truly would prefer to keep Stitches a women-only event. I hope it will not be so.
As for my not being senstitive to the enormity of the task of putting on a large event, I am part of a staff of 26 who are responsible for roughly 100 events per calendar year ranging in size from theater evenings of 100 to multi-day class reunions of several thousand. We do this in addition to a punishing schedule of producing publications both print and electronic, running educational programs and providing customer service for other areas of the university.
And this is what I know: the needs of all guests are to be taken into consideration. This is why wheelchair access is necessary, and vegetarian options must be part of a meal plan even if one is only expecting three vegetarians and one person in a wheelchair. That a particular paying customer is in some way a minority is no excuse for neglect. The XRX folks could have changed over that restroom and also put up a sign directing the men to their alternate accommodation, but they did not. That very simple act of kindness would have alleviated much of the ill-feeling.
Now let's talk about something more savory, shall we? There's too much good stuff in the world to dwell on urinals.
*No, I haven't heard anything about spindles not being allowed on planes. But you never know what's going to change, do you? Nota bene: Please DO NOT start a discussion of knitting/spinning equipment and airline travel in my comments or I shall be very cross. I mean it.


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Office to let
Roydsdale Way, Bradford BD4
* Calls to this number will be recorded for quality, compliance and training purposes.
Property description
Excellent location 200m from M606
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In the mid-1990s, the moody rock song "Only Happy When It Rains" was all over radio and MTV. Now, after a hiatus, Garbage returns with a new album, Not Your Kind of People.
"Their music was always really ahead of its time," says Jancee Dunn, who wrote for Rolling Stone at the time and interviewed Garbage after the release of its first record. "Their debut album sounds modern to me even now — always very forward-thinking, intelligent."
"We used to describe it as sci-fi pop, because we felt it was taking a futuristic approach," says Garbage singer Shirley Manson.
The band's debut sold millions of copies. Manson became an alt-rock sex symbol.
"Every guy who ever loved alternative music and had a gas-station shirt in the '90s had a crush on Shirley," Dunn says. "She was amphibiously pale and had this flaming, carroty, beautiful hair."
Garbage recorded three more albums, which yielded more hits. The band even recorded a theme for a James Bond film.
Then, in 2005 — after years of exhaustive touring and disagreements with its record label — Garbage announced an indefinite hiatus. Drummer Butch Vig, who'd produced Nirvana's landmark Nevermind in the early '90s, worked on albums for various bands and won a Grammy. Manson played a role on a TV show. She also worked on solo material.
"I made that record because I wanted to get really quiet," Manson says. "And I wanted to get rid of all the loud guitars. And I wanted to get away from all the pressures my band was under. And then years passed, literally. And then I wanted to make loud, guitar-driven rock again."
So Garbage reunited and recorded a new album.
"With this record, I think we just accepted we are who we are," Manson says. "We have outsider status. We're always going to be oddball, and that's OK."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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But here's the thing: buying the usual run of candles and foot massagers and, yes, even outrageously funny gift books [wink wink] for my loved ones doesn't get me in the holiday spirit. Frankly, most of these gifts don't get them in the spirit, either.
I found inspiration in the form of Wreckie Collette Yates (no relation) and the Charity Cake-Wreck-a-thon she and some friends recently put together in Brighton. See, they asked friends and community members to bring in horrendously decorated baked goods (and boy, were there some doozies) which they sold at a local train station. In one afternoon they managed to raise 450 pounds for two cancer-fighting charities.
Which got us thinking: If 3 gals can use Cake Wrecks as a springboard to organize something that cool for charity, why can't we? And since Wreckies are some of the most creative, giving, and nattily dressed folks we know....
So here's the deal: instead of buying gifts or trees or decorations this year, John and I are going to donate a minimum of $200 to a different charity or worthy cause, every day, for the next two weeks.
Which ones?
Well, that's where you come in.
See, we have a few organizations in mind, but certainly not 14. So, I'm asking for your recommendations.What are you passionate about? Where do you volunteer your time, talents, and money? Who do you know that needs help? Tell me in the comments (not e-mail!), so that we all can read and learn and maybe even give a little together.
Oh, and if you're worrying that CW is going to turn into a charity-pushing propaganda site for the next few weeks: don't. I'll just be adding a footnote to each day's post giving you the name of the organization, a one-sentence summary, and a link if you want to learn more.
Now, John and I will be choosing each day's charity based on our own individual passions - which might not match up exactly with your own - but even so I'm going to issue you a little challenge. Ready? Here 'tis:
If you each give one dollar - just one solitary smackeroo - together we can raise over $80,000 each day. BAM. Just like that. Imagine that 14 times over, all for worthy causes. Imagine the number of lives that could impact. Imagine, if you will...the bragging rights.
Yeah, you heard me. When you get involved in something that awesome, you get major bragging rights.
Ok. So. You pumped? You with me? You...ready for this post to be over? Heh, I hear ya.
Today's charity is Charity: Water. These guys use 100% of all donations to drill wells and provide clean drinking water to developing nations. Believe it or not, 1 out of 8 people on the planet lack this basic life-need, and every $5,000 builds a well that serves over 250 people.
Go here to donate your $1. That's the CW campaign page, where you can watch our progress, leave notes, and learn more. (Watch the video: it'll make you do a happy dance.) I've set us an easy goal - just $20K, or 4 wells - so I can't wait to see how far above and beyond that you guys are going to get us.
It's just a dollar, guys. C'mon. Let's do this together.
Note: PayPal *is* an option to donate, if you click here and hit the red donate button. A few caveats, though: PayPal takes $.30 of your dollar in fees, and your donation can't be tracked as part of the CW campaign that way. However, the point here is to give, so if you're only comfortable using PayPal, then please do so!


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Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!!
Quite a different story from the little girl's that you are about to read.....
Hello! Is anyone listening….?
Dear World,
Another year is about to end.And here I am…an anonymous girl child, shivering in the cold, hungry… exhausted…wondering what the new year will bring. More hunger? More fatigue? More despair?I can see my mother at the traffic light… she is tapping on the window panes of those fancy cars, hoping to attract a few coins… or if she annoys the owner enough, maybe a ten rupee note flung at her face to make her go away… leave the occupant to continue chatting on that small cell phone. My younger sister and brother are fast asleep on the pavement, near the old laundry. Our pet dog Moti has cuddled up close to them to keep warm. All of them are huddled on the corrugated sheets of cardboard we managed to steal from the packaging company close by. We are okay! We don't know who our father is – we've never seen him. Our mother says she is twenty five years old and once worked in a rich person's home as a housemaid. But from the time I was born, we have lived on this street and watched her beg. She has taught us to beg , too. When my brother was sick, I would tie him to my waist in a sling made out of rags, and carry him from car to car asking for alms. Some people took pity on us and gave me five hundred rupees. My mother felt really happy when she saw that note and told me to carry my brother around even after he became well. Then my sister had an accident while running across the road after the lights turned green and the cars roared past us in a hurry. It wasn't the driver's fault – she was so tiny, nobody saw her in the dark. But, that accident gave us a lot of money – over two thousand rupees. My mother was most happy that day… and even after my sister's fractured arm healed, my mother told her to keep the plaster since people felt bad and kept giving more money.
These days my mother tells me to cover myself when I beg, since men stare at me and make dirty jokes. Ever since I started to bleed every month, my mother's attitude has changed. She tells me I must not talk to any man or I'll get into serious trouble. She also beats me a lot if she sees me chatting with customers who come to the laundry to pick up their clothes. It is dangerous, she says, and I don't understand. These men are friendly and make me laugh. Some of them give me chocolates and ask me to get into their cars. But I can't leave my brother and sister alone on the pavement, so I refuse. One day, when they are a little older and my mother isn't looking, I am going to run away and make my own life. One 'uncle' has promised me! He said not to worry about anything. He will give me clothes, food, money… everything. He lives in a big house and he will keep me there… but he doesn't want me to tell my mother anything. It is our secret, he keeps saying.
Maybe my life will change soon…I never cry and I haven't lost hope. All I know is that I don't want to spend my days begging on this road like my mother. She says her life is cursed because she was born female.She also says had she gone to school she would not be on the streets today. I would like to go to school and become someone someday. That 'uncle' told me he would arrange that once I leave my family and run away with him in his big car.Last week he gave me a brand new dress saying it is for the New Year. I have hidden it from my mother. He also gave me lipstick and powder saying I will look very pretty if I used both.I dare not try – my mother will kill me and ask too many questions. Never mind, in a few days from now, it will be another year… my mother has managed to get a few caps and whistles for me to sell at the next traffic junction where there are young people on motorcycles. She has taught me to clap, laugh and scream 'Happy New Year' each time a car stops. Let me practice now – 'Happy New Year."
I am sure someone, somewhere will hear my prayers… and wish me the same also. God is great!
26 comments:
- Karan said...
I cant tell u that i am crying but i can tell u that this post has touched me deep!!! I'll save it and read it next time when i think i lack smth! there are people who dont even have enough clothes to cover thier body on a chilly night.
- January 1, 2011 at 7:44 PM
Thats really something to reflect upon.....
Thank you Shobha De' for an amazing post!! =) - January 1, 2011 at 8:56 PM
- afterglow said...
THis couldn't have been said any better. Story of so many young girls on the road with dreams. Unfortunately nobody is looking out for them. As it is, girls days are not safe with family members, let alone on the road. Your narration is very touching.
- January 1, 2011 at 8:57 PM
- Simran said...
Hi Shobha de :-)
Happy New Year ...
Interesting post...This is the story of most of the poor girls at present time. - January 1, 2011 at 9:49 PM
- Sheetal Chavan said...
I read this post and the entire memory flashed before my eyes where we see these beggars everyday but we never pay much heed to them ever. None of us could have ever understood what they go through. A heart felt story, but just reading doesn't help. We need to make this a better place for everybody.
- January 2, 2011 at 5:04 AM
- manu said...
Hello Ma'am! This is my first ever post on your blog and am happy to start it with the New Year wishes :-) This, indeed, is a heart touching narration of what we see and feel everyday on the streets. I recently finished reading Speed Post, which is the first book of your's that I have read. Was curious to read your 'style' of writing, which I think is quite impressive! I sometimes write too, and its a humble wish that you read my writing sometime, if time permits (http://manu-urmishthajagtap.blogspot.com)
manu - January 2, 2011 at 6:52 PM
- चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...
`I am…an anonymous girl child, shivering in the cold, hungry… exhausted…'
... and here are people sitting pretty with their pretty pets in the cars with their ACs on so that the `outside pollution' does not touch then :(
Happy New year :) - January 2, 2011 at 9:19 PM
- bibhash k jha said...
God is great !
Only that God sees everything and laughs .
The girl . The Uncle . All are laughed at by God . Equal justice. Huh.
And God bless the new year , with another 25 million hungry faces carried forward for a period of godless and hopeless and 2011 . - January 2, 2011 at 9:30 PM
A single post better than published book?
A published book better than a single post? - January 2, 2011 at 10:25 PM
Dear Shobha,
Wish you & FAMILY A HAPPY NEW YEAR TOO, and A Prosperous one.
A lot of hearts must be bleeding for these poor souls. There are many who donate in good will, others with something in mind, to absolve themselves from sins....
However one should see that the funds really reach the right people/children and not any organization, any criminals.
It is a pity our Society has failed them. Our shameless government officials keep making money for themselves, instead of using it for easing these poor souls miseries.
As far as the girl child is concerned. It is so... pitiful, she is not even safe with the one who is supposed to protect her.
Norman - January 2, 2011 at 10:40 PM
- Yogesh Balaine said...
Dear Shobhaa,
I know it is a big problem but take heart cause it is soon going to end. You know we have only 10 or maybe 11 IPL teams as of today, which means only about 60-70 matches happen in a year. ie. 1 match in 5 days. The same is also true for the movies. Only 100 odd movies get launched in a year which means only 1 movie in 3 days. The Government / people of India need to focus on greatly improving these figues and you will be happy to know that we are moving in the right direction. Imagine if we have about 10 Lakh IPL Teams and about a lakh movies get launched every week, all of us would by so happy and absorbed that we wouldn't find time to peep out of the car window and have to see those awful things you just mentioned. But even if you happened to look out of your car window, I can bet my life that you will still not see them. Surprise. Surprise. No it's simple. Even they would be enjoying the fun - watching around the clock cricket or movies.
Happy New Year.
And I am thinking of writing something along these lines. You may join me if you are interested. Buzz me @ 9891005927 - January 2, 2011 at 11:28 PM
- Tsomo85 said...
Happy New Year Shobhaa De! Wonderful post. Love reading your blog. If someone is capable and knows what is the real meaning of (rich & poor) even god doesn't have any problem with how much $$$$$ you can make. Ignorance is scary & it is like the buffer zone to fight against your fate. Everything is fair in love & war. Om Mani Padmai Hum.
- January 3, 2011 at 12:52 AM
- ankita said...
Celebrate this Valentine's Day by sending Gifts to Mumbai. For details, visit www.smartgiftsmumbai.com/valentines_day_gifts.asp
- January 3, 2011 at 11:24 AM
- Unknown said...
Send Valentine's Day flowers and gifts to Singapore through our website and leave a lasting memory at the celebrations of your loved ones. Visit www.singaporeflowershop.com/ValentinesDay_Singapore.asp
- January 3, 2011 at 12:07 PM
- Radhika Gupta said...
what a touching post... i feel sorry for the girls in that kind of a state... nyways...a very happy new year to you!! keep writing always...
- January 3, 2011 at 12:22 PM
- sathish vasudevan said...
Listening ....
HAPPY BLOGGING - January 3, 2011 at 12:35 PM
- January 3, 2011 at 12:35 PM
- ankita said...
Make an unforgettable event with www.hongkongfloristshop.com flowers, designer our gorgeous flower bouquets, awesome flower arrangements, holiday gifts, birthday gifts, startling gift baskets, imported chocolate gifts and other thrilling gifts for delivery in Hong Kong. For details, visit www.hongkongfloristshop.com/ValentinesDay.asp
- January 3, 2011 at 2:51 PM
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- January 3, 2011 at 3:39 PM
- Unknown said...
- January 3, 2011 at 11:24 PM
- mittika said...
this is not anything new! BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN A STEP TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AFTER KNOWING THIS THEN YOU SHOULD FEEL GUILTY AND TAKE A STEP.
YES THERE ARE MANY GIRLS LIKE THIS BUT YOU CAN MAKE DIFFERENCE IF YOU GIVE SOME OF YOUR TIME ,THERE ARE SO MANY NGOS YOU CAN JOIN AND HELP THESE GIRLS .NOW THE TIME IS FOR ALL TO ACT NOT ONLY WRITE ABOUT IT OR READ AND COMMENT .YES YOU CAN WRITE TO ME i CAN TELL YOU THE NGOS,WHO CAN HELP IN mUMBAI AND IN gOA. - January 4, 2011 at 6:32 PM
- Latha said...
If everyone thought of these kids, it could really be a happy new year. Otherwise new years don't matter to them except that they would be hearing some patakes bursting somewhere.
This reminded me of what Sujatha, the most famous writer of the South wrote once. He (used his wife's name as his psuedonym) once described in detail about a literary convention he had just attended. After which he had this to say, "We were returning home. Through the car window I saw a 6 yr old girl struggling to cover her 2 yr old brother with a thin sheet. It was Delhi. And it was winter. At that moment I felt that all this was a waste. I could burn all my writings if that would make enough fire to keep these 2 bodies warm.....
We all go through such feelings. But either we don't know how to help them or are afraid (or are rather sure) that our donations will be mishandled.
I was donating some money to an org which was supposed to take care of poor homeless children when I got a letter from the caretaker that he was building a temple. I am not against temples. But don't we have enough of them ? Should we spend the money given to better the lives of orphan children to fill this country with temples & churches ? Pehle roti, kapda, makaan. Phir dharm. - January 5, 2011 at 12:51 AM
Send Valentine's Day gifts to Malaysia and leave a lasting memory at the celebrations of your loved ones. Visit www.giftbasketsmalaysia.my/ValentinesDay_Malaysia.asp
- January 6, 2011 at 5:44 PM
Send Valentine's Day gifts to Malaysia and leave a lasting memory at the celebrations of your loved ones. Visit www.giftbasketsmalaysia.my/ValentinesDay_Malaysia.asp
- January 6, 2011 at 5:52 PM
- Harish said...
you know i love you. now i love you even more.
:) de.. most times we think of providing the poor with rich pleasures... or money...
i feel what they need and strive for is dignity.
i have some bachhas i meet everday at the station. faces change, children remain. occasionally when i find time, ... i buy colddrink and give them half.... i drink the other half... i dont necessarily chat with them... i just have my drink... my JHOOTA drink.
some of them recognize me... at some other station... at some other pavement...
i forget, they remember...
one day when i was running helter shelter with an injured kabootar in my hand trying to find help.. a young girl held my fingers... took me to the kabootar khana near CST station.. and tells the caretaker there... "main vaapas aaongi... yeh udtha dikhna chaahiye..."...
i said to myself... "the kabootar has found its wings already... it just has to learn to take flight"
sometimes De, we dont need to do complex things... we simply need to treat people without discrimination... treat them for a change, as humans of an equal god. and they become not a nuisance, but an agent for change. :) Positive change.
and yeah... discrimination is so unsexy... it is like poo poo. - January 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM
- Manjiri Agnihotri said...
Dear Ma De...
Wish you very Happy new-year...
Manjiri - January 8, 2011 at 8:38 PM


text:
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