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No - this isn't really a stand-alone recipes blog. It's an appendix of my food blog: Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef containing links to all my special recipe posts. These are in a separate file because they have a different format from the main section.
That's why this looks odd - it's not meant to be read chronologically but as a series of hyperlinked articles. It would be best to check out my food blog, but you are very welcome to browse here if you want.
Hello, What's This Recipes Blog?
No - this isn't really a stand-alone recipes blog. It's an appendix of my food blog: Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef containing links to all my special recipe posts. These are in a separate file because they have a different format from the main section.
My Favourite Recipes
|Recipes are not really my thing. As someone training as a professional chef, I'm concerned with developing my creativity, techniques, skills and knowledge of produce, rather than my ability to copy the cooking of others. Once you learn the principles behind cooking, recipes become merely checklists - in the industry these are known as specification sheets. These are used to assist the ordering process, as a basis for costings and as aides-mémoire for forgetful chefs and guidelines for stagières. Because I don't cook from recipes myself, there's a certain irony in my publishing a recipes section on my blog. However, when I started this blog I found myself producing photo-recipes to illustrate posts about my home cooking and work at college. So in this section I've indexed these photo-recipes and provided links to them, along with a few others without photos.
You'll notice that I tend not to be very precise about quantities (and sometimes about ingredients). The closest analogy I can come up with is from the world of music. Many performers spend their lives valiantly attempting to reproduce notes as documented in the sheet music. That is not to denigrate such efforts. The best classical performers make wonderful music and add their own unique colour and feeling to their output. But it's a search for reproducible perfection. I play jazz, or at least I try to. I like to extemporise, taking my cooking exactly where my mood dictates. Each time I cook a dish it will be different - recognisable as the same dish, but reflecting the mood of the moment. My toolset comprises my knowledge of ingredients, my techniques and my palate. With these invaluable friends in my kitchen I can close the cookbooks and make music.
I've separated the recipes along classic lines because that's the way most people expect to find them, although personally I'm not really interested in food that conforms to the classical courses of French haute cuisine - I'm more into tapas-style eating for everyday meals and full tasting menus when it comes to fine dining experiences.
|Butternut Soup with Shiitake
|Green Cauliflower Espuma
|Green Seasoning
|Latkes With Apple Sauce And Sour Cream
|Okra And Cumin Soup
|Pa Amb Tomàquet
|Chèvre And Medjool Salad
|Quinoa Tabouleh
|Shiitake And Saffron Risotto
|Soft Saffron Gel With Purée And Air Of Beetroot
|Vegetable Noodle Soup


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Beautiful Spring weather means that Sunrise Yoga is back and with more dates / locations / times and instructors to fill your morning cup of yoga across the city! Join us for the best way to start your day, 4 days a week!
An all-levels, donation based class - 'cause we want every member of the New Orleans community to have the opportunity to participate and build a stronger tribe with us. Donations are accepted via cash or venmo.
6:30am Sunrise Yoga with Caroline @ the Ponchartrain Lakefront
***Starting April 3rd***
6:30am Sunrise Yoga with Becca @ Coliseum Square Park
7am Sunrise Yoga with Kaitlyn @ Morning Call in City Park
6:30am Sunrise Yoga with Baye @ the Ponchartrain Lakefront
***Starting mid-March***

subset: commoncrawl


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Weddings at W Retreat & Spa - Maldives
From the perfect proposal to the dreamiest honeymoon, W Hotels always provides a brilliant backdrop for a wedding or commitment ceremony that reflects who you are as a couple. And sensationally styled spaces are just the beginning. When you wed with W Hotels, you'll get to enjoy exclusive Whatever/Whenever® services so your every wedding experience is exactly how you've always imagined.
Who believes that pre-weddings should be a breeze? Breathe easy—W will make sure every moment through your honeymoon happens without a hitch. Instead of stressing, sit-back, enjoy some sips, sand and surf at our soothing retreat & spa setting. In addition to our services filled with soul and sensational style, discover these fabulous pre-wedding features:
- Start earning Starpoints® before the big day arrives- bachelor(ette) celebrations, rehearsal dinners and beyond all rack up the rewards!
- Keep track of it all with a custom-created Wow Vows website. Then share the site with your guests so they can book their rooms directly!
- Wedding Planner
- Signature Spa Treatments for the couple
Why not say "I do" in a picture perfect place? Let your most outrageous Wow Vows dreams come true with the ultimate destination celebration. Enjoy a barefoot beachside ceremony and first kiss that overlooks the unbelievable expanse of ocean. The bride, groom and guests will never forget this incredibly surreal setting and festivities to follow, such as:
- Fantastic locations: Pristine beach, overwater platform or aboard our yacht 'ESCAPE'
- Set-up with wedding arch, flower petals, stage and chairs for all guests
- Master of Ceremonies
- Photography
- Private 5-course dinner with wine pairings for the couple
- "Feel the Wuv" turndown service including a bottle of champagne
- Flirty Breakfast in Bed the following morning
A breathtaking blend of sultry style, racy romance, luxe relaxation and exotic location, we offer an undeniably fabulous first escape. Indulge in the best of W Hotels and explore what makes our honeymoons magical:
- Earn bonus Starpoints to put towards future getaways!
- A personal Starwood Honeymoon Concierge can help you pick the perfect destination and help put your honeymoon on your registry so guests can contribute to room upgrades, extras and everything else to make it truly the trip of a lifetime!
- Sunset Cruises
- Diving Excursions
- Private Island rental on Gaathafuschi
- Parasailing
Fore more information on W Retreat Maldives Wedding and Weddings in Maldives including Beach Weddings, email a Maldives Wedding Specialist at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Browse Artwork
- 1 / Converging Cultures
- 2 / Dreams and Visions
- 3 / History and Memory
- 4 / Ceremony and Society
- 5 / Cosmology and Belief
- 6 / Death
- 7 / Domestic Life
- 8 / Writing
- 9 / Portraits
- 10 / The Natural World
- 11 / The Urban Experience
- 12 / Conflict and Resistance
- 13 / The Body
|Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and Nefertiti
|Unknown artist, Tell el-Amarna, Egypt
|New Kingdom, Amarna Period, 1345–1337 BCE
|Painted limestone
|Male and Female Twin Figures (flanitokelew)
|Bamana artist, Kala, Mali
|20th century
|Wood, metal
|Fragment of a wall relief showing the sister of Djehutyhotep
|Unknown artist, Deir el-Bersha, Egypt
|Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1850 BCE
|Painted limestone relief
|Shrine Vessel
|Ga'anda artist, Nigeria/Chad
|20th century
|Man's Corset
|Dinka artist, Sudan
|Second half of the 20th century
|Beads, fiber, leather
|Mask (sowei)
|Mende artist, Sierra Leone
|19th century
|Wood, pigment, plant fiber
|Royal Crown (adènlà)
|Yoruba artist, Nigeria
|20th century
|Glass beads, fiber, cloth, and thread
|Attributed to the Buli Master, Luba, Democratic Republic of Congo
|19th century
|Wood, metal studs
|Power Figure (Nkisi nkondi)
|Yombe artist and ritual specialist, Democratic Republic of Congo
|18th–19th century
|Wood, metal, nails, mirrors, cloth, cordage, beads, and cowrie shells
|Standing Statue of Hatshepsut
|Unknown artist, Thebes, Egypt
|New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1479–1458 BCE
|Granite (originally with paint)
|Memorial Head
|Akan artist, Twifo region, Hemang city, Ghana
|17th century
|Terracotta, roots, quartz fragments
|Great Mosque
|Unknown artist(s), Niger Inland Delta, Mopti Region, Mali
|Mud brick and palm wood
|Bag (taghrek)
|Andi Ouhoulou (Tuareg, Kel Ewey, n.d.), Agadez, Niger
|Leather, pigment, metal
|Shona artist, Zimbabwe
|19th–20th century
|Memory Board (lukasa)
|Luba artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo
|20th century
|Wood, beads, nails, cowrie shells
|Gela Mask (The Ancient One)
|Wee artist, Liberia/Cote d'Ivoire
|20th century
|Wood, raffia, cloth, teeth, feathers, hair, fiber cord, cowrie shells, mud, and pigment
|Saltcellar with Portuguese Figures
|Edo artist, Court of Benin, Nigeria
|15th–16th century
|Double-Sided Diptych
|Gondar Workshops, Ethiopia
|17th–18th century
|Tempera on wood
|Twin Figures (Ère Ìbejì)
|Yoruba artist, Nigeria
|Early 20th century
|Eagle Coffin
|Workshop of Kane Quaye, Teshe, Ghana
|Painted wood
|Kha and His Wife Meryt Before Osiris (detail) from the Book of the Dead
|Unknown artist, Egypt
|New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1567 BCE–320 BCE
|Pigment on papyrus
|Coffin of Henettawy
|Unknown Artist, Deir el-Bahri, western Thebes, Egypt
|Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, ca. 1040 BCE–992 BCE
|Gessoed and painted wood
|Funeral Portrait of a Woman
|Unknown Artist, Egypt
|Roman Period, 1st – 3rd century
|Encaustic wax painting on wood
|Converging Territories #30
|Lalla Essaydi (Moroccan, b. 1956)
|C-41 print, face-mounted on plexiglass and aluminum
|Dance Vest with Esù Staff Figures
|Yoruba artist, Igbóminà Region, Nigeria
|20th century
|Wood, cowrie shells, leather, and pigment
|Stela of Mentuwoser
|Egyptian artist, Abydos possibly, Northern Upper Egypt
|Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1954 BCE
|Painted limestone


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the t.pc USB 3.0 Stick 16 GB
USB 3.0 stick
- Compatible with USB 2.0
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Customers who looked at this item have bought these:
| 87% bought this exact product
the t.pc USB 3.0 Stick 16 GB
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|6% bought the t.pc USB Stick 64 Gb
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|11,90 €
|Our most popular USB Storage
Offers include 24% Greek VAT and are valid as long as stocks last. Shipping costs to Greece are 20 EUR, free shipping on orders above 298 EUR. Please click here for international Shipping rates. We do not accept liability for typographical errors or inaccurate information of any kind. *RRP = manufacturer's / distributor's recommended retail price in Germany
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text: I have a project with 54 "quality" scans of a fairly complex engine castings. I've cleaned them up, aligned etc. but I can't seem to fuse them. If I try to fuse 20 or more scans David starts then the red progress bar goes away and nothing happens. It still says that it's fusing the scans at the bottom left of the window but it isn't working and the other buttons and menus are selectable again. Has anyone had this problem? I'm running this on a dell workstation running win 7 64 with 8gig of ram. I'm suspecting a memory problem but I've fused meshes with a larger number of scans than this before. Any one have any ideas?


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Making people aware of usages and advantages of a product is the chief purpose of a promotional staff in Woodstock . Looks are essential for the promotional personnel, equally more important is associated qualities like good manners, friendliness and, patience transparency of deliberation and speech fundamentally all the facial appearance as a person that ultimately will make him a likable person for the target clients.
The mixture of attractive appearance and personable manners works wonders in captivating a positive impression from the clients. A crumb of awareness of the product being promoted also comes across as an added benefit in managing the work better.
We are all familiar with the concept that promotional merchandising options such as promotional lanyards and USB sticks can make a big impact on our target market and help improve client relationships, but there are actually several other benefits to investing in these. One area where these can be well utilised is when giving them away to your own staff.
Many people know that branded company items have long been bought for employees - particularly items of company clothing - in order that your workplace presents itself well to the world outside, but you could actually be underestimating the benefits of this for your staff.
The first major benefit is that everyone loves receiving free gifts, especially your staff, and they will appreciate you for it. It is not only clients and associates that can be won over by your generosity, and by providing your staff with branded products that are of a high quality and that they can actually use, you will be successfully boosting staff morale.
This will also help you foster the image of a caring employer, and one who is generous and grateful to his or her staff for all their hard work. Although this is undoubtedly true anyway, a gift is an important expression of that gratitude, and can help you build up a strong working relationship with your staff.
Examples of promotional merchandise that will work well in this kind of situation include promotional lanyards, key rings, pens, USB keys, mugs, mouse pads, diaries, calculators, umbrellas, business card holders and even leather wallets. All of these are practical items that your staff will undoubtedly get a lot of use out of.
This leads on to the next point, and that is that promotional items will often make your employees' jobs far more easier, which will in turn boost your staff morale and help them work better. This is not something that companies often think of, but having pens, USB sticks and coffee mugs on hand for everyone to use and enjoy when they need them is extremely valuable.
This basically means that your staff do not have to invest any of their own money or worry about supplies running out. Instead, they can relax in the knowledge that you are providing everything that they need to help them do their job properly.
Apart from the above suggestions, some items which might fall into this category include not only promotional lanyards and pens, but also calendars, paper desk pads, fleeces for cold weather, travel mugs for business trips, hand sanitizers and many more. For more inspiration it is a good idea to contact your favourite merchandising provider to ask them for further suggestions.
Last but not least, one of the main reasons why this type of free giveaway to your employees can boost morale is that it fosters the feeling of unity among those working for your business. It is a kind of internal branding - there are many things in the office that coordinate and correspond, creating an appearance of solidarity, identity and professionalism.
This works in a similar way to staff uniforms - if people are using the same branded equipment and stationery items throughout the day, this helps assign them the identity as a worker for your company. These are just a few ways that giving promotional products to your staff instead of just your customers can help boost staff morale.
By making sure that you have an interior brand identity, that your employees have all the equipment that they need to perform as best they can, and by fostering good feeling with your free gifts, you will be paving the way for a happy and cohesive workforce.
Attracting Customers Using Scent Marketing Techniques and Brand Fragrance


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Flanked by mountains and crammed with churches and monuments
The booming Bulgarian capital is one of Europe's very oldest cities, with an incredible 7 millennia of history. As a result, this cradle of civilisation has much to offer, from prehistoric settlements to beautiful royal palaces, including fine examples from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras. Travel there today and you'll find a very European city embracing its role as the de facto hub of the south-eastern extension of the EU.
For a gorgeous selection of traditional and contemporary ceramics and textiles, head to Traditzia (36 Vasil Levski Boulevard), which supports local minority and disabled artisans. The Centre of Folk Arts and Crafts (Battenberg Square) also sells good quality works, but these come with higher price tags. Sofia is full of bustling markets perfect for browsing: the Central Sofia Market Hall (25 Maria Luisa Boulevard) is the city's most famous, but the Zhenski Pazar (Ladies' Market) between Ekzarh Yosif Street and Slivnitsa Boulevard is more atmospheric and stocks everything from fresh produce to pottery. The stalls thronging Alexander Nevsky Square are also worth a look for original art, traditional embroidery and religious icons.
Food & Drink
Bulgarian cuisine may not rate highly on the international foodie radar but you won't go hungry in Sofia. For an elegant fine dining experience, Panorama Restaurant (100 James Bourchier Boulevard) can't be beaten. There's not even a menu. You simply choose what you fancy as it flies past on one of the innumerable trolleys. For a more contemporary feel, Ego (12 Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard) is a reliable option, while for traditional Bulgarian dishes, seek out Pri Yafata (29 Dondukov Boulevard). The Kanaal Beer Garden (2 Madrid Boulevard) is a top spot for a friendly beer with the locals.
Sofia International Film Festival
This showcase of world cinema and local Bulgarian film is one of Sofia's biggest annual events. It's a brilliant space to soak up big-screen culture with a series of discussions and Q&A sessions.
Sofia Jazz Peak
March and October
This long-running festival brings wistful tones to the city twice annually. International big-name artists and up-and-coming jazz musicians perform at venues throughout the city with concerts covering the wide breadth of the jazz genre.
Sofia Music Weeks International Festival
Stars of the classical music scene perform a packed programme of orchestral, ballet and opera performances, as well as choral and chamber music concerts.
Sofia Design Week
This week-long celebration of contemporary visual culture brings together design professionals from across the world to participate in exhibitions, workshops, discussions and film screenings.
Sofia Dance Week
International contemporary dance companies descend on Sofia for a program packed full of avant-garde performances. For those interested in more than simply being a spectator, there's also a schedule of workshops and lectures to attend.
The historic centre of Sofia is the best place to search for hotels, whatever the budget. Sofia Hotel Balkan (5 Sveta Nedelya Square) is perfect for those seeking out decadent old-world ambience, while the luxury Arena Di Serdica Hotel (2-4 Budapeshta Street) has ancient history right on its doorstep, with Roman amphitheatre ruins interred on its ground floor. Mid-range options include Crystal Palace Boutique Hotel (14 Shipka Street), which has a restaurant with a pretty terrace and a relaxing bar. If you're on a tight budget, Hotel Aris (1 Seliolus Street) punches well above its price range in terms of quality.


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cranchhod needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 68 designs submitted by 29 freelance designers.
Logo to be innovative and creative with a professional clean look
not over complex. Use as many or as little colours as you want..
One Door Away™
Desired Color Scheme:
Accepted File Formats:
Photoshop*.PSD, JPEG, 300DPI
The One Door Away logo is going to be used on Website, company logo and stationary.
You can use door, house,.. anything really lets see what
imagination you guys have!!!!!!
The company starting up is going to have the theme/brand your one
door away from anything you want.
Logo to be innovative and creative with a professional clean look
not over complex. Use as many or as little colours as you want..
100% honest feedback will be given!!
Good Luck!!!
NOTE to all entrants must adhere to the following
before submitting thier entry:
1. Must be legal owner of the entry
2. Designer must disclose whether the imagery
contained any clipart, stock photography and
if it does what are the license terms and if
they are royalty free for commercial use.
3. Recieve a signed contract from the designer
assigning copyright to contest holder (me)
before payment is issued to contest winner.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The National Science Foundation has announced a new solicitation for researchers working the field of robotics. One of the goals of this new funding according the NSF is to gain a better understanding of the long term social, behavioral and economic implications of co-robots across all areas of human activity are important parts of this initiative. Further, the National Robotics Initiative is attempting to accelerate the development and use of robots which work in symbiotic relationships with human partners.
For more information please click here.


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The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant is preparing to remove 400 tonnes of highly irradiated spent fuel from a damaged reactor building, a dangerous operation that has never been attempted before on this scale. Containing radiation equivalent to 14,000 times the amount released in the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima 68 years ago, more than 1,300 used fuel rod assemblies packed tightly together need to be removed from a building that is vulnerable to collapse, should another large earthquake hit the area.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) is already in a losing battle to stop radioactive water overflowing from another part of the facility, and experts question whether it will be able to pull off the removal of all the assemblies successfully.
"They are going to have difficulty in removing a significant number of the rods," said Arnie Gundersen, a veteran US nuclear engineer and director of Fairewinds Energy Education, who used to build fuel assemblies.
The operation, beginning in November at the plant's Reactor No. 4, is fraught with danger, including the possibility of a large release of radiation if a fuel assembly breaks, gets stuck or gets too close to an adjacent bundle, said Gundersen and other nuclear experts.
That could lead to a worse disaster than the March 2011 nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant, the world's most serious since Chernobyl in 1986.
No one knows how bad it can get, but independent consultants Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt said recently in their World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013: "Full release from the Unit-4 spent fuel pool, without any containment or control, could cause by far the most serious radiological disaster to date."
TEPCO has already removed two unused fuel assemblies from the pool in a test operation last year, but these rods are less dangerous than the spent bundles. Extracting spent fuel is a normal part of operations at a nuclear plant, but safely plucking them from a badly damaged reactor is unprecedented.
"To jump to the conclusion that it is going to work just fine for the rest of them is quite a leap of logic," Gundersen said.
The utility says it recognizes the operation will be difficult, but believes it can carry it out safely.
Nonetheless, TEPCO inspires little confidence. Sharply criticized for failing to protect the Fukushima plant against natural disasters, its handling of the crisis since then has also been lambasted.
Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the government to take a more active role in controlling the overflow of radioactive water being flushed over the melted reactors in Units 1, 2 and 3 at the plant.
The fuel assemblies are in the cooling pool of the No. 4 reactor, and TEPCO has erected a giant steel frame over the top of the building after removing debris left behind by an explosion that rocked the unit during the 2011 disaster.
The structure will house the cranes that will carry out the delicate task of extracting fuel assemblies that may be damaged by the quake, the explosion or corrosion from salt water that was poured into the pool when fresh supplies ran out during the crisis.
The process will begin in November and Tepco expects to take about a year removing the assemblies, spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai said by e-mail. It is just one installment in the decommissioning process for the plant forecast to take about 40 years and cost US$11 billion.


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Real Estate At A Glance: Condominium sales
Special to the Daily
What happened to condominium prices in March?
The average sale price for previously owned units fell over 26 percent from last March, the lowest average price since 2003. Meanwhile, 11 sales at One Ski Hill Place held the total average sale price even with last March. Lender obstruction to recovery continues in the condominium market. That limits the number sold, so the several high-dollar sales push up the average quickly.
The number of properties for sale is still low with 1,530 for sale last week. Of the listings, 584 of them were condominiums. There have been 112 condominiums sold through March.
$248,400 … average sale price for resale condominiums in March 2013
$334,000 … average sale price for resale condominiums in March 2012
Chuck Leathers is the broker/owner of Chuck Leathers Real Estate Co. He can be reached at (888) 485-2300 or email him at email@example.com.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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How had I never read this book before?
Chris Kraus's 1997 book I Love Dick is part epistolary novel, part exegesis of itself. It's basically feminist theory masquerading as a doomed rom-com.
The quasi-plot: Chris and her husband have dinner with a colleague of his, Dick. She gets a crush on Dick and she and her husband together start writing him letters expressing–and stoking–her feelings.
As Dick maintains a bemused silence, Chris gets more and more obsessed with him. She travels around the country pining for him and writing him long love letters from grimy motels. Somewhere in all this she leaves her husband. She goes and sleeps with Dick, who isn't really into her but is doing some kind of very passive-aggressive "not saying no" thing. But then he gets mad and freaks out on her for turning him into an object and invading his privacy. Then she does a whole exegesis of the first part of the book.
It's the strangest book I've read at least since last week's Fat: a Love Story. (Both were recommended by my weird-book-connoisseur friend Asia.) I agree with nearly every review on Amazon, both 1-star and 5-star ones. It's both enthralling and repellant. She's both cool and intolerable. But I am so glad to have read it and wish my friends had too, because it's relevant to a lot of different conversations, including: Continue reading


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Holiday Inn London - Camden Lock
Holiday Inn London - Camden Lock
30 Jamestown Road Camden Town
30 Jamestown Road
Camden Town
United Kingdom
Check In: 2PM
Check Out: 11AM
Check-in Age:18
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
- Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn London - Camden Lock
A modern London hotel near Camden's markets, with free WiFi and all-day dining in a stylish open lobby
Holiday Inn® London - Camden Lock hotel is in the heart of Camden, close to its buzzing bars, restaurants and markets. Camden Tube station is four minutes' walk from the hotel, meaning it's within easy reach of West End entertainment and attractions. Euston, King's Cross and St Pancras International train stations are all a short Tube or bus ride away.
London Zoo and leafy Regent's Park are just 15 minutes' stroll from the hotel, while the British Library's extensive collections of books and treasured manuscripts are a five-minute Tube ride away. A 20-minute bus journey takes you to Hampstead Heath's expanse of park and woodland, offering panoramic city skyline views.
Business guests are on the doorstep of Camden Lock–based media companies. At the hotel, you can host meetings or functions for up to 350 people in seven flexible, air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, including the light-filled Glasshouse on the Lock space offering canal views.
You can enjoy a buffet breakfast and all-day dining on dishes like a healthy salad or tasty lasagne in the hotel's colourful, contemporary open lobby. Work out in the well-equipped mini-gym before relaxing over coffees and snacks from the 24-hour Starbucks, or cocktails with friends from the bar.
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 17 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|17 and Under
|12 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
- Wireless Internet Available in Rooms, Suites, Business Centre, Public Areas and Meeting Spaces.
- Standard Wireless internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
- Standard Wireless Fee: 0 GBP
Pet Policy
- No pets allowed
- Guide Dogs Allowed
- Pets Walking Area Available
- Guide dogs allowed.
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
- Business Advantage
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 5
- Total Number of Rooms: 130
- Number of Suites: 14
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 130
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 4
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Lifts
- Public Restrooms
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
Provided by Hotel
You can be assured that when you stay at an IHG Green Engage Hotel, you are participating in an advanced, world-wide sustainability effort. We understand that it is important for you to have an active role in protecting our environment and that's why we've made it easier for you to choose a hotel that matches your sustainable values.


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and sneak into the kitchen to rip the wing off that rotisserie chicken your mom just bought at the store. Seriously, I could eat an entire grocery store rotisserie chicken in four seconds flat. Clean to the bone. LET'S GO!
I AM ALIVE: SURVIVING THE ANDES PLANE CRASH – 9:00PM (History Channel) It's a special two-hour documentary on the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes mountains that left 16 people stranded for 72 days after a search effort was called off. Seventy-two days! Take that, Chilean miners! Sure, you were buried alive. But did you have to resort to eating each other? It makes me wonder what I'd prefer: being trapped in a mine for two months, or being trapped in the mountains for two months and forced to eat other people. The mountain at least has fresh air, and I'm claustrophobic in tight spaces. Then again, you have to deal with extreme cold, windburn, frostbite, and all other kinds of nastiness. At least the mine is nice and warm. You could even strip down and read a newspaper. Plus, everyone KNEW the miners were there. They even got booze. Tough call, but I'mma go with being trapped in the mine. You might remember tonight's plane crash as the basis for the movie "Alive," and oh man was that movie brutal. That movie never won any awards, but I defy you to find anyone who saw it who forgot it. Enjoy! ANTICIPATION: LET'S EAT!
FANTASTIC MR. FOX – 8:30PM (Cinemax) This movie didn't get a Best Picture nomination last year, which is lunacy. It's brilliant. If you don't like this movie, you're nuts. ANTICIPATION: FOXY!
STEVEN SEAGAL: LAWMAN – 10:00PM (A&E) Steven has a surprise for his wife on Valentine's Day. That surprise? BRAZILIAN CHOKE HOLD! BAM! She'll never see it coming. In the Seagal household, the best gift of all is learning to how to defend oneself. ANTICIPATION: ROMANTIC!
MAN VS. FOOD – 9:00PM (Travel) Adam heads to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to tackle Mount Nacheesmo, a five-pound plate of nachos served at Tios Mexican Cafe. Because if you live in Michigan and have no hope of a job or a future, you may as well go down full of cheese. ANTICIPATION: SPICY!
PHILLIES/GIANTS – 7:30PM (FOX) Philly trails 2-1 in this series, and needs to get even tonight to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole. And how about that mildly early start time? It's almost as if baseball WANTS people to watch this game. That is SO not like them. ANTICIPATION: STRIKEY!


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Time to start shopping!
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What to do with the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country has long been one of the stumbling blocks to immigration reform.
However, a comprehensive proposal by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, although not perfect, offers fair and reasonable solutions to dealing with our undocumented immigrants and other longstanding immigration concerns.
In the proposal, undocumented immigrants with serious criminal backgrounds and those who pose a threat to national security would be ineligible for legal status and would be deported.
Those without a criminal history could potentially earn a green card if they meet several requirements. They could initially earn a probationary legal status by registering with the government and paying a fine and back taxes. These steps would allow them to live and work legally in the country.
But before those on probationary status can apply for permanent residency, they would have to, among other requirements, pass an additional background check, be currently employed and paying taxes, learn English and civics and demonstrate a work history in the U.S.
Even after fulfilling these requirements, they would have to wait until everyone who is in compliance with the existing law and is waiting in line for a green card gets one; that is they will be asked to get to the back of the line, behind those already trying to get into the country legally.
The only exceptions to the back-of-the line provision would be those who entered the country as minor children, and those who have been working in the U.S. agricultural industry.
A poll commissioned by several conservative organizations shows high support for the proposal among Republicans, although some conservative Republicans, including Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, have criticized parts of the proposed framework for immigration reform.
Mr. Sessions, for example, wants reassurance that undocumented immigrants who gain legal status will not have access to federal welfare programs.
Meanwhile, border control, which would be strengthened under the proposal, still remains an X-factor in the success of any immigration reform law.
According to the proposal, for example, undocumented immigrants on probationary status would not be able to file for a green card until the country�s border, particularly along the Southwest border, is secured.
To ensure this happens, the proposal calls for the creation of a commission composed of governors, attorneys general and community leaders from the Southwest border states to monitor security efforts and to make a recommendation when they believe the border has been adequately secured.
That makes sense only if the members of the commission understand that the border cannot be 100 percent secured.
According to some estimates, the U.S. between 2000 and 2010 spent about $90 billion to secure its border with Mexico, and yet for every one illegal immigrant caught, three got through during that period.
Rightfully, the immigration proposal recognized that while border security is of utmost importance, a �humane and effective system� is needed to allow immigrant workers into the country when American workers are not available to fill those jobs.
Among other things, for example, the proposal would allow lower-skilled immigrants into the country when the economy is creating jobs, and fewer when it is not.
Overall, the Senate�s proposal offers a great opportunity for meaningful immigration reform. It is an opportunity, if comprehensive immigration reform is more than just rhetoric, that lawmakers should quickly embrace.


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Girls Gone Rx is proud to announce our 7th Annual event in Denver!
Date: Sept 22nd, 2018
Time: 8am-5pm
Location: BackCountry CrossFit
Prizes: Yep! Tons of prizes for the top three teams & Top fundraising team!
this event is sold out!!
Our competitions are put on to bring all types of women together through Competing for a Cure. Our all-women competition encourages fun and fitness while raising awareness for Breast Cancer.
This event benefits Bright Pink, so come out and Compete for a Cure. Fundraising is worth 8% of your event score.
Excited to announce we now have 2 divisions!
Here is a quick description to help you determine what division to register for.
RX Division :: Your team can efficiently do the following: pull-ups, double unders, & handstand pushups. Can efficiently do a full Squat Snatch and/or full Squat Clean & Jerk at or above 95lbs.
BAM Division :: (Badass In the Making) Athletes that are new to the competition scene or beginners. Needs to do modifications like jumping pull-ups, new to olympic lifting, and needs to modify most of the workouts.
Some benefits of our events:
> Girls Weekend! Have a blast competing with your best friends for a great cause!
> Fun, rocking pink and glitter, challenging workouts, PR's, and tons of epic moments!
> No "finals", all teams will get to do all workouts!
Registration: $225 per team
This event benefits Bright Pink
In addition to some amazing prizes for the top teams, EVERY team will get an awesome swag bag! Swag bag include tons of samples, freebies, coupon codes, gift certs, and more!
We do not do refunds for our events, but will happily accept team exchanges if you can find someone to take your team spot.
Movement standards here.
Full workout description in the FB event.


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When you buy a new phone, you have a reasonable expectation that it will have nothing on it.
It therefore comes as a surprise when you open it up and discover pictures of people with nothing on.
This is the allegation being laid in a lawsuit against Sprint and Nextel by the father of a young son in Pasadena, Calif.
As CBS Los Angeles reports, Arsen Garibyan says the phone he bought from a Sprint dealer in October 2011 contained pornographic images and videos of people he identifies as Sprint store staff in a Pasadena, Calif., store.
His lawsuit claims that the his son, who is underage, began to play with the phone and discovered the offensive images.
Sprint issued a very carefully-worded statement: "This incident occurred at a retail store in Pasadena that was selling Sprint products. Sprint does not condone this behavior. The sales representatives allegedly implicated were NOT Sprint employees."
The statement continued: "We terminated our relationship with this dealer shortly after the incident. Our investigation into this matter continues."
This isn't the first time in history that the staff of an electronics store have been accused of tampering with phones. Last year, Best Buy staff were accused of taking a customer's phone and updating his Facebook status to "gay."
Also last year, again at a Best Buy, a woman claimed that a member of store staff had copied steamy photos and tried to get her to come to his house to retrieve a CD of them.
Again in 2012, Radio Shack and Sprint were sued by a Georgia mother who claimed her 13-year-old discovered porn on her newly-bought phone.
It's possible that the alleged sense of humor of staff in computer stores simply doesn't change over the years.


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"Growing and Managing a Small Business" provides students with a comprehensive introduction to business ownership and management from the start-up phase through growth and harvest. Decidedly entrepreneurial in focus, this book departs from the traditional small business management text by incorporating themes and principles appropriate to managing small companies in a dynamic, global environment.In addition to up-to-date coverage of risk management and strategies for "harvesting the business," the Second Edition introduces several new chapters that examine topics such as ethics and social responsibility, family businesses, and technology. New boxed features illustrate the author's real-world approach through case studies and profiles of small businesses and entrepreneurs."New!" Chapter 2, "Entrepreneurial Strategy and Business Ethics," introduces coverage of ethics early on, prompting students to consider social responsibility in the planning phase of a business, rather than viewing it as an afterthought."New!" As a large percentage of small business owners are those who take over a family business, Chapter 5 focuses on "Stepping into the Family Business.""New!" Chapter 6, "Launching a High Technology Business," examines the unique set of elements that entrepreneurs must consider when starting a business that takes advantage of the opportunities technology affords."New!" Located at the beginning and end of every chapter, "Learning from Entrepreneurs" cases feature real-world entrepreneurs at various stages of business development from companies such as Netflix, Method Products, and Quiznos Sub Shops. Accompanying "Guiding the Entrepreneur" questions ask readers how they wouldadvise the entrepreneur featured in the case."New!" "Learning from Success" boxed features highlight the successes of actual entrepreneurs. These features examine ventures ranging from Mailboxes, Etc. to Jerry Garcia's band the Grateful Dead. "Learning from Mistakes" illustrate errors in strategy or planning and offer tips for avoiding such errors."New!" "Learning from the Global Market" boxes show how international entrepreneurships meet the challenges addressed in each chapter. These features look at the Japanese decision-making method called "jankenpo" (or "Rock, Paper, Scissors"); the goals of New Zealand's small business owners, and how they differ from their U.S. counterparts; and the importance of the Chinese economy to small business owners.Allen, Kathleen R. is the author of 'Growing And Managing a Small Business An Entrepreneurial Perspective', published 2006 under ISBN 9780618705092 and ISBN 0618705090.[read more]
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text:
There's been some recent discussion about DjangoCon(.eu | .us) and whether or not speakers should have to pay for admission as well - see Chris Wanstrath's (of Github) tweets (here and here) and this Convore thread for examples. Obviously, as PyCon is the "big dog" so to speak for Python conferences, everyone looks to "us" for a model to work from, or how we manage things. I've seen a lot of poop slung towards the DjangoCon organizers, mainly due to a lack of knowing "why" certain policies (such as "Everyone Pays") exist for DjangoCon, PyCon, and other conferences.
As co-chair and program committee chair last year, and program committee chair the year before, and now chair for the next two years - I figured it might be good to take a moment to explain the rationale behind PyCon's approach - as well as some statistics about the budget. I'm not going to state that this policy is perfect; nor that it won't be changed; I also will not release the budget publicly - I don't think giving everyone a spreadsheet without the context of the hundreds of man hours of work that go into it is useful, at all.
Important Note: PyCon is organized and managed by the Python Software Foundation - this means that, as part of being a 501c3 charity, some of the financials from past PyCon is available as part of publicly accessible financial documents of the foundation. You can find those on the PSF's site.
The same reasoning may not apply to a conference that is organized by a commercial entity or is done for profit. OSCON is a commercial conference, so having speakers get in free is generally expected. DjangoCon.us is in the middle - it is organized for profit by a commercial entity, but it also contributes heavily back to the Django Software Foundation. DjangoCon.eu is managed differently as well.
Policy and Financial Aid
First, what is the "policy" - well, first, it's not a policy per-se; it's part policy, and part tradition. The policy is "Everyone pays for a ticket" - attendees, tutorial presenters, organizers (meaning: all volunteers, including the chair) and sponsors - everyone pays their way. Yes, this means Van and myself both paid for our own tickets to attend. Everyone is treated as equal - sponsors get free admissions as part of conference sponsorship packages, and keynote speakers may be provided with either compensation or admission depending on the negotiated deal (some keynote speakers cost money, for example).
Now; an interesting aspect of this is that PyCon, as a conference, offers a very generous financial aid program - this means that some attendees, speakers, tutorial presenters, etc have some, or in rare cases, all of their expenses such as flight, hotel and admission provided to them from the PyCon budget. PyCon goes out of it's way to encourage people to apply for financial aid - even if we can't cover all of your expenses, we will give you free admission based on need. The FA application process is simple, and straightforward. It's also very liberal - the only caveat is that speakers at the conference "get bumped to the top" of the applications so that we don't lose a good talk because of financial need. We also don't ban anyone from applying (for example, I needed assistance in 2010 even as the PC chair).
We use the FA budget to not only help the "normal" attendees of the conference, we also keep an eye towards diversity - for example in 2010 we had a specific grant program (funded by Google) for women to attend PyCon - which they did in amazing numbers! We also try to help more people with less money than less people with more money - we want to spread assistance out as much as possible. This is why FA requires room-sharing at the conference hotel, this is why we may only cover part of a given applicant's costs - we want to help more people.
As you can guess - since financial aid is a part of the budget, we allocate a set amount of money to this - but, without a solid budget (meaning, admission ticket sales, sponsorships, etc) we can't have it - it's actually a dice roll. We can guess at how much FA we can carve out of the budget at the start of the process, and we will award that amount - but that means if we have low attendance, don't book enough rooms, or our catering costs spike, or lack sponsors, the conference can lose not insignificant amounts of money helping people. The rub being, you don't know for sure if this will happen until the conference actually happens.
So, how does "everybody pays" play into this? In two ways. First, it helps hedge our risk, institutionally speaking. PyCon had a good/bad year in 2009 - good for the attendees, but horrendously bad financially. We made various commitments in 2008 just as the markets were peaking, and we lost a lot of money when everything went south. Since then, it has been our budget policy to make sure that our revenues will cover our hard costs even if there is a 15% dip in attendance and a 35% dip in sponsorship.
Second, you may have guessed that the "everybody pays" policy allows us to pad the financial aid budget. This has the direct benefit of bringing more people to the conference, increasing the diversity of people attending, getting a larger proportion of the community together, etc.
I'm happy to say, that on most years, we very happily break our financial aid budget - meaning, if we have a positive outlook, we will gladly overspend on financial aid and take less "profit " for the conference. The point of the conference is the community, it's not about the conference! We help the community as much as we can by helping to cover the costs of people who would not otherwise be able to attend.
History and Tradition
Once you start organizing a conference you start to rapidly realize how costly things can get - and if you don't have sponsors with giant bags of money, or the conference is not being run for profit (such as OSCON), you can quickly get into trouble if you don't have a policy in place that will ensure financial viability. PyCon came from very small, humble beginnings but has grown year over year consistently - maintaining the "everyone helps, and everyone pays" tradition originally set forth.
It is my understanding that the policy/tradition has as much to do with financials as it does with "the feel". No one is treated specially, we - meaning the community - put together the conference, we are taking the financial risk that comes with it. We are in it together, and that means "everyone helps, and everyone pays" - it is the most equitable solution that helps us maintain fairness and the flavor/feel of the conference. When you realize that even Guido has to buy a ticket (even if it was paid for by Google) or that Van Lindberg had to buy one - it suddenly makes you realize that all of us truly believe in the spirit of "we are all in this".
Speakers; as a an additional guideline, while always paying for a ticket; always pay at the discounted early bird rate no matter when they register. So yes, we do discount them, but no more than anyone else who registers within the early bird window.
As an aside, the "everybody helps" is also part of what makes PyCon special. When people come to other conferences, they frequently come expecting to be coddled and catered to. When people come to PyCon, we hope they come expecting to contribute. Having everybody contributing is at the core of the best parts of PyCon - from stuffing bags, to lightning talks, to the wonderful Testing in Python BOF.
Hard Costs, Stats and Risk
So what makes up a PyCon budget? Well - Van covered some of it in his wonderful "Behind the Scenes" post for PyCon 2011 - but in more detailed terms of percentages of the total costs for the budget:
- Catering (Food, beverages): 54%
- Networking: 5%
- Audio/Visual and Video Recording: 13%
- Payments to Tutorial Instructors: 6%
- Misc/PR/Sponsors and Administration: 16%
- Swag: 2%
- Financial Aid: 4%
Catering, plus Financial Aid and video recording is 70% of the budget alone. The total value "spent" for financial aid alone well exceeds 50,000$ We spend a massive amount of money for audio/visual and the video recording making all of the talks available on the web (see the python miro community). Tens of thousands of dollars spent on networking.
We could forgo feeding people - but with a conference that runs from 8am to 6pm for 5 days, that would suck - and people needing to leave to get food would be disruptive and ruin the flow. We could forgo recording the videos. We could do a lot of things to cut back and lower the budget numbers so we could give more away (such as comp'ing speaker tickets), but that doesn't make the risk and costs from the hotel go away.
- Average Revenue per attendee: ~$300
- Average Cost per attendee: ~$465
In total - these costs (for 2011) came to well over 600,000$ - that's right. Over half a million dollars in hard costs for a conference of 1,380 Pythonistas. Much of the payments, guarantees, deposits, etc have to be put down up front of the actual conference with no guarantee that we will make our sponsorship or attendee numbers. That means, in the case of PyCon - the Python Software Foundation fronts potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments and risk. We also expect these to climb with the move of the conference to Santa Clara.
Conferences are unknowns - you put up a lot of time, energy and money - lots of money - and you hope you hit certain numbers. For example, you make a contract with the hotel that says "we will have X number of people book X number of rooms nights" - if you don't meet those numbers? The hotel penalizes you a stunning amount of money. You make a contact for catering - saying that you will serve X number of meals - and if you don't hit that? You get penalized. You put a lot of faith in making numbers on:
- Sponsors - without corporate sponsors, we simply could not exist (at this scale), period.
- Attendee Numbers - You expect X number of attendees, broken up into "corporate, individual and Y" rates - corporate rate tickets are where you make the bulk of registration rates.
- Hotel Rooms - if you don't hit your contracted numbers, you will take a bath
Do you know what happens if, for some reason - say an economic downturn - you don't make those numbers? Your conference loses over $230,000, possibly more. That 230k number? Right around the amount PyCon 2009 lost, representing a massive financial loss for the Python Software Foundation. Yes, you try to mitigate the risks by careful planning - if you're lucky, you get some insurance to cover some of the potential losses. PyCon is actually really lucky in all of this - we've grown enough that we get to leverage economies of scale with the contracts we deal with. Small conferences? Not so much - they get harder in the face of failure, and they don't have the bargaining power we have..
It's a delicate balancing act, requiring careful planning and a lot of work to drive attendance and sponsorship - negotiations with Hotels, Catering, Unions, are all things that have to go right in order to make a conference that even stands a chance of not losing you massive amounts of money. In the case of PyCon - a massive loss of money (such as 2009) could cause the foundation to go bankrupt and dissolve. As it is, the foundation, already spartan in spending cut back even further to protect itself which represents a net negative for the Python Community.
Where does the profit go?
Alright - I've outlined the philosophy, the scale and the risk. Now, you're probably asking where, if we have it, does any profit from the conference go? Easy - straight back into the community.
Whatever profit - really, money left over, goes to cover the initial costs/risks for PyCon the next year, and the years after - it also goes to the Python Software Foundation that in turn, reinvests that money into the community (see the foundation blog).
Having a healthy positive margin also means we can increase things such as the financial aid budget for the next year, allowing even more Python developers to attend.
Why not run a budget that aims for 0$ +/-?!
Because, that is simply insane - you can aim for minimal profit by reinvesting into things such as financial aid, or other perks for the attendees but only after you have guaranteed you're going to make your numbers - see the issue? At best, you budget is a highly refined series of educated guesses. At worst? Someone goes bankrupt - at smaller conferences such as DjangoCon.eu, where some costs and contracts are secured by an individual and their credit card?
That person goes broke, because the entities you signed contracts with will get their money.
So, you never, ever aim for a loss, but you also don't aim for extracting "maximum value" from conference attendees. You aim, you plan, and you hope to provide the best value and experience to attendees and sponsors - you do this through a lot of hard work and sweat. You make sure attendees walk away raving about the conference, you make sure you generate the maximum return on investment for the community.
In Closing
Historically, PyCon has never been aimed at "extracting money" from the community - it could be run a lot more profitably. We could increase ticket rates, reduce FA and walk around in Nascar-esque suits with sponsor logos on them - there's lots of things that could be done to make PyCon a massive profit center for the PSF. We don't though - why? Because, that defeats the purpose of a community conference, put together by and for the community.
We take what money we end up with and we sponsor the sprints at PyCon itself, we hold the language and virtual machine summits. The PSF reinvests it into the Python community as a whole (see the sprints project, for example, or the 10,000$ check we gave to PyPy). The money is given out in the forms of developer grants, holding sprints, providing sponsorship to smaller Python conferences all over the world, outreach and education initiatives, etc. No one gets a shiny new car or anything - money that comes from the community conference goes back into the community. You can see how much goes where if you peruse the PSF resolutions page.
PyCon is beginning to also outstrip the ability for a small group of volunteers to put together - more and more we've had to bring on commercial entities (whom we have to pay) to assist in organizing or doing specific things (such as registration, or website development). I fully expect PyCon 2012/2013 to quickly hit the attendance cap meaning we're going to have more scaling issues and higher costs - this is a fundamentally good thing - PyCon, it is felt, can sustain it's current feel and quality up to a maximum of 1500-2000 attendees.
We do not have the intention of raising that cap.
Instead, we - as the foundation - intend on encouraging smaller more regional conferences such as PyOhio to grow - PyCon will continue to be the "big dog" so to speak - but it being the big dog will allow us to further cultivate and pollenate the entire Python community and ecosystem.
Given all of that - as the PyCon chair for the next two years - and being relatively comfortable that we will again, put on a highly successful conference - I am exploring the idea of steeply discounting the cost of tickets for speakers. I feel that not only is the conference viable once again, but that the speakers do help make the conference what it is - last year we had over 200 talk and tutorial submissions. All of those speakers submitted talks knowing that they would have to pay for a ticket to attend - but given the positive outlook, I'm comfortable in thinking that we will be able to provide accepted speakers with a discount to thank them for their talk.
It's all about community, and reinvesting in it in the right places, at the right times, and managing your risk. The risks putting on a conference - even a small one (especially a small one) are massive, but the returns - especially when you're standing on a stage in front of 1380 fellow Python hackers handing a big cardboard check to a fantastic project?
Well, the returns are well worth it.


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BURLINGTON, VT—Ben & Jerry's, the Vermont-based ice-cream manufacturer known for its progressive social mission, held a press conference Monday to introduce a new flavor celebrating Academy Award winner Michael Moore.
"I'm really excited to announce the newest Ben & Jerry's ice-cream flavor," said Chrystie Heimert, Ben & Jerry's director of public relations. "In the spirit of Michael Moore's tasteful, playful calls for justice, we have created a tasteful, playful flavor: The Waffle Truth."
The Waffle Truth will honor the dynamic visionary by combining premium vanilla ice cream with strawberries, chocolate-covered waffle-cone bits, and a hint of cinnamon. The ice cream will be available in Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops Friday, followed by a retail rollout in March.
"Making an ice-cream flavor that would do justice to such an important author and filmmaker wasn't easy," Heimert said. "We knew we'd be using ingredients bought at fair-market prices, but exactly what those ingredients would be was a source of a lot of good old-fashioned, honest, open debate."
Heimert said developers experimented with a host of possible ice-cream tributes to the best-selling author, including Stupid White Chocolate, Green Tea Nation, and Dude, Where's My Coconut?
Even after Ben & Jerry's decided what the new flavor would contain, developers struggled to perfect the name.
"We thought about calling it Cherry-heit 9-11, but we already have Cherry Garcia," Heimert said. "Fahrenheit 31.1 was the next choice, but we didn't think everyone would make the connection between the proper temperature for storing ice cream and the film that broke the theatrical documentary box-office record by seamlessly blending comedy with hard-hitting fact."
"We also considered a name reminiscent of our popular Chubby Hubby flavor," Heimert said. "But in the end, we decided The Waffle Truth would be more respectful to Moore's achievements than a flavor called Hefty Lefty."
Ben & Jerry's has previously honored pop-culture icons Phish and Jerry Garcia, as well as the TV show Seinfeld. This is the first time that the company has honored a director.
"Michael Moore's David-and-Goliath commentaries cut conservative bigwigs down to size,"Heimert said. "He follows the beat of his own drummer and works in his own unique way to improve the average American's life. Our choice was a natural—just like our ice cream: We use only fresh milk and cream bought from farmers that have pledged never to use recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone."
Added Heimert: "We believe that Michael will remain an important voice in American politics, and that we will find no need to discontinue The Waffle Truth, as we did Wavy Gravy, Doonesberry Sorbet, and Dilbert's World Totally Nuts."
The Emmy Award winner made a surprise appearance at the Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop in Times Square to support the product.
"I'm honored Ben & Jerry's decided to dedicate an ice cream to me," Moore told the excited crowd. "It's a fantastic company with a great track record of treating their employees fairly and using only ethically produced ingredients."
"Plus, a lifetime supply of ice cream sounds pretty good," Moore added, patting his stomach with a self-deprecating laugh.
According to Ben & Jerry's press materials, The Waffle Truth rollout will include a nationwide tour by the company's promotional ice-cream wagon. The tour will begin its journey in Flint, MI and continue south to distribute free pints of ice cream in 14 Rust Belt cities suffering from post-industrial decline.
Other Ben & Jerry's flavors slated for introduction in 2005 are Praline Kael, Noam ChompChompsky Crunch, Ché Guava, and Nelson Vanilla, an anti-apartheid flavor that consists of a dark-chocolate sorbet swirled in an equal amount of vanilla ice cream.


text:
Winner gains first-hand experience of UN climate talks in Copenhagen.
A 19 year-old Colombian student is this year's grand prize winner of an international youth competition running on connect2earth, the green online and mobile community.
connect2earth.org links young people with the world's top environmental experts to talk about headline-grabbing topics that they care about. The community was launched two years ago by IUCN and WWF, and is supported by Nokia.
The winner, Gustavo Nicolás Páez Salamanca, was distinguished by the quality and diversity of his contributions, as well as his high level of engagement in the community.
The winner is already in the Danish capital as part of his award and getting hands-on experience at the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). He is taking part in a variety of side events and sharing his experience with the connect2earth community through regular posts on the website.
"This is the first time I've witnessed such an important global event from up close, and it's a truly amazing and moving experience," says Gustavo Nicolas. "The energy and enthusiasm of all these people, especially on the NGO side, makes me believe that change is possible; we can solve the problem. I consider myself especially lucky to be here – and it's all thanks to connect2earth."
Gustavo Nicolàs's posts can be viewed at www.connect2earth.org
The United Nations Climate Change Conference runs from 7 December until 18 December. It brings together leaders and negotiators from 192 countries to develop an agreement to address climate change. In addition, tens of thousands of activists, NGO representatives, media, and others are expected to attend the negotiations. For more information, visit http://en.cop15.dk/
For more information, please contact:
• Gaëlle Cuillerot, Marketing Officer, IUCN, Mobile: +41 79 237 0771; Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
• Eleni Androulaki, Corporate Communications Manager, WWF International, Mobile: +41 79 477 3574; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Note for editors:
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
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text: Friday's Birdies and Bogeys\nWho were the winners and losers on Day 2 at Oak Hill? It's time to take a closer look with another edition of birdies and bogeys\nBirdie: Jason Dufner\n\nFor a second time in the past three PGA Championships, Dufner will take the lead into the weekend. This time, no one will be surprised if he's able to hold on for a first major title after a historic Friday. Dufner jumpstarted his day with a holed wedge for eagle on then added five more birdies against no bogeys. Add it all up and it was the 24th 63 shot in a major championship. Of course, it could have been the first-ever 62 if not for. . .\nBogey: Jason Dufner\n\nIt's tough to criticize anyone after he's tied an all-time record, but after two perfect shots on Oak Hill's brutal finishing hole, Dufner had a golden opportunity to do something no golfer has ever done. His 12-foot birdie putt never scared the hole, though, coming up nearly two feet short. His ensuing par putt was a little shaky as well, but it went down to match the record. Yep, even the seemingly emotionless Dufner must feel some nerves.\nBirdie: Webb Simpson\n\nBen Hogan and Curtis Strange also shot 64s at Oak Hill, but did either of them do it despite hitting a shank\n\n in their rounds? Doubtful. Actually, the surprising miscue from the middle of the seventh fairway (his 16th hole of the day) is all that kept him from matching the lowest round in major championship history. More remarkable is that the 2012 U.S. Open champ was five over at one point on Thursday.\nBirdie: Adam Scott\n\nFor much of Adam Scott's front nine on Friday, two questions prevailed: Are they going to keep playing in this? And is he going to keep making birdies? The answers: yes and yes. Although the rain was heavy enough at Oak Hill that small puddles began to form on greens, Scott kept going, making five birdies against three bogeys in soft, heavy conditions to finish the day at seven under par. It was the type of momentum-sustaining round that recalled Tiger Woods at the top of his game. Most important, with 36 holes to play, it gives Scott a chance to elevate to even greater heights. A win here would make him the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and the PGA in the same year.\nBogey: Tiger Woods\n\nWell, he made the cut. That's one measure of the depth of Woods' major struggles. Even on the heels of a seven-stroke victory, his tour-best fifth win of the season, the world No. 1 wasn't even a lock to make the weekend here. After his double-bogey close on Thursday, Woods needed to go low in the second round to thrust himself back into the picture. Instead, even with scoring conditions so ripe a 62 was in play for several, Woods was scuffling. He shot 70, but as has been the case in majors, always seemed to make things more difficult than usual. At one-over par, 10 shots off the lead, Woods at least won't have the pressure of being in contention when play begins Saturday. But that wasn't the weekend he had in mind.\nBogey: Woody Austin\n\nThe worst part about the four strokes tacked onto Austin's scorecard for carrying a 15th club on Friday is it hit the guy who needed a break most. Austin hadn't made a cut in 2013 until his win in the Sandersons Farm Championship in July, and he still needed a strong showing here to keep his season going. Instead, after an opening 69, he had his brain cramp, leaving an extra driving iron in the bag and not discovering it until the third hole. The four extra strokes led to a 75 and a missed cut, meaning Austin will have to wait for the Fall Series before he plays his next tour event. "I can't say I was angry," Austin said. "I was more in shock. Just disappointed that I was that stupid."\nBogey: Lee Westwood\n\nA Friday morning charge following a Thursday 66 had people talking about the resilient Westwood putting himself in the mix at yet another major after his latest close call at Muirfield last month. But he played his final two holes in three over to tumble down the leader board. Winning a major has proven hard enough for Westwood when he's right in the hunt. Entering the weekend eight shots behind certainly won't make a breakthrough victory any easier for the 40-year-old.\nBirdie: Justin Rose\n\nFor 27 holes, the reigning U.S. Open champ had an up-close view of the reigning Masters champ, Adam Scott, kicking his butt. But then Rose produced perhaps the finest nine holes of anyone to this point in the tournament, firing a 29 (just the 22nd sub-30 for nine holes in major championship history) on the front nine (his closing nine of the day) to lock up a late tee time on Saturday. Rose has struggled since his maiden major victory at Merion, including a missed cut at the Open Championship, but the honeymoon appears to be over.\nBogey: Billy Horschel\n\nThe 26-year-old Horschel's rapid rise this spring -- four straight top 10s, his first PGA Tour win, followed by a T-4 at the U.S. Open -- portended big things for the rest of the year. Instead, Horschel has stalled. After missing the cut in the British Open, he opened with a 68 at Oak Hill, then imploded with a 78 on Friday to miss the weekend again. All of this would be lamentable enough given how well he was playing just a few months ago. But for a player given to Horschel's sartorial flourishes, it's also deprived his fans of seeing him in his weekend best.\nBogey: CBS/Time Warner\n\nThe casual golf fan doesn't ask for a lot. He just wants four or five weeks a year when he can plop down on his couch and watch major championship drama unfold. But three million customers of Time Warner cable will have to be creative if they want to watch the PGA Championship. The network and the cable company are in the midst of a dispute over the fees CBS is charging, and it's led Time Warner to black out the network since August 2. A resolution before Saturday's third round is unlikely, which is a big loss given the quality of the leader board here.\nBogey: Luke Donald\n\nWho will be the next golfer from England's "Golden Generation" to win a major? Well, we know it won't be Luke Donald this week. Donald followed up a Thursday 71 with a 74 leaving him outside the cut line for a second consecutive major championship. Coming into this event, Donald was the best golfer without a major title according to GolfDigest.com's ranking\n\n. After his latest lackluster performance in one of golf's four biggest events, we might have to look into changing the formula.


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How to Use
the Readings
Inquiry Question
Reading 2: Mechanics Hall
By the middle of the 19th century, the large landowners, town merchants, and legal professionals who had been the most important forces in pre-Revolutionary, rural Worcester County found that there was a new force in society. Newly wealthy industrialists entered the upper classes, while substantial numbers of skilled mechanics entered the middle class. These mechanics contributed to the general prosperity of society and were justly proud of their hard work and public spirit. In Worcester, the Mechanics Association wanted a permanent meeting place and a public commemoration of their skill, industry, and achievements.
By 1851, it became clear that the Worcester County Mechanics Association needed a larger space for its classes and library, but also for holding lectures, debates, and various entertainments. Ichabod Washburn was selected chairman of the building committee for Mechanics Hall. The committee of strong-minded, successful men drawn from a membership of skilled and ingenious mechanics (including many from the building trades) was a difficult group to satisfy. They selected the Italian Renaissance Revival design of a local architect, Elbridge Boyden, for the hall and broke ground in July 1855.
Members of the Mechanics Association constructed the building, raising its timbers, mortaring its bricks, finishing paint to imitate limestone, and applying decorative cast iron on the facade. When completed, Mechanics Hall was the tallest and largest building in Worcester, a showplace of innovative building techniques and mechanical systems that were fitting monuments to the mechanics of Worcester. The hall opened on March 19, 1857, with speeches, performances by two bands, and an evening concert by the Boston Orchestral Union. Cost over-runs led to an unforeseen debt of $104,000, but partial payment of outstanding bonds and donations from prominent Worcester citizens (including Washburn) secured the financial future both of the Mechanics Association and Mechanics Hall.
Mechanics Hall featured a large concert hall on the third floor. Its perfect acoustics enabled audiences to hear speakers' voices and music distinctly without benefit of the as-yet-invented microphone or electronic amplifier. Workers framed the end of the hall for a pipe organ, which was subsequently installed in 1863. The smaller Washburn Hall and rooms for the use of the Mechanics Association occupied the second floor. Four stores, which were rented out by the Association to generate income, occupied the street level.
Certainly, Mechanics Hall gave the Mechanics Association a place to meet, conduct classes, keep its library, and hold exhibitions. Yet, from the day it was dedicated, Mechanics Hall also became the center of Worcester's cultural life. Two years after it opened, in 1859, it became home to the Worcester Music Festival, now the oldest musical festival in the nation. The mechanics charged the Worcester County Music Association only one dollar per season for the use of the hall for rehearsals and performances because they wanted to bring culture to their community. Since its opening the superb acoustics of the hall have attracted the world's finest musicians, whether classical, jazz, or popular. Among those to perform in the hall have been Enrico Caruso, Antonin Dvorak, Yo Yo Ma, Itzak Perlman, Mel Torme, and Ella Fitzgerald. An additional attraction to keyboard artists has been the 3,504-pipe Hook organ, the world's only surviving 19th-century four-keyboard organ. Mechanics Hall was not simply a concert hall. Distinguished authors who lectured there included Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain. By the turn of the 20th century, it had screened early motion pictures as well.
Mechanics Hall also hosted political meetings and rallies in Worcester. The Mechanics Association would rent the hall out whether it approved of the groups' beliefs or not. Henry Ward Beecher and other abolitionists crusaded in Mechanics Hall for the emancipation of slaves; Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton would subsequently crusade for women's suffrage. Presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson all addressed Worcester audiences at Mechanics Hall.
Yet, above all, Mechanics Hall became the place for the people of Worcester to come together. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, the people of Worcester memorialized him at Mechanics Hall. Civic or religious groups could hold fund-raising events in the building free of charge, courtesy of the Mechanics Association. Departing and returning soldiers were honored within the building's walls. However, by the mid-20th century, downtown Worcester had declined, and the aging building fell into disfavor as a meeting place. Mechanics Hall was rented out for sporting events such as boxing, wrestling, basketball, and roller-skating. The building continued its decline, and trustees of the dwindling Mechanics Association sought to sell the property. When urban renewal threatened the hall with destruction, the Worcester Heritage Society stepped in. The community rallied around Mechanics Hall once again, raising $5 million for its restoration in 1977. In reversing the decline of Mechanics Hall, Worcester halted the decline of its downtown, and the city experienced a renaissance.
Questions for Reading 2
1. How did the mechanics contribute to Mechanics Hall's construction?
2. How was Mechanics Hall a multi-use facility? What types of activities took place here?
3. Define the term "acoustics." Experiment with a partner to identify what room in your home has the best acoustics.
4. Community planners sometimes have to decide between tearing structures down and building something completely new or renovating historic buildings. What did Worcester gain by deciding to restore and preserve Mechanics Hall that it would not have gained by bulldozing it?
Reading 2 was compiled from Mechanics Hall informational brochures; Margaret A. Erskine, Mechanics Hall (Worcester, Mass.: Worcester Bicentennial Commission, 1977); and John Herron, "Mechanics Hall" (Worcester County, Massachusetts) National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1972.


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On June 5 I will be in Burbank, California, for a day of DNA education. This "Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2014" is part of the SCGS Jamboree conference.
For a year or two I really didn't think much about DNA. I didn't think it applied to me, or could help me with my genealogy research as the families I'm most interested in had daughters of daughters, with no sons in the lines. Then I started thinking about the changes during the past 3 years, including the 1940 census, and realized that genealogy is not a static study, but a dynamic one.
Last year I also attended the DNA day. It was great, I think, but oh, was I a novice! Well, I still am. However, I'm going to be more prepared this year. I now recognize some of the speakers. I ordered some of the books from last year's resources list. I intend to start reading them (soon, I hope). And I'm reading blogs, and I'm ordering the DNA test kits. Hopefully I'll have some numbers before June so that I can get some advice on understanding them, if I haven't figured it out before then.
So....Do you have a date with DNA? If yes, I look forward to seeing you in Burbank in June. Because I know I can learn and understand this. It's just going to take some time (AND effort). But like The Little Engine That Could, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I thought I could.....


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Hello again everyone,
For those of you that were interested or recently started The Greatest Show on Earth, by Richard Dawkins, I figured we would start a discussion on it. Any one that wants to join in and start the read is more than welcome, as well as those who have already read it. (I'm sure Nelson will have some insight for us!)
Let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!
Views: 313
If you enjoyed The God Delusion reading, then I'm sure you will enjoy this one (I listened to the former on a roadtrip with friends). Keep in mind there's an abridged version on the site, too. I also noticed whilst looking on audible that he and his wife just released a reading of The Selfish Gene, the first book of his that I read, a thoroughly fascinating read, and I would guess would be the hardest to follow (out of the three) in audio form without having the text in front of you, as though I find his prose quite lucid, he's essentially presenting a theory of his own in Gene.
So yeah, I would say that this one would be a good choice to listen to, as I think I'd rather have Selfish Gene as something on my shelf to dive back into for reference, as I see that as a more erudite text, and TGSoE as a sorely needed pop sci enlightener.
At Audible.com, they have a accompanying reference guide that goes along with the audiobook. This guide has the pictures. I think that anyone can download it. http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=wl_3?asin=B002V086LM. Just a thought. I am going to download it and listen to it this weekend.
Okay i just read my previous post about the dates and I have to say i am quite impressed with my ability to fudge up the most simple words, lol. I was responding on my phone and it likes to predict exactly what I didn't want to say, so sorry for that.
The plan is to read the Preface & Chapter 1 and then I will post a new discussion for it sometime on Sunday evening and we can have a week of reading and Discussing until the next one.
So be ready, Sunday May 8th will be the first discussion! Thanks again to everyone!


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It was a fine April day last week that found Elie Wiesel at Chapman University; it was a fine April day too, 58 years earlier, when the gaunt, teenage Wiesel found himself alive and suddenly free to walk out of the Buchenwald concentration camp. In the decades since, Wiesel's impassioned writing and speaking have won him a Nobel Peace Prize, and a large place in the public intellectual discourse about the Holocaust and the human condition. They have also brought him to Chapman each spring for the last three years as a distinguished presidential fellow, meeting with students and faculty to keep the significance of the Holocaust green in their minds.
Liberation: Patt Morrison's interview with Elie Wiesel on April 24 said the Buchenwald concentration camp was liberated 58 years ago. It was 68 years ago.
You've called for a commission of educators and philosophers in the wake of the Boston bombings. What would that accomplish?
We must understand what happened. Why did they do it? How come human beings decide to do something like that? They just threw the bombs, [at] no matter who. Is it political? Is it religious? Why go to a place where human beings come together just to be together, without any religious jealousy, without any economic problems, and disrupt that with bombs? We must know the reasons to make sure it won't happen again.
Would knowing why have helped against the rise of Nazi Germany?
Oh, I don't compare anything to Germany — that was such a horror-filled event. It could have been avoided had the world spoken up against Hitler in the late 1930s, warning Hitler not to go on. I don't know any other way of fighting evil except denouncing it, its roots and its consequences.
You've helped put "Holocaust" into the world's vocabulary, but has the word been hijacked? Should it be reserved for the Nazi exterminations?
I think yes. It has become trivialized. One day I heard a sportscaster on the radio [who] said for those who lost the game, it was a holocaust! The word became so trivialized, I don't use it any more. I'm a teacher and a writer; my life is words. When I see the denigration of language, it hurts me, and it's easy to denigrate a word by trivializing it.
What happens when all the survivors are gone, when the Holocaust is just one more awful thing in the history books?
Your question is a painful question about what will happen when the last survivor will be gone. I don't want to be that one. The burden is so great, I don't want that. But even when the last one will be gone, it will not be an opening for forgetting. Why? Because people who meet us, who listen to us, we make them into witnesses, and to listen to a witness is to become one. "I know because I saw him, I heard him, and I inherited certain images and certain words and certain experiences."
In 2007, a Holocaust denier dragged you out of a hotel elevator, apparently hoping to force you to repudiate the truth of the Holocaust. What are the deniers' motives?
It makes it easier for them to live without doubts, without questions. To me the deniers are morally deranged. And I would never engage them in a debate. I would never dignify them to have a debate with any one of them. To say there was no Holocaust, there was no Auschwitz — I wouldn't dignify them.
You are a free-speech advocate, but you would like an exception carved out for deniers. Why?
They could [come into] any class I teach, any lecture I give, and say, "Professor Wiesel, how can you prove that?" I show them the number [tattooed on his arm]; they say, "What does that prove?'
There are exceptions in law. They should not be given, by the law, the privilege of free speech. This is given to people who believe in truth. But to use lies and falsehoods, not to think of what they are doing to the survivors. Therefore I would say no; that is why I would make that illegal. In certain countries in Europe, denying the Holocaust is a felony. But not here. I understand our tradition of free speech is so great, but I nevertheless plead for a kind of exception for this.
You have been outspoken on behalf of victims in genocide and civil war. You advocated intervention in Darfur. How do nations decide when to intervene?
The advice [for] any president or prime minister: Always listen to the victims. The perpetrator may have arguments, but the victim has more than that.
How do you read the Arab Spring?
I think it began well, a kind of spiritual and political rebellion. It was hijacked and turned into something else. Take Syria. The problem with Syria is painful because the Syrian border with Israel is the only one that has never been violated. The Syrians are respecting the border with Israel. And yet their fanatics are fanatics. What to do? If I knew the answer to that!
Why have you kept yourself apart from the discussions of the Israelis and Palestinians?
I speak; when asked, I will speak but not to create more controversy. I believe in the absolute fervor of Israel to have peace with the Palestinians; I am ready to swear on whatever is holy. I am confident that they will make peace, before many other countries make peace. My feeling is that it will happen soon, because it is enough. The Israeli population wants peace. A large majority are ready to give up territories for that. I am waiting for a miracle. I belong to a people that had miracles, that survived by miracles.
You lost your savings, and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity lost its $15 million, because of Bernie Madoff's crimes. Has there been any restitution?
[The foundation is] beginning to get restitution. They won't get the whole sum. Personally, we [he and his wife] lost everything. One Thursday night, we came home from dinner and the phone rang and we heard he was arrested.
What circle of hell would Dante consign Madoff to?
Sometimes Mormons baptize non-Mormons, including Holocaust victims and survivors, even though the church has told its members not to. You're laughing …
When someone said, "You are in the process of being converted," I began laughing, and I said to myself, "It's so absurd." I stopped laughing [when] I said to myself, 100 years from now, some researcher, a student, will find something and say, "Hey, I didn't know Elie Wiesel was a Mormon." A researcher will say, "Look, the Jews were not killed by the Germans. Mormons were killed by the Germans." To hurt our sensitivities — how can they do that?
You were born in Romania, lived in France and are a U.S. citizen.
First, I am an American. I lived in France as a stateless person. But I got citizenship here. The first thing I did, I got a passport. I never had a passport. I kept it in my pocket. And it's always with me, in my pocket.
The plight of refugees occupies much of your work. How should the world treat political, economic, environmental refugees?
I also was a refugee. I came to America as a stateless person, therefore I am sentimentally close to the refugees. Whatever they are, wherever they are, I don't know how, but I'm on their side. My obsession is the otherness of the other. We cannot humiliate the other by denying his or her otherness. The sin of humiliation — I came to America as a journalist, and in the South I saw the attitude toward blacks at the time. It was the law. The law of the land was to humiliate an entire race.
Buchenwald was liberated in April. On the anniversary, do you reflect on that deliverance?
Naturally. That day, we were supposed to leave the camp. Had we left, we would have been killed, like those who left the day before. We were already at the gate. There was an air alarm and the inmates had to go back to the block. And the American soldiers came.
You survived, but your father and your mother and sister died. So is it random ? Does God make these decisions?
If you believe in God, God makes these decisions. But we don't know why. Why did he decide me, when others were worthier? To this day I don't know.
Is that a burden?
I say to myself, since I did survive, my duty is to do something with my survival. I try. I'm not sure I've succeeded, but I try.
Follow Patt Morrison on Twitter @pattmlatimes
This interview was edited and excerpted from a taped transcript. An archive of Morrison's interviews can be found at latimes.com/pattasks.


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Dodge Caravan Suspension Ball Joint Replacement Cost
Know what price you should pay to get your vehicle fixed.
What is a ball joint?
Ball joints are part of the suspension system, and consist of a ball and socket that's encased in a lubricant-filled rubber boot. They link the steering knuckle (which supports the wheel hub, bearing and wheel) to the lower and upper control arms. They also allow the suspension to move freely up and down and aid in steering the vehicle
What are the symptoms related to a bad ball joint?
A "clunk" or "knock" when turning or going over bumps can indicate a problem with a ball joint. The sensation is often felt in the floorboard.
A repair technician may notice if a ball joint is leaking lubricant from a worn or torn boot during an inspection or a related repair. Excessive wear on the inside or outside edges of the front tires can sometimes indicate problems with the ball joints, as well.
Can I drive with a ball joint problem?
A vehicle with a significantly worn ball joint should not be driven. If the ball joint fails completely, the control arm can detach from the steering knuckle, meaning you will lose control of the car.
A car with a ball joint that is just starting to wear out can be driven, but as the wear increases, so do the chances of premature tire wear and poor handling. If you suspect that a ball joint is beginning to wear, have a technician evaluate the problem as soon as possible.
How often do ball joints need to be replaced?
There is no set replacement schedule for ball joints, though most vehicles will need to have them changed at some point. Most ball joints will last for 100,000 miles or more. Rough driving habits may shorten the life of these parts.
How are ball joint issues diagnosed?
To diagnose a worn ball joint, a shop will raise the vehicle on a hoist and then grasp the tire at the top and bottom and rock the wheel back and forth. A worn ball joint will present a clunking sound or sensation when this test is performed.
The technician will also look for a torn or leaking boot on the ball joint. A worn ball joint may also be suspected if the tires are showing signs of unusual wear on the inside or outside edges.
Suspension Ball Joint Replacement Cost Estimates
The average cost for a Suspension Ball Joint Replacement is between $281 and $319 but can vary from car to car.
How is a ball joint replaced?
To replace a ball joint, with the car lifted, the technician will first remove the front wheel. Then, the ball joint is disconnected from the control arm and the steering knuckle, the suspension is separated to allow the ball joint to come free, and the new part is installed.
Some vehicles require that the steering knuckle be disconnected from the strut in order to get to the retaining nut on one side of the ball joint. Either way, the tension between components in the suspension may make this process difficult.
RepairPal recommendations for ball joint issues
RepairPal recommends getting a four-wheel alignment after the ball joint has been replaced. If the tires show signs of significant wear, new tires would also be a good idea.
What to look out for when dealing with ball joint issues
The front suspension components often have a good deal of tension between them. This could make separating the steering knuckle and the control arm from the ball joint difficult.
A ball joint with tapered studs is sometimes difficult to remove from its mounts in the steering knuckle or control arm. Also, the vehicle needs to be safely raised and supported in order to complete this repair.
Can I replace a ball joint myself?
On most vehicles, replacement of a ball joint is an intermediate DIY repair. Care needs to be exercised when lifting and supporting the vehicle to prevent serious injury.
If you're not comfortable with lifting a vehicle, or with working on parts under tension, have the job done by a professional mechanic.
- Repair shops in Sterling, VA
- Repair shops in Dulles, VA
- Repair shops in Leesburg, VA
- Repair shops in Herndon, VA


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"Macedonian" Asylum Seekers - Threat or Opportunity for the European Countries
The visa liberalization for Macedonia in 2009 not only brought wide benefits but also negative criticism for the country and its citizens. On the one hand, one of the benefits is that Macedonian citizens could freely travel to EU. While, on the other hand – critics, mainly EU member states, saw an increased inflow of asylum seekers from Macedonia. Almost three years after the visa liberalization, Macedonia is facing severe criticism by international NGOs for "controlling" Roma to leave the country, as well as returning to the visa regime. The majoritarian Macedonians and the Europeans often put the blame on Roma for the negative image in front of EU, without seeing the roots of the causes for asylum as well as the benefits of integration that may arise, in the long run.
In this regard, this analysis aims to present the reasons for asylum from an economic perspective, as well as to analyze the cost and benefits of those European countries that are the recipients of the asylum seekers. In addition, this analysis interprets the "asylum issue" beyond the existing framework and provides arguments for promoting Western countries investment in the Balkans, in order not to repeat the same scenario as in the case of Bulgaria and Romania EU membership, which produced massive migration in Central-Western European states.


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2019 Chevrolet Corvette
The all-new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette is available at Ron Carter in Alvin near Clear Lake, Texas. Here to help you on your adventure - whether city or coutnry, you will feel confident driving the streets of Clear Lake, Texas, behind the wheel of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK. The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette has features like no other competitor, striking good looks, and powerful capability. Stop by Ron Carter in Alvin near Clear Lake, Texas, or click below to learn more about the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette.View Inventory