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Contrary to what Michael Moore's documentary, "Sicko," would lead you to believe, Cuba's health care system is far from perfect.
Although it has long been praised as one of the revolution successes, Cuba's health care system works for foreigners but often fails its own citizens. That is the conclusion of an article titled "Re-examining the Cuban Health Care System" included in the latest edition of the online journal, "Cuban Affairs," published by the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.
The author, University of Oklahoma Professor Katherine Hirschfeld, spent nine months in the island living with a Cuban family and interviewing family doctors, medical specialists, social workers, nurses and patients as part of her research.
The article details the realities of the health system "where the best clinics and hospitals only serve the political elites and foreigners and scarce medical supplies are often stolen from hospitals and sold on the black market."
Through personal observations and interviews, Hirschfeld details the three levels of healthcare in Cuba. One for foreigners paying in hard currency; an excellent system with great equipment and medication. A second one for the military and high government and party officials. Again, this system is excellent. On the contrary, the one most Cubans deal with is poor; there is a shortage of equipment and medication; and now many of the physicians serving them are sent abroad for humanitarian purposes.
About article made CLIC HERE
Photo: Las Praderas, Hospital facilities in Havana, Cuba. (Health tourist)


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First- I want to thank all of the intrepid testers who helped me develop the Pants Block service. You ventured with me into the great unknown, you did great work, you asked thoughtful (sometimes hard!) questions and helped me understand how to draft and fit custom pants blocks through the internet. It's possible! Thank you for your patience and perseverance, I could not have figured this out without you!
I wasn't sure if or how this would work via the internet when I asked for testers. I just had an idea based on stuff I've done in "real life," and longed to try it out every time I read a blog post about pants fitting difficulties. It is possible. When I look at photos of wrinkly muslins sent in by testers my fingers itch to reach through the screen and pin and tweak, but I am learning the best ways to describe necessary alterations.
I think the best way to convey alteration information (by far) is through diagrams. I do not like terms like "full butt" or "deep crotch" and besides names like that don't tell the whole story, so I use my own original diagrams and terms like "Alteration A," "Alteration B," and "Alteration C." If necessary, I'll add more but those three tend to cover the bases. Also, know that your pants block is not a size. It is yours, and arrives with your name on it.
The method I use works well to create a good solid base to work from, and I know which alteration diagrams apply to which wrinkles. I do not pretend to know everything, but I work hard and learn quickly. If a problem arises I've never seen before, I will tell you then do some research and we can work through it.
If we need to work on simple alterations (no slash-and-spread or anything too involved, mostly moving seamlines) we can do it at your own pace.
Once the pattern fits, I have a basic tutorial which will demonstrate how to use your pants block to alter a commercial pants pattern. The tutorial and my alteration diagrams are password protected for now, but that may change in the future. From there, you can go on and use your block to help you reliably fit pants for as long as your body is the same shape.
Should you change shape and require a new block, I will provide you with one for half price.
A related housekeeping issue: Lately the volume of emails for the Consulting Dressmaker have increased from a dribble to a stream. That's awesome! I love helping sort out sewing and fitting issues, and getting to know those of you who email me. It's fascinating.
However, I think I need to set a "work week" for the Consulting Dressmaker. Her (my? I'm sure my misuse of pronouns is unhealthy..) office hours are Thursdays for Skype consultations, which can be arranged through my scheduler. However, The Consulting Dressmaker is perfectly happy to answer all fitting and sewing advice related problems via email Wednesdays through Saturdays.
Sometimes I need to sleep on a problem before I know how to help, and if I don't know I will tell you. At any rate, the policy is that I will at least acknowledge your email within 12 hours and answer fully during my work week. I put a lot of consideration into your issues, but I also have to manage the work/life balance of a working mother with a young family.
I have a pressing question. English is a very funny language spoken by many people all over the earth. Is "Pants Block" a little giggle-worthy to those of a slightly more Commonwealth persuasion? Is "Trousers Block" better? Or do we like "Pants/Trousers" because even though it's cumbersome, it gets the point across?
If you'd like to make a perfectly fitting pair of pants, head over to the Pants Block page, have a look and fill in the form. Half price for the first 10 clients! That's only $15 for a custom draft and fitting guidance.
Coming this week- Filling in My Knowledge Gaps: Lace; Silk Fabric Care Tips (with a story), The Quilter takes on Megan's Dress, and a clean and pretty version of the BCT (with new size 30!).
Edited to add: We reached 10! Thanks for signing up!

subset: commoncrawl


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Read More UMBC News Blog Stories
August 22, 1997
BALTIMORE - The unique musical tradition of Korean song and dance will be on display as The Voices of Korea ensemble brings a piece of the Orient to UMBC. The ensemble will demonstrate various styles of Korean musical expression at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11 in the Fine Arts Recital Hall; admission is free.
Traditional Korean vocal music can be divided into the three general categories of religious, court and folk. The Voices of Korea will perform both court music, which emphasizes universal realities over personal expression, and folk music, such as pansori and minyo, which celebrates human feelings, seasons and events. In contrast to the sublime nature of court music, folk songs are lively and dramatic, representing the aspirations and frustrations of common people.
One pansori folk song featured in the performance, "Simchungga," is a solo dramatic opera form unique to Korea. A singer accompanied by one drummer performs multiple roles in a delicate interplay between vocalist and musician. This narrative epic is the most famous and highly developed folk form with complex vocal techniques and rhythms.
The vocalists included in the program have been designated by the Korean government to become future National Living Treasures. As well as regular performances in Korea, they have toured throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. The musicians are from the Korean Traditional Culture Institute in Seoul.
For additional information please call 410-455-MUSC or visit Arts Calendar
# # #
Posted by dwinds1 at August 22, 1997 12:00 AM


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After the whole Terri Schiavo debacle, I resolved not to get into political screeds online until I could stop acting like a partisan bomb-thrower. That seems to have coincided with the end of my several-times-a-day posting habit.
I still don't want to be a bomb-thrower, but living here in the Eastside of Seattle as a non-Democrat is making it very difficult to keep my non-Democratic political self hidden away. I may have to start actually writing stuff.
And another thing ... what the holy crap is up with all the people here driving at or under the speed limit? People, it is MORALLY WRONG to have the lane empty in front of you during rush hour unless you're doing at least 10 mph over the posted speed limit. Step on the frickin' green pedal already and keep it stepped on until you catch up to the car in front of you. I'm going to have a cardiac back here.
Friday, December 29, 2006
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Do you hear that? It's the sound of 1,000 boyfriends and girlfriends scrambling to put together the perfect Valentine's Day experience. Even so, all the chocolate, candles, and the rest of the clichés won't make any difference unless you set right mood.
With that in mind, we've selected more than twenty tracks that are more romantic than a dinner on the Seine — and more heartfelt than the ending of Love Actually (okay, maybe not, but it comes awfully close). Marvin Gaye once said, "Music, not sex, got me aroused." We can't help but think the two complement each other nicely.


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A portrait of one of the coolest one- off characters in one of the greatest vignettes in the ABC Warriors story from 2000AD.
His relationship with his father Bedlam, his need to join what he perceives as his peers, his betrayal, Bedlams reaction "with tooth and claw!"
Zarjaz stuff
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Rumpus, The Ape with the Drape
Posted by PullingPictures at 8:52 AM No comments:
Labels: 2000AD comic, ABC Warriors, bedlam, Rumpus, Teddy Boy
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Gav Beattie/Tiny Little Horse
Great to see my friend and ex-band mate Gav getting the media attention he deserves in the blog The Small Print.
Gav has produced hundreds of distinctive gig posters for DIY and punk bands here in Ireland and abroad.
Read the interview here
Gav and I played in the punk band Backhanders , and the Oi covers band The Bootleg Bootboys some years ago.
Look... there we are..
Posted by PullingPictures at 3:54 AM No comments:
Labels: DIY, Gav Beattie, gig posters, hardcore, punk, screenprint, Tiny Little Horse, underground
Monday, April 6, 2009
Frankensteins Monster
An alternate ending to the scene with the little girl
This has been sitting on my hard-drive for a couple of years as a photo-shop sketch but i finally got around to finishing it this morning
This has been sitting on my hard-drive for a couple of years as a photo-shop sketch but i finally got around to finishing it this morning
Posted by PullingPictures at 5:53 AM No comments:
Labels: blunderpuss, cave girl, Frankenstein, photoshop, pond
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Posted by PullingPictures at 8:36 AM No comments:
Labels: aces wild, bomber, pin up, rockabilly, ww2
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This year the Columbus Food Truck and Cart Festival is bigger and better than ever. For the first time the festival spans two days — August 16th and 17th.
There will be 43 food trucks and carts as well as local bands, crafts and local businesses and non-profits and of course — beer! There will be lines at peak hours for the popular trucks, but there's plenty of space to relax, find a space on the grass and enjoy your food and some local music.
The festival is Friday and Saturday at the Columbus Commons from noon – 10 pm. There's a parking garage underneath the Commons and plenty of parking in the surrounding area.
The Columbus Commons, 160 S. High Street, Columbus, OH
The festival offers over 43 of central Ohio's best food trucks and carts, over 30 arts and crafts vendors, Live Music all day both days, onsite beer sales, games for kids and families, and raffle prizes with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. Free admission for everyone and all ages welcome.
There are all kinds of foods to choose from. Some of our picks are: That Food Truck, Sweet Carrot, Los Potosinos, The Coop, Sublime Smoke, Paddy Wagon, Red Snapper and Dave's Jamaican food. We're looking forward to trying some of the newer and out of town trucks like Not Guilty from Athens Ohio. Here's the map to help you find your way around.


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25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
It's easy to look past this fact, but the synoptic gospels pretty much make Jesus out as a bigot. Or at least as a nationalist, or a Jewish separatist. Now when you look at it, Jesus doesn't say he won't help the woman, just that she's low on his priority list apparently ("the Children" here are the nation of Israel, meaning both the Judeans in the south and anyone the disciples might find of the "lost tribes" of the North.) It's only when the woman says "You're right, I'm a dog," that Jesus relents and heals the little girl.
In any case, he wasn't a big fan of "greeks." Matt 15:21 says the woman is a Canaanite (which means if you insist on infallible Biblical literalism that this was a separate incident and that Jesus pulled this insult out of his bag of tricks at least twice.) He wasn't big on Samaritans (a group of Jews that broke away from the Jerusalem Temple in a disagreement over where sacrifices were supposed to take place, at least one of whom was decent in a parable of Jesus') or Gentiles either (Matt 10:5):
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7
Now in context, let's say you're a Jew of that era. Your people have spent the last 300 years under the thumb of the Greeks (since Alexander's conquest of the world) and now the Romans have pretty much bought out that franchise. In recent memory was the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, who tried to hellenize the Jewish people by outlawing the practice of circumcision. Currently, the Romans keep centurions stationed at the Antonia next to the temple (within mooning distance, anyway, according to Josephus.) Chances are, you aren't going to be too fond of these folks, so maybe we can understand Jesus as a human being here. Still, it's not hard to see why this incident doesn't get a lot of mention in the pulpits on Sunday morning.


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What I see
in my mind's eye
is only half of you:
a physically impossible picture
upon your most private of parts.
My eyes drink you in
filling in the spaces
as slowly as I can.
Your sexy self, reclines,
shines, and unfurls itself.
I can feel you,
at the top of my head, now;
reaching forward, reaching out,
making yourself whole.
A real love,
steeped, like honey in my tea....
...Imagine, all of this
and more.
`x~Abe's Heart.


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We flew into Hartford, Connecticut on Monday, October 3, a week before the wedding. We arrived at night, so all we did was rent a car and go to a hotel to sleep. The next morning, we started our journey. I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but once again, we had the chance to see alot of things from 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Believe it or not, the tiny little town of Essex, CT was in the book! So we stopped there to see some of the things that the book pointed out. The first place was The Griswold Inn, which is one of the oldest inns in the country. I love hearing the creaking of the wood floors, that were a couple hundred years old, and thinking about the history of this place. It was very charming.
There was also a restaurant at the Inn, which was just as charming. Since it wasn't really a mealtime when we were there, we were able to just walk around and look at everything.
After the Inn, we walked around the main part of town and just took in New England. This was our first stop, and I was already in love!
After leaving Essex, we headed toward Mystic, another place listed in 1,000 Places. However, I had actually heard about Mystic before, thanks to Jen and Cheri. After seeing their pictures from Mystic a couple of years ago, I said to myself that if I ever visited New England, I would definitely stop in Mystic. About a month or so before this trip, Grant and I rented Mystic Pizza, because we figured you can't visit Mystic without seeing a movie named after it! The movie was horrible, by the way. Mystic itself, was once again, a charming, quintessential New England town. I was starting to see a trend with falling in love with every place we visited! And yes, we did eat at Mystic Pizza. The pizza was better than the movie, thankfully.
Once we left Mystic, we started making our way towards Newport, Rhode Island, which was going to be where we stayed that night. On the way there, I remembered that the movie, Dan in Real Life was filmed in Rhode Island, near the coast. So I got the idea to look up the address to the house that most of the movie took place in (yes, I am a nerd like that). Sure enough, I found it, and it was only about 5 minutes out of our way. Grant and I both love that movie, and we loved that house, so there was not even a discussion about whether or not to do it - we both wanted to! Aren't smart phones amazing?
But yeah, we got lost on the way to the house, so it ended up taking way longer than 5 minutes to go there, but it was still worth it. The house is a rental property, and happened to be vacant, so we just pulled up in the driveway, and took a few pictures. Although, Grant was more brave than I was. I noticed the same car driving by a couple of times, and I started to get nervous, but Grant took his time looking through the windows.
The house was in Jamestown, RI, and Newport was just down the road. But before we got to our hotel, we decided to - say it with me, now - visit yet another place from "The Book." This time, it was the Cliff Walk, which is a, um, walk on the cliffs, right on the coast. The view is beautiful, but you're also walking among beautiful mansions built by families like the Rockefeller's and the Vanderbilt's. The weather wasn't the greatest, but we really enjoyed the walk.
After a long day of driving, it was finally time to head to our hotel. We were awakened the next morning by Kendall crying. I realized through my sleepiness that I've heard "that" cry before, and that it meant she was sick. Like, puking sick. Sure enough, right after she cried, she threw up. This is not what we needed on our trip! The episode was actually kind of scary. At one point, she had gone totally limp, and we thought she might have passed out. Being on vacation, we didn't really know what to do as far as going to a hospital. So we called our insurance to see what our best option was. That actually turned into a series of very long, very confusing phone calls. While Grant was on the phone, I was giving Kendall water, and encouraging her to respond to us, even if she didn't feel like it. Her color started coming back a little, which was a relief. Our plan for the day was to drive to Boston, but we really weren't sure what to do. There was a Walmart near our hotel, so we got packed up and went there so I could get some Children's Tylenol and Pedialyte. I ended up getting a call from a nurse while I was in Walmart, and I asked her what we should do. She said that as long as Kendall was drinking fluids and seemed to be getting better, not worse, she would advise us to not go to the hospital. So, that's what we did. I gave Kendall her first dose of Tylenol and her first drink of Pedialyte, and we headed off towards Boston. She pretty much slept the whole way, and by the time we got there, she was feeling and acting much better, which made us feel better!
This picture was taken at our first stop in Boston, at Bunker Hill, and you can't even tell that just a few hours before she was laying limp in Grant's arms!
So, Bunker Hill...that's a pretty tall tower, right? Yeah...there's almost 300 steps inside that monument. I was 5 months pregnant, and we had two small children, yet we still decided to go to the top. It was not easy! But once we got up there, the views were incredible!
At the top, there was this grate in the floor that you could look through and see all the way to the bottom of the monument. Cami liked to
We went back down to the bottom, and were getting ready to leave, but I really wanted my picture in front of this house. I just loved it, and I loved the neighborhood that the monument was in. I hadn't been in Boston but for a couple hours, and already, I was falling in love!
It was getting pretty close to lunchtime, and we weren't able to check into our hotel yet, so we decided to go...you know the drill by now. Legal Sea Foods was listed in the book, so we went there. We got a table with a great view, and the food was great. The only thing that wasn't great was Kendall was not feeling so hot again. And at one point, while the waitress was taking our order, I thought Kendall was about to throw up, which our waitress was thrilled about. Thankfully, she didn't, but she just wanted to be held through the whole lunch.
After lunch, we finally decided it was time to check in to our hotel. Now let me back up and say that as I was looking for hotel reservations, I came to the realization that Boston is not a cheap city. Hotels there were expensive! There were a couple of "cheaper" options that would have been great, but by the time I got around to making the reservations, they were booked up. So we finally realized that we would just have to bite the bullet and pay more than we usually would. That being said, I absolutely loved the hotel we stayed at, which was the Beacon Hill Hotel. The location was great - Beacon Hill is a beautiful, historic Boston neighborhood. It was close to Boston Common, which is where we had to park. And breakfast at the Bistro attached to the hotel was included in the price. And it wasn't just a normal hotel breakfast, it was an off-the-menu breakfast! And you know how in most hotels, you wouldn't dream of taking anything from the mini bar in the room? Well here, that was all included. Fancy bottled water whenever we wanted it was just given to us. Yes, it was pricey, but there were lots of nice little perks for staying there. The room was tiny, but they gave us a roll away bed for Kendall, and Cami just slept on the floor. Kendall loved her little bed! This first picture was the view from our room.
Okay, enough about the hotel. But seriously, if you're in Boston, I recommend it.
Our first night in Boston, we went to Mike's Pastry. Honestly, at this point I can't keep track of what was in the stupid book, but we had at least heard good things about this place. The only problem is, we walked to it from our hotel. And it wasn't a close walk. And it was cold. But the pastries were worth it! And Kendall, who was hardly able to eat all day, somehow managed to eat a chocolate covered pretzel. Go figure!
Grant, by far, got the best thing, though. It was the Florentine Cannoli, and it was soooooo goooooood!
The next day, we decided to do the Freedom Trail, which is a must-do when you go to Boston! These are pictures from the sites we saw on the Trail...
That night for dinner, we drove to Essex - not Connecticut this time, though. Essex, Massachusetts. Yadda, yadda, yadda....1,000 Places...Woodman's. They're known for their fried clams, but honestly, I wasn't impressed. Grant really liked it, but for me, it was just okay. Something we didn't know about Woodman's until we got there was that part of the movie Grownups was filmed there. We found that out quickly, because they were playing the movie on several TVs throughout the restaurant.
The next day, we were finally heading back to Connecticut, where John and Sarah's wedding was going to be. On our way, we stopped to see Walden Pond and Concord (Concord is where several authors had houses - Emerson, Alcott, Hawthorne, etc.).
Also in Concord is the famous battlefield wherein the Revolutionary War was started. You would never know it by looking at it, though. It was so beautiful! This ended up being one of my favorite stops on our whole trip.
We made one more non-wedding stop on our way to the festivities...Litchfield Hills, CT. Any guesses why we stopped there? I think driving through this area was my favorite drive - all of New England (at least the parts we drove through) were beautiful, but there's a reason this area made it into "The Book." It truly was breathtaking. Amazingly, I don't have too many pictures of this area, but I did get one of Grant and the girls with some fall colors.
And now, if you're still reading, I'm sure you're glad to know that this ridiculously long post has come to an end. The next post will be all about the wedding! Hopefully I can write about that before this baby comes!


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The ruins of St. Mary's Church are on the hill above the Beaufort Hotel and originally served the Parish of Chapel Hill at the southern end of Tintern. The area was included into the neighbouring Parish of Tintern Parva in 1902 although the church remained in use until 1972.
The churchyard is still occasionally used for burials despite the church itself being destroyed by fire in 1977. Local working parties still try to keep the area tidy.
Looking back at the Abbey
A walk up to the church involves a little effort but the views are worth it.


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made $250 million within the first few months of being on the market. So people making those "in memorium" memes can step back and take a breather. Go is far from dead.
The latest update will now give users bonuses for logging in daily and catching Pokémon. Finally.
- If you catch a Pokémon every day, you'll get 500 additional experience points and 600 stardust.
- You'll get 2,000 experience points and 2,400 stardust for catching a Pokémon seven days in a row.
- If you spin the disc at a Pokéstop every day, you'll get 500 experience points and more items.
- You'll get 2,000 experience points and even more items for spinning a Pokéstop disc seven days in a row.
Pokémon Go is not done yet. There are still plans in the works for trading pocket monsters with other users and battling. But this daily bonus could help those grinding for levels.


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Well, guys that its for today. Not much of a start but I can promise that a lot has been going on backstage.. or backblog?? Anyway, I have anxiously been tweaking my themes, layouts and working on posting some old reviews, getting some cool widgets and much, much more. I want to thank Rachmi and Sarah for all their help! I wouldn't have had the guts to do this without them. Please check out their own blogs. They're awesome!
Sarah's blog: http://sarahelizabethsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Rachmi's blog: http://notalostwanderer.wordpress.com/
I am thrilled to say that I have a whopping 39 views on my blog today alone and its only been up a few hours! It may not seem like much but its a start for me. I hoping to start a daily posting. What I am currently reading or what books I bought or a meme... oh, the possibilities! I have to say I am awfully excited. I hope this blog can turn out to be a big part of my reading life.
So today I didn't get much read (I have been a little busy!). I just started The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan today. Its pretty good so far. I am enjoying the Egyptian mythology references, mainly because I actually studied that subject for a major assignment in school a few years back.
I cannot wait to see where it goes but I am turning in for the night. Happy reading! :)


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Monday, June 25, 2012
Splash du Jour: Monday
Those of us who feel inspired, as I do, by the greatness of small things will pursue them to the very heart of the inessential where, cloaked in everyday attire, this greatness will emerge from within a certain ordering of ordinary things and from the certainty that all is as it should be, the conviction that it is fine this way.
-- Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog --
Have a great Monday!
2 comments:
- Jeane said...
that's a beautiful painting; who's the artist?
- 25/6/12 8:48 am
- Cipriano said...
Actually Jeane, I don't know who the artist is, even.
But it's really gorgeous.
- 25/6/12 9:53 pm
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I was subjected to it today at a session called "Keeping Libraries in the Flow: Being Relevant in the World of Amazoogle." The trouble with this is that, like every other generation, this on is not monolithic. Rather than being all digital all the time I find that they are very selective about what technology they use and when. The other problem is the idea that librarians are not adapting to change and seeking new ways of doing things. Obviously this is not true. There are certainly Luddites and curmudgeons in the field but there are also quite forward thinking people and most -- of course -- are like the Net Generation: selective about what technology they use and when.
There were some interesting things that also seemed to be consensus positions:
- The current model of the "just in case" reference desk is doomed.
- As is the locally maintained catalog
- Librarians must integrate themselves and their services and resources into the educational process.
- Planning needs to speed up and improve.


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Located at 418 Colorado Ave., Stuart, FL.
Phone: 772-485-4500


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Siemens' charging point Charge CP700A can charge electric cars with a normal battery capacity within an hour. The charging power has been doubled to 22 kilowatts in the new series, which cuts the charging time in half.
We have a very interesting report from Reve on Siemens development in Fast Charging - it looks like Nissan Leaf can be almost fully recharged (80%) in one hour. Charging infrastructure will be one of the most important developments for the mass market roll out of Electric Cars.
"Lithium Charge: Ikea to Host ECOtality's Charging Stations. It is the very important development. Charging infrastructure is coming on now and partnerships between DOE, private capital and places like Ikea, Walmart, Restaurant chains, Starbucks etc. will be the necessary catalyst to spread the EV adoption very fast. Electricity is everywhere already, we just need to build the "last mile" to consumer - it will be even faster than with Internet."
Siemens receives major order from Portugal for 100 charging columns for electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries.
Siemens' charging point Charge CP700A can charge electric cars with a normal battery capacity within an hour. The charging power has been doubled to 22 kilowatts in the new series, which cuts the charging time in half.
Siemens has received a major order for its model Charge CP700A charging point from Portugal. As part of the Portuguese program to promote electromobility (MOBI.E), Siemens Portugal concluded a framework agreement for delivery of up to 300 charging points. A binding order for 100 of these charging points was placed immediately by the customer INTELLI, as the coordinator of the Portuguese program. INTELLI is planning the setup of the charging infrastructure network in Portugal and intends to install the charging points in 25 cities by 2012, at public parking lots and near shopping centers, hotels and airports.
"I am more than pleased that we received a major order for 100 Charge CP700A charging points so soon after taking up series production of the units. Rapid charging technology is a hot topic", said Ralph Griewing, head of the Siemens business segment Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. The Charge CP700A charging point, which was introduced onto the market in the spring, can be used to charge electric cars of different power ratings. In the fastest operating mode, the vehicle is supplied with a three-phase AC voltage at a current of 32 amps, and is therefore charged at a power level of 22 kilowatts. The normal charging time has now been reduced to one hour with this new charging point series. The goal Siemens has set for itself over the medium term is to develop rapid charging systems with a charging time of less than 15 minutes.
The Charge CP700A charging point uses AC voltage and can be easily integrated into any standard European city grid. The column can also be incorporated into a smart grid and supports functions such as remote control of the charging power to forestall grid bottlenecks and to enable charging explicitly using power from renewable energy sources.


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With this I finish out the zombies of Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare, though I have a feeling I may do more Read Dead posts.
Str: 2 Dex: 2 Con: 2
Int: -2 Per: 1 Wil: 2
DPS: 26 Strength: Dead Joe Average (0)
EPS: n/a Senses: Like the Dead (0)
Essence: 6 Sustenance: All Flesh Must Be Eaten (0), Who Needs Food? (+8)
Spd: 4 Intelligence: Dumb as Deadwood (0)
Skills: Brawling 2 Weak Spot: All (0), Fire (-5)
Getting Around: Life-Like (+3)
Special: Spitter + 10, Explosive Personality +5
Power: 6
Spreading the Love: No matter who or what the zombie is, it infects the living in the same way. People who are bitten must make a Constitution Test, with a +2 bonus for a scratch or a light wound (9 points or less), no penalty for a deep bite or wound (more than 10 points of damage), and -1 for severe injuries (more than 20 points of damage). The Zombie Master may wish to make these rolls in secret. If infected, the victim suffers a wasting disease which imposes a cumulative -1 penalty per day to all Tasks or Tests (i.e., -2 on the second day, -3 on the third day, etc.). After (Constitution + willpower)/2 days, the character dies. If a character is killed by a zombie bite, he will rise up as another undead in 3-30 minutes (3D10).
Background: Retchers glow with an ominous green. They smell worse than typical undead. Worse yet, they can spit toxic bile and explode when killed.


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At Michael Page Human Resources, we actively encourage the sharing of knowledge among like-minded professionals and our HR Director Thought Leadership Series is just one way we can help facilitate this. These events offer the opportunity to share information on a range of relevant HR topics with peers across all industry groups. They also provide a forum to case study interesting businesses and hear first hand the topical HR issues they face – and the solutions that are created.
Our speaker sessions are held with industry leaders from established and exciting companies across a range of sectors. By talking to respected personalities across diverse industries, we uncover the key issues facing HR Directors and how these challenges are impacting their business.


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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Pets are people, too!
Greenbrier Pet Cemetery is located on West Kelly Park Road, between Plymouth-Sorrento Road and Round Lake Road, northwest of downtown Apopka.
I was a bit curious to see if I could discover any real graveyard rabbits buried here, but only found a bunch of dogs and cats.
However, I was surprised to discover quite a few pet owners had chosen their final resting place with their animal companions.
One of them was Betty J. Williams (1925-1998), whose marker declares her "Our Beloved Sister."
I couldn't tell which pet she "belonged to." But, she must have been pretty devoted!
3 comments:
How neat. I have not been to a pet cemetery yet. It sounds like fun. Thanks for sharing.
I wonder if my yard would count. I have been here for over 30 years and there are numerous pets buried in our yard, but not a rabbit.
- November 21, 2008 at 6:44 PM
- Terry Thornton said...
Interesting. A few months ago I went to the Coon Dog Cemetery in the hills of northwest Alabama. It is a most interesting cemetery --- but it discriminates between animals and within the canines, it excludes rabbit hunting dogs, squirrel hunting dogs, bird hunting dogs --- only coon hunting dogs are allowed. [If you are interested in reading about that trip and cemetery, google "hill country + coon dog cemetery" and you'll find the link.]
Pet cemeteries are indeed found scattered across the country --- and I'm sure someone will find a marked grave for a rabbit!
Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi USA
- November 23, 2008 at 10:07 AM
- Debra Jane Seltzer said...
Actually, there IS a rabbit gravemarker at Greenbrier in Apopka:
I have lots of pet cemeteries from around the country and there are some other rabbits here and there in the mix:
- April 14, 2009 at 10:19 AM


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When she first appeared in the series, Chibichibi appears to be about two years old, and cannot really talk yet. She usually imitates others, but mostly says "chibi". Her names has two meanings, literally "small person" or "small child", and as a pun meaning "making something last".
She eventually transforms, under her own power, into a Sailor Soldier, Sailor Chibichibi. Although she does not to appear to have any attacks of her own, she does increase Sailor Moon's power.
Oh wow, doesn't Mikuro Nekomi make the perfect Chibichibi? I'm actually surprised to find cosplays of this character, so I had to feature it asap! Thanks again to Sophia for suggesting this!
Source: Mikuro Nekomi on World Cosplay
IceRocket Tags: cosplay, cosplayer, cosplay holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, game, series, character, photographer, photo, photography, feature, sailor moon, sailor stars, sailor chibichibi, eternal sailor chibichibi, sailor chibi chibi moon, first appearance, chibichibi, imitate, chibi, small person, small child, pun, power, sailor soldier, attack, mikuro nekomi, world cosplay, コスプレ, コスプレイ, 美少女戦士セーラームーン セーラースターズ, セーラーちびちび


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|Caraway Deli Onion Rye
Once I had finished with the starter, the barm and that first rye bread, and learning the barm could be frozen, I divided up the remaining barm and froze it to have ready at a day's notice and just took a break from the mess all over the kitchen for a few days. I then proceeded to read about more of the rye breads, as I had just bought a pound of rye berries. I decided on making the 100% Sourdough Rye. I got one of the frozen barm starters out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight, then divided that up, using one half to make the rye starter for that bread, and mixing more regular flour and water with the remainder to keep the barm going while I decided what else to make with it.
|100% Sourdough Rye: yesterday, loaves formed; today after 5 hours; loaves after baking
|100% Sourdough Rye
|Beautiful Challah loaves
Today I made a batch of dough for pizza. I have been making my pizza dough from the same recipe for just ever. The Bread Baker's Apprentice has you making the dough up using ice water and then forming into individual balls and refrigerating for 1 to 3 days before using. Tomorrow, I am planning to make pizzas. My husband has a way of making his pizza that is certainly any Italian's nightmare. Tomorrow, he's going to have to put up with my idea of what a pizza should be, because with this dough I want to do my best to create a proper pizza. In a couple of days, with more of the dough, he can do his own thing.
My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors Website and Marketplace, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I am also on a spiritual journey and hope you will join me at my new blog, An Eagle Flies.


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Hello lovelies,
Just a quick post to let you all know about the Clarins sale preview. I've never heard of a beauty sale preview before and think it's a fab idea, get in before everyone else grabs what you're after! Clarins is one of those brands that you hear so many great things about and everything I have tried from them has been consistently good. I'm in love with their limited edition Summer Bronzing Compact and hope that goes into the sale. I've just signed up so it looks like I will get an email ahead to see what's on sale, so I can plan what my pennies are going on. You can click on the photo to register or this link to see for yourselves.
Have you signed up?
Have you signed up?


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Playful Grapes
Originally uploaded by linfrye
Grapes and wine production are becoming popular alternatives to tobacco production here in NC ... but I can't help but dream of Italy whenever I think 'grape!'
We've had rain all week -- a bit more and we'll be out of 'drought' status! YAHOO! The rains are plumping up our tomatoes, vegetables of all kinds, and yes -- those North Carolina grapes!


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My dad was the first gastronomic influence in my life. As far as I can remember, my dad has been happiest in the garden. My childhood summers were full of fresh greens, potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes, etc. One of my favorite pictures of my brothers was taken when Petie was approximately three and Charlie five. They are standing by the garden at our Maine house, beaming, holding carrots they had just picked from my dad's garden.
I have understood the importance of good food from a young age, and I attribute that to my dad.
Thus, it is not shocking that watching my dad choke down hospital food was nothing short of depressing. I was sitting on his hospital bed when the nurse came in with dinner. My dad turned to me and informed me that this was the most exciting part of his day. He unveiled his food; white rice, boiled baby carrots, and some yellow matter that I had to assume was "the protein." I asked him what it was, "I think it's and omelette," he said and dug in. He cut off a piece of the omelette, chewed for a second, and said, "Nope, chicken."
I left the hospital, sad and tired. When I got home, I didn't have any energy to cook, and in a weird way, I felt guilty eating good food when I knew my dad didn't have the same luxury. Instead, I picked up M.F.K. Fisher's Long Ago in France, in which Fisher describes her gastronomic adventure in Dijon, France. Over the course of her recollection, food becomes a central character. Actually, aside from Fisher and her husband, food is the only lasting character. Her relationship with food and the dining experience parallels my dad's attitude toward food. They both understand that food comforts, physically and emotionally; it can incite happiness and excitement, and it can bring people together.
Fisher describes one of her most memorable dining experiences. She writes:
One bitter February Sunday when I stood panting on a hill near Les Laumes-Alesia, the earth was hard as granite beneath me, and air drawn into my tired lungs felt like heavy fire before it thawed. I broke a twig clumsily between my mittened fingers..."Here!" a voice said, roughly. I looked with surprise at the old general, who stood, shaggy and immense, beside me...he held out a piece of chocolate, pale brown with cold...In my mouth the chocolate broke at first life gravel into many separate, disagreeable bits. I began to wonder if I could swallow them. Then they grew soft, and melted voluptuosly into a warm steam down my throat. The little doctor came bustling up, his proudly displayed alpenstock tucked under one short arm..."Never eat chocolate without bread, young lady! Very bad for the interior, very bad..." And in two minutes, my mouth was full of fresh bread, and melting chocolate, and as we sat gingerly, the three of us, on the frozen hill...peered shyly and silently at each other and smiled and chewed at one of the most satisfying things I have ever eaten.
I apologize for the lengthiness of that passage, but I do believe that it encompasses the power that food can have in its most simplistic form. The mere act of eating bread and chocolate is the catalyst for this memorable experience. It reawakens Fisher's frozen self and gives her a sense of livelihood that had disappeared in the cold. In addition, three near strangers find their lives temporarily intertwined by sharing food with each other.
I know my dad will be out of the hospital soon, and the only thing I can hope is that he, like Fisher, will have a meal that will rejuvenate his morale and repair the emotional damage these past few weeks have caused.


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The onion is one of the oldest vegetables known to man and dates back to 5000 BC. It was worshipped by ancient Egyptians who believed that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternal life. It was used to pay rent during the Middle Ages and its supposed medicinal prowess range from reducing the swelling of a bee sting, healing blisters and sea urchin wounds to destroying osteoclasts in the battle osteoporosis in women. Some studies show that the onion contain chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anticholesterol, anticancer, and antioxidant properties such as quercetin. (Wikipedia 2010). It can be said that not only do onions taste good, but are good for you.
I know there are those who don't enjoy onions. One of them being my brother, Joe. Onions weren't the only thing Joe could have lived without. For years he waited to have a brother, but six times in a row....he got a sister. And while the sisters double and tripled up in a bedroom, Joe slept on a pull-out couch in the family room. He didn't have his own room until Mom & Dad could afford a large Dutch Colonial in the country. He painted his room black. For years, he denied he had sisters. When we found this out, we planned an "attack". Knowing he was on a bowling league and his buddies were on his team, the sisters waited for the next league night and showed up unannounced. We were young, stylin' and cute..something Joe never noticed. In groups of two, we sashayed into the bowling alley and stopped at the lane where Joe was seated. The first two sisters chimed sweetly, "Hiii Joey". All the guys turned at the sound of feminine voices. Their eyes got wide. Joe ignored us. The second set of sisters came over and called out, "Hiiiii Joey." The guys almost spilled their beers. Joe ignored us. The third set of sisters came in and said, "Hiiii, Joey." The guys jaws dropped. Finally, one of Joe's buddies found his voice, "And you girls are?" We answered in unison, "Joe's sisters, of course." The jig was up. He was busted. And he couldn't ignore us. His friends turned on him...."Your sisters?" Another said, "Wow." Another said, "All of them?" Joe just stared at us and shook his head. We stayed long enough to make a lasting impression, blew kisses and left. Mission accomplished.
Onions and sisters...Joe cared little for. As a kid, he would pick the onions out the tomato sauce set before him. Weird, huh? Yet, there was one dish...a meal of pounds of onions that he loved. Weird, huh? It is called, Genovese. It is a family recipe handed down through the ages. It can be best described as an Italian Pot Roast. The recipe consists of a beef roast, onions, salt, garlic powder, a pat of butter and pasta. It is absolutely heavenly as it simmers for hours until the meat is tender and the onions soft to a point of sauce-like. The onions natural sweetness really comes through. It is a hearty meal fit for the best company. It took years for Joe to appreciate having so many sisters, but it took only one forkful of Genovese to make this meal one of his all time favorites.
1 approx. 6 lb. beef roast: rump, top round or bottom round
6-9 lbs of yellow onions: each onion peeled and quartered
1 box perciatelli (fat, hollow strands of pasta) or Thick Spaghetti
garlic powder & salt
pat of butter
1/4 cup canola oil
NO water
Season roast with salt. In a large, tall pot brown roast on all sides in oil, then season with garlic powder. Add all the onions into the pot. Sprinkle salt on the top. Add pat of butter. Cover pot with lid and simmer for 4-5 hours. Stir every so often to keep onions from sticking to pot. Onions will soften and meat will become tender. Remove roast and let rest. With an immersion stick blender, blend onions into a sauce. Don't over blend. Sauce should be full-bodied not liquidy. Can, also, blend in covered blender in small batches and returned to pot. Adjust salt to your taste.
Cook perciatelli according to directions (al dente) and drain well. Carve roast into slices. Pour blended sauce over pasta. Can serve meat on top of pasta or on a separate dish. Put extra sauce in a gravy boat on table. Serve with Italian bread and a green salad. Serves 6
Remember To Make Memories At The Table


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Roger Ebert determined to show at festival
EmptyRoger Ebert hopes to make it to his annual namesake film festival this week despite hip surgery.
The 65-year-old film critic was recovering Friday at a Chicago hospital from minor hip surgery after a recent fall.
"The show must go on," Ebert said in a statement posted on his Web site. "I am doing fine and if the doctors clear me, I will be there to welcome our guests."
Scheduled guests at the 10th annual film festival include Ang Lee, Richard Roeper, Richard Corliss and Christine Lahti.
The 2008 "Ebertfest" -- sponsored by the critic's alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign -- will be held Wednesday through Sunday.
"Please keep those thumbs up in the hopes that Roger will be there to celebrate the tenth year of his film festival," Ebert's wife, Chaz, said in the statement. "He has an indomitable spirit."
A film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 40 years, Ebert has undergone a series of cancer surgeries in recent years, including the removal of a growth on his salivary gland and a tracheostomy, a procedure that opens an airway through an incision in the windpipe, that left him unable to speak.
Ebert has been on hiatus from his TV show, "At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper," since 2006.


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I am absolutely cream crackered, as they say in Cockney Rhyming Slang.
I am so sorry for my more than slightly intermittent posting.
I am even more sorry, probably more for me than for you, dear readers (I could not presume that it were upsetting to you if I posted less; only that I know it upsets me), because I cannot see August's post count improving particularly.
I am barely at home right now, but that ends next week (yay!) with the end of my temporary work.
I am, after that, going to not be at home at all, apart from a brief weekend during which
I am particularly excited about going to see the new Time Traveler's Wife movie.
I am guilty for the fact that I have scheduled no posts for these internet breaks, as I did last year when I was a much better blogger.
I am not sure that even in September will my post count be even better, as I will be thrust into newness and hard work.
I am feeling even more cream crackered just thinking about all this.
I am off to bed; goodbye July.
Edit: I left this reply on Zmaga's blog, which I thought might be a useful addition to this post. Sorry for my vagueness last night, what can I say; my mind works much more lucidly on 13 hours of sleep:
And don't worry; I was only saying goodbye July, and that my posting will continue intermittently as it is right now; you haven't got rid of me quite yet.


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I mentioned himbabao in my previous blog. I included this vegetable in my pinakbet recipe which I learned from a panggalatok vegetable vendor. Many of my fellow bloggers requested me to show a picture of this vegetable. I described it as caterpillar-like veggies. Since himbabao is only available every summer (because I don't see himbabao in the market when summer is over), I can now post it in my blog.
Himbabao (Broussonetia luzonica (Blanco) Bur. var. luzonica family Moraceae) or alucon (tagalog version according to the veggie vendor) is a medium-sized deciduous tree with a height of 15 meters and a diameter of 30 cm. The leaves are alternate with pointed apex and rounded base. The lower surface is hairy. The flowers are very small and are borne on very long, slender, spike-like flowering branches.
This species is distributed in the Philippines, from Luzon to Mindanao. It is commonly found in thickets and second-growth forests at low and medium altitudes.
The young leaves and flowers are cooked and eaten as vegetables. They could be cooked solely, or in mixture with other vegetables just like what I'm doing with my pinakbet. The flowers can also be made into a delicious salad. Actually, the caterpillar-like part of the vegetable is the flower.
Just like other plants, himbabao can be propagated by seeds, or by cutting from matured branches. Alucon is considered as wildfood plants.


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Patrick Kun: A unique performer indeed, Patrick Kun has consulted for top names in magic including David Copperfield and Cyril. In his lecture, Patrick plans to teach you some of the classic effects that got him recognized as well as some of the classics that he has put a 'PK-Touch" to such as the Anniversary Waltz and the Haunted Pack.
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Nursing Book Club
Nurses: Discover the Healing Powers of Chocolate
The trick is eating just one square
By Cal Orey (Kensington Books, 2010)
Reviewed By Elizabeth Hanink, RN, BSN, PHN
Okay. You now have permission to indulge in one of your favorite foods — chocolate. It's safe and, guess what? It's good for you, too. Yes, chocolate is full of polyphenols, also known as antioxidants, which can work wonders on your cardiovascular system. It contains anandamide, known as the bliss chemical, not to mention caffeine, cannabinoids, tryptophan and theobromine, all mood improvers. Chocolate also enhances the release of endomorphins and serotonin.
Sound too good to be true? Well, there are a few caveats. One is that the type of chocolate you eat really matters. In her book, The Healing Powers of Chocolate, Cal Orey is not talking about your favorite vending machine bar; that's probably milk chocolate with a caramel covering and some nuts thrown in for good measure. It is delicious, but it's not what she has in mind.
It turns out that the amount of cocoa, which ranges from as low as 33 percent to a full 100 percent, is critical. At higher percentages there is less sugar and less fat. Plus, the flavor becomes harsher — more of an acquired taste. Still, it is possible to find chocolate that is rich in healthy ingredients and tastes scrumptious. For the best combination, look at the various forms of dark chocolate.
The origin and processing of this wonder food are keys to its quality. There is actually something called "single-source chocolate," and, of course, you can get organic. Additives also count. Some manufacturers include vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter, but better chocolatiers infuse their sweets with herbs and spices, giving it a singular deliciousness.
A second proviso for healthful chocolate eating is amount. Orey is clear that you cannot eat as much as you want. One small square a day is all you need for the benefits. Any more and you risk the downside: unnecessary calories from sugar and fat. Still, says Orey, it is possible to maximize your enjoyment from that one piece so that you are content to stop.
Her recommendation: Buy the best chocolate you can afford with the highest cocoa percent you find acceptable. Then allow it to melt on your tongue and slowly dribble down your throat. You have to train yourself to do this if you are to overcome the urge to chew, suck and swallow in great haste.
Orey also suggests ways to get chocolate into your diet that don't involve quite so much technique. Chocolate ice cream, brownies and various breads could be a start. She includes some recipes along with chapters on chocolate pairings (think wine and coffee).
This is not a scientific treatise on chocolate, and many claims made by the author and others invite verification. Much of the information is anecdotal, with the occasional study thrown in. Still, there is much to be said for looking at the health benefits of traditional foods like chocolate. Like olive oil and vinegar, ingredients in Orey's other Healing Power books, chocolate may be a new old contributor to wellness.
Her book is funny, readable and full of interesting trivia for the chocoholic nurse. You know who you are.
Elizabeth Hanink, RN, BSN, PHN is a freelance writer with extensive hospital and community-based nursing experience.
This article is from workingnurse.com.


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I have to apologize for the lack of updates this past week. My time has been occupied with a new kitten named Heidi. She's extremely playful and needs constant affection and hates it when my husband and I use our laptops. :) While typing this blog entry, she has jumped on my computer about seven times so far. Anyways, I've had some free time this weekend and decided to try a new appetizer that I had bookmarked for the last few weeks. I had a hard time finding some decent tomatoes at the grocery store, but this recipe turned out well and took very little time in preparing. I cooked the tomatoes in the oven and by the time they were out of the oven, the cheese had melted perfectly and the tomatoes were so juicy with the skin ready to peal off. Yum!
Source: The Novice Chef
4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tbl butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish
Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.
Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with parsley and serve hot!


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|Bill Pemberton and Greg Welch
Bill Pemberton is from West Texas, where -- as he puts it -- "they eat barbecue more than they eat hamburgers."
When he and his family moved to Central Indiana from Dallas about 15 years ago, they would put a lot of miles on their car in search of good barbecue.
"We basically spent two years driving all over the state trying to find barbecue and finally just quit. We'd ask, 'Where's your smoker?' and they'd say, 'Smoker? We don't have a smoker," said Pemberton, who today manages the City Barbeque location in Avon, Ind. We first met when at City's Greenwood location.
City Barbeque (Greg says this is the correct spelling – "Ours is with a 'Q'") first opened in 1999, when Rick Malir and other members of an award-winning barbeque competition team founded the first location in Columbus, Ohio. The team has been a winner at the Kansas City Royal Barbeque competition.
Today, the Dublin, Ohio-based company operates about 25 locations across the Buckeye State and in Indiana, Kentucky and North Carolina.
|An Orange Nehi goes well with this.
We visited City Barbeque for the first time in Greenwood just as it was marking its one-year anniversary. After enjoying a satisfying meal of a half rack of pork ribs with two sides and a half pound of beef brisket and a couple of bottled sodas (including an orange Nehi), Pemberton graciously sat down with us for a few minutes.
He told me about the two decades he's spent in the restaurant business, which included running some Tex-Mex restaurants as well. Many years ago, he helped to run a Bigham's Smokehouse in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, while taking classes at Texas Tech University.
I asked him about the challenges of educating both employees and customers about what real barbecue is supposed to be. As I've discussed in this blog before, barbecue hasn't always been understood in the Hoosier state of the pork tenderloin and the fried bologna sandwiches. He acknowledged this challenge.
"It's difficult just because of the perception of people here -- maybe it's a Midwestern thing, maybe it's a Hoosier thing -- I'm not sure. But they assume that when they eat barbecue that it's some kind of meat, cooked somehow, just smothered with sauce," he said.
"When we (employees during training) would get out samples of meat, they'd say there's not any sauce on it, and I'd say, 'That's right. There's sauce on the table, but here's the barbecue.'"
Speaking of his customers, Pemberton added, "I think that people have become a lot more astute. They know more … We've done pretty well and our business has grown."
|The meat comes nicely off the bone.
The company's slogan is, "All Smoke. No Mirrors." We found that statement to be true. The brisket in particular was excellent and perhaps the best we've had since crossing the Texas state line. It was succulent and extremely tender. The St. Louis-style pork ribs tore away from the bone in bites and presented with a nice pinkness – both hallmarks of good barbecue.
Unlike some restaurants, City Barbeque is generous with its six different kinds of sauces that cover the map stylistically from Carolina to Texas to Missouri. Not only did we find them on the table, but a condiment and pickle bar also featured heated sauce. The Brush Fire sauce was hot in more ways than one.
We also sampled the North Carolina Pulled Pork, which also was tender and good, but not as remarkable as the brisket. Also on the menu are smoked turkey breast, pulled and smoked chicken and Texas smoked sausage. Sides included the usual staples, including mac & cheese, a vinegar slaw, potato salad, corn pudding (probably another nod to Texas) and baked beans.
What we found nice was that you can purchase the smoked meats by the pound. We had to save the banana pudding for our next visit, but my friend and reader Joe Kiefer -- who lives in Columbus -- suggested that we needed to note it and the cornbread.
City Barbeque smokers burn Shagbark Hickory, which isn't as common in Indiana as it is in Ohio. Pemberton doesn't want any cherry, ash or any other kinds of wood mixed into their smokers.
"That's been the biggest challenge for us," he said, "because in Ohio they actually have a Shagbark Hickory web site and there's authorized dealers of Shagbark Hickory in Ohio … It's a little bit different here … It can be difficult to find a lot of Shagbark Hickory, because at a lot of places there's other things that grow in with it."
In November, Pemberton is looking forward to joining several other City Barbeque managers who are taking the certifying class to become Kansas City Barbeque Society judges.
"It's not that we know it all, because you can always learn something," he said. "That (KCBS certification) is like the pinnacle – in our opinion -- of barbecue knowledge and for all of us to be able to go through that is a small investment to make for us to better understand the barbecue culture as well as the food."
Admittedly, we walked into City Barbeque with some reservations. Like Famous Dave's, it is a restaurant chain, but that is the only thing they have in common. It's clear that this location benefits from the genuine background and experience of the people who work hard to make it right.


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The latest Cyberspeak podcast includes my interview regarding the latest version of the Forensic Server Project components. The interview was intended to be a "go-by" so listeners could follow along while playing with the tools.
If you've never listened to the Cyberspeak podcasts, give it a shot...very entertaining and very informative. Ovie and Bret do a fantastic job with the podcasts. If you enjoy the podcasts (or don't) or find something interesting, be sure to leave a comment.


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Glycolysis is the human body's state where glucose, derived from any carbohydrate ingestion, is used to create energy. This can occur from ingestion of sucrose, lactose, dextrose, galactose, or any other "ose" (simply speaking - sugar). Generally an individual will be in glycolysis if they ingest over 50 grams of carbohydrate per day, though this may be higher or lower for some individuals.
Individuals who gain weight that was not a direct result of sex hormone (i.e. puberty) or genetic issue are beginning to see the result of a lifelong state of glycolysis. Scientists, organizations and nutritionists alike will explain this is simply a result of aging and "slowing metabolism". Fortunately, we have data that a lot of people who ate differently - some not too long ago - had very different health outcomes. It was not until Western Diet (like that mentioned earlier) was introduced that Western Diseases were concurrently introduced to previously isolated cultures.
Little known is the fact that ingestion of carbohydrate leads to lipogenesis, or the creation of fat. Many firmly believe that eating "low fat" foods is healthy, as it equates to less fat in their bodies. However, when you remove fat, you typically insert more carbohydrate (perhaps some protein) - which invariably leads to a much higher output of fats through lipogenesis.
Many people have found they can lose weight quite easily by simply reducing their refined carbohydrate intake, not needing to push their bodies into a state of ketosis. Yet, dependent upon the specific goals of the individual, keto-adapting may be an individual's best bet for losing the most weight and having a much better rate of diet retention. Most of the cause for this higher success rate has been shown to be: greater satiety; no calorie limit; no hunger pangs and speedy weight loss.
When the body is in a state of ketosis, triglycerides are broken down into their component fatty acids for fuel. The liver is busy churning out ketone bodies.
Previously, one could check whether they were in a state of ketosis via the guidance of ketostix, as mentioned in my July post. However, this tests urinary ketone levels. This is not a very effective way to check for ketosis for a few reasons. The main strike against it is that some individuals may never pass ketones in the urine. Others may pass them only at certain times...or in limited amounts. This type of information can mislead an individual to believe they are not in ketosis.
Using a ketone meter to instantly check blood ketone levels is currently the best method for testing whether one is in ketosis. As the aforementioned post also stated, there are a specific range of blood ketone levels associated with nutritional ketosis. Naturally, people begin to wonder - what 'level' they are at currently. Furthermore, what does it matter?
Tom Naughton, of Fat Head fame, claimed on his blog that regarding Jimmy Moore's plight to start losing weight again, it was not until his blood ketone levels went from 0.1 to 2.0 that he began to lose weight. He also mentions that some individuals are "...hyper-responders to insulin-producing foods, staying in ketosis may be the key."
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt AKA "The Diet Doctor" has a recent blog post claiming he's performing a N=1 experiment on fat loss by testing blood ketones. It seems like a lot of us have these new toys. But, the word is still out on whether a higher level of ketone bodies equates to an increased efficiency in fat burning.
Gary Taubes has been nice enough to take the time to answer some of my deepest, darkest questions recently. Gary stated that he was not aware of any correlation between blood ketone levels and fat loss, though he thinks there would be. Of course, he like I would prefer to have the facts. Hopefully he'll get some as the NuSI was just launched yesterday!
A recent "Ask the Experts" Jimmy Moore podcast hosted Dr. Stephen Phinney. I was lucky enough to have him answer one of my questions:
"Do higher levels of ketosis mean you will experience more rapid weight loss? I've been measuring my blood ketones and wondered if readings over 2.0 millimolar meant that I was in the ideal range for optimal fat loss."
His responses (around 1:06) "...being in ketosis doesn't guarantee weight loss...being in ketosis facilitates fuel flow." He goes on to say how nutrient ratio is more key to the reduction of fat.
(around 1:08) "There is nothing about having a specific blood ketone level that guarantees weight loss. What that does guarantee you is excellent fuel flow. So if you can then use that fuel flow by either cutting back modestly on total amount of calories eaten or as in my case upping amount of calories expended....[you will then begin to see the change]" He goes on to say he and Dr. Jeff Volek are looking into ketone variance between individuals - the variance is significant. Should know more on that within a year.


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Tag Archives: daughter
My review on the Ergo.
So it finally came! My ergo baby carrier. They were having a black friday sale so I jumped in, I had been wanting to get it for a long time. I really wanted the organic, but it just wasn't a … Continue reading →
Don't buy medela!
Medela has been ignoring WHO codes, and a ton of people are finding MOLD in their tubing and motors! (GROSS!) this is a complete outrage! For those of you with a pump in style, here is a video showing how … Continue reading →
Happy thanksgiving everyone!
Happy thanksgiving everyone! Its funny how I think about everything that I have this year that I did not have just a year before. A lot of things have changed in only one year, my, my, does time go fast. … Continue reading →
Today was one of those days where the weather was just TOO good to not go outside. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and there was quite a lovely breeze. I decided to go on some errands and … Continue reading →


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From the New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena—dazzling, poignant, and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war, and the redemptive power of art.
This stunning, exquisitely written collection introduces a cast of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways both life-affirming and heartbreaking. A 1930s Soviet censor painstakingly corrects offending photographs, deep underneath Leningrad, bewitched by the image of a disgraced prima ballerina. A chorus of women recount their stories and those of their grandmothers, former gulag prisoners who settled their Siberian mining town. Two pairs of brothers share a fierce, protective love. Young men across the former USSR face violence at home and in the military. And great sacrifices are made in the name of an oil landscape unremarkable except for the almost incomprehensibly peaceful past it depicts. In stunning prose, with rich character portraits and a sense of history reverberating into the present, The Tsar of Love and Techno is a captivating work from one of our greatest new talents.
I don't think I have ever read a book set in soviet Russia. I think it was time! I love the short stories and how they all mingle together to make a bigger picture, it happens in other books I have read and completely loved those so much. I liked this and would recommend it to those who are looking for a unique book to read.
I received this book for review through blogging for books.


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Jumping Jacks, Scotia N.Y. circa 1991
I found these prints while digging thru stuff for the lecture last week. I always knew that Schenectady, N.Y. was a great place to photograph. I remember watching the Peter Bogdanovich film The Last Picture Show when I was in high school with all the great b&w cinematography and telling my parents " that movie looks like here...now". I think they just laughed.
Shoporama, Rotterdam N.Y. circa 1991
My Grandmother's House, Mt. Pleasant, N.Y. circa 1991