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For those with Crohn's disease, an infection with Candida can make everything worse.
Symptoms of Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, can worsen as a result of a fungus known as Candida tropicalis. This fungus triggers gut inflammation, which can cause symptoms of Crohn's disease to become exacerbated. The findings come from researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week®.
Colon inflammation, or colitis, is a common symptom of Crohn's disease and it is believed to be the result of an abnormal immune response when the body tries to fight off an infection. The latest findings suggest that Candida tropicalismay also trigger colitis.
Lead author Luca Di Martino explained, "The type of microorganisms that live in our intestine, our microbiome, has been shown to be a key element for triggering Crohn's disease. Recent studies have shown that the abundance of the fungus Candida tropicalis is significantly higher in the intestine of Crohn's disease patients compared to healthy people."
The researchers induced colitis symptoms in mice by having them drink water that contained low levels of dextran sodium sulfate. This chemical causes acute intestinal injury, similar to that of colitis. The mice were then infected with Candida tropicalis and their intestinal tracts and gut bacteria were examined.
Study: Candida tropicalis aggravates Crohn's disease
The researchers found that the mice infected with Candida tropicalis had worsened Crohn's symptoms in comparison to those mice that were not infected with the fungus. The findings of the study suggested that treating Crohn's disease with an anti-fungal may help reduce the symptoms associated with Candida tropicalis.
The authors wrote, "Our data demonstrate that C. tropicalis may play a pro-inflammatory role in intestinal injury by exacerbating gut inflammation during the recovery phase of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. We speculate that infection with the fungus C. tropicalis may play a role in triggering flares during Crohn's disease and that anti-fungal therapy may be beneficial in Crohn's disease patients."
Di Martino continued, "We found that high levels of C. Tropicalis increases the abundance of harmful proteobacteria in the intestine, such as E. coli, disrupting the normal balance of the gut bacteria and creating a dysbiosis, a key element that triggers intestinal inflammation."
Read on: Crohn's disease symptoms worsen with this fungus
|Read on: Crohn's disease symptoms worsen with this fungus


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By Marisa Reidy
Una Healy ….. Living the dream
SHE'S probably best known as the hugely successful pop star who made up one fifth of former chart- topping group, The Saturdays, but Tipperary native Una Healy has proven that there's a whole lot more to her impressive CV than just pop!
Just last month, the budding entrepreneur launched her very own show collection, Una Healy Original, to great fanfare – an experience which she says has been 'a dream come true.'
Una told Connect that the collection has been in the pipeline for over a year now and says it feels surreal to finally see her creations on the shelves of some of Ireland's leading footwear stores.
"I'm absolutely delighted to finally see this become a reality", Una told Connect. "It's so exciting to see the collection come together and see it being received so well already. To be honest it's a dream come true for me."
The self-confessed shoe fanatic explained that the concept first got bandied about over a year ago, when family friends first put the idea to her.
"It kind of all started out when family friends in Monaghan, who own a shoe shop, were talking to someone else who had designed shoes and thought it would be a great idea for me to create my own collection," she explained. "I loved the idea and we began looking into it, but it's definitely a year or more since we had our first meeting about it."
But even with all her drive and enthusiasm for this exciting project, Una says she still questioned whether or not this dream of hers would ever become a reality…
"Even though we were discussing things and talking seriously about the collection, I never imagined it would actually happen, so to see the collection come together is so exciting for me. It's definitely scary seeing my face and photos of the collection everywhere," she joked "but it's so exciting and the support so far has been wonderful."
The collection itself features over 100 different styles, Una explained, and reflects the styles and trends she herself likes. She is very hands on with the design aspect of the collection, and says there's something to suit everyone.
"The collection is full of everything I would wear myself and I would have a huge part to play in the design," she said. "We discuss current trends and the collection reflects the styles I'm into and what's fashionable at the moment. There's everything from flats to mid heels to high heels in a range of colours and styles, with over 100 styles altogether, so there's a huge choice."
Despite throwing herself into the new collection, Una says that music still remains a huge passion of hers and explains that despite no longer being part of a hugely successful pop group, she is currently embracing life as a solo artist.
While she misses being part of the group – which split in 2014 – and the fun times with her fellow band mates, she says she loves being able to express her own style of music in her solo work.
"The Saturdays was a huge part of my career for sure and I do sometimes get nostalgic and miss the company of the girls, but there comes a time when you have to move on," Una said. "I'm really lucky to still be writing and performing and it allows me to show something different and the style of music that I love. In a way it's like starting all over again."
Having released her brand-new single entitled 'Never See Me Cry' in March – the first release from an EP due later in the year – Una is currently gearing up for a solo tour, which incidentally kicks off with a show in Killarney's INEC on June 16th.
"I love the INEC, it's a great hub for music so the gig will be a lot more stripped back. It will have more of a folk and country feel to it," she says – rather unsurprisingly, given that her famous uncle is none other that renowned country star, Declan Nerney.
"It's all about enjoying the experience and enjoying what I do. I always do my best to put everything into the gig and give people the show they deserve. I also love hearing feedback from people who say they really enjoyed a show and speaking about what my songs mean to them, so that's really how I measure my success. The Killarney show will be a mix of my own original music and some covers."
Una is of course now based in Northampton where her rugby-star husband Ben Foden is contracted – but despite her hubby's exploits on the field for the English, Una says she is – and will forever be – Munster by heart.
"It doesn't matter if Munster are playing Northampton, I'll always shout for Munster and he knows that," Una joked, admitting that she loves to get to home matches at Thomond Park as often as she can.
Una's pride and joy, of course, are her two small children – six year old Aoife Belle and Tadhg (3), who are also regular visitors to Ireland. And with Irish names like those, how could they not be reminded of their Irish roots?
"I go back quite a lot with the kids with work and gigs and it's important for me that they know they are half Irish and where they come from," she said. "We were actually back home in Ireland at Easter and we had a lovely time."
Una credits her husband Ben with helping support her career, saying that he is very much a hands-on dad, which allows her to fulfil her career dreams.
"We absolutely share the responsibility 50/50 and for both of us being a parent is our number one job," she said. "The children are without doubt my number one achievement."
So how is Aoife Belle taking to mommy's new shoe collection – every young girl's dream, surely?
"She reminds me so much of me sometimes," Una jokes. "Like all little girls, she loves trying on the high heels over her own shoes and particularly likes anything that's pink and sparkly of course. She's delighted with the collection of course."
Una's new shoe collection is currently available online @unahealyoriginal.com and at leading footwear stores across the country and she says she is hugely excited about the buzz that it has already created – and what lies in store!!
"The shoes are currently available in most stores across the country and I honestly have been thrilled with the feedback and support the collection has been getting," she said. "It's allowing me to relive my youth in a way and that's great."

subset: commoncrawl


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Join us for #WineDownWednesdays with the traveling vineyard launching March 2nd! We bring yoga + wine every 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month at the WithLove house located at 825 11th st NE.
What to expect?
* 1 hour all levels vinyasa yoga class that begins with the breath. The class will leave you feeling strong, invigorated and ready to quench your taste buds
* 5 bottle tasting with wines from across the globe including whites and reds
* Education on the 4 steps to wine tasting, what to pair with wine, wine trivia and much more!
What to bring?
* Yoga mat (ones to borrow on offer)
* Water bottle
* Open taste buds
After a rejuvenating yoga session, get ready to have fun, learn, sip and shop the Traveling Vineyard's boutique style and award winning wines only available through the Traveling Vineyard!
You must book here to reserve your space & glass! Spots are limited to 15, so book early!
Class: $15
Tasting: Complimentary
Tickets at http://winedownwithyoga.com/classes/winedown-wednesdays-with-the-traveling-vineyard/?event_date=1458152100


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Two Tech Tips & Two Bonuses - from @wgarth
WGarth Callaghan
- Richmond, VA ranked No. 20 for Quality of LIfe Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 5:07PM
- 127TECH Tip: Mozy Backup adds a local copy now if you have an external harddrive!! This is an excellent feature! Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 8:21AM
- It warms my heart to see that this is part of the National Cathedral! Monday, May 17, 2010 at 4:45PM
- 127TECH Tip: Forget about Facebook privacy! What do you do when you want to get rid of a "Friend?" Monday, May 17, 2010 at 9:16AM


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Smoked Sausage with Apple Fennel "Sauerkraut"
Double the amount of sausages and buns—the Apple Fennel Sauerkraut will stretch to feed a crowd!
I love serving these sausages on Martin's Long Potato Rolls because the texture of the bun is soft but hardy. The juices from the sausage and the sauerkraut are soaked up by the bread, but the bread still keeps its shape. In fact, I like Martin's so much that I pack them with my barbecue meal kits that I sell on CarolinaCueToGo.com
Serves 8
Grilling Method: Medium-low Heat (can be cooked direct or indirect)
Mock Sauerkraut:
1 large fennel bulb
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Large Vidalia onion, cut in rings
5 Granny Smith apples, grated
½ lemon, juiced
1½ tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
½ cup hard cider or apple juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 uncooked sausages, such as Bratwurst, Italian, etc
3 tablespoons butter, melted
8 Martin's Long Potato Rolls
Spicy brown or Dijon mustard
Clean and cut the fennel bulb in long strips (julienne) and trim tops. Reserve furry leafy part that resembles dill and chop finely for later use.
Heat oil in heavy-bottomed sauce pot or small Dutch oven over medium heat, add onion and kosher salt. Cook until onion begins to brown, add strips of fennel, stir, and let cook covered for about 5 minutes or until fennel begins to wilt. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Preheat the grill.
Meanwhile, mix grated apple with lemon juice and add to pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Add butter, mixing well. Add caraway seeds, reserved fennel tops and hard cider or apple juice. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let sit to allow the flavors to mingle.
The sauerkraut can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Just before serving, warm sauerkraut, grill sausages and toast buns, if desired.
To grill sausages, place them on the cooking grate directly over medium-low heat for 25-35 minutes, turning occasionally until they are cooked through, bubbling and browned on all sides of the sausage. If using indirect heat, turn once halfway through the cooking time. If using direct heat, turn occasionally and watch closely so the sausages don't burn.
Meanwhile, split the buns and brush a little butter on the inside. Toast until lightly browned by placing cut side down directly on the cooking grates for 1-2 minutes or until marked. When ready to serve, place one sausage and a generous amount of the sauerkraut on the bun and serve with mustard on the side. Serve immediately.


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Sunday October 7th, 2007 @ 12:46 AM by AskBME | Permalink
ASK.BME Staff
Joeltron - Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
Why hello there! I'm Joeltron - a professional body modification artist based in Sydney Australia. I personally have a number of visible implants, my eyeball tattooed, multiple stretched piercings, my tongue bifurcated, scarification and various other heavy modifications - so I understand the feeling of being on the sharp end of a needle and feel that it helps when understanding how one of my clients feel.
I have been professionally piercing since 2002 and opened my own Custom Tattoo & Piercing studio First Blood (Darlinghurst) in 2010 where I am the head body piercer and work with some truly amazing internationally renowned artists.
At my studio, we only pierce with g23 internal thread titanium jewellery and educate all of our clients to benefits of good quality materials and practitioners. Our shop is a huge advocate for APP.
I have always been into modifications, reading up on procedures and old/new methods since I was very young. I started working in a Piercing studio at the age of 18 where I began to soak up more knowledge and loved helping people. I started piercing professionally a short period after that and still love my job every single day!
Studio: FirstBlood.com.au - 77 William Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010 Australia
Mobile: 0403 1337 77 (SMS Only)
IAM: http://www.bme.com/iam/joeltron
Email: [email protected]
Personal: http://joeltron.com
Facebook: http://facebook.joeltron.com
Google+: http://plus.joeltron.com
Tumblr: http://tumblr.joeltron.com
Kylie Garth - Sydney, NSW, Australia
My name is Kylie Garth. I am a professional body piercer and was born in New Zealand,I currently live and work in Sydney Australia at a studio called First Blood.
I have been piercing for 5 years and love my job very much. I love doing ear work,genital and anything heavy gauge.
I have had over 60 piercings and a few heavier modifications my favorites are my cheeks, double philtrum, 0g conchs and my tongue bifurcation.
I am constantly learning and expanding my skills to better myself
Studio Website: http://www.FirstBlood.com.au
Email: [email protected]
Ryan Mills - Dallas, TX
I started piercing over a decade ago in Salt Lake City, Utah. After my apprenticeship ended and I put in my time at my shop, I moved to Las Vegas to work on the strip. During my years in Vegas I toured with Ozzfest during the summer as their piercer. After growing tired of Las Vegas, I moved back to Salt Lake City. I have worked in several states over the years including Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California. Most recently I have come to call Texas my home. I am a freehand piercer and am constantly striving to expand my body modification capabilities. My true passion is branding and scarification. I practice both strike and thermal cautery branding along with scalpel scarification.
I am currently manager and head modification artist at Eastside Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Dallas, Tx.
Studio Website: http://www.dallaseastsidetattoo.com
Email: [email protected]
Cere Coichetti - New York, NY
Cere is a long time contributor to BME as well as an extremely controversial member of IAM. He's considered by many to be an instrumental member of the suspension community and is known internationally for his facilitation of suspensions to those in need. Cere is a long time member of Rites of Passage.
Cere is a character that people seem to either love with a passion that drives them to allow him to tattoo them or people hate him so much that they boycott IAM. Cere will drop everything at the drop of the hat to fly across the country to help a friend in need, whether it's a personal favor or to help them get off the ground and up into the air.
Regardless of if you love him or hate him, Cere will always be there for you.
Past ASK.BME Staff
Shawn Porter - Philadelphia, PA
Among other things, I am the co-creator of the ModCon events and the host/creator of the Scarwars Scarification events.
I have been known as a community archivist and ran the SPC website from 1995 until 2004, focusing on the contemporary history of our subculture. I'm about to enter my 20th year in the community- and can say in all honesty that some of the best and some of the worst people I've ever met have come from this subculture.
I may be the longest running member of the QOD still active, after returning from a brief hiatus.
I live in Philadelphia, enjoy being adorable and hush puppies. Feel free to ask me questions related to the history of Body Modification, scarification, tattooing or culture. Rachel wrote most of this.
Lori St. Leone - Darwin NT, Australia
I own and operate Vogue Body Piercing in Darwin, Australia. I began my piercing career in 1995, and am extensively experienced in all aspects of body piercing. As the senior piercer at the shop, I primarily specialise in advanced procedures, such as scarification, punch and taper method surface piercing, dermal punching cartilage, lobe scalpelling, genital beading, and placing and removing microdermals. I am originally from Alaska, and am a dual citizen of Australia and the USA (and thusly am proficient at both translating Browne & Sharpe gauges into metric, as well as translating Australian slang into English).
I joined the QOD staff in 2003 because I genuinely enjoy helping people and sharing my knowledge and experience, and because, quite frankly, this sausage party needed a little estrogen to balance things out. I'm really excited about the new AskBME layout and think it's a fantastic step in the right direction for this great resource! I have a fairly offbeat sense of humour and don't tend to suffer fools gladly, but I'm also really nice to the newbies. I'll have a crack at almost any type of question submitted, so fire away.
Ryan Ouellette - Nashau, NH
I own and operate Precision Body Arts in Nashua, NH where I manage several tattoo artists and handle their clients' questions. I myself perform body piercing and scarification primarily. My piercing technique includes forcep as well as freehand piercing, dermal punching cartilage and soft tissue, punch + taper piercing, micro-dermal anchoring, beading, and stretching. I travel internationally as a scarification practitioner, my cutting technique is heavily based on complex and intricate flesh removal. I also have limited firsthand knowledge of heavier mods such as tongue splitting and implants. I perform several hours of continuing education yearly, primarily at the Association of Professional Piercers annual conference. I've completed numerous courses in the areas of blood borne pathogens, anatomy, and equipment management.
Warren Hiller - Toronto, Ontario
I started my piercing apprenticeship in 2001 and worked in various cities over the years: Toronto, Niagara Falls, Darwin NT Australia.
I am now retired and am currently certified as a Sterile Supply Processing Specialist.
Derek Lowe - Minneapolis, MN
I've been piercing professionally for almost 13 years after serving a not-so-perfect apprenticeship. I consider myself about 50% self-taught with the rest of knowledge up to this point coming from doing guest piercing spots, networking with fellow piercers, attending the Association of Professional Piercers conference for 11 years and absorbing everything I can find related (directly and indirectly) to piercing. The World Wide MegaWeb Hypernets have played a large role in helping me stay in touch with other piercers and have allowed me to continual learn new things..
I don't do a lot of "heavy" procedures, but I'm definitely no stranger to dermal-punching, punch-n-taper surface piercings and microdermals. Over the years I've done a bit of cutting as well, although it's not my specialty.
I'm currently a piercer and general manager at Saint Sabrina's in Minneapolis, MN.
Russ Foxx - Vancouver, BC
I am a professional body artist specializing in piercing, advanced modification, scarification and ritual experience. I have been practicing body art since 2001.
Body suspension plays a major role in my life and has influenced who I am today. I have personally experienced over 80 suspensions of different types with varying amounts and sizes of hooks; including vertical, horizontal and modified suspensions. I am a founder of "Modern Body Suspension " (a Vancouver-based suspension team) and frequently host indoor and outdoor "SusCons" all over Canada. I perform freakshows and performance art on a fairly regular basis.
My home base is The Fall Tattooing & Artists Gallery at 644 Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver, BC where I'm available by appt. or on Sundays and Mondays.
Primary Email: [email protected]
Studio Line: 604-676-3066
Personal: 778-227-9187
Tiff Badhairdo - Brighton, UK
I am a piercing practitioner and scarification artist based in the UK and as such, am very much committed to furthering the industry with regards to standards and best practice. In my quest for advancement, the internet has proved an invaluable resource allowing me to liaise and swap notes with others within the body modification sphere. My reason for joining the awesome AskBME team is simply to live up to my commitment.
I apprenticed in 2004 in London before moving back to my beloved Yorkshire to take up a position as a piercer at Eternal Ink in Sheffield. I now reside in the south of the UK in Brighton where I work on an appointment-only basis, mainly specialising in scarification. I also help facilitate suspensions with the Norfolk-based Body Evolution crew and more recently, the London-based Constant Elevation crew. I love surface work, with a preference for the punch and taper method. For other work I use both freehand and conventional techniques - which ever fits the job best. I have played an active part in other modifications too but my real passion lies with scarification. My particular developing style tends to be quite organic and I love working with symmetry, geometrical shapes and texture. The majority of my work draws heavily on linework with the odd bit of skin removal used to good effect.
Efix Roy - Quebec City, Canada
After having learnt everything I could on BME and experiencing quite a bit on myself, I began my apprenticeship in March 2002. I began piercing professionally in late 2002 and then, after feeling the need to make things better, helped open D-Markation with my friends in December of 2004 where I am still the full time head piercer. I am 100% freehand although I learnt with forceps at first. I also work with scalpels and dermal punches if the results can be enhanced by their use. I now mostly focus on scarification as well as a wide range of more extreme body modifications.
On AskBME, I'll mainly focus on answering french questions.
Après avoir appris tout ce que je pouvais sur BME et avoir expérimenté beaucoup sur moi même, j'ai commencé mon apprentissage en mars 2002. J'ai débuté ma carrière de perceur corporel professionnel vers la fin de 2002 et puis, voulant changer les choses et les améliorées, avec quelques amis, nous avons ouvert les ateliers D-Markation où je suis toujours le perceur. Je suis 100% main libre, mais j'ai tout de même appris avec les forceps. Je perce aussi avec des scalpels et punch dermiques si ça peut améliorer le résultat de certains perçages. Je me concentre maintenant principalement sur la scarification ainsi que sur une large variétée de modifications corporelles plus extrêmes.
Sur AskBME, je vais principalement répondre aux questions francophones.
Lexci Million - Edmonton, Canada
I have been piercing professionally after apprenticeship for 7 years now. I am the manager and senior piercer at Dragon FX Kingsway. I focus on carrying out successful body piercings from nostrils to genitals and am co-founder of the Local Hookers suspension team.
I am an advocate for safe body piercing practices, acceptable body jewelry and aftercare and progressive techniques and ideas. I've attended the Association of Professional Piercers conference each year I've been piercing and continue to further my education for the benefit and safety of my own clients both there and networking online with other body modification practitioners around the world.


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Homemade Quorn pizza is the ultimate homemade meat free vegetarian pizza! Made from delicious quorn mince with an optional spicy twist and a tasty cheddar cheese and mozzarella melted cheese topping, you'll still think you're eating an actual meat feast pizza when you're not!
Folks, I was serious in the intro when I said that when eating this vegetarian Quorn pizza you could be mistaken for thinking that it was actually a spicy meat feast one! Let me explain……
You see pizza is one of our weekend treats, part of our 80/20, that Lady Lynne and I love to enjoy chilling out in front of the TV watching a film or comedy box set together. We both love a whole combination of toppings and flavours, particularly meat feast.
In our efforts to eat less red meat I suggested we just make pizza's with chicken or vegetable toppings. Whilst that was fine, we both knew we'd soon miss our favourite meat feast one. That was until I decided to substitute Quorn for the beef mince and came up with this amazing homemade vegetarian meat feast alternative, Quorn pizza! It was like coming home!
Quorn pizza is so simple to make too.
The spicy Quorn mince mixture takes only about 15 minutes to cook and forms the topping. This is then spooned over the tomato sauce covered bases.
Then the two difference kinds of cheeses are sprinkled over the Quorn mince mixture and this is then baked in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is crispy.
The whole process shouldn't take any longer then 30 minutes to have these delicious homemade pizza's served fresh taking up just a fraction of your hard earned weekend and TV relaxation time!
These Quorn pizza's would be great to have during the week as a quick and healthy family dinner option too.
A light side salad made with lettuce, cherry tomatoes and sliced red onion compliments your pizza perfectly.
In fact there's a whole combination of side dishes that could go with your pizza, not just a salad but steamed vegetables like broccoli or Roast Summer Vegetables.
Although I've just made a pretty basic (but exceptionally tasty) Quorn pizza here, there's so many other flavour and topping combinations you could add to the Quorn mince. Just stir these suggested toppings into the Quorn mince after cooking and before you top the pizza.
Suggested Toppings For Your Homemade Quorn Pizza
- Halved cherry tomatoes and cubes of feta cheese.
- Chopped green pepper, sweetcorn and mushrooms.
- If you want to change this from being a vegetarian Quorn pizza then maybe add some slices of pepperoni or chopped chicken.
Homemade Quorn Pizza Recipe
I used shop bought pizza bases here for convenience, but if you want to make your own homemade pizza dough it's easier than you might think! It does take a little longer, yes but it's certainly worth the effort for a 100% homemade pizza! You could also use flatbreads for thinner tastier and healthier base.
I'd love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe if you like it! 🙂
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 300 g Quorn Mince frozen
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder*
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 2 large pizza bases**
- 300 g jar pizza sauce
- 90 g cheddar cheese grated
- 90 g mozzarella cheese grated
- Pre-heat oven to 180C Fan
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 – 3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the Quorn mince and chilli powder and cook for about 10 minutes stirring throughout. Season to taste.
- Place pizza bases on lightly greased baking trays.
- Spread half of the jar of pizza topping sauce over one base, then half over the other.
- Divide the Quorn mince topping between each pizza and sprinkle with the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
- Place pizzas into oven and cook for about 8 – 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is crispy.
- Remove from oven onto a wooden board to slice and serve.
*Chilli powder is optional
** You could make your own pizza dough using the method in my Homemade Pizza recipe.
The recipe makes 2 large pizzas. The nutritional label assumes the pizzas are shared amongst 4 people.
If you enjoyed this Quorn pizza recipe then I think you'll also love my other Quorn recipes like my Homemade Quorn Burgers or Quorn Meatballs, so how about trying those?
Right, next week. What's coming? Well, Tuesday it's a one pot Green Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew. That one is guaranteed to fill you up! Then on Thursday, it's time for a new bake so how do you fancy a fruity Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake?
Have an amazing weekend for now and I hope you'll catch up with me next week!
In order not to miss future updates and new recipes, make sure you're subscribed to neilshealthymeals by adding your email* to the subscription list at the very top of this post or subscribe here. And you can follow me too via your favourite social media channels below.
*I do not use your email for anything else other than adding you to my blog subscription list which you can opt out of at any time.


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A Flash!Friday contribution. It had to feature a gladiator as the protagonist and the prompt was an adorable kitten. How could I resist?
Gladiators Do Not
A lot of rumours go around about gladiators, and the thing is, most of them aren't true. Yes, we're ruthless killers, but it's not like we murder people in our spare time. There are rules. Thumbs-down means you gotta kill the guy, or they're gonna kill you. Better him/her/it than me, that's what I say, especially when the opponent's a big old bear. I hate bears.
I'm gonna address some of those rumours and you write it on your little notepad there and put it in your paper, okay? This tradition's been back a hundred years or so and people ought to know us by now.
Gladiators have a code. We have to maintain a certain amount of "physical wellness", but that's up to your own…I mean, trainer. There's no slavery in spite of what I almost just said, got it? No masters, no slaves, just good old killing fun. The trainers never starve anybody…unless they deserve it, haha!
Oh, and the last thing – we don't hurt kittens. We don't sacrifice adorable baby animals to the gods or eat their hearts or whatever. I mean, if the gods required an animal, I'd sacrifice a bear, but not a little kitty. Okay?
Thanks for the interview. Enjoy the show.


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Novel Playlist
I'm writing the next great American novel. Except I'm not. I'm supposed to have turned in a new outline of my current YA novel (tentatively called Standing Quiet in the Rain after a line from a song by The Cure) by last August to my writing friend. But I haven't. The outline was supposed to inspire me to do the re-writing of what I have so far (around 25k-30k words) and move forward to finish it. I'm not far from done but I'm stuck. Because re-writing is harder than writing.
And I also don't have as much free time as I used to since I'm working more. And I've been working on this blog since August so haven't focused as much on my own writing. But I figure, at least I'm writing something, even if it's not my novel.
Last Sunday morning (since Mr Bookworm went back to bed), I thought I could focus on my playlist for this current novel. I'm looking for a source of new inspiration and since one of my main characters (Henry/Hanry/Han) has a love for old school SoCal punk, maybe I'll start there. (Yes, I know that not all of these bands are from SoCal. And, yes, the sound quality isn't great on some of these videos, but I prefer live versions.)
In my teens/early 20s, I saw many Big Drill Car and All shows. So I can't take them out of the list. I still love their music.
I have to include The Replacements "Bastards of Young" and The Cure's "Lovesong" because they are both mentioned in Standing Quiet in the Rain (working title). If you don't think that The Replacements belong with the punk bands, then you haven't heard their early years. My twin and I saw The Replacements at the Palladium last year--the same place we saw them in the 90s. Though Paul Westerberg's voice hasn't lasted as well all these years--likely due to smoking as much as getting older--it was a good show. If only because I love live music and spending time with my twin.
"Lovesong" is included but I don't think of my novel as a love story. Certainly not your typical teen/YA love story. It's more about the aftermath of the death of Hanry's brother (spoiler alert!) and the wake he leaves behind. I guess I need to work on my summary--much exemplified to myself when I applied for a workshop retreat a few weeks ago and I had to remind myself what my novel was about. I hope I am accepted as the workshop focuses on writing 'cross-culturally' and Nicola Yoon is one of the guest speakers. (ETA: since first writing this post, I've found out that I've been accepted to the workshop! Yay! Though to be honest, I'm not sure if I can go--five days away from my family is a LOOOOOONG time.) And my working title? It comes from a line in "Pictures of You" in case you're wondering.
Finally, I have to include "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, if only because it's the song I was thinking about when I woke up at 5am and thought about revising my novel playlist. No, it has no relation to what happens in my novel.
There you have it: my novel-novel playlist. Get it? Now if I can only find my old battered copy of Steinbeck's Cannery Row, then I can Instagram a pic for the @reademandkeep contest by Juniper Books (The contest was extended two more weeks so you still have time to enter!). Cannery Row is the only book that may rival Pride and Prejudice in the number of times I've read it. There are many reasons for that, not the least of which is my love for Monterey. The very first novel I worked on (still unfinished, see my review of The Land of Forgotten Girls where I discuss the ghosts) has sections set in Monterey at the turn of the century. Not this past century, but early 1900s before the Chinese were driven from their fishing village in the spot where the Stanford marine lab now sits. One day....one day, I'll get back to writing that one.
Maybe this song list will save you from the Christmas music ear worms that are so prevalent right now? Happy Holidays!


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Glendale, Az, January 28, 2017
N Heslop
The Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha team took another two top-ten finishes at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Saturday. Aaron Plessinger had a tough start to the race but made his way, from sixteenth, to cross the finish line, in fourth. Daniel Reardon got his best result of the season, with a sixth-place finish.


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Favorite Movies: Contact
SPOILER ALERT: This movie's plot does contain elements that you may not want to know about prior to watching (otherwise known as spoilers). If you'd like to watch this movie with a clean slate (something I recommend), please wait to read this review until after you've watched the film.
What are we here for? What does it all mean? To attempt to answer such heady questions, you need a lot of room. And so, we often look to the sky.
I was introduced to Contact by a college professor of mine. He said it was one of his favorite films, and that it had impacted him greatly when he was a doctoral student. I hadn't seen the film before, but I valued his recommendation. Little did I know what this movie had in store for me.
Contact begins with one of the most enthralling opening sequences I've seen. We are given a sense for the vastness of space. The camera begins at earth and continues to pull back as we see stars and galaxies fly by. We hear various radio signals until we are so far out in the expanse of the universe that there is just silence. We watch in awe as the magnitude of all that is out there sets in. We're overcome with the sense that we simply cannot fathom all that is out there.
This scene also sets the stage for one of the movie's great lines. It comes in the very next scene when our main character Ellie Arroway (played at first by Jena Malone then for the rest of the film by Jodie Foster) is talking with her father, Ted (David Morse).
Young Ellie: Dad, do you think there's people on other planets?
Ted Arroway: I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.
This movie is based upon the book of the same name written by the famed astronomer Carl Sagan, and it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and shot by Don Burgess. Burgess, I think, is especially worthy of praise. Later in this review, I'll discuss his work in a scene that is a throwback to one of the most famous sequences in science fiction film history.
Again, even off this first scene alone, one can't help but be fascinated by this movie. The visual cut from the opening sequence to the scene between Ellie and her father is fantastic - the worlds and galaxies merge into light reflected in the eye of young Ellie. We meet her as she is already preparing for her life's work - making contact. Her father is encouraging her as she uses a radio to speak to whomever is on the other end of the line. She makes her most remote contact yet - someone in Pensacola over a thousand miles away from her Wisconsin home. We learn that Ellie's mom is dead (she died in childbirth), and Ellie asks her dad if she'll ever have a transmitter powerful enough to talk to her mom again. Her father answers that she is tenacious enough that she just might be able to do it someday.
This little interaction is a nice piece of writing, because we learn a great deal about Ellie's character early on. She is tenacious, and it is her love of family that compels her to search out for contact. It also sets up the tender relationship between Ellie and her father. All of this is necessary for the film to work. We also are given another key line that will bear great importance over the remainder of the film.
One night while once again looking to the sky, Ellie's father dies of a heart attack. Ellie blames herself for not being able to get his heart medication in enough time.
We then see Ellie as an adult. She has now traded the small radio for much more impressive equipment. She is working as a researcher with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) at Arecibo in Puerto Rico. It is there that she meets Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey) and they have a short-lived fling. Despite Palmer's desire to begin a relationship, Ellie has her eyes forever towards the sky. She is too driven and tenacious. But tenacity isn't always enough.
She soon finds that her team's funding may be cut. Famed scientist David Drumlin (Tom Skerritt) tells her that this branch of science is "nonsense" and she should use her talents for greater scientific achievement. Ellie is undettered. She and her team spend 18 months searching. Finally, they find their benefactor in the person of billionaire investor S.R. Hadden (John Hurt). Due to this new funding, Ellie is able to continue her research at the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico.
It is here that Ellie makes contact. She hears a sound that may, in fact, be an extraterrestrial communication. It is a prime number pattern originating from the star Vega. Since their satellites are only pointed at Vega for a short time, Ellie begins to pull together members of the worldwide scientific community to record and interpret the signal.
As is often the case when more people are brought onto a project, things begin to get twisted and exploited. Drumlin attempts to take credit for Ellie's work while the observation has had enough impact to warrant a visit from the president's national security advisor, a man named Michael Kitz (James Woods). He is skeptical and only sees the military implications of the discovery. His is a character so often present in these types of films that it borders on cliche. But later, we will see just how necessary the Kitz character is to the movie's story.
Eventually, it is discovered that the message is a actually a blueprint. The nations of the world convene and decide that they will attempt a manned mission to meet these extraterrestrial beings. A group of scientists and world leaders come together to decide who will go on this mission. Conveniently, this group contains Ellie, Drumlin and Ellie's old friend Palmer Joss.
The character of Joss is one of the few flat notes in the film. Don't get me wrong, his character is a necessary part of the film's story. We have to have the viewpoint of someone who firmly believes in God. It is Joss who asks Ellie whether or not she believes in God. Ellie is not able to give a direct answer before the committee. We have to have this interaction for the movie to work. The problem is that we're never really given much of an idea of who Joss is or what he does. And yet, we're led to believe that he has been successful enough in the religious community to warrant his inclusion in this exclusive group that will make this decision of global importance. It's just hard to buy with the information we're given. His character needs more depth.
Still, as a Christian, I'm especially drawn to movies and storylines that attempt to investigate the spiritual nature of the human experience. Contact does this throughout, and it should be praised for doing so. To even attempt to navigate such heady terrain and existential questions is an impressive feat for a film. While Contact may not hit every note, the fact that it succeeds as much as it does makes it quite astounding.
Due in large part to Ellie's misstep on Joss's question about her belief in God, it is decided that Drumlin will man the mission. But an act of terrorism destroys the ship and the launchpad. It was carried out by a religious fanatic. While I initially balked at the portrayal, I realized that a nugget of truth resided there. Too often, especially when it comes to science, Christians have come prepared for battle.
But God is in science just as much as He is in any field. God created scientific laws. I believe that the more we investigate and seek to learn about our world and beyond, the more we will see God. Just as we should continue to investigate Scripture to learn about who God is, we should continue to look to the sky and look to the natural world to learn about Him. This movie is like that, in a way. The more you watch it, the more spiritual truths you find in it. Contact is a treasure.
Despite the setback, we find that there has been a second ship being constructed in Japan. Mr. Hadden - the world-dominating magnate that he is - couldn't just leave this monumental task to world leaders. So he always had a backup plan. I'll admit, I find this to be another false note. Not only is it too convenient, but it's hard for me to believe that all these people using state-of-the-art satellites throughout the film somehow missed the massive spaceship being built off the coast of Japan. This shouldn't have been framed as some big secret reveal. I can believe that the general public wouldn't know about the second ship, but it's too much to think that all these scientists and public officials would have no knowledge of it.
As it is, we're simply led to believe that Hadden successfully hid this monumental backup plan from everyone. He contacts Ellie from a Russian space station where he is living out the remainder of his life. He shows her the backup plan and tells her that they are looking for an American to be on the mission. Ellie lights up.
This brings us to the film's rousing conclusion. For any missteps the movie may have up to this point, its final act rights all the wrongs.
Ellie does go on the mission. Her space pod is to be dropped through the swirling hoops of the station. The idea is that she will somehow be transported to another dimension. Really, nobody knows what will happen. They are only following the extraterrestrial instructions.
The mission commences. Ellie's pod drops through the hoops and we watch as she is violently transported through some kind of portal. It is reminscent of the Stargate sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is here that the cinematography of Burgess is at its best. He certainly owes much to the work of Douglas Trumbull (who was the DP on 2001 as well as Blade Runner and Close Encounters of the Third Kind). But the aural visuals that flash before our eyes during this sequence truly are astounding.
Ellie is taken to the star Vega where she glimpses the alien spaceship before being taken through the wormhole again. She sees an alien city. Then a final trip through the wormhole. This one is more violent - her pod shakes uncontrollably. The compass that Joss had given her shakes loose. She unstraps herself to jump out and reach for it. After she does so, her chair is ripped off from its moorings and Ellie floats inside the pod, holding onto the compass. She sees fantastically beautiful "celestial events." Finally, she is transported to what looks like a beach. Yet, overhead are galaxies and stars untold. Then, Ellie sees someone she did not expect.
Her father. Yet, not really her father. This alien race thought Ellie would have an easier time processing their meeting in a recognizable locale. So they brought her to "Pensacola" and took the form of her father. It is a touching sequence, with a thought-provoking interaction between the alien and Ellie.
Ellie Arroway: Is this some test?
Alien: No, no tests...
Alien: ...you have your mother's hands. You're an interesting species, an interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.
Ellie Arroway: What happens now?
Alien: [he stands up] Now, you go home.
Ellie Arroway: [she stands up] Home? But I have so many questions, do we get to come back?
Alien: This was just a first step. In time you'll take another.
Ellie Arroway: But other people need to see what I've seen, they need to see...
Alien: This is the way it's been done for billions of years. Small moves, Ellie. Small moves.
I love the writing, which ties in perfectly with the rest of the film. We can see threads that have been building on each other throughout. It's difficult not to tear up when he says "Small moves, Ellie. Small moves." But then, this movie takes another turn that truly vaults it into all-time great territory for me.
When Ellie returns to Earth, she is confronted with the fact that her space pod dropped straight through the hoops into the water. Cameras caught the entire "mission." Her onboard communication devices only picked up static. The drop lasted all of eight seconds. She is brought before a committee hearing, and this is where the character of Kitz gets his day. He has resigned from his position as national security advisor to lead these hearings. It is he who will interrogate Ellie. I present the scene below for you to view in all its glory.
After Ellie is taken out of the courtroom, we see a conversation between Kitz and his assistant Rachel Constantine (Angela Bassett). She tells him that the video recording from Ellie's pod is what interests her. It, too, only recorded static. However, it recorded 18 hours of it.
We then see Ellie in later life. She has been given a grant to continue her work. As she gives a grade school class a tour of the VLA facility, a student asks her if there really is life on other planets. She responds, "If there isn't, then it'd be an awful waste of space."
This film is powerfully moving. Is it a perfect film? No, very few are. Contact has its flaws. But its strengths far outweigh those flaws. Here, we have a profound explanation of the relationship between doubt and faith. As a Christian especially, this movie impacts me on a deep level.
Do some of the beliefs of Christianity make sense? Can we figure out how a man would be born of a virgin, for instance? Can we figure out how a man would come back from the dead? There are so many opportunities to doubt. But we must wrestle with those doubts if we are ever to believe.
And I do believe.
Everything I know, everything I've experienced and felt makes me sure that I believe in a real God. Much like Ellie's experience, there are some aspects of Christianity that I can't prove. That is why I love that this scene takes place in a courtroom. This is a place where we demand proof beyond the shadow of a doubt. But there are some things that simply do not fit that mold. There are some areas where doubt will always lurk in the shadows. In those instances we must confront it and we must decide whether or not we will choose to believe even in the midst of doubt.
But there is hope. Just like with Ellie's experience, the proof is there if you will only look for it. The video caught 18 hours of static - the exact amount of time that Ellie testified she was gone. I believe that God wants to be known by us. He has left us traces of his presence in nature, in the Bible and in ourselves.
But we have to seek Him out.
In that seeking, there may be doubts. I know I've had my fair share. But I also know that God is real because I have gone to Him with those doubts. I've questioned. Though I haven't always found answers, I've found something far greater - a constant companion. I know God is real because I have experienced His presence. Not a bearded man coming down to talk to me in a booming voice. Rather, a still small voice. In the wind in the trees. In the words of Scripture. In my wife's smile. And in my inner conscience.
The fact that a movie could even begin to scratch the surface of that revelation is astounding. I will forever be grateful that my college professor introduced me to this film. And when I look to the sky, I may not know all that is out there. But that's okay. Because I know what I believe - rather, in Whom I believe. Whatever is out there, I know that all the far reaches of Space are not outside His knowledge.
And I trust that He hasn't wasted any of it.
Note on content: This is a very family-friendly movie. There is one scene that contains sexual content early on between Palmer Joss and Ellie Arroway. However, there is no nudity. There is minor profanity, and the act of terrorism is certainly jarring and even frightening. All in all, this is a very tender movie with far less objectionable content than most modern movies.


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The largest project in Canada's history to study the link between mental illness and homelessness kicks off Monday, offering hope – and a home – to more than 1,300 street people across the country.
Housing first, rehabilitation will follow – that's the philosophy behind a national research project on homelessness and mental illness being launched by the new Mental Health Commission of Canada.
It's a non-profit organization funded by Ottawa to focus attention on mental health issues and improve the health and social prospects of those homeless with mental illness.
"Traditionally, people have to be pretty stable before they are offered housing. Often they have to be clean and sober. In this approach, the housing is offered first," said Dr. Jayne Barker.
Barker is project director of the At Home initiative being introduced in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal and Moncton.
Altogether, 1,325 people will be given a place to live and social services during the study, which is to get $110 million in funding over the next five years. Participants are expected to contribute 30 per cent of their income, including welfare and disability payments. (Canada has an estimated 300,000 homeless people.)
Participants will also meet weekly with psychiatrists, social workers and front-line workers to get access to treatment and medical help.
"It is only after the person is housed that they are offered choices about how they want to deal with their addiction or mental health issues," said Barker.
"How can people who have to worry about where they will sleep tonight or where their next meal is going to come from ... start to think about their depression or anxiety or schizophrenia?"
The program is modelled after the successful Pathways to Housing Project, which was founded in New York City in 1992 and has since spread out to 40 cities worldwide.
In Toronto, 565 people will be part of the project, with 300 to get apartments, mostly downtown, said Dr. Stephen Hwang, with the Centre of Research on Inner City Health at St. Michael's Hospital.
(More than half of those getting housing will be from immigrant and ethno-racial groups.)
So far, 20 people have been enrolled here, and one person has received housing.
Participants come mostly from the shelter system.
In 2005, the city launched a similar project called Streets to Homes, but Hwang said the new program is specifically aimed at homeless people with mental illness.


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Track is CLOSED for Practice!
You must water the track for at least 1 hour prior to and during practice.
Clean up after yourself and lock up when you leave!
***See Practice rules!***
Becky Yerk 88
Age: 14
Classes: Sr. Honda
Sponsors: Ring Consulting Group Inc, Hosensack Poker Club, Texas Hold-em, R Motorworks, Christine & Jeff Pfisher, Koffel Racing #8, Prodorutti Quarter Midget Supply
Other Tracks Visited: Harrisburg Farm Show
Favorite Professional Driver: Brad Keselowski, Meme DeSantis, Mike Koffel, Mike Kellner
Future Racing Plans: 600 Modified
Nick Name: Little B and Yerky Jerky
What Do You Like To Do When You're Not Racing: Play travel softball for twisters, rollerblading, ice skating, go to grandview
Month & Date of Birth Day: Feb. 22


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I am currently writing a textbook on homeland security (due out from Elsevier next spring 2015). Unique to this text are interviews with renowned experts in the fields of homeland security and national security. Dr. Bruce Hoffman is one such expert. He is perhaps the world's preeminent expert on counterterrorism, faculty at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and the author of several books, including the renowned Inside Terrorism. An excerpt of his interview appears below. Read the rest when it publishes spring 2015.
Professor Bruce Hoffman is currently the Director of the Center for Security Studies, Director of the Security Studies Program, and a tenured professor at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington DC. He previously held the Corporate Chair in Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency at the RAND Corporation and was the Director of RAND's Washington, D.C. office. Professor Hoffman also served as RAND's Vice President for External Affairs and was Acting Director for RAND's Center for Middle East Public Policy. Professor Hoffman was Scholar-in-Residence for Counterterrorism at the Central Intelligence Agency between 2004 and 2006. He was also adviser on counterterrorism to the Office of National Security Affairs, Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq during the spring of 2004 and from 2004-2005 was an adviser on counterinsurgency to the Strategy, Plans, and Analysis Office at Multi-National Forces-Iraq Headquarters, Baghdad. Professor Hoffman was also an adviser to the Iraq Study Group. He remains a member of several groups and organizations, including the National Security Preparedness Group, the successor to the 9/11 Commission, and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program at the Human Rights Watch. Professor Hoffman is a scholar and visiting professor at numerous institutions including the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel; and, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Professor Hoffman was the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he was also Reader in International Relations and Chairman of the Department of International Relations. He is Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, the leading scholarly journal in the field, and editor of the new Columbia University Press Series on Terrorism and Irregular Warfare. A revised and updated edition of his acclaimed 1998 book, Inside Terrorism, was published in May 2006 by Columbia University Press in the U.S. and S. Fischer Verlag in Germany.
What did you study in school, and how did you get started in your field?
BH: Early on in my education, the Munich Massacre made a great impression on me. The Munich Massacre was an incident where 11 members of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team and others were taken hostage and murdered by terrorists. The incident made me start thinking about terrorism as more than just a localized problem, but rather a contemporary and increasingly global phenomenon.
I focused on ballistic missile issues and the NATO-Warsaw Pact. When I entered graduate school four years later, my peers were primarily interested in strategic issues such as inter-continental ballistic missiles and the confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. There was an East-West standoff and a cold war but terrorists were also just then becoming a big part of the picture. It was around this time that terrorists began coercing governments to behave in ways that caused these governments to modify their own policies and treaty agreements. The ability of a small group of people (terrorists) to have such a disproportionate impact on nations was a phenomenon I found fascinating. It made me think of international relations differently and I began focusing on the impact that terrorism was having on international relations.
While in graduate school I began to realize that non-state actors, such as terrorists, have much greater impact on states than people realized. How was this possible? I also became curious about the terrorists themselves. Many of them were in their 20's, around the same age as myself. Sometimes, highly educated and on the same path I was on as a student, but then they somehow headed off in a completely different direction. I began to ask questions that I have attempted to answer since then: Why do persons become terrorists? Why do they commit the acts they do? What is it that compels persons to embrace violence as a means to achieving fundamental political change?
I went to graduate school in 1976 when nobody was studying terrorism, which is also what made it appealing. My graduate degree was in international relations, but I focused on military and diplomatic hisotry and security studies within that degree.
If the behavior and motives of terrorists interested you, then why not pursue a field like psychology or cognitive science?
Though psychology may shed light on why terrorists behave the way they do, it seemed to me even back then, that the impetus to becoming a terrorist was an established narrative - the desire to achieve some fundamental change in a political system that these individuals thought was hostile to them, and the belief that joining a certain group of like-minded believers gave collective meaning to their own anger, feelings, or political leanings. For me, understanding terrorism meant trying to understand the political forces and social movements and the historical reasons that animated war and conflict and impelled individuals to becoming terrorists.
As someone who has seen the field mature, what kind of changes have you seen in the way individuals and scholars approach this field?
BH: Because of 9/11 there is greater knowledge about terrorism and the various dimensions of it, than ever before. Today, people instantaneously comprehend the concept of the "terrorist narrative." The differences in comprehension are fairy profound. When I was studying terrorism in graduate school, most of the time there were no one else doing so, and certainly very few established academics at the time interested in it. None of the larger related majors, such as political science or international relations, had courses focused on terrorism.
Practically speaking, it was also rare for people to have witnessed a terrorist attack, or even know someone who had been affected directly by a terrorist attack. This changed after the 9/11 attack. Today, it is not very difficult to meet individuals who have been directly impacted by terrorism. Moreover, people today are also increasingly affected by a terrorist attack even though they did not experience the attack themselves. Policies throughout the country change, laws are passed and economies shift due to attacks which may take place hundreds of miles away. As tragic as the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa were, they did not elicit the same visceral reaction as the 9/11 attacks - such as compelling people to join the armed forces or start studying terrorism. Compared to the 1990's many of my students today have had direct experience with terrorism, in one sense or another, often by serving in the U.S. military or in government. The state of knowledge among my students today about terrorism is completely different, and often informed by some kind of direct or personal experience.
Would you say that violence is a productive or successful way of expressing grievances and influencing change? Why does terrorism continue to be so pervasive?
BH: Successful, yes. Productive, I'm not sure. The answer depends on how you define success. If success is achieving long term goals, then terrorism really isn't a successful way of influencing change. But if success means the ability to attract attention to a cause or belief, then absolutely - terrorism succeeds at this. For terrorists, the first stepping stone is attracting sufficient attention to their cause so as to force it to be thrust upon someone else's agenda. If their issue becomes something others have to deal with, then by that definition the use of violence is successful, because in many cases if terrorists had not resorted to violence, are often ignored.
But doesn't the use of violence create barriers to achieving political or social change?
BH: Not as long as terrorists attempt to calibrate their violence. As long as terrorists don't go too far, as they did with the 9/11 attacks, then violence doesn't serve as too insurmountable of a barrier. The modern use of violence is a big difference in terrorism from the late 20th century. During the 20th century, violence almost always seemed calibrated for a specific outcome. The inclusion of a theological imperative, so common and pervasive in the 21st century among terrorists, means that terrorism today has become something of a divine decree, and the sense of restraint or calibration of violence is abandoned. Thus, when the use of violence to achieve political or social change is ad-hoc and uncalibrated, it becomes much less successful. Modern-day terrorists, like al-Qa'ida, may get attention or publicity, but no one is going to negotiate with them.
How would you define terrorism?
BH: Terrorism is use of violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change. It is generally, acts of violence designed to have far-reaching psychological repercussions committed by non-state actors that often, but not exclusively, target civilians. States of course use terror and other forms of violence against their own citizens and others —and have done so throughout history. And this is as abhorrent and tragic as terrorism is. But one needs to distinguish between "terrorism" —which traditionally is associated with non-state actors and state "terror," which is what the violence perpetrated by governments against civilians is termed.
Why the dichotomy between "terrorism" and "hate crimes" - why do you think that the federal government and even academia view certain violent actions as terrorism and others as crime. Should there be a difference?
BH: Hate crimes are terrorism. For instance, the FBI's definition of terrorism includes actions that have a political, social, economic or religious motive. How the media or politicians define terrorism is a different story altogether.
Critics, including Congress, have called the Department of Homeland Security out for focusing too broadly on al-Qa'ida inspired terrorism instead of combating terrorism from other sources such as white supremacists and anti-government groups. In the context of your definition of terrorism and hate crimes, what are your thoughts on their criticism?
BH:I disagree with those who say that law enforcement agencies do not regard threats other than those posed by al-Qa'ida as legitimate. For instance, in 2002/2003, just after the 9/11 attacks, the FBI said that the most dangerous terrorist threat to the U.S. came from radical environmentalists or animal rights activists. Acts of terrorism and hate crimes are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Nonetheless, inevitably, law enforcement agencies and others will prioritize certain crimes over others.
Moreover, al-Qa'ida presents a very different, sustained threat which straddles something between a strategic and tactical challenge. Since the government and law enforcement lacks endless resources, they have to develop a means to prioritize which crimes and which criminal organizations they will address. Thus, it is important to note that law enforcement isn't ignoring the threat of terrorism or crime unrelated to al-Qa'ida, but rather understand that law enforcement pays attention to all threats, but prioritizes and emphasizes addressing the al-Qa'ida threat.
Let's take a look at foreign policy. There are allegations by many experts that the collateral damage from U.S. drone strikes abroad creates a lot resentment among citizens of countries like Pakistan and Yemen and this resentment is then used by al-Qa'ida and other terrorist organizations to fuel a narrative of terrorism recruitment and retention. What are your thoughts on that?
BH: An innocent civilian is an innocent civilian. Innocent civilians should not be killed - and the fact that they are is a problematic aspect of drone strikes. Moreover, drones should be used judiciously. However, it is important to remember that drones are not the source of all animus directed towards the U.S. The animus towards the U.S. already exists, drones are often used by terrorists groups as yet another justification to launch attacks on American targets.
In many instances, too, the tallies of civilian casualties are imprecisely known. Governments tend to downplay civilian casualties and terrorists groups or others with an interest against the government tend to exaggerate the same casualties. Discerning the accurate number is part of the problem. The bottom line is, it is wrong to kill innocent civilians. They should never be killed. We (the United States) need to exercise greater restraint, but at the same time that does not mean drones have not proven to be an enormously effective weapon.
Why have drones proven to be an enormously effective?
BH: Though drones will not single-handedly win the war on terrorism, they have nonetheless proven to be enormously effective in targeting terrorist leaders. People often confuse tactics with strategy. Drones are a good tactic, but not a viable long-term strategy. Use of drones alone will not end the al-Qa'ida threat. Nonetheless, drone attacks have eliminated many seasoned, experienced and highly trusted al-Qa'ida operatives. They have compelled members of al-Qa'ida, especially the senior leadership, to spend as much time worrying about their own security as planning the next terrorist attack. These are all positive developments.
You've referred to the "war" several times. Many people contend that the "War on Terror" as both a description and an actual conflict is vague and ambiguous. Moreover, critics contend that a war such as this is one without an end. What are your thoughts on these contentions?
BH: It was a mistake to call this war a "War on Terror" because terror is an emotion. We should have gotten it right and called it a "war on terrorism." This difference is critical because unlike "terror," terrorism is recognizable as a political phenomenon. Whether you can declare war on a political phenomenon is a whole other problem, but it is at least slightly less problematical.
Broadly speaking, there never was a "war on terrorism" because we were never going to war with terrorists everywhere. At the same time, calling the struggle a "war" may not have been a mistake because labeling it so recognized that the struggle against al-Qa'ida and associated forces had gone beyond the ability of law enforcement to counter. In fact, up until 9/11 the U.S. viewed terrorism as a law enforcement problem. The U.S. would approach terrorists as criminals and throw the perpetrators in jail, while failing to unravel the terrorists' chain of command and thus potentially intercepting other terrorist plots. It was only after 9/11 that the law enforcement and national security community recognized that terrorism had crossed a threshold and become a much more strategic threat that could not be dealt with on a local level.
Secondly, it is important to note that we have wars against a lot of things - drugs, cancer, poverty. None of them have been very successful because they are big, amorphous issues like terrorism. However, you do need some all-embracing, galvanizing word to pull together the disparate strands of governmental effort, though I am still not necessarily sure "war" is appropriate, even while I understood why it was chosen.
What advice would you give someone in graduate school interested in the work that you do?
BH: Terrorism is a problem that is not going away. It is a problem that still requires smart minds. Even if opportunities in this field may be shrinking at one point in time, at another point they are just as likely to change. Building knowledge on terrorism is essential to understanding it—and government and industry will always need smart people with critical analytical abilities and a solid foundation of learning and understanding of this phenomenon.


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Union-County Vocational-Technical Schools offers five unique full-time, four year high school programs. Students must apply to attend our programs in the fall of their 8th grade year and begin as freshmen. We do not accept transfer students into our full-time high schools.For more information on our full-time admissions application process, please click here.Full-Time Opportunities
The Academy for Allied Health Sciences – a full-time four year high school for students with interest in the health care field. Students enrolled in this grade 9-12 full-time program will participate in a comprehensive program designed to prepare the doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and health care managers of tomorrow.
The Academy for Information Technology – a full-time four-year high school that draws students with a keen interest in the ever-evolving field of computer science and information technology. Students enrolled in the Academy pursue a college-level technical training program in computer science and a full regimen of honors level academic classes.
Magnet High School – winner of the Governor's School of Excellence Award, recipient of the New Jersey Star School designation and recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, the Magnet is one of the region's most competitive and successful specialized programs. Students enrolled here follow a comprehensive course of study in engineering as well as mathematics, science and technology.
The Academy for Performing Arts - this program offers intensive study in theatre arts and dance and a rigorous academic curriculum. The program culminates with a senior year at Kean University where students will take a full freshmen college course load which will include a concentration in their performing arts major.
Union County Vocational-Technical High School – full-time high school dedicated to advancing the learning and well-being of all students. We are committed to ensuring high standards and challenging opportunities to students through the integration of rigorous academic and technical training. We also strive to develop self-awareness, confidence, character, sensitivity to the environment and leadership skills. Academic and technical disciplines are fully integrated; students will be consistently called upon to challenge their levels of learning through assignments and projects requiring application of knowledge across all disciplines. IThe school offers six innovative and exciting career academies under the umbrella of the Union County Vocational-Technical High School: Clinical Care Academy, Exercise Physiology and Related Sciences, School of Design, Teacher Education Academy, and Academy for Law & Justice, and Sustainable Science Academy,


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Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Problem Gambling Awareness Month, observed in March and sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling, raises awareness about problem gambling. Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the National Council on Problem Gambling educate the public and healthcare professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling. It also serves to inform the public about the availability of help and hope, both locally and nationally.
Problem Gambling Awareness Month educates the public that most people who gamble can do so safely, and without difficulty. However, gambling is not a risk-free activity. When gambling in excess, the onset of an addiction can result in serious to severe short and long-term consequences. In addition to affecting an individual's home life, financial status, career, education, social relationships, and physical or emotional health, gambling problems also impact those closest to the gambler.
Problem Gambling Awareness Month Sponsor:
National Council on Problem Gambling
To learn more, visit http://www.beforeyoubet.org/problem-gambling-awareness-month/
The awareness color for Gambling Addiction is Teal.
Personalized Cause supports Problem Gambling Awareness Month with:
Teal Custom Awareness Ribbon for Gambling Addiction, click here.
Teal Awareness Ribbon for Gambling Addiction, click here.
Teal Awareness Wristband for Gambling Addiction, click here.
Teal Fabric Awareness Ribbons for Gambling Addiction, click here.


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Courthope Road, Hampstead, London
Weekly Rent of £375
2 bedroom Flat for rent: Courthope Road, Hampstead, London
Weekly Rent of £375
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Key Features
- Close to local amenities
- Close to Tube
- Good Decorative Order
- Converted Flat
- Gas Central Heating
- Furnished
- Ideal for two sharers or a couple.
A Fantastic Two Bedroom Split-level flat located in the highly sought after area of Belsize Park. This Top Floor Conversion comprises a Large 'Eat-In' Kitchen / Breakfast Room, A bright & airy lounge, a large double bedroom plus a single bedroom which can be used as a guest room or study. Further benefits include Wood Floors, High Ceilings, Neutral Decor, GCH & telephone entry phone system. Belsize Park Tube is only ten minutes walking distance with easy access to all the local amenities of the picturesque South End Green Village Shops, Haverstock Hill, Hampstead High Street and moments from the entrance to Hampstead Heath. WATER RATES INCLUDED! Ideal for either a professional single person or couple. Available from Mid December 2018. Furnished. Sorry No Pets / No Children. For more details, similar properties Or to arrange a Viewing visit www.property-time.co.uk Or Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
13'6 x 11'3 (4.11m x 3.43m)
Kitchen / Dining Room
18'7 x 11'11 (5.66m x 3.63m)
Bedroom 1
13'7 x 9'9 (4.14m x 2.97m)
Bedroom 2
10'3 x 7'5 (3.12m x 2.26m)
6'3 x 5'9 (1.91m x 1.75m)
Contact PropertyTime for viewing: Visit: www.property-time.co.uk / firstname.lastname@example.com
Contact Agent
Tel: 020 7794 2008


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Divi Demo 3
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The mood at last weekend's IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings was the most optimistic since the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, as evidenced by the communiqué issued by the IMF's Governing Board: "The global economic recovery is gaining momentum, commodity prices have firmed up, and deflation risks are receding." Nevertheless, there are concerns that political and policy uncertainties (often citing the U.S. and EU) pose risks to improving growth. Concerns were also expressed by government officials, IMF senior representatives and civil society groups about "those who have been left behind" and have not benefited from global economic integration and technological progress.
IMF Considers Fiscal Policies for Innovation and Growth
The IMF's Fiscal Monitor April 2016 ("Acting Now, Acting Together") looks at fiscal policies for innovation and growth. Fiscal policy can promote growth in productivity by encouraging innovation. The global recovery is slowing and fiscal risks are rising. Public debt ratios are being revised upward and the largest revisions are in emerging market and middle income economies. Commodity exporters, including the oil exporters of the Middle East and North Africa, have been hit hard, and advanced economies have high levels of public debt, low inflation and sluggish growth.
In advanced economies, the focus should be on fiscal measures that boost both short- and medium-term growth (such as infrastructure investment) and policy actions that support the implementation of structural reforms. The IMF suggests that states in the euro zone should make full use of the existing room within the Stability and Growth Pact to increase public investment. In Japan and the US, policy space can be created by commitment to credible medium-term consolidation plans.
A sustained increase in economic growth of 1 percentage point could reduce debt ratios in advanced economies to their pre-crisis levels within a decade. These economies must accelerate structural reforms, including tax and expenditure policies that reinforce incentives to work and invest, and boost productivity growth.
In commodity-exporting countries, public spending has to be brought in line with reduced resources. The fiscal adjustment could be helped by further revenue diversification. In other emerging market and developing economies, an important challenge is to create budgetary room for necessary expenditure on public services, health, education, and infrastructure. This could be done by implementing pro-growth structural reforms, better mobilizing revenue and improving expenditure efficiency. Capacity building in the field of revenue mobilization is required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Comprehensive, reliable, and timely public reporting on public finances can also reduce vulnerabilities by fostering more informed and accountable fiscal policy. Developing economies should closely monitor the rapid increase in corporate debt. Tax policy can be combined with macroprudential measures to limit excessive leverage.
Fiscal Policies for Innovation and Growth
Improvements in productivity are at the top of the global policy agenda. The decline in total factor productivity (TFP) explains a significant part of the overall decline in growth potential in advanced economies since the early 2000s, and more recently in emerging market economies. This can be improved by structural reform of labor and product markets, but fiscal policy is another important way to improve TFP.
Fiscal policy is a potent instrument for productivity growth through innovation. Innovation can be built on a base of strong human capital and a business environment that provides adequate incentives. Macroeconomic policies that provide higher growth are important because growth permits firms to more quickly recover their sunk costs, and it therefore encourages R&D investment.
The IMF focuses on three channels of innovation that could be improved: research and development (R&D), technology transfer, and the promotion of entrepreneurship. These three pillars of innovation affect different countries to varying degrees -- for example, R&D policies are more important for advanced economies that are closer to the global technology frontier. Policies that encourage technology transfer and entrepreneurship are also important to emerging market and developing economies.
R&D Incentives
Private R&D undertaken by one firm may increase productivity in other firms through knowledge spillovers. These positive externalities imply that market forces will lead to an underinvestment in R&D compared with the level that is socially efficient. This can be addressed by fiscal instruments to promote private R&D. Fiscal policy can promote R&D in the private sector by providing incentives in the form of subsidies and tax relief. The effectiveness of these policies depends on how they are designed and implemented.
Tax incentives could be in the form of tax credits, enhanced allowances, accelerated depreciation, or special deductions for labor taxes or social security contributions. The tax incentives are usually available to all firms that invest in R&D, although they can also be targeted to particular groups of firms. They generally provide a level playing field, but private-sector R&D decisions may not adequately address the complex knowledge spillovers associated with R&D.
Subsidies for R&D are often specifically targeted at particular projects. If targeted well and based on accurate information, subsidies can be more effective than tax incentives. Subsidies can also bring about non-market benefits (such as a cleaner environment).
Best practices in provision of R&D incentives include the provision of payroll tax relief for researchers and refundable R&D tax credits for small enterprises. New enterprises often face loss-making situations in their opening years, and a refunded credit in the case of a negative tax liability is more useful to them. R&D incentives can also be cheaper if they target incremental R&D above a certain baseline.
Encouraging Technology Transfer
Most technology creation occurs in a small number of advanced economies, such as the G7 countries. The technologies are disseminated to the rest of the world through imitation and absorption. Technology transfer is important for productivity growth.
Technology transfers take place mainly through international trade and foreign direct investment. Firms import intermediate goods and capital equipment that include foreign technology. Multinationals transfer technology to their affiliates throughout the world by foreign direct investment. Inbound FDI may produce positive productivity spillovers through interactions between the multinational affiliate and local firms, worker turnover or improved management practices.
Emerging markets and developing countries often implement tax holidays or tax exemptions in special economic zones to attract FDI. These incentives erode the tax base. Also, it appears that tax incentives often have no effect on the investment decisions of multinationals. Instead, institutional quality in a target country is more important for multinational investment.
Governments of developing economies should invest in education, infrastructure and institutions to facilitate the absorption of technologies from advanced economies. The provision of tax incentives to attract foreign investment is generally ineffective and depletes the tax base.
Promoting Entrepreneurship
Productivity gains and innovation also result from new firms engaging in experimentation and risk-taking. New firms expand the technology frontier by engaging in more radical innovations, while established firms are more likely to concentrate on incremental innovation to improve their existing products and processes. Competition from new entrants also spurs innovation by incumbent firms, especially in the technology sector.
Although business entry rates are typically higher in emerging economies, many of these new entrants are "necessity driven," from economic need when alternative work opportunities are absent, rather than "opportunity driven" entrepreneurship, which is more closely related to innovation. An important development goal in many emerging markets and developing economies is therefore to increase the share of entrepreneurship that is driven by opportunity.
Tax incentives aimed at all small enterprises may merely serve as a disincentive for these enterprises to grow, as tax rates may increase sharply after the firms reach a certain size and lose the tax incentives. Innovative entrepreneurship can, however, be encouraged by fiscal policies that are targeted toward new enterprises rather than just toward all small enterprises. The entry of new firms can also be facilitated by tax simplification.
The IMF study concludes that good fiscal stabilization policies promote R&D and can help firms maintain spending on R&D during recessions. Governments should do more to promote R&D, and private investment in R&D in advanced economies should be increased by 40% (on average) to achieve efficient levels. This could increase GDP by 5% in the long term in those economies.
Governments can invest more in public R&D that could also advance the research activities of private firms. Research subsidies and tax incentives for private R&D can improve productivity growth. Some existing policies are not efficient -- for example, patent boxes may not stimulate R&D efficiently and may become part of aggressive tax avoidance strategies.
Technology transfer in developing economies requires better institutions, education and infrastructure. Tax incentives commonly used to attract FDI are largely ineffective. These economies should strengthen their capacity to absorb foreign technology by improving the human capital base and infrastructure.
Income taxes have only modest effects on business entry rates. Preferential tax treatment of small firms should be avoided as it may create a barrier to further growth of those firms. Tax relief targeted to new firms can, however, promote entrepreneurship and innovation.


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Sponsor a Gift Basket for Batterd Women & Children
At Elegant Treats you will find an assortment of gift baskets for every occasion. If there is something
you want but don't see send us an email or send us a request for custom orders. Our baskets are filled with only
quality items. Chocolates, candies, cheeses, sparkling cider, candles, bath gells, baby items, and much more. From time to
time we will substitute an item but rest assured that the substitution is only the best of quality. Please note that the actual baskets
may vary but the items inside are the ones listed.
Thank you for shopping with us.
This site may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the written consent of Elegant Treats
DBA (J.P. Services) J. Patraw /K. Cothran Englewood, FL 888-848-5007 or


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A Blessed and Merry Christmas to You!
"A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us (Isaiah, 9: 6). He is all ours.
He is all our own,
more truly ours than anything else we own,
and constantly,
He is born in us....
This Word is the
This Word is the
everlasting Word
uttered in the heart of the Father.
This how it must be with us:
perfect stillness
all around,
everything in
deepest silence.
deepest silence.
Then we can hear the WORD!
-John Tauler, OP +1361


text: Occidental Hills Syrah is a barrel selection from two estate-grown Syrah vineyards: English Hill (19%) and Que Syrah (81%). The two coastal plots were harvested on October 21st with a combined yield of 2.28 tons per acre. Following harvest, the grapes were fermented and aged as a single lot.The English Hill grapes (Clone 877) were included as whole clusters while the Que Syrah grapes (Clone 1 and 877) were de-stemmed. After cold soaking five days, the must received hand punch-down treatment and periodic foot treading by the winemaker, then aged 20 months in neutral French Oak barrels.Maker's Notes:A cool-climate Syrah showing ripe, broad tannins with exuberant cedar, mineral, cured meat and crushed rock aroma extending to red cherry, brilliant blueberry and boysenberry fruit flavors and background of olive, cola and modest sweet oak toast.


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Local organisations in Liverpool have launched a Winter Assistance Campaign to help residents in need.
The initiative will see 1,500 winter survival packs distributed to elderly, isolated and vulnerable people across the city.
The packs contain blankets, hats, scarves, gloves, tinned food and leaflets with advice about keeping warm in the winter.
Now in its fifth year, the Winter Assistance Campaign is organised by Liverpool City Council and local groups including Liverpool Housing Trust (LHT), Local Solutions, South Liverpool Housing, Merseycare, The Whitechapel Centre, LMH, Regenda and One Vision Housing.
Donna Kelly, director of housing & wellbeing at LHT, says: "Christmas should be a time of celebration, but for many it can be a bleak and lonely period.
"Some of our tenants may be unable to leave the house during the winter and we know that this time of year can be a financial struggle for lots of people.
"These packs are just one of the ways that we can make sure our most vulnerable tenants are equipped to stay warm and well over the winter months."
The campaign began this week when LHT delivered 70 winter packs to its most vulnerable tenants.


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Monday, September 25 6 PM – 8 PM
The fun and colorful LGBTQIA themed children's picture book This Day in June by SCC Professor Gayle Pitman, was recently challenged at the West Chicago Public Library.
In celebration of Banned Books Week, the SCC Library and Information Technology Program will host a panel discussion on book banning and challenges.
Panelists will include:
· The author—SCC Professor Gayle Pitman
· Librarians from the Sacramento Public Library system and the Sacramento City Unified School District
Visit the SCC Library and Information Technology page for more information about the program!