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Hi, everyone, and welcome back to my new blog entries for my "basics" series. I am so happy to be adding another dimension to my Gibson lessons by offering a lot more material for the "beginners" and "newcomers" out there who have lots of needs ad questions to be addressed!
In this entry, I am continuing the discussion I started last time about hunting for your first guitar, and how critical that can be. This is a "once in a lifetime" experience that really is full of memories, as well as potential "bumps in the road" as you find your way to that perfect "first" instrument! I know that back in my early days, my father was so encouraging about me getting into the guitar, that he took an active role in looking for guitars with me, as well as falling in love with the sheer beauty of them, both electric as well as acoustic. We always passionately went from store to store, looking at vintage pieces, as well as looking into whatever was available at that time that we could get on a budget. I ended up buying a cheap Japanese-made guitar called an "Ideal" along with a real beginner's amp. It certainly looked cool, had lots of chrome, four (count 'em) four pickups, and lots of slider switches! I already had a good classical guitar at that point, which was really well-made, but the electric turned out to be a mistake, and within a year, I was already looking for, and falling in love many other more expensive guitars.


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Jewish human rights champion Helen Bamber dies
A Jewish psychotherapist and human rights champion who worked with Holocaust survivors in Germany after the liberation of the concentration camps has died today aged 89.
Helen Bamber was born into a Polish-Jewish family in North London in 1925.
Aged just 20 years old she joined relief teams that went into Bergen-Belsen, seeing the horrific atrocities inflicted by the Nazis first hand. There she began her work helping victims of torture and atrocities, beginning a 70 year career in which she helped tens of thousands of men, women and children confront the horror and brutality of the camps.
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In 1947 Bamber returned to Britain and continued her work with the abused and marginalised, helping to establish Amnesty International and later co-founding the Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture.
Leading figures from the charity world and film stars Colin Firth and Emma Thompson, have paid tribute to the "human rights icon".
Ms Bamber was a psychotherapist who began helping victims of torture and atrocities aged just 20 when she started working with survivors of the Holocaust. She died today, aged 89.
She used her vast experience to work with Firth on his film The Railway Man, an account of a British officer captured by the Japanese during the Second World War and made to work on the Thai-Burma railway – also known as the "death railway" because of the thousands of prisoners who perished building it.
Firth said his encounter with Ms Bamber was "life-changing" and the compassion she showed had touched him for life.
He said: "Helen was not inclined to share her insights for interest's sake or simply for creative research. Her aim in life was to heal people whose damage was profound and seemingly intractable.
"But I realised that her work was also to endow those of us who hadn't suffered such things with something of her compassion toward those who had. If she had succeeded in any of this with just one individual, her work would have been worthwhile. But the numbers are beyond count."
He said that even in older age and ill health Ms Bamber continued to be determined to do all she could to help those affected by slavery, torture and human rights abuses.
He added: "I marvelled that anyone could find the strength to engage with so many desperate stories without being engulfed by them.
"Her courage, wisdom and pragmatism were formidable – and what she did worked.
"But ultimately it was her compassion which one felt the most. It was contagious. I am quite certain that because of this her work will flourish and proliferate – not only through the remarkable team of people at The HBF – but through everyone who came into contact with her."
Actress Thompson, who is president of the Helen Bamber Foundation, a human rights charity, said: "Not only is she a great listener and an incredible interpreter, but she never lets her imagination run dry.
"She resists institutionalism. She knows which borders should be crossed and melds them together."
In an interview with the BBC in 2001 ahead of the first Holocaust Memorial Day, Ms Bamber told how she was initially overwhelmed at the tales of horror she heard from those imprisoned in the Nazi camps.
But as she listened and counselled survivors, she saw her role as one of bearing witness to an atrocity the world must not forget.
She said: "But slowly over time, I began to realise that what I could do was to listen and to receive – and that is something which is actually quite difficult to do.
"To receive, not to recoil, not to give the sense that you were contaminated by what you had heard but rather that you were there to receive it all, horrible as it was and to hold it with them."
She added: "Sometimes I found it necessary to say to people who I knew were not going to live: 'You are giving me your testimony and I will hold it for you and I will honour it and I will bear witness to what has happened to you.'"
After working with Holocaust survivors in the camps, Ms Bamber returned to England in 1947 where she worked with the Jewish Refugee Committee.
She founded the Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture, was named European Woman of Achievement in 1993, and was awarded the OBE for her work in 1997.
TJ Birdi, executive director of the Helen Bamber Foundation, said: "Helen's lifelong ability to always speak truth to power was a quality that is rare and has inspired so many.
"Always working with the most vulnerable and marginalised, in the most difficult of circumstances, with Helen it was possible to stand at the edge of the world and know how to first find, and then hold an ember of life after atrocity.
"Refusing to be a bystander, her lifelong ability to represent those whose voices have been taken away was a rare and inspiring quality that earned her respect at the highest levels."
Andrew Hogg worked with Ms Bamber for a decade at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture and travelled with her to Kosovo after the war in 1999.
Mr Hogg, head of media at Christian Aid, said: "She was quite extraordinary. I think probably the most bizarre picture I have of her is going through Kosovo and trying to work out what could be done, what role the Medical Foundation could have there.
"She was completely and utterly committed to the work she did. In 2000, when a lot of people were coming to the streets of London with stories of horror, she would listen and she would give them validity.
"Because she knew, having been a young woman in Belsen, she knew what it was like to be despised. And she knew what it was like to have nobody believe your horror.
"That is what she brought to the table. She had a complete and utter compassion for the human condition and to be in her presence even for half an hour was incredible. She was somebody who could instil a sense of belonging, somebody who could instil a sense of virtue."
By Brigit Grant
By Jewish News
By Judy Elkus
By Judy Elkus

subset: commoncrawl


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And now Birkin will break up with you
As you know, as you've seen, she has one in every colour. And as you've probably heard, they're not easy to get. It's Hermes and their elaborate secret-handshake-special-customer-stock-in-the-back-but-only-if-you've-earned-it reputation. Victoria Beckham appeared to have earned it. But now she's telling people she can make it.
Posh showed her dress collection at NY Fashion Week yesterday (she received rave reviews) and also sent her new bag line down the runway. You can see them with the models attached. Look kinda familiar?
And then according to InStyle, she was overheard telling a potential client that:
"A Beckham can replace your Birkin."
Oh yes she did.
Bitch…they made you. Just like Roland Mouret. And every other designer who pulled you away from the chav until you decided to call yourself one of them.
Wonder if Hermes will ban her ass from now on. Just me or is she looking extra foreheady these days?
Photos from Frazer Harrison/Gettyimages.com


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In forecasting what the U.S. Congress will look like after the November 6 elections, Princeton University's Sam Wang is what his fellow analysts call an "outlier."
Wang, one of a dozen or so leading academics who use statistical data to forecast elections, says there is a 74 percent probability that the Democrats will gain the net 25 seats they need to take control of the 435-seat House of Representatives from the Republicans.
He cites President Barack Obama's recent rise in the polls, which Wang says could help other Democrats on House ballots. Wang says his estimate "suggests that in coming weeks, we might look for (congressional) district polls to move in the Democrats' direction."
Since Obama jumped to a significant lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney during the past two weeks, there has been an increasing chance that the presidential race could create a larger-than-expected ripple across the congressional elections in the Democrats' favor. That has triggered anxiety among Republicans and raised hopes among Democrats.
It remains a minority view, however.
The conventional wisdom in Washington is that on November 6, a politically divided nation is likely to reinstall a largely familiar cast of characters at each end of Pennsylvania Avenue: a Democratic president, a Republican-led House, and a Democratic-led Senate.
For all the turbulence of the last few years - including the rise of the conservative, compromise-resistant Tea Party movement and the resulting gridlock in Washington that led to historically low approval ratings for Congress, Americans are on course to keep most of the same people in charge, most analysts say.
That may not be good news for those hoping to see an early deal between the parties on how to tackle the nation's high unemployment and debt and deficit problems. If there is no compromise in Congress soon, big tax increases and mandatory spending cuts early next year could send the economy over the "fiscal cliff" and back into recession.
In the House - where every seat is up for election every two years - there likely will be a backlash against some of the 87 first-term Republicans, many of whom were elected with the Tea Party's support, who helped give their party control of the chamber. Democrats have targeted two dozen freshman Republicans in the House who are seen as particularly vulnerable.
But district-by-district analyses by the Cook Political Report, the Rothenberg Political Report and others suggest that any gain in House seats for either party probably will be small. The most likely scenario: Democrats will have a net gain of a few seats - perhaps as many as 15 - but will remain in the minority.
A big reason for such estimates: In many cases, the results of the November election for House seats essentially were decided months ago, when states went through the once-a-decade process of redrawing their congressional districts.
In two dozen states with Republican-led legislatures, districts typically were redrawn to help the party's incumbent members of Congress win re-election by making their districts more conservative - and to make some Democrats more vulnerable.
Democrats did the same thing, protecting their own in eight states where they control the legislatures. In Illinois, Democratic lawmakers carved up five congressional districts now represented by Republicans so that each had more Democrats.
That is partly why Illinois Republican Representative Joe Walsh, an outspoken hero of the Tea Party, is likely to be bounced from the House by Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran. A recent poll in the district had Duckworth up by 14 percentage points.
Other states used bipartisan panels to redraw House districts, in part to spread the political impact.
Overall, however, the politically charged redistricting system is likely to help preserve the status quo in Washington. Analysts say that for this election, the calculus in House races would change only if there were a significant margin of victory in the presidential race.
"If Obama wins by a wide margin - say, 53 percent to 46 percent - it could increase Democratic gains in the House from six seats to maybe 12 or 15," said Larry Sabato, who tracks congressional races at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.
In the Senate - where 33 of the 100 seats are up for election - most analysts see Republicans making a small dent in the Democrats' 53-47 majority, but not enough for a takeover.
The Senate is where the Tea Party's rising influence could really be felt - in ways that could help or hurt Republicans. Some analysts say Republicans need Romney to defeat Obama in the presidential race to have any hope of a "coattail" effect that could give them control of the Senate.
The Tea Party is likely to have unprecedented power in the Senate. Three Tea Party-backed challengers - Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Jeff Flake in Arizona - are favored to win. A fourth, Richard Mourdock, is in a close race in Indiana against Democrat Joe Donnelly.
Mourdock's emergence has become a symbol of the divisions within the Republican Party that could prevent it from taking over the Senate. In the Republican primary this year, Mourdock defeated six-term Senator Richard Lugar, a moderate Republican who would have been a fairly safe bet to win re-election.
Now, with Lugar gone amid criticism from the Tea Party that he was too willing to work with Democrats, his Senate seat - which he had held since 1977 - is in jeopardy for Republicans. The race between Mourdock and Donnelly is widely seen as a toss-up.
Republicans' hopes of controlling the next Senate also are in doubt because of the retirement of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican who cited partisan gridlock in announcing her departure. The favorite to replace her is Angus King, a former Maine governor who is running for the Senate as an independent but who both parties assume would caucus with Democrats.
Then there is the case of Todd Akin, the Tea Party-backed Missouri congressman who won a three-way primary fight to oppose Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.
Both parties considered McCaskill vulnerable heading into this election year, but controversial comments by Akin suggesting that rape victims could naturally prevent pregnancy have shifted the race in McCaskill's favor. Akin has rejected calls by several Republican leaders to drop out of the race.
More recently, several Republican Senate candidates trying to lure votes from Democrats have faced another headache: the videotape of Romney in which he dismissed the 47 percent of Americans who receive government benefits as "victims" who are looking for handouts.
At least three Republican Senate candidates - Scott Brown in Massachusetts, Linda McMahon in Connecticut and Dean Heller in Nevada - have spoken out against Romney's remarks.
"I'm Scott Brown. He's Mitt Romney," Brown said. "We disagree on a whole host of things."
The University of Virginia's Sabato said Romney's fortunes could be key to Republicans' chances of winning Senate seats that have been held by Democrats in Virginia, Montana, North Dakota and Florida.
"It's going to be very difficult for Republicans to take over the Senate if Romney doesn't capture the White House," Sabato said. "That's a different evaluation than a year ago, when the GOP (Republican Party) looked to be a good bet to grab the Senate."
Several months ago, Ethan Siegal of The Washington Exchange, a private firm that tracks Washington for institutional investors, predicted a Republican sweep of the White House, the House and the Senate because of the weak economy and polls indicating Americans were not satisfied with the direction of the country.
"But now I think we are heading to a status quo election," with Republicans keeping the House and Democrats retaining the Senate and White House, Siegal said.
He pinned his shifting view on Romney's struggling campaign for president.
Romney, whose approval ratings have been lower than Obama's, "is stinking up the place," Siegal said, reflecting the anxiety among some Republicans over Romney's campaign.
Republicans hope the former Massachusetts governor can gain some momentum in his three debates with Obama, the first of which is on Wednesday in Denver.
Siegal said it is unclear if a status quo election would lead Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to be more willing to cut deals with Obama on issues such as the budget, taxes and the nation's escalating debt.
"They could say it's time to compromise," Siegal said. "Or Boehner and McConnell could say, 'We should have won this year. We just had the wrong guy at the top of the ticket. We need to block Obama again and wait for the next election.'"
Editing by David Lindsey, Christopher Wilson and Philip Barbara


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Texas bill would block police from enforcing new federal gun laws
AUSTIN, Texas – Under a measure advancing in the Texas Capitol, local police officers could be convicted of a crime for enforcing any new federal gun control laws.
Rep. Steve Toth, a newly elected Republican from the Woodlands, said his proposal would prevent officers from carrying out any future federal orders to confiscate assault rifles and ammunition magazines.
"There's a federal law, there's a 30-round magazine right in front of you - what do I do?" Toth said in an interview. The measure known as the Firearm Protection Act "answers that question in spades," he said. It moved Tuesday to the House Committee on Federalism.
President Barack Obama has proposed federal laws banning such weapons, but no such laws currently exist.
Toth's proposal would create a Class A misdemeanor for police officers enforcing any new federal gun regulations. It also would establish cause for the state attorney general to sue anyone who seeks to enforce new federal gun regulations. It is one of several states-rights measures being offered by conservative state lawmakers nationwide in response to federal gun control proposals.
Courts have long upheld the federal government's right to enact new laws, which generally supersede state law. Asked how legal precedent for the supremacy of federal law would affect enforcement of his bill, Toth said he expects a legal challenge.
"It may end up in the Supreme Court," he said.
Several recently elected lawmakers gathered at a news conference Tuesday with Toth and Richard Mack, a former Arizona sheriff who successfully contested implementation of certain provisions of the Brady gun laws in the 1990s.
"The federal government is not our boss," Mack said. "If there's any place that that's applicable and true, it's the state of Texas."
Referring to Greg Abbott, the attorney general who helped draft the bill, Mack added: "And we've got a great attorney."
Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Collin County and the most senior lawmaker who stood in support of the proposal, said it could become law "if it's not demagogued as an anti-Obama bill."
"This new group of freshman coming in, they're pretty bold," said Laubenberg, who is in her sixth term. "Pretty dynamic. Not just going to sit and let things happen."
Abbott's office confirmed its role in crafting the legislation but distanced itself from the criminal penalties it contains.
"The attorney general does not support a law that would provide any criminal penalties for police officers," said Daniel Hodge, Abbott's top assistant.


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Hey guys, it's me as usual and I'm back with another fun tutorial that was inspired by watching an episode of My Little Pony. My sister and I where watching an episode like I said, and in it Derpy Hooves was the star of the show. We laughed so hard because even though she is so cute, her crooked eyes makes her very entertaining, or hilarious to watch. I decided to make a tutorial on "how to draw human Derpy Hooves", step by step. I know there is a lot more people out there that will also enjoy this submission. I think I was even asked to draw her in human form. I dressed her with a simple sweat suit outfit because to me Derpy is comfortable in her own skin and she doesn't need all the pretty bows and ribbons to make her character shine. The tutorial itself should be rather simple, and I think you will find that drawing human Derpy Hooves is sort of more exciting than drawing her in her pony form. I have to bounce out of here so enjoy and make sure you comment and rate all the lessons, as well as artwork you come across on Dragoart.com.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
What are Cookies?
A cookie is a small file stored on your computer by a web site to give you a unique ID. Cookies help make it easier and faster for you to use our site because it can remember if you've visited the site, and they help us provide you with the information you need about your shopping activity or account details - when and where you need it. A cookie generated by our site contains no information about you. It contains only a numeric ID that, for example, allows you to retrieve your account details or shopping list. In keeping with our privacy policy on customer information, we analyse data gathered via cookies only in aggregate, not at the individual customer level.
Links of London uses cookies in order to create an enjoyable and easy online shopping experience for you. By using Links of London website you are agreeing that we can house cookies on your device.
Types of Cookies we use
There are two types of cookie that may be used during your visit to Links of London website:
- Session Cookies: These cookie are used to identify users between page loads. This allows the Links of London site to remember certain settings, like which products a user has added to the basket. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Without session cookies, the site would forget which items you placed in your shopping bag and you wouldn't be able to buy anything.
- Persistent Cookies: Persistent cookies remember your preferences and behaviour and help us to personalise your shopping. So, if the last time you visited, you decided that you wanted to shop the UK site in English and see prices in £s, that's what we'll show you. Persistent cookies remain on your browser until they expire automatically after a set time period, unless you delete them yourself.
- Third Party Cookies: Links of London partners with third party companies for marketing and advertising purposes. These cookies allow us to make more informed decisions about what our customers want from us. Third party companies may employ a mixture of both session and persistent cookies. Any information that they collect is anonymous.
Third Parties we work with and why
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Well, this is awkward. Former Florida FS Will Hill thought he was good enough to skip his senior season with the Gators and jump to the NFL Draft a year early.
Over three days, 32 teams spent 254 picks, and no one called Hill's name.
Continue reading "2011 NFL Draft: Nobody picks Will Hill, Chas Henry, Carl Johnson"


text:
Calendar |
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County
Illinois and the Korean War,
February 1953
Send a link to a friend
[February 01, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- The state of Illinois is
commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War by supplying
information each month about the state's involvement in the
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Illinois Department of
Veterans' Affairs, Illinois Korean Memorial Association, and the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, along with media
partners the Illinois Press Association and the Illinois
Broadcasters Association, are sponsoring "Illinois Remembers the
Forgotten War." For more information, visit
Illinoisans killed in action in Korea,
February 1953
By county of residence
(Source: U.S. Department of Defense records)
Pfc. Frederick R.
Fagan, Army, Feb. 14.
Cpl. Leonard
Goldsmith, Army, Feb. 9.
Pfc. Emil A. Larsen,
Jr., Army, Feb. 28.
Pfc. Roy L. Maxwell,
Marines, Feb. 26.
Pfc. Michael Rizdy,
Army, Feb. 27.
Pfc. Stanley J.
Stefaniak, Marines, Feb. 27.
Cpl. Robert V.
Larson, Army, Feb. 12.
Pfc. Robert G. Shoulders, Army, Feb.
Key events during the Korean War, February 1953
The front line in Korea was quiet in February 1953 -- cold and
quiet. An occasional skirmish flared up between U.S. and Chinese
troops at places with names like T-Bone Hill, Alligator's Jaw, Hill
Detroit and Hill 101. The names were colorful but meant little to
the American public; they were just more nondescript places where
the nation's young men were fighting and dying to maintain what
could only be described as a stalemate. Most Americans were anxious
to bring the war to an end.
More changing of the guard took place in February 1953 as
President Dwight D. Eisenhower made moves to end the Korean War. On
Feb. 10 Eisenhower appointed Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor to replace Gen.
James Van Fleet as commander of the 8th U.S. Army, making Taylor the
commander of all American ground forces in Korea.
Van Fleet had guided the U.S. fighting effort for nearly two
years during some of the hardest fighting of the war. Now largely
forgotten by history, Van Fleet was a highly decorated combat
veteran of World Wars I and II who was wounded leading his regiment
ashore on Utah Beach during the D-Day invasion in June 1944. While
serving as 8th Army commander, he lost his son, Air Force Capt.
James A. Van Fleet Jr., in an April 1952 bombing raid over North
Korea. Upon returning home in 1953, Van Fleet claimed he could have
achieved total victory in Korea in 1951 except for "pusillanimous"
military and political decisions. He retired in April 1953 as a
four-star general.
[to top of second column]
Taylor, Van Fleet's replacement, was one of America's bona fide
World War II heroes, made famous due to his exploits as a secret
agent in wartime Italy, and especially as the commander of the famed
101st Airborne Division, leading the paratroopers through the D-Day
landings, Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
Taylor immediately set about making changes designed to increase
the efficiency and readiness of 8th Army troops. But he found that
the war in Korea was a very different kind of affair from the one he
fought in northern Europe. There was no movement, only stagnation;
no commitment to victory, only a desire to maintain the status quo
until an armistice was signed. Under these terms, he would grow
increasingly reluctant to spend American lives for the remote and
barren hilltops of Korea.
Illinois Korean War Memorial
The Illinois Korean War Memorial is located in Springfield's Oak
Ridge Cemetery, the same cemetery that contains the Lincoln Tomb.
Oak Ridge is the nation's second-most visited burial ground, behind
only Arlington National Cemetery.
Dedicated on June 16, 1996, the memorial consists of a
12-foot-tall bronze bell mounted on a granite base. At the
circumference of the base are four niches, each with a
larger-than-life figure representing a branch of the armed services.
Inscribed on the base are the names of 1,754 Illinoisans killed in
The Illinois Korean War Memorial is administered by the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency and may be visited daily free of
Korean War veterans oral history project
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
The oral history program at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum offers "Veterans
Remember," a collection of interviews with Illinois residents
about their wartime experiences, at the library's website,
www.alplm.org/oral_history/home.html. The interviews concern the
experiences of Illinois veterans who fought in several conflicts,
including the Korean War, as well as the experiences of those on the
home front. Visitors to the website can listen to or watch the
interviews in their entirety. Several of the interviews have
transcripts, and most have still images as well.
Website visitors will need a computer capable of playing MP3
audio files or MPG compressed video files in order to listen to the
interviews. The transcripts and still images are also accessible.
Volunteers conducted and edited many of the interviews and developed
the transcripts that accompany them.
Korean War National Museum
The Korean War National Museum, or KWNM, celebrates the 60th
anniversary of the Korean War with a renewed focus on getting a
world-class museum built now, in the lifetime of the Korean War
veterans. Meanwhile, the Denis J. Healy Freedom Center, located at 9
South Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield, is open Tuesday
through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but
donations are accepted.
The KWNM welcomes donations of photographs,
documents, diaries and artifacts of those who served in the Korean
War. To learn more about the KWNM, or to volunteer or donate, visit
www.kwnm.org or look for the
museum on Facebook.
Korean War booklet
The Illinois Korean Memorial Association, an all-volunteer
organization, has published a booklet, "A Brief History of the
Korean War," copies of which have been provided free of charge to
public libraries, high schools and junior high schools in Illinois.
Individuals may obtain a copy by sending a $10 check or money order
to: Illinois Korean Memorial Association, P.O. Box 8554,
Springfield, IL 62791.
Tax-deductible donations are welcome. All donations go to the
book project and to the upkeep of the Illinois Korean War Memorial.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
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text:
New texts:
- Alan Berger: New Clothing, Old Hatred: Changes and Transformations of Antisemitism. Article
- Ron Kronish: Can the Descendants of Isaac and Ishmael learn to live together? Article
- Church of England: Church of England teaching document calls for repentance over role of Christians in centuries of antisemitism. Report
- Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ): CCJ Statement on 'God's Unfailing Word'. Report
- Board of Deputies of British Jews:Board of Deputies of British Jews launches updated Jewish Manifesto ahead of General Election. Report
- JCR: Germany: Hetty Berg Named New Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Report
- Church of England: God's Unfailing Word. Theological and Practical Perspectives on Christian–Jewish Relations. Statement
- Daniel J. Lasker: My Uncle, Rabbi Herman Hailperin, of Tree of Life Congregation: American Jewry in Mid-Twentieth Century and Now Article
- Raphael Jospe: Mysteries of Judaism. Review essay
- Lisa Palmieri-Billig: Catholic Jewish Relations in Pescara: a dream linking the past to the future. Article
- JCR: Antisemitic Attack in Halle, Germany. Report
- Robin Gomes: Jews, Christians, and Muslims: No to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.Report
- Ahmed Shaheed:Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. Report
- Lisa Palmieri-Billig: Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue as a Mission. Article
- Rabbi Ute Steyer: From Apologetics to Self-confidence. A New Form of Interreligious Dialogue. Article
- Sant'Egidio: Peace with no borders. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue. Report
- Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council: Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council's General Assembly in Matera, Italy. Report
- ICCJ: ICCJ Statement on the Global Ecological Crisis. Statement
- Gary Gilberg: The Gospel of Luke. Book review
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text:
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients and Preparation
- Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
- Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet that has been coated with cooking spray over medium to medium-high heat. Scramble eggs, remove from wok, cover, and set aside.
- Add oil to pan and let heat. Stir in shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Stir in green onions and peas and carrots, and stir-fry about 5 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through.
- Stir in cooked rice, eggs, and soy sauce, and stir-fry another minute.


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8731.0 - Building Approvals, Australia, August 2012 Quality Declaration
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/10/2012
|Page tools: Print Page Print All RSS Search this Product
Dwelling approvals strengthened in August
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Building Approvals show that the number of dwellings approved rose 6.4% in August 2012, in seasonally adjusted terms, following a fall of 21.2% in the previous month.
Dwelling approvals increased in Victoria (30.2%), Western Australia (16.1%) and Queensland (1.8%) but decreased in New South Wales (-18.3%), South Australia (-1.0%) and Tasmania (-0.9%) in seasonally adjusted terms.
In seasonally adjusted terms, approvals for private sector houses fell 0.5% in August. Private sector house approvals fell in New South Wales (-10.4%) and Queensland (-3.6%) but rose in Western Australia (11.0%), South Australia (1.4%) and Victoria (0.8%).
The value of total building approved rose 9.4%, in seasonally adjusted terms, after falling for 2 months. The value of residential building rose 9.2% while non-residential building rose 9.8%.
Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at www.abs.gov.au
Media Note: Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
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How it works:
Monthly price: £100 - £700
This is your monthly payment excluding upfront payments, fees and balloon payments.
What is CH?
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What is CP?
What is HP?
What is Loan?
The comparison engine on FinanceAcar is a unique online tool that lists the most competitive B CLASS car finance deals for both personal and business purchasers of MERCEDES-BENZs. This unique system works by comparing and locating the best price from dealers and then merging it with the cheapest finance option from UK lenders and in so doing developing low monthly repayments and great value for our users. Results are ranked so that the cheapest monthly finance price appears at the top -- this includes the price of delivery to your nominated address from a MERCEDES-BENZ dealer and a full MERCEDES-BENZ warranty.
Our unique system not only delivers the lowest cost MERCEDES-BENZ finance deals for personal and business B CLASS 5dr Hatchback B180d AMG Line, it also ensures that you find the right finance package for you. A MERCEDES-BENZ car leasing option like PCH is typically the most affordable way for an individual to finance a vehicle, but it might not be the right choice for you. If you plan to own the new vehicle after the end of the finance period, then a PCP or hire purchase deal can provide the best value. Check out the benefits and considerations of leasing in our section on car finance options. As leasing is not for everyone, above you will also find the most affordable alternatives such as B CLASS 5dr Hatchback B180d AMG Line car loans, pcp and hire purchase prices on FinanceAcar.
By using the FinanceAcar comparison engine you can locate one of the most competitive MERCEDES-BENZ B CLASS leasing deals across the UK. We get the latest low cost offers from lenders and pass this on to customers seeking the best car lease deals for a B CLASS 5dr Hatchback B180d AMG Line. To continue, choose the deal that suits your needs.
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For business customers, contract hire deals on the MERCEDES-BENZ B CLASS 5dr Hatchback B180d AMG Line are a very popular and cheap finance option due to the VAT benefits, the convenience of a simple monthly fee and no charges for vehicle depreciation. It is also popular for businesses that assist their employees with a B CLASS 5dr Hatchback B180d AMG Line company car via a salary sacrifice due to the personal tax benefits associated with it.
You can learn more by reading about the pros and cons of personal car finance options or business car finance options or use our FAQs.
We compared the market to find the cheapest car finance from lenders and dealers.
© 2016 Copyright Smart Car Finance Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Smart Car Finance Ltd is registered with the Data Protection Commissioner - registration number Z1863597 and we fully comply with its legal obligations
and principles set out in the 1998 Data Protection Act. Vehicles shown are for illustration purposes only.
All offers are subject to change at any time and are subject to finance approval and vehicle availability.


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Name: Greg Gage
Position: Co-founder of Backyard Brains
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
When I was a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of Michigan, we would record the brains of animals and try to figure out what the brains were doing. At the same time, we were going into classrooms and teaching neuroscience to kids. Tim Marzullo—now my business partner—and I noticed that there was a big difference between what we were doing in the lab and what was being taught. They were using Ping-Pong balls and jump ropes to explain action potentials [electrical activity that occurs when neurons fire], but that's so far removed from what is really going on in the brain.
We came up with an idea to build a recording kit for $100. The SpikerBox is a bioamplifier. What's happening is that axons have electricity, and the electricity gets picked up by the pins on the machine. You're listening to what the brain is doing. In our example, we use cockroaches, but we'd like to get things going on vertebrates and sea animals in the future.
Although our assembled kit costs $100, if you build it yourself, the parts are $49. A lot of high schools have an engineering or a physics class where the students build the kit and then use it in that course or hand it off to another class, say, biology or physiology.
We wanted to do this because kids who could become the best neuroscientists in the world might never become neuroscientists because neuroscience is not taught in high school. They might teach about the nervous system or the brain, but it's very general. When you choose a career, you don't choose things you read about in books; you choose based on the experiences you have. Seeing that cockroach leg dance to music and being able to manipulate the leg and hear the spikes that come out of it are really compelling. Those are events in children's lives.
This article was published in print as "When Cockroach Legs Dance."


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Popular Menu Items in Spanish and Latin Restaurants
When you're eating in a Spanish restaurant or a Central or South American restaurant, you may find the menu a little intimidating. But these restaurants feature many tasty and exotic menu items that you won't want to miss. The following information can help you order with confidence.
Popular foods you may see on the menu include the following:
Empanada (ehm-pah-nah-dah) actually means "in bread." In Mexico, an empanada is a folded and stuffed corn tortilla. In Argentina and Chile, you can get empanadas made out of wheat dough, which is then folded and stuffed. Argentinians like theirs small; Chileans make theirs big. Either way, they're delicious!
In Spain, a tortilla (tohr-tee-yah) is a potato, onion, and egg omelette that's often served at room temperature.
Memelas (meh-meh-lahs) in Mexico are tortillas that are pinched on the side to form a hollow, which is filled with pastes and delicacies.
In Mexico, elote (eh-loh-teh) is the name of tender corn, the kind you eat from the cob. The same thing in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia is called choclo (choh-kloh).
Green beans in Mexico are called ejotes (eh-Hoh-tehs). In South America, you find them under names like porotos verdes (poh-roh-tohs bvehr-dehs) and porotitos (poh-roh-tee-tohs). When the beans are dry, they're called porotos (poh-roh-tohs) in most of Latin America, except in Mexico, where they are known as frijoles (free-Hoh-lehs).
Called aguacate (ah-gooah-kah-teh) in Mexico and palta (pahl-tah) in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, it's still the same "avocado."
In the south of Mexico, when you say pan (pahn), meaning "bread," people usually think of something that the baker made to taste sweet. In South America, pan is closer to what you eat in the States.
Torta (tohr-tah) in Mexico is a sandwich on a bun. But most everywhere else in Latin America, torta means "cake," and sandwich means , well, "sandwich."
Gazpacho (gahs-pah-choh) is a chilled vegetable soup from Spain flavored with olive oil, garlic, and vinegar.
In Chile, filete (fee-leh-teh) is the cut of beef called sirloin in the United States. In Argentina, the same cut is called lomo (loh-moh).
The basic Argentinean meal is bife, con papas y ensalada (bvee-feh kohn pah-pahs ee ehn-sah-lah-dah), which translates to "grilled steak, with potatoes and salad." On an Argentinean grill, you're likely to find a number of meats familiar to you, along with others that you probably never have eaten. Among the more exotic are chinchulín (cheen-choo-leen), which is braided and grilled beef bowels. ¡Delicioso!
An Argentinean delicacy is molleja (moh-lyeh-Hah), which is the thyroid gland of a cow. In Mexico, molleja (moh-yeh-Hah) is chicken gizzard. In Chile, the same chicken gizzard is contre (kohn-treh).
The liver that you eat in Chile is called pana (pah-nah); in most other places in Latin America, liver is hígado (ee-gah-doh).
In Spain, jamón serrano (Ha-mohn seh-rran-oh), salt cured ham typical of the mountain regions, is a great delicacy.


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Hands-on learning, advanced research, and an entrepreneurial spirit are defining the next generation of engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder. Students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering learn from a vibrant faculty conducting diverse research in consumer products, robotics, thermodynamics, energy, and the environment. We're home to nearly 1,200 students in undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs.
We offer world-class facilities and an unrivaled spirit for business and industry. CU Boulder is ranked the 18th most entrepreneurial university in the nation by Forbes Magazine (2015). We also have strong connections to multiple national laboratories located here in Boulder, providing real-world research opportunities for students.


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Daimler has announced that beginning in mid-November, the first electric versions of the smart fortwo will roll off the production line in Hambach, France. The zero-emission electric model features a Tesla-sourced lithium-ion battery, a 30 kW electric motor, and the ability to be charged via any household electric outlet.
Daimler is promising a range of just over 70 miles per charge. For now, a few select customers in several U.S. cities will be able to lease the car for four years. This initial group of folks will "subject the environmentally friendly trendsetter to intensive real-world testing in tough everyday conditions," according to the company. From there, Daimler is planning a wide release for 2012 to anyone who wants one.
Related Entries:
- Germany Envisions One Million EVs on the Road by 2020
- Study: Electric Car Owners Have 'Range Anxiety'
- Tesla Model S to Get Huge Battery Pack: Report


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These conditions first came to light following the description of autoimmune pancreatitis and recognition of the association of this disease with various other organ system involvement. The lesions in the affected areas had in common a dense infiltration of IgG-4 plasma cells and T lymphocytes. Involvement has been described in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys, retroperitoneum and salivary glands as well as many other tissues.
In terms of renal involvement, the most commonly reported lesion is that of tubulointerstitial nephritis, again with a characteristic infiltration of IgG-4 positive plasma cells. Nodular lesions have also been described, which in many cases can be confusing for primary or secondary malignancies. Of note, sometimes these lesions can be FDG avid, and light up on PET scans, further confusing the picture with malignancy. Membranous nephropathy with IgG-4 positive deposits has also been described. Finally, retroperitoneal fibrosis may also predispose to obstructive nephropathy.
Diagnosis involves biopsy of the affected tissue with demonstration of IgG-4 positive plasma cells. Serum IgG-4 levels should also be requested and, if elevated, have a sensitivity for disease presence of ~70-95%.
Most successful reported treatments have been with corticosteroids, usually starting high and tapering to a lower maintenance dose. There is limited experience in relation to the duration of treatment with steroids or use of steroid-sparing agents in this condition.


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50 Respondents General Population
This is a completed book test marketing poll.
The author received 50 unbiased responses (votes & explanations) from the general population in 26 minutes.
Using PickFu, authors are able to choose enticing book titles and covers before publishing. Learn how customers use PickFu for book title and cover testing .Test Your Own Books


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Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero, and more recently for his role in the television shows Lipstick Jungle and Royal Pains.
McCarthy gained recognition in Hollywood during the 1980s. His boyish good looks continually had him placed as the sincere and kind leading man. As McCarthy's career grew, he involuntarily became a member of the '80s Hollywood group of young actors known as the "Brat Pack"; McCarthy's better-known films include the Brat Pack films St. Elmo's Fire and Pretty in Pink. During the filming of St. Elmo's Fire, McCarthy took up smoking, a habit he dropped in 1995. Years after the filming of Pretty in Pink, co-star and fellow Brat Pack member Molly Ringwald admitted to having a huge crush on Andrew during the filming. She found him "incredibly cute" and "dreamy." In 1985 McCarthy starred with Donald Sutherland and Kevin Dillon in Heaven Help Us, playing Michael Dunn. In 1985 McCarthy made his Broadway debut in The Boys of Winter. He eventually returned to Hollywood to appear in several films, such as Fresh Horses and Kansas. He had another hit in the 1989 comedy film Weekend at Bernie's. In 1993, he had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed The Joy Luck Club.
He returned to Broadway Theater to star in Side Man. In 2003, McCarthy was set to guest star in two episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Due to bad relations with actor Vincent D'Onofrio, series creator Dick Wolf decided against it. Wolf later stated, "Mr. McCarthy engaged in fractious behavior from the moment he walked on the set." McCarthy fired back in a statement of his own saying, "I was fired because I refused to allow a fellow actor to threaten me with physical violence, bully me and try to direct me." Despite this incident, he later guest starred in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (with Chris Noth, not D'Onofrio) that originally aired in November 2007. In 2004, he played Dr. Hook in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital. Since 2005 he has appeared with some regularity in episodes of the TV show E-Ring. In 2008 he starred in the NBC television series Lipstick Jungle as a billionaire, but was eventually cancelled, and had a minor role in The Spiderwick Chronicles. He's ranked #40 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars.


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Maritime Vessels Directory
- Type
- Flag
- Panama (2)
- Port
- Companies
- Akron Trade & Transport (2)
- Cher SA (1)
- Francie S.A. (1)
- Haidong Shipyard (2)
- Year
- 2009 (2)
Tanker for Oil and Chemicals | Flag: Panama | Port: PANAMA
Tanker for Oil and Chemicals | Flag: Panama | Port: PANAMA
Maritime News
Offshore: OSV Market Report
The environment in oil patches onshore and offshore alike has been challenging throughout 2019; worries about an economic slowdown – whether cyclical or induced by a trade war – have weighed heavily on oil prices, even in the face of reduced production by the big producers. Though storm clouds persist, there appears a clearing on the horizon.The fate of Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) is, naturally, closely tied to the price of oil. Seacor Marine's John Gellert, in reviewing its Q2 results, said: "Activity levels in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remain tepid as customer demand is highly sensitive to oil and gas prices.
Meyer Turku Delivers Costa Smeralda
Finish shipbuilder Meyer Turku delivered liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled Costa Smeralda to its Italian owner Costa Cruises, a brand of Carnival Corporation.The brand's new flagship Costa Smeralda becomes Carnival Corporation's fourth new ship of 2019 and its second LNG-powered ship.Costa Smeralda is the first of two new sister ships for Costa Cruises that can be powered in port and at sea by LNG. The second vessel, Costa Toscana, is currently under construction at Meyer Turku and scheduled to be delivered in 2021.
Interview: Ed Grimm, CEO, Southern Towing Company
"In God we trust. All others must have data."When Ed Grimm took the helm of Southern Towing Company (STC)as President and CEO, he inherited an enviable team of leaders, engineers, mentors, communicators and analysts. Today STC is a clear leader on the inland waterways, pioneering and proving the business and safety value of Z-Drives on the river towboats.How did you come to the top spot at Southern Towing Company?I started in the energy industry at 16 working at an oil storage depot in New York Harbor, working there through high school and putting myself through college.
Pirates Kidnap 19 Crew from Tanker off Nigeria
Pirates have kidnapped 19 crew members from a crude oil tanker off Nigeria in an area where acts of piracy are on the rise, an official with the ship's operator said on Thursday.The loaded vessel, the Nave Constellation, was attacked 77 nautical miles off Bonny Island on Tuesday and 18 Indians and one Turk from the crew were seized, the official said.Seven other crew members remain on board the vessel. Neither the vessel nor the cargo were damaged, the official said.The shipping industry has warned in recent months about the increasing dangers faced by seafarers sailing through the Gulf of Guinean, particularly around Nigeria, including kidnappings by pirate gangs.
SBM Orders Two More Fast4Ward Hulls
SBM Offshore announced it has signed contracts with Chinese shipyards for the construction of the company's fourth and fifth hulls under its purchase program for Fast4Ward newbuild multipurpose floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) hulls.The contracts were signed with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Offshore Co., Ltd. (SWS) and China Merchants Industry Holdings (CMIH). Both yards are also progressing the construction of SBM Offshore's first three hulls which are already allocated to projects in Guyana and Brazil.


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John Barth
John Barth's fiction has won the National Book Award, the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award and the Lannan Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a professor emeritus in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. His novels include The Floating Opera (1956), The Sot-Weed Factor (1960) and The Tidewater Tales (1987). His collections of short stories include Lost in the Funhouse (1968) and On with the Story (1996). His most recent novel is Every Third Thought: A Novel in Five Seasons (2011).


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Growing up, I was a big wrestling fan. I was a dedicated WWF fan from the age of 8 to 12. And then I grew out of it. Having said that, I still occasionally catch reruns of Monday Night Raw on the weekends in HD. Wrestling in HD is fabulous. Anyway, during the height of my wrestling fandom, the most popular wrestler and by far my favorite had to have been the Ultimate Warrior. He was crazy, out of this world, wore neon and moved around like he had ADD. I loved it! And so I was excited to read over on Emptees that he is planning a comeback of sorts. Not a wrestling comeback but more of a branding comeback. His people have enlisted the creative kids over at Emptees to create designs for an upcoming Ultimate Warrior merchandise release. Here's what they've come up with so far:
What do you guys think? Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?


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Christmas Lights and Outdoor Christmas Decorations
Hicks Nurseries is Long Island's Christmas Lighting Center. We have the styles you won't find anywhere else. Create a festive and bright holiday light display both inside and outdoors. You'll be the envy of every family in your neighborhood!
Christmas Lights to Make Your Holidays Bright!
Our extensive selection of string lights includes energy-saving, vibrantly-colored LED Christmas lights, icicle lights, twinkle lights, net lights, multi-function light sets, garland lights, battery-operated lights, tree toppers and a festive assortment of novelty lights including old fashioned C7 & C9 light sets. For indoor and/or outdoor use, all of our Christmas lights are backed by our two-season limited warranty.
Decorate Your Landscape with Ease
Decorate your yard with minimal effort but spectacular results. We have over 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to outdoor decorating ideas. Add some sparkle and joy to your home by shopping Hicks Nurseries' Christmas lighting and decorating displays today.
Our incredible selection includes:
- Whimsical inflatable figures
- Traditional blowmold figures
- Three dimensional wire art
- Brilliantly lit, large and small acrylic figures up to 6 feet tall
- Complete Holy Family scenes
Upcoming Events
See What's Coming Up at HIcksThroughout the year Hicks Nurseries offers gardening seminars, workshops and events for children and families. Check back soon for additional upcoming events. Calendar
Expert Advice
Timely advice from our plant experts, plant care tips, "how to" videos and more!
Four Trees to Plant for Arbor Day
Need help finding the right plant?
"Best selection on LI. Helpful staff. Great displays for inspiration." – C. Mazza.
"Beautiful flowers, beautiful shrubs, beautiful everything!" –Kevin M.
"I wish my backyard was bigger so I can keep buying awesome stuff from Hicks!" –Jeanne S.
"I was there at Christmastime with a few friends – just loved it – was so beautiful – they even had Santa Claus." –Gloria L.
"I luv that you guys not only share this knowledge, but promote and support growing food by offering fall veggie starts. I will be visiting….. home grown food and urban farming is a growing (no pun) movement and by offering seasonal starts you are helping folks who might feel too challenged starting from seeds (especially newbies) and would have otherwise not been introduced to the delicious, healthy, and empowering experience of growing your own food. I have planted a lot of my fall veggies but I will still come and get my Hicks fix." –Alphie C.
"Hicks Nursery has the best Santa! He is so good with the kids and always brings out their smile, even if they seem a little scared. We have been going to the same Santa @ Hicks for 3 years now and our son loves him. They also have a great little walk through, with mechanical x-mas scenes. Don't forget to stop & look at the reindeer! Great place!" –Jen C.
"Great nursery and the best Santa every year!" –Mark C.
"I love taking my granddaughter to see hicks beautiful christmas, Halloween, and Easter displays! Thanks for a job well done!" –Mary Ellen S.
"The seasonal displays and activities for kids are a tradition for families in the area. The extent of varieties of beautiful plants and flowers, shrubs, trees, and outdoor decor is amazing. If you can't find it here, it must be very hard to find anywhere. Love this store. Always friendly and knowledgeable staff here who advise on any plant or product you need." –Geraldine S.
"My parents brought me to Hicks when I was a kid, and I always loved it. As an adult, and now as a home owner, I've recently come back after a long period of absence. What a wonderful place, filled with really good products and some of the most knowledgeable people I've seen in any retail establishment. It's nice to go here, get the organic lawn products I need, and also have my questions answered. Sure, you might pay a few dollars more than "Lowes Depot", but it's well worth it. Nothing like rediscovering a great place. Can't wait to bring my son here for the holidays later this year. I can't thank you enough as I work to get my lawn the best on the block." –Jeff K.
"I would like to commend you on the wonderful staff you have. A garden center should be a happy place. Everyone at Hicks had a smile and a pleasant word and I will continue to come back year after year." Joan H.
"I just got home from a trip to Hicks Nursery. I was in awe of how many varieties of tomatoes are there! Actually, there is a huge selection of everything!! One stop shopping at its best!" -Cathy A.
"Thank you for carrying such a large selection of organic herbs. I got behind in some of my seeds and really focus on an all organic garden. I was pleasantly surprised today by how big the selection was in all herbs. Got all the herbs I wanted." –Sophie L
"I love Hick's for all the beautiful flower's I plant in our yard every Spring. They have great quality and friendly service." – Erika M.
"I won't shop anywhere else. Best plants in Nassau County. Great selection and the staff is both knowledgeable & helpful." – Patricia M.
"The seasonal displays and activities for kids are a tradition for families in the area. The extent of varieties of beautiful plants and flowers, shrubs, trees, and outdoor decor is amazing. If you can't find it here, it must be very hard to find anywhere. Love this store. Always friendly and knowledgeable staff here who advise on any plant or product you need." –Geraldine S.
"You get everything right, knowledgeable & friendly staff, great quality plants, the gorgeous flower show, Otto and Santa." –Pat B.
"You have such a beautiful display of everything ALL YEAR ROUND!!! Hats off to the "big boss" and outstanding staff as well – see you this weekend!" – Angie A.
"I shop at Hicks and bring the flats back to our home in CT. I will always be a Long Island Girl." –Lisa D.
"Hicks has always been a leader in the Green Industry; even during trying times. I hope the people appreciate just how wonderful Hicks Nursery truly is!" Erik F.
"Beautiful! We've been twice and will visit again. The show is always a LI spring highlight – great work! BTW, love the new landscape design center more visible and accessible – had a great consultation!" – Jacqueline S.
"I so enjoy going to Hicks. It is a beautiful place and I feel refreshed when I leave there. Hicks offers so much more besides flowers. I usually meet old friends there every time I go." –Anne D.
"You have a great selection of plants, some of which I have never seen!! The blue orchids are out of this world!!" – Rae K.


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Welsh Rarebit
By MooK
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup porter beer
- 1 teaspoon English mustard powder
- 2 or 3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 2 or 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 5 ounces sharpest Cheddar available, grated (about 2 cups)
- 5 ounces Stilton, crumbled (about 2 cups depending on how finely it's crumbled)
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper
- Long thin slices of French baguette cut on a bias
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- Cloves of garlic, halved
- Thin slices tomato and diced tomatoes, for garnish
- Crumbled bacon
- Chopped fresh chives
Step 1
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the beer until smooth. Whisk in the mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire until smooth. Gradually add the cheese, alternating between the Cheddar and the Stilton, a handful at a time, whisking until smooth and creamy before adding more, 3 or 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread in a single layer, brush with oil and lightly toast. Rub the oiled side of the toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Arrange tomato slices on the toasts, top with a layer of the cheese mixture and broil until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown, 2 or 3 minutes. Garnish with bacon, diced tomatoes and chives before serving.


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We have a wide selection of the best Dodge and Ram models available. You'll find a variety of cars, SUVs, and pickups, including the always-popular Ram models, that are sure to capture your interest. We're always updating our Dodge inventory, so be sure to bookmark the page so you can check back frequently. Or stop by our Dodge dealership near Denver to get the full Dodge experience in person.
While used cars aren't for everyone, our customers typically prefer our selection of pre-owned vehicles over lots of new, highly-priced models. Unlike new cars, used vehicles don't lose up to 20 percent of their value as soon as they are driven off the lot. Cars depreciate the most during the first three years they are owned, and many drivers enjoy buying cars that are thousands of dollars cheaper than they were on release.The lower pricing model for pre-owned vehicles gives most customers better financing options as well. Our customers have lower payments and shorter financing plans than most of those who buy new cars, simply because the price tag is so much lower for a used vehicle.
Many drivers also enjoy the reliability of a pre-owned vehicle. Modern vehicles utilize technological advances that make them last longer than ever, so drivers can feel more comfortable about the investment of a used car. Untested high-tech features have already led to multiple recalls on various makes and models - by purchasing a vehicle that has been on the market for some time, customers have a much broader wealth of performance and reliability information about the vehicle. There are fewer surprises, and customers know what to expect from the vehicle they are purchasing, based on, potentially, the experience of millions of other drivers.
Customers at our Dodge dealership don't have to worry about surprises in our pre-owned vehicles. Every vehicle we receive is thoroughly inspected by our certified automotive technicians. Before we place a car for sale, it must pass our rigorous performance and safety requirements so you can feel confident that your vehicle will last.To find out if a pre-owned Dodge is right for you, call to schedule a test drive or stop by our dealership in Golden, CO. We're confident we have the right car to get you rolling again.
* The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, other fees required by law, and finance charges.
* Images, pricing and options shown are examples, only, and may not reflect exact vehicle color, trim, options, pricing or other specifications.


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Soybeans finished strong after a supportive weekly export sales report. January soybeans closed 12 cents higher at $14.91 ¼, March corn 6 ¼ cents lower at $7.51 ½, and March wheat 2 cents higher at $8.62.
The morning session was rather weak for grains and oilseeds especially after the opening bell. The US Dollar Index was sharply higher which weighed on commodities especially crude oil. Soybean sales were strong but the highs weren't made until the end of the day. Corn was understandably weak throughout the day given their poor export sales.
Weekly Export Sales (million bushels)
Conab is estimating Brazil's soybean production to be 82.6 million MTs and corn at 71.9 million. Respectively the USDA is estimating 81 million and 70 million. A strong Brazilian crop still supports our re-ownership idea. For those of you who haven't had a chance to see the strategy please click on the video link below.
Demand continues to control the market. As we saw today, the market reactions coincided with the divergence from sales expectations with soybeans and soymeal outpacing the rest. March corn is still holding steady between the 50 and 100 day moving averages.
Volatility remains quite low from the range corn has set but can it stay that way through the January reports?? The chart below depicts how far vol has come off its highs made over the summer.
Please contact us for more information on how to implement the strategy discussed or a complimentary review of your marketing plan.
Best Regards,
Trading commodity futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge and financial resources. The market information contained in this message has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed as to its accuracy or completeness. Market information may not be consistent with current or future market positions of EHedger LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents.


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Tax Management Strategies
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CAIRO — Protesters angry over an amateurish American-made video denouncing Islam attacked the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Tuesday, killing a State Department officer, while Egyptian demonstrators stormed over the fortified walls of the United States Embassy here.
On the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the assaults were a violent reminder that the changes sweeping the region have hardly dispelled the rage against the United States that still smolders in pockets around the Arab world.
The mobs were set off by Egyptian media reports about a 14-minute trailer for the video, called "Innocence of Muslims," that was released on the Web. The trailer opens with scenes of Egyptian security forces standing idle as Muslims pillage and burn the homes of Egyptian Christians. Then it cuts to cartoonish scenes depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a child of uncertain parentage, a buffoon, a womanizer, a homosexual, a child molester and a greedy, bloodthirsty thug.
The trailer was uploaded to YouTube by Sam Bacile, whom The Wall Street Journal Web site identified as a 52-year old Israeli-American real estate developer in California. He told the Web site he had raised $5 million from 100 Jewish donors to make the film. "Islam is a cancer," Mr. Bacile was quoted as saying.
The video gained international attention when a Florida pastor began promoting it along with his own proclamation of Sept. 11 as "International Judge Muhammad Day."Continue reading the main story
In a statement on Tuesday, the pastor, Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., called the film "an American production, not designed to attack Muslims but to show the destructive ideology of Islam" and said it "further reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad."
He said the embassy and consulate attacks illustrated that Muslims "have no tolerance for anything outside of Muhammad" and called Islam "a total deception."
Mr. Jones inspired deadly riots in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 by first threatening to burn copies of the Koran and then burning one in his church. He also once reportedly hanged President Obama in effigy.
In Benghazi on Tuesday, protesters with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades attacked the United States Consulate and set it on fire, Libyan officials said. Some news reports said American guards inside the consulate had fired their weapons, and a brigade of Libyan security forces arriving on the scene had battled the attackers in the streets as well.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed late Tuesday that a State Department officer had been killed in the Benghazi attack, and she condemned the violence. "Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," she said. "The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind."
The death in Benghazi appears to be the first such fatality in a string of attacks and vandalism against foreign and especially Western diplomatic missions in Libya in recent months. Since the fall of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libya's transitional government has struggled to rebuild an effective police force, control the weapons that have flooded the streets and restore public security.
Local Islamist militant groups capitalizing on the security vacuum have claimed responsibility for some attacks, and some reports on Tuesday suggested that one such group, Ansar al-Sharia, had claimed responsibility for that day's assault.
In Cairo, thousands of unarmed protesters gathered outside the embassy during the day. By nightfall, some had climbed over the wall around the embassy compound and destroyed a flag hanging inside. The vandals replaced it with a black flag favored by ultraconservatives and militants and labeled with the most basic Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet."
Embassy guards fired guns into the air, but a large contingent of Egyptian riot police officers on hand to protect the embassy evidently did not use their weapons against the crowd, and the protest continued, largely without violence, into the night.
A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, the mainstream Islamist group and the sponsor of Egypt's first elected president, Mohamed Morsi, urged the United States government on Tuesday to prosecute the "madmen" behind the video, according to the English-language Web site of the state newspaper, Al Ahram.
The spokesman asked for a formal apology from the United States government and warned that events like the video were damaging Washington's relations with the Muslim world. He also emphasized that any protests should remain peaceful and respect property.
There should be "civilized demonstrations of the Egyptian people's displeasure with this film," the Brotherhood spokesman said, according to the newspaper Web site. "Any nonpeaceful activity will be exploited by those who hate Islam to defame the image of Egypt and Muslims."
Bracing for trouble before the start of the protests here and in Libya, the American Embassy released a statement shortly after noon that appeared to refer to Mr. Jones: "The United States Embassy in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions." It later denounced the "unjustified breach of our embassy."
Apparently unaware of the timing of the first embassy statement, the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, put out a statement just before midnight Tuesday saying, "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks." Mr. Romney also said he was "outraged" at the attacks on the embassy and consulate.
Responding to Mr. Romney's statement, Ben LaBolt, an Obama campaign spokesman, said, "We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack."
An article on Sept. 12 about the attack a day earlier on the United States mission in Benghazi, Libya, described incompletely an Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet." It is Islam's most basic profession of faith; it is not favored only by ultraconservative and militant Muslims.


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BOSTON, Mass. – Boston College's Andrew Lawrence had two hits, two runs batted in and earned the win on the mound Tuesday night as the Eagles defeated Harvard, 8-0, in the Beanpot championship game at Fenway Park.
Five Harvard errors led to three unearned runs early in the game before BC got some cushion in the top of the ninth inning as three Harvard relievers walked four batters.
The Crimson was led by freshman third baseman Jack McGuiggan with the Hingham, Mass. native going 2-for-4 in his Fenway Park debut. Senior Dillon O'Neill was also 2-for-4.
Jack Colton, from Milton, Mass., also had a hit in his Fenway debut and Samuel Franklin earned a hit in his final Beanpot game.
Harvard had several threats in the game. With BC leading 1-0 in the third inning, Tyler Albright was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the frame. Danny Moskovits lined a long ball towards the gap in left-center. BC's Matt Sudol made a spectacular catch on the warning track and doubled off Albright at first.
In the fourth, singles from O'Neill and McGuiggan put runners on base with one out but BC reliever Matt Brazis was able to get a strikeout and a grounder to the that threat.
O'Neill and McGuiggan singled again in the sixth but Nick Bayuk got an inning-ending double play ball to keep the Crimson off the scoreboard.
Andrew Hatch provided two innings of scoreless relief while Jonah Klees (2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 K) also pitched well. Dan Berardo took the loss (0-2), allowing one earned run in 4.0 innings in which he walked one and struck out one.
The Crimson is back in action this weekend with a home-and-home series against Dartmouth.


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While the Schwan Cup Gold Division catches the eye for coming in the largest box wrapped in the shiniest of paper, there is another holiday tournament present for boys' hockey fans this year: The Holiday Hockey Classic in St. Louis Park.
But first the Schwan Cup. Headlining the Gold Division are Class 2A powers No. 1 Edina, No. 2 Hill-Murray, No. 3 Minnetonka, No. 6 Duluth East, No. 7 Burnsville and No. 8 Blaine. In Class 1A, defending state champion and top-ranked St. Thomas Academy is in the mix along with No. 4 Breck.
All four quarterfinals will be played Dec. 26 at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. Winners' bracket semifinals are Dec. 27 and the championship is Dec. 28, all at Ridder Arena.
You can check out seven players who have committed to Division I schools: Burnsville's Teemu Kivihalme (Colorado College), Edina's Connor Hurley (Notre Dame), Matt Nelson (Princeton) and Parker Reno (RPI) and Minnetonka's Jimmy Schuldt (St. Cloud State) and future Gophers Jack Ramsey and Tommy Vannelli.
Intriguing matchup possibilities are bountiful. But here's one: St. Thomas Academy, which moves up to Class 2A beginning next season, could make a statement against the big boys.
The Holiday Hockey Classic, with Benilde-St. Margaret's as the host, will be played at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center. It features the defending 2A state champion Red Knights and No. 5 Wayzata, No. 9 Eden Prairie, No. 11 Elk River, No. 13 Moorhead and No. 14 Bloomington Jefferson.
The quarterfinals begin Dec. 27 with winner's bracket semifinals on Dec. 28 and the championship on Dec. 29.
Watch for the Red Knights' Dan Labosky (Colorado College) and Grant Besse (Wisconsin) as well as Eden Prairie's Luc Snuggerud and Steven Spinner (both committed to Nebraska Omaha) and Hunter Warner (Minnesota State Mankato).
Tag(s): Home Wisconsin Seniors Hill-Murray St. Thomas Academy Princeton Duluth East Eden Prairie Edina Minnetonka Wayzata Moorhead Benilde-St. Margaret's St. Louis Park Blaine Elk River/Zimmerman Bloomington Jefferson Burnsville Breck 2012-13 Tournaments Holiday Tournaments Hill-Murray St. Thomas Academy Duluth East Eden Prairie Edina Minnetonka Wayzata Moorhead Princeton Benilde-St. Margaret's St. Louis Park Blaine Elk River Bloomington Jefferson Burnsville Breck


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Donald Trump's campaign chairman was a key player in multi-million-dollar business propositions with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs — one of them a close Putin ally with alleged ties to organized crime — which foreign policy experts say raises questions about the pro-Russian bent of the Trump candidacy.
"The relationships that Trump's advisors have had with pro-Russian forces are deeply disturbing," said David Kramer, a former senior State Department official in the George W. Bush administration and a former adviser to Marco Rubio's presidential campaign. "Trump's attitude on Russia is not in line with most Republican foreign-policy thinking. Trump has staked out views that are really on the fringe."
In 2008, according to court records, senior Trump aide Paul Manafort's firm was involved with a Ukrainian oligarch named Dmytro Firtash in a plan to redevelop a famous New York hotel, the Drake. The total value of the project was $850 million. Firtash's company planned to invest over $100 million, the records say.


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Crossing to Safety
Since its publication in 1987, Crossing to Safety has established itself as one of the greatest and most cherished American novels of the twentieth century. Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between Vermont and Wisconsin, it is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the alchemy of friendship and marriage.
It's deceptively simple: two bright young couples meet during the Depression and form an instant and lifelong friendship. Thirty-four years after their first meeting, when Larry and Sally are called back to the Langs' summer home in Vermont, it's as if for a final showdown.
Crossing to Safety is about loyalty and survival in its most everyday form—the need to create bonds and the urge to tear them apart. How has this friendship defined them? What is its legacy? Stegner offer answers in those small, perfectly rendered moments that make up lives as quiet as these—and as familiar as our own.
About the Author
Wallace Stegner's novels and stories are profoundly influenced by the American West, where he grew up. He is a master at tracing the changes over time in marriages and friendships, as well as at depicting the poignant tensions between a mind that remains strong in a body that is succumbing to illness.
In 1972, Stegner won a Pulitzer Prize for Angle of Repose, a novel about a wheelchair-bound man's re-creation of his New England grandmother's experience in a late nineteenth-century frontier town. Among the other novels of Wallace Stegner, who died in 1993, are The Big Rock Candy Mountain, Joe Hill, All the Little Live Things and The Spectator Bird. From 1945 to 1971 Stegner taught at Stanford University, where the writing program is named after him.
"Tracing the interlocking lives, loves, and aspirations of four lifelong friends who move between Vermont and Wisconsin, Stegner's 1987 masterpiece is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight… he speaks to us of universal questions, reflecting on 'the miserable failure of the law of nature to conform to the dream of man.' In doing so, he has created a believable human drama the dimensions of which reach out beyond the story's end and resonate in the reader's heart ."– Publishers Weekly
"This is a wonderfully rich, warm, and affecting book. Highly recommended." -Library Journal
About SFPL'S Stegner Environmental Center
The Wallace Stegner Environmental Center is a resource center for information about the environment. Its goal is to inspire understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness of life on earth by providing environmental literature and innovative public programs. The Center is named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner.
Collections and Services Available
- A collection of books ranging from those for the layperson to books used by members of the Bay Area's environmental community
- Magazines concerned with core environmental issues
- A variety of programs and lectures that inform the public about topical ecological and environmental issues
- Associated with the Stegner Center is the Government Information Center, which holds City, state and federal documents including environmental impact statements
- A permanent display of Wallace Stegner's personal copies of his books


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The leafy lawns and quaint town commons that dot communities around Worcester County may appear to be a far cry from inner-city streets. But the bucolic landscape doesn't shield outlying towns from the scourge of heroin addiction, which also has been tied to nine or 10 overdose deaths in the city of Worcester this month alone.
While Worcester has had 14 or 15 suspected heroin deaths since Jan. 1, according to Worcester Police, there have been 25 suspected heroin deaths outside the city, among a total 171 unattended deaths under investigation by Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office.
Confirmation of a heroin overdose can't be made until toxicology tests are completed by the medical examiner's office, which can take many months. Law enforcement authorities consider a death in which the victim is found with the drug or paraphernalia such as needles to be a suspected heroin overdose.
Suspected heroin deaths have been reported from Southboro to Hardwick, Gardner to Dudley, and across a vast swath of the central part of the county.
Northbridge had its second suspected heroin-related death of the year last Sunday, when a 32-year-old man was found dead shortly after 12:30 p.m. in the McDonald's restaurant on Providence Road, across from a busy shopping plaza.
For a town with a 2010 Census population of 15,707, Northbridge's heroin-related death rate of 1.3 per 10,000 population is higher than Worcester's, which is less than 1 per 10,000.
Northbridge Police Detective Sgt. John D. Ouillette said the town had been seeing about one call a week for overdoses until recently, when it jumped to "a couple a week."
Many users who have overdosed have been revived with Narcan nasal spray (naloxone), which paramedics from the town's ambulance service administer.
Detective Sgt. Ouillette said he didn't know whether the recent spike in deaths is a result of heroin that is more pure and deadly, or that's cut with other harmful substances, or whether people are using it alone and didn't have someone who could call 911.
Northbridge police are working with seven other towns in the Blackstone Valley Drug Task Force — Grafton, Sutton, Uxbridge, Douglas, Blackstone, Millville and Mendon — to stop the spread of heroin. But the problem doesn't have a single source.
"Some say the heroin is coming out of Worcester, others from sources in Northbridge, some from Woonsocket, R.I.," Detective Sgt. Ouillette said. "For most dealers, it's to support their own habit. One girl (we arrested) had a $2,500-a-week habit."
Auburn Chief of Police Andrew J. Sluckis Jr. said, "Heroin is probably less available than in Worcester, but it's obviously here."
Auburn also had a suspected overdose fatality last Sunday, when a 47-year-old man was found dead in the bathroom at La Quinta Inn on Southbridge Street.
Chief Sluckis said it appeared that the victim dropped dead before he took a step.
"I think that the type of heroin that's being used kills these people immediately," he said.
Larcenies have increased in the suburbs, according to Chief Sluckis. "We know those are 95 percent drug-related," he said.
Bolton, which hasn't had a suspected overdose death under investigation this year, has also seen the impact of heroin-related crime.
Chief of Police Vincent C. Alfano said, "When we do see housebreaks, they tend to be heroin users. That's the way people pay for their habit: You end up dealing or stealing."
Northboro Chief of Police Mark K. Leahy said: "In the last six weeks we've probably had four overdoses. It has our attention."
Northboro had a suspected fatal heroin overdose in May, when a 24-year-old woman from Worcester was left unresponsive at the side of Route 20.
Detective Sgt. Brian T. Griffin said he believed she had come to the town to visit friends and called her dealer from Worcester to deliver the drugs to Northboro.
"We were starting to see the increase (in heroin overdoses) then," Detective Sgt. Griffin said. "We've had our share of cases in the last year that have been reversed by Narcan."
Barre Chief of Police Erik Demetropolous said the rural town, population 5,398, is not immune to the heroin crisis.
"It's getting progressively worse. Part of this is we're dealing with prescription painkillers and that's leading into them trying heroin," he said.
"No one moved to Barre because of the nightlife," he added. "Some people have this thought that there's no crime, that this is a Mayberry. That's an unfortunate mind-set. Crime knows no jurisdiction."
Like many others in law enforcement, Chief Demetropolous noted the economics of paying $30 to $80 for an opioid Percocet or OxyContin, versus $8 to $10 for a bag of heroin.
Also like other police chiefs who spoke to the Telegram & Gazette, he tied the increase in hard drug use to the loosening of drug trafficking penalties for moderate amounts of drugs and the decriminalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana. Police officers are writing increasing numbers of citations for marijuana possession, which carries a $100 fine, they say.
"The young generation no longer sees marijuana as a gateway. They don't see it as a bad thing and then they move into the harder drugs," Chief Demetropolous said. "Heroin has had a huge spike in this town."
Chief Demetropolous said the town isn't just seeing an increase in calls related to narcotics and overdoses, but also a jump in people driving under the influence of drugs.
The only positive thing to come out of the heroin crisis, he said, was the increased awareness and communication from townspeople, through the department's tip line, social media and mobile apps including MyPD. Officials plan to post a survey on the town's website soon to see how to better connect with residents.
While small-town public safety departments may lack personnel numbers to combat the drug crisis, their personal connection with residents may strengthen community response.
"I truly believe it creates a bigger hole when somebody dies or overdoses," Chief Demetropolous said. "It's your neighbor. A lot of our kids go to the same schools. We go to the same band concerts in the center of town in the summertime ... In Barre, you know them all."
Fitchburg, one of the larger cities outside Worcester, with a population of 40,318, has had four suspected heroin overdose deaths this year.
Kevin MacLean, director of homeless services at the shelter, Our Father's House, said there are overdoses almost every other day now. Last week, there were two funerals for suspected overdose victims, including a 48-year-old man found with a needle in his arm.
The warning issued recently by Worcester health officials about contaminated heroin on the streets may actually be having the reverse effect, according to Mr. MacLean.
"When people think there's a great drug out there, everybody chases it," he said. "The addiction is crazy, what it does to people."
Mr. MacLean said he carries Narcan now. The opiate-blocking drug isn't a silver bullet, however.
Mr. MacLean said, based on what he's heard on the streets: "They're treating Narcan almost as a designated driver. Three or four people will shoot up if they know the fifth person has Narcan."
The substance-abuse treatment law signed recently by Gov. Deval L. Patrick, improving access to detox and inpatient addiction services by removing pre-authorization requirements, may help in the long run, Mr. MacLean said.
"Access to detox is a huge issue," he said. He added that a Lunenburg detective told him that if addicts can get into detox, "that's a big hit on the dealers."
In the short term, though, small towns and big cities alike are scrambling to stem the tide of overdose deaths.
The district attorney's office will hold a Narcan training session for law enforcement countywide at the Holden Police Department Tuesday.
Maryanne Frangules, executive director of the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, said after a meeting Tuesday at Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center in Worcester: "Every city and town has their own level of readiness. Every city and town has its own level of denial. The disease is rampant, and it happens in spikes."
She continued: "We need people in recovery to speak up. That's what MOAR is about. At some point, we want to change the culture."
Contact Susan Spencer at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanSpencerTG.


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This was the news that woke me up last Sunday: 'United States and China agree to work together on phase down of HFCs.'
Good! Finally some political action to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions! Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a serious threat to the climate as they are super GHGs thousands of times more powerful than CO2 and rapidly expanding, especially in developing countries where refrigeration and air conditioning needs are growing fast. They probably cool your soda, your ice-cream and even your home and your car. Their rapid phase-out is one of the most cost-effective measures to protect the climate in the short term. And the good news is that long-term environmentally friendly alternatives are already in the market and ready to go in most applications: natural refrigerants.
Let's open that bottle of champagne already waiting in the fridge during more than four years of political inaction! Who cares that it is only 10 am?
But wait a minute. United States? The largest user of HFCs in the world and father of the 'baby'? China? The largest producer of HFCs worldwide? Benefiter of the most perverse incentive that the UN climate politics has ever created? Phase down? How and by when? And very important, who else is on board? HFCs? To be replaced with what?
Let's rewind to the 80s when the first generation of F gases was born. F gases in contrast to the main other GHGs are the only man-made group of gases. The proud father was the US chemical industry. Unfortunately, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) almost destroyed the ozone layer back then. So after a few years of back and forward and obstinate denial by the industry, we managed to chase them away; the CFCs, not the chemical companies.
Unfortunately, for all of us and the planet, they didn't have the intention of going away. And the same people who got us into trouble found the perfect solution at the right time, claiming to save us all from ozone catastrophe: HFCs. And while they got them ready, they even got us a temporary replacement: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), both ozone and climate destroyers that will still be in use in developed countries until 2020 and in developing countries until 2030. With HFCs, the third generation of fluorinated compounds, the chemical industry offered us an ozone friendly alternative but not climate friendly though!
This brings us to the present and to a similar situation. We are trying to get rid of a chemical alternative that yesterday was a solution and that today is once again a problem for our planet. And yet again, the US chemical industry – which can't profit anymore from HCFCs and HFCs as China and others can produce them much more cheaply, especially since they receive incentives to do so – claims to have the magic bullet to save us all; this time from climate change. The heroes this time are the new HFCs or so-called HFOs, also known as climate-friendly HFCs. Genius, isn't it!
What HFOs will bring, nobody knows. The first studies talk about toxic by-products upon production and decomposition with unknown risks for the environment and human health. I am afraid that only time will tell. HFOs are ready to go. So it is the US political machine. The chemical industry has profited from ozone depletion and it seems to be now set to profit from global warming. I wonder what China has got in return …
Don't get me wrong. I celebrate that we are getting closer to the end of a painful deadlock at the Montreal Protocol process – I say closer because I guess that other key players such as India and Brazil, still need to get on board – and that US and China have got to an agreement so HFCs can be discussed at the right forum.
My only hope is that this is an agreement made on good faith. An agreement that will endeavour to achieve what is in the best for the environment and our planet and not what is in the best interests of the industry. In other words, to open up my precious bottle of champagne and kick off the party, the agreement will have to aim for a phase out of HFCs by 2020, natural refrigerants should become the world's choice and the primary replacement for HFCs wherever available.
Image: Greenfreeze production line in Kelon factory. The first refrigeration technology that is neither ozone-depleting nor climate-killing, invented by Greenpeace. © Greenpeace / Alan Hindle
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