text:
Excellent battery life. Light weight. Good performance.
Small keyboard. Old Centrino components. Small hard drive.
Bottom Line
The Dell Inspiron 700m is a perfect ultraportable notebook if you want long battery life and good performance. The small keyboard and hard drive are the only caveats.
The Dell Inspiron 700m ($1,199 direct with E-Value code 1111-i700mpc) is tailor-made for mobile students (and busy professionals, for that matter). You can go with the standard four-cell battery and have a 4-pound unit that's easy to toss in a bag, or opt for the eight-cell battery (as we did) to go five and a half hours between charges. The larger battery brings the unit up to 4.5 pounds but the extra runtime is worth the weight penalty. Either way, the 700m's compact design makes it easy to carry, whether you're going from class to class, rushing from your dorm room to the library, or traveling home for the holidays.
One trade-off for the compact size, of course, is that the 700m houses a widescreen LCD of only 12.1 inches. It's good enough to work on documents, but not nearly as comfortable for long sessions as a larger screen would be. Also, the screen's high-gloss coating is good for watching movies in dim light, but we noticed a significant amount of glare in rooms lit by overhead fluorescents.
The other trade-off for going with a near-ultraportable is the keyboard: It's only 92 percent of full size. The IBM ThinkPad X41 has a full-size keyboard, and even the smaller Dell Latitude X1 has a bigger keyboard. As we've found on previous Dell models, the mouse buttons can seem a bit noisy if you're in a quiet setting, but the touchpad is very responsive. We like that the notebook doesn't get hot in the base, so it can rest in your lap comfortably for extended periods.
Our unit came configured with a Pentium M 725 (1.6 GHz) and 512MB DDR memory. You can swap out the processor for the faster Pentium M 755 (2.0 GHz) for $300 more. Neither processor is the latest Centrino technology, but the Pentium M 725 still managed to do very well on our SYSmark 2004 tests. The 700m surpassed the Averatec AV4265-EH1, which has the newer Centrino components. And as we mentioned, battery life (with the eight-cell extended battery) was very impressive, at 5 hours 32 minutes on our BatteryMark tests. It bested the ThinkPad X41 (5:05), which uses a similar extended battery. The 700m's integrated graphics are a step down from the newer Centrino graphics; none of our 3D gaming tests would run.
The 700m comes with two USB ports, which is adequate, but more would be better. A FireWire port sits in the front panel of the unit, along with the headphone and microphone jacks. The computer also has an SD slot and an S-Video port. Our unit came configured with a DVD+/-RW drive. The 40GB hard drive is fine for schoolwork, but might prove a little too small if you want to load up your MP3 collection (and your roommate's).
The 700m nicely balances price and portability. If you plan on carrying your laptop to classes to take notes, the small size and good battery life will be welcome. If not, consider a bigger machine with a larger screen and keyboard.
To learn more about this system and our other back to school laptops, check out our side-by-side comparison table.Dell Inspiron 700m Test Results


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1.What was the first alcoholic drink you remember having?
Schaefer beer from a can. Ten years-old. Backyard with dad.He was grilling steaks on bbq. Thought it tasted grainy and terrible. Sometimes, when drinking cheap beer, that first taste memory comes back.
2. What are your 3 favourite drinks? With recipes if you have them; old, new and your own? Old
Clynelish mixed with about 20% of Caol Ila.
White Burgundy.
Beer (except Schaefer). More specifically, that super-hoppy American style IPA.
3. Tell us about a new flavour you have discovered recently?
Sumach. Transforms kebabs.
4. If you could pass something onto a bartender, what would it be?
Enlightenment about what great whisky really is. Just give me a call and I'll come by.
5. What does the future hold for yourself and what do you see happening in the future within the industry?
More and better distilling, not just from me, from people all over the world who have a craft mentality. (To understand what I think "craft" means, read Richard Sennet's book "The Craftsman" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craftsman-Richard-Sennett/dp/0141022094/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281091337&sr=1-1 )
6. What has been your biggest satisfaction from applying your work to the drinks industry?
I think everyone should have the satisfaction that comes with doing for a living something you are truly interested in, something you are passionate about.
7. What influences your work from outside the industry?
Winemakers, winemaking. Literature.
8. If you were to break a ...
Back. Step on your mother's crack. Or something like that.
9. Outside of flavour and the craft of the cocktail what in your opinion effects the appreciation of cocktails the most?
Service- a gracious sense of hospitality that makes you feel, as you sit at the bar, that the staff are sincerely enjoying welcoming you into what is figuratively speaking their "home".
10. If you were to champion a cocktail which would it be?
Bicicletta. (Fergus is right.) Got to love something that works just as well at 9.30 in the morning as 9.30 at night.

subset: commoncrawl


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Amendments to Sections 2, 3, and 11 of
These changes affect only the health care industry
To employers and representatives of persons in occupations covered by IWC Order No. 5-89 who work in the health care industry:
The Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Of the State of California proceeded according its authority in the Labor Code and the Constitution of California, and concluded that Sections 2, 3, and 11 of its Order 5-89, regulating the Public Housekeeping Industry, should be amended to affect persons who work in the health care industry. The IWC promulgated these amendments to Order 5-89, made pursuant to the special provisions of Labor Code Section 1182.7, on June 29, 1993. The amendments become effective on August 21, 1993. The amendments become effective on August 21, 1993.
All other provisions of Section 2, Definitions, Section 3, Hours and Days of Work, and Section 11, Meal Periods, and all other sections of Order 5-89 remain in full force and effect.
The amendments allow more flexibility with respect to work scheduling, managerial and administrative exemptions and the definition of hours worked for compensation. They apply only to persons covered by this order who work in the health care industry. This includes, but is not limited to, all employees who work for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care and residential care facilities, convalescent care institutions, and similar establishments.
The amendments printed in this mailer must be posted next to the calendar-style poster on which the entire Order 5-89 is printed, and which should already be posted where employees can read it.
The reasons for the changes accompany the amendments in the Statement as to the Basis, provided for you information. If you have any questions on interpreting the amendments or how they apply to you, please contact your nearest Division of Labor Standards Enforcement office, list below. If you need additional copies of this amendment, please write to:
Division of Labor Standards
(The following language is added to Section 2, Definitions, subsection (H).)
(H) Within the health care industry, the term "hours worked" means the time during which an employee is suffered or permitted to work for the employer, whether or not required to do so, as interpreted in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
(The following language is added to Section 2, Definitions, subsection (L).)
(L) Within the health care industry, the term "primarily" as used in Section 1, Applicability, means (1) more than one-half the employees work time as a rule of thumb or, (2) if the employee does not spend over 50 percent of the employees time performing exempt duties, where other pertinent factors support the conclusion that management, managerial, and /or administrative duties represent the employees primary duty. Some of these pertinent factors are the relative importance of the managerial duties as compared with other types of duties, the frequency with which the employee exercises discretionary powers, the employees relative freedom from supervision, and the relationship between the employees salary and the wages paid other employees for the kind of nonexempt work performed by the supervisor.
(The following language replaces subsection (C) in Section 3, Hours and Days of Work.)
(C) No employer engaged in the operation of a hospital or an establishment which is an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged, or the mentally ill or defective who reside on the premises shall be deemed to have violated any provision of this Section if, pursuant to an agreement or understanding arrived at between the employer and employee before performance of the work, a work period of fourteen (14) consecutive days is accepted in lieu of the workweek of seven consecutive days for purpose of overtime computation and if, for any employment in excess of eight (8) hours in any workday and in excess of eighty (80) hours in such fourteen (14) day period, the employee receives compensation at a rate not less than one and one-half (1 �) times the regular rate at which the employee is employed., provided:
(1) An employee who works beyond twelve (12) hours in a workday shall be compensated at double the employees regular rage of pay for all hours in excess of twelve (12);
(2) An employee who works in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek shall be compensated at one and one-half (1 �) times the employees regular rate of pay for all hours over forty (40) hours in a workweek;
|(The following language
replaces subsection (K) in Section 3, Hours and Days of Work.)
(1) An employee who works beyond twelve (12) hours in a workday shall be compensated at double the employees regular rate of pay for all hours in excess of twelve (12);
(2) An employee who works in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek shall be compensated at one and one-half (1 �) times the employees regular rate of pay for all hours over forty (40) in the workweek;
(3) Prior to the secret ballot vote, any employer who proposes to institute a flexible work arrangement shall make a disclosure in writing to the affected employees, including the effects of the proposed arrangement on the employees wages, hours, and benefits. Such a disclosure shall include meeting(s), duly noticed, held at least fourteen (14) days prior to voting, for the specific purpose of discussing the effects of the flexible work arrangement. Failure to comply with this section shall make the election null and void;
(4) The same overtime standards shall apply to employees who are temporarily assigned to a work unit covered by this subsection;
(5) Any employer who institutes an arrangement pursuant to this subsection shall make a reasonable effort to find an alternative work assignment for any employee who participated in the secret ballot election and is unable or unwilling to comply with the agreement. An employer shall not be required to offer an alternative work assignment to an employee if an alternative assignment is not available or if the employee was hired after the adoption of the flexible work arrangement. There is no maximum number of employees whom an employer may voluntarily accommodate consistent with its desire and ability to do so;
(6) After a lapse of twelve (12) months and upon petition of a majority of the affected employees, a new secret ballot election shall be held and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the affected employees shall be required to reverse the arrangement above. If the arrangement is revoked, the employer shall comply within sixty (60) days. Upon a proper showing by the employer of undue hardship, the Division may grant an extension of time for compliance;
|(7) For purposes of this
subsection, affected employees may include all employees in a readily identifiable work
unit, such as a division, a department, a job classification, a shift, a separate physical
location, or a recognized subdivision of any such work unit. A work unit may consist of an
individual employee as long as the criteria for an identifiable work unit in this
subsection are met.
(The following is added to Section 3, Hours and Days of Work, as subsection (L).)
(L) When an employee in the health care industry requests in writing, and the employer concurs, the employee shall be permitted to make up work time lost as a result of personal obligations. The amount of make up time shall not exceed two (2) hours in any one workweek or, where applicable, four (4) hours in any one fourteen (14) day work period and must be made up during that workweek or work period, whichever is applicable. With the exception of the make up time authorized in this subsection, the appropriate overtime provisions in Section 3 shall apply to all other excess daily or weekly hours worked in the workweek or fourteen (14) day work period.
(The following is added to Section 11, Meal Periods, as subsection (C).)
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this order, employees in the health care industry who work shifts in excess of eight (8) total hours in a workday may voluntarily waive their right to a meal period. In order to be valid, any such waiver must be documented in a written agreement that is voluntarily signed by both the employee and the employer. The employee may revoke the waiver at any time by providing the employer at least one days written notice. The employee shall be fully compensated for all working time, including any on-the-job meal period, while such a waiver is in effect.
Amendments adopted in San Francisco on June 29, 1993. Amendments effective August 21, 1993.
Lynnel Pollack, Chairperson
Statement as to the Basis of Amendments to
Sections 2, 3, and 11 of
Industrial Welfare Commission Order No. 5-89
|Labor Code Sec. 1182.7 requires Industrial
Welfare Commission (IWC) to provide accelerated review of petitions filed by organizations
recognized in the health care industry who request amendments to an IWC order directly
affecting only the health care industry. Under this authority, the California Association
of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) petitioned the IWC to amend and/or clarify certain
sections of Order 5, solely for employers and employees in the health care industry. The
IWC accepted the petition which proposed to redefine "primarily" and hours
worked" to parallel federal law in Section 2, Definitions; to clarify and
expand regulations regarding flexible schedules and overtime in Section 3, Hours and
Days of Work; and to permit employees to waive meal periods in Section 11, Meal
Periods. The IWC held three public hearings on its proposals in April 1993.
After deliberating on all the evidence presented with respect to its proposals, the IWC adopted amendments to Order 5 for the health care industry on June 29, 1993, and offers the following statement as to the basis for its actions:
Testimony suggested the current DLSE interpretations of "hours worked" were "unduly narrow" resulting in "substantial confusion and serious technical problems," and consistency with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) would eliminate this confusion. In response to testimony presented at the public hearings that the reference to "29 CFR Part 785" was unclear, the IWC amended that language and referred to "the Fair Labor Standards Act" instead, a term more easily understood by the public. On June 29, 1993, the IWC adopted language to assure "hours worked" in the health care industry would be interpreted in accordance with the FSLA, the regulations interpreting the FLSA including, but not limited to, those contained in 29 CFR Part 785, and federal court decisions. The clarification confirms the IWCs intention that issues related to working time will be resolved consistently under state and federal law.
With respect to redefining "primarily" for the health care industry, the IWC decided since it had examined the professional component of the administrative/executive/professional exemption and adopted language to exempt learned and artistic professions as recently as 1989, it was time to respond to demands for a more flexible application of the executive/ administrative exemption than the rigid 51 percent rule. Employees testified current regulations sometimes resulted in treating an employee as nonexempt under a rigid application of a 51 percent rule, such as where emergency or other conditions resulted in less than 51 percent of the time
|being devoted to exempt duties. On June 29,
1993, the IWC adopted language consistent with the FLSA, which promoted clarity and
compliance while providing needed flexibility to allow exempt executive and administrative
employees to perform nonexempt duties without losing their exempt status. In response to
public comment suggesting the term "other pertinent factors" was unclear and
confusing to employees, the IWC clarified the meaning of that item by listing some, but
not all, examples of pertinent factors.
With respect to the petitioners request to amend Order 5 so that the IWCs standard for a 14-day work period conformed with federal law, the IWC was advised that while such work periods are ordinarily implemented on a departmental-wide or institutional-wide basis, DLSEs interpretation of the current regulation would allow one employee "to destroy the validity of such an arrangement by individually insisting of a seven day workweek standard." Public testimony in favor of the proposal claimed it set a "reasonable standard" one similar to the FLSA. Other arguments suggested a change was necessary to prevent individual employees from "opting in and out" of 14-day work periods because such activity could prove disruptive to established arrangements. Those opposed to the IWCs proposal objected to deleting language referring to a "written agreement or understanding voluntarily arrived at" from the current regulation, protections not found in the FLSA. On June 29, 1993, the IWC adopted its original proposal regarding the 14-day work period because it provided for a more stable working environment by clarifying how 14-day work periods would be consistently calculated and because it confirmed the IWCs intention that the California standard parallels the federal standard. Finally, the WIC stated its intent that flexible work arrangements, such as allowing employees to work up to 12 hours a day without overtime, and 14-day work periods, were mutually exclusive of one another and thus cannot be used simultaneously for the same employees.
Testimony supported the petitioners claims that DLSEs interpretations regarding the flexible scheduling rules adopted in 1986 and 1988 limited desirable options for employees and frustrated the IWCs intent of more, not less, flexibility. Many at a "reduced rate of pay," with overtime after eight hours a day. Although this practice is permissible, it sometimes adversely affected their benefits and pensions-in order to cope with DLSEs overly "restrictive" policies. Other employees said they preferred to "mix days off" and working the same days each week was an "unrealistic" practice. The revised language clarifies the IWCs original intent to maximize flexibility in scheduling so that the days and hours of work can vary. While some employees argued part-time employees who have flexible work arrangements should be paid premium wages when asked to work beyond their normal part-time arrangements, by the end of the public hearings, most employees agreed requiring premium wages for part-time or temporary employees who work less than 12 hours a day or 40 hours a week is unfair to full-time workers in the same work unit who earn straight time pay for the same daily and weekly hours. While a few employees suggested the "secret ballot election process" allowed under the IWC orders was "flawed" due to "lack of oversight," the Labor Commissioner testified DLSE had received few, if any, complaints regarding the election process.
After evaluating all the evidence, on June 29, 1993, the
IWC adopted its proposal to amend flexible scheduling rules
so that an individual employee in the healthcare industry could agree with his or her employer to
work on any days any number of
|hours a day under certain protective
conditions. The new language allowing flexible work arrangements permits employers and
employees maximum daily and weekly scheduling flexibility, including but not limited to
allowing employees to work overtime on a regular basis, as long as the appropriate premium
wages are paid for work after twelve (12) hours a day, or in the case of weekly overtime,
forty (40) hours a workweek. Moreover, the final language clarified only one meeting
regarding disclosure need be held when not more than one meeting is necessary. The IWC
intended the same overtime standards to apply to all employees in a work unit regardless
of full-time, part-time, on-call, replacement, permanent, or temporary status. The new
rules do not invalidate any arrangement that was implemented prior to their effective
With respect to allowing employees in the health care industry to make up work time lost as a result of personal obligations, the IWC proposed and eventually adopted the petitioners suggested language. The IWC agreed the request was reasonable and balanced the needs of employees and employers. Moreover, the language provided flexibility on an as needed basis without requiring a group vote or long-term schedule change.
The petitioner requested the IWC to allow employees in the health care industry who work sifts in excess of eight (8) total hours in a workday to waive their right to "any" meal period or meal periods as long as certain protective conditions were met. The vast majority of employees testifying at public hearings supported the IWCs proposal with respect to such a waiver, but only insofar as waiving "a" meal period or "one" meal period, not "any" meal period. Since the waiver of one meal period allows employees freedom of choice combined with the protection of at least one meal period on a long shift, on June 29 1993, the IWC adopted language which permits employees waive a second meal period provided the waiver is documented in a written agreement voluntarily signed by both the employee and the employer, and the waiver is revocable by the employee at any time by providing the employer at least one days notice.


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
View This Program
John Fairfield, a former prosecutor and respected state trial judge, is thinking of pursuing a lifelong dream: a seat on the state supreme court. In Fairfield's state, Centralia, all the judges are chosen in nonpartisan elections, with no limits on what can be spent-or said-in the process of campaigning. Fairfield wonders what will be required of him in what will be a fiercely contested statewide campaign. To start, he will have to raise funds—and many potential contributors are groups and businesses that are likely to appear before his court. Should this trouble Fairfield?
Once Fairfield announces his candidacy, a group called Centralians for an Informed Public sends him a survey asking him to spell out his judicial philosophy, and his opinion on certain controversial decisions such as Roe v. Wade. Should he answer the survey? One way or another, should he let the public know where he stands on issues they care about?
Fairfield's team will be running commercials, a requirement for a successful campaign. Should Fairfield's commercials attack his chief opponent, Judge Smith?
Two weeks before the election, Judge Fairfield is now in the lead; however, he has finished working on a trial court decision that, while legally straightforward, would be politically unpopular. Could he ethically hold the decision until after the election?
Ultimately, Fairfield is elected; but at the end of his term, he chooses not to run again. Instead, he campaigns for changes in the way Centralia selects its judges. What changes, if any, should be made?
Fairfield thought his time as a judge was over, but at the end of his term he receives a telephone call from the attorney general of the United States. The president nominates Fairfield for a United States Court of Appeals. The Constitution establishes that federal judges will be nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and serve for life. Why did the founders reject elections for federal judges?
As we conclude, Fairfield is a U.S. Court of Appeals judge. His three-judge panel has just issued a very controversial decision overturning the conviction of an accused terrorist, and some people are attacking the judges as "traitors" who should be impeached or otherwise punished for their actions. How should Americans respond when judges are attacked in this way?
Program Credits
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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New session today with the 4.5. Wind was from 20 to 30 with some lulls around 17/18 and some gusts 32/33 knots at the weather station. No waves, only an awful very short wind swell. Not really interesting ... sort of bump & jump session. Very sunny and 30°C, a nice windy summer day otherwise. I was using a Surftech Strech 5'10 tri-fin, a quick board with a low rocker but with still some volume (i.e. not a freestyle board for strapless but still funny for bump & jump sessions).
The smart wave 4.5 performs very well ... I have nothing to complain about: Very good upwind, turns quickly but still controllable, drifts very well, depower very efficient and it is very very solid in the air, no tips moving, no flaps ... rock solid. I was even asking for more wind in the gusts Fake bottom turns strapless -- going quickly downwind in 50cm wind swell -- in strong winds are easy, the kite is not pulling me out of the board.
More (in French) about the session >> Here on LesFoilz.com << together with the comments from two other riders. We are now three French riders with a smart wave 4.5 and our tests lead to the same conclusions.


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Ok, yesterday's open thread worked pretty well, so I'll keep it going. This time, I even have a topic. Just got this from Charlotte Cooper via Facebook:
Dear rad fatties around the world,
I am co-organising an event here in London called The Fat of the Land: A Queer Chub Harvest Festival. It's a mixture of food festival, DIY punk stuff, fat politics, performance, and some silly stuff too. It's secular but draws on harvest festival traditions.
It would be amazing to see a bunch of you here, but I know that geography and travel and money and everyday hassles make this difficult.
HOWEVER, you can still help out from afar.
Many of the people coming to the Fat of the Land are going to be new to fat stuff, and part of my dream for the event is that it awakens people to the notion that there are a lot of people all over the place already thinking about and organising around this subject.
What I'm looking for are messages of support from rad fatties around the world. Just a paragraph or so, about anything you like, but also expressing support for fat queers in the UK and the fat of the land in particular. Tell us what you think it would be helpful or encouraging to hear. I will publish the messages on the blog and display them at the event.
If you've got something to say to Fat of the Land attendees, post it here! And if you are in a geographical position to attend, check out the website!


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Bespoke Wide or Long Mattresses. Mattresses for tall people in Custom Sizes. Some are kept in stock for Fast Same or Next Day Delivery, otherwise it's only 3-5 days made to order.
Take a look at the Extra Long ranges that are available. If there is a size you would like and can't see here, then please contact us. As well as the range we keep in stock we also offer a wide selection of Extra Long Mattresses which can be made to order in 6ft9, 7ft and some are available in 7ft3". We can also make these special extra long sizes as complete beds too, see our 'Extra Long Beds' section.


text: Smartphone cables from Digipower help you connect, charge, and power your favorite phone. We carry phone sync cables and chargers for almost any kind of smartphone or cell phone. All Digipower products are high quality and long lasting. When you need to replace an old or lost phone accessory, we carry everything you need. iPhone sync cables or Android sync cables allow you to connect your smartphone to your computer or tablet and share data or backup your device. We can help you find the right cable or charger for almost any phone or device.


text:
Photo by Lien S.
On Friday October 11, the 6th annual Maftoul Festival took place in the West Bank village of Birzeit. Women from 15 different Palestinian villages prepared couscous dishes in their own traditional way and were judged by a jury of professional chefs as well as last year's winner.
The annual festival highlights traditional Palestinian food, empowers women in the countryside and promotes development and tourism in rural Palestine. The Rozana Association for Development and Architectural Heritage organizes the festival each year, in partnership with the Palestinian Circus School, Palestinian Ministry of Culture, Birzeit Women's Charitable Society, Palestinian Chefs Association, Heritage House and Birzeit Club.
"Women are half of the society, so they need to be involved in development plans," Terry Boullata, one of Rozana's volunteers, explains. "Events like the Maftoul Festival are important for the visibility of women and to show society how they can contribute to the development process. This way we empower women in the decision making process as well."
Uniting women from different villages is also a strategy to fight "the division Israel is trying to install with its isolation policies" according to Terry. The Rozana Association organizes capacity building activities for women and tries to create a market for their village products. "By allowing the women to meet and coordinate, they can learn which type of produce is needed," she adds.
"Color and dynamism"
Stalls with rural produce and embroidery, accompanied by juggling and acrobatics from the Palestinian Circus School (PCS) welcome the festival visitors. "We're a very active local organization that adds color and dynamism to Birzeit's panorama," Jessika from the PCS explains. Whenever its students and trainers participate in a festival, the school receives a lot of positive feedback from the audience. By providing circus education, the PCS aims to empower Palestinian youth to become constructive actors in society.
16-year old Hazar is one of the performers. "My specialty is the trapeze, but tonight I'm walking on stilts," she says. Hazar loves performing, teaching beginners' classes and being part of the circus family. "What we're doing is unique here in Palestine, so I feel like I'm doing something special."
Circus has been a big part of Hazar's life while growing up. "When I first came to the circus six years ago, I was a shy, little girl, but I've changed so much over the years. Being part of the circus has made me more open to people, change and different ideas. It has shaped my personality," Hazar relates. "In Palestine, men can do anything, while women are limited. By making circus, I want to show people that girls can do the same things as guys."
Photo by The Palestinian Circus School
Remembering traditions and connecting with other women
While the performers of the Palestinian Circus School entertain the visitors outside, the women put the finishing touches to their couscous dishes. "We heard about the festival through the local women's association in our village and wanted to share our cooking experiences," Ghada from Dirghassani village explains. "It's great that young people can learn about their culture here. It empowers us in our Palestinian traditions."
Rana from Jama'een village is a first time participant this year. "It's good to remember our traditions, to meet women from different villages and connect with them. This way we can learn more about each others' lives and share our cooking skills."
Meanwhile, the jury observes the techniques used by the women. "We judge based on different categories: preparation, taste, presentation and creativity," chef Joseph Asfour explains.
Fair tourism in the holy land
By organizing the Maftoul Festival, the Rozana Association also aims to promote rural tourism in Palestine. The organization delineates nature trails and organizes home stays. "This way tourists can experience the typical hospitality and drive rural development," Terry Boullata explains.
Every year, the holy land attracts busses filled with pilgrims from all over the world, who visit holy places such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. Unfortunately, most tourists miss out on visiting the real Palestine and learning about the Palestinian reality. "If only 5% of the tourists who visit Bethlehem would also visit rural areas, that would already change a lot," Terry relates. "Instead of only spending their money in Israeli markets, they could be spending it in the marginalized rural areas."
Fair and engaged tourism could bring economic and political benefits to Palestine and lead to an increased international understanding of the Palestinian cause. Yet many tourists are scared off by the idea of checkpoints or by the negative image that is often portrayed of Palestine.
"The political context of the Israeli occupation means that the vast majority of tourists in the 'Holy Land' only see Palestinians through the window of a tour bus, as they dash in and out of Bethlehem for a couple of hours," journalist Ben White concludes.
Photo by Lien S.
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The purpose of the Hazlewood Exemption (Hazlewood Act) is to provide an education benefit to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans.
Eligible veterans, their children and spouses may receive an exemption from the payment of all tuition, dues, fees, and other required charges, including fees for correspondence courses, but excluding deposit fees, student service fees, and any fees or charges for books, lodging, board, or clothing for up to 150 semester credit hours.
Awards may not be used to pay tuition and relevant fees for continuing education classes unless one of the following applies: (1) the college receives state tax support for the classes, or (2) the governing board has specifically approved this benefit.
Texas Hazlewood Act eligibility information--Texas Veterans Commission
Texas Hazlewood Act Exemption Application
Hazlewood Online Database Registration and Check your hours here: Hazlewood Student Hours
Veterans and students can access other Hazlewood related forms, such as eligibility requirements, revocation and continued enrollment forms at the Texas Veterans Commission website.
Veterans must:
Children and Spouses must:
NOTE: All applicants (veterans, spouses, and children) must complete and submit the appropriate application and documentation to WTAMU's Office of Veterans Services.


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Happ solid on the mound as Blue Jays top Sox
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Starting pitchers J.A. Happ of Toronto and Alfredo Aceves of Boston were dominant on Friday.
Each allowed only two hits while not giving up a run, as the Blue Jays scratched across the lone run on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning to post a 1-0 win at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.
Kevin Pillar reached on a fielding error by Boston's Drew Sutton, allowing Adam Loewen to cross to break a scoreless tie. Kevin Ahrens was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning.
Esmil Rogers worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, while Sergio Santos, who struck out the side in the top of the eighth, got the win in relief for the Blue Jays.
Aceves, who is tabbed as a long reliever and the sixth starter when needed for the Red Sox, walked two and struck out five in five innings.
Happ, who could be a long reliever in Toronto or a starter in Triple-A Buffalo, allowed two walks and recorded three strikeouts. He could be insurance in the No. 5 starter role should Ricky Romero continue to struggle.
"You can call it a chip on your shoulder or whatever, but I certainly have motivation to go out there," said Happ, who owns a 1.89 ERA in six Grapefruit League outings, including five starts. "You never lack that, but you know there's a little bit more I suppose. You always feel like you could do better, but I definitely feel good about the way it's gone. I established that I can come in and throw strikes using everything. If they wanted to see something, my guess is that might be it."
Happ was followed by Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen, who pitched in his first Grapefruit League game and logged a 1-2-3 seventh with two strikeouts. Janssen has been brought along slowly after minor shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Happ gave up a first-inning double on a popup that dropped in just behind third base. The lefty didn't allow another runner until two outs in the fourth, when he walked Ryan Lavarnway and hit Lyle Overbay with a pitch. But Happ ended the inning on Mauro Gomez's fielder's choice grounder.
Aceves survived Mark DeRosa's leadoff double, a balk and a walk in the third. DeRosa had two of the Blue Jays' four hits in the game.
Bruce Bentz hit a double to center against Happ with one out in the fifth and Xander Bogaerts followed with a walk. But Happ got a double-play grounder from Brock Holt.
Up next for the Blue Jays: The Blue Jays will face the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET. Brandon Morrow will start for Toronto against left-hander Sean Gilmartin. The game will broadcast free on MLB.TV and on SNET and SNET590.


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Ian Martin digests a new listed buildings policy, titled 'Quaintity Street'.
MONDAY Urgent call from Number 10. Could I solve the acute housing shortage 'at a stroke, asap'?
TUESDAY Have suggested Number 10 recalibrates local authority 'delivery targets'. I really don't know what all the panic was about.
WEDNESDAY Lunch with the Hon. Gavin Quinly-Spread. Since he took over at the department of entertainment as minister for architecture, bed and breakfast hotels, Twitter avatars and humane circuses, he's been relatively quiet. Not any more. 'Gonna tear architecture a new one, dude. Enough's enough. Peeps don't wanna be looking at rubbish all day. Believe me, I spend a lot of time gazing out of the window of my ministerial car and I can tell you there's some really mediocre built environment blocking the view. Well, there's a new architecture marshall in town and he's gunning for mundanity. Yeah, Marshall GQ‑Spread…'
There's a tug on his sleeve. 'Plus, obvs, my deputy, best mate and bloody good bloke Johnny'. Incredible. I don't think anyone knows Johnny's surname, yet he's always at GQ's side. A year above him at Eton, former business partner and now - in line with the government's masterplan to privatise the state - Johnny's in charge of listed buildings policy.
I don't entirely trust Johnny, especially in restaurants. He has a cruel, restless gaze that suggests he might finish lunch with a second armagnac, a large expresso, a wide-spectrum smashing of stuff and a shower of tenners.
As the fourth bottle of claret arrives, I ask him if his new listing regime will acknowledge the historic importance of Brutalism to our public estate. Brutalism has certainly been conspicuous by its absence recently, particularly the bits that have been physically destroyed.
Johnny nods, sagely. 'Totes. New era. Not about the quantity of our listed buildings any more. Or the quality. GQ?'
The minister for architecture pulls a crumpled department of entertainment leaflet from his pocket. It's announcing the new listed buildings policy and is titled 'Quaintity Street'.
'Yah, it's quaintity we're after now, right bro?' Johnny does affirmative gunfingers and makes a 'chk' noise. I read the leaflet. From now on, all buildings nominated for listing will be assessed for their 'power to evoke sentimental affection for a bygone era regardless of merit or current use, eg watermills, manses, cottage hospitals, telephone boxes, workhouses, tobacconists, stately homes, Methodist churches, public conveniences, libraries, Saxon ruins, Woolworths etc.'
It's quite a lot to digest at lunchtime. And 'quaintity' itself is a very chewy concept. Also, Johnny's getting a bit drunk and accusing GQ of wanting to 'bum the waiter'. I leave before it starts going Bullingdon.
THURSDAY Wake up feeling nauseous. At first I'm not sure why, then I remember Quaintity Street.
If Johnny's now prepared to list Brutalist buildings, it must mean that the very notion of collective architecture - buildings representing 'us' - is now safely anachronistic. Brutalism has officially transitioned to quaint. The civic values that inspired it have disappeared into a cultural black hole, along with Play For Today and Merseybeat.
Brutalism, the built affirmation of an egalitarian national project, is in period dress. Oh God, how many more sequels of The Victorian Farm before they get to Broadwater?
FRIDAY The department of entertainment (specifically, the ministry of Johnny) has released the latest clutch of buildings up for listing:
- The Philip Larkin Library of Porn at Hull University. Designed by Amis and Amis in New Onanist style, with degraded cubicular spaces and a repetitive finish of shuttered remorse.
- Morecambe Town Hall, with its distinctive pre-spalled concrete slab design by surly in-house salaried architects. The building still has original plastic signage in psychedelic bubble letters above the separate staff entrances for 'Birds' and 'Cats'. A small transparent 'no smoking' shelter survives. Common at the time in humane public sector environments, this refuge is now unique, and used today by smokers.
- Basildon's concrete Plaza of Tomorrow (Buzzard and Haw-Haw, 1962) was famously 'left blank for the future'. Although completely built over now, the iconic emptiness will be geo-physically mapped and electronically listed.
SATURDAY Five-a-zeitgeist theoretical football. Deregulated Legacism 0, Demoralised Posturism 0. Match abandoned after Twitterstorm.
SUNDAY Recliner. Mulling ideas for my Margaret Thatcher memorial design. Nod off. Have complicated dream about Yorkshire being smashed to bits by a giant handbag. Decide to play safe with an enclosed Iron Lady garden of remembrance, not open to society.
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Hwy 35 And Natchez Trace, Kosciusko, Mississippi 39090
Total inspections: 9
Last inspection: March 18, 2008
Classification: Sewerage Systems
This facility's fine amount includes at least one case involving multiple facilities, each of which has the total fine amount applied to it.
Last enforcement: June 4, 2008
Formal enforcement: 1
Informal enforcement: 6
This facility has been out of regulatory compliance 9 of the past 12 quarters.
View detailed information from the Environmental Protection Agency. Note: There are no mandated limits for power plant discharges into waterways for many common chemicals such as arsenic, lead and mercury. However some facilities are monitored for these pollutants by state regulators and report the findings to the E.P.A.


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"Power is the only fact." With that statement, Henry II encapsulates the moral structure of James Goldman's 1966 play, The Lion in Winter. As written, it is an uneasy comedy, at best, as it explores the internal dynamics of a family held together not by affection, but by a thirst for the throne that will be left vacant by the aging Henry's eventual death. Rebecca Pettys, directing her final play for Union College, has assembled a worthy cast that exploits the dark comedy and pathos of the play to its fullest.
The play is written as a star turn for two characters, and Dan Covington as Henry and Pettys (under the stage name Rebecca Ansary) as Eleanor do not disappoint. Covington plays Henry with the breezy bravado of a man who has proven himself to be the "ablest soldier of an able time." Throughout most of the first act, Covington portrays a grandmaster of the Machiavellian arts, an aficionado of the power play who is ready for the rest of the family to finally bend before his indomitable will and accept his youngest son John as the heir to the throne. Pettys' Eleanor, however, has made her yearly emergence from enforced isolation to trumpet Richard, the oldest and ablest of the sons. The interplay between Covington and Pettys is dazzling; alternating between feigned affection and acerbic savagery, they paint a hilariously uncomfortable picture of love marred by decades of jealousy and ambition. However, it is in their private, unguarded moments that Covington and Pettys fully realize their characters; both have a moment in the spotlight where they must come to terms with their roles in raising "children who would murder children." This human touch adds much needed emotional depth to the cruel wit of the remainder of the play.
As for the murderous children, Brad Fulton (Richard), Sam Anderson (Geoffrey), and Allen Cole (John) are faced with the unenviable task of playing one-note, thoroughly unlikable characters, and they all succeed admirably. Fulton captures the stoicism and physicality of Richard, but it is in his small gestures and occasional expressions that he breathes life into the role. Anderson and Cole play well off one another as the calculating schemer and the low-minded idiot, respectively; their occasional alliance seems improbable in the text, but the chemistry between the two makes it work on the stage.
The rest of the cast does well with roles that are severely underdeveloped in Goldman's play. Emily Baker as Alais, Henry's young love interest and one-time ward, is given little to do but fret over her precarious position as king's mistress and prize for the eventual winner of the throne. She exists to capture the audience's sympathy, and she does. Chris Adams' Phillip, King of France, is better developed in the early stages of the play. As a young king, he seems to have the potential to become a formidable rival to Henry, alternately fawning and threatening. He vanishes from the play, however, after orchestrating a familial disintegration worthy of Henry himself, and the audience is left to wander what else Adams could have done given a meatier role.
The set and lighting are understated, but well-utilized. The focus of the play is on the characters, and it was a wise decision by all involved to avoid the temptation of a lavish historical re-enactment. Rector Little Theatre is an intimate space, and the staging of the play reinforces the idea that the audience is eavesdropping on the worst moments in a family's history. As the last performance of Pettys' career at Union College, it is fitting that she uses the theater ultimately not as spectacle, but as an instrument for probing the oft-hidden areas of humanity, showing the comedy and tragedy that potentially exist in every set of human relationships.
The last performance of The Lion in Winter was presented at the Rector Little Theatre on March 31.


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Her salon sells only the finest textured 100 percent European and Italian human hair, customized for each individual's needs. Specializing in naturally damage-free, chemical-free application techniques, Angie has earned the nickname "Miracle Worker."
Her exclusive selection of Hand tied Hair Extensions and Custom Hair Loss Integration systems, offers a safe, high-quality alternative for hair loss, thinness or desire for more volume.
A Message from Angie The DreamWeaver:
I'm proud to create hair enhancements that bring out the best in your appearance, without giving away your secret.
Offering the finest textured hair, my custom work is undetectable. I use a damage-free application, offer unlimited color blends, highlights, cuts, and maintenance for all my services. I will take care of all your needs.
~ Angie


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Riedel Vinum Single Malt Whiskey Glasses, Set of 2
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Experts with the world's most discerning palates helped develop Riedel's Vinum series, a glassware collection designed to flatter specific types of wines and liquors. Showcasing the best qualities of single malt and other whiskeys, these elegant glasses were created with extensive input from master Scottish distillers.
- Machine-made of brilliantly clear crystal glass.
- Bowl's elongated thistle shape brings out the aromas of fine whiskeys.
- Flared lip directs the flow of liquid to the tip of the tongue, allowing you to savor the whiskey's smooth, silky texture.
- Made in Germany by Riedel, a family-owned company since 1756.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 7-oz. cap., 4 1/2" high.
- Made in Germany.
- Use & Care
- Dishwasher safe.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
This item is shipped from our warehouse by UPS to arrive within 3-5 business days of our receiving your order.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners, and knife storage) please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
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Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Rated 5 out of 5 by Malt from Perfect vessels for enjoying beverages. We are very pleased with the Riedel stemware. The quality is beyond expectations. We are also pleased with Williams-Sonoma customer service and will order from them again.Date published: 2014-10-27Rated 4 out of 5 by anitapj2 from Don't get them personalized My personalized glasses arrived smeared. I am going to check and see if they can be replaced. Good quality glassware.Date published: 2014-04-26Rated 5 out of 5 by JJThatcher from What a difference a glass makes I always doubted the enthusiasm towards appropriate glassware - but I'm a believer now. Whiskey tastes great and it feels great in my mouth.Date published: 2013-02-19


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An all-around great product that's among the best in its category. You'll almost certainly be happy.
How we score
The Engadget Score is a unique ranking of products based on extensive independent research and analysis by our expert editorial and research teams. The Global Score is arrived at only after curating hundreds, sometimes thousands of weighted data points (such as critic and user reviews).


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The Return of Jeff Bailey
Jeff Bailey spent parts of six years playing for the Pawtucket Red Sox (2004-09).
In 2011, there's a good chance that he'll be playing against them.
(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)
The 2008 International League MVP signed with the Minnesota Twins as a minor league free agent on Wednesday. His deal includes an invitation to major league spring training camp, but if he doesn't make the big league club, he's likely to start the season at McCoy Stadium . . . in a Rochester uniform.
"I looked at the schedule the other day and saw that the Rochester Red Wings open at Pawtucket so that will be kind of strange," Bailey told me. "I'll get to take part in another Opening Day ceremony and it will be extra special because I'm sure there will be a tribute to Ben Mondor. I've talked to some people about that and watched some interviews online with Mike Tamburro and Theo Epstein. It's sad, but I know they're going to work really hard to keep everything going the way that Ben wanted it to go. It will be good to be there again."
Bailey spent last year with Arizona's Triple-A team in Reno, NV, batting .289 (.387 OBP/.462 SLG) with 33 doubles and 78 RBI. But despite having a solid season, he was not enamored with the Diamondbacks' organization.
"It was poorly run and people lost their jobs because of it," Bailey said. "I was told a lot of things that were lies and I addressed the general manager and manager at the end of spring training about those issues. Any chance I had of getting called-up probably went out the window. But you have to stand up for yourself every once in a while."
As a six-year minor league free agent, Bailey was free to negotiate with other teams beginning five days after the World Series ended. He was interested in returning to the Boston organization, but Minnesota was aggressive in pursuing him.
"The Twins called right away," Bailey said. "My agent got an offer from them and asked me what I thought. It was a great offer, but I wanted to call the Red Sox and see what they had to say. But Boston has some other issues going on and they're not going to be doing any six-year free agent signings at this point. Maybe three or four weeks down the road is what (VP of Player Personnel) Ben Cherington told us, so we didn't want to wait and decided to move forward with the Twins."
Next season will be Bailey's 15th in pro baseball (he turns 32 on Friday), and while Jeff obviously hopes to spend at least part of it in Minnesota, he will not complain if he's sent to Rochester.
"It's pretty simple. I enjoy playing baseball thoroughly and if someone is willing to give me an opportunity then that's what I'm going to do." Bailey said. "I'm not going to get involved in any of the politics. Last year I thought that going to the Diamondbacks would help me get to the big leagues, but I'm not going to worry about that anymore. I'm going to let the cards fall where they may. I'm going to plan on being in Rochester and having a good Triple-A season and if I get called up to help that team win in the big leagues than that's what I'm going to do. I don't dwell on that stuff anymore. I'm just happy to still be playing."
PawSox fans will be happy to see him again. Even if he's wearing the wrong uniform.
I'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to tell me who you are and where you're from in the comments section or you can e-mail me at email@example.com.
And if you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard


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BALTIMORE –Former UMBC goalkeeper Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) has signed a contract with BÍ Bolungarvík of the Icelandic First Division. The former 2012 America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player made professional debut on July 19 and earned the victory in the team's 6-4 victory over Tindastóll.
BÍ Bolungarvík stands at 4 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws with 10 games remaining in the league season, which concludes in mid-September.
Saunders is the lone American player on the squad. He joins Pete Caringi III (Oklahoma City Energy FC) and Kadeem Dacres (Arizona United FC) as three of UMBC's four seniors from the 2013 America East title squad in the professional ranks.
"I am extremely happy for Phil and our UMBC soccer family," said head coach Pete Caringi, JR. "He has worked very hard for this moment and I can't think of a more deserving player to represent UMBC. He will have left a soccer legacy along with fellow seniors Pete Caringi lll, Kadeem Dacres and Travis Dennis that will always be remembered for years to come."
In 2013, Saunders was selected to America East Second Team and All-Championship Team for second consecutive season. He moved into second place on UMBC's all-time shutouts list with 24, just one behind UMBC Hall of Famer Brian Rowland ('02)
Saunders finished second in the America East Conference and 19th in the country with a 0.70 goals against average. His career goals-against-average was 0.97 and the final record was 44-14-10 (.721).


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In Qur'an section, we will upload translations of
Qu'an in different languages. The best Urdu translation
of Qur'an is "Kanzul Iman", Alhamdulillah
it has been translated in many languages of the world.
In this section you can also read online the great
Tafaseer (Commentary) of Qu'ran, including
TAFSEER-E-NAEEMI and others.
more »
In Hadith section, you will be able to read online
the different collections of Hadith, translation and
commentary on Hadith (Sharha). We will try to upload
upload Hadith with Urdu translations and Urdu Sharha of
Hadiths, in scanned and unicode format, In Sha Allah.
Fiqh section contains big collection of Fatawa
written by Sunni Ulema (Scholars of Islam).
Alhamdulillah most of the fatawa collections are brought
online for the first time. You can find solution of any
issue as per the guidance of Qur'an and Sunnah. It
includes, Fatawa Ridawiyyah, Fatawa Amjadiyyah, Fatawa
Mustafviyyah and a lot more.
This website is particularly dedicated to the
Revivalist of Islam in the 14th century, i.e. Alahazrat
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Bareilvi Alaihir Rahmah. We
want to bring online the uttermost research work being
carried out over his personality and works around the
globe. For further details visit "Works on Alahazrat"
Books written by Alahazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan
Bareilvi contain extensive research on various branches
of Islamic arts & sciences. This website gives you an
opportunity to explore this hidden treasure. You can dip
into this sea of knowledge by visiting this section
Fatawa Ridawiyyah is one of the greatest writtings of Alahazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan
Bareilvi. The new translated version of this historical
Fatawa consists of 30 volumes and more than 21000 pages.
Reading this fatawa with care and memorizing the
principles mentioned therein, can take the reader to a
big height in Islamic Jurisprudence.
- Sunni Library is a collection of core Islamic
Literature. You can read online the great work and
contribution of Sunni Islamic scholars worldwide in
general and by the Scholars of Sub Continent in


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Here's another re-post of a favorite recipe... Whoopie Pies. This post receives a ton of traffic from google for people searching "Whoopie Pie from a Cake Mix." I guess everyone likes a good ole treat with a good ole shortcut!
Our House Project is in the home stretch... 4 months down, 3 more months to go. That's the home stretch, right? I know everyone is ready for Spring, but for us, Spring means getting to move in to our new home that we've been planning for 2 years and saving for 4. Gulp.
It was 68 degrees here yesterday... and I feel like I've tricked myself into believing that spring is almost here. I'm in pre-spring cleaning mode at the store, moving everything out to make room. In the Sale section, I've marked down lots of products, including Valentine's Day goodies - copper cookie cutters, ribbons, baking supplies, etc.
Almost everything 20-50%. I'm also reactivating the $5 Shipping on orders over $50. Go crazy. Buy goodies for your Valentines and a couple of things for yourself ; )
Shop the Everyday Occasions Store, here.
the new cupcake?
These light and fluffy cake cookie sandwiches are all of the rage these days. I recently read an article (NY Times, maybe?) that claimed the Whoopie Pie was the new cupcake. Wow. Bold statement!
I'm not sure about the new cupcake, but I do like that they are a more 'homey' rustic dessert that seems to have a casual quality, as apposed to the 'pretty' cupcake with the swirls of icing. In fact, they might be a more 'manly' cupcake option. Definitely a more transportable cupcake option - even after years of catering and delivering cupcakes, it is always one of my biggest struggles!
On the 'manly' note, Mike specifically requested these this week after his first Whoopie Pie experience while visiting our friends in Maine last weekend. I knew he would love them as his favorite cake combo is chocolate cake with white icing. A Whoopie Pie fan was his destiny.
Like cupcakes the possibilities are endless. I had a friend post of my facebook wall today that she had recently heard of a Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pie. I can only image that with fluffy cream cheese icing. Oh wow. I will definitely be experimenting with that this Fall.
While looking at different recipes online today, I found many different looking whoopie pies. For me, a great Whoopie is in the lightness and fluffiness of the cake AND the icing. The entire thing should taste like a fluffy, chocolate and cream cloud.
I am a huge fan of anything that starts with a cake mix. For some reason, it just seems more manageable if it starts with a box! The result was great... and very quick to make. Highly, highly recommended. Oh, and what makes these even better is they are great to freeze, too. I'm going to put them in the freezer to get out for Mike's lunches everyday.
Whoopie Pies
from a cake mix
1 chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 sticks of butter, softened
3-4 cups of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil. Whip together for 2-3 minutes.
On a parchment paper* or Silpat lined baking sheet, scoop out batter into round mounds. I used a small ice cream scoop that measured 1 2/3 inches in diameter. Use the back of a spoon to round out scoops of batter into perfect circles.
*I've switched to using pre-cut parchment sheets that fit perfectly in a sheet pan... they are a dream. They are non-stick and you can just throw them away after you use them. I use them for everything - cookies, roasting vegetables, meatballs, etc. I'm stocking them in my store as one of my favorite "essentials" - 200 sheets for $12... which should be a year supply. No more washing the silpat.
Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.
For the icing, in your mixer with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar (start with 3 cups of powdered sugar, then add more if necessary for thickness). Whip for 5 minutes until light and fluffy (the extra time makes all the difference!). Scoop into a pastry bag (you can buy here, 20 bags for $12) with the end cut with a 1/2 inch opening.
To fill, pipe icing onto the bottom cookie (wrong side up), then top with another cookie (right side up).
Here is my pastry bag with the end cut off... also one of my favorite things. They make it so much easier to control rather than just spreading with a knife. I use disposable so I don't have to worry about washing it... I can just toss it. Usually I have a little left in the bag, so I just put the bag in the refrigerator, then get it out anytime I need a little icing. You can buy them here.
Bottom half.
...and top. Looks like a big fluffy oreo, right?! I think I must go have another one right now with a big glass of milk.
Pink Bakery Boxes (you can find them here, 10 for $8) for Valentine's Day!? I can just picture them stacked in with parchment sheets in between.... maybe the sides of the icing are covered with valentine's sprinkles?! Ok, I think I'll have to try that now.


text: This site provides a lightweight deductive database system. Queries and database updates are expressed using Datalog—a declarative logic language in which each formula is a function-free Horn clause, and every variable in the head of a clause must appear in the body of the clause. The use of Datalog syntax and an implementation based on tabling intermediate results, ensures that all queries terminate.


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Garland or Paung malai in Thai language. Thais use garland for an offering in Buddhism religious ceremony, special events in Thai tradition. However, garland or Paung malai is now becoming part of home's or car's decoration. Some use garland as complimentary gift for many occasions. This garland made of plastic for long lasting usage. Colors and styles may be vary. Dimensions: Length 7", Thickness 1", width 3" Product of Thailand.
Copyright © 2004 - 2019 GroceryThai.com


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If the U.S. government ends up careening off the "fiscal cliff," Republicans in Congress stand to shoulder most of the blame, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
A majority of Americans said in a new, post-election poll that they do not expect President Barack Obama and members of Congress to reach an agreement to avoid the effects of the fiscal cliff, the combination of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set to take effect at the beginning of the year.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., explains whether a compromise will be reached between Democrats and Republicans.
Fifty-three percent of Americans said Republicans in Congress would be more to blame in that instance, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in the days following the election. Twenty-nine percent said that Obama would be more to blame, while 10 percent said both the president and Republicans would share blame.
Those kinds of numbers help set the political landscape heading into the impending fight to resolve the long-running fiscal standoff, which features an emboldened Obama fresh off a re-election victory and a Republican Party looking to regain its footing in Washington after losing seats in the House and Senate in addition to Mitt Romney's White House loss.
Recommended: Republicans hunt for election lessons as wounds heal
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill returned to work on Tuesday to begin sorting out these issues and beginning to work on some internal affairs, including choosing their own leadership teams for the next two years.
But just a few weeks separate the U.S. from the onset of the fiscal cliff, as the 2001 Bush tax cuts and the 2010 payroll tax cut are set to expire at the end of this calendar year. On top of that, the automatic spending cuts -- which fall heavily on the defense budget -- will also take place beginning in January unless Congress acts first.
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks at a press conference as Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., and Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., listen on Capitol Hill Sept. 20, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans said in the Pew poll that they would expect the impact of the fiscal cliff to be major, and 70 percent said they expect the fallout from the fiscal cliff to be mostly negative.
The president hosted labor leaders at the White House on Tuesday morning in anticipation of the upcoming negotiations, and Obama will host business leaders on Wednesday. Leaders in Congress from both parties head to the White House for talks on Friday.
Recommended - First Thoughts: Like sands through the hourglass...
Both Obama and Republicans in Congress have begun laying out parameters for those negotiations, and White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated on Tuesday afternoon that the president would not sign any law extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Obama has instead called on Congress to extend all tax rates except for those in the top income bracket.
(Republicans have called for broader talks that link an overhaul in the tax code to entitlement program reforms.)
The Pew poll was conducted Nov. 8-11 and has a 3.7 percent margin of error.


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Welcome on the homepage of the chair "Internet Technologies and Systems" of Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel and his team. We like to inform you about our teaching and ongoing research activities in security, knowledge engineering, innovation and design thinking research.
The chair of Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel offers courses in the following disciplines: Internet and Web Technologies, (Discrete) Mathematics and Logic, IT Security and Internet Security, Complexity Theory and Information Security as well as Design Thinking.
The research of the team of Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel in the field of knowledge management and engineering focus on the challenging question, how to manage the mass of digital data, so-called "big data", from Internet and other sources in order to generate new knowledge.
In the research work of the team of Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel in the area of Internet technologies and innovation research many new ideas are born for innovative applications in the future Internet.
Among others here you can find links to all our books and more than 400 (peer-reviewed) conference and journal papers.
In recent years the Semantic Web has emerged as one of the most essential achievements for the future of the World Wide Web (WWW). Semantic Web technology extends the WWW but also enables to improve applications which are related to other fields such as communication, information, knowledge, media, and interaction technologies. Semantic Web provides not just new technologies and tools but also new paradigms and ways of thinking, to make information processing more efficient and more structured.Our research is focussed on the devolpment and improvement of 'semantically supported multimedia retrieval and search technologies'.
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text:
With one day left, a look at how the race will end, what the polls are saying and what you need to know for election day.
After months of campaigning, one million ads and $1 billion in campaign spending, the race for the White House comes to a close tomorrow (unless of course, it doesn't). The final month was marked by two October surprises--one courtesy of Mother Nature (Hurricane Sandy), the other self-inflicted (the Oct. 3 Denver Debate)--that turned a contentious, albeit steady race coming out of the conventions, into a tumultuous horse race. As the candidates frantically sprint toward the finish, the race between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney is finally just a few hours away from being over.
As the race concludes, here are the final polls, projections and voting information you need to know:
- Four years, 10 months and two days after winning the Iowa Caucuses, Obama returns to the state that started it all. The President holds the last campaign event of his political career in Des Moines, Iowa this evening.
- One year, five months and three days since he formally announced his campaign, Romney will hold his last "Victory Rally" in New Hampshire accompanied by musician Kid Rock.
While the race for the Electoral College only hinges on a handful of key battleground states, national polling indicates that the popular vote will be the closest its been since the 2000 election. What does that mean? If for no other reason than to ensure there is a clear winner, every vote counts. But with a Hurricane, new voting laws and long lines, that might be easier said than done.
In New Jersey, voters displaced by the storm may now cast their ballots by email and fax. A directive from New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno allows votes to be counted as absentee ballots until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Saying "There's no reason why anybody shouldn't vote," Governor Chris Christie ordered polling stations open on Saturday and Sunday and will allow residents to cast provisional ballots from any polling station.
More than 60 polling stations have been relocated and there's a possibility that Election Day could be extended past Nov. 6 in New York. If fewer than 25 percent of voters make it out to the polls, county election officials could ask the New York state Board of Elections to hold an extra day of voting.
Elsewhere, new election laws are causing long lines and confusion in states like Florida.
- Not sure if, or where, you're supposed to vote tomorrow? Try consulting Google's voter election info page or check your status on canivote.org.
Today, the last day before the election, the average of national polls shows the popular vote is incredibly close. A final Pew Research poll shows Obama with an edge over Romney, 50 percent to 47 percent. A CNN/ORC poll released yesterday shows the race dead even, with both candidates at 49 percent.
Romney vs. Obama Nationally (via RealClearPolitics.com)
Methodology: Average of 12 polls from 10/22 – 11/4
- 47.9% - Obama (D)
- 47.4% - Romney (R)
Advantage: Barely Obama
While the popular vote may be close, it doesn't really matter in determining the election's outcome. The race to the White House goes through the Electoral College, and in that race it appears Obama has a more pronounced advantage going into the last day of the race.
Nov. 6 Forecast (via FiveThirtyEight.com/NYTimes.com)
Methodology: Statistican Nate Silver's forecast model runs simulations of the Electoral College to project the probable outcome of a particular candidate reaching, out of the 538 votes available, the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Silver's model, which was very accurate in 2008, factors in national and state-level polling in addition to economic outlook and demographics.
Projected Electoral College Votes (270 to win):
- 307.2 – Obama (D)
- 230.8 – Romney (R)
Projected Chances of Winning:
- 86.3% - Obama (D)
- 13.7% - Romney (R)
Projected Popular Vote:
- 50.6% - Obama (D)
- 48.5% - Romney (R)
Advantage: Obama
Other Projections:
- The Washington Post also published a list of predictions.
- Karl Rove's Projected Outcome
- Votamatic.com
- ElectionProjection.com
- UnSkewedPolls.com
Electoral Calculator: Make Your Own Map!
Who do you think is going to win tomorrow? Tell us in the comments.


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Equals sign
Equals sign
The equals sign or equality sign (=) is a mathematical symbol used to indicate equality. It was invented in 1557 by Robert Recorde. In an equation, the equals sign is placed between two (or more) expressions that have the same value. In Unicode and ASCII, it is U+003D = EQUALS SIGN (HTML
- 1 History
- 2 Usage in mathematics and computer programming
- 3 Other uses
- 4 Related symbols
- 5 Incorrect usage
- 6 Encodings
- 7 See also
- 8 Notes
- 9 References
- 10 External links
The etymology of the word "equal" is from the Latin word "æqualis" as meaning "uniform", "identical", or "equal", from aequus ("level", "even", or "just").
The "=" symbol that is now universally accepted in mathematics for equality was first recorded by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde in The Whetstone of Witte (1557). The original form of the symbol was much wider than the present form. In his book Recorde explains his design of the "Gemowe lines" (meaning twin lines, from the Latin gemellus[1]):[2]
And to auoide the tediouſe repetition of theſe woordes : is equalle to : I will ſette as I doe often in woorke vſe, a paire of paralleles, or Gemowe lines of one lengthe, thus: =, bicauſe noe .2. thynges, can be moare equalle.
And to avoid the tedious repetition of these words: is equal to: I will set as I do often in work use, a pair of parallels, or Gemowe lines of one length, thus: =, because no 2 things, can be more equal.
According to Scotland's University of St Andrews History of Mathematics website:[3]
The symbol '=' was not immediately popular. The symbol || was used by some and æ (or œ), from the Latin word aequalis meaning equal, was widely used into the 1700s.
Usage in mathematics and computer programming[edit]
In mathematics, the equals sign can be used as a simple statement of fact in a specific case (x = 2), or to create definitions (let x = 2), conditional statements (if x = 2, then …), or to express a universal equivalence
(x + 1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1.
The first important computer programming language to use the equals sign was the original version of Fortran, FORTRAN I, designed in 1954 and implemented in 1957. In Fortran, "=" serves as an assignment operator:
X = 2 sets the value of
X to 2. This somewhat resembles the use of "=" in a mathematical definition, but with different semantics: the expression following "=" is evaluated first and may refer to a previous value of
X. For example, the assignment
X = X + 2 increases the value of
X by 2.
A rival programming-language usage was pioneered by the original version of ALGOL, which was designed in 1958 and implemented in 1960. ALGOL included a relational operator that tested for equality, allowing constructions like
if x = 2 with essentially the same meaning of "=" as the conditional usage in mathematics. The equals sign was reserved for this usage.
Both usages have remained common in different programming languages into the early 21st century. As well as Fortran, "=" is used for assignment in such languages as C, Perl, Python, awk, and their descendants. But "=" is used for equality and not assignment in the Pascal family, Ada, Eiffel, APL, and other languages.
A few languages, such as BASIC and PL/I, have used the equals sign to mean both assignment and equality, distinguished by context. However, in most languages where "=" has one of these meanings, a different character or, more often, a sequence of characters is used for the other meaning. Following ALGOL, most languages that use "=" for equality use ":=" for assignment, although APL, with its special character set, uses a left-pointing arrow.
Fortran did not have an equality operator (it was only possible to compare an expression to zero, using the arithmetic IF statement) until FORTRAN IV was released in 1962, since when it has used the four characters ".EQ." to test for equality. The language B introduced the use of "==" with this meaning, which has been copied by its descendant C and most later languages where "=" means assignment.
The equals sign is also used in defining attribute–value pairs, in which an attribute is assigned a value.[citation needed]
Usage of several equals signs[edit]
In PHP, the triple equals sign (
===) denotes value and type equality,[4] meaning that not only do the two expressions evaluate to equal values, but they are also of the same data type. For instance, the expression
0 == false is true, but
0 === false is not, because the number 0 is an integer value whereas false is a Boolean value.
JavaScript has the same semantics for
===, referred to as "equality without type coercion". However, in JavaScript the behavior of
== cannot be described by any simple consistent rules. The expression
0 == false is true, but
0 == undefined is false, even though both sides of the
== act the same in Boolean context. For this reason it is sometimes recommended to avoid the
== operator in JavaScript in favor of
In Ruby, equality under
== requires both operands to be of identical type, e.g.
0 == false is false. The
=== operator is flexible and may be defined arbitrarily for any given type. For example, a value of type
Range is a range of integers, such as
(1800..1899) == 1844 is false, since the types are different (Range vs. Integer); however
(1800..1899) === 1844 is true, since
=== on
Range values means "inclusion in the range".[6] Under these semantics,
=== is non-symmetric; e.g.
1844 === (1800..1899) is false, since it is interpreted to mean
Integer#=== rather than
Other uses[edit]
Tone letter[edit]
The equals sign is also used as a grammatical tone letter in the orthographies of Budu in the Congo-Kinshasa, in Krumen, Mwan and Dan in the Ivory Coast.[8][9] The Unicode character used for the tone letter (U+A78A)[10] is different from the mathematical symbol (U+003D).
Personal names[edit]
A possibly unique case of the equals sign of European usage in a person's name, specifically in a double-barreled name, was by pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, as he is also known not only to have often used a double hyphen resembling an equals sign (=) between his two surnames in place of a hyphen, but also seems to have personally preferred that practice, to display equal respect for his father's French ethnicity and the Brazilian ethnicity of his mother.[11]
Instead of a double hyphen, the equals sign is sometimes used in Japanese as a separator between names. In Ojibwe, the readily-available equal sign on a keyboard is used as a substitute for a double hyphen.
In linguistic interlinear glosses, an equals sign is conventionally used to mark clitic boundaries: the equals sign is placed between the clitic and the word that the clitic is attached to.[12]
In chemical formulas, the two parallel lines denoting a double bond are commonly rendered using an equals sign.
LGBT symbol[edit]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2018)
In recent years, the equals sign has been used to symbolize LGBT rights. The symbol has been used since 1995 by the Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for marriage equality, and subsequently by the United Nations Free & Equal, which promotes LGBT rights at the United Nations.[13]
Related symbols[edit]
Approximately equal[edit]
Symbols used to denote items that are approximately equal include the following:[14]
- ≈ (U+2248, LaTeX \approx)
- ≃ (U+2243, LaTeX \simeq), a combination of ≈ and =, also used to indicate asymptotic equality
- ≅ (U+2245, LaTeX \cong), another combination of ≈ and =, which is also sometimes used to indicate isomorphism or congruence
- ∼ (U+223C, LaTeX \sim), which is also sometimes used to indicate proportionality or similarity, being related by an equivalence relation, or to indicate that a random variable is distributed according to a specific probability distribution (see also tilde)
- ∽ (U+223D, LaTex \backsim), which is also used to indicate proportionality
- ≐ (U+2250, LaTeX \doteq), which can also be used to represent the approach of a variable to a limit
- ≒ (U+2252, LaTeX \fallingdotseq), commonly used in Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
- ≓ (U+2253, LaTex \risingdotseq)
Not equal[edit]
The symbol used to denote inequation (when items are not equal) is a slashed equals sign "≠" (U+2260; 2260,Alt+X in Microsoft Windows). In LaTeX, this is done with the "\neq" command.
Most programming languages, limiting themselves to the 7-bit ASCII character set and typeable characters, use
/=, or
<> to represent their Boolean inequality operator.
The triple bar symbol "≡" (U+2261, LaTeX \equiv) is often used to indicate an identity, a definition (which can also be represented by U+225D "≝" or U+2254 "≔"), or a congruence relation in modular arithmetic.
The symbol "≅" is often used to indicate isomorphic algebraic structures or congruent geometric figures.
In logic[edit]
Equality of truth values, i.e. bi-implication or logical equivalence, may be denoted by various symbols including =, ~, and ⇔.
Additional symbols in Unicode related to the equals sign include:[14]
- ≔ (U+2254 ≔ COLON EQUALS) (see also assignment (computer science))
Incorrect usage[edit]
The equals sign is sometimes used incorrectly within a mathematical argument to connect math steps in a non-standard way, rather than to show equality (especially by early mathematics students).
For example, if one were finding the sum, step by step, of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, one might incorrectly write
- 1 + 2 = 3 + 3 = 6 + 4 = 10 + 5 = 15.
Structurally, this is shorthand for
- ([(1 + 2 = 3) + 3 = 6] + 4 = 10) + 5 = 15,
but the notation is incorrect, because each part of the equality has a different value. If interpreted strictly as it says, it implies
- 3 = 6 = 10 = 15 = 15.
A correct version of the argument would be
- 1 + 2 = 3, 3 + 3 = 6, 6 + 4 = 10, 10 + 5 = 15.
This difficulty results from subtly different uses of the sign in education. In early, arithmetic-focused grades, the equals sign may be operational; like the equals button on an electronic calculator, it demands the result of a calculation. Starting in algebra courses, the sign takes on a relational meaning of equality between two calculations. Confusion between the two uses of the sign sometimes persists at the university level.[15]
See also[edit]
- ^ See also geminus and Gemini.
- ^ Recorde, Robert, The Whetstone of Witte … (London, England: Jhon Kyngstone, 1557), the third page of the chapter "The rule of equation, commonly called Algebers Rule."
- ^ "Robert Recorde". MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ "Comparison Operators". PHP.net. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Crockford, Doug. "JavaScript: The Good Parts". YouTube. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ why the lucky stiff. "5.1 This One's For the Disenfranchised". why's (poignant) Guide to Ruby. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Rasmussen, Brett (30 July 2009). "Don't Call it Case Equality". pmamediagroup.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Peter G. Constable; Lorna A. Priest (31 July 2006). Proposal to Encode Additional Orthographic and Modifier Characters (PDF). Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Hartell, Rhonda L., ed. (1993). The Alphabets of Africa. Dakar: UNESCO and SIL. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ "Unicode Latin Extended-D code chart" (PDF). Unicode.org. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Gray, Carroll F. (November 2006). "The 1906 Santos=Dumont No. 14bis". World War I Aeroplanes. No. 194: 4.
- ^ "Conventions for interlinear morpheme-by-morpheme glosses". Retrieved 2017-11-20.
- ^ "HRC Story: Our Logo." The Human Rights Campaign. HRC.org, Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Mathematical Operators" (PDF). Unicode.org. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- ^ Capraro, Robert M.; Capraro, Mary Margaret; Yetkiner, Ebrar Z.; Corlu, Sencer M.; Ozel, Serkan; Ye, Sun; Kim, Hae Gyu (2011). "An International Perspective between Problem Types in Textbooks and Students' understanding of relational equality". Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 10 (1–2): 187–213. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Cajori, Florian (1993). A History of Mathematical Notations. New York: Dover (reprint). ISBN 0-486-67766-4.
- Boyer, C. B.: A History of Mathematics, 2nd ed. rev. by Uta C. Merzbach. New York: Wiley, 1989 ISBN 0-471-09763-2 (1991 pbk ed. ISBN 0-471-54397-7)


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'Lone Ranger' masks its fun behind bloated action tale
The Lone Ranger might as well be Pirates of the Caribbean run aground in the dusty wild west.
Director Gore Verbinski has choreographed a movie (** out of four; rated PG-13; opening Tuesday night in some theaters and Wednesday nationwide) too similar in style and energy to his high-seas franchise films. The likeness is intensified by Johnny Depp's turn as Tonto, who seems related to Jack Sparrow, at least in the smirking comic relief department.
That's not to say Depp isn't good in the role — he's the best thing about the movie. But it's a 2½-hour slog, with tonal inconsistencies and monotonous, drawn-out action sequences. Scenes alternate between frenetic and tedious.
PREMIERE:Johnny Depp rules over 'The Lone Ranger
SNEAK PEEK:The Lone Ranger and Tonto ride again
VIDEO:Johnny Depp nearly gets trampled by horse
Armie Hammer plays the legendary hero as the alter ego of lawman John Reid. In his spotless white hat, he cuts a dashing figure. But it's a mystery why Verbinski makes the audience wait more than 2 hours for the money shot and signature tune. When the masked fighter of injustice finally gallops triumphantly on his white stallion to the blaring strains of William Tell's overture it feels long overdue.
By this point the audience has had to endure a bloated tale of bad guys robbing, shooting and blowing up trains and good guys trying to fend them off and forestall disaster.
The movie's framing device kicks in early and often.
A boy wanders into a traveling carnival exhibition in 1933 and encounters a desert tableau with a sign that reads "The Noble Savage." What appears to be a statue of an aged Native American comes to life before the incredulous lad's eyes. The elderly fellow recounts a yarn of derring-do, set 60 years previously. The storyteller is none other than the all-but-forgotten octogenarian Tonto, played poignantly by Depp underneath effectively rendered makeup.
But then it cuts to the convoluted, overstuffed adventure. Prosecutor John Reid meets Tonto when they're shackled together on a train by gun-slinging villains. This yoking leads to an intricately choreographed escape and sets up an expectation for rollicking fun. But their ensuing escapades never come off as entertaining as that initial go-round.
Too much is thrown at the audience. A couple of villains do their darnedest to amp up the tension. There's the deformed outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner), then the slicker Latham Cole (Tom Wilkinson), a railroad executive with megalomaniacal intentions. Along the way, the pair stop at a house of ill repute and meet Helena Bonham Carter as a ginger-haired madam packing heat in a wooden leg.
With his clean-cut good looks, Hammer is appealing as Reid/Lone Ranger. Avowedly anti-gun, he proclaims the law as his religion. Reid becomes the reluctant sole ranger after his ranger brother Dan (James Badge Dale) and a team of other law enforcers are killed by Cavendish. Reid's dreams of due process must be set aside.
The movie's titular character is second fiddle to Depp's slyly clever Tonto in this reboot. That would seem a reasonable storytelling device, but their bond never feels fully developed. It's as if their sense of loyalty is modified for a contemporary, self-centered era.
Geographic and historical details are glossed over. The distinctive rocky Utah desert landscape subs in for Texas, and the Lone Ranger actually utters the modern over-used action phrase "Let's do this." Was that necessary?
The Lone Ranger is a boisterous, relentless production, long on action but short on fun.


text: Gender Equality in Wedding Planning Posted on July 31, 2014 | by Lindsey Silken We didn't take a photo at the florist, but our pescaterian tasting was very photogenic! Last weekend, entering the meeting with our florist, my fiancé, my mother and father and I had the distinct impression it may have been the first time a groom entered this sacred bridal territory, as though he were alien to this particular planet. We're five weeks out from our wedding. Life is truly insane. If InterfaithFamily did not have a mindfulness expert and three masseuses visit our staff retreat last week, I might have lost it by now. That, and having a fiancé who is actually planning our wedding with me. Shut the… I know, right? Let me repeat that: My fiancé, who is a dude, is planning our wedding alongside me. Times are a changing. Marrying a person who cares about gender equality and feminism was important to me and now, seeing how my fiancé takes on the same roles in our relationship that I do (OK, he definitely does more heavy lifting, but most other things we share!), I'm thankful that I fell in love with someone who doesn't treat marriage as a divvying up of "man stuff" and "woman stuff." No matter how society might try to box us in–yes, even in 2014–we believe in a partnership where we seamlessly pitch in wherever needed. Of course we're in the honeymoon stage of our lives right now. I know neither of us are perfect and there may come a time when one or the other of us gets frustrated beyond belief. We're human. But people say if you can get through wedding planning, you can get through whatever other challenges arise. Clearly, with the divorce rate in this country, that's not true. But how many couples planning their weddings are actually doing it together? I have yet to speak to any other couple I know where the groom planned the wedding equally with the bride. Ceviche. This one got everyone's vote! However, on this Wedding Blog, I've seen a lot more involvement from grooms than I see anywhere else. One of our wedding bloggers is male and it's obvious he's involved in every wedding detail, one of our other couples often includes a guest post by the groom, and the couple's blog that just wrapped up was co-written. Perhaps interfaith couples realize early on how much their wedding day is a reflection of their union and that it's important for both parties to be represented. I'm not advocating that my fiancé get a medal for helping to plan his own wedding (though I am a bit biased and were there a medal to give, I would certainly give it to him). I think men should always help out with wedding planning—after all, it's YOUR wedding, and if you're in a heterosexual relationship, it's not your bride's wedding alone and it's certainly not her mother's. I realize that not everyone enjoys wedding planning, and after seeing how much work goes into it, I can fully understand that. Many women will disagree with my point of view. But unless you've hired a wedding planner, someone's got to do it and I say–it may as well be you. If flowers or the venue are not your thing, find something that is: the rituals you will perform during your ceremony, the food you'll eat, song requests for the band or DJ, finding your officiant, your photographer, the list is long! But the fact is, wedding planning has a long history of being the bride's domain. The old saying is, step out of the way and let her do what she wants. If the bride has big ideas and the groom is easy going, this may make sense. But that doesn't mean he can't be in the loop, help make some of the tougher decisions, and be there for whatever little tasks and errands and phone calls need to get done. And if the groom does have opinions, shouldn't he be allowed to voice them? Shouldn't he feel like the wedding represents him, too? Should he be silenced by an outdated idea that he doesn't get a say in his own wedding? I love that my fiancé is involved, but what if I wanted to just have it my way? Should I be shutting him out of one of the biggest days of our lives that represents our future partnership? While I don't think my fiancé is doing anything that any other man couldn't or shouldn't also be doing, I happen to love planning our wedding together. I could NEVER do this myself, and taking for granted that he is going to make sure we pay all our bills on time, communicate with our vendors as needed, join me at all the meetings, make decisions together and keep track of our daily to-do list, is the kind of dependability I know he will have for the rest of our marriage. What a great experience to learn this before we get married! We're going to be tackling challenges good and bad for the rest of our lives. We're a team, and we each want the other to succeed, to thrive, to be happy. This is why figuring out how to bring our friends and families together to celebrate with us as we express our love and commitment is such an important thing to do as a couple. We're learning that we don't always agree and how to compromise, how to prioritize what's important to us, how to handle finances and family members, religion and many other things. Maybe I just got lucky with my man, or maybe, given the chance, many other grooms would gladly lend their fiancé a hand and play an active part in their wedding planning. Are you a groom helping to plan your wedding? Brides, is your groom helping you out, or would you rather he butt out? Sound off in the comments. About Lindsey Silken Lindsey Silken is the editorial director of InterfaithFamily based in Newton, MA. She can be reached at email@example.com. View all posts by Lindsey Silken →


text:
Celebrity Authors of Juvenile Fiction
From Wiki
Article in Juvenile Fiction category
Like an overnight with a favorite relative, there's something special about children's books written by celebrities. Here's a selection.
- Fred Gwynne
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of her Youth
- It's Hard to be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel
- John Lithgow
- A Lithgow Palooza! : 101 Ways to Entertain and Inspire Your kids
- The Remarkable Farkle McBride
- Marsupial Sue
- Carnival of the Animals
- Henry Winkler (and Lin Oliver)
- Hank Zipzer series.
- Katie Couric
- Julie Andrews Edwards
- Debbie Allen
- Alan Arkin
- Bill Cosby
- Little Bill series.
- Pete Seeger
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Lynne Cheney
- Jimmy Carter (illustrated by Amy Carter)
- Maria Shriver
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis edited by Caroline Kennedy
- Tiki and Ronde Barber
- Emeril Lagasse
See Also John Travolta's Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Fable for All Ages (in adult fiction), Carly Simon's Amy the Dancing Bear , Garrison Keillor's Cat, You Better Come Home , Jimmy Buffett's The Jolly Mon , Jerry Garcia's The Teddy Bear's Picnic , Prince Charles' (H.R.H. The Prince of Wales) The Old Man of Lochnagar (in adult fiction), Jan Karon's Miss Fannie's Hat , Michael Chabon's Summerland , and Dean Koontz's Oddkins: a Fable for All Ages (in adult fiction).
Keep your eyes open for David Baldacci's Freddy and the French Fries series.